The Alzheimer’s Association has partnered with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina to open an office and counseling center, as reported by Smoky Mountain News on Sept. 15. This will be the first time the association has had a permanent presence on tribal lands.
The new office and counseling center will officially open on Sept. 20. It will be located in the tribe’s Health and Medical Division Building in Cherokee. There will be festivities to mark the grand opening, and on Sept. 21, which is World Alzheimer’s Day, there will be an awareness walk.
While located on tribal lands, the office and center will serve all residents in counties west of Asheville.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Plans Announced for Cleanup of Two Uranium-Contaminated Sites on Navajo and Hopi Reservations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has entered into two enforcement actions, both of which will result in the cleaning up of uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation and Hopi reservations, according to a press release issued by the EPA on Sept. 13.
In one settlement, Rio Algom Mining LLC, a subsidiary of Canadian corporation BHP Billiton, has agreed to control releases of radium (a decay product of uranium) from the Quivira Mine Site, near Gallup, N.M. The company will also conduct a comprehensive investigation of the levels of contamination at the site.
Under the second settlement, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs will begin a comprehensive investigation of the levels of uranium and other contaminants in the waste, soils and groundwater at a landfill in Tuba City. It will also evaluate the feasibility of a range of cleanup actions.
From 1944 to 1986, millions of tons of uranium ore were mined from these lands. While the mines are now closed, the contamination from some 500 of them remains, as do homes built with contaminated mine waste and contaminated water wells. Potential health effects from this contamination include lung cancer, bone cancer and impaired kidney function.
In January 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directed five federal agencies (Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Energy, Indian Health Services and Nuclear Regulatory Commission) to work together to address this problem. They developed a five-year plan to address contaminated homes, wells, mine sites, mills and dumps. The recently announced cleanup efforts are part of this plan.
The coordinated plan has already resulted in the replacement of 14 homes, the assessment of more than 200 mines and funding for water systems that will serve over 3,000 people with clean water, Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region, said in the release.
In one settlement, Rio Algom Mining LLC, a subsidiary of Canadian corporation BHP Billiton, has agreed to control releases of radium (a decay product of uranium) from the Quivira Mine Site, near Gallup, N.M. The company will also conduct a comprehensive investigation of the levels of contamination at the site.
Under the second settlement, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs will begin a comprehensive investigation of the levels of uranium and other contaminants in the waste, soils and groundwater at a landfill in Tuba City. It will also evaluate the feasibility of a range of cleanup actions.
From 1944 to 1986, millions of tons of uranium ore were mined from these lands. While the mines are now closed, the contamination from some 500 of them remains, as do homes built with contaminated mine waste and contaminated water wells. Potential health effects from this contamination include lung cancer, bone cancer and impaired kidney function.
In January 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directed five federal agencies (Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Energy, Indian Health Services and Nuclear Regulatory Commission) to work together to address this problem. They developed a five-year plan to address contaminated homes, wells, mine sites, mills and dumps. The recently announced cleanup efforts are part of this plan.
The coordinated plan has already resulted in the replacement of 14 homes, the assessment of more than 200 mines and funding for water systems that will serve over 3,000 people with clean water, Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region, said in the release.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Crow Tribal Leaders Call for Removal of IHS Hospital’s Clinical Director
Leaders of the Crow Tribe in Montana are calling for the removal of Dr. A. Scott Devous, clinical director at the Indian Health Service hospital on the reservation, after learning that he had been convicted of drug distribution charges 27 years ago in Wyoming, as reported by ABCMontana.com on Sept. 10.
Devous received his license to practice in Montana in 1989, but his Wyoming license was relinquished in 1983, just before he was indicted on federal drug charges, ABCMontana.com said. He had been found guilty of abusing Demerol and passing the drug to a girlfriend.
Devous received his license to practice in Montana in 1989, but his Wyoming license was relinquished in 1983, just before he was indicted on federal drug charges, ABCMontana.com said. He had been found guilty of abusing Demerol and passing the drug to a girlfriend.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Collaborative to Develop Best Practices for Green, Culturally Appropriate Tribal Housing
An alliance of green designers, architects, affordable housing specialists and sustainability advocates is partnering with Native American communities in the Southwest to develop green and culturally appropriate housing best practices.
The alliance, started up with a $55,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Art, is called the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative. It was founded by Jamie Blosser, AIA, LEED AP, associate and director of the Santa Fe, N.M., office of Atkin Olshin Schade Architects. The main partners are Enterprise Community Partners, a provider of capital and expertise for affordable housing and community development, and Architecture for Humanity, a global non-profit design services firm.
"With this collaborative, we are working to explore sustainable new ways to incorporate green design principles into tribal life that will support healthy, sustainable communities," Ed Rosenthal, vice president and director of the National Rural and Native American Program, Enterprise Community Partners, said in a press release.
