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Greetings, relatives:
As we enter 2024, we take a moment to catch up on the news that made headlines in December across Indian Country.
President Joe Biden held the White House Tribal Nations Summit and ICT was there. Read our coverage here.
In Canada, the Assembly of First Nations elected a new leader. Learn more about National Chief Cindy Woodhouse here.
In Alaska, Anchorage is dealing with record homeless deaths as winter sets in. ICT‘s Joaqlin Estus explains here.
Actress Lily Gladstone made history in her Golden Globes nomination. Gladstone, the female lead in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” became the first Indigenous nominee in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama. More here.
Be sure to watch our daily newscast, “ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez.” Replays of each show can be found there.
Here are ICT stories you should read up on and share in your network.
NEWS
A pause from the daily grind: Booking the adventure ahead.
Tribe charges jailer following altercation with tribal officer: The altercation took place after the tribal officer attempted to place a detainee in the Okmulgee County Jail. Oklahoma governor cites McGirt ruling as cause of jurisdictional problems.
New Illinois laws offer added protections for Native people: Legislature approves three bills that require teaching Native history, allowing regalia for graduations and repatriating remains.
Assembly of First Nations elects national chief in a marathon vote: Cindy Woodhouse, Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba, was elected to lead less than a year after the first female National Chief Roseanne Archibald was voted out of office.
Blackeet offer up Blacktail dance, serviceberries to winter solstice season to public: Other tribes want newbies to learn ceremony from elders over time.
Top ICT stories of 2023: A popular film leads the way.
Cuban cacique receives Canadian ambassador: Unique diplomatic gesture signals a breakthrough for Cuba’s Indigenous people.
Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope Program preserves traditional heirloom seeds: The seeds that survived the trail of tears and outer space.
Bacone College lives another day: NAACP says the Bacone auction is a matter of racial justice.
Indigenous communities face health-related triple threat: Three respiratory illnesses – RSV, the flu and COVID-19 – are on the rise in Indian Country.
Taino language returns to its people: PERSPECTIVE: ‘Long dead’ language gets rebirth with new dictionary, training.
‘Full of laughter and good feeling’: Yupik elder George Noongwook (1949-2023) wrote an essay about the joys of traditional songs and dances shortly before his death.
Cherokee Nation celebrates traffic citation revenue-sharing agreements: Cross-deputization means non-tribal police can arrest Native suspects.
Cherokee chief call Oklahoma governor’s event an ‘afterthought’: Gov. Kevin Stitt held a Native American Family Day event at his mansion Tuesday but failed to invite any Oklahoma tribal leaders.
WASHINGTON DC BUREAU
Joe Biden’s tribal summit raises expectations: History of ‘a nation-to-nation meeting’ goes back further than the Obama administration.
White House summit through students’ eyes: ‘It is mind boggling of all that happens here.’
Climate talk among many topics at tribal summit: President Joe Biden signed an executive order at the White House Tribal Nations Summit that should make it easier for Indigenous peoples to access federal funding and spend how they see fit.
Indian gaming, land protections at summit’s forefront: The 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit is Wednesday and Thursday.
IndigiPolitics: 2023 a year of twists and turns: The nation witnessed a divided Republican party, shocking rulings from the Supreme Court, the election of more Indigenous people to public office and changes of leadership in two of the largest Indigenous nations in the country
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BUREAU
Siletz valley principal fired over treatment of Indigenous students: Students, families and teachers filed seven complaints against the principal at a majority-Indigenous school. But the school board didn’t investigate, until Underscore News wrote about the complaints. Last week, the board announced her termination.
Yakama nation unveils new justice center: After seven decades, Yakama Nation has the justice center its community needs.
Project Salmon Claus delivers Christmas along the Columbia River: For over a decade, employees of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission have brought gifts to families living at in-lieu fishing sites along the Columbia River.
Local organizations work to support queer Indigenous youth: A new report from the Trevor Project shows LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous youth face a disproportionate rate of mental health challenges. The report’s recommendations mirror work being done by local Indigenous organizations.
Indigenous Water Warriors call for global solidarity against genocide: Water Warriors made national news last month when they took to Puyallup Tribe waters in a traditional Nisqually canoe calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, temporarily blocking a military ship believed to be bringing weapons to the occupying state of Israel.
ALASKA BUREAU
Anchorage pledges permanent housing amid record homeless deaths: Experts say homelessness does not discriminate; it impacts people in all age brackets, all backgrounds, all walks of life.
2023 Arctic Report Card calls for immediate action: ‘They go out (hunting) with an understanding that things are unstable, things are unpredictable, and they use generations of Indigenous knowledge to navigate those conditions every single day.’
