Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forward
A Navajo state senator in Arizona says she's hoping for final approval of her bill to tighten regulations for rehab facilities amid widespread fraud that has bilked hundreds of millions in Medicaid dollars.
New Mexico legislators seek endowment to bolster autonomous tribal education programs
New Mexico legislators want to create a unique educational endowment of at least $50 million to help Native American communities create their own student programs, including efforts to teach and preserve Indigenous languages.
Centuries after Native American remains were dug up, a new law returns them for reburial in Illinois
Illinois officials and Native Americans whose ancestors called the state home hope a new state law will speed the recovery and reburial of their relatives' remains unearthed over the past two centuries.
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigations
Hundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaidโs American Indian Health Program.
Supreme Court won't block a ruling favoring a Native American man cited for speeding in Tulsa
The Supreme Court has left in place a lower court ruling that invalidated a speeding ticket against a Native American man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, because the city is located within the boundaries of an Indian reservation.
Pipestone carvers preserve revered Native spiritual tradition in Minnesota prairie
Under the tall prairie grass in far southwestern Minnesota lies a precious seam of dark red pipestone that, for thousands of years, Native Americans have quarried and carved into pipes essential to prayer and communication with the Creator.
Navajo Nation declares widespread Medicaid scam in Arizona a public health state of emergency
A widespread Arizona Medicaid scam that has left an unknown number of Native Americans homeless on the streets of metro Phoenix is being declared a public health state of emergency by the Navajo Nation as fraudulent sober living homes lose their funding and turn former residents onto the streets.
Author of โcritical race theoryโ ban says Texas schools can still teach about racism
State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said his intention was never to gloss over American history or have negative effects on teachers and administrators. His comments to the State Board of Education come as members consider new social studies curriculum.
Native American youth to be tapped for conservation projects
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has rolled out guidelines for a new youth service program meant to create job opportunities for Native Americans while boosting their cultural connections to nature through conservation projects on tribal and public land.
Tribes credited with elevating vaccinations in rural Arizona
In a pandemic that has seen sharp divides between urban and rural vaccination rates nationwide, Arizona is the only state where rural vaccine rates outpaced more populated counties according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Members of Congress highlight missing minority women, girls
Members of a congressional panel focused on civil rights and liberties are acknowledging that more needs to be done to address the disproportionate numbers of Indigenous, Black and other minority women and girls who are missing in the United States.
Chan, Zuckerberg fighting Native American vaccine hesitancy
Dakota and Navajo actor Dallas Goldtooth joins other influencers โ people who have earned the communityโs trust โ in a two-phase public outreach effort by nonprofit organizations IllumiNative, the Urban Indian Health Institute, and 13 Native groups in states including Alaska, Minnesota, and California.
High court seems ready to send virus funds to Alaska Natives
The Supreme Court seems inclined to say that hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief money should benefit Alaska Natives, rather than be spread more broadly among Native American tribes around the U.S. The justices were hearing arguments Monday in a case involving the massive pandemic relief package passed last year and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump.
Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as โself-promotersโ
The Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest since the pandemic hit the country. Fauci told CNN it seemed like the Trump virus team was โfighting with each other rather than fighting the virus.โAdIn his statement, Trump says โDr. Texas has administered more than 10 million vaccine doses. Jared Polis has announced that residents over age 16 will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting Friday. Ad___NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. โ Johnson & Johnson says itโs agreed to provide up to 400 million doses of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to African countries, starting this summer.
Tribes want Native statue to replace one tied to massacre
The new statue would replace the one depicting a Union Army soldier who helped carry out the Sand Creek Massacre of 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people in 1864, one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history. AdRyan Ortiz of the Northern Arapaho Tribe testified virtually in favor of the new statue for the Capital Development Committee. He said the massacre is the origin of historical trauma for the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes and that the statue would be a chance to right previous wrongs. Otto Braided Hair, a Northern Cheyenne tribal member and descendent of a Sand Creek survivor, has worked on education surrounding the massacre for the last 20 years. The Sand Creek Massacre site is tucked away in rural southeastern Colorado and honors the victims.
Biden puts forth virus strategy, requires mask use to travel
But Biden officials say they're hampered by lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. AdThe U.S. mask order for travel being implemented by Biden will apply to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. The Biden plan estimates that a national vaccination strategy with expanded testing requires $160 billion, and he wants another $170 billion to aid the reopening of schools and universities. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Biden is ordering FEMA to reimburse states for the full cost of using their National Guards to set up vaccination centers.
