Native American News

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7 Things to Know About Native American Heritage Month

The annual commemoration honors Indigenous heritage in modern ways, from acknowledging the forced displacements of Native people to decolonizing Thanksgiving dinner.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/651931/native-american-heritage-month-facts?

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Tribes in Maine Spent Decades Fighting to Rebury Ancestral Remains. Harvard Resisted Them at Nearly Every Turn.

Donna Augustine was in tears as she read the letter from Harvard University that winter morning in 2013. Looking around the room inside an elementary school on Indian Island, Maine, she saw other elders and leaders from the four Wabanaki tribes were also devastated as they read that the university was denying their request to repatriate ancestral remains to their tribes.

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-wabanaki-tribes-struggle-to-reclaim-ancestral-remains-from-harvard?

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Biden meets with leaders of tribal nations, signs order easing access to federal funds

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that would make it easier for tribal nations to access and invest federal funding on their own terms.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/12/07/biden-meets-with-leaders-of-tribal-nations-signs-order-easing-access-to-federal-funds/?

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New Federal Rules Aim to Speed Repatriations of Native Remains and Burial Items

The Biden administration has revised the rules that institutions and government agencies must follow to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act — a law long hampered by limited funding and the unwillingness of many museums to relinquish Indigenous remains and burial items.

https://www.propublica.org/article/interior-department-revamps-repatriation-rules-native-remains-nagpra?

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An alternative proposal for the Wounded Knee medal problem

Some of the soldiers who participated in the killing of hundreds of Native American men, women and children 133 years ago today at Wounded Knee are still officially honored as heroes.

https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/12/29/an-alternative-proposal-for-the-wounded-knee-medal-problem/?

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More museums shutter Native American exhibits

American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Photo: Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images New York City's American Museum of Natural History announced today that it is closing two major exhibit halls containing Native American artifacts. ? The big picture: Museums around the country are adjusting how they display Native American artifacts to comply with new federal rules, Axios' Ivana Saric writes. The new rules, which took effect this month, require museums and institutions to obtain tribal consent before displaying Native American remains and artifacts. Chicago's Field Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science also have recently closed or covered up displays of Native American artifacts. Go deeper.

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A South Dakota tribe banned Gov. Kristi Noem from a reservation over her US-Mexico border remarks

A South Dakota tribe has banned Republican Gov. Kristi Noem from the Pine Ridge Reservation after she spoke this week about wanting to send razor wire and security personnel to Texas to help deter immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border and also said cartels are infiltrating the state’s reservations.

https://apnews.com/article/oglala-sioux-reservation-governor-ban-south-dakota-9f811bbd1ffaadf979e4353ad6e961ad?

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Washington’s Makah Tribe could once again harpoon whales as US waives conservation law

SEATTLE (AP) — The United States granted the Makah Indian Tribe in Washington state a long-sought waiver Thursday that helps clear the way for its first sanctioned whale hunts since 1999 and sets the stage for renewed clashes with animal rights activists.

https://apnews.com/article/makah-tribe-whale-hunt-9b2e4a699431cc144f826dfbf6a9172a?

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Judge orders railway to pay a Washington tribe nearly $400 million BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington state, a federal judge ordered Monday after finding that the company intentionally trespassed across the tribe’s reservation. Read more.

Key points: “We know that this is a large amount of money. But that just reflects the enormous wrongful profits that BNSF gained by using the Tribe’s land day after day, week after week, year after year over our objections,” Steve Edwards, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, said in a statement.    The tribe, which has about 1,400 members, sued in 2015 after BNSF dramatically increased, without the tribe’s consent, the number of cars it was running across the reservation so that it could ship crude oil in and around North Dakota to a nearby refinery. The route crosses sensitive marine ecosystems along the coast, over water that connects with the Salish Sea, where the tribe has treaty-protected rights to fish.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Toxic garlic should have prompted EPA to warn against gardening near Ohio derailment, watchdog says   Report finds Colorado was built on $1.7 trillion of land expropriated from tribal nations   US Catholic bishops approve outreach to Native Americans and acknowledge boarding school ‘traumas’

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US acknowledges Northwest dams have devastated the region’s Native tribes

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. government on Tuesday acknowledged, for the first time, the harmful role it has played over the past century in building and operating dams in the Pacific Northwest — dams that devastated Native American tribes by inundating their villages and decimating salmon runs while bringing electricity, irrigation and jobs to nearby communities.

https://apnews.com/article/columbia-snake-river-dams-tribes-58f5c6737df3c3e141cbc8e1cd4926ca?

