https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-democrats-who-voted-pass-save-act-2058404
The move will disenfranchise troops overseas, #NativeAmericans, #marriedwomen whose name does not match their birth certificate, and #disabled people who cannot physically get to a #voterregistration location to show their proof.
The following four Democrats voted to pass the bill through Congress:
#RepJaredGolden, #MEpol
#RepMarieGluesenkampPerez, #WApol
#RepHenryCuellar, #TXpol
#RepEdCase, HIpol
The Trump administration’s revocation of Executive Order 14112, which aimed to strengthen tribal sovereignty and streamline federal support for Tribal Nations, has sparked concern among Native leaders who see the move as a setback for self-determination and government-to-government relations.
Faculty Focus - USM’s Dr. #DavidShaneLowry
April 25, 2024
"Meet Dr. David Shane Lowry, the new anthropology professor at the University of Southern Maine, who teaches classes at the Gorham and Portland campuses. Lowry is a member of the #Lumbee tribe of #NorthCarolina, and is the first Native (Indigenous) tenure-track professor at USM.
"Starting at MIT and finishing his doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill, Lowry went on to be the Distinguished Fellow in Native American Studies at MIT, and Visiting Senior Fellow in the School of Social Policy at Brandeis University, before accepting a tenure-track position at the University of Southern Maine.
"During his undergraduate at MIT, he envisioned himself becoming an engineer, be it civil, mechanical, or chemical, but he couldn’t shake an idea that he 'should begin to tell stories.' Like so many students, Lowry took one class that changed everything. In his case it was an anthropology course. He kept up with his science courses as well, studying and eventually working in healthcare before embarking on a doctorate.
"Lowry recalls working in pharmacy in North Carolina in 2003 during the Iraq war, and seeing the maimed soldiers returning, 'they were living side by side with Lumbee people who were also maimed from other conditions, different types of violence, different types of disease states etcetera.'
"In the United States, Native American communities tend to be made into industrial dumping grounds and sites of environmental degradation. The effects of this on the health of Lumbee people that Lowry witnessed led to his doctoral research, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, studying health, healing, and dying in the Lumbee community. Lowry completed this doctorate degree in five years – a notable accomplishment by any measure, and indicative of his sense of purpose.
"Lowry describes coming to Maine as an opportunity. Maine has a deep history as well as numerous contemporary issues that it is working through in regards to Native American communities who live here. Lowry is working to build bridges, raise awareness, create discussions, and be the best educator and resource that he can be for his students.
"Lowry leads the #IndigenousRelationshipLab (IRL) at USM, which focuses on issues of #justice and #remattering. That second word, ‘remattering,’ warrants a little explanation. Native people once mattered in this country, in that the United State’s founding fathers feared them and saw a need to clear them away so that their land could be taken and put to different uses by non-Native peoples. In the years since, Native American issues have too often fallen by the wayside; this has been so much the case that a 2018 study found that 40% of Americans didn’t know that Native people still existed or that they were oppressed. Remattering is in one sense the work of making this topic, and these people, matter again. Today, an estimated 2.5% of Maine’s population are Native people whose existence here goes back more than 12,000 – perhaps 125,000 years.
"One current issue in Maine focuses on LD 2004, a bill which was vetoed in 2023, but would have restored access to federal protections for the Indigenous tribal nations that make up the #WabanakiConfederacy, and worked to reinstate their #sovereignty. Tribes in Maine are currently treated as municipalities under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980, which makes Maine’s relationships with the tribes an outlier in the United States.
"Essentially, of the small portions of land the United States government reserved or held in trust for #NativeAmericans, what we call reservations, the Indigenous peoples of Maine, #Wabanaki Peoples, have severely limited control over the land that is set aside for their nations."
Source:
https://www.gorhamtimes.com/usms-david-shane-lowry/
#LandBack #IndigenousNews #DavidLowry #IndigenousVoices
HHS attacks Indian Health Services.
