Native Americans: Current Affairs

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Table of Contents

COVID-19 Vaccination in Alaska
Native American Land Updates
Tribal Friendly Future
The Death of a Nomadic Innu
The Genocidal Past
The Statues That Tell the Truth
Native Americans are Dying from COVID-19 at Twice the Rate of White Americans
A Huge Victory
Conclusion
References

The United States of America is a diverse nation, and different groups of people engage in various activities. In recent months, a number of events involving the Native American community have taken place. This report aims to review the current prominent events for the native American tribes. Specifically, incidents involving culture, healthcare, discrimination, territory, and changes in the law and official guidelines will be discussed.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Alaska

The COVID-19 pandemic and different measures and vaccination drive against it is the top news story in many communities. The USA is one of the world’s leaders in immunization, with some regions in the state of Alaska showing the highest vaccination rates for adults aged 16 and older (Bohrer, 2021). The regional tribal health organization states that over 80 percent of the state’s eligible residents received at least one dose of the vaccine (Bohrer, 2021).

Such isolated communities as St. Lawrence Island have been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the community’s lives. In remote areas, where the toll of previous flu and tuberculosis epidemics has been substantial, the local government achieved the highest vaccination rates in the country (Bohrer, 2021). According to Bohrer (2021), the Indian Health Service is responsible for the distribution of the doses in the region, with the organization managing to extend eligibility quicker than the rest of the country and exchange doses with communities outside of the state. Overall, Alaska illustrates the exemplary vaccine roll-out, with most of its Native American population being inoculated.

However, due to the climate and the geography of the state, the logistics of the vaccine drive have proven to be challenging. In Tanana, Alaska, the drop in temperatures below 40°C resulted in the healthcare team being unable to fly out to the city and provide vaccine doses to over a hundred people (Bohrer, 2021). Due to poor weather conditions, two planes could not start, prompting the third plane to be commissioned to pick up the medical team and transport it to Tanana (Bohrer, 2021).

However, in many remote cities and villages accessible only by air, most citizens have already been vaccinated. For example, over 90% of people living in the isolated community of White Mountain received their doses (Bohrer, 2021). Thus, Alaska is one of the leading states in the vaccination roll-out even with the encountered logistics issues.

Native American Land Updates

The issue of land being returned to the Native American community has been a highly debated one in the United States. Currently, the US Interior Department is working on overturning the policies implemented during the presidency of Donald Trump, which hindered “efforts by tribes to establish, consolidate and govern their homelands” (Brown, 2021). Recently, Deb Haaland, the first Native American Interior Secretary, released an order allowing Bureau of Indian Affairs officials to authorize the transfer of private land not located on reservations into federal trust (Brown, 2021). However, until the surrendered territory is transferred into the trust, the legal title is given to the federal government (Brown, 2021).

The fee-to-trust procedure will help protect the tribal land from the acquisition by individuals and businesses and its exploitation that does not benefit the tribe. Thus, this will allow the Native American tribes and individuals to use their ancestral land without having to pay local and state taxes to the government.

Native American land ownership has been substantially reviewed in recent years. Thus, from 2017, off-reservation trust land decisions can be made only by the assistant secretary in the headquarters of the Interior Department (Brown, 2021). However, today the decision is being disputed by the National Congress of American Indians, as it allowed off-reservation acquisitions without tribal consultation (Brown, 2021).

The Interior Department aims to overturn this ruling to afford more control over their territory to the Native American tribes (Brown, 2021). Today, the department seeks to ensure that each tribe has its own territory “where its citizens can live together” or use it for economic activity (Brown, 2021). Overall, when addressing the issue of Native American land, the US Interior Department aims to reverse policies that removed control over their territories from the Native American community.

Tribal Friendly Future

Many people have argued that the relationships between tribes and the federal government should be addressed to ensure all individuals are appreciated. The Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has argued that the Biden administration should focus on restoring and upholding nation-to-nation relationships with Native American tribes that suffered substantially during Trump’s presidency (Agoyo, 2021). Along with ensuring that tribes have more control over how their lands are used, Haaland announced new policies that will help Native Americans to reclaim their ancestral territory (Agoyo, 2021). Furthermore, measures to guarantee all tribes are treated equally by the federal government.

The department allowed the state to re-establish their territory through the fee-to-trust procedure offered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which was earlier available in 48 other states (Agoyo, 2021). Thus, the tribes of Alaska are now granted control over their ancestral land that previously was taken from them.

