Latest news with #MontanaStateFlag
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House approves Indigenous Peoples' Day
The Montana State Flag and tribal flags fly in front of the Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) Montana will soon have a new holiday on the books, after the House approved of Senate Bill 224 to add Indigenous Peoples' Day to the list of legal state holidays. The House on Wednesday passed the bill 87-12, establishing the holiday to be celebrated on the second Monday of October, in addition to recognizing Columbus Day the same day. 'The day has morphed into something to recognize everyone. Always going to be a strong presence of Montana Indians, but this effort is trying to incorporate and include everyone,' said Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, who carried the bill in the House. 'It's a day that celebrates the ancestral lineage of all Montanans, again, all Montanans. 'And it's a day that is shaped and molded by each community and how that community wants to celebrate each other. So this bill gets away from eliminating a holiday and simply gives Montanans the option to celebrate what they prefer on the second Monday in October.' Attempts to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in previous sessions were unsuccessful, partially due to some versions of legislation eliminating Columbus Day completely. The current version of the bill passed the Senate in February with just three opponents. The co-celebration of the two holidays in October is done in Rhode Island, Nebraska and Alabama, while four states and Washington, D.C., have established Indigenous Peoples' Day as a standalone state holiday. Running Wolf said in the committee hearing many Montanans came and shared stories about their backgrounds — some Native, some from other parts of the world. One man with Irish heritage came in and spoke the Irish language, sharing its meaning to his own history. 'And it was beautiful. And we celebrated it all together,' Running Wolf said. '… What we heard in the hearing is that people want to learn about each other and the rich heritage that so many Montanans bring to Montana.' During floor debate, Rep. Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork, introduced an amendment to change the order of holidays in the bill, to make Columbus Day listed first to maintain 'its precedence of establishment.' Running Wolf said his biggest concern was that it would delay the process by sending the bill back to the Senate and cost more taxpayer money. The amendment failed to pass 27-70. 'Indigenous Peoples' Day is a testament to our shared history values as Montanans, it celebrates the collaborative efforts to the stewards of our land, educates us about the profound knowledge and contributions of all Montana communities, and highlights our shared strength and responsibility,' Running Wolf said. 'By honoring this day we take pride in our past, foster a deep understanding of all Indigenous entities and work together protect our cherish holiday heritage for future generations.' The bill made one additional change to recognized state holidays by updating 'Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays' to 'Presidents' Day.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana Senate gives nod to Montana Indian Child Welfare Act
The Montana State Flag and tribal flags fly in front of the Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) The Montana Senate preliminarily passed two bills Monday sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, and earlier 'blasted' to the floor with a procedural move, including legislation to remove a 'sunset' provision from the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act. The Montana Indian Child Welfare Act, similar to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, ensures the state prioritizes preserving a Native American child's culture and keeping the child with their community when being removed from a parent or parents' care and being placed. It passed in Montana in 2023 with a sunset in 2025 pending a U.S. Supreme Court case, which upheld ICWA. But Windy Boy said the Montana law goes beyond the protections in federal law, it is based on the sovereign status of tribes, and it ensures children have a connection to their tribe and culture. 'There is no asset more valuable to our future than our children,' Windy Boy said. For example, if termination of the legal parent-child relationship is sought in Montana, parents must be notified at every step in the process, an element that differs from federal law. Senate Bill 147 also says any officer influencing foster care or parental rights must demonstrate they have participated 'in active efforts to prevent the breakup of the Indian family.' Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, said 30% of children in foster care are Native American, but just 6% of the population of Montana is Native American, and having the legislation in place helps Indian children. 'Those are appalling statistics,' Webber said. 'So anything we can do to help that situation, alleviate that situation, we should do it.' Montana has a high suicide rate for youth, and Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said for Native American youth connected to culture and language, the suicide rate is 13 out of 100,000, and for those not connected to culture, it's 96 per 100,000. 'We see marked increases in their self-esteem as soon as they get connected to culture,' Neumann said. Windy Boy said the bill was personal to him. In February 2020, his daughter died, and she left seven grandchildren, and he said if he and 'their grandma' didn't step up, they probably would not have been exposed to powwows or ceremonies. 'If they were caught up in the system, the foster care system, who's to say where they would have went?' Windy Boy said. The bill passed second reading 31-19, and Windy Boy's Senate Bill 181 also passed 31-19. SB 181 aims to strengthen the state's commitment to Montana Indian Education for All. The Indian Education for All Act states that Montana recognizes 'the distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians' and is committed in its educational goals 'to the preservation of their cultural heritage.' It says every Montanan, whether Indian or not, is encouraged to learn about American Indians, every educational agency will work with the tribes to teach those lessons, and school employees will have an understanding of the tribes to help them relate to Indian students and parents. Windy Boy said the Montana Legislature put $3.5 million in the base budget for Indian Education for All starting around 2007, but some of it hasn't been used for its intended purpose. Last session, he said, out of 403 school districts, 150 did not report or underreported the Indian Education for All money the state provided, and the bill intends to create accountability. As drafted, the bill requires reporting to the interim education committee and state-tribal relations committee. It states that if funds are misused, the Office of Public Instruction will reduce the subsequent year's dollars by the same amount, and it will publish an annual report of school districts that don't meet the standards, among other provisions. Sen. Jacinda Morigeau, D-Arlee, said Montana is a leader on this front, and many other states have modeled legislation after Indian Education for All. 'And I want to see us continue being leaders in the nation,' Morigeau said. 'We really are the gold standard for this type of educational mandate.' The bills both were tabled in committee, but the Senate can pull a tabled bill onto the floor with a 'blast' motion and majority vote, and it 'blasted' both SB 147 and SB 181. The bills need another vote in the Senate before moving to the House.
