# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Set in the same community as Firekeeper’s Daughter, and featuring many of the same characters, Warrior Girl Unearthed is the story of an Ojibwe teen who discovers a plot to profit off robbed Indigenous graves. With the help of a ragtag group of friends, takes matters into her own hands to protect her community, and bri

# data[].attributes.body
Reservation Dogs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A half-hour comedy that follows the exploits of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma.

# data[].attributes.body
Indian Country Today News - An independent, nonprofit news enterprise. IndiJ Public Media honors our ancestors and future generations through stories that make Indigenous peoples come alive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Native American facts, Indian news and American Indian service, plus Native history and culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Lakota Nation vs. United States | Official Website | July 14 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lakota Nation vs. United States | Official Website | July 14 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Watch the trailer, find screenings & book tickets for Lakota Nation vs. United States on the official site. In theaters July 14 2023 brought to you by IFC Films. Directed by: Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli. Starring: Nick Tilsen, Phyllis Young, Krystal Two Bulls, Candi Brings Plenty

# data[].attributes.body
​Red Hoop Talk is a Native News and Talk show about how we stay #ClosetoCulture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Red Hoop Talk EP 63: FROM REPATRIATION TO REMATRIATION: Honoring the Ancestors & Their Seeds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine wants to leave home to discover who she really is. As a biracial science geek and hockey star, she's always felt like an outsider, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

# data[].attributes.body
Fancy Dance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fancy Dance — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

# data[].attributes.body
The Search for Jermain (Season 1)

Surviving St. Michael's (Season 2)

Trouble in Sweetwater (Season 3)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 2018, a young Indigenous mother named Jermain Charlo left a bar in Missoula, Montana, and was never seen again. After two years and thousands of hours of investigative work, police believe they are close to solving the mystery of what happened to her. We go inside the investigation, tracking down leads and joining search parties through the dense mountains of the Flathead Reservation. As we unravel this mystery, the show examines what it means to be an Indigenous woman in America.

Stolen is hosted by Connie Walker.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2018, a young Indigenous mother named Jermain Charlo left a bar in Missoula, Montana, and was never seen again. After two years and thousands of hours of investigative work, police believe they are close to solving the mystery of what happened to her.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book: Revised and Expanded

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it was first published in 2010, The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book was heralded as a groundbreaking illustrated history of Indigenous activism and resistance in the Americas over the previous 500 years, from contact to present day.

# data[].attributes.body
We are Resilient - Our goal is to raise awareness about the MMIW crisis by telling these stories and keeping the memories of our sisters alive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's time to start the conversation...

Maggie Jackson, Sheyahshe Littledave, and Ahli-sha "Osh" Stephens, enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and of hosts of "We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast," bringing awareness to Missing and Murdered and Indigenous Women is a year-round effort. Here, they share with MCI how they're using their voices to bring the stories of Selena Not Afraid, Brittaney Littledave, Ashlea Aldrich, and others to their community and beyond.

The conversation is for a podcast called "We Are Resilient", a true-crime podcast focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women, also known as MMIW. Thanks for stopping by Queen City News' YouTube channel! We're proud to bring you local stories, breaking news, in-depth investigations, Charlotte-area weather, and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our goal is to raise awareness about the MMIW crisis by telling these stories and keeping the memories of our sisters alive.

# data[].attributes.body
Independent bookstore - "We are a locus for Indigirati—literate Indigenous people who have survived over half a millennium on this continent. We sponsor readings by Native and non-Native writers, journalists, historians."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boozhoo! Welcome.

Birchbark Books is operated by a spirited collection of people who believe in the power of good writing, the beauty of handmade art, the strength of Native culture, and the importance of small and intimate bookstores. Our books are lovingly chosen. Our store is tended with care.

find books

Open daily 10am to 6pm

2115 West 21st Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405

612-374-4023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Birchbark Books & Native Arts / Minneapolis, Minnesota

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Owned by author Louise Erdrich, Birchbark Books is a full range bookstore specializing in Indigenous American books, arts & gifts. Our books are lovingly chosen. Our store is tended with care. We are also a vendor for schools and provide expert guidance in selecting quality, appropriate resources for educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award-winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day. From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people

# data[].attributes.body
Laws and Regulations regarding Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since 1990, Federal law has provided for the repatriation and disposition of certain Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. By enacting NAGPRA, Congress recognized that human remains of any ancestry "must at all times be treated with dignity and respect." Congress also acknowledged that human remains and other cultural items removed from Federal or tribal lands belong, in the first instance, to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. With this law, Congress sought to encourage a continuing dialogue between museums and Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations and to promote a greater understanding between the groups while at the same time recognizing the important function museums serve in society by preserving the past. ( US Senate Report 101-473 ).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since 1990, Federal law has provided for the repatriation and disposition of certain Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. By enacting NAGPRA, Congress recognized that human remains of any ancestry "must at all times be treated with dignity and respect."

# data[].attributes.body
Indian Land Tenure Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Serving American Indian nations and people in the
recovery and control of their rightful homelands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is the second article in our Beyond Land Acknowledgment series. Read our thoughts on Indigenous land acknowledgment and why we created this series here.

After doing a self-assessment to determine whether you're unintentionally harming Indian Country, you're ready to start creating action steps to support Indigenous people. Over the coming months, we'll cover several action step types and case studies. We'll start with voluntary land taxes or "real rent." Voluntary land taxes are growing in popularity on the West Coast: learn about what they are and how they can benefit Native communities.

What is a voluntary land tax or real rent?

Voluntary land taxes function similarly to paying rent or a home mortgage. Our rent and mortgage payments give us access to living space; voluntary land taxes recognize our access to stolen Indigenous land. Each month (or on a set time interval), land tax participants pay an amount that goes directly to Native nations and/or organizations in their area. Some land tax programs are run by non-Indigenous residents working in partnership with Native nations and organizations; others are operated by Native-led nonprofits working toward Indigenous land return. Land taxes are not required and are entirely voluntary: it's up to program participants to determine how much and how often they'd like to contribute.

Why are voluntary land taxes important?

