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- By Native News Online Staff
Join Native News Online Editor Levi Rickert, along with Senior Staff Reporter Jenna Kunze, for this week’s Native Bidaské as they interview Derrick Belgarde (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians/ Chippewa-Cree), the director of housing and human service nonprofit in Seattle, Chief Seattle Club, and veterans advocate Dean Dauphinais (Spirit Lake).
Native Americans in Seattle are 7.5 times more likely to be homeless, according to officials at the Chief Seattle Club. Across the country, homelessness is on the rise; nationally, the amount of people living without shelter grew by 11 percent last year.
Some 5% of Native veterans are unsheltered as compared to the 2% in the general population, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling gave cities the power to ban people from sleeping and camping in public places, in a decision Native advocates say will disproportionately impact Indigenous people.
Belgarde— who formerly experienced homelessness himself — will speak about the unhoused population in Seattle, and what his organization is doing to help.
Dauphinais, who founded an organization called All Star Vets in 2016 to help veterans through holistic healing, will add perspective on the nuance of homelessness among Native vets, and what bringing culture and tradition back to Native communities means for healing.
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