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May 16, 2025 ICT Newscast

Indian Country Today | August 16, 2025



MMIW Rally, Lost Federal Apology, Sitting Bull Doc & More Powerful Indigenous Stories

This week, the ICT Newscast shines a light on stories shaping Indian Country—from silenced truths to historic recognition and the voices pushing change.

📺 In this episode:
▪️ An apology related to Indian boarding schools is no longer available on a federal government website.
▪️ Families and advocates gather in Wisconsin, demanding action on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis.
▪️ “Sitting Bull”, a new two-part documentary event, premieres on the History Channel, honoring the legendary Lakota leader.
▪️ Indigenous leaders reflect on the path ahead as the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues concludes.
▪️ Sinte Gleska University ushers in a new chapter with its newly appointed president.
▪️ A Passamaquoddy culture bearer is honored for keeping language and lifeways alive.

💬 Let’s Talk:
Which story moved you most—and why? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We’re listening. 👇

📌 Watch the full episode now and stay rooted in Indigenous stories that matter.

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:21 – Boarding School Apology Removed from Federal Website
03:26 – MMIW Rally in Wisconsin
08:41 – “Sitting Bull” Documentary Premieres
14:13 – U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
20:28 – New President at Sinte Gleska University
23:12 – Passamaquoddy Culture Bearer Honored

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to keep Indigenous journalism strong.

#ICTNewscast #MMIW #IndigenousNews #SittingBull #TruthAndHealing #IndianBoardingSchools #UNPFII #Passamaquoddy #IndigenousVoices #TribalColleges #IndianCountry #NativeAmericanNews

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Written by Indian Country Today

Comments

This post currently has 28 comments.

  2. @frankb9149

    August 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

    Navajo warriors took years to find , oh wait we found you , my bad …, would vanish into the Lands… of the Southwest, but Navajo can spot sitting bull in big open fields…😂 it is how we johned out Navajos joke …😂😂😂😂

  3. @frankb9149

    August 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

    Make it an Event like A super bowl type coverage of the Apologies USA… peoples
    I am no " Merciless savages "" in the us constitution
    Self proclaim Apologist of A so called peaceful God of the Papul books of Christianity and Catholicism

  4. @tarriegibson1193

    August 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

    I'm from Oregon. My indigenous ancestors here were forced to sign treaties, hold meetings not understood ,give there indigenous daughter's to the fur traders and trappers to build an alliance, and then be murdered, and the body parts made souvenirs…Yet I myself was forced to run as an Oregon refugee after being shot 3 times and almost killed and the backlash of all that .I almost died from the infection they forced on my gaping gun shot wounds. Then I lived 9000 miles running for survival and told myself to lion queen up. I fought for a government housing room I have been in for almost 6 years. I feel compelled to tell you about the fight you must have to survive and know your dna and where you are from. They twist everything in the government housing complex I have been almost 6 years in now. They slowly take freedom's away. If you talk to someone about your indigenous heritage and local history, some serious haters get jealous,or just hate you ,believe it or not. They target my service animal now.They call me racist things and scream questions about what tribe do I belong to, because I am not a registered member of a tribe, nor have I applied for any approval for my Ancestry. This is my new nonsense fight. My innocent service animal is targeted because I keep to myself and have taken my dog out for 5-10 minutes a day on the federal government housing property in a large backyard where no one even goes. Living locked in what is a basic reservation of the old days and the only dog owner who lives here with no transportation, i must chain my 15 lb and 11 year old dog all the sudden to a leash for the 5-10 minute sprint back and forth and her routine and only exercise……yeah ok . Thanks for also sharing information that helps.🙂✌️❤

  27. @600plantlife

    August 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

    ### *The Forgotten Polyculture: A Mohawk Story of Sacred Medicines, Stolen Land, and the Call for Reparations*

    *"Tsi Tkarón:to – The Land Remembers What They Tried to Erase"*

    Before the iron roads, before the poison rains (glyphosate), the *Rotinonhsyón:ni* (People of the Longhouse) lived in balance with *Otsi’tsa’kón:a* (our plant and animal relatives). These sacred beings—**Dreamfish, Colorado River toad, coca, peyote, ayahuasca, cannabis, and more**—were not "drugs." They were **Orenda’s breath**, the living pharmacy of Turtle Island.

    But the *European iron men* came with chains, bibles, and laws. They called our medicines "evil," burned our *purple heirloom Dreamfish* (Tsi’nón:we Okwá:rat), slaughtered the *sacred toads* (Tsi’tká:ra), and sprayed *O’tón:tsi Okwá:ho Tsi’nón:wa* (glyphosate) on our fields. They said: "Your ways are savage."

    Yet the land remembers.