Voluntary land taxes are important for several reasons. The Honor Tax Project frames their land tax program as a way of "recognizing and respecting the sovereignty of Native Nations." Too often, non-Natives fail to respect Tribal sovereignty; the more we can acknowledge Native nations' inherent sovereignty, the better outcomes we'll see for Indian Country.

Land taxes also provide Native nations and organizations with needed resources and allow them to work toward regaining stolen land. In an article on voluntary land taxes, Sena Crow explains, "Indigenous communities need resources, not apologies. ...If you can't offer services or labor for Native communities this month, the best way is to spread wealth (or perhaps more accurately: return wealth) and support communities so that they have the resources to be autonomous."

Finally, voluntary land taxes are about respect. They demonstrate respect for the fact that the land we occupy is still Indigenous land. Voluntary land taxes also highlight the United States' unpaid debts. In an article that appeared in The Guardian, Indigenous law professor Matthew Fletcher argues, "It's not reparations if we're talking about something the US already owes." We've all benefited from stolen Indigenous land. Paying land taxes is a regular reminder to all of us that unpaid debts to Native nations still exist. While they're no substitute for the United States government following through on its promises, land taxes can pave the way for a larger movement for accountability.

What are examples of voluntary land tax programs?

Shuumi Land Tax

The Shuumi Land Tax directly supports the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, an Indigenous women-led organization that "cultivates rematriation" and works to return Indigenous land to Indigenous people. The Sogorea Te' Land Trust ultimately aims to create a land base for Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone people (east Bay Area of California). In addition to rematriation, funding raised through the tax goes toward creating a cemetery for stolen Ohlone remains, urban gardens, community centers, and ceremonial spaces. The Shuumi Land Tax gives participants the option to calculate their rent based on the size of their home and whether they are renters or homeowners. If desired, participants can donate more or less than this suggested amount.

Real Rent Duwamish

Present-day Seattle area is Duwamish land. The Duwamish people ceded 54,000 acres to the United States government, but they did not receive reservation land or federal recognition. Seattle area residents started Real Rent Duwamish in an attempt to bring needed resources to the Duwamish people. So far, the Duwamish have used the program proceeds to update their Tribal headquarters, create educational materials, and hire extra staff. Real Rent Duwamish provides several options for donation amounts and frequencies. As of February 2021, over 14,000 people have contributed to the program.

Wiyot Honor Tax

Created by northern California residents, the Wiyot Honor Tax directly benefits the Wiyot Nation. The creators describe the tax as actively recognizing "the sovereignty of the Wiyot tribe and their right to their traditional land." Participants complete a formal pledge acknowledging the Wiyot nation's sovereignty and can choose their own tax amount.

What should I consider if I'm interested in starting a voluntary land tax program?

The most important thing to consider when starting a voluntary land tax program in your area is consent. Before you launch your program, discuss your plans with the Native nations or organizations to whom you intend to donate the tax proceeds. Request their official permission, and come to the conversation with a clear outline for how your program will work. Don't ask Native people for help with the initial time investment required to build a program. It's very possible that a Native nation or organization will not want to participate in a voluntary land tax program and that's ok! Respect their wishes.

If you want to partner with a Native nation, for example, go directly to their Tribal council leaders. Elected Tribal council leaders make laws for and govern their sovereign nations. They're in the best position to consent to receiving donations for their nation. Follow the nation's guidelines for contacting its Tribal council members. Some nations request that all meeting requests go through the Tribal council's executive assistant. You can usually find this information on a nation's website.

When advertising your program, mention that you've received permission from your chosen beneficiaries. It'll set an example for others looking to start similar efforts and give your program participants confidence that their voluntary taxes will be put to good use. The Honor Tax Project recommends donating all proceeds and avoiding using proceeds to fund the program itself. If you're not using the voluntary tax proceeds to support Native people, you've defeated the purpose of your program.

Do any voluntary land tax programs exist in Mni Sota Makoce, North Dakota, or South Dakota?

We're not currently aware of any programs in our area. If you find out about a land tax program in our region or decide to create one, tell us about it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Voluntary Land Taxes This is the second article in our Beyond Land Acknowledgment series. Read our thoughts on Indigenous land acknowledgment and why we created this series here. After doing a self-assessment to determine whether you're unintentionally harming Indian Country, you're ready to start creating action steps to support...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images.

FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Don't even think about calling anyone/anything your spirit animal.

The most exciting stories on the internet.

Natives have been so cancelled out of the American conversation that people don't even know where to begin to include us. "What do we call you? ... American Indian? Native American? Do you guys still live in tipis?" These questions are still asked today-and they will continue to be asked unless we put together some kind of list, a collection of do's and don'ts, and share it widely... Wait. Hang on a tick. What do we have here?

November is Native American Heritage Month, when the U.S. is supposed to celebrate Natives and our contributions to the world. In recognition of the season, let's start with 100 ways you and yours can be allies toward the Indigenous peoples of this continent-our ancestral land. 2. Stop saying say there are "too many chiefs and not enough Indians." 3. If somebody says, "My great grandma was a Cherokee princess," ask them who the king and queen were. (FYI: There's no such thing as a Cherokee king, queen, princess, etc.)

4. No, just because you say your great, great, great grandma was allegedly Cherokee does 6. Change the narrative on "Indian givers." We aren't the ones who reneged on agreements. not permit you to wear a headdress. In fact: Unless you are a Native who has earned the right to wear one, don't wear headdresses. Ever.

7. Never use the word "squaw." It's profane. It comes from the Algonquin word "shunksqaw," which means "woman." White men truncated it to describe what they desired in order to objectify Native women. So please stop using it. 8. Not every Native can/does ride a horse. Don't assume we do just because Hollywood, more often than not, has us pulling up on a horse rather than a Honda. 9. And, no, we don't live in tipis. Please stop asking. Also, please stop purchasing those cheap, fake fucking tipis at Target for your kids. 10. Do not speak with smug entitlement on issues that affect Native communities just because you claim to be a quarter Indian or whatever. For example, do not tell a Native that racist mascots aren't racist because you are allegedly Cherokee and you, yourself, don't find them offensive. Instead, listen to us when we tell you what is and what isn't offensive. 12. Do not tag your Indigenous friends in all the racist, triggering content you come across. If a post includes redface, nasty caricatures, or even the acerbic Twitter troll attacking Natives, it's most likely offensive. 13. Also, quit telling us to "get over it." Too often when we bring up the Trail of Tears or Wounded Knee Massacre, for example, we're berated-"It's in the past. Move on, already!" Yet when it's a massacre of predominantly white people it's, "We will always remember," or, "We will never forget." Why do we have to "get over it" when you get to "always remember"?

