Jennifer Fairbanks

250 years of U.S. history & thousands of years of Indigenous history

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This week the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional right to birthright citizenship for anyone born in the United States.

But the citizenship of the original inhabitants of these lands should never have been put into question. This country was founded on the blood of our ancestors who have loved and cared for this land long before the United States existed.

On July 4th, as we mark the 250 years of existence of the U.S., we must remember and remind others that unless you know where you have come from, it is difficult to know how to move forward. Our collective history of this land stretches back millennia.

Our ancestors built governments, created trade routes, organized multi-tribal sporting events, sustained communities, and adapted through profound challenges — including climate shifts, displacement, and attempts to erase our ways of life.

That resilience is not just our history; it is the wisdom guiding us today.

We have a collective responsibility not only to protect what we have inherited from our ancestors, but to help shape what comes next for the betterment of all.

The next 250 years begin with all of us. It is time to resist, reimagine, repair, reclaim, and rebuild. Together, we can create a future rooted in justice, equity, and self-governance that is people-powered, not profit-driven.

The challenges we face today did not emerge overnight. They are rooted in systems and structures established 250 years ago that were designed to serve a select few of the rich while excluding the majority. These systems are also premised on the limitless expansion and control of land and natural resources for the profit of a few.

Understanding that history is essential if we are to reshape those systems and build a more just political and economic system now and for the future.

Together we will keep walking with our ancestors toward a better future for all.

Jennifer Fairbanks

“Alligator Alcatraz” officially closing

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Florida officials announced the closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” on June 25, 2026.

The federal government, with the support of the State of Florida, constructed and operated Alligator Alcatraz in violation of the sovereign rights of the Miccosukee Tribe, who took the government to court for illegally constructing the center without their consultation or consent.

As Native peoples, we have a sacred obligation passed down from our ancestors to care for the land and everyone who depends on it. The construction of the detention center in Florida was on the ancestral lands of the Miccosukee Tribe. The buildings endangered delicate and protected ecosystems. Alligator Alcatraz put thousands of immigrants at risk. The reported filthy and unsafe conditions were a violation of the human rights of immigrants and their families.

The administration’s violent crackdown on migrant communities is an affront to all we stand for as Native peoples. We are opposed to any government operation that violates the human rights of our neighbors and all who reside on this land. As we saw in Minneapolis earlier this year, ICE operations operate with little to no oversight or safeguards, acting illegally in many cases. Multiple people, including babies, have died in, or as a result of, ICE custody. This must end.

The closure of Alligator Alcatraz is a victory for human rights and Tribal Sovereignty, but we want to see an end to all inhumane and unlawful detention of our neighbors who are simply trying to live, work, and raise their families.

This story was originally published in Native News Online.

Jennifer Fairbanks

Six Movies to Watch for Native American Heritage Month

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Curating space for Native creativity to be celebrated is one of the many forms of resistance. Indigenous cultures everywhere embrace storytelling in order to keep traditions alive. Many different Native filmmakers and storytellers have embraced cinema in order to showcase our various ways of life and shift the narrative around what a ‘Native American’ really is.
This Native American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting a mix of  six documentaries and fiction films that showcase relevant movements and commentary from all over Indian Country.
The best part? All of the movies mentioned are currently available for free on Kanopy (a streaming service that only requires a school email or local library card to access!)


Dadiwonisi: We Will Speak

by Schon Duncan and Michael McDermit
2023 Atlanta Film Festival: “Dadiwonisi (We Will Speak)”, “Our Father, the Devil” – Cineccentric
Dadiwonisi (We Will Speak) highlights the critical work of language activists, artists, youth, and elders who are now leading a growing movement of urgent radical revitalization efforts to help save the Cherokee language from the brink of extinction. The film also delves into the history of the Cherokee syllabary, the destructive assimilationist legacy of boarding schools, the lasting impacts of the Trail of Tears, and the ways in which members of the Cherokee tribe reconcile their relationship to American identity.


Bring Them Home (Aiskótáhkapiyaaya)

by Ivy MacDonald, Ivan MacDonald, and Daniel Glick
Bring Them Home

Bring Them Home tells the story of a small group of Blackfoot people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago, an act that would restore the land, re-enliven traditional culture and bring much needed healing to their community.

 

Beans

by Tracey Deer
Facing the fight: Kiawentiio as Beans and Paulina Alexis as April. Photo by Sebastien Raymond.
Twelve-year-old Beans is on the edge: torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence; forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she needs to be during the Oka Crisis, the turbulent Indigenous uprising that tore Quebec and Canada apart for 78 tense days in the summer of 1990.

