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The largest primary election is here: Super Tuesday.
Super Tuesday is where 16 states and one territory vote in the presidential primary election indicating the candidates who will secure the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. But it’s not just limited to the presidential nominations, there are elections for state House, Senate and governor seats.
Additionally, the American Samoa Democratic Presidential Caucus will decide to elect incumbent President Joe Biden or U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota. The American Samoa Republican Presidential Caucus will be held Friday, March 8.
The American Samoa Democratic Party is the American Samoa affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. It is based in the territorial capital of Pago Pago, which is the capital of American Samoa, an unincorporated U.S. territory. Samoans, Indigenous Polynesian, make up the majority of the population. READ MORE— Kalle Benallie, ICT
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PORTLAND, Ore. — For once, lawmakers in Oregon are aligned: Democrats and Republicans passed a bipartisan bill March 1 to reintroduce criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of drugs like methamphetamines and fentanyl. If signed by Gov. Tina Kotek, the law will roll back the key provision of Measure 110 — a first-in-the-nation ballot measure approved by voters in 2020.
Experts who spoke with Underscore News/ICT say the law would lead to disproportionate arrests of Black people, while only people living on one of the state’s nine Indigenous reservations would have access to mandatory treatment instead of jail.
While lawmakers came to a compromise on the length of incarceration they want people to face for drug possession — up to six months — advocates say they haven’t heeded warnings that Black Oregonians will likely be arrested under the new law at rates higher than white people.
House Bill 4002 passed the Oregon Senate 21 – 8 after hours of discussion. Those opposed worried it could lead to inequities in how the law is applied, along with a return to a war on drugs approach. READ MORE — Nika Bartoo-Smith and Karina Brown, Underscore News + ICT
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Two women embraced each other on the north side of Rapid City surrounded by around 30 community members as they opened the city’s first Indigenous-led LGBTQIA+ center, Uniting Resilience, on Thursday, Feb. 29.
For 19 years, the Oglala Lakota lesbian couple has fought for the right to be together. The two have experienced discrimination, homophobia and barriers to expressing themselves, Monique “Muffie” Mosseau said. Now, they’re hoping to stop other Two-Spirit couples from facing these challenges.
“I met my wife in 2005. We were together for three months before the gay bashing started. Felipa was fired from her job and I had to leave mine,” Mousseau said. “There were no resources for us here in the Midwest.”
When same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015, the couple was still unable to be married on their reservation. Instead, the couple was married in the Black Hills. The barriers the couple faced didn’t stop after they were allowed to be married. They continued to face racism and homophobia, Mousseau said. These experiences led them to push for change. READ MORE — Amelia Schafer, ICT + Rapid City Journal
BISMARCK, N.D. – In the first of this two-part series, Vincent Moniz talks with one of the authors of the survey about the data and the elders in need.
In December of 2023, the University of North Dakota released the findings from a first-ever study on the health of urban Indigenous elders.
This national survey, conducted by UND’s National Resource Center on Native American Aging, shows what many in Indian Country already know.
The Native Urban Elder Needs Assessment Survey shows that these elders face food scarcity and poor health, while many are taking care of the future, their grandchildren. READ MORE — Buffalo’s Fire
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The South Dakota legislative session ends on March 25. ICT Senior Producer Shirley Sneve has this conversation with State Senator Shawn Bordeaux to talk about the session highlights so far.
“Imagining the Indian” is a documentary that explores Native American mascots and representation in media. Ben West is one of the directors, writers and producers of this project. ICT Producer Paris Wise has this interview.
Meet a Blackfeet man in Montana who is devoted to revitalizing his Native language. ICT Education Correspondent Renata Birkenbuel caught up with Robert Hall to ask about his work, and a shout out from a Hollywood star.
Over the weekend, Phoenix’s Heard Museum hosted its annual Native Art Market and Fair. ICT Producer Daniel Herrera has the reaction from attendees.
WATCH
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A group of Indigenous women in Greenland has sued Denmark for forcing them to be fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices in the 1960s and 1970s and demanded total compensation of nearly 43 million kroner ($6.3 million), their lawyer said Monday.
The 143 Inuit women say Danish health authorities violated their human rights when they fitted them with the devices, commonly known as coils. Some of the women — including many who were teenagers at the time — were not aware of what happened or did not consent to the intervention.
They each are demanding 300,000 kroner ($44,000), the women’s lawyer, Mads Pramming, told The Associated Press.
The purpose was allegedly to limit population growth in Greenland by preventing pregnancies. The population on the Arctic island was rapidly increasing at the time because of better living conditions and better health care. The small T-shaped device, made from plastic and copper and fitted in the uterus, prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg. READ MORE — Associated Press
- From breakdancing to powwow dancing: James Jones is a fancy dancer, chicken dancer and hoop dancer who has amassed millions of followers and views on social media
- As an opioids scourge devastates tribes, lawmakers work to provide relief: Opioid overdose deaths for Native Americans and Alaska Natives have increased dramatically during the past few years in Washington state
- Fort Belknap company officials agree to cease lending in settlement: Minnesota settles with IMDG CEO; suits against company move forward in other states
- Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona says she won’t seek reelection, avoiding 3-way race
- Biden administration would cap credit card late fees at $8, part of campaign against junk fees
- Alabama lawmakers advance legislation to protect IVF providers, with final approval still ahead
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