Good Morning, NUNAverse,
North Dakota House Bill 1536 passed the state legislature last week, codifying the Indian Child Welfare Act into state law, meaning if the Supreme Court were to make changes to the federal law, it would not apply to North Dakota law unless the North Dakota Legislature chose to amend the law in a future legislative session.
A conference committee of the Montana Legislature voted against restoring the original language to a bill that would codify the Indian Child Welfare Act into Montana state law. House Bill 317, which was designed to secure protections for Indigenous children under state care while the federal ICWA is threatened in a Supreme Court case, is moving forward with a contested amendment that would give the law an end date. Another amendment brought by an earlier Senate committee request removed language in a section of the bill that would help ICWA cases determine if a child belongs to a tribe.
Over a decade ago, when Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) began photographing all 562 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States (a number which has since grown to 574), she wanted to make a comprehensive portrait of contemporary Indigenous life — one that not only corrected harmful, persistent stereotypes, but could be used as a positive resource for the youngest Native generation. Her book, “Project 562: Changing The Way We See Native America,” was released on April 25. Learn more about the project here.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Native Mascots:
Should School Use ‘Warrior’ Nickname? Tribe To Have Last Say
AP News, Carolyn Thompson, May 1
Law:
Montana ICWA Bill Loses Key Language In Legislature
Indian Country Today, JoVonne Wagner, April 29
Montana Education Bill Resists Amendments
Indian Country Today, JoVonne Wagner, April 28
North Dakota Passes State ICWA Bill
Native News Online, April 26
MMIP:
Washington Creates Missing Indigenous People Cold Case Unit
AP News, April 28
Other:
Indigenous & Western Scientists Blaze A New Path Forward Alongside Šungwakaŋ, The Horse Nation
Native News Online, Jacquelyn Cordova, April 30
Pope Voices Willingness To Return Indigenous Loot, Artifacts
AP News, April 29
Photographer Matika Wilbur Set Out To Take Portraits Of Every Native American Tribe — These Are The Results
CNN, Jacqui Palumbo, April 29
Photographer’s Decade-Long, 600,000-Mile Journey Shows Indigenous Life In New Book
NPR, Melissa Block, April 28
7,100 Native American Remains Could Be Laid To Rest In Ohio
AP News, April 27
Without Indigenous History, There Is No U.S. History
Time, Ned Blackhawk, April 26
Denver’s First Native American Affordable Housing Project Aims To Make Amends For U.S. Policy
The Colorado Sun, Jennifer Brown, April 23