Monday, February 28, 2022 – Native voters face new hurdles
Wisconsin is the latest state to pass a slate of new voting laws that put up barriers for many voters. Native voters and those of color could be disproportionately hindered by the measures. Wisconsin’s governor promised to veto the legislature’s bills. Native voting advocates in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and elsewhere are expressing alarm over new laws that might limit election participation.
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – The Native history of Yellowstone National Park
Long before it was a national park, Yellowstone was an important place for at least two dozen tribes. Documented Native connections to the land go back at least 10,000 years. This year, Yellowstone is marking its 150th year as a federal national park. The dedication by President Ulysses S. Grant was the final blow to unrestricted use of the land by tribes.
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 – Identifying and removing offensive place names
The U.S. Department of Interior identified nearly 700 federal place names using the derogatory term, “squaw”. The list is the most significant step yet in forever removing the term from maps and signposts, much less the lexicon of acceptable place names. Some states are moving ahead with laws to legally force the name change in places not covered by the current federal push.
Thursday, March 3, 2022 – Mitigating the risks of pregnancy
Native mothers are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. The numbers are much worse for urban Native populations. We’ll have pre-natal experts go over the risks and the efforts to improve the troubling statistics.
