ICT NEWS - August 14, 2026

 

Food is Medicine

THE SIOUX CHEF Sean Sherman: Meet The RING Diet model

 

F*ck the Food Pyramid, Meet The RING Diet model by The Sioux Chef. by Sean Sherman

Building a Global Nutritional Sovereignty Guide Centered on Modern Ancestral Knowledge and Region

Read on Substack 

SOURCE:

https://siouxchef.substack.com/i/211042045/how-the-ring-diet-works 

 

 To make this work at a national, then global scale, we’re not just printing a chart. We’re building a digital platform for all to access. (COMING VERY SOON: www.THERINGDIET.com) and then soon after, a companion mobile app.

From the Elders: Hay River Stories

‘From the Elders: Hay River Stories’ highlights memories, teachings and experiences for future generations July 29, 2026

By Umaymah Suhail Northern News Services

Aaron Tambour interviewed 12 Elders for this project. In the top row, from left to right, Doug Lamalice, Angie Sabourin, Sharon Pekok and Debbie Stanley. In the middle row, Gerogina Fabian, Roy Fabian, Rhonda Plamondon and Bradley Jacobs. In the bottom row, Lila Belanger, Joe Tambour, Mavis Klause and Fred Tambour. (Photo courtesy of Aaron Tambour Photography)

The video documentary ‘From the Elders: Hay River Stories’ by Aaron Tambour compiles interviews with 12 Elders, conveying their unique stories, memories, teachings and life experiences for future generations.

About a dozen people attended the screening of the two-and-a-half-hour video in the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre Hall on July 11.

“After the video was done, everyone was happy with how it turned out and complimented me on it,” said Tambour, a photographer and videographer from K’atl’odeeche First Nation. “They were pretty excited about it.”

He said the audience liked the quality of the video and its audio, and a lot of them also told him it “brought back memories” and made them miss the “good old days of Hay River.” Tambour said his goal was to have people recount stories about Hay River that others can relate to and then reminisce about the town “back in the day.”

The 12 Elders featured in the video are: Doug Lamalice, Angie Sabourin, Sharon Pekok, Debbie Stanley, Georgina Fabian, Roy Fabian, Rhonda Plamondon, Bradley Jacobs, Lila Belanger, Joe Tambour, Mavis Klause and Fred Tambour.

The interviewees were in the 50s to 80s, said Tambour, and each had their own “fond memory” from when they were growing up in the Hay River area.

The project took eight months to produce and was funded through a grant from the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada.

“The highlight of the whole process was hearing the stories in-person first-hand, listening to them, getting their reaction and then watching them,” said Tambour. “When they thought about these memories, how it brought back emotions to them.”

“How they laughed at things because it was funny,” Tambour continued. “It was a genuine laugh, it wasn’t just a chuckle.”

“That’s what I was going for,” he said. “I wanted to bring back some of those good memories.”

Tambour said he was inspired to start this project by his father, who recounts his own stories “all the time.” He has numerous funny stories to tell and “really good memories” from Hay River, Tambour added.

“I thought to myself, I could probably get some more stories from other people too,” he said, noting that he then wanted to assemble a collection of these stories that “have this kind of vibe to it” for future generations to reflect on.

“We have stories of the disasters in Hay River that stand out quite a bit,” said Tambour, who used the flood and subsequent evacuations in 1963 as an example. “I’m not saying that those stories should not be captured, but I think that there’s more stories that should be captured that are a little more uplifting.”

Every Thursday, Tambour will release an episode on YouTube, featuring an interview with one of the dozen Elders.  The first episode highlighting one of Sabourin’s stories and was published on July 16.

 

I Really Believe in Paying it Forward

---

How a Cree teacher built a network of Indigenous authors to get books into students' hands CBC

Wed, July 29, 2026 

Scott Olsen organized Indigenous Books for Indigenous Kids, with the hopes of getting books from Indigenous authors into the hands of Indigenous students at the high school he teaches at. (Submitted by Scott Olsen - image credit)

A high school teacher in greater Edmonton is making sure Indigenous students at his school are seeing themselves reflected on the page. 