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Illinois may soon return land the US stole from a Prairie Band Potawatomi chief 175 years ago

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Some 175 years after the U.S. government stole land from the chief of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation while he was away visiting relatives, Illinois may soon return it to the tribe.

https://apnews.com/article/potawatomi-reservation-illinois-indian-treaty-aecd2414a1d996486848f357b55c83c5?

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? Celebrate Indigenous culture

By Analis Bailey

Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian

The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is back on the National Mall with free performances, concerts, family-friendly activities, workshops and more. The vibe: This year's theme is "Indigenous Voices of the Americas" and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). More than 250 Indigenous and Native athletes, dancers, artists, musicians, chefs and storytellers from across the U.S. and eight other countries will be there. What they're saying: The festival is centered around this particular museum to give an "opportunity for visitors to hear from and talk with Native and Indigenous people," Cynthia Chavez Lamar, director of the NMAI, said at the opening ceremony on Wednesday. Like the festival, "the museum ensures our visibility as Native people in the narratives about America." Flashback: This year is also the 35th anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian Act. If you go: Expect crowds, as always, and bring water. Programming is 11am–7pm Friday and Saturday, and 9:30am–7pm Sunday at the National Museum of the American Indian. More things to do: ? Lavender Con: Visit a two-day queer book festival with author panels, book signings and a market featuring LGBTQ+ artists and books Saturday and Sunday at the National Press Club. View schedule here. One-day tickets are $35. ? Mystics vs. Aces: Watch the Mystics take on the reigning champs 2pm Saturday at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Tickets start at $81. ? Broadway in the Park: Watch a musical theater performance featuring songs from "My Fair Lady," "Cabaret," "Pippin," "Les Miserables" and more 8pm Saturday at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap. Tickets start at $33. ? Taste di Islands Block Party: Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month with Caribbean food, dancehall, reggae and more 4–10pm Friday at the Bullpen. Single tickets are $20 or two for $30. ? All American Bar Crawl: Enjoy food and drink specials and patriotic party favors 2–10pm Saturday in Dupont. Single tickets are $25; group tickets for four or more are $22 each. ? Good Vibes Only Block Party: Dance to DJ sets and eat from local food trucks 3–8pm Sunday at Sandlot Georgetown. ?️ Fresh Air Fest: Visit a queer and COVID-conscious outdoor market featuring queer artists of color 3–8pm Saturday in Park View. Money from raffle tickets will go to Grammy's Place. Attendees should come masked. Tickets start at $5. ?️ June Riverdale Artisan Market: Shop vintage clothes, art and jewelry and enjoy music from local artists 3–7pm Saturday at the Station at Riverdale Park. Free.

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Investigation finds at least 973 Native American children died in US government boarding schools

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — At least 973 Native American children died in the U.S. government’s abusive boarding school system, according to the results of an investigation released Tuesday by Interior Department officials who called on the government to apologize for the schools.

https://apnews.com/article/indian-boarding-schools-deaths-investigation-82645234fe9d7ce689e8375a51d7e161?

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Pacific Northwest tribes are battered by climate change but fight to get money meant to help them

SEATTLE (AP) — Coastal tribes in the Pacific Northwest experience some of the most severe effects of climate change — from rising seas to severe heat — but face an array of bureaucratic barriers to access government funds meant to help them adapt, a report released Monday found.

https://apnews.com/article/pacific-northwest-tribes-climate-change-report-funding-df5bb68ad8eabbe304712161d8d77b77?

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Arizona Cracked Down on Medicaid Fraud That Targeted Native Americans. It Left Patients Without Care.

Before her fifth birthday, Rainy had experienced a lifetime of trauma. As an infant, she witnessed violence at home before child welfare authorities intervened and her parents were incarcerated. Night terrors followed. Then, she endured the death of her great uncle who had taken on the role of dad.

https://www.propublica.org/article/arizona-medicaid-fraud-crackdown-native-american-patients?

