Opinions
August 09, 2011
BY:
When a sexual assault happens to a Native woman, especially by a non-Native, history repeats itself, unchanged since European contact.
Amnesty International’s 2007 Maze of Injustice report revealed that Native women are sexually assaulted two to... Ruth Jewell
August 08, 2011
BY:
The late historian Barbara Tuchman described the ineptness of government decision-making in her book, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam. She wrote: “Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human... Mark Trahant
August 07, 2011
BY:
Our treaty right to gather shellfish depends on the shellfish being safe to eat.
Samish Bay is one of the traditional shellfish gathering areas for the Swinomish and Upper Skagit tribes. It has some of the highest levels of fecal coliform in the... Billy Frank, Jr.
August 06, 2011
BY:
I had been visiting a friend that night and lost track of the time. When I realized it was past curfew, I decided to walk home. The path home was well-worn but poorly lit. About halfway there, I heard rustling coming from a nearby bush. Within... Ruth Hopkins
August 05, 2011
BY:
It’s difficult to write about “spirituality;” it’s an individual experience. In this era of instantaneous electronic communication young Indian men and women utilize daily, it is essential to bite the bullet and write about the spiritual experience... Harold Monteau
August 04, 2011
BY:
The time has come to make meaningful change. Native women need to be protected from the sexual predators who repeatedly victimize them, without consequence or repercussion.
The statistics are appalling: More than one-third of Indian women will be... Gyasi Ross and Michael O. Finley
August 03, 2011
BY:
The Itika Guasu Investment Fund may have broken new ground in Bolivia and Latin America, and internationally. But the negotiation process exposed "a model of social humiliation" that still threatens impoverished Indigenous people wherever they press... Jerry Reynolds
August 02, 2011
BY:
Mark Trahant
Yay—the President and Congress Found Compromise in a Deadline Deal ... Now Let the Real Debate Begin
There’s nothing like deadline to produce a deal: The president and congressional leaders reached an agreement over the weekend to increase the nation’s debt limit, cut federal spending, and create a powerful committee charged with finding even more... 
August 01, 2011
BY:
For nearly forty years Vine Deloria, Jr. stood as perhaps the most recognized and respected figure in Indian Country. As a college professor—mostly at the University of Arizona and the University of Colorado—and through nearly 25 books, 200... Steve Pavlik
July 31, 2011
BY:
When listening to Tribal Elders and community members across Indian Country, together we learned about how individuals can become victims of identity theft.
Have you ever lost your wallet? Tribal ID Card? How about losing personal documents... Kimberly Yellow Robe
July 29, 2011
BY:
This week marks the one year anniversary of the Tribal Law & Order Act (TLOA), an historic piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama on July 29, 2010. That anniversary represents an important moment to reflect on the work that has... Tom Perrelli, Associate Attorney General
July 29, 2011
BY:
I have been in the unusual position of treating childhood and family trauma over the last 30 years in our communities. In seeing so much pain among our people, I have found that trauma response can be described as a response to a life-altering wound... Dr. Art Martinez
July 28, 2011
BY:
Some fathers don’t realize how important they are to their children. Whether they are involved parents or not, their role is critical. If they aren’t there anymore or were never there at all, children miss their dads even if the child doesn’t know... Crystal Willcuts
July 27, 2011
BY:
(The following is a satire inspired by Jonathan Swift, with apologies to April.)
Scorching hot hippies. Patchouli oil steaming from the bodies.
It seems that lots of Indians are very upset about James Arthur Ray and the actions that led to the... Gyasi Ross