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EMAIL ME: tracelara@pm.me (outlook email is gone)
THANK YOU CHI MEGWETCH!
“We need to think big and plan big and be big and bold and visionary and to imagine the world that we want.”
Founded in 2018, NDN Collective has become a leading Indigenous rights
group offering grants and loans, and supporting grassroots organizing,
narrative change, and political education, including the international LandBack movement.
New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot
and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing
federal funding, President Donald Trump’s top education official said
Friday.
“The
Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to
eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes,” the
former longtime CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment said.
McMahon
said her department will give the state 10 days to sign an agreement
rescinding its Native American mascot ban and apologizing to Native
Americans for having discriminated against them and attempted to “erase”
their history.
CA 64-page passback document from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), reviewed by Native News Online, outlines the Trump administration’s plans to significantly reduce the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget. Among the proposed cuts is a $900 million reduction to the Indian Health Service (IHS), a division within HHS.
Trump administration makes major cuts to Native American boarding school research projects
Native American children at Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1901.
Heritage Images/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
AP
—
At least $1.6 million in federal funds for projects meant to
capture and digitize stories of the systemic abuse of generations of
Indigenous children in boarding schools at the hands of the U.S.
government have been slashed due to federal funding cuts under President
Donald Trump’s administration.
The cuts are just a fraction of the grants canceled by the
National Endowment for the Humanities in recent weeks as part of the
Trump administration’s deep cost-cutting effort across the federal
government. But coming on the heels of a major federal boarding school
investigation by the previous administration and an apology by then-President Joe Biden, they illustrate a seismic shift.
“If we’re looking to ‘Make America Great Again,’ then I
think it should start with the truth about the true American history,”
said Deborah Parker, CEO of the National Native American Boarding School
Healing Coalition.
The coalition lost more than $282,000 as a result of the
cuts, halting its work to digitize more than 100,000 pages of boarding
school records for its database. Parker, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes
in Washington state, said Native Americans nationwide depend on the
site to find loved ones who were taken or sent to these boarding
schools.
U.S. Capitol (Photo/Levi Rickert for Native News Online)
By Levi Rickert
On Wednesday, Sen. Lisa
Murkowski (R-AK), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,
sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging the
agency to promptly issue a directive ensuring that all federal agencies
protect American Indian tribes, their programs, and the federal funding
they receive, from being impacted by the implementation of the
President’s Executive Orders and policies.
She specifically referenced those related to diversity, equity,
inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), as well as environmental justice
(EJ), explaining that tribes have a unique political status completely
separate from DEIA.
“In the implementation of these Presidential initiatives, Tribes have
raised concerns that Tribal programs may be misclassified as DEIA or
EJ. Any pauses or elimination of these programs would undermine the
United States’ trust responsibility to Indian Tribes and their ability
to provide services to their members,” Sen. Murkowski wrote. “I ask OMB
to take action now to reaffirm the unique treatment, programs and
services to Indian Tribes based on their political and legal status,
which is recognized in the U.S. Constitution, treaties, and many federal
laws and policies, to ensure that there is no disruption to federal
Tribal programs.”
Her letter came just days after a coalition of tribal leader councils
and Native organizations sent a letter Sunday to President Donald
Trump, congressional leaders and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warning
against misclassifying tribal programs as diversity or environmental
justice initiatives that could face cuts under recent executive orders.
The full text of Sen. Murkowski’s letter can be found here.
On January 30, 2025, Acting Secretary of the Interior Walter Cruickshank issued Secretarial Order (SO) 3416 implementing Executive Order 14151
that limited President Donald Trump’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
(DEI) executive order from including tribal nations in its
implementation at the Interior Department. The secretarial order cites
“trust obligations of the Department and its Bureaus/Offices of Tribal
nations and the Hawaiian Community.”
Executive Order 14151 directs the OMB to terminate all mandates,
policies, programs, preferences, and activities relating to 'diversity,
equity, inclusion, and accessibility. It also mandates that agencies
must report a list of all employees in DEI and "environmental justice"
positions to the OMB director within 60 days.
In her letter, Sen. Murkowski commended the Department of Interior
for issuing which could serve as a model for other federal agencies as
they implement these Presidential initiatives.
“At least one federal agency seems to understand this distinct legal
and political relationship with Indian Tribes—the Department of the
Interior. On January 30, the Department of the Interior issued
Secretarial Order (SO) 3416 implementing Executive Order 14151. SO 3416
includes a limitation that acknowledges that nothing in the order should
be construed to affect activities that implement legal requirements
independent of the EOs, including ‘the statutory authorities, treaty,
and/or trust obligations of the Department and its Bureaus/Offices to
Tribal nations and the Native Hawaiian Community,’” Chairman Murkowski
wrote.
In addition to issuing the requested memorandum, Sen. Murkowski
requested that the OMB provide a written response outlining any
additional actions they plan to take to ensure all federal agencies
properly recognize the unique status of Indian Tribes based on their
political classification.
