News Item

By Celeste Amadon

The Delaware Tribe is delighted to announce the hiring of Tristen Tucker as the Tribe’s new Environmental Program Director. Tucker’s dynamic blend of professional expertise, cultural commitment, and community-focused approach makes him an ideal leader to steer our community towards a greener and more sustainable future. Tristen brings a fresh perspective and a committed approach to our Tribe’s environmental initiatives, which he sees translating directly to the health of the Delaware people. His leadership signals a promising future for the Delaware Tribe in environmental stewardship and food sovereignty. His first goal is to make our tribal headquarters a model of environmental friendliness. He has planned initiatives such as establishing pollinator gardens and planting trees around the campus. These are not just aesthetic enhancements but are in fact crucial steps towards our community’s ecological balance and health. These efforts symbolize a deep commitment to creating a sustainable and healthy environment for our community. Native people have always had a connection to the land and to the stewardship of resources and the Tribe’s environmental program aims to reinforce this cultural priority.

A graduate of Rogers State University with a degree in Environmental Conservation, Tristen has been deeply immersed in the cultural activities of the Tribe. He plays an active role on the Cultural Preservation Committee, and is involved with the Lenape language revitalization effort, including teaching traditional songs and dances. His service on the Pow Wow Committee and his involvement in significant tribal events, such as last year’s poignant repatriation and reburial of Ancestors’ remains, underscores his dedication to our heritage.

Tristen extends an invitation to all Tribal members to engage with him on this crucial mission. He emphasizes that sustainability is a team sport and encourages everyone to reach out with ideas, inquiries, or any input that can contribute to the Tribe’s environmental goals. So please consider stopping by our new Environmental Program Director’s office so he can get to know you, or email him at ttucker@delawaretribe.org.

From the January 2024 issue of the Delaware Indian News. For more from this issue, as well as a full archive of past issues, click here.

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Celeste Amadon

The Delaware Indian News warmly invites our readership community to join in our new self-guided movie and book club. Club recommendations are for recently released or published movies, television series, and books that resonate with Indigenous experiences. Club selection postings include a list of discussion topics and/or links to articles about the work to facilitate your thinking and engaging discussions about our stories, their portrayal, and the power of narrative in shaping understanding and awareness.

2024 Selection #1
Our first club selection is Killers of the Flower Moon. The film, nominated for several Golden Globe awards and a strong contender for Academy Awards, is an adaptation of the best selling non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, which is also strongly recommended. It tells the tragic story of the 1920s murders of Osage Nation members in Oklahoma.

Streaming Availability
Killers of the Flower Moon is available on Apple TV+ and other streaming platforms, making it accessible for our community members to view before the discussion. The novel is available on Amazon.com and the Audible audiobook version makes excellent driving entertainment.

Key Discussion Questions:

• How does the film balance the portrayal of Native American history with the demands of a mainstream movie narrative? It reportedly does an excellent job of representing Osage culture, but it allso exploits Native tragedy for art/profit (DiCaprio was paid $40M).
• In what ways did the extensive involvement of Osage Nation consultants impact the film’s authenticity?
• The film’s focus on Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) has been a point of contention. How does this choice affect the representation of the Osage community’s experiences?
• Despite the casting of many (around 65!) Native actors, the film is primarily a creation of non-Indigenous filmmakers. How does this influence its storytelling and perspective?
• The film has been critiqued for lacking broader historical context about Indigenous genocide, oppression, and land theft. Context the nonfiction novel on which it is based did a much better job of provided.How does this impact its message?
• What are the implications of the film’s portrayal of Native American history for contemporary Indigenous representation in cinema?

Interesting Articles
NPR: How Osage people stepped in to be sure ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ got things right
Slate: Killers of the Flower Moon Is Not the Story an Osage Would Have Told. You Should Still See It.
The New York Times: In Indigenous Communities, a Divided Reaction to ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
The Wall Street Journal: Killers of the Flower Moon’ Puts New Indigenous Stars on the Map

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is offering several 8-week paid internships for summer 2024. The programs on offer include Air Quality, Indigenous Climate Change, and Water Resources and Land Management. Requirements are as follows:

• U.S. Citizen
• Identify as an Indigenous person (preferred)
• Full-time college student during Spring 2024
• 2.5 cumulative GPA
• Majoring in an environmental or related field
• Strong interest in working with Tribal and Indigenous communities
• Other requirements listed on each program

There are more details in the flyer shown below, and you can also send email to kim.shaw@nau.edu for more information or visit http://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Internships to apply.