Scott Olsen, a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation who was raised in Edmonton, launched Indigenous Books for Indigenous Kids after waking up one Sunday morning with a simple thought. 

"Man, I think I could do more," he said. 

Olsen is a writer and teacher at Memorial Composite High School just outside of Edmonton, attended by students from nearby Paul First Nation. He started reaching out to Indigenous authors for donated books to give away to students.

He said the idea was inspired in part by his mother, a Sixties Scoop survivor who was raised in a German household away from her community and didn't discover Indigenous authors until later in life.

Indigenous authors donated around 350 books to give away to students. (Submitted by Scott Olsen)

"She was contemplating with me, 'I wonder if a teacher did that for me when I was younger, what my life would have turned out like?'" said Olsen. 

For both of them, books by Indigenous authors offered something they hadn't found growing up.

"The characters are much closer to who I am than some of the stories you have to read in high school English," he said.

Olsen built relationships with Indigenous writers through the Audible Indigenous Writers' Circle, where authors such as Richard Van Camp and Chelsea Vowel were mentors.

(Submitted by Scott Olsen)

When he reached out to authors in the spring for book donations, the response was almost immediate. 

"It was, 'Yeah, what's the address?'" said Olsen.

By April, about 350 books arrived. Olsen laid them out in the school's music room and invited Indigenous students to take whatever interested them.

Some students hesitantly picked up a single book, while others left carrying armfuls, he said.

Olsen added one student returned to tell him they had read only one of the books they brought home, but their mother had read them all. 

A thank-you note from a student for the books. (Submitted by Scott Olsen)

"The effects felt more residual," he said.

"As time passed, more of them started reading the books. It really was quite nice how they enjoyed them."

Olsen himself dropped out of high school but later "became the teacher that I wish I had."

He returned to school, completing his high school diploma, then earned a bachelor's and then a master's degree in education, and is now pursuing a master's in Fine Arts through the University of British Columbia.  

He credits Indigenous authors and books with helping repair his relationship with the education system. 

Response from authors

Olsen said his book drive was only possible through supportive responses from across the Indigenous writing world.

Stephanie Sinclair, publisher of McClelland & Stewart, part of Penguin Random House Canada, is Cree and Ojibway from Peguis First Nation in Manitoba.

She said Olsen approached her looking for copies of anthologies she co-edited with her sister, Sara Sinclair. 

Eager to support, she said she went beyond the request to rally colleagues from her publishing house to contribute. 

(oralhistory.columbia.edu, Tundra Books, Penguin Random House)

"I found it inspiring and heartening and really moving to know that there are Indigenous youth who can now have access to free books and find themselves on those pages," said Sinclair.

Author Shane Hawk, who is Cheyenne and Arapaho from Oklahoma, co-edited the best-selling Indigenous horror anthology Never Whistle at Night. 

Hawk, who grew up in California, said he didn't hesitate when Olsen reached out. 

"We're both high school teachers and I knew how important getting books to [students] would be," said Hawk. 

(Submitted by Shane Hawk)

Despite spending around US $500 on shipping fees and tariffs, Hawk donated 25 signed copies of the anthology.

"I really believe in paying it forward," said Hawk.

He hopes the books will inspire more than a love of reading. 

"Maybe they think, 'Hey, this is a short story. This is 4,000 words. I could try to do this,'" he said.

"Maybe they get their start."

Author and editor Shane Hawk, donated 25 signed copies of his Indigenous horror anthology, Never Whistle at Night. (Submitted by Scott Olsen)

Olsen now wants to expand the project beyond his school. 

He's applying for grants in hopes of donating 1,200 books next year while continuing to call on Indigenous authors for support.

"Who would have thought waking up on Sunday and thinking this up would have sparked so much?" said Olsen. 

