A lawsuit filed by the former chief executive officer of the National Congress of American Indians will proceed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Dante Desiderio filed a complaint on June 24 after being suspended as CEO earlier in the month. He is accusing NCAI of “race-based” discrimination in connection with his hiring of two non-Indians at the largest inter-tribal advocacy organization in the United States. NCAI subsequently sought to have the case moved to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, which is part of the federal system. But a federal judge denied the request citing a “lack of removal jurisdiction.”
Drug overdose deaths in the United States increased sharply throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching record levels in 2021 according to a new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association. For people ages 15 to 34, White people had the highest rate of overdose deaths in 2018. But between 2018 and 2021, rates increased faster among other ethnic groups. By 2021, American Indian and Alaska Native people had the highest rate of overdose deaths in this age group.
The Black Hills Community Theatre opened its 55th season this weekend with “Average Family,” a comedy by an award-winning playwright with tribal South Dakota roots. “Average Family” opened at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Studio Theater at The Performing Arts Center of Rapid City. “Average Family,” is a family-friendly comedy by South Dakota native and 2020 MacArthur Genius Grant Recipient Larissa FastHorse. “Average Family” focuses on the Roubideouxs, a typical technology-loving, city-dwelling family who have an Indigenous heritage. When the Roubideouxs are “randomly” chosen to compete on a reality TV show against the Monroes, a rustic working-class family, culture shock ensues.
