Indigenous advocates kick off educational listening sessions in rural Montana this month to educate Native Americans about actions the state legislature took this session soon to affect them. The group Western Native Voice holds culturally tailored community meetings to ensure Montana s Native Americans are engaged in and educated about policy decisions affecting their lives. The group is embarking on a series of listening and teaching sessions to help Native populations around Montana understand issues ranging from health care to voting rights. .
Around the U.S., there are efforts among tribal nations to reclaim stolen land from colonization and preserve language history, and a South Dakota organization is part of a movement to empower communities with data. The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation is embracing what s known as data sovereignty. Dallas Nelson, Lakota language and education director for the group, is helping to lead efforts to develop a system to preserve key information for communities within the Pine Ridge Reservation. .
A college grant program for tribal students in Oregon received an extension in this year s budget. The Oregon Tribal Student Grant was funded with $24 million. It covers costs for members of the state s nine federally recognized tribes to attend college in Oregon. .