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The Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since 1999, the group, known by many as simply BAAITS, has offered Two-Spirit people a safe place to sit at the table publicly in San Francisco and beyond.
“The stories that we hear from our elders, of acceptance, of having to sometimes leave family behind or family leaving them behind because of who they were, finding their way to San Francisco, hearing those stories and the fact they decided to come together and build this community that was so desperately needed for so many people completely changes the story of those young people who are coming in now,” Sam Campell, Diné and Yoeme, said.
BAAITS is a community-based volunteer organization that offers culturally relevant activities for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex Native Americans, their families and friends. They also offer artist grants, list various resources and are part of community initiatives to address health and wellness challenges Indigenous Two-Spirited LGBTQI communities in the San Francisco Bay Area face. READ MORE.— Kalle Benallie, ICT
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Authorities were searching for a person of interest in connection with a shooting Monday in Arizona in a small community on the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Police Department said the shooting occurred in Cameron, about 50 miles north of Flagstaff.
Police didn’t immediately release details about the shooting but asked for the public’s help to locate 44-year-old Derick Myron.
Myron is considered armed and dangerous, may be driving a black pickup truck with New Mexico license plates and possibly headed to Tuba City, some 27 miles northeast of Cameron, according to police.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and not a threat to the community. A shelter-in-place order was lifted around 10:30 a.m. for residents near the Cameron Chapter House and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A motive for the shooting wasn’t immediately known. Police said the FBI in Flagstaff will be investigating the case. — Associated Press
Kianna Hamilton was just 4 years old when she first started to play basketball at the local YMCA, dribbling with hands too small to really fit around the ball. Over the two decades since then, the sport has been a primary focus of her life.
Hamilton, now 24, a citizen of the Osage Nation, just finished her final season of college basketball. She rounded out her basketball career at the University of Portland playing point guard for the Pilots. The team made it all the way to the 2024 NCAA tournament.
The Pilots beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs, number one in the tournament and one of their biggest regional rivals, on March 12 in a 67-66 upset, only to be defeated a week and a half later by Kansas State.
“I feel like we ended on a good note,” Hamilton said. “So I feel complete.” READ MORE. — Nika Bartoo-Smith, Underscore News + ICT
After Oklahoma’s governor tweeted the terms of a 10-year car tag compact with the Cherokee Nation late Monday afternoon, the tribe responded within two hours to say no agreement had been reached.
“If any compact is reached, tribal citizens and Council of the Cherokee Nation will be the first to know and not through the governor’s social media page,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in the statement.
Gov. Kevin Stitt issued the tweet after repeating his message Friday that “the Turnpike Authority, just the Cherokee tags, owe the state of Oklahoma $5 million just since May.”
“They’re running illegally on the turnpikes. I think that’s weird. I think that’s unfair,” he said in a live-streamed press briefing. READ MORE. — Felix Clary, ICT + Tulsa World
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A wave of highly charged student protests sweeping college campuses around the nation this week include Indigenous students protesting Israel’s killing of Palestinians.
Kianna Pete, Diné and a Columbia University graduate student from New Mexico, said she and other Native American peers stand in solidarity with Palestinians.
She has taken part in a protest encampment at Columbia – which ignited the fast-spreading student movement – in New York City since last week when 100 students were arrested. Student protesters’ ranks have swollen nationally with reportedly mostly peaceful protests. READ MORE. — Renata Birkenbuel, ICT
The NHL playoffs are underway and there is a good chance the cup will be raised by an Indigenous player once again.
In fact, there is a good chance that Zach Whitecloud, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, will become the first Indigenous player to repeat as Stanley Cup champion since Bryan Trottier, Métis Nation, won back-to-back cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
Whitecloud was a key part of the Vegas Golden Knights’ success in last year’s playoffs adding to the solid defense and scoring the winning goal in game one of last year’s finals. Whitecloud took the cup home to the Sioux Valley as each player on the winning team gets to have the Cup for a day. READ MORE.— Miles Morrisseau, ICT
- ‘The Heart Stays’ film reflects Native values: The film was written, produced and directed by Cherokee and Osage filmmaker Diane Fraher.
- Looting tribal land: Individuals and corporations trespass on Native property and plunder resources, with little accountability.
- Native college student receives tribal leadership award: The American Indian Youth Disability Summit explored topics ranging from mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder to voting accommodations made for those with disabilities.
- Youth poet laureate aims to inspire Native kids like her to dream: ‘I write my poetry for the kids who have lived the same life I did.’
- Indigenous group detains alleged gold miners: The miners were handed over to Brazilian police.
- ‘Ak-Chin’s greatest leader’: Former tribal chair Leona Carlyle-Kakar dies at 88.
- ‘I wanted to be a Marine’: At home with 107-year-old Code Talker John Kinsel Sr.
- Laramie Smith: From Diamond Creek to Fly Fishing Team USA.
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. dalton@ictnews.org.
