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- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security to Host Quarterly Tribal Meetings
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday announced its 2024 schedule for its quarterly External Tribal Quarterly Meetings. These virtual quarterly meetings are hosted by DHS Tribal Affairs and provide an opportunity to have discussions on Homeland Security matters such as equity, resource availability, partnerships, law enforcement and security, cybersecurity, disaster response, and prevention of human trafficking and targeted violence.
We welcome Tribal leaders, elders, representatives, program directors and Tribal members to attend and participate. We also invite all DHS components who work with Tribes. An agenda will be provided to all registrants.
The 2024 quarterly meeting schedule is as follows:
January 16, 2024, 2:00 PM EST
April 16, 2024, 2:00 PM EST
July 16, 2024, 2:00 PM EST
October 15, 2024, 2:00 PM EST
Below is the Zoom registration link for the January session.
When: Jan 16, 2024 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://hq-dhs.zoomgov.com/
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Land Put in Trust to Promote Economic Development & Housing Opportunities
On December 29, 2023, the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) made a final agency determination to acquire in trust tribally-owned lands for promoting economic opportunities, new housing options for the community, and other purposes under the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition law.
“This acquisition was necessary in order to create additional economic opportunities for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona and its members,” Pascua Yaqui Chairman Peter Yucupicio said in a statement. “The Act and the process acknowledged the relationship between the Pascua Yaqui and the City of Tucson, and is reflective of numerous stakeholder meetings and negotiations, and allows the tribe to preserve our traditional homelands while promoting economic opportunities and new housing options for the community. We are thankful for and appreciate the bipartisan support, which was essential for passage. The acquisition is a recognition of the work of our ancestors, an investment for our future generations, and we are blessed it became law.'
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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.
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