Greetings and She:kon everyone, this is Vincent Schilling and I am the associate editor of Indian Country Today.

Here is this week’s video

Here is the video transcript

Indian Country mourns as the last living World War II code talker Louis Levi Oakes has died at the age of 94. 

Mr. Oakes served in World War 2 as a code talker sending messages in the Mohawk language to help allied forces. Oakes was a silver star and Congressional medal recipient and was recognized publicly in the Canadian house of commons as well as was invited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who thanked him in his office for his service. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe issued a statement to Indian Country Today “Louis Levi Oakes was an enrolled tribal member and the last remaining Akwesasne Mohawk Code Talker who served during World War II. He touched the lives of everyone who met him and will be missed by many, particularly by his loved ones.”

#MeToo in Indian Country – By Mary Annette Pember

Check out Indian Country Today’s extensive #MeToo investigative report by Mary Annette Pember which delves into the subject of sexual harassment and assault affecting Native women. The report has been released over a three-day period and addresses the issues of Toxic masculinity, filing complaints in Indian Country and more.

An icon in Indian Country Senator John Pinto, a former Navajo code talker has died at 94. 

Senator Pinto, who served in the New Mexico Senate for four decades and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Navajo Technical University was well-loved in Indian Country and known as a fighter for his community. Congresswoman Deb Haaland said of Pinto, “it was always clear Senator Pinto was a fierce advocate for the best interests of New Mexico.” Blessings Senator.

Crooked Media works with Indian Country Today contributor Rebecca Nagle to release the podcast “This Land.” 

The podcast will tackle the history of Oklahoma tribal land rights and the internationally-recognized Supreme Court case Carpenter v. Murphy, in which Patrick Dwayne Murphy, a Creek man convicted of murder and sentenced to death, has challenged the jurisdictional rights of the state of Oklahoma and Native tribes. The case, which has spurred tremendous controversy, poses the question of who exactly owns land in Oklahoma. The amount of land at stake? 19 million acres. The podcast will be released on June 3rd. 

Thanks for watching this week’s video news report. I am Vincent Schilling, associate editor of Indian Country Today.

Follow me on Twitter at @VinceSchilling and Instagram at @VinceSchilling. Also, check out my #NativeNerd column and #NativeNerd movie reviews on all movie genres and mainstream titles that hit the big screen.

Have a great day! Ona and Nia:wen.