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It’s painful to see how much it costs to fill up a car or a pickup truck because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But the addiction to fossil fuels goes way beyond that: It’s a bottle of water. A broom. In fact just about any household product.
Or even much of our food.
As the International Energy Agency reports: “We live in a world dependent on petrochemicals. From the cars we drive to the food on our plates, the products and materials we derive from petrochemicals are fundamental to many aspects of modern society. Plastics and fertilizers, the two largest groups of chemical sector products, are indispensable in our everyday lives. Plastics is the fastest-growing group of bulk materials in the world, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers underpin nearly half the world’s food production.”
And the largest petrochemical producer is China – and its primary source is oil from Russia. The food part of this equation is largely fertilizer and Russia is by far the largest producer earning that country some $8.5 billion a year in sales. READ MORE. — Mark Trahant, Indian Country Today
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CHARLES CITY, Virginia — Four years after the Chickahominy Tribe received federal recognition, some of its traditional lands will be going back under tribal control.
The tribe, based near Richmond, Virginia, purchased the land known as Mamanahunt along the Chickahominy River using $3.5 million in funds from outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam’s budget.
“It’s once-in-a-lifetime,” Chickahominy Chief Stephen Adkins said. “Since the mid-17th century, we have had a footprint on the Chickahominy River.”
Having the land under Chickahominy control provides opportunities for cultural preservation and interpretation, and gives the tribe a place to re-inter remains taken during archaeological digs. READ MORE.— Joseph Martin, Special to Indian Country Today
A judge has ruled a statue of Christopher Columbus must stay in downtown Syracuse, dealing a defeat to Mayor Ben Walsh’s efforts to have it removed.
State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri on Friday relied partly on a 1990 covenant under which the city accepted private donations to pay for renovating the memorial. The covenant bound the city to maintain the statue for 23 years or for its “useful life,” which still is in effect, Neri said, according to Syracuse.com.
After deliberations with a commission he had formed to study the issue — and amid criticism of Columbus as having contributed to slavery and oppression — Walsh announced in October 2020 that he planned to remove the statue and replace it with a heritage site that honored Italian-Americans as well as the contributions of Native Americans and other groups.
Walsh said he will appeal the judge’s ruling to the state Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Syracuse.com reported. — Associated Press
A powerhouse prep hockey program with Indigenous talent on the northern edge of Minnesota is the best in the state.
The Warroad Warriors are the 2022 Minnesota Class 1A girls’ state hockey champions.
And it wasn’t all that close.
The 26-3-1 Warriors outscored opponents 18-1 in three state tournament games. Warroad allowed only 30 goals all season and shutout teams 13 times. On Feb. 26, the team scored four second-period goals to defeat defending champion Proctor/Hermantown, 6-1, in a rematch of a close regular season game. Warroad also defeated Proctor/Hermantown 1-0 on Nov. 13.
Madison Lavergne, Métis, Warroad senior and a forward captain, had a four point performance in the semifinals, and she scored two goals in the championship game that saw the team down 1-0 after one period. READ MORE. — Dan Ninham, Special to Indian Country Today
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On Monday’s ICT newscast, we meet a Hoopa director, composer, and writer of a Native American Rock Opera “Something inside is Broken.” Plus, a look back at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics and the future of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Watch:
After a two-year delay caused by the pandemic, the Native musical production, “Distant Thunder,” will finally get its world premiere.
The Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma will open its 2022 season on March 23 with the musical, which originally had been slated as part of Lyric’s 2020 season.
It will be staged outdoors at the new First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City with a limited, one-week run, from March 23-27.
The story is written by director/choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett and her actor/writer son, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, who is Amskapi Pikunni (Blackfeet), Black and Scandinavian and who plays Darrell in the show. The production features music and lyrics by Chris Wiseman and Shaun Taylor-Corbett, with additional music and lyrics from Robert Lindsey-Nassif and Michael Moricz. READ MORE. — Sandra Hale Schulman, Special to Indian Country Today
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- Changing snowfall makes it harder to fight fire with fire: Wildfires have become more volatile as climate change dries forests already thick with vegetation from years of intensive fire suppression. And the window for controlled burns is shrinking.
- Despite defeat, backers of Native education reform press forward:A discussion on state-funded Lakota immersion schools was the latest segment in the ongoing “South Dakota Matters” series.
- Judge hears Montana Native Vote challenge over election laws:The groups are asking the judge to grant a preliminary injunction to block the new election laws while the case is decided.
- VAWA reauthorization headed to president’s desk:Tribal provisions passed in appropriations bill for 2022 fiscal year.
- San Manuel commits$1 million to film denouncing American Indian mascots in pro sports.
- Native-Owned Aerospace Group ShowsThe World What Oklahoma Has To Offer.
- Jacquelyn Yepa named 2022 Institute of American Indian Arts Student of the Year.
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.
