Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 35
ANCHORAGE, Alaska-On October 7, the Indigenous Alaskans were honored in two ways. First, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed House Bill 126 into law, declaring November as Alaska Native Heritage Month. The bill reads, in part, "Alaska Native Heritage Month may be observed by schools, community groups, and other public and private agencies and individuals with appropriate activities to honor and recognize the contributions made by Alaska Natives in the history of this state and the...
God had a wonderful plan when He created humanity. "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). God gave us amazing bodies. Our hearts beat faithfully year after year; our lungs breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide without our supervision. Our blood flows, unseen, supplying nutrition to trillions of cells and carries away waste products to predetermined disposal sites. Blood cells vigilantly...
Most gangster movies, though they involve people doing terrible things like selling drugs and murdering competitors, are built on a Judeo-Christian ethic-for instance, the scene in "The Godfather" where Michael Corleone's thugs kill off his enemies while he attends his nephew's baptism and becomes, in two senses of the word, the godfather. The main characters in these kind of movies tell themselves that they have good reasons for their evil actions-they are taking care of...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Twenty-six tribes will see the return of ancestral remains from Finland, where the items have been held in a museum after being taken from Colorado almost 130 years ago. Tribes include the Hopi, Navajo, Southern Ute Tribe, Mescalero Apache, tribes of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, and others. The repatriation, announced Wednesday during Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's visit to the White House, follows years of cooperation between the tribes and the...
PABLO, Mont.-Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Chairman Aimee Jorjani entered into an agreement with Salish Kootenai College (SKC) in Pablo, Montana, and the ACHP Foundation on September 23, 2019 to provide educational, personal development, and professional growth opportunities to students in the Tribal Historic Preservation and Tribal Governance and Administration degree programs. As one of her first official actions as chairman since being confirmed by the...
EAGLE BUTTE, S.D.-On Labor Day weekend, the Cheyenne River Youth Project officially graduated 11 Lakota teens from its summer arts internship program. This is a record-breaking number for the nonprofit youth organization, which began offering teen internships in 2013. "Normally, we see five or six kids complete the full arts internship track," said Jerica Widow, CRYP's youth programs director. "This time, we doubled that number. It's incredible." Not only did the teens...
PORTLAND, Ore.—The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Multnomah County, Oregon, works with over 100 youth, ages 16 to 24, experiencing homelessness and housing instability. The program follows a housing-first, trauma-informed service model, providing stable supports around housing and other basic human needs like food, hygiene, childcare, and connection to culture. This model is especially culturally appropriate for Native youth, most of whom come to NAYA in crisis. Up to two-thirds of program participants a...
Hayzil Yellow Fox was just a small child when she first began coming to Cheyenne River Youth Project's (CRYP) youth center. Back then, as for many children, it was all about the daily fun, from arts and crafts to playing with the short- and long-term volunteers. And, as with many children, Hayzil looked forward to being old enough to play basketball at Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life). As a teen, she could attend Midnight Basketball and enjoy open gym hours. But there was a far...
OTTAWA, Ontario-Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was launched in September. The Framework sets out a long-term, strategic vision that will guide the Government of Canada's activities and investments in the Arctic to 2030 and beyond and will better align Canada's national and international policy objectives with the priorities of Indigenous peoples and Arctic and Northern residents. As the first policy framework of this scope to be co-developed with Indigenous,...
WASHINGTON-Consumer advocates said recently that Wells Fargo's $6.5 million settlement of a Navajo Nation lawsuit that charged the bank with preying on tribal members is a "tremendous victory" for Native communities targeted by such practices. Wells Fargo & Co. said in late August that it will pay $6.5 million to the Navajo Nation to settle the tribe's 2017 suit that alleged a history of "unfair, deceptive, fraudulent and illegal practices," particularly aimed at elderly and...
Shoal Lake 40, Ontario-Recently Dan Vandal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services, and Shoal Lake 40 Chief Erwin Redsky participated in a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate the awarding of the contract for construction of a water treatment and distribution system. The new system will end seven long-term drinking water advisories that have been in place since February 1997, and bring a reliable supply of safe, clean drinking water to 292 residents....
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Indian Health Service Office of Urban Indian Health Programs has awarded $1,050,000 to the National Council of Urban Indian Health for the Urban Indian Education and Research Program Cooperative Agreement. Through this agreement, NCUIH will act as an education and research partner for 41 urban Indian organizations in 22 states funded by IHS, offering assistance regarding public policy; research and data; training and technical assistance; education, public relations, and marketing; and payment system r...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Indian Health Service has awarded grants totaling nearly $1 million to nine tribes and tribal organizations as part of a competitive program to develop and improve tribal capacity to manage health programs under the authority of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. "At IHS, we recognize that tribal leaders and members are in the best position to understand the health care needs and priorities of their communities," said Rear Adm....