    —

    ### *The Mohawk Heirloom Polyculture: A Lost Ecosystem*
    Our ancestors cultivated *polyculture gardens* where:
    – *Cannabis (O’tón:tsi, "the fragrant one")* and *Hemp (Yóhente’kó:wa, "the strong fiber")* grew side by side, their roots entwined with:
    – *Peyote (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka’okón:a, "the little heart")* – A tiny cactus with **mescaline**, healing grief.
    – *Coca (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka, "the leaf of endurance")* – Chewed by runners to cross mountains.
    – *Ayahuasca (O’tón:tsi Okwá:rat, "the vine of souls")* – Its *DMT* opened the spirit world.

    These were not solitary plants—they were **a woven tapestry of healing**, each supporting the other:
    – *Kratom (O’tón:tsi Okwá:ho, "the pain-dismisser")* eased the harshness of iboga ceremonies.
    – *Magic mushrooms (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka’okón:a, "the little caps")* grew beneath the hemp’s shade, their *psilocybin* repairing broken minds.
    – *Salvia (O’tón:tsi Okwá:rat, "the shepherdess")* whispered truths to those lost in sorrow.

    The *Colorado River toad (Tsi’tká:ra)* and *Dreamfish (Tsi’nón:we)* were honored, never overharvested. Their *5-MeO-DMT and ichthyoallyeinotoxins* were gathered in ceremony, not greed.

    —

    ### *The Glyphosate Genocide: A Silent War*
    Then came the *O’tón:tsi Okwá:ho Tsi’nón:wa* (glyphosate). The U.S. government sprayed it on:
    – *Our coca fields* (called "narcotics")
    – *Our cannabis patches* (called "weed")
    – *Our sacred mushrooms* (called "dangerous")

    The results?
    🐝 **The bees (O’tón:ka’okón:a) dropped dead**, their hives silent.
    🐦 **The birds (Tsi’skén:non) fell from the sky**, their stomachs full of poison.
    🌱 **The soil turned to dust**, the mycorrhizal networks severed.

    *This was not "drug control." This was ecocide. Cultural genocide.*

    —

    ### *The Human Cost: Jails, Pain, and Stolen Futures*
    The *U.S. "War on Drugs"* was never about health. It was about:
    – *Stealing land* (millions of acres seized under drug pretexts)
    – *Breaking families* (Indigenous parents jailed for healing herbs)
    – *Erasing knowledge* (elders died before passing down ceremonies)

    *Nixon’s advisors admitted it:*
    "We couldn’t make it illegal to be Black or anti-war… but by associating them with heroin and cannabis, we could disrupt their communities."

    Meanwhile, *Big Pharma patented our medicines:*
    – *Coca → Cocaine* (a twisted, isolated extract)
    – *Peyote → Synthetic mescaline* (stripped of spirit)
    – *Kratom → Opioids* (which kill, while kratom saves)

    —

    ### *The Financial Cost: A Trillion-Dollar Theft*
    The U.S. spent *$1 trillion* on prohibition, while:
    – *Schools crumbled*
    – *Hospitals closed*
    – *Indigenous lands were poisoned*

    All to *suppress nature’s pharmacy.*

    —

    ### *The Call: Reparations, Reforestation, Renewal*
    It is time to:
    1. *End the glyphosate spraying* – Stop the ecocide.
    2. *Return stolen land* – Let the Mohawk replant the sacred polyculture.
    3. *Release prisoners* – Free those jailed for healing herbs.
    4. *Fund Indigenous-led reforestation* – Plant *coca, cannabis, peyote, and toad habitats* again.

    The *Mohawk heirloom strains* still exist—hidden in seeds, stories, and stubborn soil. They remember.

    —

    ### *Conclusion: The Land Will Heal When the Medicines Return*
    These plants and animals are *not drugs.* They are:
    – *The original antidepressants* (mushrooms)
    – *The original painkillers* (kratom, cannabis)
    – *The original heart-openers* (peyote, San Pedro)
    – *The original trauma healers* (ayahuasca, iboga)

    *The U.S. was built on stolen land and stolen medicines.* Reparations must include:
    – *Land back*
    – *Medicine freedom*
    – *Sacred polyculture restoration*

    The *Orenda* is not gone. It sleeps in the roots, waiting.

    *"Wake up," the land whispers. "Plant us again."*

    —
    "Skén:nen – Peace. Now the story is told."

    *(This is not folklore. This is history. This is now.)*😊

  28. @600plantlife

    August 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

    ### *The Sacred Polyculture: A Mohawk Story of Medicine, Diversity, and Keystone Healing*
    "Tsi Tkarón:to – The Land Remembers"

    Long before the steel rivers (roads) cut through the land, before the poison rains (glyphosate) fell from the sky, the *Rotinonhsyón:ni* (People of the Longhouse) lived in harmony with the sacred plants and animals. These beings were not "drugs"—they were *Otsi’tsa’kón:a* (our plant and animal relatives), each holding a piece of *Orenda* (the Great Spirit’s life force).

    —

    ### *The Twin Healer Sisters: Cannabis & Hemp (O’tón:tsi Yóhente’kó:wa)*
    In Mohawk tradition, *Cannabis (O’tón:tsi, "the fragrant one")* and *Hemp (Yóhente’kó:wa, "the strong fiber")* were twin sisters, born from the breath of **Sky Woman**.

