Good Morning, NUNAverse,
The Supreme Court agreed Friday to take up a question to clarify their ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, specifically whether the state of Oklahoma can prosecute non-Native for crimes committed against Natives in a large portion of eastern Oklahoma that the high court ruled in 2020 remains a tribal reservation. The case will be argued in April, the court said. But the justices did not agree to the state’s request that the court consider overruling the 2020 decision altogether. The Supreme Court does not typically reconsider its decisions so soon, but the state argued that crimes are going uninvestigated and unprosecuted because federal authorities — who can bring criminal cases from tribal land when the suspect, victim, or both are Native— are overwhelmed.
A proposal to overhaul New Mexico’s social studies standards has stirred debate over how race should be taught in schools, with thousands of parents and teachers weighing in on changes that would dramatically increase instruction related to racial and social identity beginning in kindergarten. New Mexico officials say they hope their standards can be a model for the country of social studies teaching that is culturally responsive, as student populations grow increasingly diverse. While debates elsewhere have centered on the teaching of enslavement of Black people, some discussions in New Mexico, which is 49% Hispanic and 11% Native, have focused on the legacy of Spanish conquistadors. The New Mexico Public Education Department’s proposed standards are aimed at making civics, history, and geography more inclusive of the state’s population so that students feel at home in the curriculum and prepared for a diverse society.
Soon, getting care will be easier for Fredrickson and other Little Shell members living in and around Great Falls. The Little Shell Tribal Health Clinic is slated to open in this city of about 60,000 people on January 31, roughly two years after the tribal nation achieved its long-sought federal recognition. For the first time, Little Shell members will have guaranteed access to health services — and see their culture reflected in the offerings. The brick-and-mortar hub is a powerful symbol for a tribe that lacks a reservation, especially given the clinic’s focus on providing care to people who have faced long-standing health barriers that the pandemic underscored. The building is a tangible example of what Little Shell can become, said tribal member Darrel Rummel, 81. “The clinic, it’s going to be the heart of it all.” Little Shell became the United States’ 574th federally recognized Indigenous tribe in December 2019, roughly 150 years after Little Shell leaders began advocating for the tribe to be acknowledged as a sovereign nation.
The US Postal Service will issue a forever stamp Wednesday honoring Edmonia Lewis, the Black and Native artist whose 19th century marble sculptures gained her international acclaim and are now held by the Smithsonian. “As the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, Edmonia Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America,” the USPS said in a statement. Lewis, born in 1844 in Greenbush, New York, attended Oberlin College in Ohio and established herself as a professional artist in Boston, according to the Smithsonian.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Law:
High Court Could Limit 2020 Tribal Land Decision In Oklahoma
AP News, January 21
The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider limiting a recent decision about Native American land in Oklahoma that the state says has produced chaos in its courts. The justices said they would take up a question to clarify whether the state can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed against Natives in a large portion of eastern Oklahoma that the high court ruled in 2020 remains a tribal reservation. The case will be argued in April, the court said. But the justices did not agree to the state’s request that the court consider overruling the 2020 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma altogether. The Supreme Court does not typically reconsider its decisions so soon. But the state argued that crimes are going uninvestigated and unprosecuted because federal authorities — who can bring criminal cases from tribal land when the suspect, victim or both are Native American — are overwhelmed.
US Supreme Court Will Not Consider Overturning McGirt Decision; Will Rule On Scope Of The Landmark Ruling
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, January 22
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Friday it will review only one aspect of its 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma decision that declared a swath of eastern Oklahoma is on Indian reservation land. The highest court in the country rejected the state of Oklahoma’s request to consider overturning the entire decision. The landmark 2020 decision ruled that Native Americans who commit crimes on Indian reservation lands cannot be prosecuted by state or local law enforcement but instead must face charges in tribal or federal courts. The question the Supreme Court will review this term is whether McGirt applies to non-Natives who commit crimes against Native Americans on reservations. Friday’s announcement was a blow to the state of Oklahoma that has filed more than 30 separate petitions requesting the Supreme Court to overrule McGirt. the state of Oklahoma has told the Supreme Court its 2020 decision has been “calamitous and are worsening by the day.” Beyond justice, the state contends the McGirt decision threatens “hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax revenue.” The Supreme Court’s rejection to review the 2020 McGirt decision was met with gratitude by the Cherokee Nation.
Biden-Harris Administration Makes Progress On Indian Issues In Its First Year
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, January 22
Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris, Jr., told the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security in February 2020 that the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was “giving little more than lip service to consultation.” Norris described how Tohono O’odham’s ancestral land was bulldozed to make room for the wall at the southern border of the United States that would have run through Arizona’s second largest Indian reservation. Almost two years and one presidency later, things have changed when it comes to tribal consultation between the federal government and the 574 federally recognized tribes. This past Thursday marked the first anniversary of President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Within a week, Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum that reaffirms tribal sovereignty through tribal consultation. In an exclusive interview with Native News Online on Wednesday, Libby Washburn (Chickasaw), Special Assistant to the President at the White House, said reforming the relationship with tribal governments was at the top of the list for the Biden-Harris administration.
Health:
Call To Action: Help Get Indian Health Service Funding Across The Finish Line
Native News Online, Aaron Payment, January 23
This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending an HHS Secretary Tribal Advisory meeting as a committee member to hear the announcement supporting Advanced Appropriations for Indian Health Services (IHS). At this meeting, we saw the culmination of our tribal leader efforts to secure both a Biden administration endorsement of Advanced Appropriations for the IHS as well as legislation in both the Senate (S.2985)1 and House (HR 5549, 5567) 2,3 to finally protect our treaty and trust obligation funding for health from federal government shutdowns.While not perfect, it is the first step for which I expect we will never go backward. We have pushed for advanced appropriations for all of our funding but achieving this first milestone will be historic. As a team effort between the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) with elected tribal leaders taking part, numerous legislative alerts with sample letters were drafted and sent to urge your congressional delegation to support this important legislation.
