Underscore Native News

In an interview with Underscore Native News + ICT, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek reaffirmed her commitments to the Native nations in Oregon, including addressing the MMIP crisis, improving nation-to-nation consultation and the potential for Land Back action. This spring, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek promised to visit all nine federally recognized Native nations across the state. So far, she has visited eight and attended the annual Tribal-State Government-to-Government Summit in July. That time marked a span of months when Kotek heard from Native leadership across the state. In an interview on Aug. 14, Underscore Native News + ICT followed up on those conversations, asking Kotek to clarify her commitments to Native nations and Indigenous community members in Oregon. She expressed a commitment to strengthening sovereign-to-sovereign consultation, pointing to the new state task force on tribal consultation and acknowledged that the structure of the legislative session makes proper consultation difficult. Consultation is better when it happens before potential policies are even introduced in the legislature, she said. Read the full Q&A below. ✍ - Nika Bartoo-Smith for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) & Karina Brown for Underscore Native News 📸 + 📽 - Deborah Bloom for Underscore Native News https://lnkd.in/gSrhxxUm

Oregon grapples with limited transparency and data gaps, as unpublicized guidelines from the federal coordinator in Oregon on missing and murdered Indigenous people and inconsistent reporting from Oregon State Police hinder effective understanding and accountability for MMIP. *Part one of this series detailed the investigation of the disappearance of Wilma Acosta, an unenrolled Pascua Yaqui woman who went missing in Portland in November. Portland police announced Acosta had “suicidal ideations,” despite repeated denials of that claim from Acosta’s family. Experts say such announcements are harmful. Her body was found in January along the Willamette River near Cathedral Park. Content warning: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Cedar Wilkie Gillette, citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation and a Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa descendant, stepped into her role as federal MMIP Coordinator in Oregon in June of 2020. One of her priorities was the creation of guidelines for law enforcement agencies handling cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Though she completed that task in April 2022, her office won’t publicly share guidelines essential to holding law enforcement accountable. Read the full story at the link below. #MMIP #MMIR #MMIW ✍ - Luna Reyna for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) 📸 - Jarrette Werk for Underscore Native News + Report for America https://lnkd.in/gpEKeDs4

When Wilma Acosta, Pascua Yaqui, went missing, Portland police announced Acosta had “suicidal ideations,” despite repeated denials of that claim from Acosta’s family. Experts say such announcements are harmful. Content warning: This story contains graphic details about violence and death, as well as information about suicide and missing and murdered Indigenous people. Resources are available for trauma survivors at the Strong Hearts Native Helpline. Last fall, things were going great for Wilma Acosta, an unenrolled Pascua Yaqui woman. She had recently landed the job of her dreams. She moved to Portland for the role and began to build her life there, including a new Dalmatian she lovingly named Nasferatu. She played the piano, loved to draw and had dreams of traveling to Paris. According to her family, she radiated joy and felt optimistic and accomplished. Then she disappeared, and Portland police told a different story – one her family disputes. Read the full story at the link below. #MMIP #MMIR #MMIW ✍ - Luna Reyna for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) 📸 - Amanda Freeman for Underscore Native News https://lnkd.in/ghm-2MbY

Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 is part of a longstanding tradition for Native nations in the Pacific Northwest – Tribal Journeys / Canoe Journey is an annual tradition where canoe families from different nations paddle to share songs, dance, and gifts after receiving permission to come ashore from the host nation. The journey was youth centered, with skippers, paddlers, and workers of all ages helping the experience be one-of-a-kind. “Now these children will grow up, it’ll be part of their lives, and it’ll be part of the future too. And so, for me, what it does is it reconnects. It’s a continuum from the very beginning of time until now. It shows an unbroken love between a parent and a child from the beginning of time to now,” said Christopher Bryden, language teacher for the Puyallup tribe and Captain of one of the many canoe families. “I know that once I do get to the point where I’m an elder, I will miss it because now that I’m in the canoe and I’m paddling to different places, I don’t want to stop paddling,” shared Skipper Issiah Kalama,17, Puyallup and Quinualt. To read more about these journeys, visit our website. Watch & support our video on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. 📽 : Carrie Johnson 📸: Jarrette Werk for Underscore Native News / Report for America

The new documentary ‘Sugarcane’ follows Julian Brave NoiseCat, a member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and descendant of the Lil'Wat Nation of Mount Currie, who co-directed the film, as he uncovers his family history at the St. Joseph’s Mission residential school near the Sugarcane Reserve of Williams Lake First Nation. Read the story below. ✍ - Nika Bartoo-Smith for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) Lead 📸 - Jarrette Werk for Underscore Native News + Report for America https://lnkd.in/gJBmppAr

This year, Canoe Journey was hosted by the Puyallup Tribe and focused on youth to pass down stories, language and customs to the younger generations. “These are positive experiences with positive people,” said Connie McCloud, the cultural director for the Puyallup Tribe. “Almost all of our families have advocated for being drug and alcohol-free, our current family is tobacco-free. We’re creating an environment that is healthy, putting strong elders and adults in places to support our youth so that we can have strong youth.” ✍ - Aislin Tweedy for Underscore Native News 📸 - Aislin Tweedy, Jarrette Werk and Nika Bartoo-Smith Read the full story below. https://lnkd.in/gNSjEXrd

During the annual Canoe Journey, hosted this year by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Native nations emphasized passing on teachings to their next generations. “This [canoe journey] is different because it’s for the youth and I think we should applaud them and teach them the ways of our ancestors that traveled on the waters,” said Albert Ortivez-Hicks, 18, Quinault. ✍ - Nika Bartoo-Smith for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) 📸 - Nika Bartoo-Smith for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) and Carrie Johnson for Underscore Native News https://lnkd.in/gSQWfK98

The United States and Canada have announced a tentative agreement that updates the 60-year-old treaty. Critics say it’s “business as usual.” https://lnkd.in/gQB2KC7Q

Our partners at ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) reported on the final investigative report on Indian boarding schools from the Department of Interior, which includes an apology and calls for trauma support. Read the story below. https://lnkd.in/gjaJkjeh

A look back to a NAYA achievement from June. The Native American Youth and Family Center expands housing for Native community members with a family shelter named khwat yaka haws, meaning Auntie’s Place. ✍ - Nika Bartoo-Smith for Underscore Native News + ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) 📸 - Jarrette Werk for Underscore Native News + Report for America and Aislin Tweedy for Underscore Native News https://lnkd.in/gSvVjMQg