Good Morning, NUNAverse,
New Jersey officials sued Ford Motor Company on Thursday, alleging that the automaker contaminated the ancestral homeland of a tribe by dumping paint sludge and other pollutants into a former mine. The action in state court seeks unspecified damages to restore the land, and to compensate the state and local communities for losses they sustained when natural resources were damaged. The suit accuses Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford of dumping contaminants at the former Ringwood Mine site, a 500-acre site that encompasses the homelands of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, a tribe formally recognized by the state. Tribal members attended Thursday’s news conference and spoke of years of illnesses and deaths they attribute to contamination of their land. The state’s lawsuit alleges that Ford purchased Ringwood Mines in 1965 to use it as a landfill where it could dispose of hazardous waste generated by its auto assembly plant in Mahwah, which was one of the largest auto assembly plants in the U.S.
On May 31, a Hawaiian housing advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Honolulu against the Bank of America, demanding almost $850 million for the total direct and indirect losses from a loan commitment the bank failed to fulfill to Native Hawaiians in the 1990s. The Maui-based nonprofit group, Nā Po‘e Kōkua, had in 1993 opposed Bank of America’s application to acquire a local bank, citing evidence that it was denying loans for homes on Hawaiian home lands, public lands the state leases to homesteaders who are at least 50% Native Hawaiian. As a condition of approving the acquisition, the Federal Reserve Bank mandated that Bank of America make $150 million in home loans — enough for an estimated 1,325 mortgages — available for Native Hawaiian homesteaders from 1994 to 1998. But the bank closed its operations in Hawaii in 1997, after only fulfilling $3 million of those lending obligations, issuing only 26 mortgages. In the lawsuit, Nā Po‘e Kōkua alleges that Bank of America worked together with certain employees at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to falsify records and create the illusion that the $150 million in loans had actually been made. The housing advocacy group also alleges that the bank’s failure to make those loans violated Native Hawaiians’ civil rights, as a “unilateral taking” of their “legitimate property interests” and denying them “due process under color of state law.”
June is widely known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a celebration of visibility, equality, and self-affirmation for the queer community. It was officially designated as Pride Month when former President Bill Clinton issued a formal proclamation on June 11, 1999, recognizing it as “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.” However, also happening in the 90s was the rise of the term “Two-Spirit” in the Native community throughout the Americas. Two-Spirit is a person that identifies as having both a masculine and feminine spirit,” said Virgil Rambeau, an associate clinical social worker and one of the facilitators for the Two-Spirit Talking Circle at the Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC). “It is a way for indigenous people throughout Turtle Island or North America to describe their sexual gender and spiritual identity.” Rambeau said the term was created in 1990 by an elder by the name of Myra Laramie at the third annual international LGBT Native gathering.
As one of the very few series created and written by as well as starring Indigenous people, Rutherford Falls has sparked a new trend of authentic storytelling on TV. And after debuting to critical acclaim, the Peacock comedy co-created by showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Diné) is back with an even funnier and sharper season 2. “I had an absolute blast making a show that’s heartfelt, laugh-out-loud funny, and depicts Natives in ways you never see on television,” Ornelas said ahead of the new episodes’ debut on the streaming platform. While it continues to follow the many lives of the small town as it comes to terms with its cultural identity and controversial past, the sitcom also hilariously skewers Yellowstone, Big Sky, and other hit series that have included problematic subplots centered around Natives with the running joke, a show-within-a-show called Adirondack.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Law:
New Jersey Sues Ford Over Mining That Tainted Tribal Land
AP News, Wayne Parry, June 16
New Jersey officials sued Ford Motor Company on Thursday, alleging that the automaker contaminated the ancestral homeland of a tribe by dumping paint sludge and other pollutants into a former mine. The action in state court seeks unspecified damages to restore the land, and to compensate the state and local communities for losses they sustained when natural resources were damaged. The suit accuses Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford of dumping contaminants at the former Ringwood Mine site, a 500-acre site that encompasses the homelands of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, a tribe formally recognized by the state. Tribal members attended Thursday’s news conference and spoke of years of illnesses and deaths they attribute to contamination of their land. The state’s lawsuit alleges that Ford purchased Ringwood Mines in 1965 to use it as a landfill where it could dispose of hazardous waste generated by its auto assembly plant in Mahwah, which was one of the largest auto assembly plants in the U.S.
Hawai’i Housing Group Sues Bank Of America Over Broken $150 Million Commitment
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, June 16
On May 31, a Hawaiian housing advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Honolulu against the Bank of America, demanding almost $850 million for the total direct and indirect losses from a loan commitment the bank failed to fulfill to Native Hawaiians in the 1990s. The Maui-based nonprofit group, Nā Po‘e Kōkua, had in 1993 opposed Bank of America’s application to acquire a local bank, citing evidence that it was denying loans for homes on Hawaiian home lands, public lands the state leases to homesteaders who are at least 50% Native Hawaiian. As a condition of approving the acquisition, the Federal Reserve Bank mandated that Bank of America make $150 million in home loans — enough for an estimated 1,325 mortgages — available for Native Hawaiian homesteaders from 1994 to 1998. But the bank closed its operations in Hawaii in 1997, after only fulfilling $3 million of those lending obligations, issuing only 26 mortgages. In the lawsuit, Nā Po‘e Kōkua alleges that Bank of America worked together with certain employees at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to falsify records and create the illusion that the $150 million in loans had actually been made. The housing advocacy group also alleges that the bank’s failure to make those loans violated Native Hawaiians’ civil rights, as a “unilateral taking” of their “legitimate property interests” and denying them “due process under color of state law.”
