Good Morning NUNAverse,
As Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall, Catholic bishops in Canada apologized Friday “unequivocally” to Indigenous peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their Native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are believed to have died.
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico will become the first US city to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to search for remains of Native children buried in unmarked gravesites over a century ago. Mayor Tim Kellen announced the plan over the weekend at a public acknowledgement ceremony near the site of the former Albuquerque Indian School Cemetery, now a public park. Researchers used GPR to find unmarked graves and the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Residential School earlier this year. The discovery brought international attention to Indian Boarding Schools and put a spotlight on a dark era of forced government assimilation of Indigenous children. The federally funded Albuquerque Indian Boarding School ran from 1881 through 1982.
Middlebury College removed the name of a former Vermont governor from the campus chapel on Monday because of his “instigating role” in eugenics policies of the early 1900s that “sought to isolate and prevent the procreation of so-called ‘delinquents, dependents, and defectives,’” the school announced. The move follows the Legislature’s apology last spring to all Vermonters and their families and descendants who were harmed by state-sanctioned eugenics policies and practices that led to sterilizations. Some Vermonters of mixed French Canadian and Native heritage, as well as poor, rural white people, were placed on a state-sanctioned list of “mental defectives” and degenerates and sent to state institutions.
Four tribal housing authorities in Arizona were awarded nearly $1 million of federal funding to address homelessness among Native veterans in the state. The funding is being provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as part of the Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, according to a press release. Housing authorities for Navajo, Hopi, and San Carlos will each get a portion of just over $550,000, according to the release, with $417,931 being awarded to the Tohono O’odham – KIKI Association. The federal program provides housing and supportive services to Native veterans currently experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness through rental assistance, case management and clinical services.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Boarding Schools:
‘The First Step Is To Understand What’s There’ — Albuquerque Mayor Announces Search For Missing Indigenous Children’s Remains
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, September 28
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico will become the first US city to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to search for remains of Native children buried in unmarked gravesites over a century ago. Mayor Tim Kellen announced the plan over the weekend at a public acknowledgement ceremony near the site of the former Albuquerque Indian School Cemetery, now a public park. Researchers used GPR to find unmarked graves and the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Residential School earlier this year. The discovery brought international attention to Indian Boarding Schools and put a spotlight on a dark era of forced government assimilation of Indigenous children. The federally funded Albuquerque Indian Boarding School ran from 1881 through 1982, forcibly assimilating Native children from surrounding pueblos and Native nations into Western culture.
Canadian Catholic Bishops Apologize For Residential Schools
AP News, September 27
As Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall, Catholic bishops in Canada apologized Friday “unequivocally” to Indigenous peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their Native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are said to have died.
Middlebury College Strips Chapel Name Over Eugenics Role
AP News, Lisa Rathke, September 27
Middlebury College removed the name of a former Vermont governor from the campus chapel on Monday because of his “instigating role” in eugenics policies of the early 1900s that “sought to isolate and prevent the procreation of so-called ‘delinquents, dependents, and defectives,’” the school announced. The move follows the Legislature’s apology last spring to all Vermonters and their families and descendants who were harmed by state-sanctioned eugenics policies and practices that led to sterilizations. Some Vermonters of mixed French Canadian and Native heritage, as well as poor, rural white people, were placed on a state-sanctioned list of “mental defectives” and degenerates and sent to state institutions.
CARES Act:
Following The Coronavirus Relief Funds In Alaska
Indian Country Today, Meghan Sullivan, September 27
The Supreme Court announced that Alaska Native corporations were eligible for CARES Act funding in June, after a year of legal conflicts surrounding the issue. The decision was widely celebrated by impacted Alaska Native organizations that stated the stalled relief funds negatively affected an already at-risk community during the height of the pandemic. Now, the corporations are moving on to phase two of the process: determining how they can best use the final funding amount they each received. Overall, 13 Alaska Native regional corporations and more than 150 village corporations received nearly $450 million in relief funds. They have until December 31, 2021, to spend it, according to the CARES Act legislation.
Other:
Navajo Nation Honors 14 Gold Star Families
Native News Online, September 27
In conjunction with a national day celebrating Gold Star veterans and their families, Navajo Nation executives joined tribal veterans on Sunday to honor the lives and sacrifices of fallen warriors and their families. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer gathered with Gold Star families and tribal members at Navajo Veterans Memorial Park in Window Rock, Arizona to celebrate “Navajo Nation Gold Star Families Day,” held in conjunction with National Gold Star Mother’s Day. The Navajo Nation designates the last Sunday in September each year to recognize the families of fallen military men and women. Bobby Martin of the Navajo Hopi Honor Riders spoke on behalf of the veterans in attendance and read the names of 14 Navajo fallen warriors who gave their lives in the line of duty since 2003. He joined Nez and Lizer as they laid a wreath at a memorial site at Navajo Veterans Memorial Park.
Arizona tribal authorities receive federal grants to address homelessness among veterans
KTAR News, September 28
Four tribal housing authorities in Arizona were awarded nearly $1 million of federal funding to address homelessness among Native veterans in the state. The funding is being provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as part of the Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, according to a press release. Housing authorities for Navajo, Hopi and San Carlos will each get a portion of just over $550,000, according to the release, with $417,931 being awarded to the Tohono O’odham – KIKI Association. The federal program provides housing and supportive services to Native American veterans currently experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness through rental assistance, case management and clinical services.