NATIVE AMERICANS(ET)

Tara Mac Lean Sweeney

Published May 22, 2020

WASHINGTON — Tensions between Indian Country and the Trump administration have reached unprecedented heights this week, as leading national American Indian groups called for the ouster of the country’s top official for Indian affairs.  

In a three-page letter addressed to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, five leading American Indian organizations called for the immediate removal of Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (AS-IA) Tara MacLean Sweeney from her post at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The letter is signed by presidents of Association on American Indians Affairs, Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, National Congress of American Indians and the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund. The request comes after several months of frustration with Sweeney’s failures “to honor and uphold the federal government’s trust obligation to Tribal Nations.”

The letter also comes two weeks after the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the DOI launched an ethics probe into a senior DOI official’s handling of $8 billion in CARES Act funding for tribes, as well as allegations that the DOI improperly released sensitive tribal government information.  The unnamed official is widely believed to be Sweeney.

An Alaska Native, Sweeney is a former oil and gas lobbyist who later worked for one of Alaska’s largest native corporations, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC). She was paid $1,086,675 by ASRC in 2017 and the first month of 2018, according to a federal financial disclosure report filed in January 2018 when she was being considered for the post as Asst. Secretary.  

The letter mentions four specific areas the organization’s leaders feel Sweeney has not fulfilled her responsibilities as the trustee to tribes.

First, the letter cites Sweeney signing the decision, on her first day in office, to reverse the Department of the Interior’s action to acquire trust lands and set aside a reservation for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.  

Sweeney later oversaw DOI’s withdrawal from litigation in support of the Mashpee’s right to lands and, the letter writes, just days after the United States declared COVID-19 a national pandemic, and before the court had issued any decision requiring Interior to take Mashpee’s lands out of trust status – Sweeney took actions to disestablish Mashpee’s reservation entirely. This type of unilateral assault on Tribal lands has not occurred since the Termination Era more than 60 years ago.”

The second area mentions the fact Sweeney failed to protect and preserve lands rights of the Tohono O’odham Nation in the recent desecration of unmarked ancestral burial sites at the southern border of the United States that is being partially installed to fulfill a 2016 presidential campaign promise of President Trump to build a wall.

The third area cited in the letter involves Sweeney’s recent handling of her input into allocation of CARES Act funds to tribes.

“Sweeney unethically sought to divert emergency Tribal government resources to state-chartered, for-profit corporations, including her former employer and her husband’s client – a wealthy Alaska Native corporation for which he is a registered lobbyist,” the letter said.

The fourth argument for her removal in the letter is the Interior Department’s denial of “Alaska Native villages their statutory and regulatory rights to acquire lands in trust via the Alaska Indian Reorganization Act and its incorporation of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.”

The presidents of the five organizations that signed the letter make it clear that the call for Sweeney’s ouster comes after much thought, deliberation and some regret. 

“Our organizations regret that circumstances require our insistence on AS-IA Sweeney’s removal from office, as many of us supported her nomination and had high expectations for her service. But we owe it to our member Tribal Nations, our children, and our ancestors to ensure that all AS-IAs uphold and faithfully execute the duties of the office in a way that advances the authorities, capabilities and interests of Tribal Nations,” the letter writes.  

A request for comment from the Interior Department on the call for Sweeney’s immediate removal by Native News Online was not answered by press time.

Former Vice President Joe Biden at a campaign stop in Michigan in March. Native News Online photographs by Levi Rickert

Published May 22, 2020

PHOENIX — Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, said he will increase funding for the Indian Health Service if elected.

He made his pledge in a written statement shared with The Arizona Republic.

In the statement, he criticized “President Donald Trump and his administration for delaying the first installment of coronavirus financial aid to Native Americans, who sued the administration to block it from giving some of the money to for-profit corporations operated by Native Americans,” the newspaper reported.

“The Navajo Nation has the highest rate of coronavirus infections in the United States,” Biden said. “Donald Trump has failed to live up to our trust and treaty obligations to Native Americans. He took more than a month to allocate Congress’ emergency funding to tribes — and only did so after tribes sued. He has failed to provide tribes with adequate protective personal equipment and medical supplies. It’s unacceptable.

“As President, I’ll make meaningful investments in Indian Country — including dramatically increasing funding for Indian Health Services and making it mandatory.”

Biden also stated his commitment to tribal sovereignty. 

Click to read the entire article.

Published May 22, 2020

STROUD, Okla. — An Oklahoma tribe is giving money it received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act directly to its tribal citizens. Tribal citizens will begin to receive the relief checks in the mail in June.