Gather

by Sanjay Rawal
Watch Gather | Netflix
Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.


Barking Water

by Sterlin Harjo
Barking Water
Hoping to see his daughter and grandchild, a terminally ill man embarks on a road trip with his former lover.



Wild Indian

by Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.
Michael Greyeyes in Wild Indian (Vertical Entertainment)
Decades after covering up his classmate’s murder, Michael has moved on from his reservation and fractured past. When a man who shares his violent secret seeks vengeance, Michael goes to great lengths to protect his new life with his wife and boss from the demons of his past.
Jennifer Fairbanks

Rollback of “Roadless Rule” Puts Indigenous Sacred Areas at Risk

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Trump administration to open 21-day public comment period starting Aug. 29, 2025

 

New York, NY—The Trump administration announced it is seeking public comment on its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule and the environmental impacts it would cause. The Roadless Rule prohibits road construction and logging on 58.5 million acres of wild areas in national forests in order to protect habitats and ecosystems. Some Tribes have stated that the administration acted without legally required government-to-government consultation, and that the rollback of the policy could negatively impact access to cultural foods, animals, and other resources. The following statement from Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance, can be quoted in full or in part. 

 

“Removing the Roadless Rule will lead to the destruction of Indigenous sacred places, areas where we continue to practice our traditions and cultures and are supposed to be legally protected by law. 

 

The Trump administration has weakened environmental impact assessments by cutting public comment periods and limiting reviews of impacts on public lands. On top of that, they have also refused to engage in the legally required consultations with Tribal nations.

 

Tribes have an inherent right to determine the future of their ancestral homelands. Consultation and consent is not optional. 

 

We must continue to voice our concerns every chance we get, starting with this public comment period. We must continue to remind Congress and the administration that they have to honor Tribal sovereignty.”

 

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Contact: 

Brad Angerman

bangerman@pyramidcommunications.com

702-218-4490

 

About Native Organizers Alliance

The nation’s leading organization dedicated to building Native power. Through advocacy, capacity building, and campaign support, Native Organizers Alliance amplifies the power of Tribes, organizations, and grassroots movements to drive policy change in Indian Country. Learn more at nativeorganizing.org/.

Jennifer Fairbanks

NOA’s Recent Trip to Wind River

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The Native Organizers Alliance Training Team recently traveled to Wind River Indian Reservation to conduct a pre-training visit in preparation for the upcoming May training session in partnership with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. This visit is an integral part of our protocol, aimed at engaging with the community to better understand local issues and how we can tailor our training to meet the specific needs of the community.

 

Judith Le Blanc (Caddo) and Lonnie Provost (Dakota) have worked with Wes Martel at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition for numerous years on issues around water and land protections,  Tribal sovereignty, and allowing Native voices to have a say in National Parks such as Yellowstone National Park.

 

Last November, Wes reached out to NOA. He updated the team about the Pilot Butte Conveyance Act that was being introduced by Wyoming Senator John Barrasso. The community formed a coalition to address the issue and organized meetings and protests at Senator Barrasso’s office.

 

The visit yielded valuable insights into the dynamics of the unique ecosystem, culture and protocols of the Wind River community. Feedback from local community members highlighted the importance of incorporating treaties, sovereignty, Tribal governance, advocacy and organizing tools into our training.

The team also learned about the significance of buffalo in Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe culture, emphasizing the need for a respectful and informed approach to conservation that honors traditional practices. This aligns with our commitment to ecological efforts but also acknowledges the cultural identity of the community.

 

These upcoming trainings, starting with the first later this month, will be a series of trainings that Native Organizers Alliance will hold in partnership with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the community on Wind River Indian Reservation to further support the community’s efforts to organize.

 

This pre-training site visit was a crucial step in building trust and understanding with the Wind River community. Moving forward, it is essential that we integrate the feedback and perspectives gathered during this visit into the training. By doing so, we can ensure that our initiatives not only support ecological objectives but also empower indigenous voices and enhance cultural resilience.

Jennifer Fairbanks

Transgender Day of Visibility 2025

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Honoring and uplifting our Two Spirit relatives is not just an act of support — it is a return to our original ways and a vital part of re-Indigenizing our society.

 

Since time immemorial, Native peoples have recognized, honored, and protected our Two Spirit people, who have always held sacred roles in our societies. Many Tribes saw them as closely connected to the divine, as healers, and as vital members of our nations. While the term “Two Spirit” is more recent, around two-thirds of our Indigenous languages on Turtle Island have long had words to recognize and affirm more than two genders.

