Recently in Native News

As part of our continued effort to inform readers of the news and culture of Native American communities across the country, Partnership With Native Americans has compiled our favorite stories from the month of August. Stay up to date and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more headlines.

Sharice Davids says she is honored by support and party nomination for Congress via Indian Country Today

• “I am honored and deeply motivated by the support I received from across this district. Thank you to my fellow Democrats in this race for their passion and for engaging in a spirited and important debate about the future of this district and this country. To my supporters: you knocked on doors, made phone calls, donated what you could, and got your friends, neighbors, and family members to the polls.”

Wisconsin man sings Native American song for NASCAR via The Star Tribune

• “Scenes from a life: The 7-year-old had just moved to Madison with his family. His teacher introduced him to his class. It was the 1960s. ‘This is Billy. He’s from an Indian reservation. So, I’d like you all to talk a little slower.’ His reaction was instant hate, and when kids teased him for his mohawk-style haircut, he lashed out violently. He spent a lot of time in the principal’s office. Some years later, a group of young men from the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin crammed themselves into a Volkswagen to visit nearby Ashland. People stared, and more than once, they called out an ugly, oft-repeated racial slur. Experiences such as this reinforced what Billy Bob Grahn was taught growing up on the reservation: Don’t show who you are when you’re out in white society. Flash forward several decades and many stories later.”

Nature through a cultural lens via Portland Tribune

• “A class of roughly 50 Native American students gathered at the Tryon Creek State Natural Area last week for a day of hiking, outdoor exploration and learning. It was the first visit in a new Cultural Ecology program hosted by the Friends of Tryon Creek (FOTC) in collaboration with the Native American Youth And (NAYA) Family Center and the Grand Ronde Cultural Lifeways Community. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the State Parks Foundation are also partners on the project.”

Beyond the reservation: NABI focuses on education as well as basketball via Cronkite News

• “As Samantha Quigley tears down another rebound, she sees more than a basketball. In her hands is something beyond an object that she can dribble around defenders and put through a hoop with ease. It’s a ticket to a better life. ‘Basketball is, like, the only key to go a long way if you’re a native,’ said Quigley, the starting forward for the Navajo Nation Elite. ‘Basketball taught me a lot and it can help me get off the reservation.’ She’s one of the hundreds of Native American youth who played in this year’s Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI).”