Category: Archived

Colette Keith| KIPI Radio News | September 30, 2022 – Part 2

The FBI responded to a fatal stabbing incident two nights ago at a home on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in Fort Totten, North Dakota. The bureau says multiple people were stabbed, including two who died. The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are working together on the case. They say there is no danger to the public and no more information is available at this time.

American Indian and Alaska Native foster children’s health and well-being is best protected when they are placed with family or tribal members, physicians tell the U.S. Supreme Court. Allowing children from tribal communities to be placed through state foster care when there are family or tribal members to take them in, dissociates children from their culture and perpetuates the harmful effects of decades of state and federal policies that enabled removal of Native children from their families and tribes. The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in 1978.

In news that touches community members and Tribal Elders closer to home… Madonna Thunder Hawk is leading the way at the  Orange Shirt Day remembrance event…The National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, also known as Orange Shirt Day, will be observed in Eagle Butte today with a walk and evening program at the Lakota Cultural Center. The prayer walkers will gather at 4:45 this afternoon front of the Old Tribal Building on Main Street. After a prayer and brief remarks, participants will depart from that location at 5 p.m. and walk to the Lakota Cultural Center on U.S. Hwy 212.

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Colette Keith| KIPI Radio News | September 30, 2022 – Part 1

Mexico has become the deadliest place in the world for environmental and land defense activists, and the Yaqui Indigenous people of northern Mexico are still mourning the killing of water-defense leader Tomás Rojo found in June 2021. The murder of Indigenous land defenders often conjures up images of Amazon activists killed deep in the jungle. Two hundred activists were killed worldwide in 2021. Latin America accounted for over two-thirds of the murders in 2021.

Two Indigenous women will represent not only their home states but also their tribal communities at the Miss America and Miss USA pageants in coming weeks. One of the two is from the Dakotas…Miss North Dakota USA SaNoah LaRocque, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, will step into the spotlight first at the Miss USA pageant on Monday, Oct. 3rd, at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.

The 34^th annual He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate or Black Hills Pow wow kicks off one week from today….beginning Friday October 7^th and running through Sunday October 9^th at the Summit Arena At the Monument..There will be over 100 thousand dollars awarded for categories for dancers and singers and the weather is expected to be perfect!!!

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Colette Keith| KIPI Radio News | September 29, 2022 – Part 2

Leaders of the Native American Church of North America or NACNA held multiple meetings with congressional offices this week to advocate that federal funding be dedicated toward efforts to preserve habitats where peyote can be grown. The psychedelic cacti is used in religious ceremonies that are already federally protected, but its supply is limited and NACNA members are asking for assistance to ensure it can remain available for generations to come. While peyote is a Schedule I controlled substance, the church has been permitted to cultivate, harvest and use the cacti under a 1994 congressional amendment.  

The American Indian College Fund selected and trained 11 new student ambassadors for its 2022-23 cohort. Now in its eighth year, the College Fund Student Ambassador Program gives Indigenous students the leadership and communications skills to create greater visibility of Native Americans and an understanding of the importance of their diverse cultures. College Fund student ambassadors represent the College Fund and their institutions in media interviews, at cultural events, in their communities, and on their campuses. Student ambassadors also receive advocacy training to help them spearhead action for issues impacting Native communities.

Native American students are among the most underrepresented in computer science. Amazon Future Engineer is committing two and a quarter million dollars to engage 10,000 Indigenous students in computer science by 2025. Indigenous youth face significant barriers to accessing computer science (CS) instruction and opportunities in schools on Native American reservations. In turn, the lack of a robust CS curriculum for K-12 students has created a concerning educational disparity. Through the program, Amazon has announced the monetary commitment to support INDIGITIZE a new initiative created in partnership with The One Gen Fund to support school districts in New Mexico, Arizona, South Dakota, and other areas by 2025.

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Colette Keith| KIPI Radio News | September 29, 2022 – Part 1

The man accused of murdering a young man at a Rapid City hotel last spring was back in court this week for an arraignment on a new indictment with an additional murder charge filed against him. Quincy Bear Robe is accused of killing Myron Pourier Jr. in a March 19th shooting at the Grand Gateway Hotel. Bear Robe was originally charged with aggravated assault and commission of a felony with a firearm, but following Pourier’s death on April 3rd, the aggravated assault charge was updated to second-degree murder. Monday, an additional first-degree murder charge was added.

The economy is always a big topic during elections. But with the midterms near, recent inflation woes are especially felt in tribal areas, and Indigenous leaders hope it spurs turnout. A recent national poll found 63% of Indigenous voters were experiencing serious financial problems. Douglas Yankton, chairman of the Spirit Lake Nation, said inflation has affected programs providing an array of services on his reservation. Even though some of the pressure has eased, the ripple effect is still there. “A lot of those services don’t go as far as they used to,” Yankton explained. And COVID is still a concern. Cases were disproportionately felt by Native populations, and Yankton pointed out local businesses are hurting with some residents worried about close contact, limiting their ability to work or shop.

Registered South Dakota voters can now go to their county auditor’s office to fill out and submit their ballot. Voters will weigh in on several statewide races, including governor, U.S. Senate and various constitutional officers. Voters will also determine the makeup of the state legislature. Every seat is up for election. South Dakotans will also decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana and expand Medicaid. Early voting continues until Election Day, which is November 8^th.

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