Monday, January 14, 2019 – The high cost of heat
Heating bills are projected to be a little higher this winter according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Winter Fuels Outlook. Expect to pay around 3 percent more if you heat with electricity, 5 percent more for gas and 20 percent more for home heating oil. The main reason for the increase is the higher fuel costs. In states like Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where temperatures can drop to -40, heating costs are a major burden and even a safety issue. Tribal programs like the Gwich’in Solar and Energy Efficiency in the Arctic Project and U.S. Government aid, like the Low Income Home Energy
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 – The end of modern-day prohibition
A hundred years before the United States passed a constitutional amendment banning alcohol, Congress banned alcohol sales and production on reservations. The country quickly repealed Prohibition, but the reservation ban remained. That is until President Trump signed the law opening up alcohol manufacturing on Native land in December. For the first time in almost 200 years, tribes can now establish distilleries on reservation land. The Chehalis Tribe already has plans to open a distillery on their reservation in Washington State. Other than the obvious inequity based on race, the main reason to toss the outdated prohibition law is to tap into a growing trend for further economic development.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019 – The Wet’suwet’en stand-off
A tenuous agreement halted a tense, ongoing scuffle between Wet’suwet’en First Nations protesters and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. For now, the hereditary chiefs and members of the Unist’ot’en Camp agree to let workers from TC Energy (formerly TransCanada Corp.) onto unceded territory land in British Columbia slated for gas pipeline construction. The confrontation resulted in 14 arrests after a court ordered the protesters to take down barricades on the main road to the property. The traditional leadership is at odds with the First Nation’s elected chiefs over the pipeline. We’ll get a look at what’s at stake and what’s next in this latest pipeline construction flare-up.
Thursday, January 17, 2019 – Native women take office
The election is over and, after a record year for Native women candidates, it’s time to get down to business. From Congress to state houses to tribal councils, there’s more total Native women representation than at any other time. We’ll hear from some of the new elected leaders about their priorities as they settle into their respective offices. Will increased representation translate to increased action?
Friday, January 18, 2019 – The Indigenous Peoples March
Missing and murdered women, Indian child welfare, oil pipelines, and police abuse are among the many issues marchers hope to address during the first ever Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 people from all over the world to raise awareness of human rights and environmental injustices faced by Indigenous people all over the world.