14. Share Native voices. Please and thank you. 15. Expose your children to as many Indigenous activities as you can. The more children are exposed to the truth of a people, the less they will be affected by stereotypes. 16. Don't allow schools to dress your kid up as an Indian. Playing Indian is always racist, and. my traditional regalia is not a costume. 18. Don't correct the way people choose to identify. Native American, Indian, American Indian, Indigenous, or our tribal names-it's our choice. 20. Use your privilege and platform to speak out regularly against the oppression of Natives. Create and empower more allies to do the same. For example, if you have a following or are in a position of authority, use it to illuminate issues in Indian country, and most certainly, maybe most importantly, pass the flippin' mic to a Native. 22. If you invite Native elders into your spaces, treat them with the respect that we do. Let them eat first, let them have your seat, listen to them. They are not props.

24. Even if you have a friend who says he or she doesn't have a problem with a racist slur, it doesn't make the racist slur any less of a racist slur. Remind your friend that their sentiments toward a slur does not change its definition. 25. Recognize that DNA does not equate to culture. Ancestry.com and 23andMe, for example, are in the business of biotechnology, not culture. Culture is the community, not your spit. 26. You can't look at someone and "see" if they are Native or not. 27. Don't vote for politicians who support oppressive policies and agendas. 28. Help elect and vote for Native candidates on the ballot. We need more representation at all levels of government-from local to state to national. 29. Stand up to your racist uncle/aunt/parents/grandparents when they use anti-Native slurs. 31. Speak out against Columbus Day. Columbus was a murderer and a rapist who set into motion one of the world's worst genocides. 32. Don't dress up as an Indian on Halloween. If you see a non-Native person playing Indian, i.e. wearing "war paint" and donning a faux-feather headdress, ask the person, "Would you dress up as an Indian in a room full of Indians? Then why would you think it's OK any other time?"

33. Push for inclusion of Native American history in schools, especially the histories of local tribes. 34. Every racial diversity list, like the ones your company uses to tout its inclusivity, that excludes Natives is an incomplete diversity list. When this happens, speak up; ask them why Natives have been excluded-and maybe why none have been hired. 35. Know how many tribes and nations are in your state and what tribes and nations are local to your specific area. Learn about them. You're on their land. 37. Speaking of, don't visit a reservation for one week/one month/one year and assume you know everything about the struggles and problems of the people that live there all the time. 38. Don't come to powwows and touch anyone's regalia or take photos without asking. 39. Stop buying "sage wands" at grocery stores. Sage, for traditional purposes, is not to be purchased. Sage, or "smudging," as we call it, is meant to bless and cleanse a person or place. Purchasing some hippie sage wand diminishes its sacred meaning. 40. None of our medicines are to be sold for profit. Please don't purchase any and call out those who attempt to sell them. 41. I know it's tempting, but even if your grandma told you so (or you just got your 23AndMe results back), if you are distantly related to someone who was Native, we don't immediately need to know.

42. Read books by Indigenous writers like Vine Deloria Jr., Louise Erdrich, and N. Scott Momaday. Please don't read fiction by white authors and think you know anything about Native culture. 43. Stop using (and stop your friends from using) the Bering Strait Theory to justify aggressive land theft. This theory (emphasis on 44. When someone says, "America is a land of immigrants," for fuck's sake, inform them that America is a land of immigrants...and Indigenous peoples and slaves who were brought here against their will. 45. Remind your friends/family/foes that English is a foreign language. Lakota, Ojibwe, Diné, Cherokee, Choctaw, Osage, etc. are the languages of the land. English is from where? Yep. England. 46. Stop touching our hair if it's long. Stop questioning our hair if it's short. 47. Stop referring to early Europeans as "pilgrims" and "settlers." They were invaders, colonizers, and terrorists. 48. Please do not dictate, talk over, or suppress actual Indigenous voices during an important dialogue on Native issues and topics. 49. Your western university degree does not always equal factual knowledge about us, nor does your settler professor have authority in our oral histories. Our elders do. 50. You don't have to travel to another continent to find oppression. Ask a Native. theory) suggests Natives crossed a land bridge, but the latest research continues to debunk this antiquated theory.

51. Understand that not all Natives agree on all subjects, just as white people don't. 52. Be a good listener-put your ego aside. 53. If you're a fellow person of color, let's not play the "oppression Olympics." Just because we inform people that Natives, per capita, are more likely to die at the hands of police than any other demographic that is not us playing "oppression Olympics." It's a fact that should be included in the discussion of discrimination. 54. Understand that "Native American" is a very generalized term. Each and every tribe has their own customs and ways. 55. Your family hasn't "always fought for this country" or owned your family farm. You're on stolen land. 56. We are not defined by our blood quantum. Although separate, sovereign tribal nations determine who is and isn't a part of their nation/tribe based on a person's traceable family and lineage, blood quantum is a colonial construct. Today, non-Natives use the one-drop rule (a small percentage of Indigenous blood) to claim Indigenous heritage. One day, people didn't even want to be around us. Now, they desperately claim to be us. Weird. 57. If someone (most often, white people) tries to charge you to participate in a "Native American ceremony," don't go! Also, call them out. There's never an entry fee to attend our ceremonies. Ever. 58. Type in #NativeTwitter. This hashtag is where you can find Native users, perspectives, events, and so on.

60. Quit assuming I'm not a real Native because I live in a fucking house. I like electricity and WiFi, too. 61. Look for and hang out at your local Indian center. There's one in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York City, Minneapolis...this list goes on! You may learn a thing or two. When you show up, be humble, learn, and just listen. An elder once told me: The Creator gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. 62. Please do not claim to be Native just to get a job or scholarship. That's fucked up. 63. Don't say "Native American culture." There are hundreds of tribes, each with unique cultures, languages, foods, ceremonies, etc. Not all Native tribes and nations are the same. 64. Don't even think about calling anyone/anything your spirit animal. 65. Don't tell me what I should be honored by. Let me tell you how to honor me. 67. Don't assume we go to college for free. A Native can't simply walk into Harvard, say, "Hi! I'm a Native American," and get a free ride. Just ask my credit report.

