This Week at First Nations: February 25, 2022
Ten New Indigenous Leaders Selected for Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship
Yesterday, First Nations was pleased to introduce the 2022 cohort of Luce Indigenous Knowledge fellows. These 10 outstanding fellows were selected for their cultural knowledge and insights, and they represent an extraordinary cross-section of Indigenous leaders who are culture bearers in their communities, and a welcome addition to the growing pool of Luce Indigenous Knowledge fellows past and present. Read the press release here.
‘Let Me Spare You the Suspense: We Remain Invisible’
First Nations’ Mike Roberts, president & CEO, authors this seventh article in the series, “The Promise of Targeted Universalism: Community Leaders Respond,” presented by NPQ and Prosperity Now.
Here, Mike describes how in targeted universalism, agency is given equally, and in turn, all groups concerned have universal goals established for them. But, the “possible danger of such an approach is that Native Americans are often not included in the defined groups who need to be targeted, and all too often are left out of the conversation, especially in philanthropic conversations where the targets are seemingly binary—Black or Latinx. …We know from decades of experience that ‘one size fits most’ rarely hits the mark when it comes to Native peoples in the United States.”
Read the full article here.
In Case You Missed It: First Nations Releases 2nd Edition of Conservation Planning Guide for Native American Ranchers
As part of ongoing efforts to assist Native American ranchers in the development of conservation plans that address natural resource concerns, First Nations announced this week it has released the second edition of its popular resource, A Conservation Planning Guide for Native American Ranchers. The new guide provides vision and actions for stewarding Native lands, improving soil health, and promoting longevity. And, it will be incorporated into trainings and technical assistance provided through First Nations’ Stewarding Native Lands program and the Native Farmer and Rancher Apprenticeship Network. Read the news release here, and download the 2nd edition Conservation Planning Guide here.
First Nations’ Mike Roberts to Join Panel at “Frontiers of Social Innovation” Conference
At its 100%-virtual Frontiers of Social Innovation 2022 Conference, March 22 to 24, 2022, Stanford Social Innovation Review will use power as a lens to examine the strategies and practices commonly used in the field of social innovation today, as well as those emerging approaches that may be more widely used in the future.
Among the sessions will be “Funding BIPOC Communities Through Intermediaries – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” moderated by Aaron Dorfman of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. For the presentation, First Nations’ Mike Roberts will join panelists Crystal Hayling of The Libra Foundation and Democracy Frontlines Fund and Gloria Walton of The Solutions Project. Learn more and register here.
Don’t Miss Webinar #3: “Beefing Up the Southwest”
Join us for the final installment of the Protein Supply Chain Webinar Series, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 12 to 1 pm MT. Speakers from Trilogy Beef Community, LLC, and Major Market, Inc. — two for-profit businesses — will describe how strengthening protein supply chains in Indian Country goes beyond investing in meat processing facilities. There are also upstream and downstream considerations, such as providing support to local ranchers to ensure there is transport, staging areas, and cold storage close to meat processing facilities, and — after meat is processed — working with community retailers to market products.
Learn more about “Increasing Meat Access in New Mexican Native Communities.” Register here.
Meet Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Charlene Stern
In this month’s Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow profile, we highlight Charlene Stern, Ph.D. During the fellowship period, Dr. Stern is publishing stories and life experiences of elders and fluent language speakers in her home communities of Vashrąįį K’ǫǫ (Arctic Village) and Vįįhtąįį (Venetie). She believes these elders are a valuable resource for sharing knowledge on Tribal self-determination in Alaska.
As vice chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dr. Stern has seen the historic lack of scholarship done by and for the Alaska Native people. “We are at a critical point where we still have elders today who were born and raised on the land in a very different way than current generations. These elders are a valuable resource for current and future generations.”
Read the full story here.
New Mexico Legislature Passes Equal Pay for Native Language Teachers
This month, the New Mexico Senate unanimously passed House Bill 60, which guarantees equal pay for Native language and culture teachers. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) and introduced in the Senate by Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr. (Jemez Pueblo), will now head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign into law. House Bill 60 requires school districts to pay Native language and culture teachers, also known as 520 certificate holders, the same minimum salary as level 1 licensed teachers. The bill will end the inequitable treatment of Native language teachers whose current pay varies among districts and is often much lower than other teachers’ pay. Read more.
Separate Labor Data on Native Americans Reported for First Time
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is reporting good news on the overall job front in the U.S. ― 470,000 jobs added in January ― Native workers face an 11.1% unemployment rate, nearly three times the national rate.
An upside? This latest report marks the first time the bureau has separately reported data on Native Americans. According to Brookings, it is “a significant step forward for improving the visibility of Native American economic conditions and helping ensure the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shock is truly inclusive.” Read more.
Grant Opportunity from the Campbell Foundation
We are happy to share that the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, which was established to improve the conditions of America’s largest and most ecologically diverse and productive estuary systems ― the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays ― is accepting unsolicited grant proposals. The proposals can be for up to $25,000 for any subject areas, types of programs, and geographies. This opportunity is only available to 501(c)3 organizations that are not current or previous grantees of The Campbell Foundation. Application information, including an eligibility quiz, can be found here.