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Kansas City, Mo.-In the November 6 USA mid-term elections, the first Native American women were elected to Congress. Deb Haaland was voted to replace Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who vacated the New Mexico seat to run for governor, and Sharice Davids unseated Kansas GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder. Davids is reported to be a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, and Haaland is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna. Haaland served for two years as the chair of the...
BOSTON, Mass-The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), has announced the gift of the estate of David Rockefeller from the Collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller-an acquisition including 52 works of art by Native American artists and works representing Native American culture. The objects in this cornerstone gift were assembled primarily by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller in the 1920s and 1930s, and include Plains beadwork, Navajo (Diné) weavings and...
PORT ALBERNI, B.C.-Students across Canada took time in late September to learn about residential schools. In Port Alberni, B.C., on September 28, NEW (Nuu-chah-nulth Education Worker) Richard Samuel, organized activities for the third year to raise students' and staff awareness of the legacy of Canada's Indian residential schools. Each year he holds class discussions and students create a banner that is displayed in Port Alberni. An article in Ha-Shilth-Sa, Canada's oldest...
BELLINGHAM, Wash.-Northwest Indian College's (NWIC) Salish Sea Research Center (SSRC) on the Lummi campus was awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support community-driven research in marine sciences. The grant, "Restoring the Salish Sea: Food Sovereignty and Clean Water in the Pacific Northwest," partners with Lummi Natural Resources (LNR) and forms a network of collaborators, establishing a Tribal Enterprise Advancement (TEA) Center for Commun...
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.-Junior Miss Cherokee Kaitlyn Pinkerton recently presented at the 35th annual National Indian Health Board's Tribal Health Conference in September, where she shared her platform of mental health awareness. "It is important to present on mental health because people need to know that they are not alone when they have a mental health disorder," Pinkerton said. "I want people to know that they have support available to them, and where to find support." At 15 years...
It's so heavy. The loneliness one experiences in Ad Seg (the hole) presses its weight upon every person in here, causing a roller coaster of emotions. But God is faithful to those who put their trust in Him. One night, after the day dragged longer than normal, I asked my Father to remind me of all the ways He had shown His presence to me. I took out my pen and paper and began to list everything that came to mind. The list was long, which proved that I had absolutely no reason...
Wayne Leman, an Alaska Native, worked with the Cheyenne for many years. In his darkest hour, it was the Cheyenne who came to rescue him. "They were the ones with whom I felt safe. I shared my story and it was a breakthrough." Twenty-five years ago, our mission administrator told us he was requiring us to move from the Cheyenne reservation to one of our mission centers to get counseling. It was a shock to hear that, but we moved. Counseling sessions were confusing. I didn't...
ST. PAUL, Minn.-The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) has announced that it will keep the Grand Mound Historic Site closed to the general public, following the wishes of Native Americans whose ancestors are buried at the site. The site will be accessible to Native Americans for ceremonial and educational purposes. "This site is foremost a burial ground with thousands of human remains still interred there," said Joe Horse Capture, director of Native American Initiatives at...
LANSING, Mich.-Tribal and state partners are working closer than ever to care for and preserve more than 100 petroglyphs carved into a large sandstone outcrop on Michigan's Cass River floodplain using laser technology. "We created digital models of the Sanilac Petroglyphs with harmless pulses of light that detect and measure the 3D world," said Stacy Tchorzynski, an archaeologist at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and project manager for the Sanilac Petroglyphs....
GRANTS, N.M.-If you're driving along historic Route 66, keep an eye open for one of the country's largest tributes to Native American culture. When Connect 66 Internet, a New Mexico broadband company affiliated with Sacred Wind Communications, ended up with a bunch of satellite dishes they didn't need, they decided to recycle them to look like giant Native baskets. So the eight-foot dishes were wrapped with copies of Native basket paintings and placed along Route 66 in...
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.—Cherokee Nation’s Behavioral Health HERO Project was recently recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for their work in suicide prevention and children’s mental health awareness. The department received three awards, including one gold, one silver and one shining star award, as part of the 2018 Excellence in Community Communications and Outreach program that recognized SAMHSA grantees. “Our work in behavioral health is some of the most important work that we do as a tribe,...
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-Don't call First Nations Kitchen a soup line. Yes, it serves dinners to those who can't afford them, but that's where the similarity to traditional community food services ends. It is run by Indigenous people for Indigenous people and features a menu of the ancestral foods of Indigenous people. Randy Johnson has been on both sides of the table. He regularly volunteers now to work at the Sunday evening dinners, but he's also been on the receiving end of the...
