fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
Donate Get Newsletter
Donate Get Newsletter
 

Effort to Protect Tribes Affected by Federal Cannabis Laws Advances in Interior Appropriations Bill

Details
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) announced that the legislation to fund the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for Fiscal Year 2023 includes critical language to protect the rights of tribes that have authorized the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of cannabis.
 “Enforcing Federal cannabis laws on Tribal land, especially in cases where the Tribe and the State have legalized cannabis use, is wrong and it needs to stop,” Joyce, the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, said. “These misguided enforcement actions have sent a chill through Indian Country – Tribes are unsure if the federal government will continue to enforce and prioritize federal marijuana laws only on reservations. That’s why I worked closely with the Chair to include this important language to prevent Interior and Justice entities from enforcing federal marijuana laws inconsistent with tribal laws. Tribes are sovereign nations, and they have just as much of a right to enact and enforce their own laws as States do.”
 
Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 
“Leadership in defense of the Indigenous people of this land is so vitally important. This is now our story. This is our historical journey. This is about helping to heal our people. This is about tribal sovereignty. This is about economic opportunity.  We will not be bystanders once again with our noses pressed against the window as the rest of America enjoys this plant medicine's healing qualities. We will not allow others with misplaced priorities or a misplaced agenda to destroy our dreams,” said Tom Rodgers (Blackfeet), president of the Global Indigenous Council. “Congressman Joyce has always listened to our stories and thus our words of pain and loss. He has always had the vision to act on those words. While words might be beautiful, we know as Indigenous people that action is supreme. He has become a moral partner in this historical journey.”
 
Read the full bill text, located in Section 130 on pages 80 and 81, here. In April, Joyce highlighted this issue with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) when she testified before the subcommittee to discuss the Department of Interior’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. You can listen to their discussion on the matter here.

More Stories Like This

Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. Briefs
US Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Tribal Nations Contribute $23.4 Billion to Oklahoma’s Economy
Church Play Depicting Navajo Medicine Man Causes an Uproar on Navajo Nation

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].