A new film coming out later this year, You're No Indian, takes a hard look at the growing practice of Native American disenrollment, a process where tribes remove individuals from their membership rolls.
Directed by Ryan Flynn, the documentary dives into how this trend has impacted thousands of people, fractured communities, and stirred up debates about identity and sovereignty.
This is going to require me to write an op-ed for this blog VERY soon - Trace
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement halts any progress on a $48 billion proposal to reform child welfare systems on reserves. It also stalls a First Nations clean drinking water bill. Trudeau received both praise and criticism from Indigenous leaders following his resignation announcement. We’ll look at how Trudeau delivered on Indigenous issues in Canada.
GUESTS
Russ Diabo (Kahnawake Mohawk), policy analyst
Matthew Wildcat (Cree), assistant professor of Native Studies and director of Indigenous Governance and Partnership at the University of Alberta
January 7, 2025
In his book debut, a UC Merced professor challenges the common narrative that adoption is mainly an act of love that benefits the adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents, especially in cases that cross racial lines and national borders.
Kit Myers, a faculty member in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies , analyzed the adoption of Asian, Black and Native American children by White families for “The Violence of Love: Race, Family, and Adoption in the United States”
(University of California Press). In the book, Myers says race has been
positioned to mark certain homes, families and nations as better
sources than others for love, freedom and positive futures for the
adoptees.
The word “violence” refers not only to physical harm but also to forms of erasure and displacement in transnational or transracial adoptions. For example, the process of forming a new family can require removing or obscuring elements of the adoptee's history. These erasures are potentially traumatic, even when done with the perceived positive intention of creating new family bonds.
“The Violence of Love” confronts this discomforting reality and rethinks theories of family to offer more extensive understandings of love, kinship and care.
Myers, a professor at UC Mered since 2016, said his book relates to broader research interests on the study of race as a social, relational and intersectional category of difference and power.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation – representing the work of many members of the Ways and Means Committee – to provide critical supports to vulnerable children and families has been signed into law. The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R.9076), introduced by Work and Welfare Subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (IL-07), reauthorizes, fully for the first time in over fifteen years, child welfare programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act that provide federal resources to states, tribes, and territories for family preservation and to promote the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in foster care.
• In fiscal year (FY) 2022, 369,000 American children were in foster care and 19,000 youth aged-out of foster care.
• The program also provides funding for the Court Improvement Program to support child welfare legal proceedings, and Regional Partnership Grants to address parental substance use disorder as cause of child removal in order to help keep families united.
Background on the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act:
Reauthorizes Title IV-B for five years and makes reforms to modernize the program. Saves taxpayer dollars by supporting early intervention to help families stay united and reducing duplication in the child welfare system. Uses savings from H.R. 7906, the Strengthening State and Tribal Child Enforcement Act to make targeted investments that will:
Read a one-pager on H.R. 9076 here.
READ:
January 3, 2025 - Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, the President signed into law the Native American Child Protection Act (NACPA), 
bipartisan
legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Ben Ray Luján
(D-NM). The bill reauthorizes and reforms three programs that ensure
tribes have the tools needed to treat, prevent, investigate, and
prosecute Native American child abuse and neglect. These programs were
originally authorized in 1990 as part of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to
fill funding gaps in tribal child welfare services, but the programs
were never truly funded and have not been reauthorized by Congress.
“No matter where a child grows up in the United States, they deserve to live in an environment free from abuse. The Native American Child Protection Act reauthorizes and modernizes programs that aim to assist tribes in their efforts to help victims of child abuse and prevent future abuse,” said Senator Collins. “This bill recognizes the significance of each tribe’s unique cultural values, customs, and traditions, while helping to ensure that children and families receive the support they deserve.”
“I’m proud to see President Biden sign the Native American Child Protection Act into law, which was passed in Congress with bipartisan support. In this country, all children deserve grow up without fear of being harmed or neglected,” said Senator Luján. “This legislation is an important step in ensuring that tribes have access to the resources needed to provide services that reduce trauma and uncertainty for children.”
To ensure tribes have adequate resources to effectively prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect in their communities, the NACPA:
To this day, these grants are still the only tribal-specific child
abuse prevention and treatment programs for Native children. However,
Congress has only appropriated $5 million since their original enactment
in 1990. Reauthorizing and modernizing these critical programs will
help tribes develop and strengthen services to reduce trauma and
uncertainty for Native American children.