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.
VANITY FAIR: WHAT IS COMING in Trump's Second Term?
"...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.
A quote from the book WHAT JUST HAPPENED, which includes my interviews with John Trudell
By Trace Hentz, blog editor
I had emails right after the election (Trump won) and I was asked about how this could impact Indigenous Sovereign Tribal Nations here in the US.
Trump obviously doesn't know our history. There is no sign that he cares, unless it can make him money or gain him prestige and power.
His first term was defined as SURREAL
So, yes, it could impact every one of us in some way - for good or for bad. For one, tribal nations will not have a seat at the table, judging by Trump's last term. (Sadly, the Department of the Interior will no longer have a Native (Secretary Deb Haaland) running it.) Trump will not convene any Tribal Summits, even though we are sovereign and deserve a voice and a seat at the table.
How about his type of corruption? His financial ties and connections to oil and gas industries in exchange for permits to DRILL DRILL DRILL could impact every state, especially Alaska!
“The policies enacted during President Trump’s first term played a
crucial role in this growth and innovation. By reducing regulatory
burdens, his administration allowed energy companies to focus on
production and innovation rather than navigating an endless stream of
rules from Washington bureaucrats. In contrast, the Biden-Harris
administration has been far more aggressive than even the Obama
administration in undermining domestic oil and gas production,” the
alliance said. MORE HERE
BACKWARDS? Yup, in reverse, we will be back to THE GREAT WHITE FATHER making new rules and breaking and bending treaties, again.
Another possibility is Trump would terminate tribes, like what happened over 40+ years ago. I remember when I was editor of the Pequot Times that Trump played a part in the denial of federal recognition for the Eastern Pequot and the Schaghticoke tribes in Connecticut. Both tribes had tried over many years to petition the federal government for recognition, and regain the land they deserved to be declared their reservations. (At one point there were over 200 tribes in that situation, stuck in limbo and petitioning for federal recognition.)
Remember that every treaty ever written was broken.
Termination ended federal recognition of affected tribes and the
federal aid and services that came with that recognition. It also ended
federal trust status for affected reservations and the protections
granted by such status. In many cases, termination meant the transfer of
federal jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters on reservationsto
state authorities as well. (REMEMBER: House Concurrent Resolution 108 called for termination “at the
earliest possible time” of all American Indian tribes in California,
Florida, New York, and Texas, as well as termination for specific tribes
in other states, including “the Flathead Tribe of Montana, the Klamath
Tribe of Oregon, the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, the Potowatamie Tribe
of Kansas and Nebraska, and those members of the Chippewa Tribe who are
on the Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota.”)
It was devastating, beyond what anyone could have imagined. (Like the Dawes Act!)
It took the tribes like Grand Ronde in Oregon many years to be recognized again, to be regarded and treated as Sovereign - costing these tribes their time and money and untold tragedy.
You see, it never ends. Domination never ends. Their demand for land and what is on the land, or under the land, never ends.
In 2020 I compiled a non-fiction book WHAT JUST HAPPENED concerning Trump's new presidency, because I had friends who were literally scared to death. The instability of the man, the crime boss Mafia mentality he displayed, the pathological liar who was our new president, this new phenomena was called TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, or TDS. People were knocked off balance and literally in fear, scared. For good reason.
I know it's only one branch of government, yes, but in the past, almost all past presidents were a danger to us, and what is coming, has yet to be determined.
As far as future adoptees, ICWA is still our federal law. But sadly, even that could change!
With the election of President Donald Trump to serve
in his second term, the National Indian Child Welfare Association
released the following statement:
As the 2024 election results are nearly complete, we
recognize there is much at stake for our communities. At times, the
campaign rhetoric was divisive and raised important questions about how a
transition in leadership might impact our communities. While leadership
changes can often bring uncertainty and even anxiety, we have prepared
for this and are already planning how we will organize, educate, and
advocate for the needs and rights of Native children and families and
the protection of tribal sovereignty.
NICWA has navigated national leadership changes going
back to the 1980s, and we understand how to strategically and diligently
advocate for the rights and protection of Native children and families
in changing political environments. During some of the most challenging
times, we have found ways to protect and even advance resources and
rights for Native children and families. This included expanding our
network of allies—both Native and non-Native—and finding new ways to
communicate the importance of laws like the Indian Child Welfare Act,
which are crucial to the well-being of our communities.
NICWA values seeking opportunities to work in a
bipartisan manner and designing strategies that ensure support from both
parties. Our strength is the relationships we have within our
communities, leadership, and each other. We will continue our fight for
the protection of Native children and families with you as our most
valuable allies and partners.
**
Hey! We're SMART!
Let's keep watch. Like Trudell told us many times in many ways: we are resilient, sacred and ancient. We are not going anywhere.
“Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears”
is a blog series documenting the harmful impact of President Trump’s
judges on Americans’ rights and liberties. Cases in the series can be
found by issue and by judge at this link.
