Good Morning NUNAverse,
A popular California ski resort whose name included a derogatory term for Native women changed its name to Palisades Tahoe Monday. Resort officials had begun searching for a new name last year amid a reckoning over racial injustice. The renaming of the resort is one of many efforts nationally to address a history of colonialism and oppression against Native people and other people of color. The derogatory word, derived from the Algonquin language, may have once simply meant “woman,” but over generations, the word morphed into a misogynist and racist term to disparage Indigenous women, according to experts.
As the United States federal government gears up to assess the genocide it perpetuated against Native communities, Native leaders and academics say there is one glaring method for accessing truth and healing: education. Roughly fifty four percent of public schools across the United States make no mention of Native peoples in their K-12 curriculum, and 87 percent of state history standards don’t discuss Native history after 1900, according to a study conducted in 2019. Last month, South Dakota’s Department of Education made national news when officials scrubbed more than a dozen Indigenous-centered learning objectives from the department’s new social studies standards before releasing the document to the public. For specific teachings on Indian Boarding Schools and the United States assimilation policies—a history educators say is central in contextualizing present day culture for Native and non-Native youth alike— statistics are even bleaker.
Shelby Elizabeth Mata (Comanche) was crowned Miss Native American USA 2021-2022 on Friday, September 10 in a special ceremony. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the competition for the Miss Native American USA pageant was canceled this year for the second year in a row. As an alternative solution to name a new Miss Native American USA, the pageant’s leadership team decided to give the title to Mata, 24, who was the first runner-up two years ago. She succeeds Lexie James (Hopi), who reigned for one extra year because of the pandemic. Mata is from Walter, Oklahoma. A winner of eight previous tribal and powwow royalty titles with her tribe and community, she becomes the ninth crowned Miss Native American USA. She is a southern cloth and buckskin powwow dancer who has traveled extensively across the United States and abroad to represent her tradition and culture.
In a ceremony attended by students, tribal leaders, and university officials, Fort Lewis College (FLC) President Tom Stritikus described the college’s past as part of a “cultural genocide.” While the ceremony mourned the college’s past, leaders described it as the beginning of a healing period. The origin of Fort Lewis College in Durango is a dark stain on American education and the state of Colorado. Once a post-Civil War army post, the Old Fort land in Hesperus was converted into a federal, off-reservation Native boarding school, which forced tribal students to abandon their cultural identities and adopt western culture. The campus was situated on ancestral land stolen from several tribes.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Boarding Schools:
The Vast Majority Of Americans Don’t Learn About Indian Boarding Schools Growing Up. These Native Leaders And Educators Want To Change That.
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, September 13
As the United States federal government gears up to assess the genocide it perpetuated against Native communities for nearly a century, Native leaders and academics say there is one glaring method for accessing truth and healing: education. Roughly fifty four percent of public schools across the United States make no mention of Natives in their K-12 curriculum, and 87 percent of state history standards don’t discuss Native history after 1900, according to a study conducted in 2019. Last month, South Dakota’s Department of Education made national news when officials scrubbed more than a dozen Indigenous-centered learning objectives from the department’s new social studies standards before releasing the document to the public. For specific teachings on Indian Boarding Schools and the United States assimilation policies—a history educators say is central in contextualizing present day culture for Native and non-Native youth alike— statistics are even bleeker.
Politics:
Native Vote Mixed On California Recall Election
Indian Country Today, Chris Aadland, September 13
With California voters set to decide whether to keep Gov. Gavin Newsom in office on Tuesday, Indian Country isn’t standing on the sidelines. Voters will decide in a special recall election whether to remove the first-term Democratic governor from office and replace him with one of dozens of candidates. Among this year’s voters will be Indigenous people in the state, which is home to 109 federally recognized tribes. Through public statements and campaign donations, some of those tribes have signaled support for Newsom. One of those tribes is the Redding Rancheria in northern California. While she said sentiment among Indigenous people seems split, Redding Rancheria CEO Tracy Edwards said the tribe favors keeping Newsom in office because he already has a solid understanding of tribal affairs in the state.
Native Mascots:
California Ski Resort Changes Name To Remove Offensive Word
AP News, Olga R. Rodriguez, September 13
A popular California ski resort whose name included a derogatory term for Native women changed its name to Palisades Tahoe Monday. Resort officials had begun searching for a new name last year amid a reckoning over racial injustice. The renaming of the resort is one of many efforts nationally to address a history of colonialism and oppression against Natives and other people of color that includes removing statues of Christopher Columbus. The derogatory word, derived from the Algonquin language, may have once simply meant “woman,” but over generations, the word morphed into a misogynist and racist term to disparage Indigenous women, according to experts.
Other:
Fort Lewis College removes panels depicting ‘incomplete’ history of Native American boarding school
The Journal, Paolo Zialcita, September 13
In a ceremony attended by students, tribal leaders and university officials, Fort Lewis College (FLC) President Tom Stritikus described the college’s past as part of a “cultural genocide.” While the ceremony mourned the college’s past, leaders described it as the beginning of a healing period. The origin of Fort Lewis College in Durango is a dark stain on American education and the state of Colorado. Once a post-Civil War army post, the Old Fort land in Hesperus was converted into a federal, off-reservation Native American boarding school, which forced tribal students to abandon their cultural identities and adopt western culture. The campus was situated on ancestral land stolen from several Native tribes.
Shelby Elizabeth Mata (Comanche Nation) Crowned Miss Native American USA 2021-2022
Native News Online, September 13
Shelby Elizabeth Mata (Comanche) was crowned Miss Native American USA 2021-2022 on Friday, September 10 in a special ceremony. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the competition for the Miss Native American USA pageant was canceled this year for the second year in a row. As an alternative solution to name a new Miss Native American USA, the pageant’s leadership team decided to give the title to Mata, 24, who was the first runner-up two years ago. She succeeds Lexie James (Hopi), who reigned for one extra year because of the pandemic. Mata is from Walter, Oklahoma. A winner of eight previous tribal and powwow royalty titles with her tribe and community, she becomes the ninth crowned Miss Native American USA. She is a southern cloth and buckskin powwow dancer who has traveled extensively across the United States and abroad to represent her tradition and culture.
StrongHearts Native Helpline Releases One Year Sexual Violence Advocacy Report
Native News Online, September 13
A new report that tracked contacts to the StrongHearts Native Helpline for one year revealed that 90 percent of those seeking help to deal with sexual violence were American Indian and Alaska Native females. The report covers the first full year StrongHearts added sexual violence advocacy to the services it provides. The report documented contacts made to the helpline from August 3, 2020 through August 3, 2021 for help for sexual violence across the United States. Data collected for the report reveals sexual violence survivors who reached out to StrongHearts are mostly females between the ages of 25 to 48 who have been hurt by an intimate partner and are seeking peer support.