Tag: native american
Fighting for the Puyallup Tribe: Memory, Sovereignty, and Survival in Ramona Bennett’s Memoir
Ramona Bennett Bill’s Fighting for the Puyallup Tribe: A Memoir reminds us that sovereignty is not defined by court rulings alone but by the lived struggles of those who risked everything for their people. Blending memory, activism, and humor, Bennett shows that victories were won not only in courtrooms but in protest camps, community care, and the determination of leaders who refused to be silenced.
Before Capitalism: What the Iroquois Taught Engels About Equality
What if one of socialism’s founding fathers looked to Indigenous America, not Europe, for inspiration? Frederick Engels, long known for his partnership with Marx, found a radical model of equality in the Iroquois Confederacy, with their matrilineal society challenging everything Europe believed about power, property, and gender.
The Silencing of Valor: How DEI Rollbacks Threaten the Navajo Code Talkers’ Legacy
The Navajo Code Talkers fought for a country that had marginalized them, only to return to a nation that largely ignored their contributions for decades. Under the Trump administration, DEI rollbacks further minimized their legacy, reinforcing the dangerous narrative that Indigenous contributions to American history can be easily removed.
Honoring the Matriarchs: The Political Legacy of Indigenous Women
Native American women have played a crucial role in advancing civil rights, inspiring early feminists who marveled at their political power in tribal societies. Despite barriers, they fought for voting rights, sovereignty, and equal representation—ensuring that their influence on governance and justice continues to shape America’s political landscape today.
Trump, Manifest Destiny, and the Modern Perils of Ignoring Indigenous History
In his 2025 inauguration speech, Trump depicted American settlers as taming “a rugged land of untamed wilderness” and having “won the Wild West,” ignoring Indigenous nations who thrived for millennia. This narrative overlooks the violent displacement and cultural destruction through the practice of American imperialism.
Gathering of Wellness 2019
How a handful of Native athletes are creating a space for health and wellness during Gathering of Nations.
Why Native Entrepreneurs Must Continue to Ask, Why Not Us?
After having read Robert Miller’s book Reservation ‘Capitalism,’ Economic Development in Indian Country, I realized we as Native communities have some work to do around cultivating the importance of entrepreneurship in the larger guise of economic development.
Finding Our Voice: The Challenges of Journalism and Media in Indian Country
While there is undoubtedly earnest attempts by a few mainstream media sources to report on American Indian issues adequately, a great deal of these mainstream narratives has only reinforced the perceived realities of American Indian communities.
Healing: A Hidden Yucca Ball
“I always wanted to be a culture teacher from second grade,” Kevin Belin recalled. He fulfilled his childhood dream last year, having earned his B.A. in Secondary Education at Fort Lewis College. Now, as the Navajo Culture and Language teacher at T’iis Ts’ózí Bi’Ólta’ in Crownpoint, NM, Belin is in his element.
Walls of Bitterness: Why Indigenous Christian Worship is Essential
Though Christian worship has been controversial in Indian Country for decades due to colonization and forced assimilation, more indigenous people than ever before are in agreement with its teachings due to the Bible’s universality.
Jesuit on the Red Road: A Conversation with Fr. Patrick Twohy
American Indian Republic sits down for a video interview with Fr. Patrick Twohy, a Jesuit priest who has lived with and served the Native Peoples of the Pacific Northwest for over 40 years.
Tribal News is Tribal Sovereignty
Although there may be some argument with regards to the ability of any journalist in embedding themselves in a community and telling a story appropriately, the truth is, the authentic voice of Native peoples in telling their own stories is an exhibition of sovereignty in itself.