Furthermore, several other bureaucratic roadblocks and policies preventing Native American tribes from regaining control over their territories and opening businesses were recently re-assessed. Biden administration approved a legal option that minimizes the Supreme Court’s Carcieri v. Salazar decision (Agoyo, 2021). The Carcieri v. Salazar case allowed rejection of the Native American lands to be admitted into the federal trust, limiting the control of the tribes over their ancestral territories (Agoyo, 2021).

The new policy will allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to be involved in all fee-to-trust applications, ensuring that the process is unbiased and objective. The federal government views the bureau’s involvement as a logical measure as regional officials are more familiar with the needs of the local Native American community and can respond to them better (Agoyo, 2021). Overall, the new policies ensure that Native tribes have control over how their land is used and removes a number of bureaucratic barriers.

The Death of a Nomadic Innu

The nomadic Innu were among the first people in North America to come into contact with European explorers. Since they spent the majority of the year deep in the interior of Quebec-Labrador, the group was less well-known than other aboriginal groups from further west. Last week, the tribe in Labrador paid their respects to Sebastian Penunsi, an elder who died at the age of 91 (McCann, 2021). He was born in 1930 and lived on the land for most of his life (McCann, 2021). Penunsi was among the last individuals from nomadic Innu and one of the few who have followed the caribou herds across the Labrador Peninsula, as his ancestors did before him (McCann, 2021). His death is an immeasurable loss for the tribe as he was a respected elder.

Sebastian Penunsi was a renowned advocate for Native American rights and has contributed significantly to the representation of the Innu in the country. Penunsi collected information on the tribe’s ancestral territory and participated in mapping important sites of the tribe. Notably, his map was used in land negotiations with the Innu (McCann, 2021). The elder was also involved in the construction of land travel and hunting routes in the tribe’s territory, ensuring the protection of the nomadic Innu’s sacred sites (McCann, 2021).

Furthermore, Penunsi testified in court to the customs and traditions of his tribe and was a witness at a constitutional hearing on the subject of Innu hunting of caribou (McCann, 2021). According to MP Peter Penashue, Penunsi actively fought to protect and preserve the Innu culture and way of life (McCann, 2021). His passing is viewed as one of the most significant losses for the tribe as the elder was actively involved in preserving the knowledge of the nomadic Innu and the survival of the tribe.

The Genocidal Past

Recently, the Native American community remembered the genocides committed against it by the first European settlers. On April 24th, 2021, President Joe Biden became the first leader of the United States to publicly acknowledge the Armenian genocide by discussing the Ottoman-era mass slaughter of Armenian people (Giago, 2021). The president paid tribute to the millions of Armenians who were prosecuted and killed in Europe by the Ottoman Empire, apologizing for its actions and vowing to do better in the future (Giago, 2021).

However, the president was widely criticized for failing to recognize the genocide of indigenous people in his speech, which began when the pilgrims arrived on the continent. Millions of Native American lives were taken by the colonizers, who saw the people of the continent they chose to settle on as the barrier to their westward expansion (Giago, 2021). Thus, failing to acknowledge the Native American community can be viewed as somewhat hypocritical of the president.

The conflicts between the indigenous tribes and the European settlers are some of the bloodiest in American history. According to the historian Tyler Quinn Farkas (Giago, 2021), the actual numbers of lives lost to the genocide of the Native American people are covered up by the government.

Farkas argues that the number is at least two or three times higher than the official of 100 million fatalities (Giago, 2021). Thus, the failure to mention the persecution of the indigenous people was viewed as a mistake and an insult by the Native American community. According to Giago (2021), despite the centuries of attempts to eradicate the Native American cultures and traditions, the tribes continued to survive in the face of great adversity. Overall, President Biden’s formal apology to the Native American community and paying respect to millions of lost lives would be seen as a welcomed gesture.

The Statues That Tell the Truth

The history of a country can be told through a plethora of media, including art and architecture. The statues erected in the memory of different individuals often reflect whom the vast majority of people view as worthy of honor and what characteristics are praised in society. Recently, the state of Washington decided to replace the statue of Marcus Whitman, a white protestant, with one of Billy Frank Jr., a Native American activist who passed away in 2014 (Egan, 2021).

