COVID-19 created a need for more internet access. On reservations, barriers remain to high-speed broadband.
Posted inHealth Care
Cultural Rights: Tribes Make Difficult Decisions to Balance Safety and Tradition
Earlier this year, 17 members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation went on trial for violating COVID-19 restrictions. In court, they argued that they had a right to practice their traditions. Pandemic restrictions have made it harder for many Native Americans to maintain contact with their culture, some leaders say.
Posted inMMIR
Two Years After Oregon’s MMIWG Legislation, Next Steps Unclear
The COVID-19 pandemic and mismatched databases confound efforts to address failures investigating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Wednesday is a national day of action.
Posted inFood Sovereignty
Bringing Beavers Back to the Beaver State
Oregon tribes are reintroducing a species that creates important habitat for First Foods. But the Beaver State’s laws don’t work in the animal’s favor.
Posted inEconomy
A Financial Lifeline During COVID-19
The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has hit Indian Country particularly hard. Entrepreneurs are turning to small, local lending institutions in a region that’s often outside the reach of traditional banks.
Posted inEconomy
Filling a Financial Gap in Eastern Oregon
As employment by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation drives an economic engine, tribal members and reservation residents lack access to traditional banking. Nixyaawii Community Financial Services is trying to bridge that gap.
Posted inHealth Care
‘Moccasin Telegraph’ Finds New Life as Source of Vaccine Information
Once leery of federal health initiatives, Native Americans embrace COVID-19 vaccines as a way to protect communities and families.
Posted inCulture
Race and Tribal Sovereignty Clash in Congressional Dispute Over Enrollment
Members of Congress are threatening to hold up housing funds for tribes. To the chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, it’s infringing on tribal sovereignty. For those seeking citizenship, it’s a chance to change a ‘system of hidden anti-Black racism.’
Posted inFederal Policy
What Deb Haaland’s Appointment Means
If Rep. Deb Haaland is appointed by Congress, she will oversee the Department of Interior, managing “the earth, mountains, forests, rivers—and Indians”, a federal agency that has upended life for Native Americans for decades.
Posted inReporting
Rural Schools Battled Bad Internet, Low Attendance in the Pandemic. Will Spring Semester Be Better?
Incomplete data show academic slippage as many K-12 students learned from home. The push is now on to return to the classroom — safely.