Here’s a look at what’s happening today:
Juneteenth holiday sparks scramble in states, tribes
Tribal nations sprung to action Thursday to make plans over the new holiday. The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota granted administrative leave on Friday to observe Juneteenth.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed a proclamation surrounded by tribal citizens and community members Friday declaring June 19, 2021 a holiday for the Cherokee Nation. He said it was the first time in the tribe’s history that Juneteenth has been formally commemorated.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho will observe Juneteenth on Monday, June 21. The decision to observe the holiday came hours after Biden signed the national holiday into law.
Acting chair of the Fort Hall business council Elma Thompson said it was a priority for the tribe to support Juneteenth.
“We support and observe this national holiday because of the connection to the oppression that we [Black and Native people] experienced in our history. It is important for our tribe to support and learn more about this new holiday,” Thompson said in a statement to Indian Country Today.
To read more, click here.
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Deb Haaland visits with tribal leaders
WINTER HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland talked about national parks and met with tribal leaders in her visit to Maine.
Haaland, who is the first Native cabinet secretary in U.S. history, spent part of her two-day trip meeting with tribal leaders from the Wabanaki tribes in Maine. The department said Haaland met with the tribal leaders about protecting their health and natural and cultural resources.
Haaland detailed a host of improvements and investments at Maine’s only national park, Acadia National Park, during a visit to the state on Friday.
To read more, click here.
Healing with horses and voices
A Lakota rancher made the healing power of horses his life’s work. Plus some legal decisions are impacting tribes, and, meet a Congress member with a big voice.
Watch ICT’s weekend edition:
Listen: The census powwow
Cheyenne Brady knew next to nothing about the U.S. census when she was given the job of counting everyone on her reservation. Writer Julian Brave Noisecat follows her through the ups and downs of the 2020 census, culminating in the first-ever Census Powwow.
To listen, click here.
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National Indigenous History Month
To mark Indigenous History Month, APTN News in Canada wants to take you on a journey through Indigenous historical moments from coast to coast.
All throughout the month of June, APTN NEWS will be looking back on important moments in the history of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples – and how our history shaped where we are today.
To learn more, click here.
News organizations partner to build Indian Country reporting
Two nonprofit journalism organizations are joining forces for the first time to hire a beat reporter to cover Native and Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Underscore.news, a digital reporting team based in Portland, Oregon, that covers Indian Country, is collaborating with Indian Country Today, a national digital and television news enterprise covering Indigenous communities.
For additional information, click here.
From social media:
The latest:
- Connecticut budget implementation bill includes Native studies: The bill includes adding Native American studies to the social studies curriculum that public schools are required to teach, beginning in the 2023-24 school year.
- Indigenous knowledge is key to ‘ecosystem-wide phenomena’:‘One of the biggest issues we face is that Indigenous knowledge and wisdom does not hold the same level of value as Western science.’
- Unfinished border barriers harm environment:Some groups and interests want the wall finished, others want to remove what has already been built.
- Tribe sues over hunting rights:The dilemma faced by many tribal governments as they try to preserve their use of the land they were promised in treaties signed centuries ago.
- Canada can’t be prosecuted for residential school crimes: When adopting Genocide Convention, Canada left out ‘mass transfers of children to another group,’ said Canadian lawyer Dale Lysak.
What we’re reading:
- A young Cheyenne leader was beaten bloody. the response brought more pain.
- Singing up a storm: 14-year-old Osage/Cherokee country artist.
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. Email dwalker@indiancountrytoday.com.
