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MIAMI, Okla. — The Truth and Healing Indian boarding school bill has gotten further in the legislative process this year than previous years, passing through two major committees in each chamber of Congress.
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act was first introduced to the Senate in 2023 by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. That version of the bill got support from only 26 senators, mostly Democrats.
In February, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, introduced their version of the bill to the House, which may soon be heard on the House floor.
“As a matter of procedure, this new version of the bill is much further along than it has gotten any time in the past,” Wilson Pipestem, representative of the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, told ICT and the Tulsa World. READ MORE — Felix Clary, ICT + Tulsa World
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On Thursday, July 25, the Phoenix Indian Center is hosting more than 15 candidates running for public office in the state legislature; as well as congressional seats.
Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, CEO of the Phoenix Indian Center, said in a press release that discrimination and disenfranchisement continue today, “making civic engagement among our
Indigenous relatives the keystone to having the Native voice heard.”
“As we saw in 2022, the power of the Native vote can change our world and can strengthen and elevate Native American communities that have historically been neglected in the political realm,” Begay-Kroupa continued to say in the press release.
The forum will allow the Native community to connect with candidates on issues important to Indigenous communities and will include a question and answer session a Q/A session with candidates and community resources.
“Our community is strongest when we work together. Our cultural stories and teachings tell us that we all have a role to play in the making of our world,” said Begay-Kroupa. “Voting is the most direct way we can play that part. Our elders risked their lives for the right to vote, to be counted, to be heard. We honor those sacrifices when we involve ourselves in the community, when we question the roles of those who lead us, and when we fight for our right to be seen.”
More information can be found at the Phoenix Indian Center website.
PHOENIX — Members of environmental groups stood together in the lobby of the Arizona State Capitol Executive Tower late last month to deliver a petition to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, requesting that she stop uranium mining activities near the Grand Canyon National Park.
The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Wild Arizona, Chispa Arizona and Haul No!, a group formed to fight the mining and transport of uranium, delivered a petition with more than 17,500 signatures to the governor.
They are seeking closure of the Pinyon Plain Mine, located less than 10 miles from the Grand Canyon. It is inside the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, which President Joe Biden established in August 2023. The removal of uranium ore from the mine started in late December.
Although the designation prohibits new mining claims and development, it allows prior claims with valid existing rights like Pinyon Plain to continue their operations. Energy Fuels Resources owns the mine, which is approximately 17 acres, and operates it on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. READ MORE — Inside Climate News
An advisory council New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham established last year to help address a crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people is meeting behind closed doors. That’s a problem, according to the head of a government transparency group.
The governor announced the advisory council in November, a little over a month after New Mexico In Depth reported that her administration had quietly dissolved a state task force working on the issue, a move affected families and other advocates protested. The task force held regular public meetings until it was shuttered.
The seven-member council has met once so far, in March, to organize itself. Asked this week whether it has scheduled another meeting, Indian Affairs Department spokesman Aaron Lopez did not answer. Instead, he wrote in an email that advisory councils aren’t subject to the state Open Meetings Act.
That means they’re not legally required to have public meetings. READ MORE — New Mexico In Depth
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The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe celebrated the transfer of more than 11,000 acres to the tribe last week. Federal officials at the celebration acknowledged they represent the nation who took the land away and who have now helped enable the return.
Chair Faron Jackson Sr. described the transfer as “the largest achievement by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to restore the land base of our permanent homeland since it was originally established.”
An emotional Jackson told the assembled audience Wednesday at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Bena, “to us, to me, it feels like it’s a relative,” said Jackson. “It’s a relative of ours.”
In the late 1940s and ‘50s, the federal government illegally transferred thousands of acres away from the tribe. Leadership of the Bureau of Indian Affairs incorrectly believed it could sell land without the consent of a majority of tribal landowners. At the time, an estimated 18,000 acres were involved. READ MORE — MPR News
The United States and Canada have spent the past six years reworking a half-century-old deal between the two countries that outlines how the Columbia River is managed for both flood control and hydropower generation.
After 19 grueling rounds of negotiations, the two parties have announced that an agreement on the Columbia River Treaty has finally been struck.
The “agreement in principle,” released July 11, offers a rough outline of provisions of the treaty that will be updated. The final version will hold for 20 years before it can be revised.
“After 60 years, the Treaty needs updating to reflect our changing climate and the changing needs of the communities that depend on this vital waterway,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “In the coming weeks, the United States and Canada will continue our work together to draft a Treaty amendment that reflects these key elements and to begin the process in both our countries to get this done.” READ MORE — Columbia Insight
- ‘Our voice is our power’: Indigenous leaders recognize 76 years of Native voting rights in Arizona
- Native advisor brings authenticity to Kevin Costner films: Dr. David Bearshield serves as the Native affairs senior development director for Kevin Costner’s four-part series about the American West
- Youth education central theme at Lamprey Celebration: Community members gathered for the third annual celebration, sharing a meal, reflecting on the importance of the ancient fish and passing tradition on to the next generation.
- Surprise blast of rock, water and steam sends dozens running for safety in Yellowstone
- Conservatives use shooting at Trump rally to attack DEI efforts at Secret Service
- Rise of women’s sports brings greater emphasis on maternity and parental needs
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.
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