Billy Frank Jr. was a leader of the Nisqually tribe who fought for equality for Native American people and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama (Egan, 2021). In contrast, Marcus Whitman was a priest who tried to convert indigenous people to Christianity against their will (Egan, 2021). The replacement of Whitman’s statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection can be viewed as a progressive step in honoring all Native American people and their contribution to the county.

Nevertheless, the replacement is not welcomed by everyone in the country. For example, former Senator Rick Santorum argues against it, claiming “there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture” (Egan, 2021). This statement illustrates that the equality that Billy Frank Jr. fought for is still unacceptable to some people who refuse to see the crimes committed against the Native American community by the European settlers.

Furthermore, the replacement of Whitman’s statue by one of Mr. Frank Jr. can be viewed as symbolic justice, as the former represents the oppressive and genocidal past of the Unites States (Egan, 2021). However, in the discussion of symbolic justice, it should not be forgotten that Billy Frank Jr. was a remarkable man who earned the honor of being commemorated in the Capitol. The erection of his statue should not be viewed as an issue of race but rather as an issue of merit.

Native Americans are Dying from COVID-19 at Twice the Rate of White Americans

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various populations globally, with the virus spreading from China over the world at an unprecedented pace. In the United States, some communities were impacted more than others, with higher levels of infections and deaths. According to Lakhani (2021), Native Americans are disproportionately affected by the current pandemic. Official statistics reveal that one in every 475 indigenous individuals has died from the virus, compared to one in every 645 African Americans and one in every 825 white Americans (Lakhani, 2021).

However, it can be argued that the actual death toll is much higher, with some cases of COVID-19 being not being reported. In addition, not all states provide an accurate recollection of how many Native Americans were affected by and died from COVID-19 (Lakhani, 2021). Thus, the pandemic proves to be particularly dangerous to the indigenous people of the country, with the official numbers requiring additional investigation and verification.

Furthermore, the cultural implications of the pandemic need to be addressed. According to Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear, an assistant professor of American Indian studies (Lakhani, 2021), the long-term impact of the pandemic is difficult to calculate, with many families and tribes decimated by the virus. Community cohesiveness and resilience were significantly affected by COVID-19, with many tribes losing their elders and leaders (Lakhani, 2021).

The broader implication for Native Americans is the loss of their culture. With many of the pandemic victims speaking dying languages and being the teachers in their tribes, younger generations of Native Americans may not be able to learn more about their culture (Lakhani, 2021). Within the community, social distancing and personal hygiene measures are being encouraged, with many people assisting the homeless and helping them focus on their health and safety (Lakhani, 2021). Overall, the effect of the pandemic on the Native American community is illustrative of the longstanding inequalities in the United States.

A Huge Victory

The issue of Native American land and how it is affected by the border between the United States and Canada has been a highly disputed one for decades. Historically, the ancestral territory of some of the northern tribes straddles the modern border, raising the question of the legitimacy of the Native Americans in Canada. In April of 2021, Canadian Supreme Court ruled that the members of tribes whose land extends across the international border can claim Aboriginal rights in Canada without requiring the application for residency or citizenship (Kunze, 2021). Thus, the ruling allows for the members of the northern tribes to be viewed as aboriginal citizens, with their culture and tradition being granted legal protection.

Furthermore, the ruling opens up the border for the members of the northern Native American tribes. According to Kunze (2021), Canada’s border crossing substantially limited the list of items that indigenous people could bring with them to the country, even if their use were strictly traditional and ceremonial. Thus, some of the Alaskan tribes could not perform the potlatch ceremonies in Canada, having an adverse effect on their customs (Kunze, 2021).

In addition, both American and Canadian tribes could not engage in the practice of barter due to the border. One of the tribes that will be affected by the new ruling is the Chilkat Indians, who dwell near the American Canadian border and, before the law, were often subjected to border checks. Overall, the Supreme Court ruling allowed the free movement of Native Americans on their ancestral lands, granting them unprecedented privileges on the territory of another country. It is expected that awarding Native Americans with Aboriginal rights in Canada will help restore and further the relationships between tribes in the two countries.

Conclusion

In summary, recently, the Native American community experienced several significant events that will affect them in the future. For example, many tribes received certain territorial privileges as the fee-to-trust procedure was amended, while some of the northern tribes were granted Aboriginal rights in Canada. In addition, most of the tribes were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and saw the death of its many elders.