In a motion filed Monday in a DC court, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation accused the Treasury Department of using a wrong formula when calculating the initial distribution of $4.8 CARES Act funds for tribal governments.
“While the Prairie Band has over 4,500 members, the HUD formula that was adopted by Treasury undercounted the Nation’s enrolled population by 80 percent. Many tribes had had their population listed as zero. As a result of this absurd decision, the Nation was denied nearly $8 million in funding that it otherwise would have received,” said Prairie Band via press release distributed on Monday.
The federal government approved new gambling compacts between Oklahoma, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, and the Comanche Nation, but Governor Kevin Stitt still remains locked in a legal dispute over tribal gambling with other tribes and legislative leaders from his own party.
Jacqueline De Leon, an author of the recent report, Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native American Voters, gave some additional comments on the barriers that keep tribal citizens from voting across the United States.
Federal regulators have given a Phoenix company the green light to study a hydropower project for the Little Colorado River, which opponents fear is a first step toward “destroying incredibly rare, beautiful, sacred resources.”
At least three Native American women are running for the state Legislature in North Dakota, tripling the number of Native women who ran in 2018. North Dakota has its mail-in primary Tuesday, the first statewide election since tribes reached a landmark voting rights agreement with the state earlier this year.
The Fertile Ground Policy Innovation Fund announced it has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to Native-led organizations and tribes. The grants will support American Indian efforts aimed at advancing new policies and innovative policy-making approaches that benefit nutrition and health.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe v. Bernhardt:
Mashpee Wampanoag Ruling A ‘Win For All Of Indian Country’
Indian Country Today, Kolby KickingWoman, June 8
Support is pouring in for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe following a ruling in its favor in a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department. On Friday evening, Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., blocked the federal government from rescinding the Massachusetts tribe’s reservation status, ordering the department to reexamine a decision that took the tribe’s more than 300 acres out of trust.
Nationwide Protests:
Why Black Lives Matters Movement Resonates With American Indians
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, June 8
It was a cold and windy November afternoon as I stood inside the home of Dennis Banks on the Friday after he died. The house sits on a northern point of Leech Lake in central Minnesota. As whitecaps crashed against the shore, I could see three of his grandsons replenishing the sacred fire with new firewood to keep it burning in his honor.
Native Americans Want To Be Included In Race Talks
The Salt Lake Tribune, Nora Mabie, June 8
As protesters demand justice for George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, many Native Americans in Montana are showing solidarity for black Americans. Floyd, 46, died after pleading for his life as a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck. The incident sparked outrage, and protesters flooded cities worldwide, including Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman, Missoula and Billings, calling for justice and an end to systemic racism.
Group Wants Justice For Native American Man Who Died In Law Enforcement Custody
KFOR.com, Hicham Raache, June 6
A rally to achieve justice for Ronnie Given, a Native American man who died in a local jail, was held in Pottawatomie County on Friday. “We want justice. That’s what we’re here for. That’s why I brought these people out here today with me, to walk with me side-by side, to bring awareness to what’s going on in our Native American community,” said Michael Rowe, a friend of Ronnie Given. The rally was held at the Pottawatomie County Courthouse in Shawnee.
CARES Act Funding:
Prairie Band Potwatomi Nation Files Motion To Stop Treasury Department Distribution Of CARES Act Funds
Native News Online, June 9
In a motion filed Monday in a DC court, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation accused the Treasury Department of using a wrong formula when calculating the initial distribution of $4.8 CARES Act funds for tribal governments.
COVID-19:
Navajo Technical University Summer Programs Go Digital Due To COVID-19
Native News Online, Rich Tupica, June 8
As the pandemic looms over Indian Country, educational institutions are continuously revamping their courses in order to accommodate stay-home protocol and protect students and faculty. One of those schools, Navajo Technical University (NTU), switched to an emergency distance education model after the COVID-19 spiked back in March.
COVID-19: ‘I Never Thought It Would Come Here, Not Here On The Reservation’
Indian Country Today, Ruth (Bazhnibah) Kawano, June 8
She first heard about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on TV in January 2020 about the virus, “it’s all the way across in China!” This nurse tearfully expressed what it was like in the beginning when COVID-19 came to the Navajo Nation. Another nurse detailed the preparation of staff and protocols before the virus hit close. A Chief Nurse Executive used her leadership skills to help create solutions for her nursing staff and patients.
Kaiser Health News: Montana’s Tribal Nations Preserve COVID Restrictions To Preserve Their Cultures
Indianz.com, Kathleen McLaughlin, June 8
As Montana plows forward with its reopening, including throwing open the doors to tourism on June 1, the outlook is starkly different for members of the state’s Native American nations, which have approached the coronavirus with greater caution and stricter controls. For members of the state’s far-flung tribes, who make up nearly 7% of Montana’s population of roughly 1 million, protective attitudes toward elders and cultural heritage have shaped a pandemic response around defending the most vulnerable rather than prioritizing economics.
