Greetings, relatives.
A lot of news out there. Thanks for stopping by ICT’s digital platform.
Each day we do our best to gather the latest news for you.
Okay, here’s what you need to know today:
The U.S. Supreme Court said the United States is not required “to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe” because that provision is not explicitly stated in the Navajo Treaty of 1868, according to its ruling in a 5-4 vote in Arizona v. Navajo Nation, released Thursday.
The case was the third and final federal Indian law case this term.
Thursday’s decision reverses a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The tribe cannot proceed with a claim against the Department of the Interior to “develop a plan to meet the Navajo Nation’s water needs and manage the main stream of the Colorado River in the Lower Basin.”
The court also ruled that the tribe cannot present a cognizable claim of breach of trust.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the opinion and was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett. READ MORE — Kolby KickingWoman, ICT
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Two tribes in Oregon made historic agreements with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday that affirm the rights of their members to hunt, fish, trap and gather under tribal, rather than state licenses. The agreements apply to subsistence and ceremonial activities, not commercial enterprises.
“There will be a shift where trial members already participating under a state framework will instead participate under a tribal framework,” Davia Palmeri, acting deputy director for fish and wildlife programs at ODFW, said at the June 16 meeting.
Four tribes now operate under such agreements — The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CLUSI), Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Coquille Indian Tribe.
Siletz Chairman Delores Pigsley compared the moment to one in 1977, when Siletz regained federal recognition of its sovereignty, over two decades after termination. READ MORE — Karina Brown and Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore News + ICT
The stories speak for themselves. One by one, nearly a dozen citizens from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes stood up to share their stories of missing and murdered relatives at the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force meeting last month on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
One man asked for prayers for his younger brother, who disappeared in February 2018. The family posted on social media and even hired their own private investigator in an attempt to bring him home. Police have done the bare minimum to search for him, he said.
“Where did he go?” the man asked. “People don’t just disappear.”
A woman shared the story of her older sister’s unsolved murder dating back nearly three decades. She was tortured before she died. To date, nobody has gone to jail. READ MORE — The Wyoming Truth
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House approved a bill Wednesday that would let Native Americans in Maine benefit from federal laws despite a state land claims settlement.
The bill received bipartisan support, and the 100-47 vote would be enough to overcome a possible veto from Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. The Senate takes up the bill next.
Tribes in the state are governed by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980, which stipulates they’re bound by state law, treating tribal reservations much like municipalities and generally barring federal laws that undermine state law. That sets them apart from the other 570 federally recognized tribes.
That settlement for the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot and Maliseet, along with a 1991 agreement for the Mi’kmaq, put the tribes in Maine on a different path from others elsewhere in the country. READ MORE — Associated Press
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Native Guitars Tour is an organization that spreads music and industry knowledge all across Indian Country. Its tours include concert events, workshops, and presentations. Alicia Ortega is the development strategist of Native Guitars Tour.
Skateboarding is extremely popular in Native communities across the country — and especially for the Oglala Lakota Nation. In the summer, skaters have no issue hitting the concrete but what happens in the winter when snow covers the ground? Kyle Mesteth is on a mission to solve this issue, with the creation of a multi-use facility in downtown Pine Ridge.
“Native Sounds, Native Voices” is a weekly radio show in Lincoln, Nebraska that has been on the air for decades. ICT’s Shirley Sneve stopped by KZUM for an interview with the show’s co-hosts.
WATCH HERE:
This week, the Indian Health Service announced directors for both the Great Plains and Navajo areas.
Joe Amiotte, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and DuWayne Begay, Navajo, were appointed to each area, respectively.
Since November 2022, Amiotte has served as the acting director of the Great Plains Area. Indian Health Service Director Roselyn Tso, Navajo, said Amiotte has been a leader and consistent voice in the area for many years.
“His wealth of knowledge and experience will continue to positively contribute to the mission of the IHS and the services we provide throughout the area,” Tso said in a statement on the IHS website.
With more than 31 years of experience working with federal agencies, Tso said IHS is happy to welcome Begay into the fold.
“His many years of service to Indian Country and breadth of knowledge in operations will have a positive impact on our mission to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level,” Tso said in a separate press release.
- Officials crack down on fake Alaska Native art: It’s a federal crime to sell art that is falsely marketed as created by an Alaska Native or tribal citizen
- Taos Pueblo couple create short film for Metallica: New heavy metal video features dark, Indigenous animation
- Ruling awaited in tribes’ lawsuit over redistricting map: The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe allege the 2021 redistricting map violates the Voting Rights Act
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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