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- By Levi Rickert
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of tribal leaders are in the nation’s capital this week for the National Congress of American Indians’ Executive Council Winter Session. On Monday morning, NCAI President Mark Macarro will deliver the State of Indian Nations address.
Here are some of the articles you may have missed over the weekend:
Minneapolis Community, Indigenous Leaders to Hold Memorial for Those Lost to Federal Immigration Enforcement
Community members, Indigenous leaders and advocacy groups plan to hold a public memorial Saturday in Powderhorn Park to honor the lives of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and others killed during federal immigration enforcement operations.
The ceremony, titled Wokiksuye – In Remembrance & Witness, will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday on the park’s soccer field, with gathering beginning at noon. Organizers say the event will offer space for mourning and reflection, with special care extended to people who have witnessed violence, loss or abductions involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents.
Truth and Healing Commission Bill on Boarding Schools Introduced in House of Representatives
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition on Thursday welcomed the introduction of a bipartisan House measure aimed at addressing the legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies in the United States.
House Resolution 7325, titled the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act, is the House companion to Senate Bill 761. The legislation would establish a commission to investigate the federal government’s role in the Indian boarding school era and recommend steps toward accountability and healing.
For more than a century, government-funded and church-run boarding schools removed Native children from their families and communities in an effort to assimilate them, suppressing Indigenous languages, cultures and identities. The impacts of those policies have resulted in intergenerational trauma that continues to affect Native communities today.
Congress Must Impose Guardrails on Out-of-Control ICE
This coming week, Congress will decide on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the agency under which ICE operates — a decision many in Minneapolis view as directly tied to their safety and civil rights.
Yet Congress is considering billions more dollars in funding for DHS. Before allocating more money, lawmakers must reckon with the real consequences of unchecked enforcement: civilian deaths, eroded trust in law enforcement, and deep fractures between communities and the federal government.
As with so many issues during Donald Trump’s presidency, the debate is deeply polarizing, with Republicans arguing that ICE is doing a remarkable job. Democrats, however, appear more aligned with what most Americans say they want from immigration law enforcement.
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