This Week at First Nations: June 23, 2023
Upholding ICWA: A Deeper Look at Last Week’s Important Ruling
You could hear the victory cries throughout Indian Country last Thursday, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). In a huge victory for tribal sovereignty, a 7-2 decision by the court rejected all the challenges to the act and the claims that the law violated the U.S. Constitution by discriminating on the basis of race. In the hearings, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected such arguments, saying, “In sum, Congress’s power to legislate with respect to Indians is well established and broad.” Read more in this new blog post by First Nations’ Marisa Page.
Honoring John McCoy, a Champion of Indigenous Rights
First Nations was saddened to hear of another loss to Indian Country this week: the passing of Indigenous rights advocate and former Washington State Senator John McCoy. John died in his home on the Tulalip Indian Reservation near Marysville, Washington, on June 6, 2023. Among his notable achievements, McCoy authored or cosponsored many bills to strengthen tribal sovereignty and promote economic and community development. He also was one of the founders of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, serving as its president for many years. First Nations’ Board Chair Benny Shendo (Jemez Pueblo) said McCoy was a tremendous leader who leaves a profound legacy for the Tulalip Tribe, policymakers, and everyone who had the pleasure to work with him. Read more about Sen. John McCoy here.
Photo credit Indian Country Today, Washington Senate Democrats, File
Reminder: Tune In Monday for News on the TLC Fund
Join us Monday, June 26, 2023, at 11 am Mountain Time to explore how we can rethink conservation and return to knowledge that’s Native. First Nations’ Tribal Lands Conservation Fund is an opportunity to amplify Native voices and invest in solutions that lie with the ingenuity of highly resilient peoples who understand the relationship humans have with Earth.
Learn more about First Nations’ TLC Fund in this Q&A discussion with First Nations President and CEO Michael Roberts. Learn more and register here.
What We’re Reading: How Arizona Squeezes Tribes for Water
The West is undergoing a substantial period of drought and significant volume drops in the Colorado River, increasing water insecurity in a seven-state region, including on the Navajo Nation. In this investigative report, ProPublica and High Country News reviewed every water-rights settlement in the Colorado River Basin and interviewed presidents, water managers, attorneys and other officials from 20 of the 30 federally recognized basin tribes. Their findings: Arizona repeatedly uses negotiation processes to delay tribes’ access to more reliable sources of water and limit their economic development. Jason John, director of the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, says: “But when it comes to Arizona, it seems like we have different agendas.” Read the full story.
Photo credit Sharon Chischilly/High Country News and ProPublica
At Thacker Pass, Extraction and Resistance Come to a Head
Police and private security for a Canadian mining company arrested an Indigenous protester and demolished a protest blockade on Wednesday that was erected by descendants of a survivor of the 1865 massacre at the site, according to land and water defenders. Michon Eben, cultural resource manager and tribal historic preservation officer for the Reno Sparks Indian Colony, told Underscore News that police and private security leveled the camp and took sacred objects, including a ceremonial hand drum, eagle feathers and a carved staff. Read more.
Michon Eben is also a 2023 First Nations’ Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow.
Republished with permission from Underscore News.
How a Strong Indigenous Identity Helps Kids Thrive
This week, Greater Good Magazine shares findings on how cultural preservation and cultural engagement is important in protecting the well-being of Indigenous youth. Researchers found that cultural loss and adversities harm the lives of Indigenous people of all ages, and result in poorer mental health among Native youth. The article calls for “celebrating First Nations cultures, providing greater opportunities and spaces for Indigenous Peoples to engage safely with their communities and cultures, and acknowledging the resilience and strength of First Nations communities.” Read more.