68. Before you make jokey comments about jock stereotypes, recognize that privileged prep-school, East Coast white boys did not invent lacrosse. The Iroquois did. 69. Hire. More. Natives! 70. Are you a student? A professor? When applicable, advocate for or add more Native content, voices, etc. to your syllabi. 71. Not all Natives are rich from casinos. (Again: I'm in so much debt.) 72. Don't claim Cherokee if the Cherokee don't claim you. 73. Don't say "circle the wagons." That's racist. Natives weren't the threat-land- and gold-horny white people were. 74. Dear journalists, stop saying that the Orlando Nightclub Shooting is the "worst massacre in U.S. history." Look up the Wounded Knee Massacre, Bear River Massacre, Sand Creek Massacre, etc. Headlines should not come at the expense of history. 76. No, Native Americans are not all drunks. Jeezus. Please stop assuming that. 77. Folks always want to come to a Native community to "learn our ways." I'm like, "It would be much more helpful if you just check your people." But if you do visit a reservation, don't go for self-enlightenment. Go because you genuinely want to learn something. 78. No, you cannot give yourself a "spirit name" at a summer camp. Please stop that.

80. On that note, painting stripes on your face doesn't make it "war paint." Stop doing that and saying that. 81. Don't ask me why I'm studying my Indigenous ancestral language instead of Spanish or Chinese or whatever. I study my peoples' language because it was once outlawed, and yep, I have the right to study whatever I want. 82. Avoid big banks, like Wells Fargo and Chase, that 83. Not every smoking pipe is a peace pipe, so let's take "peace pipe" out of your vocabulary. 84. Yes, we pay taxes. State and federal. Please don't assume we live tax-free. 85. You're not "part Indian." You either are, or you are not. 86. Not all Natives practice their people's spirituality. Some are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist. Some are agnostic, atheist. Please don't assume all Natives are spiritual and believe in a deity or spirits. 87. Going camping with your pals whilst pounding booze in Patagonia jackets isn't a "vision quest." Please just go camping. No need to call it a "vision quest." 88. There are Indigenous people in the U.S. There are Indigenous people in Mexico. There are Indigenous people in Canada. Natives did not approve of the white man's borders creating the three countries that make up this continent. Remember that. bankroll environmentally destructive oil and gas developments and also violate Native treaty rights. Support your local public banking effort to prevent money going to these colossal institutions. Divest!

89. Heteronormativity and archetypal gender roles are post-colonial. Homosexuality is considered medicine in many Native communities. Look up "two-spirit." 90. I don't want to hear about how you watched a PBS special, have you question me about it, and then pretend you know more than me. I am walking, breathing, and living this life. 92. Natives, per capita, serve in the U.S. military more than any other racial demographic. Just a fact allies should know. 93. Stop using the words, "tribes," "tribe," and "tribalism" as hip words for interest groups or groups of shared interest. This usage undermines the political, legal and social unique status of tribes. 96. Peyote is not recreational, it's medicinal, it's spiritual, and no, we can't just give you some. 97. No, we don't all commune with animals. I cannot even get my fucking dog to sit. Please stop asking. 98. If you can help it, please stop asking us if we can date "outside of our race." Yes, we are allowed to date anyone we want, but we also realize we are the smallest racial minority in our ancestral land, and many of us do feel an obligation to make more Native babies. #NativeBabies

For More Stories Like This, Sign Up for Our Newsletter

100. The title of this list could also be, "100 Basic Ways to be a Decent Human." So, please just be a decent human being. Don't be an ass. Simon Moya-Smith is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation and Chicano writer and reporter. His new book, Your Spirit Animal Is a Jackass, will be available in 2019. Follow him on Twitter @SimonMoyaSmith.

ORIGINAL REPORTING ON EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS IN YOUR INBOX.

By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Be an Ally to Native and Indigenous People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Don't even think about calling anyone/anything your spirit animal.

# data[].attributes.body
Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, SUGARCANE illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, SUGARCANE illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deer Woman: An Anthology [DIGITAL EDITION]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Based on our original Deer Woman comic, Deer Woman: An Anthology is now available for sale to the public! Following a very successful Kickstarter campaign, this anthology features the work of more than a dozen Native women sharing stories of survival, empowerment, and healing. Edited by Elizabeth LaPensée and Weshoyot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

We provide leadership development training for Indigenous changemakers through our Native Nation Rebuilders program.

We engage elected Tribal leaders, administrators, and citizens in strengthening their Tribal governance systems.

We bring mission-driven, accessible, educational content to the broader community.

65

Tribal leaders & staff from three Native nations received training on nation rebuilding, sovereignty, and governance through our Indigenous Leaders in Governance program.

59,000

Unique pageviews on our educational videos, guides, and other resources designed for the community

1,717

Participation hours for 17 changemakers learning transformative leadership skills, adding to our network of over 200 Native Nation Rebuilders

Upcoming Events

Our Tribal Governance Support Program Manager, Michaela, will be at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, SD on December 13th-16th.

Latest News

We're celebrating Native American Heritage Month by welcoming 22 Indigenous changemakers to the Native Nation Rebuilders program. The... Read More

We've shared a lot about the importance of moving beyond land acknowledgment. Moving beyond land acknowledgment looks like taking concrete action to support... Read More

Make a gift today. Help us build a future where Native nations can thrive on their own terms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sovereignty matters. Native Governance Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Native Governance Center is a Native-led nonprofit working to strengthen Native nations' sovereignty in Mni Sota Makoce, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a brief guide for Resource Generation members and other folks with access to land to support in education and resource sharing around land reparations. We hope these resources can support us in taking collective action towards land repatriation to Indigenous people in the ongoing struggle against colonization. This is not a comprehensive guide, but rather a starting point. This guide was compiled by the RG Land Reparations Group in 2018.