Boarding Schools:
Bill Advances For Indian Boarding Schools Commission
Cronkite News, Morgan Fischer, June 16
A House committee gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would create a commission to investigate Indian boarding schools, despite Republican concerns over the scope and power of the commission. The Truth and Healing Commission would investigate federal and mission boarding schools, which operated from the late 1800s into the 1900s. The schools were seen largely as an attempt to obliterate native society and culture from Indigenous children, who were often abused and sometimes killed. He said the commission would begin the process of “healing the intergenerational trauma” from this “horrific history.” The 10-member commission would be charged with uncovering historical records, documenting unmarked grave sites, and investigating cases of abuse. It would then make recommendations on “actions that the federal government can take to adequately hold itself accountable for, and redress and heal, the historical and intergenerational trauma inflicted by the Indian Boarding School Policies.
Other:
How ‘Rutherford Falls’ Skewers ‘Yellowstone’ With Fake ‘Adirondack’ Show-Within-a-Show (Exclusive)
ET, Stacy Lambe, June 16
As one of the very few series created and written by as well as starring Indigenous people, Rutherford Falls has sparked a new trend of authentic storytelling on TV. And after debuting to critical acclaim, the Peacock comedy co-created by showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Diné) is back with an even funnier and sharper season 2. “I had an absolute blast making a show that’s heartfelt, laugh-out-loud funny, and depicts Natives in ways you never see on television,” Ornelas said ahead of the new episodes’ debut on the streaming platform. While it continues to follow the many lives of the small town as it comes to terms with its cultural identity and controversial past, the sitcom also hilariously skewers Yellowstone, Big Sky and other hit series that have included problematic subplots centered around Natives with the running joke, a show-within-a-show called Adirondack.
Rutherford Falls Season 2 ‘leaning Into Comedy’
Indian Country Today, Jourdan Bennett-Begaye And R. Vincent Moniz, Jr., June 16
Actress and star of Rutherford Falls, Jana Schmieding (Miniconjou and Sicangu Lakota), hit the talk show circuit this week — and she took her social media followers along for the ride. The hit series is gearing up for its next season. Part of that includes promoting the show. Schmieding and Ed Helms, known for his role in “The Office,” appeared on NBC’s TODAY show.
“Season one we were really excited to tackle some big ideas and then at the end of season one we realized this ensemble is hilarious. Season two, we’re leaning harder into the jokes,” Helms said. Showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Diné) told ICT last month that besides “leaning into comedy” for the second season, they were also “doing a lot of Native romance.” For example, looking at Reagan Wells, Schmieding’s character, dating. All eight episodes of the second season are now streaming on the NBC Peacock app.
Lakota Man Shot And Killed By Police
Indian Country Today, Mary Annette Pember, June 16
During his lifetime, few people would have predicted that Barney Peoples (Oglala Lakota Nation) would be shot to death by police. Homeless and battling alcohol addiction and mental illness he often slept rough with friends at the Journey Museum grounds in Rapid City during the warmer months. Although passionate about social justice issues and well-read, Peoples was a loner who struggled to find his place in the world. He preferred to face his diabetes and mental illness himself, often refusing help from his sister Trinity Peoples who never gave up on him. As the big sister who looked after him for most of his childhood, Trinity is still in shock and disbelief that the brother she describes as a “gentle giant” was killed in March 2022 by police during a call to investigate a burglary. According to records obtained by ICT, Peoples had a history of arrests in Rapid City dating back to 2004, mostly for non-violent offenses such as having an open container of alcohol in public, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct and one count of domestic violence. None of the charges involved a gun. Peoples family, friends and some members of the Native community maintain that police used excessive force and describe the killing as murder. In May, Rapid City police showed members of local media video footage from four of the officers responding to the scene who were wearing body cameras.
Sacramento Natives Explain What Is The ‘Two Spirit’ Community? | Race And Culture
ABC10 Sacramento, Gilbert Cordova, June 16
June is widely known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a celebration of visibility, equality, and self-affirmation for the queer community. It was officially designated as Pride Month when former President Bill Clinton issued a formal proclamation on June 11, 1999, recognizing it as “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.” However, also happening in the 90s was the rise of the term “Two-Spirit” in the Native community throughout the Americas. Two-Spirit is a person that identifies as having both a masculine and feminine spirit,” said Virgil Rambeau, an associate clinical social worker and one of the facilitators for the Two-Spirit Talking Circle at the Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC). “It is a way for indigenous people throughout Turtle Island or North America to describe their sexual gender and spiritual identity.” Rambeau said the term was created in 1990 by an elder by the name of Myra Laramie at the third annual international LGBT Native gathering.