Better Health Care Means A More Secure EMS System Within Cherokee Nation
Native News Online, Chuck Hoskin Jr., January 23
In a health emergency, a few minutes can be the difference between life and death. Cherokee families deserve emergency responders who can always bring rapid care in a crisis. That’s why Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I have proposed more than $54 million in funding to enhance Cherokee Nation’s Emergency Medical Services and upgrade our fleet of ambulances. The increased funding will address some of our most pressing issues, including lowering rural response times, reducing staff strains, and improving training for our community partners within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The funding for these initiatives will come from Cherokee Nation’s COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan, as well as additional dollars generated by the tribe’s health system. Cherokee Nation’s EMS provides a high level of care and responsiveness across a large area of our reservation, but we have seen in the past two years that we need more. We’ve seen the volume of EMS calls increase, and the COVID pandemic has placed a heavy burden on our emergency medical services. We are working closely with Cherokee Nation Health Services and our current EMS staff for input on the department’s expansion.
‘Heart’ Of Little Shell: Newest Federally Recognized Tribe To Open First Clinic
Kaiser Health News, Katheryn Houghton, January 21
Soon, getting care will be easier for Fredrickson and other Little Shell members living in and around Great Falls. The Little Shell Tribal Health Clinic is slated to open in this city of about 60,000 people on Jan. 31, roughly two years after the tribal nation achieved its long-sought federal recognition. For the first time, Little Shell members will have guaranteed access to health services — and see their culture reflected in the offerings. The brick-and-mortar hub is a powerful symbol for a tribe that lacks a reservation, especially given the clinic’s focus on providing care to people who have faced long-standing health barriers that the pandemic underscored. The building is a tangible example of what Little Shell can become, said tribal member Darrel Rummel, 81. “The clinic, it’s going to be the heart of it all.” Little Shell became the United States’ 574th federally recognized Indigenous tribe in December 2019, roughly 150 years after Little Shell leaders began advocating for the tribe to be acknowledged as a sovereign nation.
Other:
USPS Will Issue A Forever Stamp Honoring The Black Native Sculptor Edmonia Lewis
CNN, Eric Levenson, January 23
The US Postal Service will issue a forever stamp Wednesday honoring Edmonia Lewis, the Black Native artist whose 19th century marble sculptures gained her international acclaim and are now held by the Smithsonian. “As the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, Edmonia Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America,” the USPS said in a statement.
Lewis, born in 1844 in Greenbush, New York, to a Black father and Chippewa (Ojibwa) Native American, attended Oberlin College in Ohio and established herself as a professional artist in Boston, according to the Smithsonian.
Indigenous Focus Hits The Ice In Pro Hockey
Indian Country Today, Chris Aadland, January 21
On Dec. 6, the Seattle Kraken hockey team took to the ice for warm-ups wearing specially designed jerseys inspired by traditional Karuk basketry, while more than 200 invited members of the area’s Native American community watched from the stands. The Kraken, the National Hockey League’s newest team, wore the unique pre-game jerseys as part of the franchise’s Indigenous People’s Night game, which included an on-ice performance from about 20 people of the Muckleshoot Canoe Family singing group. It wasn’t the only time the team has recognized Indigenous people and the tribal nations that have inhabited the area for time immemorial. While other NHL franchises are also attempting to engage with Native American fans and tribal communities — including the dedication of game nights to Indigenous people — the Kraken have been taking more concrete steps toward engaging with the region’s tribal leaders and others in Indian Country to make them feel like they’re part of the team’s community and to amplify the voices of Indigenous people.
Western Native Voice Sets Up Voter Registration Kiosks
AP News, January 21
An organization whose work includes increasing Native American participation in elections wants to make it easier for people to register to vote after the 2021 Legislature ended Election Day registration. Western Native Voice has begun placing voter registration kiosks in tribal offices, clinics, colleges and stores, the organization said Friday. With the law change and the continuing pandemic, “our team began to brainstorm about how we could safely and effectively get more people registered to vote for the upcoming election without putting people in harm’s way,” said Ta’jin Perez, deputy director of Western Native Voice. Western Native Voice hosts a website that allows people to begin their voter registration process and the kiosks make the website accessible to those who may not have internet access. The kiosks are just a first step in the process. Western Native Voice hopes to install two or three kiosks in each tribal community before the general election this November. Western Native Voice is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the law ending Election Day voter registration as well as a law banning the paid collection of absentee ballots.
New Approach To Teaching Race In School Divides New Mexico
AP News, Cedar Attanasio, January 20
A proposal to overhaul New Mexico’s social studies standards has stirred debate over how race should be taught in schools, with thousands of parents and teachers weighing in on changes that would dramatically increase instruction related to racial and social identity beginning in kindergarten. The revisions in the state are ambitious. New Mexico officials say they hope their standards can be a model for the country of social studies teaching that is culturally responsive, as student populations grow increasingly diverse. The responses have not broken down along racial lines, with Indigenous and Latino parents among those expressing concern in one of the country’s least racially segregated states. While debates elsewhere have centered on the teaching of enslavement of Black people, some discussions in New Mexico, which is 49% Hispanic and 11% Native American, have focused on the legacy of Spanish conquistadors. The New Mexico Public Education Department’s proposed standards are aimed at making civics, history, and geography more inclusive of the state’s population so that students feel at home in the curriculum and prepared for a diverse society.