Tribes come together to celebrate fish! An ancient fish has been swimming in the waters of the Pacific Northwest since before trees existed. After surviving for hundreds of millions of years pacific land prey were decimated by dams and other human caused habitat disruptions as well as lack of government protections, tribes are leading conservation efforts with the goal of getting their numbers back to levels that ensure a reliable harvest. This summer tribal members of the Yakima Nation and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs celebrated their first foods with a public feast.
Voting rights in South Dakota look a little different when counting for Native American residents. Native Americans were granted citizenship and the right to vote in the eyes of the U.S. Government with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, but the right to vote remained in open question in South Dakota according to the 2006, Boneshirt VS. Nelson decision. Since then, Native Americans have faced challenges getting access to the polls from driving long distances to actually getting registered. The nine recognized tribes in South Dakota weren’t fully granted the right to vote until 1951.
The CRST Fair is just a few days away, powwow committee John Kessler says, “The 2022 Powwow will be a year to be remembered” he told KIPI News that, “the people’s strength and resilience through a really tough couple of years has shown that resilience and that fair goers can celebrate this”. The first powwow grand entry is at 7PM Friday Evening. Jerry Dearly and Terry Fiddler are this year’s arena announcers.
