Recently in Native News

Native American issues are gaining more national attention as cities across the country recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and celebrate Native American traditions, culture and art. Please enjoy a compilation of our favorite Native American headlines from the month of October. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and stay up to date with the latest headlines all year long.

Why more people are celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day via PBS News Hour

• “Increasingly, Columbus Day is giving people pause. More and more towns and cities across the country are electing to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day as an alternative to – or in addition to – the day intended to honor Columbus’ voyages. Critics of the change see it as just another example of political correctness run amok – another flash point of the culture wars. As a scholar of Native American history – and a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina – I know the story is more complex than that. The growing recognition and celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day actually represents the fruits of a concerted, decades-long effort to recognize the role of indigenous people in the nation’s history.”

Studi stars in PSAs focused on reservations, need for giving via Cherokee Phoenix

• “Cherokee actor Wes Studi is partnering with a national nonprofit organization for video public service announcements to ‘raise awareness of realities on the reservations’ and spur giving. The goal, Studi said, is to ‘increase awareness and show that supporting Native-led causes is the only way we can create change. We are trying to get away from the misconceptions … about Native Americans,’ Studi said. ‘What we really want to address is foundation funding and just general, overall giving, which has absolutely dropped.’”

The Native American Designers Behind Ginew Are Redefining Americana via GQ

• “If you’ve been following fashion the past few years, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in vaguely Native American design. Whether it’s the avalanche of Southwestern-printed Patagonias on Grailed or the explosion of sterling silver and turquoise jewelry decorating the wrists and belts of menswear dudes (or even the goods of luxury brands like Dior, with its oblivious campaign for ‘Sauvage’)—Native American style is everywhere. In fact, it’s gotten so popular that last year, Pueblo and Zuni artisans went to court to force non-Native brands to stop illegally using their name on counterfeit goods. And the problem isn’t just that traditional Native designs are being watered down or used inappropriately, but that many Native designers and craftspeople have been left out of the boom.”

Preserving Native Food Traditions via Sierra Club

• “Sean Sherman was 13 years old when he started working in restaurants. He started as a busboy, but by 27, he was an executive chef in a restaurant in Minneapolis, well on his way to a promising career. But a few years in, Sherman—a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe—says he had an epiphany: Native American foods were sorely underrepresented across the restaurant industry. He asked, ‘Why? And what can we do about that?’ Now, Sherman dedicates his career to restoring Native American foodways in his work as a chef, educator, and author. In 2014, he launched a catering and food education business called The Sioux Chef, with co-owner Dana Thompson. He’s since won a James Beard Award for best American cookbook and a James Beard Leadership Award.”