Tribal members are gearing up to run more than 1,700 miles from Oklahoma to California in a show of sovereignty. The so-called ‘Sovereignty Run’ will be led by Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and vice president of the Quinault Indian Nation. Sharp organized the first run 20 years ago to call attention to the erosion of tribal sovereignty on reservation lands, an issue she says persists today. This year’s run also coincides with the reinstatement of Jim Thorpe’s (Sac and Fox, Potawatomi) 1912 Olympic wins.
The government has renamed more than two dozen lakes and other sites on federal land in Wisconsin to remove a racist term for a Native American woman. The changes announced Thursday capped a nearly yearlong process that began when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, an American Indian, took office in 2021 and worked to remove the offensive word from the names of nearly 650 peaks, lakes, streams and other places nationwide. In Wisconsin, there are 28 places that have been renamed including Squaw Island in Door County, now named Keyes Island.
South Dakota values were central to the stories of 10 inductees into the state’s hall of fame recently in Chamberlain. Speeches were given and laughter and tears filled the room as the men and women honored accepted their place in the South Dakota Hall of Fame. But one inductee, Bev Warne, captivated the audience at Cedar Shores Resort as she spoke of the challenges faced by Native Americans. Warne, now 83, most recently is known for creating the Native American Nursing Education Center in Rapid City. It is part of South Dakota State University’s School of Nursing and is designed to increase the number of Native American nurses.
