ICT - Opinion - Columnists

Cook: Walking with their spirits

About 15 years ago, brain tissue from 33 infants who succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome were taken from Northern Plains tribes, including Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River, as part of the Aberdeen Indian Health Service Infant Mortality Study. It is never an easy decision to let the remains of our dead be studied, even more so when they belong to our infants, our most vulnerable, and I still want to hope, our most treasured relations.

Craven: Why the proposed Cobell settlement is wrong for Indian country

In spite of the almost 14 years of litigation, more than $100 million spent by the government, the unresolved nature of the relief sought by the Cobell plaintiffs, the continuing dispute over the size of the class, and the great turmoil over this case, Congress is now being asked to rush to judgment on a settlement that vastly expands the original lawsuit.

Trahant: Health care reform vote should be a litmus test

Depending on where you live, you might be seeing TV commercials every few hours warning about the dangers of health care reform. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spending millions to stop this legislation. Most people live in districts where the members have already decided. If they’re Republicans, their vote is an automatic “no.” And, most Democrats are solid on the “aye” side, so the debate boils down to a few dozen Democrats who could vote either way.

Taliman: Stop the racist attacks on our children

Just as we think we’re making progress, another hate crime rears its ugly head. And this time, it’s against our children.

It’s all good

A few years back my company was growing leaps and bounds, the pace was hectic and I was falling down trying to keep up. I gained customers and I lost a few on this bumpy road.

Getting a ‘yes’ when you need it

Are you constantly tracking down your executives and managers to get approval for your marketing projects? Do you spend more time getting the “yes” than it took you to put your programs together? Effective, efficient and productive marketing requires group consensus. Even the most experienced, organized marketing executive needs participation and input from the executive team, all marketing staff, other department managers, frontline employees and yes, even customers. Not only is involvement and buy-in necessary and critical, but before any program can be implemented, a series of approvals must be obtained. Successfully circumnavigating the maze that is the approval process is often a marketing professional’s personal albatross.

Trahant: Why Facebook complaints about IHS are important

How does a health care agency listen to patient complaints in the era of social media? Well, the easiest thing to do is to ignore complaints or to explain them away. The best practice: Treat complaints as critical nuggets of information.

Jennings: The women of Turtle Island

In 1901, Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party of Germany, championed the idea of Women’s International Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day – a Women’s Day – to press for their demands.

Being Frank

I am excited that those two Elwha River dams will begin to come down next year, and you should be excited too. It’s been a long time coming. After more than a century, the Elwha River will run free again and provide a good home for salmon.

Pierson: Pass the leasing reform bill

House Bill 2523, introduced by Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and titled the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (“HEARTH”) Act, would amend the Long Term Leasing Act of 1955 to enable tribes to assume authority over the leasing of their lands. The bill should be swiftly enacted by Congress and implemented by the Department of the Interior.