Best of February ICT reads
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Greetings, relatives:
Let’s take a moment to catch up on the news that made headlines in February.
We start with one of our most-read topics this month. The death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender student from Oklahoma, brought a national audience to a small community near Tulsa. Felix Clary has more.
In the Pacific Northwest, The 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision took place. A landmark lawsuit reaffirmed treaty fishing rights after decades of intertribal activism, inspired by the civil rights movement. Luna Reyna has more.
Elders and citizens of the Bay Mills Indian Community welcomed home the set of four scrolls — used by Ojibwe peoples to record historical and religious information – with ceremony and dignity, and at least a few tears. The scrolls had been set for auction at Cottone Auctions based in New York on behalf of a private collector. Mary Annette Pember has more.
National Congress of American Indians President Mark Macarro delivered his first State of Indian Nations address in Washington, D.C. Kolby KickingWoman has more.
We can't talk about the news without talking about the election season. This year is a presidential election year and ICT breaks down primary election versus caucus and how it affects presidential elections. Pauly Denetclaw has more.
Be sure to watch our daily newscast, “ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez.” Replays of each show can be found there.
Here are February ICT stories you should read up on and share in your network.
NEWS
‘Genocide Bowl’: Activists to protest Super Bowl teams: Native advocates opposed to the Kansas City and San Francisco NFL teams’ names plan to demonstrate outside Allegiant Stadium.
Winnebago suit seeks remains of two boys who died at Carlisle: ‘We will use our voice to hold our federal partners accountable.’
Nonbinary student’s death after attack elicits outcry: Nex Benedict, a nonbinary student of Choctaw descent, died in Owasso, Okla., Feb. 8 after being attacked by alleged bullies in a school bathroom the day before. Some say the school didn’t do enough to help.
Peggy Flanagan: ‘The system failed Nex Benedict’: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan says anti-2SLGBT+ bills in Oklahoma ‘failed’ nonbinary student Nex Benedict. Her reaction comes as vigils are planned for the Choctaw descendent around the country.
‘My child is not filth!’: Oklahoma vigil-goers honor the life and legacy of Nex Benedict.
Emotional ceremony welcomes birch bark scrolls back to Ojibwe people: Several tribes pull together to purchase historic scrolls from auction house.
Cherokee Nation buys church for its urban tribal citizens: Cherokee Nation announces purchase of Tulsa church property at Black History Month celebration.
Demystifying the graduate school application process: Northeastern University offers an all-expenses paid, three-day boot camp for students seeking an advanced degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Canadian journalist’s arrest sparks international outrage: Brandi Morin faces charges for covering Edmonton police dismantling a homeless encampment.
Fighting for Native ‘honor’: Native groups like the Native American Guardians and Save Our Native Souls say offensive team names and mascots honor Natives, and they are fighting to save them.
The power of women backup singers: Athena Cloud is dedicated to teach and show women of all ages to be proud of their voices.
Cherokee Nation seeks equality for freedmen under Major Crimes Act: Post-McGirt inequality for Cherokee citizens of freedmen descent prompts lobby Congress.
Sharing the joys of dancing: ‘Our culture is really beautiful and if you know the stories behind it you’ll understand.’
Joe Biden celebrates tribal colleges, promises student loan help: Increasing Pell Grants, forgiving some public service student loans and slicing payments in half for undergrad loans may help a bit.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. recently signed an expanded Executive Order on Equality and created a task force that will study whether Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent are provided equal access to tribal programs and services. (Courtesy photo)
LEST WE FORGET: Chase and Sloan: Two Omaha men are credited with opening the nation’s first Native law firm more than 100 years ago.
Navajo candidate seeks Utah Legislature seat: Davina Smith is building off her 2022 campaign for another run.
Beset by vandalism, Bacone's future murky: After closing before its spring 2024 semester, the Bacone College campus has seen break-ins and thefts.
Bacone student 'devastated' after campus closed: Student-athlete Peyton Golightly was forced to transfer out of state after Bacone College closed in December, prior to his last semester.
Boarding school death toll continues to increase a century later: New research indicates that the number of children who died at Indian boarding schools could reach far beyond current estimates.
Making kapa from the ground up: Indigenous arts across the world start with resources. ICT speaks with Maile Andrade who shares how Hawaiian kapa is made from the ground up.
WASHINGTON DC BUREAU
A Native voting ecosystem in Nevada: Grassroots organizations, the state Indian commission, county governments and tribal nations work collectively to increase Native American voter engagement.
Reporter’s Notebook: South Carolina’s Native vote: ICT political correspondent Pauly Denetclaw breaks down her story and the winding path to it.
Mark Macarro: 'Our needs and rights must rise above partisan politics': The State of Indian Nations address kicks off the National Congress of American Indians Executive Council Winter Session in Washington, DC.
National Congress of American Indians President Mark Macarro, a citizen of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians of California, said in NCAI’s annual State of Indian Nations address that tribes have made gains in recent years, but still have unmet goals. (Photo by Ian McKinney/Cronkite News)
IndigiPolitics: Border security and conflicts in Middle East: ICT Political Correspondent Pauly Denetclaw and contributor John Tahsuda talk about President Joe Biden's new tone on the southern border and the recent attack on a United State's military outpost that resulted in the death of three US soldiers deployed in Jordan.
Politics 101: Primary elections and caucus: 2024 is a presidential election year and ICT breaks down primary election versus caucus and how it affects presidential elections.
