Good morning, NUNAverse:
Last Friday, a broad coalition of Indigenous leaders in New Mexico called for the resignation of the director of a legislative agency on public education, arguing undisclosed comments made by the top official were disparaging toward Native people. At a rally and news conference convened by the All Pueblo Council of Governors, tribal leaders and advocates condemned comments made at least two years ago by Rachel Gudgel. Gudgel is the director of the Legislative Education Study Committee, which provides education research and guidance to legislators. Gudgel apologized this week to members of more than 20 tribal nations across New Mexico, acknowledging that her past comments were insensitive, insulting, and harmful.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday it is moving ahead with a new environmental review of oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after Secretary of the Interior Deb Halaland said she found “multiple legal deficiencies” in a prior review that provided a basis for the first lease sale on the refuge’s coastal plain earlier this year. The federal land agency said there will be a public process to determine the scope of the review and identify major issues related to a leasing program. Information gathered during that process will influence development of the review, according to an agency notice. Meanwhile, in response to the new review, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan said “the Biden administration is ignoring the will of Congress, the will of Alaskans, and the best interests of the Alaska Native communities on the North Slope.”
A Bellingham woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to a terrorist attack and violence against Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in northwestern Washington that investigators have suggested was motivated by opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia. Since January 19, 2020, there have been at least 41 similar attacks along BNSF track in Whatcom and Skagit counties north of Seattle in which shunts have been placed, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Investigators believe some of the attacks were in protest of the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia through Indigenous land, and to keep supplies from reaching Canada.
After she was kicked out of class in High School for asking why textbooks spend so little time on Native peoples, Jaylyn Suppah (Warm Springs, Wasco, Shoshone-Bannock, and Yakama) advocated for an Oregon law that was signed over a decade later that requires public schools to teach from a fuller, more accurate history of the Native peoples’ experience. More changes are coming – the state has developed some lessons and has provided regional tribes with funding to develop their own specific materials. Suppah’s grandmother has even contributed to the curriculum her tribe is creating, giving Suppah hope that her own children won’t have to fight to see their languages and traditions represented at school.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
Indigenous Leaders Urge Top New Mexico Official To Resign
AP News, August 3
A broad coalition of Indigenous leaders in New Mexico called for the resignation Friday of the director of a legislative agency on public education, arguing undisclosed comments made by the top official were disparaging toward Native Americans. At a rally and news conference convened by the All Pueblo Council of Governors, Native American leaders and advocates condemned comments made at least two years ago by Rachel Gudgel. Gudgel is the director of the Legislative Education Study Committee, which provides education research and guidance to legislators. Gudgel apologized this week to members of more than 20 Native American tribes and nations across New Mexico, acknowledging that her past comments were insensitive, insulting and harmful.
Law:
Woman Pleads Guilty To Terror Charge On Train Tracks
AP News, August 3
A Bellingham woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to a terrorist attack and violence against Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in northwestern Washington that investigators have suggested was motivated by opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia. Since Jan. 19, 2020, there have been at least 41 similar attacks along BNSF track in Whatcom and Skagit counties north of Seattle in which shunts have been placed, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Investigators believe some of the attacks were in protest of the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia through Indigenous land, and to keep supplies from reaching Canada.
Other:
US Will Review Oil And Gas Leasing Program In Alaska Refuge
AP News, Becky Bohrer, August 3
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday it is moving ahead with a new environmental review of oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after the Interior secretary said she found “multiple legal deficiencies” in a prior review that provided a basis for the first lease sale on the refuge’s coastal plain earlier this year. The federal land agency said there will be a public process to determine the scope of the review and identify major issues related to a leasing program. Information gathered during that process will influence development of the review, according to an agency notice. By initiating a new review, “the Biden administration is ignoring the will of Congress, the will of Alaskans and the best interests of the Alaska Native communities on the North Slope,” Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said.
Is Travel Next In The Fight Over Who Profits From Native American Culture?
The New York Times, Karen Schwartz, August 3
From motels to spa treatments, the industry has often used Indigenous imagery to gain a sense of authenticity. Amid an ongoing national conversation around race, will that change? While many discussions about Native American stereotypes have revolved around sports teams (including the former Cleveland Indians and the current Washington Football Team), the recreation industry serves as a reminder that Indigenous people have been alternately esteemed, exploited and ignored for more than a century.
After Award Win, Christian Romance Novel Draws Criticism For ‘romanticized Genocide’ Of Native Americans
The Washington Post, Emily McFarlan Miller, August 3
Christian romance novels are generally known for their more “wholesome” take on the genre.
But this year’s winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Vivian Award for best romance with religious or spiritual elements has still managed to stir controversy. The book — “At Love’s Command” by Karen Witemeyer — opens with a depiction of the Wounded Knee Massacre that some readers and authors have criticized as romanticizing the killing of Native Americans. Some have suggested that “At Love’s Command” should have been disqualified from the Vivian Awards in a year when the confirmation of hundreds of Indigenous children’s remains buried near the grounds of residential and boarding schools has led to a reckoning over the treatment of Indigenous peoples in both Canada and the U.S.
$12 Billion Proposed For Indian Country In Infrastructure Bill Is Needed & Welcomed
Native News Online, Aaron Payment, August 3
As chairperson of the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and 1st Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), I routinely remind the White House, Senate and the House to recognize and honor the federal treaty and trust obligation due to the over 500 million acres of land ceded in exchange for “health, education and social welfare” into perpetuity.During the 2020 Presidential campaign and during the Biden presidential transition, tribal nations collectively pushed for a cabinet post, our share of the American Rescue Act, full funding (mandatory and advanced appropriations) and inclusion in an infrastructure package. So far, we have done well under a Biden-Harris Administration
Navajo Nation Mourns Death Of World War II Army And Pow Veteran Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Native News Online, August 3
Flags will be flown at half-staff on Navajo Nation this Wednesday in honor of World War II U.S. Army veteran and POW Thomas Lynch, Jr., who passed away on July 27, 2021. He was 98. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer issued a proclamation on Monday, calling for all flags on the Navajo Nation to be lowered and flown at half-staff in Lynch’s memory. Lynch is being remembered for his heroism during World War II. He served with the U.S. Army from May 1943 to December 1945 with the 42nd Rainbow Division. Lynch was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and held as a German Prisoner of War for almost four months.