President Biden signs burst of virus orders, requires masks for travel
President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. โWe didnโt get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,โ Biden said at the White House. A key difference is that under Biden, the federal government is assuming full responsibility for the COVID response. The U.S. mask order for travel implemented by Biden applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. Biden is seeking to expand testing and vaccine availability, with the goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office.
Fast rollout of virus vaccine trials reveals tribal distrust
(Nina Mayer Ritchie/Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health via AP)FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. โ The news came during a hopeful time on the largest Native American reservation. About 460 Native Americans participated in the trials for the vaccine by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, including Navajos. Vaccine trials nationwide have been moving quickly, which doesnโt always align with tribal guidelines on considering research proposals. In South Dakota, the Cheyenne River Sioux tribal health committee initially pushed back on Dr. Jeffrey Henderson's proposal for trials of the Novavax vaccine. That case came to mind when Annette Brown, a Navajo woman, heard about her tribe's willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials.
In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary
FILE - In this March 5, 2020, file photo Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., Native American Caucus co-chair, speaks to reporters about the 2020 Census on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Haaland as interior secretary. The historic pick would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations. Scott Applewhite, File)President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear Wednesday that Biden had her blessing to choose Haaland, saying she would make an โexcellent choiceโ as interior secretary.
Teams say Indian names show respect, history says otherwise
FILE - James Watson, left, protests before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians, Monday, April 1, 2019, in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians are changing their name _ they just don't know to what or when. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)Colorful names for teams are nearly as old as team sports themselves. But a few have clung to Native American names and imagery, arguing they reflect honor and respect. โShortly after the so-called โIndian Warsโ of the 1880s, thatโs when we see sports teams start to use the names on a wide basis,โ said Hunt.
AP Interview: Indians owner says name won't change in 2021
(AP Photo/David Dermer, File)CLEVELAND โ The Cleveland Indians are changing their name โ they just don't know to what or when. โThe new name, and I do not know what it is, will not be a name that has Native American themes or connotations to it.โThe decision was welcomed by Native American groups that met with the club. "Iโm not just a fan of the Cleveland Indians, Iโm a fan of Cleveland baseball. In recent months he met with fans, business leaders and researchers focused on Native American culture and issues. โWeโll be the Cleveland Indians of 1915 to whatever year is that we ultimately change.
More US churches are committing to racism-linked reparations
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)NEW YORK โ The Episcopal Diocese of Texas acknowledges that its first bishop in 1859 was a slaveholder. Some major denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, have not embraced reparations as official policy. The Episcopal Church has been the most active major denomination thus far, and others, including the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, are urging congregations to consider similar steps. This will include scholarships for students attending seminaries or historically Black colleges and assistance for historic Black churches. But Dietsche expects some funds will help congregations launch their own reparations initiatives, particularly if their churches had historical involvement in slavery.
The Latest: Japan's daily virus cases rise above 3,000
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)TOKYO โ Japanโs daily coronavirus cases have exceeded 3,000 for the first time while the government delays stricter measures for fear of hurting the economy ahead of the holiday season. ___SPRINGFIELD, Ill. โ The U.S. has reached a record 3,309 daily coronavirus deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. ___PHOENIX โ Arizona reported 8,076 confirmed coronavirus cases, one of the stateโs largest daily total. Italy has registered 1.8 million confirmed cases and more than 63,000 confirmed deaths, sixth highest in the world. He says the latest outbreak at Orange County jails had 74 confirmed cases, 75 tests pending and more inmates waiting to be tested.
AP-NORC poll: Only half in US want shots as vaccine nears
Buck said he and his family will probably get vaccinated eventually, if initial shots go well. Despite the hopeful news, feelings havenโt changed much from an AP-NORC poll in May, before it was clear a vaccine would pan out. Among Americans who wonโt get vaccinated, the poll found 43% are concerned the vaccine itself could infect them โ something thatโs scientifically impossible, since the shots donโt contain any virus. Protecting their family, their community and their own health are chief drivers for people who want the vaccine. ___The AP-NORC poll using a sample drawn from NORCโs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population.
Tribes dispute reservation where a $1B casino is planned
The Mattakeeset Massachuset tribe contend the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe doesn't have exclusive claim to the lands under their planned First Light casino in the city of Taunton, as they've argued for years. โLarry is well-meaning but very confused,โ said Steven Peters, the Mashpee Tribeโs spokesman. Meanwhile, the tribeโs prominent, longtime chairman was arrested last month on federal bribery charges in connection with the casino project. At least two members of other Massachusetts tribes have raised the issue in recent years, and local casino opponents have made similar arguments in their long-running federal court challenge. Peters, the spokesman for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, said he and other tribe scholars haven't reviewed Bangsโ book.