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Arizona tribe fights to stop lithium drilling on culturally significant lands

PHOENIX (AP) — Members of an Arizona tribe are trying to persuade a federal judge to extend a temporary ban on exploratory drilling for a lithium project near lands they have used for religious and cultural ceremonies for centuries.

https://apnews.com/article/lithium-mine-arizona-tribe-lawsuit-sacred-lands-dd8d445aadc23f8483992ea7b47e18e2?

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Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day

The National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall. Photo: Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Indigenous Peoples Day is Monday. Here are some local events and ways to learn about Indigenous cultures around D.C. Visit the National Museum of the American Indian, where current exhibitions include "Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains" and "Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake." Don't skip a meal using Indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques at Mitsitam Cafe. Join the D.C. Bird Alliance for a special tour of Roosevelt Island, which was inhabited by Native American tribes through the 18th century (free, registration required). Head to the National Arboretum for a meditative "forest bathing" walk and tea session in celebration of the day (suggested ticket price is $35). Plus: Go on a self-guided walking tour with the Guide to Indigenous D.C. The app and website, developed by Elizabeth Rule, a Chickasaw Nation member, explores the city's Indigenous history at sites like the Dumbarton Bridge and Iwo Jima Memorial.

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Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated with an eye on the election

As Native Americans across the U.S. come together on Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate their history and culture and acknowledge the ongoing challenges they face, many will do so with a focus on the election.

https://apnews.com/article/indigenous-peoples-day-election-native-voters-fb096986752c2a8f52a805335f2c66ee?

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President Biden to apologize for 150-year Indian boarding school policy

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — President Joe Biden said he will formally apologize on Friday for the country’s role in forcing Indigenous children for over 150 years into boarding schools, where many were physically, emotionally and sexually abused, and more than 950 died.

https://apnews.com/article/indian-border-schools-apology-biden-haaland-701872132d7f191973d54cd05286ef75?

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What Were The Indigenous Names for Florida?

FLORIDA STATE - Long before Ponce de León landed on its shores and bestowed upon it the name "La Florida," meaning "land of flowers," this vibrant peninsula was home to a rich tapestry of indigenous cultures. These diverse communities, with their unique languages, traditions, and deep connection to the land, had their own names for the place we now call Florida. Let's delve into the history of this sun-kissed state and uncover the stories of its original inhabitants.

https://eastcoasttraveller.com/index.php/regions/florida-region/3474-what-were-the-indigenous-names-for-florida

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An Indian family froze to death crossing the Canada-US border, a perilous trip becoming more common

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — On the last night of their lives, Jagdish Patel, his wife and their two young children tried to slip into the U.S. across a near-empty stretch of the Canadian border.

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-us-india-deaths-smuggling-trial-16946bb01a1d1ca2978f29e902e550fc?

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2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury convicted two men on Friday of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard.

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-india-smuggling-deaths-trial-verdict-de2f999332e6cc8be1ea78c7fdfb6590?

St. Louis was once known as Mound City for its many Native American mounds. Just one remains

ST. LOUIS (AP) — What is now St. Louis was once home to more than 100 mounds constructed by Native Americans — so many that St. Louis was once known as “Mound City.” Settlers tore most of them down, and just one remains.

https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-osage-native-american-sugarloaf-mound-9633a56751b73554402cec0643cf0252?

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Oregon tribe has hunting and fishing rights restored under a long-sought court ruling

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) — Drumming made the floor vibrate and singing filled the conference room of the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast, as hundreds in tribal regalia danced in a circle.

https://apnews.com/article/siletz-oregon-tribal-rights-powwow-restoration-ee2c9fd73c372298aa4d505e3c992761?

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Biden creates Native American boarding school national monument to mark era of forced assimilation

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden designated a national monument at a former Native American boarding school in Pennsylvania on Monday to honor the resilience of Indigenous tribes whose children were forced to attend the school and hundreds of similar abusive institutions.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-national-monument-carlisle-indian-boarding-school-36df4da33656d16f2a55308ac5aef07b?

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Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development

For many Native American Church members who call a corner of southern Texas the "peyote gardens," the plant is sacrosanct and an inextricable part of their prayer and ceremony. They say poaching and excessive harvesting of the slow-growing cactus, which flowers and matures over 10 to 30 years, are endangering the species and ruining its delicate habitat. Read more.