Indian Country in the News: May 25 - June 1, 2012

This week's news highlights include a series from Indian Country Today debunking common myths about Native Americans; the one-year anniversary of the White House's new program to combat obesity and poor health among Native American youth; the prospect of the first ever tribally-run national park in the U.S. and tribal protests in Brazil over better healthcare:

• ICT: American Myths Debunked: Europeans Brought Culture to North America - "And so we come to our second-to-last look at Cracked.com’s “6 Ridiculous Lies You Believe About the Founding of America,” specifically myth #5, “Native Culture Wasn’t Primitive.” The “myth” Cracked.com is trying to debunk is two-fold: One, that American Indians lived in total harmony with nature and that Europeans alone used the natural resources of North American for their own purposes and two, that Natives didn’t create complex cities, and were in general less “civilized” and their societies less developed than Europeans."

• White House: Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of Let’s Move! in Indian Country - "Over the past year Let’s Move! in Indian Country has worked with stakeholders across the country to help connect communities, schools and tribal leader to resources, funding, trainings and programs that will help improve the health of the next generation.  As a key component of the First Lady’s comprehensive initiative Let’s Move!, the Let’s Move! in Indian Country program focuses on the unique hurdles that American Indian and Alaska Native youth must overcome to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  In the first year, we have seen considerable progress and the First Lady and the Administration remain committed to building towards the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic of childhood obesity in Indian Country within a generation."

• NPR: S.D. Tribe Poised To Take Back Part Of Badlands - "Federal officials are about to join hands with a tribe in South Dakota in a proposal to make part of the Badlands National Park the first ever tribally-run national park in the country. The agreement comes after years of sometimes bitter land disputes over the south unit of the Badlands. The largely undeveloped swath of steep bluffs and mud buttes is sacred place to some Native Americans who don't believe the land belongs under federal control or ownership. The move towards tribal management could set a precedent for other tribes in the United States to take over control of national parks elsewhere."

• Brazilian indigenous groups demand better healthcare - "Groups of indigenous people in Brazil blocked roads and occupied government buildings to demand better healthcare for their communities. Several ethnic groups staged a protest at the Health Ministry building in the capital, Brasilia, asking for a meeting with a senior official. In a statement, the movement's leaders called for better facilities and access to more doctors. They say mortality rates are on the rise among the indigenous peoples."