September News Byte 2024
Ending Q3 with in-depth reports
Happy autumn, Verified News Community!
Thank you for supporting our work as we close the door on our third quarter.
We first want to take a moment to recognize Orange Shirt Day, and remember the trauma endured by Indigenous children at Indian boarding schools, and the profound, long-term health repercussions experienced by survivors and their families.
September was an important month for the Muscogee people.
On September 25th, the Nation presented oral arguments to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the ongoing fight for justice at Hickory Ground.
The Nation has accused the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, along with several federal agencies, of desecrating the remains of Muscogee ancestors buried at Hickory Ground to pave the way for a casino.
In Tulsa, we continued our research and reporting into Native homelessness. When addressing homelessness amongst Native populations, historical and cultural considerations must be taken into account.
But, when we combed through Tulsa’s homeless initiative and its recommendations, which include four goals and 33 actions to address community needs, the words “Native”, “Indigenous” and “culture” did not come up once.
VNN Oklahoma also reported on the first case filed under the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act this month.
Attorneys for April Wilkens filed a request for resentencing under the Act on August 29th.
VNN Oklahoma also reported on a form created by the Tulsa District Attorney’s office that asks people taking a plea deal to waive their rights to future resentencing under the act.
September was a busy month for political news as the VNN Oklahoma team completed its Democracy Day Project.
VNN Oklahoma’s reporting for Democracy Day included a look at the historical impacts of past presidential decisions on Indian Country.
The research dove into decisions that had dire consequences for Native Americans, like the Indian Removal Act. Additionally, VNN Oklahoma looked at decisions designed to improve the lives of Indigenous people, like Richard Nixon’s return of Blue Lake.
The other two stories examined the impacts of presidential policies from the Trump/Pence Administration and the Biden/Harris Administration that had impacts on Tribes and their members.
Speaking of politics, United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UNIO) is holding its Warrior Up To Vote rally at River Spirit Casino tonight.
Native entertainers Zahn McClarnon and Tatanka Means are headlining the rally.
With back to school in full swing, Broken Arrow Public Schools announced plans to develop an Indian Cultural Education Center.
The Cherokee Nation donated $25,000 to help with the construction of the center.
BAPS says it will be consulting the tribes to get feedback on cultural programming as well as resources that will be included in the center.
And VNN affiliate Osage News reported that the Siatook High School teacher who assigned a research paper on Christianity and the Bible no longer works at the school.
According to Osage News the teacher was uncertified and had an expired emergency certification.
The Osage family and student that expressed concerns about the paper said they were relieved to hear about the teachers departure.
Beyond school education, two non-profits teamed up to provide journalism education to incarcerated women in Oklahoma at Mabel Bassett and Eddie Warrior this summer. The first additions are out now!
Leaders from Poetic Justice and the Prison Journalism Project say empowering these women through journalism is a way to give them a voice to share their stories with the outside world.
This month was such a great month for independent news and information. So much so that we could not fit it all into this News Byte!
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We are looking forward to October and having a strong Q4 as we gear up for 2025. Thank you for being a part of this journey!