The collaborative is not setting out to create new green housing standards. Blosser said that was already achieved with the Green Communities Criteria, developed by Enterprise Green Communities.
“We are really looking at combining cultural and environmental sustainability together,” she said.
The best practices will be developed from six housing project case studies, which will be selected over the next six to eight months. To be selected, projects must be in the planning or design phase, incorporate culturally appropriate design and/or green building practices and have the full support of tribal leadership. They must also be in tribal communities in the Southwest.
“The idea is to listen to the tribal leaders' sustainability goals, provide technical assistance to try to meet those goals and compile best practices guidelines based on the initial case studies,” Blosser said.
Tribes interested in submitting their projects for consideration can contact Blosser at info@sustainablenativecommunities.org or 505-216-0925, ext. 4.
The alliance, started up with a $55,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Art, is called the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative. It was founded by Jamie Blosser, AIA, LEED AP, associate and director of the Santa Fe, N.M., office of Atkin Olshin Schade Architects. The main partners are Enterprise Community Partners, a provider of capital and expertise for affordable housing and community development, and Architecture for Humanity, a global non-profit design services firm.
"With this collaborative, we are working to explore sustainable new ways to incorporate green design principles into tribal life that will support healthy, sustainable communities," Ed Rosenthal, vice president and director of the National Rural and Native American Program, Enterprise Community Partners, said in a press release.
The collaborative is not setting out to create new green housing standards. Blosser said that was already achieved with the Green Communities Criteria, developed by Enterprise Green Communities.
“We are really looking at combining cultural and environmental sustainability together,” she said.
The best practices will be developed from six housing project case studies, which will be selected over the next six to eight months. To be selected, projects must be in the planning or design phase, incorporate culturally appropriate design and/or green building practices and have the full support of tribal leadership. They must also be in tribal communities in the Southwest.
“The idea is to listen to the tribal leaders' sustainability goals, provide technical assistance to try to meet those goals and compile best practices guidelines based on the initial case studies,” Blosser said.
Tribes interested in submitting their projects for consideration can contact Blosser at info@sustainablenativecommunities.org or 505-216-0925, ext. 4.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Oneida Files Lawsuit over New York’s Cigarette Tax
The Oneida Indian Nation filed a lawsuit against New York Gov. David Paterson and the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance yesterday with the Northern District of New York, The Oneida Daily Dispatch reported today. The lawsuit questions the legality of the state’s action to collect tax on tobacco products sold to the tribe and its ability to provide tax-free cigarettes to its members.
Under the state’s current tax law, wholesalers and suppliers would be responsible for paying the state for sales and excise tax on its products, The Oneida Daily Dispatch piece said. The tribe would pay for that tax in the price of cigarettes from the supplier.
In late July, just weeks after New York passed a law that raised the tax on cigarettes to $4.35/pack and made cigarettes sold to non-Indians on reservations taxable, the Oneida announced that it is relocating its western New York cigarette manufacturing plant to a facility in its territory. And just a few days ago, the tribe said it will not buy any cigarettes from suppliers that imbed the state tax.
Last week, a federal judge issued an order barring the state from collecting taxes on cigarettes sold on the Seneca and Cayuga reservations, and the order was extended yesterday.
Under the state’s current tax law, wholesalers and suppliers would be responsible for paying the state for sales and excise tax on its products, The Oneida Daily Dispatch piece said. The tribe would pay for that tax in the price of cigarettes from the supplier.
In late July, just weeks after New York passed a law that raised the tax on cigarettes to $4.35/pack and made cigarettes sold to non-Indians on reservations taxable, the Oneida announced that it is relocating its western New York cigarette manufacturing plant to a facility in its territory. And just a few days ago, the tribe said it will not buy any cigarettes from suppliers that imbed the state tax.
Last week, a federal judge issued an order barring the state from collecting taxes on cigarettes sold on the Seneca and Cayuga reservations, and the order was extended yesterday.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
IMLS Awards More Than $2 Million to Tribes for Library Services Enhancements
Seventeen tribal communities were selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to receive $2,030,562 in Native American Library Services Enhancement grants, according to a press release issued by the IMLS today.
The grants will help fund a wide range of projects, including:
For additional information, go to the IMLS Web site (http://www.imls.gov/) or contact Senior Program Officer Alison Freese at 202-653-4665 or afreese@imls.gov.
The grants will help fund a wide range of projects, including:
- The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma will establish the Virtual Library of Cherokee Knowledge, designed to provide Cherokee citizens and the general public access to a comprehensive digital repository of authentic Cherokee knowledge related to the Nation's history, language, traditions, culture and leaders.