Source: Senator Susan Collins
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| Jimmy Carter holds an upstanding legacy for his work in the humanities, foreign policy and for Indigenous Peoples. (MM File) |
PLAINS, G.A – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter recently passed away at the age of 100 at his home on December 19, 2024. Carter leaves behind a complex legacy among Americans and Indian Country alike. Elected in 1977, Carter oversaw many challenges throughout his presidency including stagflation, the Iranian Hostage crisis, and an energy crisis. Triumphs of Carter’s presidency include negotiating the Camp David Accords, signing the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and many major pieces of legislation that continue to benefit Indigenous peoples today.
Born in the small town of Plains, GA, Carter was born on what was formally the homelands of the Mvskoke people. Carter was the first U.S. President born in a hospital, and remained a resident of Plains for most of his life. He served in the U.S. Senate and served a term as Georgia’s governor, however one of his most well-known professions was peanut farming.
In Indian Country Carter is most well known for signing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). The former protects Native American children by giving adoption preference to their families, then their tribe if there are no family members available. The latter gave Native Americans the freedom to exercise their traditional religions by worshiping through ceremonial and traditional rites.
President Carter’s legacy among Indigenous people is also known to Panamainians. In 1978 Carter successfully negotiated the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which transferred ownership of the Panama Canal to the Nation of Panama after years of tension.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) shared that Carter was a man of service, and left a deep impact on Indian Country.
“President Jimmy Carter exemplified what it means to live a life of faith and service to others,” Secretary Haaland said. “His love for and conservation of our shared public lands leaves a tremendous legacy, and I am grateful that the Department will continue to honor his work at the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park for generations to come. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and the global community as we all mourn this selfless public servant.”
In a public statement, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill expressed condolences for the former president’s family. The statement reads,
“The Muscogee Nation is saddened to learn of the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a dedicated and selfless public servant and statesman, who lived a full life of 100 years.
President Carter signed two monumental pieces of legislation for Indian Country into law in 1978, with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. ICWA has been an enduring protection for Native families and children and the AIRF, gave our ceremonial grounds and others the confidence to hold onto and perpetuate their traditions.
MVTO President Carter for your contributions and your compassion and commitment to the betterment of your fellow man.”
A six day funeral observance is currently underway celebrating the former president’s life. The observance began in Americus, Georgia where Carter was born, and made its way to his hometown in Plains, then made its way to Atalanta where he served as governor. Carter’s remains will travel to Washington where a national service happened on Jan. 9.
A small group of community members met at the Minneapolis American Indian Center in July to share information about how adopted adults can claim items left for them by their birth parents.
The conversation about the ability to retrieve personal effects came to the forefront with the law that went into effect July 1 — where birth records held by the state can be obtained by adopted adults.
More visuals for Native News can be found throughout online coverage.
GOOD READS:
Under a 'grandma moon,' Native Americans honor their sacred pact with salmon
Artnet News: How Native American Artists are Combatting Misrepresention with ‘Indigenous Joy’
High Country News: Indigenous affairs stories you need to read
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL! xox Trace
 |
| A Sea Sámi man from Norway by Prince Roland Bonaparte in 1884 |
It was disrespectful, his grandmother taught him. "She told me, if you whistle at the northern lights, they may actually harm you by cutting off your head," he told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild.
It's advice that Flowers, who teaches the Inuktitut language and Inuit culture in Nunatsiavut, N.L., still follows today. "Learning about these traditions in our culture plays a big role in our survival, and also in our well-being. As Inuit we need to remember that we simply couldn't exist without the land."
While modern science explains the mechanism of the aurora borealis, members of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities say that their traditional knowledge, which goes back thousands of years, can help explain its meaning — in mythology, legend and even weather forecasting.
The two ways of knowing can be complementary, said Jennifer Howse, an education specialist at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, just north of Calgary. Howse is also a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta.
Auroras are caused when charged particles that are released from the sun get trapped in the polar areas of the Earth's magnetic field. These interact with the Earth's magnetic field, creating the northern lights.
The amount of charged particles the sun releases varies on an 11-year cycle, and we're currently at the busiest time of the cycle, Howse said.
The varying colours of the lights relate to what gases in the atmosphere are being affected: green is oxygen, red is upper-atmosphere nitrogen. "It's essentially showing us our atmosphere with these colours," she said.
Intermediate colours, like purple, magenta and even blue, result from different gases reacting. "These gases are coming together, almost like when you're mixing paint colours," Howse said.
