News & Updates Archive

July 2020

July 15, 2020

NCAI Statement on Legal Filing by Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Regarding Illegal Taking of Nation’s Missouri Riverbed Property Rights

Today, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) took steps to prevent the illegal taking of the Nation’s property rights to minerals beneath the Missouri River on its Fort Berthold Reservation in western North Dakota. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) holds firm its position in support of the MHA Nation’s land and mineral rights, and has advocated for government-to-government consultation between the MHA Nation and the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor to confirm the longstanding Executive and Congressional actions declaring that the Missouri River bed within the Fort Berthold Reservation is owned by the MHA Nation.

July 13, 2020

NCAI Statement on the Washington Football Team’s Retirement of Racist Mascot

"Today is a day for all Native people to celebrate. We thank the generations of tribal nations, leaders, and activists who worked for decades to make this day possible. We commend the Washington NFL team for eliminating a brand that disrespected, demeaned, and stereotyped all Native people, and we call on all other sports teams and corporate brands to retire all caricatures of Native Americans that they use as their mascots."

July 9, 2020

Historic Win in McGirt v. Oklahoma

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the nation’s oldest, largest, and most representative organization comprised of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations and their citizens, along with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the oldest and largest legal organization devoted to protecting the rights of Native American tribes and people, applaud this morning’s decision in the U.S. Supreme Court case, which confirmed that the treaty-defined boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation still remain in full force today.

July 6, 2020

Great Plains Tribes Win Important Legal Fight to Protect Tribal Water and Treaty Resources

The Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association (GPTCA), the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and the National Congress of American Indians Fund (NCAI Fund) applaud the D.C. District Court’s decision today to vacate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Oahe easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline, and to require the removal of all oil flowing through the pipeline by August 5, 2020.

July 3, 2020

NCAI Response to the Washington Football Team’s Commitment to Addressing Name Change

WASHINGTON, DC | Today, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) welcomed the Washington NFL team’s announcement this morning of its plan to conduct a “thorough review” of the team’s name and mascot, which represents an important breakthrough for Indian Country in its longstanding effort to change the name and mascot.

July 2, 2020

NCAI Commends Leadership of FedEx in Taking Stand Against the Washington NFL Team’s Racial Slur Mascot, Calls on League’s Other Sponsors and Retailers to Join Movement

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commends this evening’s formal request by FedEx asking the Washington NFL team to “change the team name.” FedEx’s announcement is particularly noteworthy given that the company is the stadium sponsor of the Washington NFL team, and FedEx CEO Fred Smith owns a minority ownership stake in the team.

July 1, 2020

NCAI is here for you

We’re here for you. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) stands with you in these uncertain and difficult times. We’re here to help. We’re here to listen. We’re here to work. We’re here to heal.

June 2020

June 1, 2020

Leading National Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Denounce Murder of George Floyd, Call for Impartial Investigation of Officers Involved

As the foremost national coalition of organizations dedicated to civil rights and racial justice, we are both heartbroken and outraged at the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. George Floyd becomes the latest in a long and growing line of members of our communities who have needlessly died at the hands of police acting outside of the bounds of the law and their sworn duty to uphold and protect the public. This epidemic of racialized violence must stop, and it must stop now. Bringing it to an end will require the affirmative commitment, solidarity and sustained action of all Americans, from grassroots advocacy to the ballot box.

May 2020

May 29, 2020

NCAI Condemns the Behavior of the Officers Involved in the Death of George Floyd

“As someone who served in law enforcement for a decade and took an oath to protect and serve all of my fellow citizens, I am sickened by what I’ve witnessed over the past several days, first with the murder of George Floyd, and the inadequate response since to apprehend and bring to justice all of those responsible. This latest unjustifiable tragedy is a stark reminder that people of color face disproportionate rates of police brutality, a situation that merits a comprehensive national policy response. No one should be harmed or murdered simply because of the color of their skin,” said Kevin Allis, Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians.

May 20, 2020

Heinrich Urges FCC To Ensure Rural Tribal Communities Have Equal Internet Access

“This pandemic lays bare the fact that many American Indian and Alaska Native communities lack essential services. Extending the tribal priority filing window and the start date for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund would allow tribal nations to prioritize response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic without having to risk missing a historic opportunity to bridge the digital divide,” said National Congress of American Indians CEO Kevin Allis.

May 14, 2020

Good Medicine Comedy to Hold Fundraiser Benefiting Tribes Impacted by COVID-19

Recognizing that Native Americans and tribal communities have been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19 in the country, Good Medicine Comedy announced today that it will hold a fundraiser on Friday, May 22, to bring audiences some much-needed comedic relief all while raising money for tribal communities impacted by COVID-19.

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