Heritage Under Fire: Native Americans fight for culture, history, survival

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Our nation's Indigenous people have seen their visibility rise in recent years.

The first Native American Cabinet secretary, Deb Haaland, was appointed to head the U.S. Department of the Interior last year. Last month, Nicole Mann became the first Native American woman to fly into space. Two new television series, Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, feature Indigenous cast, directors and writers.

But as the nation marks Native American Heritage Month, the struggle for the First Nations to maintain autonomy and cultural identity is as fraught today as it was 10, 20, even 50 years ago. As the U.S. Supreme Court debates whether it should overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978, making it easier for non-Indigenous families to adopt Native American children, advocates worry that an erosion of other tribal rights is around the corner.

"I have a hard time with Native American Heritage Month because learning our history is lifelong," said Valerie Adams, one of the co-founders of the Alabama Indigenous Coalition and a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation. "You're talking about the history and stories of over 574 federally recognized nations, and that doesn't count those which are non-federally recognized."

Carmeleta Clark, a physical security supervisor for the Southern Poverty Law Center, has supported the SPLC's efforts to bolster those Indigenous tribes and maintain their unique cultures.

"The disparities found in the Indigenous communities are numerous, like many of the other marginalized communities," said Clark, herself a member of the Cherokee Nation. "And while I can't speak to them all, as someone with Indigenous roots, I have often and continue to see the way our communities are affected.

"With the SPLC's commitment to supporting these communities, they can bring focus and education to a group that so often gets overlooked and pushed aside," Clark continued. "The partnership with the Alabama Indigenous Coalition and our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) working group has begun with educating staff internally of some of the systemic and current challenges facing the Indigenous communities in our areas and nationwide."

In solidarity,

Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center




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