Anna V. Smith

1 month ago | hcn.org | Anna V. Smith

During the forcedremoval of Muscogee (Creek) people from their ancestral lands in the Southeastern U.S., tribal members carried the embers and ashes of their town fires with them, determined to re-establish the flames in the new communities they planned to build in what’s now known as Oklahoma. Those fires still burn today in places on the Muscogee Reservation. By the Fire We Carry By Rebecca Nagle352 pages, hardcover: $30Harper, 2024.

1 month ago | hcn.org | Anna V. Smith

Last fall, Everett,Washington, became the first city in the Western United States to pass a ballot measure recognizing the rights of a river’s watershed — that of the Snohomish River, which curves north and east around the city before emptying into Puget Sound. The municipal law protects the river’s “rights to exist, regenerate and flourish” and is designed to be a tool for residents seeking to prevent or repair harm to the river’s watershed. “These ecosystems have inherent rights.

Jan 21, 2025 | hcn.org | Anna V. Smith

In 2018, an Indigenous woman identified as C.M. and her 5-year-old son crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near San Luis, Arizona, seeking asylum. C.M., a Maya Mam native to Guatemala, told the border agents who apprehended her that she was fleeing life-threatening violence. But instead of asylum, the U.S. government — under secret policies enacted by the Trump administration — forcibly separated the pair.

Jan 21, 2025 | hcn.org | Anna V. Smith

Editor’s note: On January 25, Kristi Noem was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Trump’s secretary of homeland security. In 2018, an Indigenous woman identified as C.M. and her 5-year-old son crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near San Luis, Arizona, seeking asylum. C.M., a Maya Mam native to Guatemala, told the border agents who apprehended her that she was fleeing life-threatening violence.

Jan 21, 2025 | hcn.org | Anna V. Smith

This article is also available in English. Nota: El 25 de enero, Kristi Noem fue confirmada por el Senado como secretaria de seguridad nacional de Trump. En 2018, una mujer indígena identificada como C.M. y su hijo de 5 años cruzaron la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México cerca de San Luis, Arizona, en busca de asilo. C.M., una maya mam nativa de Guatemala, les dijo a los agentes fronterizos que huía de la violencia que amenazaba su vida.