TANF Newsletter Six Native American Women Win Seats in Congress And

Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association TANF Newsletter Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families December 2020 – Volume 23 Issue 12 An Abundance of Books: Stories about Native Americans through the Ages, for all ages By Gary P. Taylor, SCTCA TANF One of the few upsides to so many children staying home from school through the fall and early winter is they now have an opportunity to read more than ever. And so it is for Native American children as well. With COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continuing to wreak havoc on school schedules, students of all ages can read about Native Americans through the ages – biographies, fiction, non-fiction, historical accounts, poetry and countless other stories. “Research shows that low-income students’ achievement gap grows (when out of school) compared to their peers,” said Karin Giron said, Education Coordinator at Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) TANF Escondido . “The easiest way to combat the achievement gap is to encourage children to read. It's important for children to read because it allows their brain to continue to exercise, by using their imagination, improving their vocabulary and reading comprehension.” Giron said children should find some way to read throughout the months they are at home and out of school. Nicole Butticci-Weston, who is the Education Coordinator at SCTCA TANF San Diego, said parents can also help their children by following a few reading steps. “Just like playing a sport or learning a new instrument requires practice, reading skills must be exercised, too,” said Butticci- Weston. She provided suggestions to encourage children to Author Sherman Alexie, left, signing a book for an Iipay Nation student in 2017 practice their reading skills: (Continued on page 6) Six Native American Women Win Seats in Congress and in State Legislatures Contributed by the National Indian Women’s Resource Center Six Native American women from The women elected are Deb Haaland Kansas and New Mexico won four and Yvette Herrell from New Mexico Congressional and two state legislative and Sharice Davids, Christina Haswood, seats in the November election. Ponka-We Victors and Stephanie Byers The women – three Democrats and from Kansas. Haaland and Davids three Republicans – represent the were both re-elected to Congress, largest number of Congressional and as was We Victors. Herrell also won state legislative seats ever won by her congressional race. Haswood and Native Americans in a single nationwide Byers won election to the Kansas state election. legislature. (Continued on page 2) Deb Halland LA OL BA J N A D L L S U EST. 1875 I N S E I A Ñ O I N D 1 (Continued from page 1) Six Native American Women Win Seats in Congress and in State Legislatures The Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) sends a (SCTCA) publishes the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Newsletter throughout the year at: stronghearted congratulations to all of the Indigenous leaders elected SCTCA / TANF to the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as our appreciation P.O. Box 1470 to all of the American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians Valley Center, CA 92082 E-mail: [email protected] who participated in their democracy by casting their votes this year. (760) 746-0901 Ext. 100 “Indigenous representation matters, especially when we are talking about visibility of Native women in positions at the highest levels of federal and state The newsletter is designed and printed by Tribal Print Source, a division of SCTCA. government,” said NIWRC Executive Director Lucy Simpson, a citizen of the Navajo Nation. “We are humbled by the sheer force and resiliency of these The purpose of the Tribal TANF Newsletter is to provide the tribal communities with information about services Native women who so bravely stepped forward to be an Indigenous voice on provided by the TANF Programs and other important issues the legislative stage. Native women are the matriarchs in our communities, and concerning our rural/urban communities and families. the results of this year’s elections showed the restoration of our value of holding SCTCA provides services to San Diego and Santa Barbara women and their leadership as sacred.” Counties and the following reservations: NIWRC is honored to recognize these Indigenous leaders who will serve: Agua Caliente La Posta San Pasqual Barona Los Coyotes Santa Rosa Cahuilla Manzanita Santa Ysabel • Rep. Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), New Mexico House of Representatives, Campo Mesa Grande Santa Ynez Ewiiaapaayp Pala Soboba District 1 - retained her seat for a second term and is one of the first Native Inaja/Cosmit Pauma Sycuan American women elected to Congress Jamul Rincon Torres Martinez • Rep. Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk), Kansas House of Representatives - re-elected La Jolla San Manuel Viejas for a second term and is one of the first Native women elected to Congress • Rep. Yvette Herrell (Cherokee), New Mexico House of Representatives, PLEASE NOTE: District 2 - now making the state’s delegates two-thirds Indigenous No articles or pictures published in the SCTCA TANF Newsletter may be reprinted or used in any manner • Rep. Christina Haswood (Diné), Kansas House of Representatives, District 10 - without the expressed written permission of SCTCA. will serve as the youngest member of the state’s legislature and the third Native SCTCA is not responsible for any errors / mistakes on American representative in Kansas’ history submissions added to our newsletter. • Rep. Ponka-We Victors (Tohono O’odham and Ponca), Kansas House of Publisher: SCTCA Representatives, District 103 - re-elected to serve a sixth term Editor: Gary Taylor • Rep. Stephanie Byers (Chickasaw), Kansas House of Representatives, District SCTCA Newsletter Contributor: Karin Giron Contributor: Colleen Turner, Editor and Contributor, 1998-2018 86 - the first openly transgender Native American lawmaker in the U.S. Printers: Tribal Print Source Copyright ©2020 As these Indigenous leaders prepare to begin work in their state or on Capitol Hill, they are truly serving as a symbol of hope and inspiration to future generations of Native youth to make change for their communities. These Indigenous leaders also have a unique opportunity to provide perspective on Indigenous issues, in particular the high rates of violence against Native women and children, a group that Ponka-We Victors Yvette Herrell Christina Haswood is often invisible in American culture due to stereotypes and attempts at erasure of Native identities. ending violence against American Indian, Alaska Native, Native We also wish to congratulate Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis Hawaiian women and children. We remain dedicated to restoring (Isleta Pueblo), who retained her seat on the Washington safety to Native women by upholding tribal sovereignty tribes Supreme Court. Montoya-Lewis is the first Native American and will continue to call for bipartisan efforts to implement justice to be appointed to Washington’s highest court and policy provisions to protect Native communities from violence. the second Native American justice in the United States. NIWRC is a non-partisan nonprofit organization committed to 2 In 2020 Census, Native American Tribes –––– DISPATCHES –––– fear an Undercount A Native Christmas By Gary P. Taylor, SCTCA TANF The year 2020 has been anything but normal or predictable. So it shouldn’t be too surprising neither is America’s 2020 Census. All across the nation, response to the once- a- decade counting of the United States population has been hampered, delayed or complicated by COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its repercussions. That is also true among Native American tribes throughout the country, including in the Southern California region. As of mid-November, the response rate among Indians both on and off the reservation has been lower than the count 10 years ago, according to state and county officials. In some cases, the count is significantly lower. The undercount of Native Americans has been a concern among local tribal officials throughout the year, especially after the COVID pandemic began to sweep across the nation in mid-March. Editor’s note: “A Native Christmas” was first published in the “We simply cannot face an undercount of on- or off-reservation Native December 2017 issue of the SCTCA TANF Newsletter. It was one peoples. This will be a huge hit to our ancestry — slowly extinguishing of former SCTCA TANF Newsletter Editor Colleen Turner’s favorite the recognition we desperately deserve,” Samuel Q, Brown, treasurer of stories. She died in February of 2018, and we publish excerpts of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, said in April. “An undercount for us this story again in her memory. also means a devastating impact to essential services we need to thrive, such as health care, school resources, infrastructure improvements and By Looks for Buffalo and Sandie Lee so much more.” European Christmas for Native Americans actually started when the Europeans came over to America. They taught the That sentiment was echoed in a piece published in May in the San Indian about Christianity, gift-giving, and St. Nicholas. There are Diego Union-Tribune by tribal leaders Bo Mazzetti and Robert Smith. actually two religious types of Indian people in existence. One of Mazzetti is Chairman of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians and Smith is these is the Traditionalist, usually full-blooded Indians that grew the Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians. up on the reservations. The second type is the Contemporary In their commentary, Mazzetti and Smith noted that “Southern Indian that grew up in an urban area, usually of mixed blood, and California is home to the largest percentage of tribal governments in brought up with Christian philosophy. the state and has more reservations than any county in the country. Traditionalists are raised to respect the Christian Star and the Particularly, San Diego is home to many on- and off-reservation Native birth of the first Indian Spiritual Leader.

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