THE

WEEKLY
May 16, 2024
www.ictnews.org

Remembering
Cole Brings Plenty

Indigenous people continue to honor the Mniconju actor and call for justice Inside this week's
issue of Indian
By Amelia Schafer, ICT + Rapid City Journal
Country Today

RAPID CITY, S.D. – When actress Lily Gladstone made their debut at the Met
Gala on May 6, she chose to use her spotlight to honor Missing and Murdered #SouthDakota
Indigenous People, specifically fellow actor Cole Brings Plenty. South Dakota Gov. Kristi
Noem is now banned from
“It’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People's week and I’m wearing braids all but one reservation in
in my hair for Cole Brings Plenty who passed away recently. He should have the state
graduated from Haskell last week,” Gladstone said in a red carpet-interview.
“Braids for Cole.”
#IndigiPolitics
When Gladstone graced the red carpet, the Siksikaitsitapii and Nimíipuu Take a A look at this year's
actress donned two long black braids in honor of Brings Plenty, whose hair election numbers
was reportedly cut before he was found dead on April 5.

“Our pȟehíŋ, our hair, is so sacred,” said Candi Brings Plenty, Cole’s cousin. #GlobalIndigenous
“It’s how we’re connected to our ancestors and to the Spirit. The fact that they Catch up on the latest news
cut his hair, essentially, is beyond what in colonial terms is a hate crime. It from Indigenous issues
severed his connection to the ancestors.” around the world

Brings Plenty, a Mniconju Lakota actor from the Cheyenne River Reservation in
South Dakota, was most well known for his role as Pete Plenty Clouds in the Read more here
“Yellowstone” prequel series “1923.”
LOWER BRULE SIOUX BANS
SOUTH DAKOTA
GOVERNOR
By Amelia Schafer ICT The WEEKLY
ICT + Rapid City Journal May 16, 2024

The tribe’s decision May 15 means all but one of South Dakota’s tribes have banned Kristi Noem from
entering their lands

RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from all but one reservation in the
state following a May 15 vote taken by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.

During a regular tribal council meeting, the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in central South Dakota voted to
banish the governor until further notice.

"She was banned for the statements she made in regards to our Native youth, their parents and the
blatantly disrespectful and hurtful words she's stated about the tribes," Chairman Clyde Estes told ICT
and the Rapid City Journal. "There have been a lot of untruths and we do not take kindly to those. We
stand in solidarity with our Oceti Sakowin tribes in South Dakota."

So far, all eight tribes that have banned the governor have cited her offensive statements made on Jan.
31, March 13 and March 26. Many tribes were also offended by Noem showing up uninvited and
unannounced to a quarterly meeting regarding Pe'Sla — land sacred to the Oceti Sakowin — on March
29.

"We remain hopeful she will retract her statements and issue an apology. In the meantime, we'll be
praying for her," Estes said.

On Tuesday, the Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Council voted unanimously to ban Noem from entering its
central South Dakota reservation. The Yankton Sioux Tribe banned Noem on May 10, and the Sisseton
Wahpeton Oyate banned her May 7.
Read more here
RENOWNED NATIVE LEADER
TO BE HONORED FOR
SERVICE

By Amelia Schafer ICT The WEEKLY

ICT + Rapid City Journal May 16, 2024

A. Gay Kingman to be inducted into South Dakota Hall of Fame in September

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Arlouine Gay Kingman smiled bashfully, flanked by her granddaughter and son, as
her name was announced during the Rapid City South Dakota Hall of Fame gathering on May 2. Dressed
in a ribbon skirt with a beaded blazer, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe citizen represented her people as
one of the few Indigenous people in the room.

Kingman, executive director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association, has made a massive
impact on Indian Country over the span of her six-decade career and doesn’t plan on stopping soon.

“My life has always been to work for the people and do whatever I can do to protect our sovereignty,
that’s the main thing,” Kingman said. “I’ll never be out of a job because protecting our sovereignty is
ongoing.”

