Archives for July 2016
Trahant Reports – #NativeVote16 Democrats take the stage
Democrats take the stage this week in Philadelphia. Like the Republicans last week, a political convention represents a party’s best pitch to voters.
This is Trahant Reports.
The Democratic convention will be a stark contrast to the Republican event. This time around the positions of the two major parties could not be more different. It’s not just about Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump; it’s a debate about a range of policies from healthcare to climate change.
The Republicans want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The Democrats don’t.
Democrats want a climate change plan; Republicans don’t buy the science. Instead they favor more oil, gas, and coal development.
One thing you will see this week: There will be a large number of Native American delegates.
The Democrats’ platform also includes a significant section on Native American issues. Quote: “American Indian and Alaska Native tribes have always been sovereign, self-governing communities, and we affirm their inherent right to self-government as well as the unique government-to-government relationship they share with the United States.”
There are many other provisions, including strengthening tribal jurisdiction in the Violence Against Women Act.
Deborah Parker, a former vice chair of the Tulalip Tribes, served on the platform committee. Delegates will vote to approve a final platform. One Native voice, State Rep. Peggy Flanagan, representing St. Louis Park, Minnesota, will be a speaker at the convention. She is Ojibwa.
As this convention begins there are new questions about the primary process. A batch of stolen emails—the polite word is hacked—show that party leaders were working behind the scenes on behalf of Hillary Clinton and against Bernie Sanders.
This is exactly what Sanders and his supporters have been saying for months.
Two important points: First, this is an ideal moment to embrace election reform. Shake up the primary system, make it more fair and transparent. Second, I’d like to see Indian Country have its own primary election in the future. It would be the ideal, government to government vehicle, for Native people to have more of a say in the future of the country. I especially like the idea that America’s First Nations should go first.
However it happens, election reform is critical and it’s essential that people’s votes are counted fairly. There remain too many barriers to voting in many parts of this country. And that needs to be fixed. Both in the primary and especially in the November election.
Indian Country has done well during the past eight years under President Obama — so it’s important to find out how the next Democratic team will build on that legacy. How do we make the next four years, or eight, even better? That’s the question that will need an answer this week. I am Mark Trahant reporting.
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Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative .solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development.
NAC July 25 – 29
Monday, July 25, 2016 – Tiny Tots on the Powwow Arena
It’s a proud moment to see your kid dressed in traditional regalia dancing in the powwow arena for the first time. Many powwows have a “Tiny Tots” category where the young ones can dance for fun. Many times everyone gets a prize. We’ll speak with parents about introducing their kids to the powwow.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 – July Book of the Month: “Thunder Boy Jr.” by Sherman Alexie
Author and poet Sherman Alexie (Coeur d’Alene) gears his latest book toward young readers. “Thunder Boy Jr.” is a colorful story about a boy who shares the same name as his father. But he wants a name that’s all his own, one that celebrates something cool that he’s done. We’ll hear from Alexie about his literary path.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 – Ask a nutritionist
A grilled chicken breast with a red leaf lettuce salad is the health option. But a burger and a diet coke from the drive-thru is a lot easier. Exactly how many Indian tacos are we allowed to eat in a month’s time? We’ll speak with a nutritionist about the right eating choices for you.
Thursday, July 28, 2016 — Is food more expensive in Native communities?
The First Nations Development Institute released the working paper on the cost of things like bread, milk and eggs. In addition, a study published by the National Institutes of Health suggests living in food deserts—like some rural reservations—contributes increases food costs.
Friday, July 29, 2016 – July in the news
Several high profile police shootings have the country once again discussing where social justice and safety collide. Where does Native America fit into this discussion? Also the political conventions are coming to an end and we are formally in the presidential election home stretch.
Trahant Reports – #NativeVote16 Guide to Republican Convention
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It’s time for the Republican Party and its soon-to-be nominee Donald J. Trump making their best case for winning the White House and Congress.
This is Trahant Reports.
This will not be an election where the color gray will be debated. The differences on issues between Republicans and Democrats are stark.
The Republican Party platform will be a good place to start in exploring the choice ahead. The party says the bible should be a guide when legislating and laws “must be consistent with God-given, natural rights.”
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is chair of the platform committee, said the document is conservative, “reflecting the views, and the values, and the vision of the Republican Party.”
What does that mean for Indian Country?
Much of the party’s focus right now is on energy policy. Trump has said several times that he would remove barriers to oil and coal production to create more jobs.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is one of the convention speakers. He recently said: “In communities like Colstrip and other small communities, coal and other natural resources are the only answer. For the great coal nation of the Crow, there’s treaties. The treaties specifically state the United States shall not interfere with their destiny if they choose to mine their coal. As a sovereign nation they have every right to export their coal as they choose. But when the government gets in the way, as we have done, we have violated a treaty.”
I am not sure where that line in the Crow Treaty of 1868 is “specifically” found.