LINK: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/cree-teacher-built-network-indigenous-080000853.html 

New Rules: Old Bones

  

LAWSUIT: https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/new-rules-old-bones-archaeologists-take-blm-to-court/article_29338457-72bd-4052-abd2-d888b00b870f.html

According to the filing, in January 2025 the University of Wyoming Archaeological Repository notified BLM Wyoming that it had in its custody collections from seven BLM archaeological sites where human remains had been discovered, and that the human remains and related items were not included in its collections.

In June 2025, the BLM published a Notice of Inventory Completion and a Notice of Intended Disposition regarding the human remains in question and thousands of items within UWAR's possession claimed to be associated funerary objects.

Then, in July 2025, the BLM sent a letter stating that in consultation with 15 tribes it had determined that the entirety of the archaeological collections from seven sites, including four sites named in the lawsuit, are funerary objects associated with NAGPRA human remains housed in the University of Wyoming Human Remains Repository.  The BLM stated that it intended to repatriate the objects and human remains to claimant tribes and asked that the items identified be moved to the Human Remains Repository.

Dartmouth College launches Tribal Sovereignty Institute

CHARTER https://collections.dartmouth.edu/archive/text/dartmouth-college-charter/diplomatic/dartmouth-college-charter-diplomatic.html

 

When Dartmouth was founded in 1769, one of its purposes, as outlined in its charter, was the “instruction and education” of Native Americans, though relatively few Indigenous students attended the college at that time.  

In the 20th century, Dartmouth renewed its commitment to that mission through the adoption of the Native American Program and expanded admissions opportunities for Indigenous students.  Currently, more than 200 Indigenous students from more than 70 tribal communities and nations attend the College, according to Dartmouth Admissions. 

READ:   https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2026/08/college-launches-tribal-sovereignty-institute

Tribal sovereignty is at issue in Lac du Flambeau's lawsuits

 

Federal laws addressing tribal sovereignty and efforts in Indigenous communities to assert these rights are central to lawsuits over the Lac du Flambeau Band's moves to limit road and fishing access.

By Erica Ayisi | Here & Now

August 7, 2026 • Northern Region

Asserting sovereignty is key to the Lac du Flambeau Band's moves to limit fishing access.

“I feel strongly that everyone needs to take care of what we have on Earth — that means our water, our land and everyone’s well-being,”said Bagwajikwe Madosh, who is a citizen of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

A tribal elder, Madosh said she believes in preserving Ojibwe traditions, which the Lac Du Flambeau tribe is defending in federal court.

“Let us do what we know best,” she said. “Replenish to share lakes, keep our grounds clean, our forest.”

Long Interlaken Lake is one of 19 lakes within the Lac Du Flambeau reservation that a federal judge temporarily blocked the tribe from banning non-members from fishing walleye and muskellunge.

“We replenish the fish, we replenish what we take,” Madosh said.

Madosh said the tribe’s fish hatchery helps to maintain their stock, but added that there’s concern about the fish population.

“It’s not where you use it and then go on with life without knowing what’s going to come next,” she said.

The state of Wisconsin sued the tribe for blocking non-members from fishing in certain lakes. Lac du Flambeau President John Johnson said the fish population is declining, and is needed to feed their 4,000 tribal members.👇

Virginia J. Sparvier-Wells reclaims her name and blazes a new trail in Indigenous classical music

Cree artist, musician, composer and curator Virginia J. Sparvier-Wells. Facebook photo.

August 6, 2026

By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

ALBERTA (ANNews) – For Cree artist, musician, composer and curator Virginia J. Sparvier-Wells, reclaiming her birth name has become more than a legal process. It has become a journey of healing, reconnection and reclaiming a story that was interrupted through adoption.

“It has been a long time coming,” Sparvier-Wells said.

After years of creating and performing professionally as Jessica McMann, Sparvier-Wells began the process of reclaiming her birth name while honouring her marriage and artistic journey. She chose to keep Jessica as her middle name because much of her previous creative work was released under that name.

For Sparvier-Wells, a name carries family, history and belonging. “There is something about the name that your mother gives you,” she said. “A lot of Indigenous kids never get to keep that connection to their family, their lineage, and even the place.”