Howse said that although newer technologies are teaching scientists about auroras, there are still many mysteries, which can be addressed by Indigenous stories.
"Northern Canadians have so much mythology around the aurora. If you listen to the stories, you'll hear all of the science, and all of the observations," she said.
The First Nation science involves understanding the timing of the lights, their colours, how they move, and how those movements might impact weather, for example. "[The stories] use a lot of wonderful metaphors of things that we understand in our relations with ourselves and with the natural world," Howse said.
She compared Indigenous stories to ancient Greek maps of the sky, "that tell you about the sky, of course, but it also tells you about that ancient Greek astronomer and their perception of the sky overhead."
READ: https://indigenous.boston/federal-district-court-affirms-yakama-reservation-boundaries
A federal clerk's
error put more than 90,000 acres of Yakama Nation land in the hands of
Washington state. Because of forced treaties and a clerical error, Yakama
reservation is over a million acres — but not all of it belongs to the tribe. Grist >
It was barely a choice. In 1855, a time when the ink of border lines on United States maps had scarcely dried, Yakama Chief Kamiakin (left) was told to sign over the land of 14 tribal nations and bands in the Pacific Northwest — or face the prospect of walking “knee deep” in the blood of his people.
Legend has it that, when he put pen to paper, he was so furious he bit through his lip.
By signing, he ceded over 10 million acres across what is now known as Washington state. In return, the Yakama Nation was allowed to live on a reservation one-tenth the size of their ancestral lands, about 100 miles southeast of Seattle.
But the story doesn’t end there. The treaty map was lost for close to 75 years, misfiled by a federal clerk who put it under “M” for Montana.
With no visual record to contradict them, federal agents extracted even more Yakama land for the nascent state, drawing new boundaries on new maps. One removed an additional 140,000 acres from the reservation, another about half a million, and still other versions exist.
By the time the original map was discovered in the 1930s, it was too late. Settlers had already made claims well within reservation boundaries, carving the consequences of this mistake into the contours of the land. Non-Native landowners remain to this day.
The Yakama want that land back. Most tribal members know the story of Kamiakin and his bloodied lip when he signed the treaty. Ask Phil Rigdon, a Yakama citizen and nationally recognized forester. As the superintendent of the Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources, he deals with a medley of issues, but his most important work is getting the reservation land back. After working on this for nearly 20 years, he knows that it takes time and an entire community to make the progress they want.
“It’s a family thing for us, as we do this business,” he said.
#LANDBACK 🗺
Outgoing (DOI) Interior Secretary Deb Haaland
(EXCERPT)
April Wazhaxi-Jones’ planning for the Trump administration centers around maintaining her personal safety and the well-being of other Indigenous people. She lives in Oklahoma and is a member of the Osage Nation, but the area where she resides is mostly White. Throughout this year’s presidential campaign season, she saw Trump signs and flags sprinkled throughout neighborhood yards.
She recalled times when she and her husband greeted neighbors passing by and were met with silence or stares. Just a few days before speaking with The 19th, Wazhaxi-Jones said she was at Home Depot and a man wearing a Trump hat and shirt stared at her as he blocked her way down the aisle.
“You’re excused,” she remembered the man saying sarcastically as Wazhaxi-Jones stepped around him to walk by.
As an Indigenous woman in the United States, she knows well that threats of violence and the erasure of history are nothing new for the country. But this moment feels different for her.
“I feel as though we as Indigenous people were finally having a voice, finally being heard,” she said. “We had Deb Haaland as secretary of interior and now that’s gone. And not only is that gone, but my rights as a woman, the right to love who you want are under attack. We Native Americans take care of each other — and these policies don’t take care of people.”
In the past, Wazhaxi-Jones said she did what she could to educate people who expressed political opinions that conflicted with her own. She won’t be doing that moving forward. Her focus now is self-care and making sure her Indigenous and two-spirit friends and family have resources they need.
She knows someone who had breast reduction surgery while it was still covered by their insurance. She knows people who are trying to get alternative forms of gender-affirming care lined up and others who are stocking up on plan B. For her own peace of mind, Wazhaxi-Jones is in counseling, deleted social media and is limiting her consumption of news about Trump and his administration. She also does not go out as much as she used to.
“Everything I believed in is being torn down. I’m exhausted and it’s all just too much. I am one voice and it has been stomped out,” she said.
"...We’re talking about how the television world vowed to change after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the protests that followed. Entertainment conglomerates promised to slay systemic racism and knit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the fabric of the industry.