In this election cycle, Republicans are carrying the banner for more coal development, what the party calls, “an abundant, clean, affordable, reliable domestic energy resource.”
The problem, however, is that a Republican victory will not bring coal markets back to life. Natural gas is cheaper. Shipping coal to China is problematic (and Chinese consumption is declining anyway) plus every day more renewable sources come on line. The future is doing something else instead of coal as the “only answer.” And, if a kicker is needed, it’s this: Northwest tribes have also asserted their treaty rights to fish for salmon. And salmon require waters that are not polluted by coal dust.
Another draft plank in the Republican platform impacts treaty rights and that’s the call for Congress to “immediately pass universal legislation providing the timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey certain federally controlled public lands to the states.”
Tribal rights to hunt and fish on public lands are often included, yes, even, specifically in treaty language. So any transfer of those lands ought to go to the tribes whose land it was first.
So there you have it: There is no climate change, only coal. This reflects the GOP’s best case.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development.
NAC July 18 – 22
Monday, July 18, 2016 – Native ink: celebrating body art
Some tattoos are works of art and others represent important times in a person’s life. Some tattoos cause lifelong regret. We are taking on these personal and permanent displays of expression. Native tattoo artists talk about how they use ink and another person’s skin to express themselves and the wishes of their clients.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 – An insider’s view of IHS treatment centers
The Indian Health Service is working to open a dozen new treatment centers to address substance abuse in Indian Country. How does a person know they need to go to a treatment center? What happens there?
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 – Interpreting our dreams
The hosts of the radio show Seers from the First People are back to explain what our dreams mean and how they might guide the choices we make.
Thursday, July 21, 2016 – The new landscape for Alaska Native land decisions
A recent court ruling could open a new chapter in how Alaska Native tribes make decisions about their land. It’s a complicated and important topic with winners and loser on both sides. We’ll break down what it means and what happens next for communities that have waited decades for the right to control the land they own.
Friday, July 22, 2016 – Go outside already!
Video games are usually criticized for turning kids into couch potatoes, so the new Pokémon Go app is earning some praise for getting them outside. What other programs and methods inspire people to go outdoors? We’ll talk about some ideas that aim to help re-establish a connection with nature.
The new landscape for Alaska Native land decisions
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Trahant Reports – The mechanics of democracy
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Politics is usually about policy choices. But it’s also about basic election mechanics, figuring out who does what.
This is Trahant Reports.
The Montana Democratic Party hired Amy Croover as director of its Native Vote program. Her task is to increase the number of Native American voters.
The message is significant. Montana Democrats are investing resources to give American Indian voters a greater say.
Croover has a solid resume. She’s a Ho-Chunk tribal member who has already worked with Montana tribes and was Sen. Jon Tester’s Native American liaison.
Now let’s put this news in context.
At its core politics is about two things: Policy and mechanics. Policy is the ideas, often the stuff that happens after elections; mechanics is how policy gets made.
Another way to think about the difference: Policy is usually what politicians talk about. Mechanics is the work that’s actually done by people whose names we may never know.
Political parties (both Republicans and Democrats) talk a lot about American Indian and Alaska Native policy. President Nixon’s 1970 message that declared an end to termination and the promotion of self-determination was a policy prescription. But the mechanics was left to Congress, largely, Forrest Gerard working with Sen. Henry Jackson and Franklin Ducheneaux, who was Rep. Morris Udall’s counsel in the House. The idea was not enough. Someone had to do the work.
It’s the same with elections.
This election is the right one to test the mechanical side of democracy in Indian Country because there are so many Native candidates on the ballot. The incentives are aligned in Montana for people to vote for Denise Juneau as well as Native candidates for the legislature.
Other states have seen initiatives to improve the mechanics of the Native vote. Two years ago, for example, Sen. Mark Begich made Alaska Native voters a key element of his unsuccessful bid for re-election. But. The thing is. Begich made the election a lot closer than it would have been had he not made the effort. And, his staff work in the many villages probably helped elect Gov. Bill Walker and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallot. The mechanics paid off.
The most common complaint I hear from Native candidates (especially former candidates who have lost) is that they get no help from their state or national party.
That needs to change because in the years to come Indian Country will need more investment in the mechanical side of politics. As the demographics of the nation shift, there will be more and more states and districts where the Native vote will make the difference. But for that to happen, someone has to do the work.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
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Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development.
NAC July 11 – 13
Monday, July 11, 2016 – Retrieving sacred items
Various tribes have tried different strategies to try and recover important and sacred items. Some use the courts. Some negotiate with well-meaning museum curators. Others resort to bidding for them against wealthy collectors at auctions or on eBay. One approach proposed in Congress works to make it harder for unscrupulous sellers with new laws and harsher penalties.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016 – Putting ancestry to the DNA test
For a fee, you can fill out an application, swab your cheek and find out if you have Native ancestry. Dozens of online services perform this service for hundreds of curious people. But does the result mean you can finally declare your Cherokee heritage? What do online DNA kits really tell us about Native ancestry?