There is no blueprint for how to work towards land reparations and land returns to the Indigenous people of this land. Every region, location, and tribe is different in the history of colonization, and in the political landscapes of Indigenous struggle and organizing. This brief guide is a compilation of some educational resources on colonialism, decolonization and solidarity, and links to some inspiring case studies and examples of settler descendants who have returned land to Indigenous people, as well as some initial questions/best practices to consider when beginning to think about working towards land repatriation to Indigenous people.

Wealth is based in finite resources. Wealth, even what's based in the stock market, is ultimately tied concretely to land. "Land" here means all the world's resources and ecosystems that keep us alive and well - water, vegetation, food, minerals, buildings, and more. The life-blood that flows from land is finite, tangible, vital. It is currently, especially in the U.S., almost exclusively privately controlled by individuals or corporations whose ownership the law is designed to protect. Land is controlled this way because of European colonization. The historic and ongoing theft and control of land, real estate, and resources has led to the extreme concentration of wealth among a small group of people that exists today.

In Resource Generation's mission - to be working toward the equitable distribution of wealth, land, and power - we name the "equitable distribution of land." This is a tactic and a specific outcome that young people with wealth are well positioned to influence. As an economic justice organization, focusing on this reparation of resources is one fundamental way we can contribute to and strengthen the holistic project of decolonization - but it must be in concert with other aspects of anti-colonial practices and principles, which are determined and led by Indigenous people. Decolonization and "the equitable distribution of land" is simultaneously about Native sovereignty, self-determination, and rights; and about the Earth and its resources being sustained, cared for, and lived with symbiotically. Colonization disrupted the communal responsibility to land inherent in Indigenous nationhood, and turned land into a private commodity for wealth extraction and accumulation. Therefore, a decolonial lens of returning land to Indigenous nations, not just individuals, is necessary to avoid reproducing those dynamics. To talk about true "redistribution of land" with a decolonial lens is seeking to address the question, "what would it look like to truly tend to the harm of wealth extraction done by colonizers [US-focus in RG but this is worldwide]?" Another way of putting this is - we are trying to get to the root causes of injustice .

Colonialism is both a root and result of racism and capitalism. A primary cause of the racial wealth divide is colonialism: white Europeans' theft of land, resources, human bodies and their labor. In order to end racial capitalism, we must disrupt and end colonization.

Colonialism is a root cause of many other "isms" and injustices.

Colonization by white Europeans brought indentured servitude; targeting poor people from Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere that laid the groundwork for ongoing exploitation of the working class.

Colonization is at the root of racism. White Europeans justified land theft and genocide by asserting that they were a scientifically superior class of human beings.

Colonization by white Europeans introduced a strict Christianity-backed patriarchy that created and enforces gender roles and binary with the use of sexual violence, transphobia, and homophobia.

Colonization by white Europeans imported and amplified a culture of greed and an economy of capitalism that led to the enslavement of Africans and seeded our current penal system.

U.S. colonialism and imperialism has shaped the history and present lives of Black, Latinx, Asian, and Arab people in the U.S. and abroad. Non-Native people of color have a different relationship to settler colonialism than descendants of White Europeans. Be it from forced migration through slavery, economic migration due to U.S. extraction of resources in South America, U.S backed imperialist land grabs, refugee resettlement due to U.S. wars abroad, non-Native people of color in the U.S have suffered from colonialism and imperialism, and have also been brought into the settler-colonial project that is the United States. As a community that is vastly majority settlers, we have a responsibility to center and work in solidarity with Native folks.

This new guide is designed to support members in partnership with movement leaders to support Indigenous and Black land access in the continued exploration of ways to distribute land, wealth and power.

Educational articles around colonialism and decolonization:

Some questions and best practices to consider:

1. What is the history of any land you indirectly/directly have access to? What Indigenous people historically or currently inhabit that land, and what is the history of how it was stolen? (Get started by checking out this decolonization homework from the Catalyst Project and this map of Native land)

2. Who are the Native people/communities where you live or where the land you have access to? What is the political landscape of both recognized and unrecognized tribes where you live? Are there any local efforts that are led by Indigenous people?

3. Start the slow process of building relationships with Native people where you live. Be patient. This work is relational and because of colonization Indigenous people and struggles are often less visible/invisible. Are there local events or cultural centers you can show up to? Are there individuals you are connected to that you can build relationship with?

4. What are the visions and struggles of Indigenous people/tribes in the area you live or have access to land in? Show up and support the visions and struggles that are ongoing. This might be fundraising for land or other resources, or inviting local tribes to utilize land that you have access to. De-commodifying land in the long term and returning lands to disenfranchised and Native people is ideal, and we must be working within the visions and struggles of Indigenous people/tribes.

5. What does informed consent look like in the offer for donation or transfer of land? Acknowledging that land transfers/land repatriation can be complex, can you consider and discuss how there can be a choice on behalf of the donation recipient of whether to accept the offer, and how to support the entire process and success ongoingly if so.

6. Learn about the specifics of what is possible as far as land transfers. Land can be transferred to individuals or cooperatives of individuals, collective ownership and control is important for maintaining long-term control of land, as private ownership is more vulnerable to dispossession. There are different ways donors can transfer land to land trusts- donation vs title transfer vs charitable sale. Learn about different options and discuss with partners. (See the guide below from the Sustainable Economies Law Center about different options for how to transfer land.)

Case studies/examples:

Below are several examples of current or recent land return efforts. This includes organized fundraisers for land return, as well as individuals who have returned land to Native communities.

Land returns
* Mashpee Wampanoag (Cape Cod) - Native Land Conservancy was founded in 2012 in Mashpee, Massachusetts, and is the first Native-run land conservation group east of the Mississippi, and this story about the first parcel of land donated to the Native Land Conservancy by an individual

* Maidu (Sacramento) - Land Stewardship Council returns ancestral California land

* Ponca (Nebraska) - Nebraska farmer signed a deed returning ancestral tribal land back to the Ponca Tribe

* Wabanaki (Maine) - First Light Learning Journey A collaboration of 25 non-Native conservationists controlling 2 million acres in Maine, and Wabanaki tribal members to build towards collective awareness of Native land left and move towards land resourcing sharing with Wabanaki people. Notes on process here Land taxes, cash & other returns

* Individual transfers $250K to Ute Tribe in Utah for stolen land Professor paying reparations for great-grandfathers' profiteering

* Sogorea Te : land tax in Bay Area, traditional Ohlone land, for non Indigenous people to pay into the Shuumi Land tax to acknowledge the history of colonization, land theft and the Ohlone community.
* Non-Profit Making a Land Return towards Sogorea Te Land Trust
* There are currently many Indigenous-led, land-based anti-pipeline camps seeking on the ground support, supplies and legal support, such as The L'eau Est La Vie Camp .

