News from the Nations

NYS Assembly Unanimously Passes Resolution Calling on Pro Sports Leagues to Stop Using Racial Slurs Such as the Offensive R-Word

ONEIDA NATION HOMELANDS (NY) (May 19, 2014) As NFL owners gathered for the NFL Spring Meeting in Atlanta, the New York State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution calling upon professional sports leagues to end their use of racial slurs. The resolution, introduced in New York State, where the NFL is headquartered, specifically cites the Washington NFL team’s R-word mascot as a dictionary-defined epithet.

The new resolution passed after being introduced by New York State Assemblyman and Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus Karim Camara and Assembly Member Keith Wright. New York State Senators Joe Griffo and George Maziarz have also introduced a similar resolution in the state Senate.

Since its formation, Change the Mascot has garnered increasing support from bipartisan political leaders, religious groups, Native American tribes, educational systems, civil rights organizations, and even the President of the United States. After airing nationwide radio ads throughout the past NFL season calling for a name change, the campaign plans to continue its efforts in the upcoming 2014-2015 season.

NWAC not surprised by numbers of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women reported in RCMP’s National Operational Overview

Ottawa, ON (May 16, 2014) – The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) welcomes the RCMP’s National Operational Overview, a comprehensive account of Canada’s missing and murdered Aboriginal women. The RCMP`s Overview reports 1,181 Aboriginal women that have gone missing or were murdered between the years of 1980 and 2012. Canada’s 1181 missing and murdered Aboriginal women represent the number of families affected by the loss of a loved one.

For years, NWAC has been raising concerns about the alarming number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls from across Canada and have reported over 600 cases. “This report substantiates NWAC’s claims and the RCMP’s Overview only reinforces our position for a coordinated and compressive approach to ending the violence perpetuated against Aboriginal women and girls in Canada,” said NWAC President Michèle Audette.

In support of a national public inquiry, James Anaya, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and leading international organizations also recommends the need for a coordinated approach in addressing this issue. NWAC is waiting for a proactive response from the Canadian government to deal with this critical issue that continues to plague our communities.