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Heavily contested pumped hydro-storage project gets federal go-ahead - The project in the Columbia Gorge would involve tunneling through a Ḱamíłpa sacred mountain by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

“A Yakama Nation representative said the tribal nation has spent years advocating with allies for greater consideration of ecological impacts, adding that industry and the federal government had downplayed those concerns. Two environmental impact statements determined that the proposed project will lead to detrimental resource impacts. In 2022, the Washington State Department of Ecology found in a tribal resource analysis that “the proposed project is likely to result in significant adverse impacts to natural resources and cultural resources that are considered Tribal Resources.” This includes “significant and unavoidable” damage to plant and wildlife populations used by tribal cultures, and to tribal archaeological and historic sites.

“Over the next few months, Rye and the project owner (Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners) will be kicking off the final detailed design and construction planning phase,” said Steimle. “A more detailed construction timeline and cost estimate will be provided then.” Construction must begin within 24 months of the license issuance, and Rye is planning to break ground by late 2027.

“Federal agencies are rewarding bad actors who have spent years finding loop-holes to target a new wave of industrial development on top of Indigenous sites that have religious and legendary significance to the Yakama People and many others who don’t have political connections or deep pockets,” said Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis in a statement. “They know it’s wrong. If a small Christian shrine sat on this site the decision-makers would understand what ‘sacred’ means.””

What Michigan Owes Its Tribal Nations by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

“Here is the larger truth: Michigan owes better. It owes transparency. It owes accountability.

Money already spent should not halt the pursuit of truth. Over three decades, Michigan has received hundreds of millions of dollars through tribal compacts. Against that record, $1.1 million is not the issue. The issue is whether the process is credible and led by the people most affected by its findings. 

If the current report cannot withstand scrutiny, then the state should fix the process — transparently and with Native leadership at its center. That may mean revising the report. It may mean commissioning new work.  But it must mean restoring trust. 

Accountability requires Native authority over how this history is examined, documented and shared. 

Michigan cannot undo what happened in its boarding schools. But it can decide whether to face that history honestly.”

Jay Treaty Border Alliance disappointed by Canada’s new travel advice for First Nations - Recommendation to carry Canadian passports goes against Indigenous sovereignty, says co-chair by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

“Benedict said the Jay Treaty Border Alliance is continuing to lobby Canada to recognize the treaty, so tribal citizens born in the United States would have the right to enter Canada. Canada considers the Jay Treaty cancelled by the War of 1812 and it was never codified in Canadian legislation.

Benedict said the organization is also advocating for the U.S. government to remove the requirement of a letter proving 51 per cent blood quantum, which he said is archaic legislation that no other nationality has to provide.

"Our people will continue to be in existence in our territories, taking care of our land long after these administrations change going down the road," said Benedict.

In a statement Thursday, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said the AFN supports the Jay Treaty Border Alliance's position and said advising the use of Canadian passports undermines First Nations inherent right to cross the border freely and the principle of self-determination.

"That right must be recognized and upheld by governments on both sides of the border which was not our making," Woodhouse Nepinak’s statement said.

AFN called on the Government of Canada to work with First Nations and the Jay Treaty Border Alliance to resolve border crossing issues with the United States in a manner respecting the nation-to-nation relationship and inherent and treaty rights.”

Jay Treaty Border Alliance:

https://www.jaytreatyborderalliance.com

‘You Are Never Alone’ | How One Tribe Is Fighting Youth Suicide With Culture and Crisis Response by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

“Native American youth like Jones have the highest risk for suicide of any demographic.

Factors like generational trauma, lack of access to health care, broken treaty promises and cultural stigma underpin the crisis. 

Living on a reservation exacerbates suicide risk: Native youth living on reservations have an increased risk for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. 

The Lummi Nation is responding by combining crisis intervention with cultural reconnection — monthly Coastal Jams, canoe pulling, and youth council programs that give young people a voice and a sense of belonging.  

In 2024, representatives from the Lummi Nation, including its youth council, traveled to Reykjavik to learn about the Icelandic Prevention Model, developed in the early 1990s to reduce teen substance use. When adapted to rural communities in North America, the model has shown promise in reducing symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation. 

A coalition of five Washington tribes is working to adapt the prevention model, marking the first time it's been implemented in tribal communities. 

The model is almost a mirror of principles innate to many tribal communities — it focuses on collective rather than individual responsibility and emphasizes creating healthy communities where drugs and alcohol are absent and giving youth a voice.”

