Mark Trahant

Sacred places or Indigenous sacrifice?

This is a story about competing narratives. Stories told over and over and are used to frame a debate to try and find consensus. Yet in this case the stories lead down different paths. One story is about a sacred, historic place, Peehee Mu’huh in…

Indigenous people on the ‘front lines’ of climate solutions

Indigenous issues took center stage Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp told world leaders that Indigenous knowledge and lands are key elements in a global climate…

Looking back (and ahead) at sovereignty, Wounded Knee

A New Year is always a wonderful time to consider where we’ve been. How did we journey to 2023? A century ago, in 1923, many American Indians and Alaska Natives were still not citizens of the United States. And the process to gain citizenship was…

The economy’s road ahead is a familiar path

Fifty years ago the Bureau of Indian Affairs marked the poverty level for American Indian and Alaska Natives, saying that an individual earning $1,115 per year or less met the designation. Then the same agency calculated the unemployment rate for…

Gaming representation is ‘simple math’

California voters served up dramatic lessons about gaming in November. There were two gaming initiatives on the state’s ballot. The first, Prop 27, was a rush by the “commercial” gaming industry to legalize sports betting in the largest state in the…

‘Let’s watch the election together’

Mark Trahant ICT More than a decade ago I was in Seattle at the top of the Westin Hotel with a few dozen people watching election returns at the Native Vote Washington Watch Party. Of course it was cool. Those of us there were sharing an experience,…

Medicaid (and Indian health) is on the South Dakota ballot

Mark Trahant ICT Millions of dollars are at stake on Nov. 8th when South Dakota voters weigh in on Amendment D, a ballot measure to expand Medicaid. The big picture is that a “yes” vote for Medicaid expansion in South Dakota would bring millions of…

Work from home? Native Americans are left behind

Mark Trahant ICT Let’s start with an important question: What would the economy look like for tribal nations if every citizen could work at home? The idea of remote work – something that boomed during the pandemic – could be a vehicle to end the “out…

Leonard Peltier's 46 years in prison: ‘What else do you want?’

ICT Leonard Peltier’s name has become a story that reflects other stories. One narrative describes Peltier as America’s longest political prisoner, serving more than 46 years in a federal maximum security prison. In that telling, Peltier has become a…

Fifty years later and Congress is ready to act on climate change

Mark Trahant ICT On the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote to John Ehrlichman that there was an opportunity to educate the country about global warming. "Clearly this is an opportunity to get the President usefully and…

Leading America's lawyers

Mark Trahant ICT Mary Smith takes office as president-elect of the American Bar Association. ICT's editor-at-large Mark Trahant sat down with her and talked about what she sees as her role leading the nation's lawyers. Our stories are worth telling.…

The Wrap: Tribes object proposal

Greetings, relatives. A lot of news out there. Thanks for stopping by ICT’s digital platform. Each day we do our best to gather the latest news for you. Remember to scroll to the bottom to see what’s popping out to us on social media and what we’re…

'Defining' legislation of 21st century

Mark Trahant ICT President Joe Biden Sunday said he was optimistic that the Inflation Reduction Act would become law. The Senate passed the legislation on Sunday on a 51 to 50 vote and the House will take up the measure this week. It’s a packed bill,…

A billion dollar plan to save coal

Mark Trahant ICT It’s a fair question: Is the climate package pending in the Senate the best we can do? Republicans hate it. Environmentalists are split. And the logic is, well, let’s just say inconsistent. If you need evidence about that logic there…

Open-Rank, Tenure-Stream Faculty:Michigan State University

Department of Religious Studies Michigan State University Office of the Provost 1855 Professorships Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices Open-Rank, Tenure-Stream Faculty Position Position Summary The Department of…

Gambling on a climate deal

Mark Trahant ICT Last week was one for the books: Across the country Americans lined up to buy a Mega Million lottery ticket and a chance to win $1.34 billion. The odds of winning, one in three hundred million. At the same time the Senate was…

Cracking the corporate code

ICT Mary Smith had a plan: She was going to serve as a member of a corporate board. She already had the resume. Smith is an attorney and she had worked as the chief executive officer for the U.S. Indian Health Service, a $6 billion-a-year-operation.…

Remembering the return of Blue Lake

Mark Trahant ICT TAOS, New Mexico — July 8 should be a holiday. It could be called “Self-Determination Day.” Or “Blue Lake Day” or the name once given to this celebration by the Taos Pueblo, “Justice Day.” A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of…

Supreme Court rejects EPA authority

Mark Trahant ICT The Supreme Court said Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions without specific authority from Congress. The decision raises new questions about the power of…

Only path: ‘dismantle coal infrastructure’

Mark Trahant ICT These are thorny questions. What do tribes do now with their coal? What about the country? And what’s the best transition plan that will preserve at least some of the best paying jobs in rural communities? Globally, the stage is set.…