Her decision to reclaim her name is deeply connected to her experience as a Sixties Scoop survivor and her journey of understanding the impacts of being separated from family, culture and community.

 For many years, Sparvier-Wells searched for a deeper understanding of where she came from and where she belonged. That search eventually led her back to Cowessess First Nation, where she began reconnecting with family and community. “I really needed to know a family aspect,” she said.

Returning home introduced her to relatives she had never known, including aunties, cousins and her grandmother, Viola GoodEagle. “I met like 15 aunties and a whole bunch of cousins,” she said. “It was very overwhelming.”

A defining moment came when she attended a powwow and was introduced to her grandmother. “That brought me home. It really literally did,” Sparvier-Wells said. “If I wasn’t called that thing, I wouldn’t have ended up there, and I wouldn’t have been dancing that year that I met my Nana.”

For Sparvier-Wells, dance became the bridge between her past and her future. “It was my dancing that brought me home,” she said.

That connection to community became the foundation for her artistic journey.

Sparvier-Wells said her earlier creative work focused on processing the experiences of adoption, racism and disconnection. Art became a way to understand her story and begin healing. “My previous work that I created was really about the trauma of adoption and the things that you don’t learn,” she said.

Growing up in Calgary, Sparvier-Wells said she often experienced racism without having the language or support to understand what was happening. “I was in a really white neighbourhood. There were no other Indigenous people in my school,” she said.

Through music, writing, dance and performance, she began transforming those experiences into stories of resilience and reconnection. “I forgot to mention that when I was talking about my past work, it was also a way to heal through it,” she said.

Today, Sparvier-Wells said her artistic direction has entered a new chapter. “My new work is moving towards celebrating and looking towards a positive future now,” she said.

That future is reflected in her work as a classically trained flutist, composer and Indigenous classical artist. Sparvier-Wells is expanding the possibilities of what Indigenous expression can look like within classical music.

Rather than seeing classical music and Indigenous traditions as separate worlds, she brings them together through personal experience, storytelling and cultural connection. “I create my work based on my own experiences in my life,” she said. “I don’t think artwork should be used in a commercial way to connect with one culture,” she said. “I think you connect with your culture, and then the work flows.”

Her artistic vision is about bringing together every influence that has shaped her journey. “I think everything that I want to do is going to be mine,” she said. “It’s going to be merging everything that I’ve learned  – jazz, classical, my experiences and what I’ve learned playing Indigenous music.”

Her path in classical music has been strengthened by Indigenous artists who helped create space for others. She credits the late Cree cellist and composer Cris Derksen of North Tallcree First Nation as an important mentor and supporter. “I’m really thankful for everything that she did for all of us,” Sparvier-Wells said.

Her own work continues to create those opportunities for future generations. Through projects such as Prairie Dusk and Incandescent Tales of Prairie Dust, Sparvier-Wells has brought Indigenous voices into classical music spaces through collaboration and composition.

Her work has included collaborations with Indigenous classical musicians and composers, including Connor Chee, a Diné composer and pianist who is creating a new flute concerto written specifically for her. “This is going to be the first concerto that is written for me,” she said.

The project represents another milestone in her career as she continues expanding Indigenous presence within orchestral and classical music spaces.

Beyond performing, Sparvier-Wells has also worked as a curator and art consultant, advocating for Indigenous leadership in museums, galleries and public arts. “When you have Indigenous-led voices and authentic Indigenous people leading these things, then you get a really deep contemporary look at things,” she said.

She believes Indigenous art should not be limited by stereotypes or expectations. “We’ve always been a contemporary people, evolving with the years,” she said.

For Sparvier-Wells, Indigenous art is living, changing and continuing to tell new stories. She encourages people to support Indigenous artists by showing up, learning and engaging with local arts communities. “Even if it feels weird, get out and see that local Indigenous art show,” she said. “There are so many amazing artists in this province that we can support.”