Trump judges Duncan, Willett, Engelhardt, and Oldham cast deciding votes to invalidate important parts of the Indian Child Welfare Act and try to do even more damage to the important law.
The Native American Rights Fund (NARF), National Congress of American
Indians (NCAI), the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA),
and the Association on American Affairs (AAIA) have stated
that they are “deeply concerned that aspects of this opinion
misunderstand the unique relationship between the United States and
tribal nations.”
Bad history is damaging to all tribes and our children. - Trace
“The total onslaught of federal rule rollbacks under environmental laws was like nothing we’ve ever seen. It was dizzying.”
Over the span of his administration, many leadership positions in the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Interior Department were left empty or filled by appointees never vetted by Congress. The annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, held by President Barack Obama for eight years, ceased. Trump’s three Supreme Court justices include one with a solid understanding of federal Indian law and the U.S government’s responsibility to tribes, as well as one whose judicial perspectives are actively harmful.
Tribe sues Trump HHS for tampering with ICWA on data in foster care cases
The Cherokee Nation is among a group that filed suit against the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for
Children and Families Thursday, in a federal district court in
California, regarding data collected on children in foster care.
“The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and
Reporting System is used by HHS to track foster children through foster
care,” said Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill in the tribe’s
Rules committee meeting on August 27, 2020. “For decades, HHS did not track any
statistics that relate to the Indian Child Welfare Act with Indian
children. So if children were placed in non-ICWA compliant placements in
the state, the proportion of children in foster care in the United
States – none of that data was being tracked by HHS.”
In
2016, HHS changed it rules to mandate reporting of how child welfare
agencies track American Indian children and included data related to the
ICWA. The rule also required reporting the voluntary disclosure of the
sexual orientation of foster youth ages 14 and older, and of foster and
adoptive parents and legal guardians.
The plaintiffs argue
President Donald Trump’s administration and the ACF violated the
Administrative Procedure Act by revoking the 2016 rule. The group
believes the data would assist welfare agencies and organizations
serving foster children, and avoid bad outcomes for children and youth.
The truth about Jackson’s savagery was just as disturbing as the fake news. After a particularly bloody battle in 1814, Andrew Jackson’s men counted the dead Indians by cutting off their noses. They collected 557 noses.
and... (this comment)
Jackson ran an ad in the Nashville Gazette, in October, 1804, for the capture of a runaway slave, which stated that in addition to the reward, he would pay an extra $10 per 100 lashes (up to 300), to anyone who willing to inflict them upon his miscreant property. He was known to hold a vengeful lifetime grudge against anyone whom he felt had slighted him, regardless of how minor the supposed offense. His betrayal to the Choctow tribe, whom he persuaded to become American allies over the British during the war of 1812, culminated in the “Indian Removal Act” (Trail of Tears), of which he took personal responsiblity to see implemented, resulted in the death of thousands of men, women and children. It’s no surprise that the current occupant of the White House has this monster’s portrait prominantly displayed behind his desk, and even laid a wreath upon his grave to honor him.
Holes in immigration laws are allowing state court judges to grant custody of migrant children to American families without notifying their deported parents, the Associated Press reported in October. The AP scoured hundreds of court documents and immigration records to reveal several cases of children being permanently, legally taken from their families after initial separations.
The case study presented is indicative of larger loopholes in the
immigration system, the AP contends. Because state governments tend to
run child-welfare systems, inconsistencies between federal law and its
application at the state level are frequent.
AP's conclusions are
especially important given that 300 parents were deported to Central
America without their children just this summer as part of the Trump
administration's "zero tolerance" policy at the border.
Sept. 25, 2026 | Relatives walk to remember, church denounces Native beliefs & more
Bookshop
You are not alone
To Veronica Brown
Veronica, we adult adoptees are thinking of you today and every day. We will be here when you need us. Your journey in the adopted life has begun, nothing can revoke that now, the damage cannot be undone. Be courageous, you have what no adoptee before you has had; a strong group of adult adoptees who know your story, who are behind you and will always be so.
Diane Tells His Name
click photo
Lost Birds on Al Jazeera Fault Lines
click to read and listen about Trace, Diane, Julie and Suzie
NO MORE STOLEN SISTERS
click image
We conclude this series & continue the conversation by naming that adoption is genocide. This naming refers to the process of genocide that breaks kinship ties through adoption & other forms of family separation & policing 🧵#NAAM2022#AdoptionIsTraumaAND#AdopteeTwitter#FFY 1/6 pic.twitter.com/46v0mWISZ1
As the single largest unregulated industry in the United States, adoption is viewed as a benevolent action that results in the formation of “forever families.” The truth is that it is a very lucrative business with a known sales pitch. With profits last estimated at over $1.44 billion dollars a year, mothers who consider adoption for their babies need to be very aware that all of this promotion clouds the facts and only though independent research can they get an accurate account of what life might be like for both them and their child after signing the adoption paperwork.
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