Coquille Indian Tribe Provides Rapid Testing To Community Members Including Shutter Creek
KCBY.com, Amanda Slee, June 8
The Coquille Indian Tribe Community Health Center was given an Abbott ID Now rapid test machine and so far, they have done 19 tests which have all been negative. The machine, given to the tribe by the Indian Health Services, is to ensure tribes have access to mitigate and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Casinos:
Feds Approve Oklahoma’s Newly Negotiated Gambling Compacts
Indian Country Today, Sean Murphy, June 8
The federal government approved new gambling compacts between Oklahoma and two tribal nations, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Monday, but the governor still remains locked in a legal dispute over tribal gambling with other tribes and legislative leaders from his own party. The compacts between Oklahoma and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Comanche Nation were both “deemed approved” by the U.S. Department of the Interior following the expiration of a 45-day review period.
Other:
Ruth Buffalo: ‘We Tripled … Native American Women Running’ For North Dakota Legislature
Indian Country Today, Aliyah Chavez, June 8
At least three Native candidates are running for the state Legislature in North Dakota, which has its mail-in primary Tuesday, the first statewide election since tribes reached a landmark voting rights agreement with the state earlier this year. The Spirit Lake Nation and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe had sued over voter identification requirements that they said disenfranchised Native voters.
Investigation Reveals A Consistent Picture: ‘It’s Really Hard To Vote In Indian Country’
Indian Country Today, June 8
In a few months Americans will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the national election. Yet, for Native Americans, this American right is not so easy to exercise. In a new report released by the Native American Rights Fund, for the 574 federally recognized tribes, there are barriers that keep them from voting. The report, “Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation by Native American Voters,” also shows that only 66 percent of the eligible Native American voting population is registered to vote.
Tribally Owned Firm Secures $161m Federal Contract, Expands GR Headquarters
Native News Online, June 8
A federal contracting firm owned by Waséyabek Development Co. LLC has begun work on a five-year, $161 million contract with the Department of Energy to provide site operations and support services at three National Energy Technology Laboratory locations, according to regional business publication MiBiz. The contract — Waséyabek Federal Services LLC’s largest to date — helps illustrate the growth story for the non-gaming investment arm of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.
Fertile Ground Fund Announces $500k Of Grants To Advance Health & Nutrition Policy
Native News Online, June 8
The Fertile Ground Policy Innovation Fund announced it has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to Native-led organizations and tribes. Administered by the First Nations Development Institute, the seven grants will support American Indian efforts aimed at advancing new policies and innovative policy-making approaches that benefit nutrition and health.
Native Sun News Today: Pandemic Protocols Portend Census Undercount On Tribal Lands
Indianz.com, Justine Anderson, June 8
As of June 1, U.S. Census Bureau decennial survey personnel had missed their 2020 field operation targets on all but one of South Dakota’s nine Indian reservations, illustrating the nationwide threat of an alarming Native American population undercount due to coronavirus pandemic safety protocols. The only tribal jurisdiction in the state where the census team has delivered forms to residents is the Flandreau Santee Sioux Indian Reservation, according to Mike Beck, the U.S. Census Bureau media specialist for South Dakota.
Working Together For American Indian Students
Native News Online, Chuck Hoskin, Jr., June 8
At Cherokee Nation, we remain deeply invested in ensuring a good education for Cherokees and all children living in our 14-county jurisdiction. Each year, we provide millions from our car tag revenues to support local schools. We are also highly involved in making sure children receive accurate lessons on Native American culture and history, as well as culturally competent support for reaching the college or career of their dreams.
Cronkite News: Preliminary OK For Little Colorado Dam Proposals Worries Plan’s Critics
Indianz.com, Ellie Borst, June 8
Federal regulators have given a Phoenix company the green light to study a hydropower project for the Little Colorado River, what opponents fear is a first step toward “destroying incredibly rare, beautiful, sacred resources.” The OK on May 21 from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission came despite a slew of concerns about the project’s potential impact on endangered species, tribal lands and environmental, cultural and public sites.
South Dakota Tribal Checkpoints: A Look At Key Events
Indian Country Today, Dalton Walker, June 8
As demonstrators across the U.S. protest racial injustice, citizens of two South Dakota tribal nations are standing guard over their land. Since April, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribes have maintained highway checkpoints on state and federal roads in an effort to ward off the coronavirus pandemic. The move hasn’t gone over well with South Dakota’s top elected official. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem first threatened legal action, then asked President Donald Trump to intervene.
Chuck Hoskin: Working Together For American Indian Students
Indianz.com, Chuck Hoskin Jr., June 8
At Cherokee Nation, we remain deeply invested in ensuring good education for Cherokees and all children living in our 14-county jurisdiction. Each year, we provide millions from our car tag revenues to support local schools. We are also highly involved in making sure children receive accurate lessons on Native American culture and history, as well as culturally competent support for reaching the college or career of their dreams.
Tribe awarded $900,000 for housing development
Ashland Daily Press, June 8
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded nearly $120 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) awards to tribes across the nation, including $900,000 for the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. The ICDBG program provides funding to use in developing American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including decent housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities, primarily for low- and moderate-income persons.