- The Jemez Pueblo Community Library in New Mexico is undertaking a project focusing on the preservation of the Towa language and Jemez Pueblo culture, traditions and knowledge. The new “Towa Cultural Resource Center” in the library will serve as a central place to collect, house and make resources available to tribal members.
- The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is working in partnership with the College of Menominee Nation Library Special Collections Department and Wisconsin Heritage Online to house, preserve, catalog and digitize a large collection of rare and historically significant archival materials, many related directly to the personal, legal and national story of the tribe’s struggle for sovereignty during the Termination and Restoration period (1954 to 1973).
- The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma will develop the “Starting Points” program, which will establish a Literacy, Educational and Employment Resource Office within the library to assist community members in need of literacy and employment training. The tribe will facilitate and maintain tools necessary for participants to readily create resumes and easily access job skills training and job search opportunities.
- The Hopi Tribe of Arizona will add the Kuwanomp’tap Sikisve (Computer Technology on Wheels) to its already very successful Hopi Tutuqayki Sikisve (Library on Wheels) from an earlier enhancement grant. The mobile computer lab will operate in tandem with the current bookmobile's schedule, in order to bring public computer and Internet access to the remote villages throughout the Hopi service area.
For additional information, go to the IMLS Web site (http://www.imls.gov/) or contact Senior Program Officer Alison Freese at 202-653-4665 or afreese@imls.gov.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Yocha Dehe Fire Dept. Becomes First in Indian Country to Earn CFAI Accreditation
Last month, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s fire department accomplished what few fire departments have accomplished: it earned its accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI).
The CFAI program is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model. As a benchmark, it allows fire departments to look at past, current and future service levels and performance and compare them to industry best practices.
It helps fire departments determine community risk and safety needs; evaluate the department’s performance; and establish a method for achieving continuous organizational improvement.
No other fire department in Indian Country has earned accreditation yet, and only 147 fire departments in the United States and Canada have been accredited.
Getting accredited was no easy feat for the Yocha Dehe Fire Department, which has 35 uniformed, full-time employees, three engines and other state-of-the-art fire and rescue equipment. It took six years of rigorous development, self-assessment and peer evaluation of its fire department’s administration, training, operational skills, documentation, equipment and facilities.
The accreditation is good for five years. During that period, the department must submit four Annual Compliance Reports that show that it is in compliance with the main performance indicators as well as report on progress made in carrying out its plan for improvement.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is based in California’s Capa Valley. Its fire department, formed in 2003, provides fire protection, technical rescue and paramedic emergency services to the tribal community, the tribe’s Cache Creek Casino Resort and in surrounding areas. The department is guided by a 10-member fire commission.
"When we set out to build the Fire Department, we set the highest standards," Paula Lorenzo Tackett, tribal chairperson when the fire department was created, said in a press release.
"We were determined to build our fire department to complement services provided by the other departments in our region with whom we proudly work," said James Kinter, a member of the tribal council and Yocha Dehe Fire Commission Chairman.
The Chantilly, Va.-based Center for Public Safety Excellence, which the commission is part of, told AIR that no other tribe has pursued CFAI accreditation and none are in the process. It said via e-mail, “We hope that Yocha Dehe will set the example to others.”
The CFAI program is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model. As a benchmark, it allows fire departments to look at past, current and future service levels and performance and compare them to industry best practices.
It helps fire departments determine community risk and safety needs; evaluate the department’s performance; and establish a method for achieving continuous organizational improvement.
No other fire department in Indian Country has earned accreditation yet, and only 147 fire departments in the United States and Canada have been accredited.
Getting accredited was no easy feat for the Yocha Dehe Fire Department, which has 35 uniformed, full-time employees, three engines and other state-of-the-art fire and rescue equipment. It took six years of rigorous development, self-assessment and peer evaluation of its fire department’s administration, training, operational skills, documentation, equipment and facilities.
The accreditation is good for five years. During that period, the department must submit four Annual Compliance Reports that show that it is in compliance with the main performance indicators as well as report on progress made in carrying out its plan for improvement.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is based in California’s Capa Valley. Its fire department, formed in 2003, provides fire protection, technical rescue and paramedic emergency services to the tribal community, the tribe’s Cache Creek Casino Resort and in surrounding areas. The department is guided by a 10-member fire commission.
"When we set out to build the Fire Department, we set the highest standards," Paula Lorenzo Tackett, tribal chairperson when the fire department was created, said in a press release.
"We were determined to build our fire department to complement services provided by the other departments in our region with whom we proudly work," said James Kinter, a member of the tribal council and Yocha Dehe Fire Commission Chairman.
The Chantilly, Va.-based Center for Public Safety Excellence, which the commission is part of, told AIR that no other tribe has pursued CFAI accreditation and none are in the process. It said via e-mail, “We hope that Yocha Dehe will set the example to others.”
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