 

However, colonization brought gender violence that sought to erase these identities and their contributions. This legacy of harm continues today, with ongoing discrimination, violence, and systemic barriers impacting the health and safety of our Two Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ relatives.

 

Despite these attempts at erasure, Two Spirit people are a visible presence and power, and their contributions to our communities persist.

 

Re-Indigenizing our society means reclaiming what was stolen—our languages, our governance, and the value of our relatives. It means uplifting the stories, truths, and existence of our Two Spirit relatives, ensuring they are safe, celebrated, and fully included in our communities.

 

Now more than ever, we must not only celebrate our Two Spirit and transgender relatives but also actively counter disinformation, discrimination, and hate. Uplifting their voices, advocating for their safety, and restoring their rightful place in our communities is how we honor our ancestors and uphold our traditional Indigenous values of honoring all life.

Jennifer Fairbanks

Trump Rolls Back Biden Order Strengthening Tribal Sovereignty

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Move is “a huge setback for federal-tribal relations”

New York, NY — President Trump revoked an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden directing federal agencies to strengthen tribal sovereignty and address how the agencies carry out their duty to consult with Tribal nations. The following statement from Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance and NOA Action Fund, can be quoted in part or in full. 

“The actions by the Trump administration to roll back an order to strengthen Tribal sovereignty, that hundreds of Tribal nations and tens of thousands of Americans called for, is a direct attack on our sovereignty and a huge setback for federal-tribal relations. 

 

President Biden issued this executive order in response to demands by sovereign nations, Native organizations, and thousands of Americans, to do more to protect and uphold Tribal sovereignty. For too long, federal agencies have done too little or nothing at all in their essential role of consulting and engaging with Tribes. As sovereign nations, Tribes have the right to determine how lands are used and developed but too often the federal agencies charged with consulting with Tribes about their ancestral homelands did the bare minimum, or nothing at all, to ensure that tribes  had a say in the future of their lands and people. This is in violation of the inherent and constitutional rights of tribes to make decisions about their lands and the well-being of tribal members. 

 

In recent years, there has been significant progress in strengthening the federal-tribal relationship. In rolling back this order, President Trump is not only acting in opposition to the will of tens of thousands of Americans, he is setting back the significant progress that has been made in strengthening Tribal sovereignty. 

 

While the Trump administration may have decided against the will of the American people by rolling back this executive order, it is critical to note that this does not change the fact that the Trump administration and all federal agencies are still required to consult with and engage Tribes on matters that impact Tribal members and Tribal lands and resources. That has not changed, and neither has the Constitution.

 

Indian Country will be watching to ensure that the rights of sovereign nations are upheld and sovereignty is respected.”

 

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Contact: 

Ruby Stacey, Pyramid Communications

rstacey@pyramidcommunications.com

360.565.6956 cell 

Jennifer Fairbanks

Welcome home, Leonard

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In one of the last acts of his presidency, President Biden freed Leonard Peltier — a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the longest serving Native political prisoner in U.S. history. And today, February 18, 2025, Leonard was was released from federal prison.This is thanks in no small part to our collective activism, sending hundreds of thousands of messages to the White House urging the president to act on behalf of freedom and justice. With your help, NOA was able to send 135,491 letters asking for Leonard’s freedom and gather 142,184 petition signatures. Our hearts are full for Leonard Peltier, his family, and all of Indian Country as he is finally granted freedom after nearly 50 years behind bars.

Leonard Peltier

photo by Angel White Eyes / NDN Collective

Leonard’s incarceration came to symbolize the injustices Native peoples face in defending our lands and civil and inherent rights. His resilience has stood as a testament to the enduring strength of Native peoples in the face of systemic racism and oppression. Throughout his incarceration, Leonard remained unwavering in his commitment to defending Indigenous rights. He has inspired activists worldwide to stand up to governments and systems that marginalize people of color.

His lifelong advocacy for Native rights and justice will continue encouraging Indigenous activists for generations. Today, we celebrate not just Leonard’s long overdue freedom, but an Indigenous movement he helped create.

Over the past nearly 50 years, international leaders including Pope Francis, Saint Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Coretta Scott King have called for Leonard Peltier’s release.

Our activism, alongside generations of leaders, led seven U.S. senators and 26 representatives to sign a letter late last year urging President Biden to grant clemency. And our calls for action led to this moment.

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