Native American Traditions

New Mexico tribe gets back 'Apache Christ' icon, and a new pastor

July 16, 2024

Apache Catholics at a New Mexico parish told OSV News more questions than answers remain after two pieces of art belonging to the community were suddenly removed from their church, then returned to tribal offices a few days later after public outcry — with no clear explanation from diocesan personnel, the now-former pastor and other individuals apparently connected to the matter.

Parishioners with whom OSV News spoke also said the incident and its handling by the diocese underscore the need for greater pastoral efforts in effective ministry to the church's Indigenous Catholics...

Indigenous people rejoice after city of Berkeley votes to return sacred Native land to Ohlone

March 13, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ohlone people and others rejoiced Wednesday over the return of sacred Native land dating back thousands of years, saying the move rights a historic wrong and restores the people who were first on land now called Berkeley, California, to their rightful place in history.

The 2.2-acre (0.89-hectare) parking lot is the only undeveloped portion of the shellmound in West Berkeley, where ancestors of today’s Ohlone people established the first human settlement on the shores of the San Francisco Bay 5,700 years ago.

Berkeley’s City Council voted...

Tribes face an uphill battle to defend their sacred land against lithium mining

February 5, 2024

OROVADA, Nev. – Myron Smart remembers stories told by his father and other tribal elders about the connection between Thacker Pass in Nevada, where a new lithium mine is under construction, and a tragic moment for the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone.

Source: https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/020524_native_lithium_liabilities/tribes-face-uphill-battle-defend-their-sacred-land-against-lithium-mining/

Senator Urges Museums to Return Native Remains and Objects: “Give the Items Back. Comply With Federal Law. Hurry.”

February 2, 2024

In a Senate floor speech that centered America’s colonial history, Brian Schatz said institutions have a moral obligation to comply with federal repatriation law. He demanded urgent action.
Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/senator-schatz-museums-native-american-remains-belongings

New Native American mentoring program in South Dakota builds lifetime bonds

October 16, 2023

RAPID CITY, S.D. – When Coleman Eagle Elk first met a boy he expects to mentor from youth to adulthood, he used an ancient indigenous instrument to find common ground through song.

Eagle Elk met the 5-year-old boy and his mother at their home, then took the child to the Rapid City offices of the Friends of the Children. The new non-profit organization in western South Dakota pairs professional adult mentors with Native American children who have suffered trauma or abuse in...

US government agrees to help restore sacred Native American site destroyed for Oregon road project

October 5, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. government has agreed to help restore a sacred Native American site on the slopes of Oregon’s Mount Hood that was destroyed by highway construction, court documents show, capping more than 15 years of legal battles that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a settlement filed with the high court Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal...

After the Fires, Native Hawaiians Seek Revival Through Ritual

August 25, 2023

The week after devastating wildfires swept across Maui, Hōkūlani Holt walked to the center of a grassy courtyard about 12 miles from Lahaina, just over the island’s steep mountains.

A kumu hula, or hula teacher, Ms. Holt gathered about 50 listeners into a half-circle, and exhorted them to “lift your voice.” They each held a cup of water, a connection between the body, soul and ʻāina, Hawaiians’ expansive idea of the land. Several men and women blew hollowed-out bamboo pipes called pū ʻohe, producing a deep, trumpetlike sound. Then, led by Ms. Holt’s voice, the group began to...

Amputees can get their body parts back for spiritual reasons, new Oregon law says

August 24, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Health care facilities in Oregon will be allowed to return amputated body parts to patients for cultural, spiritual or religious reasons under a new law supported by tribes, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The bill, which takes effect on Sept. 24, was spearheaded by St. Charles Health System and leaders of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. For some members of the tribes, keeping a person’s body together is necessary for a smooth transition to the spirit world.

“In our spirituality, one of our sayings is ‘one body, one mind,’” said...

Native Americans argue in court that 2 mining projects would destroy religious sites

July 13, 2023

Two large mines important for America's green energy transition are being fought in federal court by Native Americans who say the developments would destroy sacred, religious sites.

Source: Native Americans argue in court at 2 mining projects would destroy religious sites

Forced from Grand Canyon National Park, the Havasupai Tribe embraces spiritual homecoming

May 12, 2023

Tribal members are hopeful it means a new era of cooperation that will give them more access to sites in the canyon and to tell their story through their lens and language.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the name change for Havasupai Gardens, the tribe’s traditional farming area, in November after the tribe lobbied for years to reclaim a part of its heritage and force a historical reckoning over the treatment of Havasupai people.

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Events marking the rededication of Havasupai Gardens began last Thursday, when dozens of...

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