"We are now closing in on the fifth anniversary of those vows. So how’s that going?
“It not only didn’t change, but in some ways it kind of got worse,” says Simien, who created Dear White People and directed Haunted Mansion and the recent doc series Hollywood Black.
Originally published by The 19th
Rebecca Nagle has turned the false history of Native American communities she received as a child into a career of truth-driven storytelling.
A writer, journalist and author, Nagle is the host of the documentary podcast “This Land” and author of the novel “By the Fire We Carry.”
Born in Joplin, Missouri, 38-year-old Nagle spent much of her youth in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City with her Cherokee family members. She recalls Native history scarcely being addressed throughout her education.
"I remember making ships out of popsicle sticks to celebrate Columbus Day and asking questions that went unanswered. I definitely think my education was lacking when it came to that stuff in public school," she said.
Her understanding of her family history and culture was primarily taught through her grandmother.
“Growing up, I learned a lot from my grandma. She made sure that we understood that we knew who our family was,” she said. “And then, of course, as an adult you sort of test what your family members told you about your family.”
Her family’s portrayal of their forebears was mostly heroic, focused on how her “Cherokee ancestors sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Cherokee Nation.” Though she recognizes that her family’s history has more detail and nuance, she has kept their overarching pride and sacrifice close to her.
This passion for history fuels much of Nagle’s work as a writer and journalist. Over its two seasons, her podcast, “This Land,” reflects her will to dive into research and highlight the very stories that were avoided throughout her childhood.
The first season leads the audience through the case of Patrick Murphy, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation who was sentenced to death for the murder of George Jacobs in 1999. Murphy’s case took an unexpected turn when his attorney challenged his conviction by arguing that he could not be prosecuted by the state of Oklahoma but instead must be tried by the Muscogee Nation. Murphy was ultimately convicted for murder and sentenced to life in prison by the federal court.
Season two continues the work of purposeful storytelling by detailing the Haaland v. Brackeen Supreme Court case, which challenged the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act’s restrictions on Native children being adopted by non-Native parents. The high court affirmed the constitutionality of the act in 2023.
Nagle describes the work she produced on her podcast as a push that led her to writing her novel, “By the Fire We Carry.”
“We made the first season, and I then kept wanting to follow this story and follow those threads, and I felt like I had more to tell and more research to do,” she said.
“By the Fire We Carry” invites readers through the fight for rightful ownership of Native lands. Deep diving into U.S. history, Nagle highlights the ways in which Native people were forcibly removed from their homes on lands that are now recognized as property of eastern Oklahoma. The history she details provides context to the Murphy case, which she recognizes as a modern-day portrayal of the generations-long battle for Native grounds.
Exploring how the past has influenced the present and using that knowledge to increase visibility and awareness is a primary reason she has continued to amplify Native stories in her journalism career.
“When you look out in the news media, there just isn’t enough Native representation, and I think that that creates this prevailing ignorance in U.S. society about Native people and our tribes and the law,” Nagle said.
“That ignorance is a really big barrier for progress, and I think that impedes us having better policy in place. That’s one thing that I’m very passionate about: pushing back against that erasure and having Native stories in the mainstream,” she continued.
But she said it can be tricky to get editors to view these stories as newsworthy.
“It’s almost like if you were writing about women’s reproductive health and your editor didn’t know what abortion was and that’s their starting point,” she said.
“People who are used to having a [high] level of knowledge and expertise have a hard time when they’re confronted with this situation where their ignorance is kind of daunting. I think some people can have a hard time admitting that.”
Today, Nagle can be found working on an essay series with other Native writers and historians about the history of colonization and genocide against Indigenous people undermining democracy in the United States.
“You can tell some big lies about tribes and about Native people, and people will believe it because they don’t know that much. I think when you look at history, I can tie every oppressive policy against Native people to the lies that were told to justify it,” Nagle said. “I think so much of history informs our present day and I think we can’t understand one without the other.”
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12432272/mediaviewer/rm3577182465/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
The Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) and Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families have signed an agreement on how to provide support services to the Tribe’s enrolled members — the first formal partnership between that department and an out-of-state Native nation.
Around 23%, or 1,600, Tlingit & Haida tribal children and youth under 18 live in Washington state. This agreement specifies roles and responsibilities shared by the tribes and the Department of Children, Youth and Families to administer services under the Indian Child Welfare Act, including child protective services, foster care, dependency guardianship, termination of parental rights and adoption proceedings for those children. The department has similar agreements with a number of tribes based in Washington.