Legal Reference Resource:

This guide covers different land transfer mechanisms, including full value sale, charitable (bargain) sale, full donation, donation of a remainder interest, revocable transfer on death, donation by bequest, and sale or donation of easement.
Sustainable Economies Law Center's resource on different ways to transfer land Legal Note: While Sustainable Economies Law Center made every effort to reference and confirm the information in this guide, tax and real estate law are complex areas of law that change frequently and vary depending on context. As a result, you should not rely on this guide as a substitute for legal advice from a lawyer familiar with your particular circumstances.
TAKE ACTION

Donate to any of the ongoing land tax/ land returns struggles.

Host a fundraiser and direct money towards supporting Indigenous organizing.

If you have access to land and are interested in land repatriation to Indigenous people, begin building relationships with people and see if there is interest in local land returns.

This is not available for everyone who has access to land, so another way to move towards land repatriation is to sell acres of land and give the proceeds to support ongoing Indigenous-led organizing or land return struggles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Land Reparations & Indigenous Solidarity Toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A brief guide for Resource Generation members and other folks with access to land to support in education and resource sharing around land reparations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Stand Strong

Protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways.

"We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less, than the U.S. government keeping the promises made to Native Americans." -NARF Executive Director John Echohawk

Featured:

At any given time, NARF staff are working with tribes on dozens of legal issues across Indian Country. For example:

Our Mission

The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) holds governments accountable. We fight to protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation, legal advocacy, and legal expertise.

Learn More About NARF

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways. "We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less, than the U.S. government keeping the promises made to Native Americans." -NARF Executive Director John Echohawk At any given time, NARF staff are working with tribes on dozens of legal issues across Indian Country.

# data[].attributes.body
Association of American Indian Affairs - Information on Repatriation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With the Repatriation Project, the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) has built a national and international effort assisting Indian Nations, Tribes and communities in the United States with domestic and international repatriation. AAIA has been a national leader advocating for the repatriation of ancestral remains, burial items, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony for over the last 60 years. The excavation and taking of Native ancestors and burial items from their resting places, and the illicit trading and collecting of sacred objects and cultural patrimony is an indigenous human rights issue recognized by Articles 11 and 12 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The World Conference on Indigenous Peoples adopted, by consensus of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2014, the following commitment to repatriation: "We commit ourselves to developing, in conjunction with the indigenous peoples concerned, fair, transparent and effective mechanisms for access to and repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains at the national and international levels."

Policy Development:
AAIA contributes to the development of legislation, and has provided advocacy for the creation and passage of the National Museum of the American Indian Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, PROTECT Patrimony Resolution, and the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act.

n topics including domestic and international repatriation of cultural items, implementing a repatriation program, and developing strategies to obtain repatriation from private collectors domestically and internationally. " Technical Assistance:
​ AAIA develops training and technical assistance for Tribes and practitioners o
AAIA has d eveloped " A Guide to International Repatriation: Starting An Initiative in Your Community.

AAIA provides a centralized space for traditionalists, tribal cultural preservation specialists and other experts to collaborate on best practices and create usable guides and templates for others in its Repatriation Working Group.

AAIA has established an annual conference on Repatriation. ​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With the Repatriation Project, the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) has built a national and international effort assisting Indian Nations, Tribes and communities in the United States with domestic and international repatriation. AAIA has been a national leader advocating for the repatriation of ancestral remains, burial items, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony for over the last 60 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is #LandBack? Inside New Native American TV Shows

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
MMIWUSA’s mission is to combat the widespread issue of violence against native people which leads to our people going missing and getting murdered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
MMIW USA’s Facebook page shares photos, information, and updates regarding missing Native women and men

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Connects advocates and service providers with the resources that they need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our mission is to stop violence against Native women and children by advocating for social change in our communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council is a not for profit organization founded and maintained by Native American artists and educators serving the tristate area. Since 1994, the Council is dedicated to educating the general public about Native American heritage through song, dance, theater, works of art and other cultural forms of expression. The council represents artists from North, South, Central American, Caribbean and Polynesian Indigenous cultures.

Redhawk Council produces four of the largest Native American heritage celebrations in the Northeast. The arts council also hosts festivals, workshops, theater presentations and educational programs, addressing stereotypes and fostering an awareness of Native cultures from a historical standpoint, with a focus on contemporary cultural practices.

Sharing Native Art Forms

The council creates venues for Native artists to share their art forms with the public and each other, providing opportunities to become financially self-reliant. Contracting artists for educational programs, lectures and festivals for various organizations is another way the council helps support the First Nations artist community. Contracting artists for educational programs, lectures and festivals for various organizations is another way the council helps support the First Nations artist community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council is a not for profit organization founded and maintained by Native American artists and educators serving the tristate area. Since 1994, the Council is dedicated to educating the general public about Native American heritage through song, dance, theater, works of art and other cultural forms of expression.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
‘War Against the Children’ NYT article on the Native American Boarding School System

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘War Against the Children’ (Published 2023)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New research reveals the vast scope of the Native American boarding school system, which for more than a century removed Native children from their homes and families in an effort to assimilate them. Students at the schools gave up their names, their labor and sometimes their lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many years, EPA's tribal program and environmental justice programs focused on helping federally recognized tribes develop their own environmental programs. However, EPA was also asked to work with other indigenous peoples, including tribal members and grassroots organizations.

