Blog

By Nora Mabie, April 9, 2020, Great Falls Tribune When the first cases of coronavirus appeared in Montana, Jolene Barrientes quit her job. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, Jolene had been working at Big Sky Foods since she moved to Cut Bank in January, but she couldn’t risk exposure to the virus. Her husband, Joseph, was shot when he was 15 years old. Now, at 37, he has one functioning lung and no spleen. Jolene said he nearly died two years ago when he contracted the flu, so she fears...

Press Release, April 8, 2020. Today, IHS is announcing its expansion of telehealth across IHS federal facilities. Telehealth services means patients can stay home and reduce their risk of infection and also keep healthcare workers and others in waiting rooms and emergency departments safe from COVID-19. “Expanding telehealth allows more American Indians and Alaska Natives to access healthcare they need from their home , without worrying about putting themselves or others at risk during the...

Description: To support tribal public health emergency response to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is announcing a new, non-competitive grant CDC-RFA-OT20- 2004 Supporting Tribal Public Health Capacity in Coronavirus Preparedness and Response. To carry out public health emergency response activities in response to COVID-19, CDC is awarding at least $40,000,000 of initial funding to federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations that contract or compact...

Yurok Indian Housing Authority letter to residents: Dear Yurok Indian Housing Households, Out of great concern during these uncertain times and unprecedented times, the Yurok Indian Housing Authority Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, March 17, at 9:30 a.m. for an emergency call-in meeting to address the potential economic hardship being placed upon tribal families as they prepare for the current COVID-19 national emergency. While this may not be something that can be repeated, the Board...

Did you know that Indian Health Services' Maternal Child Health addresses ACEs? Check it out! https://www.ihs.gov/dccs/mch/aces/ Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences or events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. ACEs range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce, a parent with a substance abuse problem, or the jailing and absence of a parent or guardian. Economic hardship (poverty) is the most common...

Throughout the United States, Native communities are actively working to combat environmental racism and climate change. These Native leaders are working to elevate indigenous knowledge and practices as it relates to Native lands and natural resources. 1. Environmental justice is not a new idea in Native communities. It is important to acknowledge that Native communities have long had a different relationship with the environment compared to individuals from Western society. Although there...

By Mikhail Zinshteyn, LA School Report, March 3, 2020 In one incident, a teacher grew frustrated with a student because he wouldn’t respond to her, not realizing that in the student’s Native American tribe, exhibiting silence is a sign of respect to an authority figure. As punishment, the student was denied recess. In another instance, a Native American student was accused of consuming drugs, interrogated by the police and subject to random searches for weeks after returning from a tribal...

By Johanna Lie, February, 24, 2020, YouTubers are known for creating interesting and fun videos containing tutorials on beauty, ASMR and commentary, all to grow their channels and communities, but for Chelsey Moon of Michigan, the stakes are higher. Moon is Ojibwe, with roots in the Bay Mills Indian Community, and is committed to spotlighting indigenous culture on her channel. “I’m doing this for people who don’t know about us and are interested, but also for indigenous people who want to...

By Elizabeth Chuck and Haimy Assefa, NBC News, February 8, 2020 The twins were scheduled to be delivered on Aug. 21, 2019, and Stephanie Snook was nervous. Her pregnancy had not been planned. Snook was born with a heart condition; after her first two children, she had been told getting pregnant again could put too much stress on her heart. Nonetheless, Snook, 37, a warehouse clerk in food services at the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark, trusted she was in good hands. [ Please click here to read...

By Freddy Brewster, Lost Coast Outpost, February 7, 2020 The Blue Lake Rancheria recently received a $156,116 grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the State Tribal Education Program to establish a multi-district agency aimed at improving not only Native American youth success, but the success of the community as well. The grant money will be used to set up an education authority with officials from Blue Lake Rancheria, the Northern Humboldt Unified School District, College of the...

January 15, 2020 Spilyay Tymoo, Coyote News The team working on the state Missing and Murdered Indigenous People initiative will meet soon with the Warm Springs tribal community. Terri Davie of the Oregon State Police, and Mitch Sparks, of the Oregon Legislative Commission on Indian Services are planning a Warm Springs MMIP meeting in Warm Springs on Tuesday, January 28. The state legislature in 2019 created with the MMIP task force, providing resources to help address one of the most...

Plan to attend! January 25, 2020, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm Central Santa Rosa Library 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Hosted by: Sonoma County History Genealogy Library Please join us for a presentation by Dr. Khal Schneider, who will discuss voting rights within the context of the Native American experience. Dr. Schneider is a Sacramento State University assistant professor of history. He teaches Native American History and writes about Indian policy and politics and California Indian...