Author: Sarah Donnelly

NPS Reopens Comment Period for Proposed Rule

Sarah M Donnelly1 Comment

The National Park Service has a proposed rule that would allow members of federally-recognized tribes traditionally associated with specific national parks to gather and remove plant materials from those national parks so long as the tribe and the federal government create an agreement that regulates the practice.

Originally the deadline for comments was July 20, 2015, but today the NPS extended that deadline to midnight September 28, 2015.

Comments for “NPS RIN 1024-AD84” can be submitted online or to the following mailing address:

Joe Watkins, Office of Tribal Relations and American Cultures
National Park Service
1201 I St NW
Washington DC 20005

Media Coverage of Michigan’s Underfunded Native Tuition Program

Sarah M Donnelly2 Comments

This Detroit News article has a premise that supports the need for Michigan to appropriate more money to the tuition waiver and does an adequate job of summarizing the history of the program, except for this small paragraph about the purpose of the Mt. Pleasant boarding school:

The native boarding schools were part of a national movement aimed at educating native children so they could get training in a skill to sustain a livelihood. In shutting down the exchange, the state agreed to fund higher education for Native Americans.

This is a sugar-coated annotation for what was really a disturbing and disgraceful time in American history.

Update: Eastern Michigan University to Remove Racist Insignia

Sarah M Donnelly

The Detroit Free Press is reporting the school’s Interim President made the announcement via email.

Previous coverage:

Eastern Michigan U. Native Students Meet with University President and DOJ Liaison over Harassment and Continued Use of Hurons Logo

Shame on Eastern Michigan “Eagles”

Report: Native Americas plan protest against EMU’s use of Huron logo

UPDATE 8/12/15 0838:

Interim President’s letter is on EMU’s website.

A copy of the meeting minutes mentioned in the letter available here.

Interior Board of Indian Appeals Decides Newtok Village Leadership Dispute

Sarah M Donnelly

IBIA order affirming the decision of the Acting Alaska Regional Director here.  The Board held that the Acting Alaska Regional Director’s decision was not arbitrary or capricious.

Newtok Village Council suit in federal court to prevent further interference from Newtok Traditional Council previously reported here.  No new updates on that case.

The Newtok Village in Alaska needs to be relocated nine miles inland to avoid erosion, but a leadership controversy was preventing the release of $6.5 million from the federal government.  The Tribe elected a new council in October 2012 and reaffirmed the election in a membership meeting June 2013, but the old council was still requesting funds and contracts with the BIA.  The old council appealed the Regional Director’s decision to the DOI in August 2013.  The new IBIA order will now allow the Tribe to move forward with the planning stages of the relocation, but many financial issues that arose under the old council’s mismanagement still need to be settled and at least one old council member has said that he will appeal: “It’s not even close to over yet.  We are going to the highest court, even to the top of the White House.”