This week’s IndigiPolitics, we learn about President Joe Biden’s evolving stance on access to abortion care juxtaposed to former President Donald Trump who celebrates how his administration overturned Roe v. Wade. ICT Political Correspondent Pauly Denetclaw talks with regular contributor Holly Cook Macarro from The Angle.

Melanie Benjamin has been the chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for over two decades. In her final State of the Band address, she outlines what her administration has done for the Minnesota tribe.

ICT Senior Producer Shirley Sneve takes us to her hometown where sports are king and high school athletes become legends. The town is home to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, two high schools with successful athletic programs and now an athletic hall of fame. 

Our team wishes you a Happy Valentine’s day. While the sentiment is there, it may not be the literal translation in many Native languages. Here’s Alutiiq from April Counceller, Navajo from James Junes and Dakota from Angela Two Stars. But first, a song from our visitor, Keith Secola.

  • Quakers, whose religion is know for supporting human rights, are paying reparations to an Alaska Native village for their role in colonization and forced assimilation. The Organized Village of Kake received $93,000 and a four page apology from the Alaska Friends Conference, the state’s Quaker group, for its participation. 
  • Two Washington tribes are suing Big Oil, claiming they lied to consumers about the climate impacts of their fossil fuel products. The Makah Indian Tribe and the Shoalwater Bay Nation claim Chevron, ConocoPhillips and other companies knew their products would increase greenhouse emissions.
  • Apple is supporting Indigenous storytelling and Native American history preservation through new grants. The funding comes from the tech company’s Empowering Creatives Program, which will give support and resources to the Sundance Institute Indigenous Program and the National Museum of the American Indian.
  • Last week, an Indigenous team won big at a major tournament in Syracuse, New York. The Agoncrees, a broom-ball team from Quebec, Canada, is made up of Algonquin and Cree athletes from across the province. What made the win more special is that the team was also raising awareness for Cree leukoencephalopathy.

Today’s newscast was created with work from:

Shirley Sneve, Ponca/Sicangu Lakota, is vice president of broadcasting for the ICT Newscast. Follow her on Twitter @rosebudshirley. She is based in Nebraska and Minnesota.

Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, is the anchor of the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @aliyahjchavez.

Paris Wise, Zia and Laguna Pueblo, is a producer for the ICT Newscast. Email: paris@ictnews.org.

Stewart Huntington is a producer for the ICT Newscast.

Quindrea Yazzie, Diné, is a video production editor for the ICT Newscast. Email: qyazzie@ictnews.org. Yazzie is based in Phoenix.

Daniel Herrera Carbajal is a video editor for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @daniulherrrera

Pauly Denetclaw, Diné, is a political correspondent for ICT. Email her at pauly@ictnews.org

Pacey Smith-Garcia, Ute, is a production assistant for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @paceyjournalist.

Ebonye Delaney is the Executive Producer for the ICT Newscast. Email: ebonye@ictnews.org

ICT is a nonprofit news organization. Will you support our work? All of our content is free. There are no subscriptions or costs. And we have hired more Native journalists in the past year than any news organization ─ and with your help we will continue to grow and create career paths for our people. Support ICT for as little as $1