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.-Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. recently announced a $16 million investment in Cherokee language preservation-the largest language investment in the tribe's history. Chief Hoskin announced the "Durbin Feeling Cherokee Language Preservation Act" during a celebration of Cherokee language speakers. "Now is the time to be bold and act quickly so we do not fail the legacy of our ancestors or future of our Cherokee speakers," Chief Hoskin said. "We...
The doctor who came from the valley into our log cabin in the hills looked at me, threw up his hands, and whispered to my father, 'You send him away. He doesn't belong in the valley community. He'll never learn like other children. He'll never speak like other children. You send him away.'" Those were some of the first words spoken over a newborn Chippewa infant in 1939. Don Bartlette was born into the world in rural North Dakota with fetal alcohol syndrome, resulting in a...
LOS ANGELES, Calif.-In early October, the Orange County Transit Authority halted a road-widening project on the I-405 Freeway when construction workers discovered human remains, including bones. Analyzation by the Orange County Coroner's office determined the site to possibly be a Native American burial site. Construction workers who were excavating as part of the I-405 Improvement Project spotted the remains, including bones, on Sept. 25 at an undisclosed location. According...
WHITEHORSE, Yukon-Yukon has received the first of two $8.25 million annual installments of the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF), along with a top-up of $16.5 million, made available through Budget 2019. This top-up doubles the amount of money for municipalities, unincorporated communities and First Nations in Yukon, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents. The federal GTF is a long-term, indexed source of funding that...
I have corresponded with Indian Life Ministries for about 10 years (mostly with R.) and your newspaper, books, flyers, and every correspondence have been nothing short of a joy and blessing in my life. You have truly helped to instill the love of Jesus into my life. And that love has spread to countless who have been around me, and around those who were around me. Very similar to a tiny spark, that builds into a ring of fire. The difference being that the ring of fire is...
Q: I have children with a man I was not married to, but I've met someone else I care about deeply. We want to marry, but I am struggling with the decision to do so. I am a Christian (although my relationship with the Lord is off and on) and need help knowing what would be right in the Lord's eyes. A: First some questions to consider. How is the relationship between your children and their father? How long have you been separated and had you separated before and got back...
VANCOUVER, B.C.-The Government of Canada and Nisga'a Lisims Government are pleased to announce an agreement to support the Nisga'a Nation's efforts to revitalize its language. The Government of Canada will invest up to $6 million over six years to fund Nisga'a Lisims Government's language revitalization plan. The plan was established based on Nisga'a Nation priorities, and includes gathering and collecting information on Nisga'a language, culture and traditional practices,...
KUUJJUAQ, Quebec-In Setpember, a 10-year funding contribution agreement was signed between Indigenous Services Canada and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS). This 10-year contribution agreement (2019-2029) of over $70 million ensures stable, long-term funding of health and social services for Inuit of Nunavik and provides greater autonomy in the management of federal funds. The added financial flexibility will allow the NRBHSS to better plan and...
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.-The Cherokee Nation's new four-story, 469,000 square foot outpatient health center opened its optometry, audiology, physical rehabilitation, behavioral health, radiology, lab and pharmacy services Oct. 7. The new facility is the largest tribal outpatient health center in the country and is opening in phases in October. "The Cherokee Nation is excited to open this beautiful new facility that allows us to serve more of our citizens, and offer more services than...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The number of people who showed up at Indian Health Service facilities with health insurance rose from 64% of patients in 2013 to 78% in 2018, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The report said growth in coverage was highest in states, like Arizona, that expanded their Medicaid programs as part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Despite the gains, however, the share of people without insurance at the 73 IHS facilities...
EDMONTON, Alberta-In 2018, the Canadian federal government bought the Trans Mountain Pipeline for $4.5 billion from Kinder Morgan. And now several First Nations groups want to buy it. The Westline Indigenous Pipeline Group is a coalition of First Nations people determined to purchase from the government the 1,150 km pipeline that runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C. Mike LeBourdais, chief of the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band, and representative for the Western...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Recently, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, which sits on the National Mall in Washington, broke ground for construction of the Native American Veterans Memorial. The memorial, named Warrior's Circle of Honor, will be built on the grounds of the museum. The $15 million memorial will take over a year to construct and is scheduled to be dedicated on Veterans Day 2020. "The circle is something that is really meaningful to most- if not...