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 – Bikers vs. sacred sites
Bear Butte, South Dakota, or Mató Pahá, is a well-known sacred place to the Lakota. That’s in contrast to the new Full Throttle Saloon. The owners bill it as the “World’s Largest Biker Bar” with 15,000 patrons a night during the Sturgis Bike Rally. In August, a group of Native American activists plans to protest the bar because of its proximity to Mató Pahá.
Thursday, July 14, 2016 – The pot powwow: marketing marijuana to Native Americans
A medical marijuana company is marketing directly to Native Americans. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Ultra Health signed a major sponsorship deal with the popular Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque. The deal includes putting the Ultra Health company name in the powwow title. Is this the beginning of a new brand of Native American marketing?
Friday, July 15, 2016 – Young people facing climate change
The changes in average global temperature will have consequences. How and when these things will happen is not clear. The Environmental Protection Agency predicts reductions in crop yield, increases in flood-causing rain, and an increase in wildfires in the future. Young people will bear a heavier burden of climate change.
Trahant Reports – Stick Games
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Make no mistake: The 2016 election is not routine. If you want proof, look no further than the weekend encampment at Montana’s Arlee Celebration. This is Trahant Reports.
The Arlee Celebration has been around for 118 years and it’s always on July 4th. So on Friday afternoon the Republican candidate for governor, Greg Gianforte, showed up at the celebration with a colleague and then proceeded to serve grilled burgers to all comers. Free food? At a powwow? Sure. Fire. Hit.
After the food, Gianforte played a round of stick games. That’s a traditional gambling game played in many parts of the country where you to try to discover in which hand someone is hiding a bone.
While Gianforte’s visit was friendly; he wasn’t exactly talking policy. This is where a Republican gamble for Indian Country gets tricky.
In any election it is smart for a Republican to try and peel off a few Native American votes. Montana Democrats have been successful reaching out to tribal communities for a long time, especially after the 2005 election of Gov. Brian Schweitzer. And it makes perfect sense for the GOP to pitch Native voters at a powwow.
But just a few miles from the camp is a visible reminder about how complex a simple idea can be. Just as you enter the reservation, a billboard advertises against the water compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes as an assault against non-Indian property rights. (It’s a deal that still must be approved by the federal government.)
Again in normal times it would be easy to dismiss antics of what are essentially fringe groups. But the Confederated Tribes’ territory, where the annual July 4th celebration occurs, is the heart of Montana’s opposition to tribal treaty rights, tribal management of resources, and, well just about anything with a reference to a tribe in any phrase.
This is where the Republican fault line is visible. The same people who shout at their government for working with tribes to solve problems are the ones who formed the Tea Party.
What makes this GOP divide even more pronounced is Donald Trump. As the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party he is adding fuel to The Hateful Mix, a blend of racism and anti-government rhetoric.
And that’s a mixture that not every Republican can tolerate.
On Friday former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot wrote in The Washington Post that he could neither endorse nor vote for Trump. Yet Rep. Ryan Zinke not only endorsed Trump but suggested he might make a good pick as vice president.
So every Republican candidate this election will play stick games. Look close: Which hand is hiding the bone marked Trump and which hand will be free?
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development.
NAC July 4 – 8
Monday, July 4, 2016 – Native in the Spotlight: Rita Coolidge
Her voice was a frequent back-up to stars like Eric Clapton, Leon Russel and Stephen Stills. Grammy Award-winning Cherokee singer and songwriter Rita Coolidge also had solo hits like “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher” and “We’re All Alone.” Now Coolidge is out with a memoir, Delta Lady, that recalls her days with the icons of music. She’s our July Native in the Spotlight.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 – Native American country music: it’s a thing
Dirt roads, rural life, horses, and heartbreak. Those are words that might conjure one aspect of Native American living. They also describe some of the driving themes of country music. We bring together Native musicians rooted in these tunes to find out what it is about trucks, boots, jeans and hard living that makes people want to sing along.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 – July Music Maker: The Jir Project Band
We welcome The Jir Project Band’s lead man Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo) as he presents his third musical release. It’s called “The Pueblo” and it features his ability to electrify listeners with his guitar . Join us for our July Music Maker, Jir Anderson.
Thursday, July 7, 2016 – What’s next for tribal education?
Many tribes are now assuming control of their own education systems. But the transition from federal to tribal control remains complicated and controversial. For example, teachers at Bureau of Indian Education schools on the Navajo Nation worry they might lose money, benefits, or even their jobs.
Friday, July 8, 2016 – Fabulously Indigenous: drag culture in Native America
Some Native American men are part of the cross-dressing tradition known as drag performance. We talk to drag queens about their form of expression and the support–or lack of support–in their communities.