It’s been a busy month for President Trump. From directing the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and waging war on paper straws to raving about turning the Gaza strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, the antics of the Trump administration have been nothing short of unravelling.
While 51 per cent Native Americans voted for Trump, according to a poll released by Native News Online, many nations have sent letters to the President in response to the recent political developments.
Birthright citizenship
Trump floated an executive order to curtail birthright citizenship in the U.S. The executive order has been blocked by four federal court judges and will likely end up in front of the Supreme Court.
It was widely reported that Trump’s Department of Justice argued in court that Indigenous people don’t have birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, so neither should children of non-citizens born in the U.S.
In a Jan. 24 media release, Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, called the Trump administration’s actions “outrageous and unconstitutional.”
“This is a continued attack by this administration on sovereign nations,” wrote LeBlanc. “Over the past several years, we have reclaimed our power in Indian Country and made huge gains in protecting our people and our sacred, ancestral lands. Due to the actions of Native organizers and Tribal nations, we fought for and won greater representation at all levels of government. We fought for the appointment of Deb Haaland as Secretary of Interior. We have also made gains at the polls. In 2020, we worked on the ground in key states to drive the largest Native voter turnout in history.”
“We will not be bullied by an administration that seeks to diminish our rights as American citizens. We are mobilized and ready for any fight ahead,” she wrote.
U.S.-Canada Border
On Jan. 29, The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) sent two letters, one to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and another to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The letter to Trudeau was sent in response to his call for First Nations communities to support the Canadian government′s efforts to lobby against President Trump′s economic threats. The letter strongly rejected any such request, asserting that the MCK will not lend their support to a government that has historically been dismissive of Indigenous rights and has participated in systemic attempts at the erasure of First Nations peoples.
"We will not stand with a government that has consistently undermined our sovereignty, our right to self-determination, and our very right to exist," said Ohén:ton Í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo. "We have endured centuries of injustice at the hands of settler governments, and we will not allow others to speak on our behalf when it comes to matters that directly affect our people, our lands, and our future."
In the letter to President Trump, the MCK affirmed that Kahnawa’kehró:non have a unique relationship with the United States, but also made it clear that they do not recognize the Canada-U.S. border. The Mohawk Nation predates the establishment of both Canada and the United States, and the MCK stresses that the imposition of these borders do not diminish their inherent rights
“We are the original inhabitants of this land, and the line between Canada and the United States is a colonial construct that we do not recognize,” Diabo continued. “Our relationships with both nations are based on our history as allies, not on the whims of borders that were drawn without our consent.”
The MCK called for all nations to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples to determine their own futures and urges both the Canadian and U.S. governments to engage with First Nations directly rather than relying on external political entities to speak for Indigenous communities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids
On Jan. 23, Naabik’íyáti’ Committee posted a public statement that called on Navajo Nation President Nygren to take immediate action regarding ICE raids and identification issues in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, as reported by Navajo citizens and state officials.
The Naabik’íyáti’ Committee outlined that despite possessing Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs) and state-issued IDs, several individuals have been detained or questioned by ICE agents who do not recognize these documents as valid proof of citizenship.
“Our people are afraid to travel, speak out, or interact with law enforcement due to the threat of retaliation,” said Navajo Nation council delegate Eugenia Charles-Newton in the statement. “This fear must be addressed with systemic solutions.”
Tariffs
The B.C.-based First Nations Leadership Council denounced the Trump administration’s postponed tariff threat of 25 per cent on all goods imported from Canada in a Feb. 6 press release, demanding that “any response by governments of British Columbia and Canada respect and uphold the inherent and constitutionally protected title and rights and jurisdictions of First Nations.”
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs President, stated, “We are the original people of this land, and we maintain our inherent and unceded title and rights to it and will continue to exercise our jurisdiction. First Nations must play a central role in developing and implementing any response to the specter of President Trump’s capricious, nonsensical, and childish tariffs.”
Sovereignty
In a Feb. 2 letter, a collective of federal organizations that support Tribal Nations urged President Trump “to recognize and protect the status of Tribal Nations as political entities in light of recent executive and federal action” that could potentially freeze federal funding of Tribal programs.
“We look forward to partnering with the new Administration as the President works to establish his priorities and implement new Executive Orders. As that process unfolds, we urge the President and his advisors to take care to protect the unique federal trust relationship between our sovereign Tribal Nations and the Federal government, which is based on the political status of Tribal Nations.”
