Their life was with the land and with the help of the land, they fed themselves well. Daily Yonder contributing writer, Maria Givens, writes about Native sustainable food systems.
Posted inMedia
Down Yonder: Energy Cooperatives and Covid-19, Dakota Access Pipeline, SCOTUS and Oklahoma, Postal Banking
Welcome to Down Yonder – our weekly roundup of good reads we’ve found around the web. Our goal is to showcase more perspectives on national and global issues through a rural lens. Expect Down Yonder on Saturdays. Enjoy! Reuters: Coronavirus ‘Collateral Damage’ Hits U.S. Rural Power Providers Electric cooperatives, which serve about 42 million rural […]
Posted inTribal Affairs
Supreme Court Ruling ‘Reaffirmed’ Tribal Sovereignty
This story was originally published by Indian Country Today. In the 5-4 decision, the nation’s highest court said Congress never explicitly “disestablished” the 1866 boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. “Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law. Because Congress has not said […]
Posted inEnvironment
A Border Wall Runs Through It
In late June, President Trump visited Arizona to campaign while highlighting the completion of the 200th mile of wall along the southern border with Mexico. The event echoed Trump’s 2016 presidential bid that included a pledge to “build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I’ll have Mexico pay for that wall.” Facing […]
Posted inTribal Affairs
Tribes Say They Have Waited Months for Covid-19 Crisis Funds to Arrive
PHOENIX – At a time when some Native American communities continue to struggle with the most basic needs, tribal leaders Wednesday called it “an outrage” that tribes had to wait months for coronavirus relief funds. Congress approved the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March and set aside $8 billion for […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Inmate-Made Masks Help Community and Those Incarcerated, Jailer Says
The mask-making program at the Woodford County Detention Center is helping both the region and the jail population, according to jailer Michele Rankin. Like many jails, some inmates can work at jobs like picking up litter. The program saves thousands of dollars in labor costs each year for Versailles, the county seat of Woodford County, […]
Posted inEducation
Crumbling School HVAC Threatens Safe Comeback to Classrooms
Poorly maintained or out-of-date ventilation systems in rural and urban schools could complicate districts’ plans to return students to traditional classrooms this fall. An estimated four out of every 10 public school districts in the U.S. need significant renovations in their buildings’ HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, according to a report released last […]
Posted inAgriculture
In Migrant Worker Camps, Wifi Is a Basic Utility
During the Covid-19 pandemic, an agricultural community comes together to expand wifi access in migrant farmworker camps.
Posted inGrowth and Development
Modest Growth in Nonmetro Population in Last Decade Masks Larger Geographic Shifts
This article first appeared in the July 2020 edition of Amber Waves, published by the Economic Research Service of USDA. Natural change—fewer births, more deaths, and an aging population—is creating a major demographic challenge for many regions across rural and small-town America, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) research. But nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas that […]
Posted inCool Places
Commentary: Small Towns Make Fourth More than Just a Parade of Memories
“The Fourth of July is a big deal up here,” my dad’s neighbor calls to us over the hedge. Folks who grew up in northern Minnesota come from all over, she says, and some will even fly in to be a part of the holiday celebrations. I know she’s got it right; after all, I’m […]
Posted inEnvironment
Federal Agency Takes Charge of Voluntary Carbon Credit Markets
A bipartisan bill seeks to address climate change by placing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a leadership role over voluntary carbon credit markets. While proponents tout the benefits of voluntary conservation practices, critics say the approach will result in limited climate action rather than meaningful change. The Growing Climate Solutions Act would […]