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- By Native News Online Staff
Summer is a busy season filled with activity. Whether attending traditional ceremonies, taking part in powwows, or spending time with relatives and friends, our days are full and meaningful.
Here are three stories you may have missed this weekend:
Opinion. It's Time to Join the Fight Against 'Alligator Alcatraz'
On July 15, the Miccosukee filed a motion to join a lawsuit filed June 27 by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity to shut down Alligator Alcatraz.
In an interview with Native News Online's Levi Rickert, Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress that filing this lawsuit wasn’t something the tribe took lightly. He said it was done after exhausting other avenues, including lobbying members of Congress.
Cypress said there was no tribal consultation by federal officials or state officials. He voiced the concerns that go back decades about the environmental impact the prison will have on his tribal community and the surrounding area.
Trump Threatens to Hold Up Stadium Deal Unless Washington NFL Team Changes Back to Its Racist Name
President Donald Trump took to social media on Sunday, threatening to block a new stadium deal for Washington’s NFL team unless it reverts to its former name, the Redsk!ns—a term widely considered offensive to Native Americans.
The term "Redsk!ns" is widely regarded by Native Americans as a racial slur, comparable in offensiveness to the "N-word" used against African Americans. Native American leaders argue that mascots based on Native themes do not honor their heritage—instead, they believe such imagery dehumanizes and perpetuates harmful stereotypes about their communities.The basis for this opposition goes beyond the racist nature of mascots, according to the Reclaiming Native Truth report, released in June 2018.
Indian Affairs Nominee Kirkland Pressed on Advocacy Amid Budget Cuts
Late Friday, Native News Online posted an article that provided an overview of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs nomination hearing for Willima "Billy" Kirkland, who was nomintated in February to be the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.
In his opening remarks, Kirkland shared memories of his transient childhood, having moved 15 times due to his father's service in the U.S. Army. Despite the constant relocations, he fondly recalled spending time on the Navajo Nation, particularly helping haul water at his grandmother’s camp.
If the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advances Kirkland’s nomination, it will go to the full Senate for confirmation.
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