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ANACORTES, Washington — Coast Salish and First Nation canoes have been ceremonially reawakened in the Pacific Northwest in preparation for a return to the ancestral marine highways and celebratory cultural gatherings.
And for Indigenous peoples of the region, there is much to celebrate.
The Intertribal Canoe Journey — the annual Pacific Northwest gathering of canoe cultures — returns in July after a three-year break forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A smaller event influenced by the Canoe Journey helped carry people through those years of cultural drought. Called the Gathering of the Eagles Canoe Encampment, it also returns this year.
The Gathering of the Eagles is scheduled for May 21-26 in the San Juan Islands, an archipelago located in the middle of the Salish Sea and bounded by British Columbia, Canada, to the west and north, and by Washington State to the east and south. READ MORE — Richard Arlin Walker, Special to ICT
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LAS VEGAS — A “Dances With Wolves” actor charged with sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls for more than a decade has asked Nevada’s high court to toss his sweeping indictment in state court.
Nathan Chasing Horse and his lawyers have argued that his accusers wanted to have sex with him.
The 46-year-old’s appeal to the state Supreme Court, filed Tuesday, marks his latest attempt to get his case dismissed as he remains jailed in Las Vegas on charges that could send him to prison for decades — or life — if convicted.
“Nathan is pursuing this extraordinary writ because the trial court refused to dismiss the charges contained within the indictment in this case,” Deputy Clark County Public Defender Kristy S. Holston wrote in an affidavit attached to the formal appeal to the high court. READ MORE — Associated Press
Richard Perry moved from his childhood home in Kentucky to Alaska in the early 2000s when his mother passed away. He worked in the nonprofit world for his first 15 years in Anchorage (including Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Southcentral Foundation, The CIRI Foundation, JW Industries and Three Star Enterprises), and became a self-employed journalist at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He wrote for many Alaska Native and Native American publications including First Alaskans Magazine, Alaska Business Monthly and ICT. He was working part-time in public relations for Perseverance Theatre. He was part of a Native artist group called Fish Head Soup, which publishes Native American comics. He was also a contributor to the graphic novel series “Chickaloonies.”
Richard died of a sudden illness April 23. He was 53.
His long-time friend Angela Łot’oydaatlno Gonzalez said, “Richard was someone I admired for being a humble and generous person, gifted writer and a doer. He put the work in for his journalistic career in his jobs including many freelance writing projects. Most recently, I got to work with him on the board of the Alaska Native Media Group where he wrote grants, coordinated a podcasting workshop and more. If he volunteered to do something, you knew it would get done. We need more Native voices in media and the literary world to help advance and change the stereotypical narratives. I will miss his writing projects, especially his recent work with “Chickaloonies” which I knew he loved contributing to.” READ MORE — Joaqlin Estus, ICT
The Tucson City Council is moving forward with the effort to return the ancestral homelands near the base Sentinel Peak to the Tohono O’odham Nation for its continued preservation and reverence.
The city council unanimously approved the motion to transfer land ownership during a study session before their regular council meeting on April 18. The move comes after decades of conversations the City of Tucson has had surrounding what to do with the land.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the piece of land near Sentinel Peak has more than 4,500 years of history and archeology that proves it is an ancestral Hohokam Village.
“This is where our city was born,” Romero said
The initiative to return the land to the Tohono O’odham “without any strings attached” has been led by Romero and Tucson Council Member Lane Santa Cruz. READ MORE — AZ Mirror
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Lennon Audrain has earned his fifth college degree in six years. He is Cherokee and Shawnee, and was the youngest graduate from both his master’s classes at Arizona State University and Harvard. Audrain recently received a PhD in educational policy and evaluation and is now an assistant research professor at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
Matika Wilbur is a photographer, podcast host and now, author. Her new book “Project 562” collects her years of documenting photos of federally recognized tribal citizens. ICT’s Paris Wise has this interview.
“Frybread Face and Me” is a new film directed by Billy Luther. It was the outcome of Luther’s participation in the 2020 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs. The film premiered at South By Southwest.
About 90 inmates at the Roberts County Jail in northeastern South Dakota didn’t have food in mid-December this winter.
The jail relies on weekly truck deliveries from over 50 miles away, but back-to-back blizzards dropped roughly 18 inches of snow on the region, closed the interstate and left kitchen staff stranded in their homes.
“Any time the roads are closed will cause a delay in getting food, supplies, whatever the jail needs,” said James Foster, the Roberts County jail administrator.
But with the help of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, inmates were able to eat. The tribe’s emergency management and disaster assistance program gathered community members to purchase and cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for inmates while the truck was delayed. READ MORE — South Dakota Searchlight
- A new approach to conservation: ‘Indigenize’ not ‘decolonize’: Serina Fast Horse is helping Portland change the way it thinks about environmental preservation
- ‘Significant disruptions’ if US defaults: A dozen years ago the solution was the ‘sequester’ of already appropriated funds – an action that hit Indian Country hard
- Pope voices willingness to return Indigenous loot, artifacts: The Vatican has an extensive collection of artifacts and art made by Indigenous peoples from around the world
- Migrants rush across border before expiration of Title 42
- National Public Health Emergency ends
- Native artist Crystal Worl designs Alaska Airlines aircraft taking Indigenous language and art to the skies
We want your tips, but we also want your feedback. What should we be covering that we’re not? What are we getting wrong? Please let us know. dalton@ictnews.org.
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