Greetings, relatives.
Here’s what you need to know today:
Native teachers and policymakers are in Washington this week for the National Indian Education Association’s Capitol Hill week. The three day event brings educators, advocates and students to visit with their congressional leaders to advocate for more educational opportunities and funding
On Wednesday, attendees were joined by U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona for a fireside chat.
During the discussion, National Indian Education President Jason Dropik asked Cordona how public schools could better incorporate Native languages in public schools.
Dropik shared that 93 percent of Native students attend public schools across the country.
Catch part of the fireside chat on Wednesday’s ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez. — Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, Indian Country Today
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A proposal to expand tribal sovereignty rights under an amended land claims settlement is advancing in the Maine Legislature.
The Judiciary Committee voted 8-6 in favor of the bill on Tuesday but it faces an uncertain future despite 1,500 individuals and organizations testifying in favor of the measure at a public hearing last month.
All Republicans on the committee voted against it, and it faces a possible veto by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, said she’s grateful that the full Legislature will weigh in on the bill, which would ensure the Wabanaki people have the same sovereignty rights as other tribes in the U.S.
Maine’s tribes and the state agreed to a 1980 land claims settlement but the settlement put Maine tribes out of sync with other tribes across the nation on sovereign rights. That led to tension and clashes over jurisdiction on tribal lands over the years. — Associated Press
The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for April 27 in an appeal by the state of Oklahoma in what is known as the McGirt ruling.
The state argues in the case of Victor Castro-Huerta that it has concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed against Natives on tribal reservations.
The state child neglect conviction and 35-year prison sentence of Castro-Huerta, a non-Native American, was overturned by the state appeals court. READ MORE. — Associated Press
A school board has voted to do away with the “Indians” name for athletic teams in Montville, where the neighboring Mohegan Tribe has offered to help pay for the expense of replacing logos and uniforms.
The town Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to remove the name. The school superintendent, Laurie Pallin, said she hopes the community sees the school system wants to stand together with the tribe in making the change.
“We don’t want the use of the Indian name to be a polarizing issue for the town or the tribe and we recognize that our use of this nickname is not a Montville issue but a much more global decision,” Pallin said.
The Indians name has adorned the schools’ black and orange athletic jerseys for decades but the Mohegans, the tribe that owns the Mohegan Sun casino, made it clear in recent years it would prefer a different nickname.
The tribe’s chief, Marilynn Malerba, said the tribe and the town have had a cooperative dialogue on mascot names. — Associated Press
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On Wednesday’s ICT Newscast, we’re taking a closer look at how the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacts Arctic communities, and more on our coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Plus, a recap of this week’s grim two-year anniversary of COVID-19.
Watch here:
Before becoming a cabinet secretary, before being elected to Congress, Deb Haaland’s life looked a lot different than it does now.
In the mid-1990s, she became a first-time mother and wanted to ensure her child had access to early childhood education, so she volunteered at her child’s preschool in order to pay for it.
She relied on food stamps at times, and operated her own small business, Pueblo Salsa, the only job that could offer her the flexibility she needed as a single parent. But she lived paycheck to paycheck, and struggled to pay for college. READ MORE. — Pauly Denetclaw, Special to Indian Country Today
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From social media:
- Alaska tribes seek co-management of marine resources: ‘Subsistence harvests of marine mammals, seabirds and fish continue to play a crucial role’
- GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: ‘I can’t breathe’: Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues for the week ending March 13, 2022
- US looks to boost cooperation with tribes on land management: National Park Service leader Chuck Sams III testified in a House Natural Resources committee hearing
- Fed begins inflation fight with key rate hike, more to come
- Feds once again nix Mount Rushmore fireworks event
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. icteditors@indiancountrytoday.com.