Read More
NORTHWEST BUREAU
The 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision is a celebration of Native leadership: A landmark lawsuit reaffirmed treaty fishing rights after decades of intertribal activism, inspired by the civil rights movement. Fifty years later, we look back at how far we’ve come and the remnants of the Fish Wars that remain.
Chinook Indian Nation land claim settlement awarded, nation could be closer to federal recognition: The federal government awarded over half a million dollars to the Chinook Indian Nation to settle the nation’s long-running land claim. The nation believes the decision strengthens its nearly two-century fight for federal recognition and its campaign to secure a land base in its traditional territory.
Members of the Chinook Indian Nation culture committee discuss issues during their monthly meeting in the Tribal office in Bay Center. The office is an old house at the front of Bush Park that was donated by a tribal member and renovated by volunteers. (Photo by Amiran White)
In Memoriam: Yakama leader Ted Strong: Remembering a beloved and influential former executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
ALASKA BUREAU
Alaska tribes appeal to United Nations over transboundary mining: ‘Time is running out for our rivers, our fish, and our people.’
Head of Alaska Federation of Natives Julie Kitka stepping down: ‘Julie Kitka has been a true champion for Alaska Native people.’
Alaska tribes seek Canadian recognition: 'My family has been the hereditary caretaker of the river going back thousands of years.’
MOUNTAIN BUREAU
Age-old tradition with a modern twist: Thunder Valley CDC keeps traditions alive with the third annual Wanasa Pi (Buffalo Hunt).
50 years later, Lakota girl still missing: Family remembers 12-year-old Delema Sits Poor on 50th anniversary of her disappearance from the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
Photos: Cante Skuya Round Dance: Scenes from the 2024 Cante Skuya Round Dance in South Dakota.
A Little Shell poet’s lesson: language remains critical to culture: Tribes vary in language offerings, but resources increase as elders die and youth learn in bits and pieces.
An age-progressed photo of Delema Sits Poor who would now be 62 years old. Sits Poor was last seen in the number four/Wakpamni community on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1974. (Photo by Amelia Schafer, ICT/Rapid City Journal)
Reservation braces itself after OB-GYN program closes: Indigenous women in South Dakota often lack access to specialized maternal healthcare, leading to higher rates of poor outcomes.
A fight for food sovereignty: Four Dakota women work to preserve culture through seeds.
ENTERTAINMENT
Native comedy duo team up for new sitcom pilot: Sierra Teller Ornelas and Jana Schmieding are developing a pilot for a comedy featuring Native women.
Kali Reis goes toe-to-toe with Jodie Foster in ‘True Detective’: The Wampanoag/Cape Verdean boxing champion brings light to Night Country and perhaps delivers one of the most quotable lines in Indigenous pop culture history.
Osage song from 'Killers' to be performed at Oscars: Osage songwriter Scott George and the Osage Tribal Singers will perform the Oscar-nominated song “Wahzhazhe” (A Song For My People) from "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the March 10 Academy Awards ceremony.
INDIGENOUS A&E: Native women in film, western music, theater songs and Vegas murals.
Kiawentiio bends water in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’: The Mohawk actress has a lead role in the highly anticipated Netflix series.
Lily Gladstone snags another major win: Barrier-busting Siksikaitsitapii and Nimíipuu actor rides wave of inclusivity, shines light on language revitalization
Indigenous artists break out in Canada’s Juno Awards: More than 20 Indigenous artists are nominated in a wide range of categories for Canada's top music awards.
Writer/producer Sierra Teller Ornelas, left, and writer/actor Jana Schmieding are working together on a new Native sitcom, "Bonnie," about a reservation auntie. CBS has ordered production of a pilot that will determine whether the series will be picked up by the network. (Photo courtesy Sierra Teller Ornelas and Jana Schmieding)
Hopi actor reaches Netflix top 10: Hopi actor Isaac Arellanes joins us in studio to talk about his role in 'My Life With the Walter Boys' and what he is working on next.
'Stand up': Original Osage song earns Oscar nomination: Osage Nation citizen Scott George wrote the new song based on traditional music.
INDIGENOUS A&E: Native films, TV, and hard-edge art.
SPORTS
2024 Iditarod will see many former champions: The 975-mile race celebrates the heritage of the Alaska sled dog – and casts a spotlight on climate change.
Choctaw, Potawatomi football players win Super Bowl: Long snapper James Winchester, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and center Creed Humphrey, Citizen Potawatomi Nation are champs again.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS NEWS
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Tibetans protest Chinese dam.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Court upholds child welfare law.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: A renowned Aboriginal advocate dies.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Māori smoking rates dip.
WATCH: ICT NEWSCASTS
Bay Area powwow celebrates the Two-spirit: Two Native American members of Congress introduce a bill to address federally run-boarding schools. Two-spirit powwows are becoming more and more common. and, a new TV series brings Indigenous culture to life.
Coffee and Diné culture: A Choctaw filmmaker captures a pivotal moment in Native American history. With Ron DeSantis out of the presidential race, ICT Political Correspondent Pauly Denetclaw talks with Michael Stopp about how the field is shaping up. An Arizona coffee shop comes with a side of Diné culture.
How caucuses affect elections: A Native Hawaiian composer turns to the story of Queen Lili'uokalani for inspiration. Plus, we're getting a lesson in caucuses and how they affect presidential elections. And, we learn what major event prompted this reaction from the director of the National Museum of The American Indian.
Boxer turns to acting: A Wampanoag boxer turned actor stars in a popular HBO series. Cherokee creative Wes Studi explores his family history in Finding Your Roots. Indigenous filmmakers fight to save a sacred site. Say I’ll see you again in the Passamaquoddy language.
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