Through reclaiming her name, reconnecting with her family and creating new pathways in classical music, Sparvier-Wells is helping redefine what Indigenous artistry can be. Her journey is not only about looking back at what was lost. It is about creating a future filled with connection, creativity and belonging.

“There’s always somebody there,” Sparvier-Wells said. “There’s always at least one person.”

SOURCE: https://www.albertanativenews.com/virginia-j-sparvier-wells-reclaims-her-name-and-blazes-a-new-trail-in-indigenous-classical-music/ 

 

ICT NEWS - August 7, 2026

 

A SIGN of what is ahead (UPDATE!)

8/7/2026

It was gone then it came back (twice):

Read: https://www.blog.otisandpuck.com/2026/08/did-you-notice-we-disappeared.html

Yesterday, (g**gle) the blogger platform took down my blog Otis and Puck.  Made for humor, I posted silly stuff, music, and sweet fun junk.  By the way:  Otis is a shapeshifter and Puck is a raven.  Nothing political or porn or anything bad was anywhere on that blog/website. It didn't have ads. [https://www.blog.otisandpuck.com]

When I got notice yesterday that they took it down, once my shock wore off, I clicked a link they sent me and asked them to review it.  For a few hours today the blog was "reinstated" and was unlocked, then bam, an hour ago, it was locked again. It's gone.

This is the situation we are facing with any websites and blogs, even ones that are non-political.  They can simply disappear.

Now I am going to work fast to get a website/blog set-up just in case this one disappears. It could happen, and all the history posted here would be gone... 

(They changed how I can download and save my content on here, and they made it much more confusing and difficult to save everything and back it up.  I even had a back-up blog (https://americanindianadoptees.blogspot.com) just in case.  Last year, I was unable to upload news content from this website to that website. I tried!

I know it's important we keep a historical record, especially in Indian Country.  We have been erased before!

YES, I am trying to save everything quickly.

I guess that why real (paper) books are so important now, because they can't be deleted and erased, like what happened to Otis and Puck.

Having a bad day? I am...

Trace, blog editor 

 

Roundtable: The Other 250

 What vision of freedom is being celebrated in 2026? What histories cannot be accommodated by the official narrative? And what forms of public education, storytelling, and cultural work are needed to bring those histories into view?

LINK: https://youtu.be/B0VQ21S9gnA?si=6Ld-lkELcSo97hTr

ICT NEWS

 

World Nomad Games 2026

 

Wouldn't this be amazing to see? ... Trace

World Nomad Games 2026: Issyk-Kul to host Nomad Tribe Festival

09:14, 1 July 2026

The Nomad Tribe international traditional music festival, set for September 1–6 at the Rukh-Ordo cultural center on the Issyk-Kul coast, will be the cultural centerpiece of the VI World Nomad Games, Qazinform News Agency cites Kabar.

The festival will be held as part of the global ethnocultural project Nomad World: Connection of Seasons.

It will feature competitions in storytelling, instrumental art, and vocal-instrumental performance.

Eight thematic zones will be built across the complex, including a pier shaped like a komuz and national yurts.

The daily programs from 10:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. will include concerts, creative meetings, master classes, exhibitions, and cultural exchanges.

Besides, the Chingiz Aitmatov Museum will host meetings with international scholars. 

The outdoor theater stage and a podcast studio in a yurt will record visitors’ voices for the museum archive.

An exhibition of traditional musical instruments of nomadic peoples, artisan showcases, an ethno-bazaar, and food zones, all designed in a unified ethnic style, will be held as part of the event.

The festival's main venue is a covered amphitheater with a 24m × 10m stage for competitive performances.

In total, 185 cultural events will be held at Rukh-Ordo, making it one of the largest cultural hubs of the Games.

Earlier, Kyrgyzstan unveiled the official video for the 2026 World Nomad Games, its largest and most celebrated cultural project, now recognized as a global brand.  

