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Largest Native Youth Gathering in Nike History
On Monday, a small group of Native youth walked past the Michael Jordan Building at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. One boy yelled out “Skoden.” As he sprinted to the front of the group, his long black braid swayed across his back with each stride. When they turned the corner, they were met by a sea of Native youth who make up the largest gathering of Native youth in Nike history.
How Native Nations Forced Federal Investment in Salmon Reintroduction
Down the curved walkway just past the Chief Joseph Hatchery, the sounds of soft laughter and friendly hellos mixed with the roar of the Columbia River as it cascaded in streams through the Chief Joseph Dam. Near the hatchery raceways, spiritual leaders of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation led a ceremony to give thanks for the sacrifice of the first salmon of the season.
Underscore Wins Numerous Indigenous Media Awards
Last week, the Indigenous Journalists Association announced its 2024 Indigenous Media Awards. Underscore Native News walked away with 11 awards in multiple categories. That’s in addition to the trio of awards Underscore won last month from the Society of Professional Journalists. Nika Bartoo-Smith reports for both Underscore and ICT....
NAYA Opens A Native Family Shelter
Khwat yaka haws, meaning Auntie’s Place in the Chinook language, provides culturally-centered services like first foods cooking classes, beading and drumming lessons, and more. The shelter is also intentionally staffed with people who understand the lived experiences of those who need housing to help create a safe and supportive home for Native families experiencing homelessness.
Center for Tribal Nations to Transform Portland Waterfront
Imagine a future in which first foods and medicines line the shores of the Willamette River in the OMSI district, Indigenous stories and design on full display, as flags from hundreds of Native nations fly proud. This is the vision for the Center for Tribal Nations (CTN) — a hub...
Miss Indian Northwest Pageant Returns After Nearly Three Decades Pause
On Friday night, hundreds gathered under and around two large white tents covering the powwow circle. Song and dance filled the Delta Park in Northeast Portland, celebrating the long awaited return of the Miss Indian Northwest Pageant in addition to the 51st Annual Delta Park Powwow. Spectators and family members...
Four-Year-Old Oregon Report Identifies Missing Native American Women As An ‘Emergency’ — But Progress Has Been Limited
Carolyn DeFord was hoping for change. She was hoping for answers. She’s been hoping for 24 years. It was Feb. 18, 2019, and DeFord was making the long trip from her home in central Washington to Oregon — a drive she had made many times to search for her missing mother, Leona Kinsey, who disappeared from her home in La Grande, Oregon, in 1998. This time the drive was different. DeFord was traveling to testify in the Oregon Capitol.
NAYA’s Many Nations Academy Celebrates Class of 2024
A roar of clapping hands, cheers and the echo of a drumbeat filled the pavilion on the blacktop behind the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) as 16 students dressed in black caps and gowns turned their tassels to the left — congratulations to the Many Nations Academy class of 2024.
Introducing Our New Website and Brand
Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “underscore” as such: “to emphasize the importance of something.” Other definitions include the words “stress” or “make evident,” while others describe the literal act of drawing a line under a word to highlight its significance. Whatever definition...
Feds Shrug Off Responsibility for BIA Officer Who Raped Woman Under Threat of Arrest
WARNING Missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, sexual assault. That Dana Michael Bullcoming, a former police officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, raped a woman in her own home while on duty is not in dispute. But the federal government says it bears no responsibility for what its attorney called the “reprehensible actions” of its officer because he assaulted the woman “solely for his own benefit.”
Former Oregon Governor Kate Brown to Lead Willamette Falls Trust
Former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has been busy since she left office in 2023. She’s completed teaching fellowships at Harvard and the University of Chicago. Now, she’ll lead a regional organization seeking to reopen public access to the second largest waterfall by volume in the United States — a major cultural spot for area Native nations — for the first time in nearly two centuries.
Portland Rose Princess Advocates for Native Representation
As the sun beat down on the streets of Portland the second Saturday in May, hundreds of families lined the sidewalks to watch the annual St. Johns Parade. Near the middle of the procession, 15 convertibles drove past with this year’s Portland Rose Festival Court. Leading the Court, Heleen Red Bird, a junior from Roosevelt high school, smiled and waved. A warhoop echoed out from the crowd and Red Bird offered an extra big smile.
‘We Are Going to Lead the World’
The climate story is as much about values as it is about a changing world. And It’s easy to see the connection between the Quinault people and their place on this planet. “Many of our ancestors have told us of that day of reckoning when it’s going to be red nations rising and our people leading the rest of the world,” said Fawn Sharp. She is now a former vice president and president for her nation, and was president of the National Congress of American Indians. She is now working on climate projects full time.
Climate Bill is Huge and It’s Coming Due
We are just beginning to see how expensive adapting to a new climate will be. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has awarded $25 million for three communities working on their move to higher ground. In addition to Taholah, on the Quinault Indian Nation, there are two villages in Alaska, Newtok Village and the Native Village of Napakiak, on the agency’s list.
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