Recently in Native News

As National American Indian Heritage Month comes to a close, we’re reflecting on some of today’s important issues and accomplishments within the Native American community. Please enjoy a compilation of the top Native American headlines from the month of November. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and stay up to date with the latest headlines all year long.

New PBS film ‘The Warrior Tradition’ probes history of Native Americans in the U.S. military via USA TODAY

• “Before Chuck Boers joined the U.S. Army, the Lipan Apache member was given his family’s eagle feathers. The feathers had been carried by his great-great-great-grandfather on his rifle when he was an Apache scout. They also were carried by relatives who fought in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In 2004, Boers had the feathers with him during the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. ‘I felt like I had my family with me to protect me,’ he said. ‘The Warrior Tradition,’ a new film set to air on PBS, examines the complex history of Native Americans in the U.S. military since World War I and how their service transformed the lives for Native Americans from various tribes. Through interviews with veterans and using archival footage, the documentary probes the complicated relationship Native Americans had with military service and how they used it to press for civil rights.”

Many Native Americans Can’t Get Clean Water, Report Finds via NPR

• “For many people, turning on the tap or flushing the toilet is something we take for granted. But a report released Monday, called ‘Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States,’ shows that more than 2 million Americans live without these conveniences and that Native Americans are more likely to have trouble accessing water than any other group. The nearest water station for Darlene Yazzie is 9 miles away at the Dennehotso Chapter House — a community center — in the Four Corners region of the Navajo Nation.”  

10 Native American Inventions Commonly Used Today via History

• “From the tip of South America to the Arctic, Native Americans developed scores of innovations—from kayaks, protective goggles and baby bottles to birth control, genetically modified food crops and analgesic medications—that enabled them to survive and flourish wherever they lived. In fact, early European explorers who reached the Western Hemisphere were apparently so impressed by the achievements of the people they encountered that they felt compelled to dream up stories about Native Americans being descendants of ancient Phoenician traders or a lost tribe of Israel, in an effort to explain the source of their technological prowess.”

5 ways to honor Native Americans during National Native American Heritage Month via CNN

• “November is National Native American Heritage Month. It’s a time to recognize the many sacrifices, contributions and achievements of Native American people, as well as celebrate their rich and vibrant cultures. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as ‘National American Indian Heritage Month.’  Although the name eventually changed, it started an annual tradition upheld in communities across the United States. For those wanting to participate, here are five ways to honor Native Americans this month — and every month.”

5 Important Issues That Affect Native Americans Today via MSN

• “Native Americans, who at 6.8 million people make up about 2% of the U.S. population, have faced myriad critical issues throughout history but also in modern life. In fact, this past summer marked the first-ever Native American presidential forum, where Democratic presidential candidates including U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris met with tribal leaders in Sioux City, Iowa, to discuss everything from health care to violence against women. ‘It’s great to finally get a lot of acknowledgment that Native Americans still exist, are still very much a part of civic engagement and not an erased people,’ Elizabeth Day, an enrolled member of the Ojibwe tribe, said at the forum, according to the Des Moines Register.”