In July 2014, EPA completed its Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples, which was accompanied by the Administrator's memo. This Policy explains how the Agency works with tribes and other indigenous groups and members to protect the environment and public health in Indian country. The Policy also talks about how EPA works with indigenous peoples throughout the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Environmental Justice for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples | US EPA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many years, EPA's tribal program and environmental justice programs focused on helping federally recognized tribes develop their own environmental programs. However, EPA was also asked to work with other indigenous peoples, including tribal members and grassroots organizations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ERROR: The request could not be satisfied

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: "Are you ready to be un-settled?" Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A young Native girl’s hunt for answers about the women mysteriously disappearing from her tribe’s reservation leads her to delve into the myths and stories of her people, all while being haunted herself, in this atmospheric and stunningly poignant debut.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for best children’s picture story. Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here is real food—our indigenous American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish. Locally sourced, seasonal, “clean” ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking are nothing new to Sean Sherman, the Oglala Lakota chef and founder of The Sioux Chef. In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigeno

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Great Power of Small Nations - Penn Press

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A fresh examination of the formidable and resilient Native nations who helped shape the modern Gulf SouthIn The Great Power of Small Nations, Elizabeth N. El...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A tender, eclectic reflection from an Indigenous author on his life, work, and queer identity. Evolving from a conversation between author Joshua Whitehead and Angie Abdou, Indigiqueerness is part dialogue, part collage, and part memoir.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From New York Times bestselling picture book author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an inspiring picture book biography about two Indigenous Rights Activists, Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier. The seventh generation is creatingA sea of change. It was a soft voic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Photo: Kalen Goodluck/High Country News

Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone
Expropriated Indigenous land is the foundation of the land-grant university system.

High Country News, April 2020 issue

Kalen Goodluck, Tristan Ahtone and Robert Lee
There are at least 16 land-grant universities making money from the expropriated Indigenous lands they retained from the Morrill Act.

High Country News, August 2020

This unique database was created through extensive reporting and research into primary source materials, including land patent records, congressional documents, historical bulletins, historical maps, archival and print resources at the National Archives, state repositories and special collections at universities and more. Information for the database was extracted programmatically where possible, primarily from the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office database, but in some cases it was transcribed manually from print records, microfilm and microfiche reproductions, or poor-quality digital images.

Methodology and Bibliography

Robert Lee, High Country News, March 30, 2020

Robert Lee, High Country News, March 30, 2020

Credits and Acknowledgements

The Land-Grab Universities team gratefully acknowledges the Wabanaki, Massachusett, Lenape, Piscataway, Nanticoke, Powhatan, Kickapoo, Wichita, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, Cáuigú, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱, Niimiipuu, Palus, Ktunaxa, Schitsu'umsh, and dxʷdəwʔabš peoples, on whose traditional territories this story was created.

Reporting, Research and Graphics

Photography

Web App Design and Editorial Direction

Web App Development

Logo Design

Help us further our reporting on land grant universities by filling out this secure form.

We invite feedback if you see omissions, errors or miscalculations. Since no other database of its kind exists-location and financial analysis linked to approximately 80,000 individual land parcels distributed through a Civil War-era law-we are committed to making it publicly available and as robust as possible.

The database administrator can be contacted at: landgrabu@hcn.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Photo: Kalen Goodluck/High Country News Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone Expropriated Indigenous land is the foundation of the land-grant university system. High Country News, April 2020 issue Kalen Goodluck, Tristan Ahtone and Robert Lee There are at least 16 land-grant universities making money from the expropriated Indigenous lands they retained from the Morrill Act.

# data[].attributes.body
OYATE elevates the voices of Indigenous activists, organizers, and politicians as they offer their perspective on that complicated history, contextualize the #NoDAPL movement, illuminate the interconnectivity between the issues facing Indian Country today, and look towards a more sovereign and sustainable future for their people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Oyate is a documentary that follows two Lakota activists, a Dakota hip hop artist, the first Indigenous US Secretary of the Interior, and more as they each play their role in the fight for Indigenous rights and environmental justice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Smoke Signals is a Canadian-American independent film released in 1998, directed and co-produced by Chris Eyre and with a screenplay by Sherman Alexie, based on the short story "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" from his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993). The film won several awards and accolades, and was well received at numerous film festivals.

In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States' National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Victor Joseph ( Adam Beach) and Thomas Builds-the-Fire ( Evan Adams) live on the Coeur D'Alene Indian Reservation in Plummer, Idaho. Thomas is an eccentric storyteller and Victor is an angry young man who enjoys playing basketball.

Victor and Thomas are brought together through Victor's father, Arnold ( Gary Farmer). Arnold rescued Thomas as an infant from a house fire that killed his parents. Because of this, Thomas considers him a hero. On the other hand, Victor, who endures Arnold's alcoholism, domestic violence, and eventual child abandonment, regards his father with both deep love and bitter resentment. Thomas and Victor grow up together as neighbors and acquaintances, fighting with each other and simultaneously forming a close, albeit uneasy, friendship.

When Arnold dies in Phoenix, Arizona, where he has stayed after leaving Victor and his mother Arlene ( Tantoo Cardinal), Victor and Thomas go on an adventure to retrieve his ashes. The trip is the means for Victor and Thomas to explore their identities. Neither of them loses sight of his identity as an " Indian", but their perspectives differ. Victor is more stoic and Thomas is more traditional (and romantic to the point of watching the feature film Dances with Wolves countless times). Their dichotomy is portrayed all through the film; it results in Victor being irritated with Thomas, and Thomas being fascinated with Victor.

Once they reach Phoenix, Victor has to confront his conflicted feelings about his father, as well as his own identity. He has to grapple with a new account of Thomas's parents' death, as told by his father's friend, Suzy Song ( Irene Bedard). She says that a drunken Arnold set off fireworks, accidentally starting the fire that cost Thomas his parents. The road trip by the young men leads to Thomas reconciling with the memory of his adoptive father Arnold, as he understands more of his path to alcoholism and related abuse and abandonment. Victor also gains a better understanding of Thomas and his reverence for Arnold. By the end of the movie, Victor and Thomas throw Arnold's ashes into a river as a form of acceptance.

While it was not the first film created by native filmmakers in the US, Smoke Signals is recognized as being the first feature length film written, directed, and produced by Native Americans to reach a wide audience both in the US and abroad. This film is also notable for its authenticity with regard to its cast of Native American actors and actresses, and because it was filmed on location on the Coeur D'Alene Indian Reservation in Idaho.

