Vol. 2, Issue 62 October 14, 2015 A Letter from the Publisher Shekóli. No matter the beauty of the campus, the size who graduated from Navajo Tech; the Sequoyah Gates of the programs, or the excellence of its professors, an scholars; and the conservation and biology training of institution of higher learning is defined by its students. students at Oglala Lakota College thanks to its Ornate This week, we have attached a bonus to our newsletter: a Box Turtle Project. digital edition of our annual 48-page Special Education issue, a print version of which is being distributed to tribal Students will also find many potential avenues of study high schools, colleges and various conferences. In it, read- mentioned within these pages. Not to be missed is a high- ers will find articles on Native students who are striving ly informative piece by Dr. Dean Chavers on correcting for new levels of personal excellence. Their stories serve common missteps in essays and on applications, in ad- as tangible signs of the strength of education in Indian dition to an overview of several strong scholarships and country, and as inspiration to current students who are finally, the centerpiece of the magazine, ICTMN’s annual contemplating higher education. Tribal College Listing. Our cover subject, Dahkota Brown, has been worthy of admiration During the year, IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com frequent- for a few years even though he is still in high school. In the eighth ly publishes instructive and illuminating articles that help shape and grade he started the successful after-school program Native Educa- describe the state of education across our many nations. There is tion Raising Dedicated Students (NERDS). In 2013 he was named no better path to the enrichment of a life than cultivating an active one of five Champions of Change by the Center for Native Ameri- mind. We must all help support the endeavors of Native educators can Youth. And, as he relates in the profile about him in this issue, he and students alike. recently helped orchestrate the introduction of legislation in Califor- NΛ ki wa, nia to ban the offensive and racist R-word and mascot in the state. � The magazine also features other celebratory stories, including this year’s Champions of Change; a brand new class of medical profes- sionals from the University of New Mexico; 185 satisfied students Ray Halbritter Table of Contents 2 COMMENTARY 11 WEEK IN PHOTOS 5 NEWS 12 WEB, EVENTS, LETTER 7 LEARNING ON THE RIVER 13 CARTOON, ALERTS 8 SANTEE SIOUX PREPARING FOR FIRST 14 HOW DID I MISS THAT MARIJUANA RESORT 15 POW WOWS 11 10 THORPE WON’T RETURN HOME 16 BIG PICTURE JASON MORGAN EDWARDS JASON IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com October 14, 2015 2 COMMENTARY The Dangers of about disenrollment and finding solu- kicked out. Disenrollment tions before it’s too late. Unfortunately, Tribal governments must be thought- Joseph Hamilton, chairman of the nobody in tribal leader circles is willing ful when carrying out this supreme act. Ramona Band of Cahuilla, despairs of the to talk. I fear that if we don’t talk and, Due process is key. Tribes should develop current trend toward rapid disenrollment more importantly, take some form of ac- clear laws, policies, and procedures well without thought of the consequences: tion, we run the real risk that Congress in advance of any disenrollment. Then will exercise its “plenary” power over they should honor those rules and proce- I strongly believe in tribal sovereignty, tribes and decide who is Indian—an idea dures, even if they don’t get the outcomes which does include a tribe’s right to dis- almost too scary to consider. they want. That is sovereignty. enroll members. However, disenrollment Disenrollment should be executed Failure to take these steps will mean is not an innate right of tribal peoples. It only in the most extreme cases. Tribal that every Indian faces the threat of not was foisted upon tribes by the federal leaders who are considering disenrolling being an Indian. More tribes will become government in order to extinguish us. members must keep in mind what those like country clubs, instead of families, The point is not that we can’t hold individuals and the entire tribe stands where members can be added or ex- contradictory views about this issue, but to lose. They need to recognize that the cluded at the whim of a governing board. instead that we had better start talking entire tribe suffers when members are http://bit.ly/1Gv6qdn 0 Hands Off Native Women’s who want to defund Planned Parenthood and 1970s, the Indian Health Service Wombs and who feel they know what is best for deceptively sterilized a large percent- The GOP’s latest effort to defund Planned women generally. age of Native women between the ages Parenthood, highlighted by recent dis- Indian Health Services is the primary of 15 and 