Jayme Davis is no stranger to politics and government. She worked for Senator Kent Conrad in a variety of areas, and was his liaison between federal agencies and Native nations. She also previously worked for Turtle Mountain Community College. Davis was recently elected to serve in North Dakota’s House of Representatives.
American history classes often do not include the histories of Native people. So today more and more Native authors are writing books to tell their own history such as Darren Parry. His book, “The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History,” was just named “Book of the Year” by the history department at Brigham Young University. Parry is the former chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation.
Angel Moore is the national correspondent for APTN, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in Canada. She covers the news in the Atlantic region and is based in Halifax. She gives an update on news she’s covering including the death of Chantel Moore.
A slice of our Indigenous world
- U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona made headlines Friday after she switched parties. Sinema was a Democrat and now she’s registered with the Independent Party. Patty Talahongva, ICT Senior Correspondent, was at her first meeting with tribal leaders just hours after making the announcement.
- Families in Canada are demanding justice to recover bodies of their relatives who have been murdered. Last week, the bodies of two Indigenous women were found in a local landfill in Winnipeg. Police are now saying they don’t have the resources to recover those bodies. Jeremy Skibicki is the suspect. He’s been charged with the murders of four other women. The family says their loved ones need a final resting place that’s not a landfill.
- Literacy training is making a difference for Indigenous communities in Bolivia. The Spanish classes are part of a government sponsored program called “Bolivia Reads.” Adults from an Indigenous community near La Paz have been learning to read and write. More than 20,000 senior citizens, mainly women from low-income rural communities, have been taking part in the classes. National programs are also being created to protect and maintain Indigenous knowledge.
- Two Native led productions made the list for the 28th annual Critics Choice awards. “Prey,” the suspense prequel to “Predator” earned a nomination for “Best Movie Made for Television.” The lead actress, Amber Midthunder, from the Fort Peck Sioux Tribe, also received a nomination for Best Actress in a limited series or Movie Made for Television. The film, directed by Comanche and Blackfeet creative Jhane Myers, broke the record for Hulu’s highest viewed premiere earlier this year. Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs” was also on the list of nominees. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai has been nominated for best actor in a comedy. Devery Jacobs for best actress in a comedy and Paulina Alexis for best supporting actress in a comedy. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony in Los Angeles next year in mid-January.
Source: Indian Country Today