The film was well received by mainstream critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives Smoke Signals an 83% approval rating based on 30 reviews, with an average rating of 7.31/10 and the consensus that the film "tells a familiar story from an underrepresented point of view, proving that a fresh perspective can help subvert long-established expectations." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a rave review, calling it, "unpretentious, funny and soulful ... Well-acted, well-written, with spare, beautiful imagery." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times described Smoke Signals as "a warm film of friendship and reconciliation, and whenever it refers to historic injustices or contemporary issues in Native American culture, it does so with wry, glancing humor. Smoke Signals is indeed poignant, but above all it's pretty funny." Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle called the film "poignant and slyly humorous" and "alight with oddball nuances and wry observations," saying further, "the cast is uniformly excellent in their roles, and Eyre's persistent use of long, trailing shots reinforces the story's elegiac tone. Simple and elegant, Smoke Signals is a delicious, heady debut that lingers long after the tale is told."

Susan Tavernetti of the Palo Alto Weekly, gave the film a mixed review, saying that "although sometimes the attempt to break down stereotypes seems stilted and forced, more often the result is humorous." She also said, "Chris Eyre's direction establishes an uneven tone, allowing some actors to deliver performances bordering on broad caricature while others play their roles straight." She praised the opening and closing sequences which "beautifully combine poetic voice-overs with visual lyricism." Paul Bond of the World Socialist Web Site criticized Sherman Alexie's screenplay; he felt it was not as strong as the short story collection on which it was based. Bond also believed the producers of the film made compromises based upon commercial pressures.

Awards and honors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Smoke Signals is a Canadian-American independent film released in 1998, directed and co-produced by Chris Eyre and with a screenplay by Sherman Alexie, based on the short story "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" from his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Winner of the National Book Award "On his search to rediscover America, Blackhawk brilliantly rewrites U.S. history, illustrating that it cannot be told absent American Indians. This is the history text we have been waiting for."-Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz A sweeping and overdue retelling of U.S. history that recognizes that

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How a string of custody battles over Native children became a federal lawsuit that threatens everything
from tribal sovereignty to civil rights.

About this Podcast

The award-winning documentary podcast This Land is back for season 2.
Host Rebecca Nagle reports on how the far right is using Native children to attack American Indian tribes and advance a conservative agenda.

ALM - as referred to in court documents - is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn't. The Brackeens' case would have been a normal adoption dispute, but then one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States took it on and helped the couple launch a federal lawsuit. Today, the lawsuit doesn't just impact the future of one child, or even the future of one law. It threatens the entire legal structure defending Native American rights. The second season of This Land is a timely exposé about how the far right is using Native children to quietly dismantle American Indian tribes and advance a conservative agenda.

View All Episodes

Host

Subscribe to our nightly newsletter

What A Day-what's happening, why it matters, and what you can do about it.

Related Photos

Click on the episode pages to see photos, links, and documents from our reporting, as well as additional audio and timelines of the case and custody battles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Land is Crooked Media's 8-episode podcast series hosted by Rebecca Nagle about how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes. Find out how this unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Kegedonce Press - w’daub awae | speaking true

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kegedonce Press – w’daub awae | speaking true

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ahnee! Since 1993, Kegedonce Press has been crafting beautiful books that involve Indigenous Peoples at all levels of production. Based at Neyaashiinigmiing, on the traditional territory of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome

International in scope, the Labriola National American Indian Data Center brings together the current and historical work of Indigenous authors across a multitude of disciplines. With an emphasis on language, government, education, tribal history, biography, religion and customs, the Labriola Center features thousands of books, journals, Native Nation newspapers and primary source materials, such as photographs, oral histories and manuscript collections.

Fellowship opportunities

Learn more about the Labriola Center's two short term research fellowships: The American Indian History of the West Research Fellowship and The Race and Ethnicity Research Fellowship.

Collections of note

The writing, research and correspondence of Indigenous scholar, writer and poet Simon J. Ortiz, a major voice and leading figure in the history of Native American literature. The collection is arranged in 11 series-Writing, Journals, Correspondence, Projects, Pueblo of Acoma Work, Teaching, Research, Miscellaneous, Conferences, Audiovisual and Book Collection-with the bulk of material dating from 1960 to 1992.

The professional papers, correspondence, newspaper articles, photographs and audiovisual materials documenting the career of American politician Peterson Zah. Arranged in five series, the collection emphasizes Zah's campaign and tenure as Chairman and later President of the Navajo Nation, between 1982 and 1990.

Work we're passionate about

Featuring such voices as Linda Hogan (Chickasaw), Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), Peterson Zah (Navajo) and Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee), the annual speaker series, now more than a decade old, "seeks to create and celebrate knowledge that evolves from an inclusive Indigenous worldview and is applicable to all walks of life."

Underscoring more than a decade's worth of Indigenous research and activism, the Labriola Book Award annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of Indigenous scholars worldwide. Criteria for the award emphasizes that research be developed out of a meaningful relationship with the community on which it's focused.

Connect with us

Locations and hours

West campus
Fletcher Library, Room 305

Today's hours - Labriola West

Tempe campus
Hayden Library, Level 2

Today's hours - Hayden Library

Access the Collection

The Labriola Open Stack / Circulating Collection is available for check-out at the Tempe and West campus locations.

Titles can be placed on hold and can be picked up at any ASU Library location.

To view noncirculating materials:

Please make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday at Hayden Library on the Tempe campus in the Wurzburger Reading Room (rm. 138) or at Fletcher Library on the West campus in the Labriola National American Indian Data Center (rm. 305). Please check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Labriola National American Indian Data Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
International in scope, the Labriola National American Indian Data Center brings together the current and historical work of Indigenous authors across a multitude of disciplines.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to the Indigenous Knowledges Digital Learning Library - Indigenous Knowledges Digital Learning Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Indigenous Knowledges Digital Learning Library (IKDLL) provides respectful and culturally appropriate access to Indigenous knowledges, cultures, histories, perspectives, and innovations for the purpose of learning, understanding, and teaching Indigenous Knowledges Digital Learning Library. Learn more here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Six R’s of Indigenous Research – Community Research Collaborative