44. The doctors failed to pro- plays of videos ostensibly showing its of- health care provider for most Native vide women with necessary informa- ficials discussing the sale of fetal tissue, is people. Yet although the U.S. has a trust tion regarding sterilization; distributed arguably racist, says Gyasi Ross (Black- responsibility to provide health care improper consent forms; used coercion feet Nation/Suquamish Territories): for Native people, privileged legislators to get signatures on those forms; and largely get to choose what type of health lacked the appropriate waiting period As a matter of legislative fact, the same care they’ll provide. God forbid that their (at least seventy-two hours) between the privileged white men who love making politics clash with the health care that signing of a consent form and the surgi- financial decisions about all women’s those Native women need. There are spe- cal procedure. wombs have an inordinate amount of cific examples of times when the repro- The proposed GOP shutdown of control over Native women’s wombs in ductive rights (human rights!) of Native Planned Parenthood, and the desire to in- particular. That is because Indian Health women have clashed with the politics of terfere with women’s wombs, is uniquely Services funding and priorities are dic- those privileged legislators. Republican, and it affects Native women tated by those same privileged white men Specifically, as recently as the 1960s uniquely. http://bit.ly/1Vz1onh 0 The Threat To Yucca have informed the Department of Energy upon Newe practicing traditional religious Mountain (DOE) that our land and people are being lifeways that require water for praying, Ian Zabarte, Principal Man for For- destroyed by the development of Yucca cleansing and healing—with no response. eign Affairs of the government of Newe Mountain as a high-level nuclear waste The cultural resource study protocol Sogobia, opposes a federal proposal to repository. of “cultural triage” justified for use in the store nuclear waste under Yucca Moun- The central issue that affects the Newe Yucca Mountain site characterization tain in Nevada: results from the destruction of our prop- process is an attack. Triage is used in re- erty, impairing our treaty reserved rights sponse to natural disaster or declared war. We have informed the Department of to use our lands and life-giving water. There is no war or natural disaster here the Interior that Newe Sogobia is not for Nothing in the Treaty of Ruby Valley ever that might require its use. What was cre- sale and that Yucca Mountain is not Bu- contemplated the destruction of Newe ated and used by the DOE is an immoral reau of Land Management Land. We have Sogobia by American nationals through act forced upon the ethnic Western Sho- informed the Environmental Protection their agency, the U.S. government. I and shone people for the benefit of the U.S. Agency that the environmental radiation many Newe have expressed alarm at the and the profit of the nuclear industry. protection standards for Yucca Moun- systematic policies and practices that Our intent is to stop, correct and pre- tain do not protect Newe Sogobia. We place a disproportionate burden of risk vent these acts. http://bit.ly/1Rqsc8K 0 IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com October 14, 2015 3 INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO OBJECTIONS RAMAH NAVAJO CHAPTER, OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE, and PUEBLO OF ZUNI, Any Class Member that wishes to object to the proposed settlement or fee application must file a Notice of Intention to Appear and Object (Objection) with the Clerk of for themselves and on behalf of a class of persons similarly situated, the Court and deliver it to all listed Counsel no later than November 19, 2015, and must appear at the fairness hearing described in this Notice. If more than one Plaintiffs, vs. SALLY JEWELL, Secretary of the Interior, et al., Defendants. Class Member makes the same objection, the Court may designate one of them to present the objection at the hearing. Objections must be sent to the Clerk of Court, No. 1:90-CV-00957-JAP/KBM 333 Lomas, NW, #270, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102. Each Objection must include (i) a reference to the case number, “No. 90-CV-0957;” (ii) a statement of each reason for the Objection; (iii) the specific ground(s), if any, for each reason, including any legal support, evidence, papers or briefs the Class Member wishes the Court SUMMARY NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT to consider; (iv) the person or persons who will present the Objection at the hearing; and (v) the signature of the responsible official or attorney for the Class Member making the Objection. TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE RAMAH CLASS: PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.