Jason Small new Montana AFL-CIO Executive Secretary

On June 24th, the Montana AFL-CIO annual conference made history. By unanimous consent, Jason Small, Northern Cheyenne and standing Republican Montana State Senator was chosen to be the new head of the Montana AFL-CIO chapter. Jason Small is in the center of photograph. (Photo courtesy AFL-CIO)

HELENA, MONT. – On June 24th, the Montana AFL-CIO annual conference made history. By unanimous consent, Jason Small, Northern Cheyenne and standing Republican Montana State Senator was chosen to be the new head of the Montana AFL-CIO chapter.
The Montana AFL-CIO represents 38 unions, 500 locals and 50,000 workers. “Here in the spirit of the west, we advocate for all workers in Montana, union or not,” Small noted.
Small becomes the first Native American in the U.S, to hold such a post. It is also interesting that he, as a Republican now is spokesperson for what has long been considered a Democratic leaning organization. “It is not about partisan politics. It is what about is right for the hard-working union members of America,” he stated.
“When I graduated high school on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, I felt lucky to get a job as a laborer, joining that union,” he recalled. “That led to an apprentice ship in the boilermakers, then as a journey man I got the opportunity to start a welding school at Colstrip to encourage others and then got elected as the President of the Boilermakers. Yet, after 26 years as a faithful union guy, I never in my wildest dreams thought of this opportunity.”
“I am deeply humbled and promise to stand by my brothers and sisters in days to come.”
The number of unions that belong to AFL-CIO is astonishing. “These are the people in America who build things, fix things and keep the country running,” Small noted. “We are the backbone of this country.”
As Executive Secretary, Small will work closely with an elected Board of Directors which establishes policy and priorities. As the spokesperson for MT AFL-CIO, Small will often be found in Washington, DC, advocating for the membership. “Almost everybody in MT has a friend or family member who is union,” he noted. “It affects all of us.
“One of my personal goals,” he said, “is to encourage young people to consider the trades. For example, there is now a shortage of plumbers, electricians and diesel mechanics, just to name a few. Some plumbers make as much as a medical doctor and can be harder to come by. Getting a college degree is good for some, but going into the trades can also be a good option for many other young people.
As a Native American, I encourage our young men and women from the reservations to consider this option. It might involve travel to work, but that experience can broaden your horizon and give
WASHINGTON, DC—In Arizona v Navajo Nation, the Navajo tribe sought, according to the dissenting opinion of Justice Neil Gorsuch, for the government to develop a plan for how to address water rights. The Court held for Arizona over the tribe, in a 5-4 vote. Justice Brett Kavanugh delivered the majority opinion. Gorsuch accuses the majority pf misreading the Navajo intent, and Kavanaugh does nothing to counter that in the majority opinion, asserting the tribe was arguing the 1868 treaty did “impose a duty on the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe…”
It is hard to believe that five justices could so misread the tribal intent, but by so doing they created a solid pretext for ruling against the Navajo. Just last week, Kavanaugh voted for tribes in the ICWA case, but this vote opposed the Navajo, and he was at the forefront of the opposition, which is why he delivered the majority opinion.
Once again, another Trump nominee, Neil Gorsuch, continued to bat a .1000 for the tribes, writing the dissenting opinion.
Gorsuch does not just address the current particulars and consequences of a ruling, he layers his opinion with deeply researched historical record, and then he solidifies that knowledge into a logical and reasoned determination. Sometimes it proves to be the difference in outcome, but this time it could not stave off defeat for the tribe. Roberts, Thomas, Alito and Barrett joined Kavanaugh to form the majority. Thomas and Alito did so, not surprisingly, as they always side against any tribal case that comes before them.
Kavanaugh said, “Allocating water in the arid regions of the American West is often a zero-sum situation. And the zero-sum reality of water in the West underscores that courts must stay in their proper constitutional lane and interpret the law (here, the treaty) according to its text and history, leaving to Congress and the President the responsibility to enact appropriations laws and to otherwise update federal law as they see fit in light of the competing contemporary needs for water.”
The ball is now squarely in PresBy
Christopher Piña
Native Sun News Today Staff Writer
RAPID CITY – Rural America Initiatives hosted an honoring ceremony for Wilmer Mesteth and Calvin Jumping Bull on Friday, June 23 on the common grounds outside the RAI head start building at 2112 S. Valley Drive. A picnic was held conjunction with the honoring ceremony celebrating Little Big Horn Victory Day.
RAI staff and visitors gathered outside where the portraits of Mesteth and Jumping Bull were displayed in front of two chairs artfully draped in handcrafted star quilts.
Wakan Wicasa Dicky Moves Camp (Medicine Man) blessed the portraits as well as the families. Jeremiah Moreno sang the honor song. In attendance were Dakota Mesteth, Ivan Long Standing (Nephew) and Dowell Smith.
Jumping Bull is best known for acting in the movies; “Paha Sapa: The Struggle of the Black Hills” “The Black Hills Warrior Life of Leonard Peltier” and “Incident at Oglala”
Dowell Smith- Longtime friend of Jumping Bull’s said Calvin would sit in Smith’s class and he wasn’t on Smith’s class roster. When Smith would ask a question all the students would turn to Jumping Bull for the answer. From there Jumping Bull became a counselor, and after that he became Smith’s Boss.
On Wednesday, June 14, through Saturday, June 17, 2023, members of the HAWK 1890 Wounded Knee Descendants Group from Cheyenne River, members of the Sitanka Takini (Chief Bigfoot) Wounded Knee Descendants Group of Oglala, SD, and a 5-man crew from Filmcreek Productions of North Branford, CT, collaborated in the development of a documentary film about the Remove the Stain Act with the first on-sight visit from Filmcreek since work on the project began months ago. From all reports, the collaboration made the trip a great success for the film makers, thanks to generous community cooperation and support.
After the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 which resulted in the deaths of over 300 unarmed Lakota, the majority being women and children, Congress awarded twenty Medals of Honor to the U.S. Army 7th Calvary for