On Thursday, the Sac and Fox Nation, based in Stroud, Okla., announced its business committee voted unanimously to allocate $6,875,500 of the $21,318,227.90 (32 percent) of CARES Act funds it received from the U.S. Department of Treasury directly to its tribal citizens.

“The Business Committee recognizes our tribal members have immediate needs during this unprecedented time,” said Principal Chief Justin F. Wood. “These payments will assist our tribal members as we face the COVID-19 public health emergency. Our tribal members are facing unforeseen financial needs and risks because of the pandemic.”

The business committee allocated the funds to the Sac and Fox Nation COVID-19 Economic Support Program, which is intended to provide economic support for tribal members during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Funds will be disbursed in two installments to all enrolled tribal citizens. Payments will be sent in June 2020 and September 2020. Program details are as follows:

Eligibility:

• Enrolled members of the Sac and Fox Nation as of June 1, 2020.
•  Provide updated mailing information.

• Provide current mailing address via email, fax, or mail:

    Email: covidrelief@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

    Fax: 918-968-4528

    Mail: Sac and Fox Nation

             Attn: Finance Department

           920963 S. Highway 99

           Stroud, OK 74079

• For the June 2020 payment, updated mailing information must be submitted by June 8th, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
• For the September 2020 payment, updated mailing information must be submitted by September 8th, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
• If updated mailing information is not provided, payments will be mailed to the most recent address on file with the Enrollment Department. If there is no change to the mailing address, there is no need to submit information.

Distribution Schedule:

• All enrolled members of the Sac and Fox Nation age 18 or older will receive two payments of $1,000.00:

• $1,000.00 payment distributed in June 2020.
• $1,000.00 payment distributed in September 2020.

• All enrolled members of the Sac and Fox Nation under the age of 18 will receive two payments of $250.00:

• $250.00 payment distributed in June 2020.
• $250.00 payment distributed in September 2020.

• All payments will be mailed.

This economic support is in addition to the Sac and Fox Nation COVID-19 Relief Program for Elders approved by the Business Committee on April 29, 2020. The COVID-19 Relief Program for Elders provided a one-time disbursement to all enrolled Sac and Fox tribal citizens who are age 55 or over.

The Sac and Fox Nation is also delivering food and supply baskets to elders residing in the Sac and Fox Nation’s jurisdiction, as part of the Sac and Fox Nation Title VI Elders Program.

Instagram is a wonderful application that helps you connect easily with your customers. It has grown by 1400% in the past five years alone. More and more people connect with different brands through the platform every day. This is when Instagram Stories come into the picture.

Over 500 million users check Instagram stories daily. Besides, statistics say that 83% of all Instagram users discover a new product or service on this platform. In other words, Instagram Stories is a gold mine for marketers, if you know how to use it well.

With smart use of all tools available, you can take your business to desired growth levels. Read on for some useful tips on how to plan your Instagram stories for marketing success.

1. Be Clear On What You Want To Convey

As a brand, you need to be clear about how you want to improve the life of your customers. This will let you connect with your target audience. Having a straightforward answer to the following will make it easy:

• What are the areas of your expertise?
• How do you want to influence and inspire your audience?

Once you figure these, you can focus on your target audience more.

2. Establish a Personal Connection with the Users

Instagram Stories are a great place to offer your audience meaningful content that could help them. With the right understanding of user persona, you can dish out content that touches, influences, and educates them. The more you do this, the more they will connect with your brand. 

For instance, use Stories to share raw and funny videos from your activities. This will make you more authentic, which is very important in the long-run.

3. Maximize Interaction Using Different Instagram Stories Features

Instagram Stories is a versatile tool in your marketing arsenal. It offers unique ways to engage, entertain, and inspire the audience. Let us look at some Story ideas;

Quick stories: Instagram Stories display pictures for 5 seconds and videos for 15 seconds. Use multiple stories to entertain your audience or to show them insightful clips. Use InVideo, the best online Instagram video editor to create attractive clips. Keep them short and catchy.

Geotags: Geotags let users discover you on location-based searches. This is more important if you base your business on a particular region.

Hashtags: Insert the right hashtags in your Stories. This way, potential clients can find you through hashtag-based searches

Polls: Customer feedback is priceless in marketing and business. Instagram polls are ideal for this. Ask your followers to cast their opinion with a simple click. You not only make them feel empowered but get their valuable feedback too.

