September 30, 2022
September brought the first Alaska Native Congress member and a new permanent Indian Health Service director. But first, September’s big news came from across the Medicine Line.
Ten people killed on Sunday, Sept. 4 in a stabbing spree, nine victims from the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. They were neighbors, friends and family, mothers, aunts and uncles, as old as 78 and as young as 23. Elders who had so much to share and young people just beginning their life’s journey. The two stabbing suspects ended up dead. ICT’s Miles Morrisseau has more on the victims.
Chief Marilynn “Lynn” Roberge Malerba, Mohegan Tribe, was sworn in as the 45th Treasurer of the United States on Sept. 12. She is the first Native American to hold that office. ICT’s Pauly Denetclaw has more.
A day later, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, Yup’ik, was sworn into Congress, becoming the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Peltola, a Democrat, won the special election in August to finish out the late Don Young’s term, which ends in January. READ MORE.
Sacheen Littlefeather has no regrets. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures held “An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather” on Sept. 17, nearly 50 years after she was the first Indigenous woman to stand at the podium at the Academy Awards. She was also booed and insulted. Littlefeather, now 75, Apache and Yaqui, spoke with ICT’s Dianna Hunt. READ MORE.
Navajo Nation citizen Roselyn Tso was Senate confirmed on Sept. 22 to lead the Indian Health Service, the first permanent director the federal agency has had in nearly two years. Tso is Navajo and has worked for IHS for nearly four decades. READ MORE.
ICT published its first newsletter dedicated to Indigenous politics and policy. Read more about ICT’s IndigiPolitics and how to sign up for the newsletter.
Also, be sure to watch our daily newscast, “ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez.”
Here are ICT stories you should read up on.
Find all of the best of September here
News
Deb Haaland celebrates decades of Indigenous education
By Kalle Benallie
The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute has educated thousands of Indigenous students in its 50 years of operation … continue reading
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony Dearman and SIPI President Dr. Tamarah Pfieffer at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute 50th anniversary commemoration on Sept. 20, 2022.
By Richard Arlin Walker
Roger Nyhus founded a Seattle-based public relations company, served as communications director for a mayor and governor … continue reading
This file photo from 2005 shows a Barbadian celebrating the Caribbean nation’s annual Emancipation Day events by the statue of an enslaved African breaking the chains that held him. Chinook Indian Nation citizen Roger Nyhus of Seattle has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. He would be the second Chinook and only the third Indigenous person to serve as a U.S. ambassador. Chinook citizen J. Christopher Stevens served as ambassador to Libya and was killed in the attack in Benghazi in 2012. Keith Michael Harper, Cherokee Nation, served from 2014-2017 as ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
By Joaqlin Estus
Tlingit community was hit hard when the community church was shuttered in a move considered racist … continue reading
Memorial Presbyterian church demolition.
Climate Change
Villagers taking stock after typhoon hits western Alaska
By Joaqlin Estus
The storm caused flooding along the state coastline that measures roughly half of the Lower 48 … continue reading
A home is seen floating in the Snake River near Nome, Alaska, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Much of Alaska’s western coast saw flooding and high winds as the remnants of Typhoon Merbok moved into the Bering Sea region.
Entertainment
By Miles Morrisseau
New documentary shows legendary musician and activist isn’t stopping yet … continue reading
Legendary musician Buffy Sainte-Marie, Cree, speaks to a packed crowd at the world premiere of a new documentary about her life at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. She is joined on stage by the films director, Madison Thomson, Ojibwe/Saulteaux and Russian/Ukrainian. The film, “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On,” is nominated for Best Canadian Feature Film at the festival.
By Sandra Hale Schulman
‘The River Woe’ features all-Native cast, First Language speaker … continue reading
Cherokee filmmaker Christopher Coursey debuts his first movie, “The River Woe,” (2022), a short film about an Indigenous man, played by Marcus Thompson, left, who turns to his traditions to feed his family after being laid off. The film also features Cherokee First Language speaker Marlene Glass Ballard, right. The film is being released in fall 2022.
Elections
2022 tribal council elections so far
By Kalle Benallie
Tribal citizens head to the polls in 2022 #NativeVote22 *Correction … continue reading
The Navajo Nation primary election recount is underway this week in Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the nation. Nearly 48,000 ballots will be recounted by machine and hand
Why didn’t Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski go the way of Liz Cheney?
By Joaqlin Estus
‘Alaska’s new system really saved her bacon’ … continue reading
U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Sports
By Ben Pryor
Keenan Allen is one of the few Native players in the NFL and his goal is a Super Bowl ring … continue reading
Keenan Allen pregame at Sofi Stadium.
Global Indigenous News
By Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues for the week ending Sept. 18, 2022 … continue reading
Smoke rises from a processing mill at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia, on Sept. 8, 2018. The punishing effects of palm oil on the environment have been decried for years.
By Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues for the week ending Sept. 11, 2022 … continue reading
This 2017 photo shows Dragon Boat races in Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia.
ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez
On the weekend edition of the ICT Newscast, an overdue apology and an update on voter suppression. Also, states are acting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Meet this year’s Miss Navajo … continue reading
On the weekend edition of the ICT Newscast, an Alaska Native goes to Congress. An Oglala artist takes top honors. Sovereignty and jurisdiction in Oklahoma, and preparations for Orange Shirt Day in Canada … continue reading
On the weekend edition of the ICT Newscast, an Alaska Native goes to Congress. An Oglala artist takes top honors. Sovereignty and jurisdiction in Oklahoma, and preparations for Orange Shirt Day in Canada …