SNOW LEOPARD MASCOT

https://qazinform.com/news/snow-leopard-becomes-world-nomad-games-2026-symbol-9c4fbc

NAGPRA update

In line with growing trend of repatriation, UC Berkeley to return cultural artifacts to Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

• Megan Lam | Staff | Jul 22, 2026

Since January 2026, UC Berkeley has issued eight notices of repatriation or inventory completion in the Federal Register. William Yau | Staff

UC Berkeley is working to return 36 lots of artifacts that are culturally, traditionally or historically linked to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. 

The repatriation of these artifacts will begin Aug. 7, and artifacts will be returned to the Agua Caliente tribe of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation near Palm Springs. 

According to a Federal Register notice published July 8, the cultural objects include “worked stone, faunal remains, and ceramic fragments.” 

“These items are far more than museum collections — they embody the history, traditions, and cultural identity of our people and deserve to be cared for by the descendants and community to whom they belong,” said Jeff L. Grubbe, tribal chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, in a statement. 

Repatriation takes place in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which requires institutions that receive federal funding to repatriate Native American cultural artifacts and remains. 

Since January 2026, UC Berkeley has issued eight notices of repatriation or inventory completion in the Federal Register. In 2025 alone, campus issued 22 notices, according to UC Berkeley’s NAGPRA website. In 2024 and 2023, that number was much lower, sitting at nine and 12, respectively. 

Every other year of notices involving UC Berkeley recorded in the Federal Register saw at most 10 repatriation or completion notices.  

Institutions issue a notice of inventory completion in the Federal Register if they have identified a cultural affiliation of human remains and the relevant funerary objects. Notices of intended repatriation are issued if an institution has received a repatriation request for unassociated funerary objects or others of cultural significance. 

👇

Virginia removes Court order to access #OBC

VIDEO:
https://www.dcnewsnow.com/video/changes-for-virginia-adoptees-seeking-birth-certificate/11992617/

A new Virginia law eliminates the need for adult adoptees to have a court order to request a copy of their original birth certificate, according to the Virginia Department of Health. (VDH)

Adoptees were formerly required to secure a court order before accessing their original birth records, but House Bill 301 changes that.  The VDH says a copy of these records can be requested by submitting an application, proof of identity, and the required fee to the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records (OVR).

A Contact Preference Form can be filed by birth parents, where they indicate whether they wish to be contacted, prefer no contact, or request contact through an intermediary.

For more information on obtaining Virginia vital record documents, visit the VDH Office of Vital Records or call the Vital Records Call Center at 804-662-6200.

D.C. Court Ruling Exposes Ongoing Difficulties for Some Adoptees To Unseal Their Original Birth Certificate

 

Most of us have seen our original birth certificate, keeping it in a safe place for when it’s time to get a passport or otherwise confirm our identity. 

For the approximately 2–3% of Americans who are adoptees, having access to their original birth record can be a trial.  Literally.  A ruling made in a petition to open a sealed adoption record in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 13, 2026, once again highlighted that only a small number of states allow adoptees over the age of 18 unrestricted access to their original birth certificate (OBC).  Depending on how you count states with redaction or veto rules, roughly a dozen states give adult adoptees broad, direct access to their original birth certificates, including New York, Georgia, and Hawaii

For the rest, such as the unnamed 73-year-old adoptee who needed a court order to authorize releasing an OBC to gain access to the family medical history of her likely deceased birth parents, it can be a frustrating battle against outdated state laws.  While the natural assumption is that adoption petitions are complicated to preserve the parents' confidentiality, that’s not necessarily the only reason so few states have updated their statutes.

Wait, Marilyn Monroe, Steve Jobs, and Simone Biles Were Adopted? (Yes)

The first comprehensive law governing adoption in the U.S. was the Massachusetts Adoption of Children Act of 1851, which was created to protect the welfare of the child by moving from private contracts to a legal, court-overseen process.  Although originally not sealed, the policies for birth certificate access shifted in the conservative era ushered in after the end of World War II.  To protect against claims of illegitimacy that sometimes dogged the new family members, birth certificates of adopted children were sealed.