Questions feature: You can use this tool to ask your audience questions. Make sure you respond with the best answer. You can also use this tool to ask for opinion and feedback from your followers. This tool works great for engagement and for authentic feedback.

Share Website Content: Instagram Stories offer another way to promote your website content—by sharing links. Now you can add links to your blogs, pictures, or YouTube videos by adding the  ‘swipe up’ option with the respective link.

4. Figure out the Persona of Your Audience

The most efficient way to connect to your customers is to understand their tastes, preferences, and personality types. This will help you create Stories that will resonate with your target group.

To begin with, you can check the profiles of your followers and identify the common features. Visit your brand’s posts and scan your comments. Find the liveliest topics so you can create similar discussions again. 

You can also look into your Audience Insights; it will reveal the age, gender, and details like the location of your audience. This will help you create content that is more specific. For instance, if the majority of your followers are CEOs, you can create content that helps self-motivated individuals.

5. Include Ads on Instagram Stories

Instagram Ads are growing astronomically. Do you know why? They are highly efficient.

You can design ads that target an audience based on gender, language, and behaviours. When you make ads with a top ad maker like InVideo, it will create a smooth experience while landing you more leads.

6. Formulate a Long-Term Content Plan

In marketing, it is a no-brainer to have a plan laid out well ahead of time. But, it is worth mentioning here because proper planning can help you create more professional-looking Instagram Stories. You can bring continuity and anticipation if you create stories with a plan. For instance, you can add a campaign on Mondays, dedicate Tuesdays for videos, and so on. This will keep your stories lively.

7. Include a Call-to-Action

The ultimate goal of marketing campaigns is action and Instagram Stories offer many options for this. For instance, you can add ‘shop now’ or ‘learn more’ options to your Instagram story ads. Besides, those with over 10,000 followers can use the ‘swipe up’ option to add links.

Instagram Stories is a free yet powerful marketing tool. Make sure you use the above options to the fullest and leverage your business.

Navajo Police have been enforcing the 57-hour curfew this Memorial Day weekend.

Published May 21, 2020

Navajo Nation prepares for another 57-hour weekend lockdown

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center, Navajo Area Indian Health Service, and the Tribal Health Organizations, reported 181 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation on Thursday. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 4,434, and the total number of deaths is now 147.

Preliminary reports from six health care facilities indicate that approximately 1,195 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending. A total of 27,932 COVID-19 tests have been administered with 21,611 negative results. Approximately 13.2% percent of Navajo Nation residents have been tested for COVID-19.

“The increase in numbers is due to the large-scale testing events that have occurred on the Navajo Nation in recent days. The Navajo Nation health care facilities continue to test our citizens at a greater rate per capita than any state in the country. Over 13-percent of our residents have been tested compared to 10-percent for states. The Nation has implemented a contact tracing team to address the increased number of cases and to begin identifying the places and people the patient was in contact with to deter more cases. As the number of cases increased, the amount of work and planning increased as well, but together we can slow the spread and flatten the curve,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

On Thursday, the Nez-Lizer team distributed food, bottled water, cleaning products, and other essential supplies to 654 Navajo families in the communities of Halchita, Monument Valley/Oljato, Dennehotso, Tółikan, and Round Rock.

“As we approach another 57-hour weekend lockdown, we ask our Diné citizens to prepare ahead of time to avoid the rush into border towns and stores. If you need essential household items or need to finish errands, please plan. For example, get enough healthy food and water that could last for more than 14 days, and get your prescription medications in advance. Each household should have a safety plan to minimize exposure of the virus,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

The weekend lockdown will begin on Friday at 8:00 p.m. until Monday at 5:00 a.m. The Navajo Nation’s stay-at-home order remains in effect requiring residents to remain home except for essential workers, cases of emergencies, and if there is a need to get food or other essential items.

For more information on reports, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19.  To contact the Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call (928) 871-7014.

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To Donate to the Navajo Nation

The official webpage for donations to the Navajo Nation, which has further details on how to support  the Nation’s Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19 (COVID-19) efforts is:  http://www.nndoh.org/donate.html.

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For More Information

For more information including reports, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. To contact the main Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call (928) 871-7014.

For up to date information on impact the coronavirus pandemic is having in the United States and around the world go to: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/?fbclid=IwAR1vxfcHfMBnmTFm6hBICQcdbV5aRnMimeP3hVYHdlxJtFWdKF80VV8iHgE

For up-to-date information about COVID-19, Native News Online encourages you to go to Indian Health Service’s COVID-19 webpage and review CDC’s COVID-19 webpage.