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Where the 2024 presidential candidates stand on Indigenous issues
WASHINGTON — Marianne Williamson, a 2020 presidential hopeful, promised before an auditorium of Indigenous leaders, elders and voters that under her administration the White House would formally apologize and atone for the horrific treatment of Native Americans by the federal government, alluding to genocidal policies enacted by the United States. In 2019, Williamson was one […]
‘This is just evil’
Blankets, shoes, banners and umbrellas were left strewn along the street and on the sidewalks as people fled Thursday evening in downtown Gallup, New Mexico. Several people were in the large SUV that drove through the annual night parade during the centennial anniversary of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, causing multiple injuries along a parade route […]
National Indian Council on Aging receives $4M donation from billionaire MacKenzie Scott
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous elders were deeply impacted and the effects can still be felt today. Not only are Indigenous elders cultural carriers but are the foundation for Indigenous communities and families. The risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 increased with age, prompting communities to focus on keeping elders safe by isolating them. […]
The platinum standard of the Indian Child Welfare Act
New Mexico has joined nine other states in enacting their own version of the Indian Child Welfare Act, a national policy that aims to keep Native American children with their families and communities. ICWA is described as the gold standard of child welfare policy. New Mexico’s new law, the Indian Families Protection Act, is described […]
Bill preserving Indigenous families and communities clears the Senate
The Indian Family Protection Act was passed by the New Mexico Senate Tuesday afternoon. The bill, which would be the state’s version of the federal policy known as the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), is headed back to the House of Representatives for agreement on amendments made to the bill. The House previously passed the […]
Protections for Indigenous children and families in NM
It was winter 2016, and Micha Bitsinnie was getting a call from her relative. They were panicked, saying that the hospital was refusing to release their child because hospital staff suspected abuse and neglect. Like many Navajo families, Bitsinnie’s relative used coal to heat their home, and their child had accidentally burned themselves on the […]