Alaska Native, conservation groups support lawsuit over salmon: ‘Arctic, Yukon and Kuskokwim river salmon populations are in crisis, devastating food security and threatening food sovereignty, endangering ways of life central to who we are as Indigenous people.’
Alaska tribes urge protection for federal lands: ‘For Alaska Native communities off the road system, over 80% of food consumed comes directly from the surrounding lands and waters.’
MOUNTAIN BUREAU
Supaman joins anti-vaping campaign: Native rapper Supaman educates youth on the risks of vaping at Lakota Nation Invitational in South Dakota.
Youth shine at Lakota Language Bowl: The annual Lakota Language Bowl encourages language learning through competition.
Rapid City Indigenous Center in early planning stage: Organizers of a Native community center in the works since 2015 push forward.
University opens sexual assault prevention program on Pine Ridge: Peaceful Means is hoping to reduce sexual violence on Pine Ridge by up to 80 percent.
Standing Rock’s fight against DAPL far from over: Years later, Standing Rock left with more questions than answers.
Native-led nonprofit work leads to national recognition: Tescha Hawley was named a CNN hero for her dedication to the Day Eagle Hope Project.
Denver officials say Christopher Columbus statue won’t go back up: Monument was toppled by protesters in 2020 and its status was in limbo for years.
Educators’ tribal banishment reversed, federal lawsuit dropped: The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court reversed its decision to ban two Dupree, South Dakota educators, ending a federal lawsuit.
MTV gives a platform to Oglala Lakota teens: In honor of Native American Heritage Month, MTV helped seven teens from the Pine Ridge Reservation present their short film.
Lakota teacher wins national education award: Todd County Middle School’s Albert Her Many Horses honored as national model of educational excellence.
Stories from Wounded Knee 133 years later: Chief Spotted Elk/Big Foot descendants gather to discuss Wounded Knee
ENTERTAINMENT
Ski season begins at Indigenous-owned ski resorts: Skiers, snowboarders and sledders can look to visit tribal-owned ski resorts that are in operation in December.
‘Acting Good’ is Canada’s funniest TV show. Get in on the joke: Comedian Paul Rabliauskas takes the lead in a new show based loosely on his life.
Lily Gladstone’s ‘Killers’ nomination a first for Native women: Lily Gladstone earns a Golden Globes nomination for Best Performance by Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama.
Indigenous artists bring their act on the road: Mato Wayuhi and Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez launch tour across US.
INDIGENOUS A&E: Designer fashion, an indie film and LA film fest awards.
Celebrate the holidays with an Indigenous gift guide: ICT has compiled a list of Indigenous-owned businesses and items.
Folk singer‘s lost story finds renewed interest: PERSPECTIVE: Mysterious ‘60s protest singer/writer Peter La Farge penned songs of injustice.
INDIGENOUS A&E YEAR IN REVIEW: Art, film and fashion made for a stellar 2023.
SPORTS
Tournament’s 47th year brings new events, old challenges: The Lakota Nation Invitational grew from a small effort to let kids play basketball into a major tournament that sees over 3,000 players.
Joe Biden to support Haudenosaunee Nationals: The internationally ranked men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will get support on their bid to the International Olympic Committee to compete under their own flag at the 2028 Olympics.
Janee’ Kassanavoid takes aim at 2024 Olympics: Comanche athlete became first Native woman to medal at the world championships with bronze then silver in hammer throw
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS NEWS
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Honoring Indigenous efforts worldwide.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Climate funding bypasses Native communities.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Western Australia apologizes for worker abuse.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS 2023: The Year in Review: Highlights of news from around the world on Indigenous issues in 2023
WATCH: ICT NEWSCASTS
Mysteries uncovered in books: The mysteries of history get uncovered in both fiction and non-fiction books. Recollections of attending boarding school, the struggles of family and land, as well as the archaeological thefts made in the Southwest. We hear from a few authors and learn more about their works.
Halls of fame honor leaders: What’s cooking in Oklahoma City? A new cookbook from a Pottawattami chef. Richard Trudell gives us a look into the Native American Hall of Fame. Plus, NASA engineer Aaron Yazzie has been inducted into Stanford University’s Multicultural Hall of Fame.
History shapes Indigenous future: We check in with Native historian Ned Blackhawk, who just won the National Book Award. The land back movement is quantified and professors in Kansas are mapping the details. A Zuni program aims to bring generations together through agriculture.
Chef shares traditional recipes on PBS: An Indigenous woman is showing off her skills in the kitchen of a popular TV cooking competition. A tribal leader welcomes the growing Abenaki presence in Vermont, A new tribal judge didn’t always dream of the law–he first wanted to be a journalist.
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