Of the 782 Hall of Fame inductees, about 45 are Native American, said South Dakota Hall of Fame CEO
Laurie Becvar.

“We’re so happy about Gay’s (induction),” Becvar said. “Gay is known for her hard work and results-
driven approach, she’s a trailblazer.”

Before she was fighting for Native American rights in Washington D.C., Kingman was an educator. She
taught for eight years, spending time on the Cheyenne River Reservation where she grew up, in Oglala,
South Dakota and in the Minneapolis Public School System. After which she was a principal, a
superintendent and a college president. After 26 years, she moved into a career in public service.

Read more here

INDIGIPOLITICS:
NATIVE VOTE 2024

ICT The WEEKLY

By Pauly Denetclaw
May 16, 2024

A look at this year's election numbers *Corrected

LAS VEGAS — A decade ago, ICT editor-at-large Mark Trahant asked a simple question to the National
Council of State Legislatures: How many Native Americans are serving in state legislatures?

They didn’t know the answer.

“At that point, I realized we needed to start measuring where people were, and what they were doing,
and then use that as a base to measure what success looks like,” Trahant said during ICT’s Native Vote
2024 panel at this year’s Reservation Economic Summit.

So Trahant started a database to track Native Americans and Alaska Natives who held local, state and
federal seats.

“I would write about somebody and immediately I'd hear from somebody else saying, have you thought
about blank, and the list grew very quickly and became pretty comprehensive quickly,” Trahant said. “We
still have so much more work to do. We have really good data on congressional, judicial, some other
races, but there's just so many races that we need to be able to put down in writing. So, we can
measure. School boards, for example.”

These are the roots of ICT’s Indigenous Candidate Database. A database I managed during the 2022
midterm election. I became an expert in how many candidates were running for office in each state. I
could recite the numbers with ease.

For another election year, alongside our partners at Advance Native Political Leadership, we are again
tracking Indigenous candidates running for local, state and federal elections.
Read more here
ICE JAMS CAUSE FLOODING
ON MIGHTY KUSKOKWIM
RIVER IN WESTERN ALASKA

ICT The WEEKLY

By Joaqlin Estus
May 16, 2024

‘Most of the houses were surrounded and we had some gravel roads washed out’

Last week a chunk of ice, an estimated 13 miles long and hundreds of feet across, got jammed as it
floated down the Kuskokwim River in western Alaska. Water piled up behind it and overflowed the
riverbanks, spilling out onto the tundra, up tributaries, and into half a dozen communities on the river.

Even as the ice jam moved downriver it continued to flood villages. Hydrologist Dave Streubel with the
Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center told the Anchorage Daily News water levels reached their highest
point since 2005 in Bethel, a hub community of 6,000. People were told to avoid the riverfront for safety
reasons. The Anchorage Daily News reports “about a foot of standing water was reported around a
number of houses in two subdivisions Friday,” according to City Clerk Lori Strickler. Several gravel and
dirt roads were also washed out. People got around by wading through water or in boats.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Ottenweller told ICT that “anecdotal reports that we've
had from the teams that are on the ground is that Kwethluk probably saw the most significant water
rises and probably had the most inundation in terms of any kind of property or damage. They still
remain under a flood warning (Tuesday) because of the high water, and it has not come down as
quickly as it has in say, Napakiak or Bethel.”

David Epchook, Yup’ik, is the acting Incident commander in Kwethluk, a village of almost 800. He said
at its peak, “most of the houses were surrounded and we had some gravel roads washed out making
vehicle travel on those really dangerous. So we had to close down the road to the airport until Sunday
afternoon around 3:00 p.m.” Passengers who arrived on incoming flights were carried to their homes
via boat. Water service was also shut down temporarily due to a severed line.

Read more here

 Invest Indigenous
Welcome to IndiJ Public Media’s Invest Indigenous spotlight! This month, join us in celebrating
Native Philanthropy Day on May 17th.

