It’s a good 「week」 to be Indigenous.
What is this “good week” post? | From North America to New Zealand (and at all points in between), Indigenous folks are successfully advocating for their rights and celebrating their continued thrivance. “It’s a good 「week」 to be Indigenous” is a weekly round-up of news articles celebrating these wins.
If I missed a win you are aware of, please feel free to add these links in a reblog for other folks!
In alphabetical order by category...
23: Inside the Portland prom where Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ youth can be ‘unabashedly themselves’ | “The Native American Youth and Family Center’s Two-Spirit program has hosted the event for four years since taking a hiatus during the pandemic.” [The Oregonian]
26: OSU Libraries assistant professor secures grant expanding Indigenous resources, history | “Sara Mautino, assistant professor and art and architecture librarian at Oklahoma State University, has secured $15,000 in grants to support the expansion of a free, public digital bibliography of sources related to Indigenous architecture in Oklahoma.” [OSU]
27: Arizona’s tribal regalia toolkits aid Indigenous students, families and schools amid grad season | “‘(The toolkits) also support both groups in their decision making so they know what steps to take to make this choice a partnership instead of it feeling like opposition,’ she said. ‘This is also an opportunity to educate Arizona about our tribes and what exercising tribal sovereignty looks like.’” [Arizona Luminaria]
28: Graduation ceremony honors Native students in Helena | “This year, Helena Public Schools is proud to celebrate 25 native seniors [sic].” [KXLH]
26: U.S. House approves $5M to fund mobile medical units for Native American veterans | “The U.S. House has approved funding for healthcare services for Native American veterans. Arizona Reps. Greg Stanton, a Democrat, and Eli Crane, a Republican, co-led the effort to secure $5 million dollars for mobile medical units.” [KJZZ Phoenix]
27: Montana Area Health Education Center adding American Indian Center | “A new wheelhouse to support healthcare workforce development and training specific to Indigenous communities is in development at Aaniiih Nakoda College in Montana.” [Montana State University]
27: Rule changes for kinship care boost number of Native American foster homes, state says | “The number of licensed Native American foster homes in South Dakota has grown by 44% since new rules took effect last summer for the licensing of foster homes run by family members or family friends.” [KOTA]
26: 12 Native American students to be disinterred from Carlisle Indian Industrial School | “The Office of Army Cemeteries will begin disinterring 12 Native American students buried at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School more than 100 years ago on Sept. 1 to bring healing and closure to their families and tribes.” [WGAL]
26: Indigenous Lands Protect Wildlife Better Than Many Government Parks, Research Says | “‘Indigenous Peoples are among the world’s most effective land stewards, yet many are still fighting for basic recognition of their rights to lands they have protected for generations. The science is clear—we need to catch up,’ said Dr. William Nikolakis, lead author of the study and assistant professor of Indigenous land and natural resources governance at UBC, in a recent news article announcing the findings.” [A-Z Animals]
28: Arizona tribal agriculture generates over $750 million in total economic output, new analysis finds | “Tribal agriculture contributed $753.3 million in total economic output and directly supported more than 2,300 jobs statewide in 2022, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis examining the economic footprint of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes using data from the most recent agricultural census.” [University of Arizona News]
28: Native American activist with Utah ties builds last legacy | “Zitkála-á’s...advocacy is recognized in a women’s memorial called A Path Forward.” [2KUTV]
29: Land Back: Fond du Lac Band Celebrates Return of 3,400 Acres in Historic Transfer | “The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa marked a historic moment Wednesday as approximately 3,400 acres of land known as the Cloquet Forestry Center were officially returned to the Band through the signing of Minnesota’s state bonding bill.” [Native News Online]