"...an insult to those health care professionals in the Indian Health Service who dedicate their lives to providing health care services on tribal lands."
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5354219/nih-hhs-cdc-indian-health-service-leaders-transfer
#HHS #Healthcare #DOGE #NativeAmericans
#PortlandME - TONIGHT!
"All are welcome and invited to attend a free screening of the Upstander Project's documentary film, #Dawnland, hosted by the USM Libraries and Learning Outreach Committee.
A"fter the film, there will be a Talk-Back and Q and A with the film's director, Adam Mazo (who will join us live, virtually). "
Details:
Date: Wednesday, April 2nd
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: Talbot Hall, Luther-Bonney, USM Portland Campus
Add it to your calendar here.
"Light refreshments available. Please share with students, colleagues, friends, etc."
About the film:
"For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to 'save them from being Indian.' In Maine, the first official Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States begins a historic investigation. Dawnland goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.
"Dawnland aired on Independent Lens on PBS in November 2018 and 2021, reaching more than two million viewers. The film won a national Emmy® Award for Outstanding Research in 2019 and made the American Library Association’s list of 2020 Notable Videos for Adults."
Maine #TruthAndReconciliation #WabanakiReach #StolenChildren #BoardingSchools #CulturalGenocide #NativeAmericans #Film
Trump pardoned (commuted, technically) another financial fraudster: Jason Galanis, who testified against Hunter Biden while serving a 14 year sentence for defrauding a bunch of native americans out of tens of millions of dollars.
Sioux Indian and activist Zitkala Sa taken by Gertrude Käsebier
#ZitkalaSa #NativeAmericans #photography #GertrudeKäsebier
The Northern Cheyenne Tribe pioneered air quality monitoring in 1974, pushing for enhanced protections that influenced the 1977 #CleanAirAct amendments. This paved the way for communities nationwide to claim greater pollution protections. https://buff.ly/xImoAaT
#NativeAmericans
The Seminole Wars: What Were the Causes and Outcomes?
The Seminoles were an Native American tribe that lived in Florida. The wars between them and the United States for territorial control began in the 19th century.
https://www.thecollector.com/the-seminole-wars-causes-and-outcomes/
Books about the Seminoles at PG:
March Madness, the college basketball tournament that grips sports fans across the United States each year, began this week. But one of the most compelling stories from college basketball happened last month when Adam Strom learned he’d been fired as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Haskell Indian Nations University. The abrupt action was part of the massive layoffs being carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and empowered by President Donald Trump. Strom stayed on as a volunteer to see his team through to the end of the season. “We're not just playing for the name across our chest or on our back,’’ he said. “We're playing for our ethnic background. … We’re playing for Indian Country.’’ Read more from @USAToday:
The Choctaw donation to Ireland during the Great Famine is well known.
But it turns out that wasn't an isolated incident. Tons of Native Americans and First Nations donated what little they had, and they absolutely did not have to do that. Some truly heartbreaking letters there, lamenting that they can't afford to give any more.
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0317/1502457-canada-ireland-famine/
Chloé Zhao – „The Rider“ (2017)
Eigentlich hätte schon „The Rider“ den Oscar für den besten Film gewinnen müssen. Stattdessen bekam Chloé Zhao ihn erst drei Jahre später, für ihren Film „Nomadland“ (2020). Wenn Sie mich fragen, verdient! Doch „The Rider“ bleibt der eine Film, den ich niemals vergessen werde und den Sie nicht verpassen sollten.
#Trump’s federal cuts threaten #Indigenous communities
They told U.S. House lawmakers that the administration’s “chainsaw approach” to government cuts will disproportionately harm #IndianCountry
by Shondiin Silversmith, Mar 6, 2025
"From securing funding for #IndianHealth Services and ongoing #WaterSettlements to increasing investments in infrastructure, education and law enforcement, many Indigenous leaders and organizations are raising the alarm about the devastation that federal funding cuts could bring for #NativeAmericans.
