Hoopa Valley Tribal Council shuts down newspaper

The people of the Hoopa Valley Tribe adopted a constitutional provision to protect freedoms of speech and press, and the wishes of the people need to be respected.

Image courtesy: http://www.times-standard.com

(TUCSON, Ariz.) - This morning, I received a call from Kaci Poor of The Eureka (Calif.) Times-Standard for an interview.  Apparently, the leaders on the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council has shut down the tribal newspaper over budget and editorial issues.  A meeting is supposed to happen today to resolve the issue over The Two Rivers Tribune.

[UPDATE: 6:10 p.m. MST, July 5: The article says that the chairman of the council did this, and another blog says he did it "singlehandedly,"  so I'm not sure if the council as a whole was involved before today.  We'll see what the facts show as things progress.]

I agree with interim managing editor Allie Hostler, who was quoted as saying: “We stand firm that we are doing our jobs in a manner that the Tribe and its membership can be proud of. Who else is going to serve as a watchdog to the powers that be if we don’t? It’s a struggle to squeeze relevant and important information from government officials as it is. Without a Newspaper you can expect what’s left of democracy in our river communities to die. We are being threatened with our jobs for doing our jobs.”

Article VIII, section 1, of the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Constitution says: “The Hoopa Valley Tribe, in exercising its powers of self-government, shall not (a) make or enforce any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the! freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances….”

Article IX, section 1, says: “The Tribal Council shall have the following powers subject to any limitations imposed by the federal statutes or by the Constitution of the United States.”  One limitation?  The Indian Civil Rights Act, which guarantees freedom of the press in Indian Country.  Now, thanks to Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez, it is clear that there is not a federal enforcement mechanism for these types of issues.  It’s up to the tribe to take care of this issue, to protect free press.  That’s what’s best for tribal sovereignty, even though it will take us some time to convince all tribes to protect free press.

The people of the Hoopa Valley Tribe adopted a constitutional provision to protect freedoms of speech and press, and the wishes of the people need to be respected.

In the 21st century, there is no reason that we have to keep fighting these types of fights.  Press freedom is essential and fundamental to democracy and good governance.

I hope the leaders of the Hoopa Valley Tribe will follow their own constitution and reinstate the newspaper.  Stay out of prior restraint or any type of censorship!

Also, I hope Native American journalists and supportive attorneys will rise up and help out these Hoopa Valley journalists.  I hope that meeting today resolves the problems.

Source: firstnationsfirstfreedoms.wordpress.com/

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