WASHINGTON, D. C.-The Department of Interior and the Department of Justice have announced a dramatic expansion of the Justice Department's Tribal Access Program (TAP) for the National Crime Information Center, which is the federal government's key program that provides tribes with access to the national crime information databases. The Department of the Interior (DOI) will fund the installation of TAP Kiosks at three locations where the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of...
OTTAWA, Ont.-In mid-October, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled concerning the Mikisew Cree First Nation, stating that the federal government does not need to consult with First Nations before tabling legislation. Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says Canada still has a duty to ensure its laws respect and honor First Nations rights and title. "Today's decision is disappointing, but it does reaffirm the federal government's duty to uphold the...
JUNEAU, Alaska-In late September, then-Governor Bill Walker issued Administrative Order 300, formally acknowledging the emergency faced by Alaska's Native languages, supporting their revitalization and improving government-to-government relationships between Alaska's state and tribal governments. "This order focuses on concrete ways Alaska can show leadership to support its first people and their languages-one of our richest and most at-risk resources," Walker said. "It's our...
AUSTIN, Texas-The StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-7NATIVE) has announced that 1,000 callers have now reached out to the helpline for safe, confidential support and resources for domestic violence and dating violence. Since March 2017, the StrongHearts Native Helpline has offered a culturally-appropriate space for victims, survivors, their families and friends, service providers and abusive partners to reach out for help. As a partnered effort, StrongHearts combines the...
WASHINGTON, D.C-Navajo Technical University (NTU) has been awarded $667,909 by the National Science Foundation to improve broadband connectivity for Native students, expanding access to educational opportunities and workforce training throughout the region. NTU is the country's largest tribal university, offering academic and research programs to students across Navajo Nation, particularly in the science, technology, education, and math (STEM) fields. But uneven Internet...
ADDISON, Texas-Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), a nonprofit committed to serving immediate needs and supporting long-term solutions for Native Americans living in reservation communities, has announced new initiatives to help communities on the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Crow Creek reservations in South Dakota be better prepared when an emergency strikes. "More than 90,000 Native Americans in the U.S. are homeless, and 40 percent of Native Americans live in...
LOS ANGELES, Calif.-The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has awarded the Autry Museum of the American West a generous grant of $414,101, the largest gift the Autry has received from any tribe or Native community. The grant will enable the Autry to build and strengthen relationships with Native communities as well as provide significant access to its collections, particularly with the anticipated opening of the Autry's Resources Center. "This grant would be notable enough...
OTTAWA, Ont.-Recently the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) met with representatives from the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) to discuss the ongoing systemic and aggravated forms of discrimination against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. "The international community's concern regarding the staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women in Canada demonstrates the need for action," said NWAC's President Francyne Joe. "It is important...
COAST SALISH TERRITORY, B.C.-The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) has been awarded $2.5 million over five years, its largest research grant to date, from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). FNHA will collaborate with academic partners on this research project to improve harm reduction for First Nations across British Columbia, employing a groundbreaking decolonizing approach that has not been used before. "This project is innovative and the first of its...
AKWESASNE, New York, Ontario, Quebec-The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has reacquired 240 acres that were set aside for the Akwesasne Mohawk community by a 1796 federal treaty with the Seven Nations of Canada at a price of $1,667 per acre ($400,000 total). The 240-acre property is in the heart of the Akwesasne community, abutting 609 acres that were purchased by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe in 2010. The parcel contains a large stand of conifer trees and an open expanse of fields....
PAWHUSKA, Okla.-The Osage Nation Family Violence Prevention Department (ONFVPD) has been awarded the Coordinated Tribal Assistance grant from the Department of Justice for Violence Against Women for three years in the amount of $737,245. The Osage Nation Grants Department (ONGD) successfully applied for and secured the funding to strengthen current services and efforts by the ONFVPD to address domestic violence and sexual assault in Osage County. "This grant is a continuation...
WINNIPEG-The directors and editorial team at Indian Life Ministries are pleased to announce the impending return of the popular column, "The Council Speaks," beginning with the January/February 2019 issue of Indian Life newspaper. This column answers questions you have or maybe you're afraid to ask. For example, what about Native spirituality and Christianity? Is it OK to wear Native regalia? Is Creator and the Christian God the same? A panel of Native believers and elders...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Recently, the U.S. Senate passed several bills that support Native American interests. One of these was passage of S. 2515, the Practical Reforms and Other Goals to Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination (PROGRESS) for Indian Tribes Act of 2018. "This legislation works to correct the bureaucratic processes and procedures that the Department of the Interior Self-Governance program has imposed upon Tribes," said Senator John...
