Good Morning NUNAverse,
Last week, in recognition of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 2023, the White House issued a proclamation remembering “the many lives shattered or lost,” and committing “to working with Native communities to find justice, keep families safe, and help them heal.”
Nearly a year since the nation’s first alert system for missing Indigenous people launched in Washington, the push to address the crisis of unsolved cases continues spreading in the state and beyond its borders. The system, known as MIPA, was launched last July. As of this week, authorities have issued 56 alerts, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) plans to launch a website this summer that will allow Native peoples to search for information on relatives who were taken to Indian boarding schools. The digital archive repository and research tool will launch with nearly 50,000 records from a federal archive and, over time, integrate records from other Indian boarding school databases developed by private, nonprofit, and governmental organizations.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (Cherokee) vetoed a bill last week that would have allowed students to wear tribal regalia at school functions. Senate Bill 429 passed the Oklahoma legislature last Monday, April 24, 90 to 1, and would have ensured Native students in all schools are allowed to wear tribal regalia at high school graduations and other ceremonies throughout the state.
Keep reading for a full news update.
MMIP:
The Nation’s First Alert System For Missing Indigenous People Is Bringing A Crisis To The Forefront In Washington State
CNN, Nicole Chavez. May 5
In California’s Capital, Hundreds Gather to Raise Awareness of Missing and Murdered Relatives
Native News Online, Cyrus Norcross, May 5
Wearing Red, Indigenous Families Honor Missing Relatives
AP News, Ssan Montoya Bryan, May 5
A Proclamation on Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 2023
The White House, May 4
Yurok Tribe To Deploy Drones In Search For MMIP In Northern California
Native News Online, Chez Oxendine, May 4
Boarding Schools:
A New Online Tool Will Let Native Americans Search For Relatives Who Attended Indian Boarding Schools
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, May 6
Law:
Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Tribal Regalia Bill
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, May 2
Health:
Final Covid-19 Restrictions Lifted On Navajo Nation
Indian Country Today, Pauly Denetclaw, May 5
Other:
Berkeley Professor Apologizes For Claiming To Be Native American For Years, Admits She’s ‘a White Person’
Fortune, Olga Rodriguez, May 6