Tuesday, September 17, 2024

National Native News

Tuesday is recognized as National Voter Registration Day.

Events are taking place across the country to encourage people to register to vote.

KNBA’s Jill Fratis reports on efforts that go beyond the holiday.

In Alaska, non-partisan efforts to mobilize Alaska Native and American Indian voters are year-round through Get Out The Native Vote.

Michelle Sparck is the director of Strategic Initiatives for Get Out The Native Vote.

In the months leading up to the 2024 November election, Sparck is traveling to as many rural communities in the state to educate Alaska Natives about the importance of voting.

She says work includes voter education and ensuring that as many rural communities receive information about the voting process and elections.

“I work weekends, I work evenings, I work holidays because there’s so many public events or forums or private events that call for a presence and, and talking about elections. And so, you know, obviously there are downtimes, there are slower times, but, we are constantly studying voting patterns, behaviors, statistics of putting them together, compiling data.”

Sparck says getting out the Native vote in the state is important.

“We represent a quarter of Alaska’s vote. That doesn’t mean we all vote and it doesn’t mean we all vote the same way, but we have an outsized presence in, in or potentially outsized presence in civics and elections and that kind of sway in governance if we vote to our potential.”

Another focus of Get Out The Native Vote is making sure to educate Alaska Native youth.

Sparck says they’re relying on new approaches to help young people better understand how voting works.

“They can complain that they feel it was a complicated system, but it’s something that will take time and homework and practice and Get Out The Native Vote has a nice video that where you show people who voted for their favorite Native foods and then you can see the process in real time and what it looks like. And we also have an app that kids can use and vote for their favorite foods and they can see in real time how their little community has voted.”

More information is available online at aknativevote.com.

Tribal leaders, community members, and allies of the Hualapai Tribe in Arizona, are gathering outside a federal court house in Phoenix, Ariz. Tuesday for a day-long rally to support the tribe’s lawsuit, which seeks to protect a sacred site.

The tribe filed the lawsuit against two federal agencies over the approval of a lithium exploration project near lands used for religious and cultural purposes, the Navajo-Hopi Observer reports.

The tribe says the project threatens a sacred spring and surrounding lands.

Supporters see the project as an opportunity to further clean energy technology.

The tribe is asking the court to extend a temporary ban on exploratory drilling.

A hearing is scheduled on Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has published updated official demographic maps showing the tribe’s citizenship across the country.

According to the tribe, the release marks the first updated maps made public in more than a decade.

There are more than 460,000 Cherokee Nation citizens.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says they’re proud to have them available not only for official tribal use, but for public access, which may help connect Cherokee citizens in different regions.

The maps show Oklahoma continues to be home to the highest number of Cherokee citizens.

The maps also show the top 12 states where Cherokee citizens live.

Other maps are in the works including ones that pinpoint first-language fluent Cherokee speakers.

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