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Vice President Kamala Harris, the freshly minted Democratic nominee for president, is making a clear pitch for the Native vote.

“I will always honor tribal sovereignty and respect tribal self-determination,” she declared during a rally last week at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Arizona, home to 22 federally recognized tribes, is a hotly contested battleground in the November election. President Joe Biden won the state four years ago by fewer than 11,000 votes.

Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, has previously staked claim to a similar position. In October 2020, while he was running for a second term in office, he released a memo stating, “The Trump administration is committed to respecting tribal sovereignty and will continue to empower Native American communities with the resources they need to promote self-determination.” READ MORE — Stewart Huntington, ICT

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RAPID CITY, S.D. – A South Dakota superintendent has been fired after an Office of Civil Rights report revealed racist comments aimed at Native American students.

Nicole Swigart, superintendent of Rapid City Area Schools, was terminated by a school board vote of 6 to 1 on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The situation stems from racist remarks attributed to Swigart during a U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights investigation.

Swigart’s alleged comments were made public in a Department of Education Office of Civil Rights Resolution Letter published on May 29. READ MORE — Amelia Schafer, ICT + Rapid City Journal

Around the world: Community pushes for better health services in Torres Strait, Indigenous communities in Guyana succeed in saving rare bird, and First Nation woman named International Joint Commission member.

AUSTRALIA: Surveying healthcare needs

A Torres Strait leader encourages community input on North Queensland health services, the National Indigenous Times reported on Aug. 9.

Submissions for the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network’s Joint Regional Needs Assessment survey is open until Aug. 16. The network, one of 31 independent and regionalized health networks, collaborates with local hospitals and health services under the oversight of the federal Department of Health and Aged Care. Their region includes nearly 20 Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organizations.

Renee Williams, chief executive of the Torres Health Indigenous Corporation, highlighted the unique health needs of the Torres Strait due to the vast distances by land and sea. Based on Thursday Island, Williams also chairs the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service board and is a member of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations Primary Care Working Group. She emphasized the simplicity and importance of participating in the survey, noting that it helps identify necessary programs and services, especially in preventative health for younger First Nations people. READ MORE — Deusdedit Ruhangariyo, Special to ICT

Ahead of Alaska’s Aug. 20 primary election, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola continues to hold a fundraising advantage against her 11 competitors, new filings with the Federal Elections Commission show.

As of July 31, Peltola’s campaign had $2.8 million in cash on hand, compared to $317,617 held by Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and $172,548 held by fellow Republican challenger Nick Begich.

No other candidate reported holding any cash on hand.

Under Alaska’s election system, the four top vote-getters in the August primary — regardless of party — advance to the general election in November. READ MORE — Alaska Beacon

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Three people died in motorcycle accidents during the recently concluded Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, according to the official tally of the state Department of Public Safety, but the actual number of motorcycle-involved traffic deaths in the state from the days before, during and after the event is 12.

The department, which includes the Highway Patrol, attributes traffic deaths to the rally only if they occur in a particular area of western South Dakota during the official rally dates, up to the morning of the last day. That number this year was three deaths, down from five last year.

When the scope is expanded to motorcycle-involved crashes in all of South Dakota during not only the rally dates but also the days just before and afterward, this year’s death toll is 12 and last year’s was 11. Neither number includes any rallygoers who may have died in other states while traveling to or from the rally.

In other statistics, this year’s rally included more arrests for drug possession and impaired driving, but fewer crashes and citations. READ MORE — South Dakota Searchlight

Danielle Burbank collected each and every book on Navajo Code Talkers that she came across in her nearly two decades of work as a librarian. She found paths to learn her own family history.

Her research process started at home in Crystal, New Mexico, where she wondered what her grandfather experienced in his time serving as a Navajo Code Talker.

“He didn’t share his stories freely with me,” Burbank said. “I know he shared a lot of stories with my dad and my uncles, but I don’t know if it was because he just didn’t think I needed to know about his experiences or to relive what he experienced during World War II.”

More than 400 Navajo Code Talkers remained under orders after the war by a U.S. military program that was highly classified until 1968. The first Code Talkers Day was celebrated in 1982. READ MORE — Source New Mexico

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