"More than 60 tribal leaders and organizations from across Indian Country testified over three days to a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee on the federal funding needs of Indigenous people and their communities nationwide.
"'I know there’s never enough funding to go around,' Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said, and he appreciates how the subcommittee has consistently set aside several days to hear Indian Country’s funding priorities.
"'It is the process that starts the funding decisions for tribal programs, staffing and priorities for this administration,' he added. Tribal leaders and organizations gave five-minute testimonies to the subcommittee from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27.
"Lewis used his five minutes to discuss the Trump administration’s actions and their impact on his community.
"There is 'real fear' within tribal communities about what is happening in Washington, D.C., he said, referencing the freezing of federal funding and the mass firing of federal employees across the government.
[...]
"He added that the cuts are being made without considering how they will impact services. Rather than making the government more efficient and effective, it is 'creating a federal workforce that is paralyzed by fear.'
"Lewis called the administration’s actions #destabilizing and said they will have a disproportionate impact on Indian Country.
"'The government-to-government relationship is only as strong as our federal partner,' he said. 'And right now, there is a real concern that the federal side of this partnership has the real potential of being dismantled.'"
Read more:
https://ictnews.org/news/tribal-leaders-sound-alarm-as-trumps-federal-cuts-threaten-indigenous-communities-
#USPol #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #RespectTheTreaties #USGovtCleanUpYourMess #UraniumMining #UraniumMilling #IndigenousHealth #IndigenousNews #BadDOGE #DOGE #HealthCare
Park of the Canals in Mesa, Arizona
This massive, ancient canal system was built using only sticks and stones.#botanicalgardens #canals #mormons #nativeamericans #section-Atlas
Park of the Canals
#NativeAmericaCalling: A new wave of resistance against #Trans #Native relatives
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
"Trans #NativeAmericans face a new wave of #resistance
"Iowa is testing new legal limits as the first state to remove gender identity as a protected class in the state’s civil rights code.
"The Trump administration is also removing transgender service personnel from the military. And the State Department is using existing law against #fraud to bar foreign #TransgenderAthletes from entering the country, something critics worry could be used to ban any trans traveler.
"After years of progress, Native American trans residents are facing a major rollback of favorable laws and policies. Tune in to hear about the current public climate and what might be in store for the future."
Listen:
https://soundcloud.com/indianz/two-spirit-ncai-ecws2025
Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dtU6nDFD0f7eupqihE4Rg?go=1&sp_cid=b834467a3894c08ce4d3b77ae608fd50&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=1452335958d041a6
#Resist #ResistFascism #ResistColonialism #GBLTQRights #NativeAmericans #USPol #Decolonization #Decolonize
#Arizona #TwoSpirit #Powwow empowers community amid growing #AntiTrans legislation
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
By Brandelyn Clark
"The Arizona Two Spirit Powwow returned to #PhoenixArizona on Saturday, February 22, to spotlight Indigenous #LGBTQ+ and two-spirit people for a day of cultural celebration and community.
"Hosted at South Mountain Community College, the event welcomed dancers, drum groups and attendees from across the region. More than just a traditional gathering, the powwow allowed two-spirit individuals to celebrate their identities and honor their place in Indigenous culture.
“'This (powwow) is a perfect example of a #SafeSpace for people to come and dance in whatever category they want to dance in, dress the way that they feel good about themselves, love who they want to love, and they are safe here. This tells the community we are here, we are here for you,' Sheila Lopez said.
"Lopez is the founder of Arizona’s first Two Spirit Powwow and the first Native chapter of #PFLAG, which bills itself as the country’s largest advocacy organization that supports LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.
"President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions have left #transgender and two-spirit communities uncertain about their rights and recognition going forward.
"'It is super important right now with the administration, what they’re doing to pretty much wipe away trans people. It’s super critical right now for us to continue to show up in the community, to say we’re here, we’re not going anywhere and you can’t erase us, period,' Lopez said."
