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Miracle Spotted Bear, Oglala Lakota, is a student and athlete at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas, where she plays on the women’s basketball team. From managing classes and handling the challenges that comes with being a student-athlete, Spotted Bear also released her debut R&B album, “Stuck In Between.”
From the Pine Ridge reservation, Spotted Bear grew up close to her culture, singing traditional prayer songs and singing at powwows. Until a few years ago, she thought she would never put songs out for the public, then Covid-19 hit.
“It was around Covid and, you know, things were really hard and a lot of people told me that my music really helps them and they really enjoyed it,” Spotted Bear said. “I got a lot of really positive feedback.”
She recorded her prayer and round dance songs and uploaded them on YouTube. Upon request from her family she would share her songs and the more she shared her music online, the more connections she made.
That’s how she crossed paths with AntoineX, an Indigenous rapper who founded the label where Spotted Bear released her album through, ALLSZN. READ MORE — JoVonne Wagner, ICT
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Indigenous nonprofit advances in creating a marine sanctuary
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a proposal to designate a 5,617-square-mile area offshore of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in central California as Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. It would protect the area’s marine life, ecosystems, archaeological sites, and cultural sites.
It’s the first Indigenous-led nomination for a national marine sanctuary.
“We are excited to see the designation of the Chumash Heritage Sanctuary moving forward,” said Violet Sage Walker, sanctuary nominator and Northern Chumash Tribal Council chairwoman, in a press release.
“We know the importance of protecting this vital stretch of ocean, for our marine life, our fishing and our cultural heritage. Sanctuaries uplift local participation in ocean management, and this sanctuary will put Indigenous communities in partnership with NOAA. The collective knowledge of the Central Coast’s First Peoples, as well as other local stakeholders, scientists, and policymakers, will create a strong foundation to have a thriving coast for generations to come.”
The Northern Chumash Tribal Council is organized as a non-profit corporation under the guidelines of the state of California Senate Bill 18.
The designation would advance the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts across the country with a goal to conserve and restore 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. READ MORE — Kalle Benallie, ICT
A biweekly column from ICT with the latest news from the arts and entertainment world. READ MORE — Sandra Hale Schulman,Special to ICT
PORTLAND, Ore. — Earlier this month, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians purchased a $2.6 million building, creating a new home base in Portland for tribal leaders and ATNI members — the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Embassy.
“Before, there was no real home for ATNI,” said Melvin Sheldon Jr., first vice president of ATNI and a Tulalip Tribes board of directors council member. “This acquisition gives us that identity.”
ATNI, an organization founded by tribal leaders in the 1940s to fight termination policies and advocate for tribal sovereignty, has rented a small office in Portland for years. Today, the organization continues to grow — and with it the need for a bigger, more permanent home.
“It’s the opportunity now to really step up to the plate and serve our membership even better,” Sheldon Jr. said.
Located near the Franz bakery on N.E. 12th Ave. in Portland, Sheldon Jr. says the vision is that the ATNI Embassy will serve as a central hub for the organization, housing all of the ATNI programs. That includes initiatives focused on climate change, energy and natural resources. READ MORE— Nika Bartoo-Smith, ICT and Underscore News
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- ‘I was raised through music’: Antoine Edwards, also known as AntoineX, is a Native hip-hop and R&B artist based out of Nebraska’s largest city
- Onondaga artist’s exhibition merges pop culture, Native knowledge: The New York exhibition, ‘Native Americana,’ showcases the work of Frank Buffalo Hyde
- Best of August ICT reads: Catch up on the stories that made headlines in this last month
- ‘He who walks through the battle smoke’: For Native hip-hop artist Kunu Bearchum, his music serves as an outlet for cultural connection and social justice
- First Native LEAD program brings Indigenous students from around the state to campus, encouraging pursuit of higher education
- American Indian Learning Resource Center completes staff with third hirededicated to outreach
- In a Massachusettspond, toxic algae is disrupting tribal heritage
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.