The Tlingit & Haida is the largest federally recognized Alaska Native nation, with 22,000 citizens throughout the United States.
In November 2023, the Tlingit & Haida opened an office in Lynnwood with at least 20 staff members to serve more than 8,000 tribal citizens who live in Washington, according to Alaska television station KTOO. These services include tribal court, enrollment and case management of child welfare cases.
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/10/2020-census-dhc-a-aian-population.html
December 10, 2024 (Edmonton, AB) – A class action aiming to hold Canada accountable for the harms it inflicted on Métis and non-status Indian children in the Sixties Scoop is currently before the courts. From December 9-12, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government will participate as an intervener in the summary judgment hearing in Varley et al v. The Attorney General of Canada (“Varley Action”). The Otipemisiwak Métis Government is seeking justice for the many Métis children taken from their parents, families, and communities in this heinous act of cultural genocide.
“This week marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing journey toward justice for Métis Citizens who—through no fault of their own—were victims of Canada’s deliberate efforts to erase their identity as Indigenous people,” said Andrea Sandmaier, President of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government. “While we remain hopeful that the Court will recognize Canada’s responsibility for its actions—taking our children, disrupting our families, and stripping us of our ability to pass down our language, traditions, and culture—we know that true justice extends beyond addressing the harm done to individual victims. Our government is committed to holding Canada accountable for the profound damage inflicted on the Métis Nation within Alberta as a collective. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure our future generations are rooted in the richness of our Métis heritage.”
Brooke Bramfield, Secretary of Children and Family Services for the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, added, “the Sixties Scoop tore children away from the heart of their Métis identity, leaving scars that continue to affect families and communities today. As a government, we continue to seek accountability as we work to ensure that future generations of Métis children never experience the same erasure of their culture, language, and heritage.”
The Varley Action was brought in the wake of the 2018 Sixties Scoop settlement, which excluded Métis and non-status Indian victims from the compensation Canada promised victims. The summary judgment motion will address whether Canada had a responsibility to protect Métis and non-status Indian children who were taken from their families in the Sixties Scoop, and if Canada had a special obligation to act in the best interests of those children. Canada, for its part, denies responsibility and argues that the victims’ claims are out of time because the limitation period has lapsed.
Family affected by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Crisis feel lackluster media coverage influences how cases are perceived by the public and pursued by law enforcement. That’s according to new guidelines released by the federal government this week on best practices for media coverage of MMIP.
The guidelines result from roundtable discussions moderated by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and attended by more than 200 participants, including journalists, survivors, community advocates, and Tribal and federal officials. Among the participants where members of the Not Invisible Act Commission, a 41-person committee tasked with developing recommendations improving intergovernmental collaboration on violent crimes in Indian Country and providing resources for survivors and victims’ families.
Between 2022 and 2023, the Commission held seven in-person listening sessions across Indian Country, plus one virtual session. According to the Commission’s 212-page report, more than 600 individuals attended the hearings. Of those, 260 gave testimony to the NIAC, sharing their expertise, experiences, and recommendations to address and reduce the tragic consequences of the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked American Indians and Alaska Natives. Many families and survivors expressed concern at the lack of media coverage or coverage that reinforces long-standing prejudice against Native communities.
The new recommendations encourage journalists to focus on an MMIP humanity rather than any potential criminal background. Also, the guidelines urge media to contextualize cases within the disparities faced by Native communities, wrought by generations of forced assimilation, broken treaty promises, and gross underfunding for health and public safety. Using language such as “crisis” vs. “epidemic” and “at-risk” vs. “vulnerable” is encouraged.
The report also features guidelines for strengthening collaboration between law enforcement and journalists, including designating public information officers to release timely information on MMIP case developments to the media.
The MMIP crisis is characterized by Native American communities experiencing disproportionately high rates of assault, abduction and murder. The crisis dates back decades, underpinned by systemic apathy, jurisdictional confusion, and underfunded law enforcement. There is no nationwide data system for MMIP information, and the actual number of MMIP cases is unknown; however, the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates there are 4,200 unsolved cases.
LINK: https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/feds-release-media-guidelines-for-reporting-on-mmip-cases
This ascendancy and its accompanying tragedy were exposed in a report written in 1924 by Lakota activist Zitkala-Sa, a.k.a. Gertrude Simmon...
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