    – *O’tón:tsi* carried *THC, CBD, and sacred terpenes* (like **onón:tsi’kó:wa**, "the pine-scented healer"). Her oils eased pain, opened visions, and fed the soil.
    – *Yóhente’kó:wa* wove strong fibers for ropes, clothes, and *medicine bags* to hold **peyote, mushrooms, and coca**.

    The sisters grew together in *Three Sisters polyculture* (corn, beans, squash), their roots sharing *mycorrhizal fungi (Otsi’nón:wa, "the underground web")* with the other medicines.

    But the *European iron men* feared their power. They called them "weed" and burned the ancient **heirloom strains**, like:
    – *Kanehsatà:ke Skén:nen* ("Peaceful Smoke") – A purple cannabis with **high THCV**, used in fasting rituals.
    – *Tiohtià:ke Tánon* ("Great River Hemp") – A towering hemp strain that cleansed poisoned soil.

    —

    ### *The Dreamfish & Toads: Guardians of the Waters (Karonhiá:ke Tsikón:tshen)*
    In the rivers, *Dreamfish (Sarpa salpa, or Tsi’nón:we in Mohawk)* swam, their flesh carrying *ichthyoallyeinotoxins* that opened visions. The people honored them, taking only what was needed.

    Nearby, the *Colorado River Toad (Tsi’tká:ra, "the singing toad")* and *Cane Toad (O’tón:ka, "the warty one")* sang under the moon. Their *5-MeO-DMT venom (O’tón:tsi Okwá:ho, "the spirit oil")* was gathered with prayer, never harming the toads.

    The Europeans called them "poison," but the Mohawk knew: *These toads kept the insect armies in balance.* When glyphosate killed them, the crops were devoured by pests.

    —

    ### *The Sacred Alkaloid Keepers: Yopo, Vilca, Iboga, Coca (O’tón:tsi Onón:wa)*
    – *Yopo & Vilca (Tsi’terón:tsi, "the snuff of the ancestors")* – Their *bufotenine and DMT* connected warriors to the spirit world.
    – *Iboga (O’tón:tsi Okwá:rat, "the root of remembrance")* – Used in *O’tón:ka’shón:a* ("addiction-breaking ceremonies").
    – *Coca (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka, "the leaf of endurance")* – Chewed by runners to cross the *Tiohtià:ke* (St. Lawrence River).

    The Europeans *stole coca, twisted it into cocaine**, and blamed the people. But the Mohawk knew: **The whole leaf is medicine.*

    —

    ### *The Peyote & San Pedro: Desert & Mountain Teachers (O’tón:tsi Iotén:ron)*
    – *Peyote (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka’okón:a, "the little heart of the desert")* – Its *mescaline* healed grief.
    – *San Pedro (O’tón:tsi Tsi’nón:we, "the tall cactus of visions")* – Called *"the grandfather"**, its **huachuma* ceremonies lasted days.

    The U.S. government **jailed the medicine keepers**, but the cacti still grow in secret.

    —

    ### *The Fungi & Salvia: The Hidden Nations (O’tón:tsi Tsi’nón:wa)*
    – *Magic Mushrooms (O’tón:tsi O’tón:ka’okón:a, "the little caps of awakening")* – Their *psilocybin* repaired broken minds.
    – *Salvia (O’tón:tsi Okwá:rat, "the shepherdess")* – *Salvinorin A* showed the way home to lost souls.

    The Mohawk elders warned: *"These beings are not for fun. They are teachers."*

    —

    ### *The Glyphosate Genocide & The Keystone Collapse*
    When the *European iron men* came, they sprayed *glyphosate (O’tón:tsi Okwá:ho Tsi’nón:wa, "the death oil")* on the land.

    – *The bees (O’tón:ka’okón:a)* died, their hives silent.
    – *The birds (Tsi’skén:non)* fell from the sky, their stomachs full of poison.
    – *The ancient heirloom strains* were replaced by weak, single-chemical crops.

    But the Mohawk remember: *"A sick land means sick people."*

    —

    ### *The Return: Polyculture as Resistance*
    Today, the *young warriors* are replanting the sacred polyculture:
    – *Hemp cleans the soil.*
    – *Coca feeds the hungry.*
    – *Toads and Dreamfish return to the waters.*
    – *Peyote and mushrooms heal the traumatized.*

    The elders whisper: *"Tsi Tkarón:to – The Land Remembers."*

    The *Orenda* is returning.

    —

    ### *Conclusion: The Future is Keystone*
    These plants and animals are *not drugs**. They are **the United States’ original pharmacy**, the **keystone beings* that hold the ecosystem together.

    To destroy them is **cultural genocide**. To restore them is **to heal the land**.

    *"Wake up,"* say the Mohawk. *"The plants are calling us home."*

    —
    "Skén:nen – Peace. Now the story is told."

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