Read more:
https://indianz.com/News/2025/03/04/cronkite-news-two-spirit-powwow-brings-community-together-for-celebration/
#Resist #ResistFascism #ResistColonialism #GBLTQRights #TwoSpiritPowwow #NativeAmericans #USPol #Decolonization #Decolonize #Powwows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-sKdknDSDU
Jordan speaks to a freed 
attorney #StevenDonziger
EXTREMELY DISTURBING: #StandingRockTrial an ASSAULT on #NativeAmericans, Protest
5 week trial
[Thread] Unfortunately, South Dakota #HB1258 was defeated [which would have put more restrictions on #LithiumMining]... And I knew Burgum would betray #NativeAmericans (even though he promised not to).
‘Unleashing American Energy’: Mining and Drilling Accelerated Under Trump Administration
By Angelica (Angie) Solloa • February 12, 2025
"You may have heard that #DebHaaland (Laguna Pueblo) transitioned out of her role as the US Secretary of the Department of Interior and announced her candidacy for Governor New Mexico. Her successor, former North Dakota Governor #DougBurgum, is steadfast in carrying out Trump’s Executive Order 14154 '#UnleashingAmericanEnergy' which aims to accelerate #mining and drilling on federal and #TribalLands.
"On February 3rd, Doug Burgum released this document which outlines all the revoked projects and programs intended to protect land and the people; giving a pathway for #MiningCompanies to hit the ground running across Turtle Island.
"In the #BlackHills, the #SacredLands of the #Lakota Peoples’, mining and drilling companies aren’t hesitating to cash out. Currently, South Dakota House Bill 1258 is under consideration by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where it will come to a vote this Thursday, February 13th. Community members and citizens of the area were given just six days’ notice.
WHAT IS HB 1258?
"The passage of South Dakota House Bill 1258 would hold lithium mining to the same standards and laws as silver and gold. Under the current law, lithium mining is treated like mining for sand and gravel, and there are not enough protections for human #health, #food systems, #water, #wildlife, and the #land.
"HB 1258 would offer more accountability and appropriate processes for mining companies that would better protect the land, the people, and the economy of the #Ȟesápa. #NDNCollective, alongside partner the #BlackHillsCleanWaterAlliance, collaborated to spread the word as fast as possible, calling on relatives to swiftly take action ahead of Thursday, February 13th."
Read more:
https://ndncollective.org/unleashing-american-energy-mining-and-drilling-accelerated-under-trump-administration/
#ProtectTheBlackHills #ProtectTheSacred #DefendTheSacred #NoMiningWithoutConsent #EnvironmentalRacism #DrillBabyDrill #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LeaveItInTheGround #CorporateColonialism #USPol #NoLithiumMining #DefendMotherEarth
Not to mention that #Oiligarchs are eyeing #PublicLands for #Drilling!
A fired #NationalPark ranger lost his dream job. He says the public is losing more
February 17, 2025
"Brian Gibbs lost his job as a national park ranger on Friday.
"He was working as an environmental educator at the #EffigyMounds #NationalMonument in northeast #Iowa. It was his 'dream job,' he wrote in a widely shared post on Facebook. The monument is the site of mounds made of earth, built by ancient #NativeAmericans, that form shapes of animals.
"The 41-year-old father learned of his termination on Valentine's Day. 'I am absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated,' he wrote.
"Gibbs is one of about 1,000 #NationalParkService employees who were fired this past week. Parks advocates say the layoffs could leave national parks understaffed going into a busy spring break."
Read more:
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/17/nx-s1-5298684/national-park-ranger-trump-job-cuts-nps?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
#ProtectTheParks #NPS #MoreParksLessOligarchs
"Tribal Bison Ranchers Return Thousands of Animals to Native Lands and Witness an Ecosystem Rejuvenate"