We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit empowering ICT to share more stories from Indigenous communities,
told by Indigenous voices.

When you “invest Indigenous,” you make a big impact. Your contributions fuel our growth as we
continue covering issues our communities care about most. Together, let’s continue sharing
meaningful stories from across the Indigenous world. Show your support by donating now!
'I UNDERSTAND HOW
FAMILIES ARE FEELING’

By Jarrette Werk ICT The WEEKLY

Underscore News + Report for America May 16, 2024

Dawn Pullin, Spokane Tribe of Indians citizen, talks about her work since becoming the tribal liaison for
Washington State Patrol in 2020

Warning: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives

Washington State has the second highest number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives
cases in the country, according to a study by the Urban Indian Health Institute. Dawn Pullin, the tribal
liaison for the Washington State Patrol, plays a role in the solution to this crisis that dates back to first
contact with colonial settlers.

The Washington State Patrol actively tracks and updates missing Indigenous persons cases. As of
April 24, there were more than 120 active cases of missing Indigenous people in the state.

Pullin, a citizen of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, is the person who answers the phone when an
Indigenous person goes missing in Washington. House Bill 1713, a 2019 measure aimed at improving
law enforcement response to missing and murdered Native American women, created her position.
She stepped into her role as tribal liaison for the Washington State Patrol in December of 2020.

Pullin, who grew up mainly on the Spokane Indian Reservation, knows firsthand the importance of
helping families with missing and murdered loved ones. When she was 20 years old, her mother Gloria
J. White was murdered. Pullin says the trauma caused by losing a loved one to violence is what
motivates her to help others.

“I know one of the reasons that I'm here is because I want to make a difference and I want to be part of
the solution,” Pullin said. “I have direct experience, so I bring to the table the empathy and
compassion, and I understand how families are feeling. That's why I want to help.”
Read more here
 GLOBAL INDIGENOUS:
TIBETAN LANGUAGE
UNDER ATTACK

ICT The WEEKLY

By Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
May 16, 2024

Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues

Around the world: Bowel cancer risk surges among younger Māori, Sichuan schools prohibit students from
speaking Tibetan, Métis beadworker Jennine Krauchi receives prestigious award, and Sámi museum wins
2024 European Museum of the Year Award.

NEW ZEALAND: Bowel cancer risk surges

Recent studies from the University of Otago, Christchurch, indicate a troubling increase in colorectal cancer
among young New Zealanders, with Māori facing an even higher risk, Te Ao Maori News reported on May 9.

Study lead author Dr. Oliver Waddell noted that while the overall rate of bowel cancer among Māori is lower
than in the general population, the incidence in Māori under 50 is climbing more rapidly than in other
groups.

"If these increases continue unchecked, Māori colorectal cancer rates could surpass those of the general
population," Waddell said.

In 2020, 18 percent of all Māori colorectal cancer cases were individuals younger than 50, compared to 8.5
percent in the overall population. "The overall incidence of bowel cancer remains stable. However, in
younger demographics, under the age of 50, we're observing a significant rise – about 26 percent every 10
years," Waddell said, according to Te Ao Māori News.

Despite colorectal cancer primarily affecting older adults, the study showed a decline of 18 percent per
decade in the 50-79 age group within the general population, whereas rates remained unchanged for Māori.

Read more here

Work with our team! Under its parent company IndiJ Public Media, ICT is
currently seeking a videography partner to support a 2024 branding
initiative.

Learn more and submit a quote at

https://ictnews.org/classified/request-for-quote-videography.
BUILDING BRIDGES FOR
COMMUNITY
ICT The WEEKLY
By Renata Birkenbuel
May 16, 2024

First Alaska Native civil engineer to graduate Columbia University despite main-stage commencement
cancellation

Soon-to-be civil engineer Charitie Ropati, Yup’ ik and Samoan, plans to build bridges in more ways than one
for her community back home in Kongiganak, Alaska.

