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A light rain sprinkles rows and rows of corn, beans, cucumbers, flowers. A man and a woman walk through the mud, their boots sloshing, as they stop periodically to point out and name specific plants, their faces beaming with pride.
It’s a week before the big harvest, and Suzi French and Ricardo Ariza are here to offer a reporter a tour of their pride and joy – the Umoⁿhoⁿ Nation Public Schools student garden.
French’s “dream” is a garden planted and tended primarily by students, first planted three years ago. Back then it was a one-acre plot. Today, the garden takes up seven acres, or more than five football fields.
For a small town with no grocery store, the garden is an oasis in a food desert and has become a model nationally for tribes seeking to practice sustainable agricultural and food sovereignty. READ MORE. — Kevin Abourezk, ICT
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No list of Indigenous horror films can ever be created without first acknowledging the master, the late Jeff Barnaby, Mi’kmaq, whose entire catalog deserves to be seen but whose masterpiece of Canadian cinema “Rhymes for Young Ghouls” is essential.
“Ghouls” is a film that I never want to see again but I probably will and I have to recommend it. I find it among the most horrific movies I have ever seen and I don’t think I will ever shake it. Jeff knew that. He knew he was making horror for Indigenous people. He knew he was making horror for Canadians. If you want to begin a discussion on reconciliation on another level. Start with this film. READ MORE. — Miles Morrisseau, ICT
The faces of over a dozen first-grade students light up as they’re asked to sing the ABCs in Lakota, eager to show off the language skills they’ve learned at the Oceti Sakowin Community Academy.
At this school, Lakota language and culture aren’t an afterthought or addition to the school’s curriculum, it’s what the curriculum revolves around. Now, as the school makes its way through its second year, staff and administrators continue to Indigenize learning.
The Oceti Sakowin Community Academy first opened its doors September 2022, marking itself as Rapid City’s first Indigenous-led school. In addition to lessons in math, social studies, and reading, students learn Lakota stories, many of which were almost forgotten after the boarding school era.
Mary Bowman, Oglala/Hunkpapa Lakota and the founder of the academy, was raised steeped in her culture, but at school, not so much. Working in education for over 15 years, Bowman realized that a lot of kids don’t have parents who know about their culture, or schools that teach it. READ MORE. — Amelia Schafer, ICT + Rapid City Journal
Students at one of the few schools near the central Oregon coast serving the Siletz Reservation called for their school to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Initially, administrators did not respond well. But the school board later voted to honor the day, as well as Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance for survivors of boarding schools and their families.
In culture class Monday, Oct. 9, a group of students at Siletz Valley School rose out of their seats together and walked out of the building. They texted friends in other classes, and soon more than one-quarter of high school students had left class.
They walked out to protest the fact that the school did not recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a holiday. Instead, students were required to attend classes. READ MORE. — Nika Bartoo-Smith, ICT + Underscore News
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On Monday’s edition of the ICT Newscast, Indigenous leaders across various industries receive awards in Los Angeles from the social justice organization IllumiNative. A Lakota group strives to keep language alive.
Watch:
Hundreds gathered Thursday night as a spotlight hit the stage at the Redd on Salmon in Portland. Imani Mitchell, an afro-Indigenous Niimiipuu descendant, took to the stage rapping, opening it up for Northwest Native Chamber executive director James Alan Parker.
Wearing a multi-strand beaded necklace resembling a gold chain made by his wife Se-ah-dom Edmo, Parker welcomed the audience to The Gathering, the annual Northwest Native Chamber gala extravaganza.
“I’m standing in a room, this room right now, with people who change the world,” said Parker, Chippewa Cree. “Today we call into existence the economies of the future grounded in generations of culture and belonging, all tied to the lands that we stand upon today.”
The Gathering is a chance for community members to show off their fanciest ‘fits, eat good food, visit with friends and support the work of Northwest Native Chamber. READ MORE. — Nika Bartoo-Smithm, ICT + Underscore News
- Three states to cut Colorado River use: Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River.
- Canada’s DFO confronts Native fishermen: ‘Aggressive’ actions violate treaty rights and prior court decisions, tribal officials say.
- Fire, other ravages jeopardize California’s prized forests: California has lost more than 1,760 square miles — nearly 7 percent — of its tree cover since 1985, a recent study found.
- Lawmakers reject Oklahoma gaming compacts: Agreements already received federal approval, but were struck down by state Supreme Court.
- Hopi leader: Red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach: The remarks by Timothy Nuvangyaoma were part of a Senate Indian Affairs Committee roundtable on challenges tribes are facing in getting projects approved.
- Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull Recognized for Social Equality Work.
- Interior Department Releases New Report Outlining Improvements for Law Enforcement Programs.
- ‘Kuhaantí,’ a children’s book written entirely in Lingít, is the first of its kind in decades.
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.