While this undeserved stigma had begun to fade by the late 1960s, state laws were not quick to follow suit.  There isn’t a federal birth registry.  All birth certificates and registries are issued and handled by each state, with significant variation in statutes regarding the rights of birth parents and those of the child given up for adoption. In some types, like relative, stepparent, or open adoptions, ongoing contact is a part of the agreement.  For others given up at birth or soon after, finding out who your birth parents are can depend heavily on what jurisdiction you were born in.

As noted, only a minority of states, including New York, Georgia, and Hawaii, allow many or all adults over 18 to request their OBC directly from vital records without a separate court order.  In roughly 20 states and in Washington, D.C., adoptees generally must obtain a court order to access their original birth certificate or adoption records.

Other requirements vary by jurisdiction.  In many states, adoptees must still petition a court in their birth state to unseal adoption records, while in others they apply directly to vital records under specific statutory procedures.  In some states, such as Minnesota, access to identifying adoption records can be tightly constrained and may involve long retention and sealing periods, layered court procedures, and limits on what information can be shared.  To navigate these processes, adoptees may need to petition a court, provide documentation such as a certified copy of the final decree of adoption, and in some cases may receive only non‑identifying information, such as family medical history.  Many turn to advocacy organizations or attorneys for help understanding their options.

This may seem like a lot of hoops to jump through just to get your own birth certificate, but those who favor the existing laws in those states argue that the parents’ privacy shouldn’t be betrayed.  That doesn’t mean everyone sitting on a bench agrees.

‘They’re Probably Dead’ Seems Kind of Ghoulish, If Effective

While not a state, Washington, D.C. has statutes governing the privacy of adoptees’ birth certificates.  Under D.C. Code § 16‑311, adoption records are sealed and may be opened only when a court finds that disclosure would promote or protect the welfare of the adoptee.  Under § 16‑314, the original birth certificate is sealed and may be opened only by court order.  However, Magistrate Judges have the power under Local Rule LCvR 72.1(a)(7) (page 68) to “consider options by adopted persons to open adoption records of the Court.

The unnamed plaintiff was seeking to break the seal on her adoption records in order to find out more about the medical history of her family.  While granting her petition, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui classified the code of the District of Columbia as “antiquated” and reinforcing “harmful gender stereotypes.”  While changing the code herself was beyond her power, Judge Faruqui granted the plaintiff’s motion based on the likelihood that both her birth parents were deceased.  As such, their privacy rights were eclipsed by the needs of their still-living child.

It’s unknown whether the plaintiff had a pressing medical issue or was simply seeking information about any family-based illnesses, but that may remain between her and her physician.  After the Clerk issued her copies of the adoption records, Judge Faruqui ordered the court record to be resealed.

LINK: https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/d-c-court-ruling-exposes-ongoing-difficulties-for-some-adoptees-to-unseal-their-original-birth-certificate/ 

 

We received no alert, say leaders of First Nations communities razed by Canadian wildfires

I have been thinking about these fires, wondering if they were set and are suspicious; is there something under the land the governments are planning to mine, like rare earth minerals?  ... Trace

Chiefs in Ontario say they were left to self-evacuate before homes burned to ground, after being told there was no imminent threat

Olivia Bowden in Toronto

Tue 21 Jul 2026 

The Whitewater Lake First Nation in north-west Ontario has been burned to the ground. Photograph: Nishnawbe Aski Nation/Reuters

Fast-moving wildfires have burned two First Nations communities in Canada to the ground, as members said they were left to self-evacuate without government help or emergency alerts.

Thirteen communities in Ontario province have been ordered to evacuate because of wildfires, most of them First Nations. The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, told reporters on Monday that close to 2,000 people had been evacuated so far to cities including Toronto and Niagara Falls.

There are nearly 1,000 wildfires burning across Canada, with about 200 in Ontario. The prime minister, Mark Carney, said heatwaves and dry weather had combined to create “one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history”.

 READ: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/21/first-nations-ontario-canada-wildfires-evacuations-government?CMP=share_btn_url