Reportedly the first Alaska Native to graduate from Columbia University in her chosen field, Ropati already
has a key job lined up back home, working for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

“I'm really excited and just incredibly honored,” Ropati told ICT on Friday about representing her state and
tribe as the first graduate in the discipline.

“But then also it was like, whoa, 'cause when you're from Alaska, you meet a lot of Native people, Native
women especially who study engineering,” she said. “And so it felt almost heavy, but then I was like, ‘This
is okay. Being the first means that there'll be more women and girls going into this in the future.’ And so
that’s been my mindset.”

She and 16 peers – more women than men – graduate Monday in Columbia’s civil engineering department
since administration canceled the main-stage commencement following a intense weeks of sometimes
violent Pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

Her civil engineering department will instead graduate off-campus at the Baker Athletics Complex 100
blocks north in Manhattan, where the Columbia Lions athletic teams compete.

Serendipitously, the Senior Expo coincides with graduation this year, which thrills Ropati. Her team created
a bridge and school design project focused on climate infrastructure for vulnerable communities in Alaska
– not unlike what her first job will entail.
Read more here
NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL
TRAINS MODERN
INDIGENOUS HEALERS
By Felix Clary ICT The WEEKLY
ICT + Tulsa World May 16, 2024

The Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation is the country’s first
tribally affiliated medical school

TULSA, Okla. – Indigenous people have always had healers. They gathered herbs and other plants to
treat injuries and diseases, long before Europeans landed on the shores of Turtle Island.

They continue to do so in tribal communities across the country, their prayers floating into the heavens
along with the smoke from their sacred herbs.

A new partnership between an Oklahoma tribe and a land-grant university is preparing today’s healers
– Indigenous doctors – to serve Native communities. The Tahlequah campus of Oklahoma State
University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine will celebrate its inaugural class of 46 students at its May
16 spring commencement.

Located in the seat of the Cherokee Nation, the school is the first tribally affiliated medical school in
the U.S.

Choctaw citizen Ashton Glover will walk the stage May 16 to accept her medical degree. She said her
education took her across the country, including to Alaska and to Ada, Oklahoma, where she completed
her pediatric certification at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center.

“They talked a lot about what the tribe has done to accommodate those who are practicing traditional
medicine,” she said. “They allow medicine healers to come into the hospital for ceremonies, and they
have a funding allowance to help support death and burial ceremonies, which is not covered by
western health insurance.”
Read more here
 LILY GLADSTONE INSPIRES
WITH UNLIKELY ROUTE TO SUCCESS
ICT The WEEKLY
By Renata Birkenbuel and Kolby KickingWoman
May 16, 2024

The Academy Award nominee receives an

honorary doctorate and encouraged grads
to follow their hearts in commencement
speech

Lily Gladstone has always followed her heart

and soul.

Stepping to the podium wearing a stand-up

headdress, Gladstone encouraged the class of 2024 to do the same.

Gladstone noted, however, it was not the same headdress given to her during Lily Gladstone Day in
Browning, Montana in March. The headdress belonged to fellow Women’s Stand-Up Headdress Society
member, Theda New Breast.

“TSA is not kind to ceremonial items, to sacred items, and we have to be very protective of these so mine is
protected safe at home, close to my parents,” Gladstone quipped.

The Siksikaitsitapii and Nimíipuu actress is an alumna of the university and was recruited by Ivy League
schools, yet Montana had what she was looking for.

Ultimately, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and acting and directing and a minor in Native
American studies in 2008.

While acting peers headed off to Los Angeles and New York in search of a big break in show business, Lily
instead chose community and home.

“There was everything that I wanted here, but mostly my compass was pointing me home,” Gladstone said.

Read more here

WATCH THE ICT NEWSCAST ICT The WEEKLY
WITH ALIYAH CHAVEZ! May 16, 2024

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ICT The WEEKLY CLASSIFIEDS May 16, 2024