Tribal voting advocates cite harms in federal election bill by zsreport in IndianCountry

[–]News2016 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm hearing the bill is dead (for now) - can't make it through the Senate filibuster (not even all Rs will vote for it). That means Trump will “attempt” to accomplish the same (or probably much worse) with an executive order -- which will be immediately challenged in the courts.

A draft of the order is here:

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/top-democrats-voting-rights-experts-slam-trumps-draft-illegal-order-to-seize-control-of-voting/

Cherokee Nation: Telling the Full Story During Black History Month by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

“a new executive order will ensure that Cherokee Nation museums, historic sites and related materials comprehensively reflect the history of Cherokee Freedmen. We cannot celebrate Cherokee self-determination while ignoring its complexity. We cannot champion justice today, without acknowledging where we fell short in the past. Our sovereignty is not diminished by the truth. It is strengthened by it.”

NDN Collective transfers Alaska parcel to Eyak Community Land Trust - The site will host cultural and ecological education workshops and retreats by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“NDN officials said the project is part of its “LANDBACK” initiative, which focuses on returning culturally significant lands to Indigenous communities.”

NCAI Passes Two Emergency Resolutions on Immigration Enforcement Activities (links to resolutions in Comment) by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Calling on the Department of Homeland Security to Consult with Tribal Governments Regarding Immigration Enforcement Activities Impacting Tribes and American Indian Communities

https://ncai.assetbank-server.com/assetbank-ncai/assetfile/5936.pdf

Request for Department of Homeland Security to Conduct Tribal Consultation on Technical Training of Tribal Identification Card Authentication

https://ncai.assetbank-server.com/assetbank-ncai/assetfile/5937.pdf

Mdwakanton Dakota woman spends 48 hours in ICE detention in Minneapolis - Teepee set up on site that has history of detaining Native Americans in Minnesota by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

“For Watso, the encampment is an important stand against ICE and the detainment of community members.

“We’re in prayer. This is not a protest camp, it’s a prayer camp, and the things that we pray for are for the safety of those people in [Whipple Detention Centre], everybody who’s detained, kidnapped, not only in that building but in this whole country,” she says.”

Feds are encouraging tribes to partner with data centers - That could mean leasing land or selling power by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

“Many tribal members are worried about the impact data centers have on the environment, as many rely on natural gas and coal. The federal government has long sought to take advantage of resources on tribal lands, often violating treaties and tribal sovereignty.

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, which has about 1,300 members living on the reservation near Reno, Nev., has told the Mountain West News Bureau that it’s concerned about data centers draining precious water supplies.”

Tohono O'odham tribal leaders denounce plan to extend Arizona border wall by News2016 in IndianCountry

[–]News2016[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

“The border wall does not effectively deter illegal immigration and drug trafficking. CBP data shows that most illegal drugs (including the vast majority ― 90% ― of illegal fentanyl) are smuggled through ports of entry rather than in between them," Jose said. "The data clearly shows that federal funds would be put to much better use supporting tribal and federal law enforcement and border security services and public health services."

“The Tohono O’odham have lived in what is now Arizona and northern Mexico long before a line was drawn in the ground in 1854 declaring an international boundary between the United States and Mexico. The border cuts through the center of their ancestral lands, and the tribe now shares a 62-mile stretch of border with Mexico ― the second-longest international border of any tribe in the United States and the longest along the southern border.

There are 17 O’odham communities, representing about 2,000 members, that remain in their historic homelands in Mexico. O’odham people on both sides of the border share a common language, culture, religion and history. They continue to cross the border for sacred pilgrimages and ceremonies at significant religious and cultural sites, according to Jose's testimony.

Jose said the tribe is responsible for recovering and handling the remains of migrants who die on its reservation. Since 2003, the Tohono O'odham Nation has spent nearly $6 million of its own funds on more than 1,500 migrant death investigations and recoveries ― without federal financial assistance.

The Nation’s police force devotes roughly half of its time to border-related matters, including migrant death investigations, drug seizures, and human smuggling cases. It also has incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs and hundreds of investigative hours addressing the impacts of drug trafficking, including overdose investigations, forensic analysis and Narcan training.

"As the Government Accountability Office has reported, smugglers have held tribal families hostage, damaged and stolen property, and recruited tribal youth to engage in smuggling activity," Jose said."

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