Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
North Dakota lost a good leader in 2020 upon the death of Jesse Taken Alive.
I am writing this on Martin Luther King Day and contemplating what good leadership is all about. Out of the downward vortex of mistreatment, broken promises, darkness, anger and hurt on the Standing Rock Reservation, Jesse Taken Alive emerged as a strong and gentle leader. He led peaceful but relentless efforts to bring about change for his people. The person I came to know as Jay carried deep in his heart his Sioux heritage and culture and worked hard to better the lives of those who chose him to lead.
Jesse did not get discouraged and faced difficult problems with grit and a smile. A servant leader and prayer warrior, he sought not to knock down others who were oppressive and bigoted, but to lift up his people to equal standing and change others through love and kindness. Jesse Taken Alive was a people person.
As Chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, he negotiated and signed the first ever Government to Government compact with the State of North Dakota. I was privileged to work with him on that effort. Jesse carried his core values and high character to the conference table and was clear about how our separate governments should be working together. His mission was to improve the relationships between Indian Country and the Capital and he was willing to have difficult discussions while looking for positive outcomes. Even when we had disagreements, he always left the meetings with a hearty laugh, a pleasant handshake and a bidding of good wishes. Eventually his perseverance led to an agreement that was good for both. Jesse’s leadership example should be an inspiration for all of us.
On the wall in my office in the Capitol building in Bismarck hung a drawing of a father and son standing over a grave on which lay an eagle feather headdress. The caption reads, “Don’t cry son, don’t cry for a man; just be glad you knew one.” I am glad I knew Jay Taken Alive.
Ed Schafer
(701) 289.2468
HB 1333: Erasing Our
Differences is NOT the Answer
Editor,
North Dakota Representative Terry Jones of New Town recently noted that Black communities are “glad their ancestors were brought here as slaves.” His understanding of the Black community, as well as slavery, is alarmingly ignorant. The statement probably ranks as one of the most racist public comments ever made by a North Dakota legislator.
Jones followed this up by introducing a bill requiring state agencies, when collecting demographic data, to list “American” as the first option in the category of self-identified racial classifications.
Asking us to identify simply as “American,” is asking us to ignore and purposefully not name systems of racial classification that have oppressed communities of color since the birth of the nation. Calls for us to put aside our differences and identify as “Americans” first are reminiscent of calls for “unity” from the Republican party following the January 6th insurrection. Instead of naming and addressing the harms caused by violent sedition, slavery, racism, and racial classification, Republicans want us to just move on and wipe the slate clean. Focus on “unity” for the country, and identify as “American” above all else.
This is not the way forward. It is our duty, as Americans, to address the harms perpetrated against communities of color by slavery and white supremacy. HB 1333 sweeps under the rug the centuries of structural racism and discrimination that are baked into our categories of racial classification. This is purposeful. By pretending to be color blind, we will be hurting Black Americans, Native Americans, and others of color.
Additionally, implementing a new and useless demographic category will be a data-collection nightmare for already resource-strapped state agencies and their partners.
Anti-racism is the only way forward, not erasing our differences. To be anti-racist, we must swiftly and decisively shut down racist policies like those introduced by Representative Jones, and to continue to reflect on our own biases.
Brandi Hardy
As Licensed Statewide Healthcare Workers, We are Appalled with HB 1298
Laws dictating which sports teams individuals can participate in are archaic, and have no benefits to schools, communities or individuals.
As licensed healthcare professionals who routinely care for individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, we are appalled at the introduction of HB 1298, which would blatantly discriminate against youth in our state.
A mountain of research shows that supporting an individual’s gender identity drastically reduces suicide rates in youth. Rates of depression and anxiety also decrease. If North Dakota adds language into the Century Code that openly discriminates against an individual’s identity, the State sends a clear message that they don’t respect mental health or suicide rates in our state.
The North Dakota Department of Health has been in the process of creating a state advisory board that will focus on LBGTQ+ health issues. It is concerning that while the public health professionals in our government work to support transgender individuals, some members of the North Dakota State Legislature are working to discriminate against these same people.
There is no categorical advantage being male has over being female in athletics. Spontaneous genetic mutations which result in an individual possessing unique traits that place them at an athletic advantage are not routinely screened for in athletics, and are felt to occur in the same number of individuals who identify as a gender that is not congruent with their gender assigned at birth. As written, this piece of legislation is based on the personal views of its authors rather than evidence. If any of the legislators who currently support this bill would like to learn more about the anatomy and medical science behind gender identity, we welcome an open discussion.
Heidi Selzler-Echola, WHNP-BC
Whitney Fear PMHNP-BC
Dr. Kayla Moorer, PhD, LP
Dr. Luis Casas, MD
Dr. David Newman, MD
Naomi Tabassum, LPCC
Jessica Deckert, LPCC
Megan Degenstein, LPCC
Jessica Danielson, PhD, LPCC-S, NCC
Farryn Helm, LPCC, RPT
Molly Secor-Turner, PhD, RN, FSAHM
Mykell Barnacle, DNP,
FNP-BC
Danial S. Sturgill, Ph.D.
Melissa L. Johnson, MSIV
Emily Coler Hanson, LMFT
Mary L Rymanowski, MSW, LICSW
Mark C Daniels, PhD
Shauna Erickson, MS LMFT
Rebecca Preussler, PsyD
Sara Vedvei, MS, LMFT
Barb Stanton, PhD, LPCC, LMFT
Will Pearson, LMFT
Carrie Nostrant, MSEd, NCC
Kathryn Tidd, LICSW
Denage Sauve, LPCC
Ashley Limesand, Mental Health Therapist Intern
Madison Schill, Clinical Counseling Master’s
Student
Tyrza Hoines, Clinical
Counseling Master’s Student
Courtney Quist, Clinical Counseling and School Counseling Master’s Student Amy Tichy, RDT, Clinical Counseling Master’s Student
Holly DeVries, Clinical Counseling Master’s Student
Marion Harris, graduate student, Clinical Mental Health
Katrina Stollenwerk, Mental Health Therapist Intern
Anika Mundal, Clinical Counseling and School Counseling Master’s Student Amanda Jensen, Clinical Counseling Master’s
Student
