TO: White House Press Corps, Interested Parties
FROM: Aaron Weiss, Center for Western Priorities, (720) 279-0019
SUBJECT: Trump’s national monument attack is another chapter in long history of Native American disenfranchisement and mistreatment in Southern Utah
DATE: November 30th, 2017
President Trump will travel to Utah on Monday to sign an executive order that removes protections for two iconic national monuments: Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante. The president’s action will be the single largest elimination of protections for public lands and wildlife in U.S. history.
On a week when President Trump’s words have already deeply offended many Native Americans, his anticipated decision next week is another direct affront to five tribal nations—Hopi, Navajo, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni, and Ute—who worked tirelessly to protect the culturally- and spiritually-significant Bears Ears National Monument. The 1.35 million-acre monument in San Juan County contains an estimated 100,000 cultural and archaeological sites that have faced an ongoing threat from looters and vandals.
Upon President Trump’s election last year, Utah politicians opposed to the national monument vowed to work with the new administration and remove protections from Bears Ears. For the tribal nations, this is just another chapter in a long history of disenfranchisement and mistreatment in Utah and—especially—in San Juan County, Utah.
In just the last few years, the tribal nations have been told by Utah politicians that “the Indians, they don’t fully understand that a lot of the things that they currently take for granted on those lands, they won’t be able to do if it’s made clearly into a monument” (Senator Orrin Hatch); that “nobody really settled [in Southern Utah]” before Mormons (San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams); and that Native Americans “lost the war” and therefore should not have a say on public lands issues (San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman).
Commissioner Lyman also made headlines for leading an illegal ATV ride through archaeological sites in Utah’s Recapture Canyon—an area just outside Bears Ears National Monument. The illegal ride led to thousands of dollars in damages and Commissioner Lyman spent 10 days in jail.
Beyond racially-tinged and insensitive rhetoric, the state of Utah and San Juan County have systematically disenfranchised Native Americans. As background, here is a short timeline of tribal disenfranchisement in Utah and San Juan County over the last 60-years:
1957: Even though the federal government granted citizenship to all Native Americans in 1924, Utah did not fully recognize the right of Native Americans to vote until 1957. (ACLU)
1974: Native American students filed a class-action lawsuit against San Juan County, alleging a longstanding pattern of racial discrimination. The following year the county school board, in a consent decree, agreed to implement bilingual education programs beginning in 1976. As of 1995, those programs had not been implemented. (Deseret News)
1983: U.S. Department of Justice sued San Juan County for violating the Voting Rights Act, resulting in the establishment of county commission districts and the election of the county’s first Native American county commissioner. (Salt Lake Tribune)
1995: In a landmark ruling that some have called the “Brown v. Board of Indian Country,” a judge ruled that San Juan County must provide an equal education to children in the remote Navajo Mountain community. San Juan County had argued against constructing a high school in the community. (Deseret News, Illinois Law Review)
2011: During redistricting, the Navajo Nation urged San Juan County to consider changes in population in redrawing districts. Although the county is more than half Native American, districts were maintained in a way that ensured only one of three would be majority Native American. The Navajo Nation challenged this decision, alleging it violated the Equal Protection Clause. (Deseret News)
2016: Federal judge found San Juan County commission districts violated the Equal Protection Clause, ordering the county to redraw districts. (Salt Lake Tribune)
2016: Tribal members sued San Juan County over decision to close polling places, switch exclusively to mail-in ballots. Residents of the Navajo Reservation claimed that mail service is unreliable and Navajo is primarily an unwritten language, disenfranchising Navajo voters. (Salt Lake Tribune)
2017: Spike in recorded population of San Juan County leads to speculation that U.S. Census may undercount Navajo, which could have impact on redistricting and voting rights cases. (Salt Lake Tribune)
2017: Lawsuit filed over San Juan County’s failure to provide effective language assistance and equal voting opportunities to Native Americans will go to trial. (Salt Lake Tribune)
2017: After San Juan County redraws maps, a judge again ruled the boundaries of election districts in the county are unconstitutional, violating the rights of Native Americans who make up about half of the county. (Associated Press)
You're receiving this email because you are a member of the press or an interested organization.
Center for Western Priorities
===========================
DALLAS (PRWEB) November 30, 2017
Bestow Inc., the company behind a revolutionary new approach to life insurance, today announced its license in the state of Utah to launch its comprehensive, full-stack platform. For the first time, Bestow’s solution will be available to the public, giving Utah residents access to a life insurance platform that allows them to quickly learn about options and apply for and purchase coverage instantly and without a medical exam.
Leveraging applied intelligence and algorithmic underwriting, Bestow redefines the way millions of consumers research, buy, and manage life insurance. Using data to calculate risk, Bestow removes the need for a medical exam and streamlines the entire process into a matter of minutes. Customers simply come to the website, apply and choose between term life insurance options that have been newly designed to prioritize speed to purchase and affordability. Plans start under $3 per month for a two-year subscription and under $9 per month for a 20 year subscription, with coverage up to $500,000. Customers can cancel or change their plan any time without penalty.
At launch, Bestow is making it even easier by offering to pay for the first two months of coverage. The Join Bestow trial gives customers who qualify full coverage for the first two months of their Bestow subscription, letting them experience the ease and convenience of a Bestow plan that works for their lives and financial future. Customers must register on Bestow’s website prior to its launch to be eligible for the program. Details can be found at http://www.hellobestow.com.
“For many, the legacy life insurance model is a time consuming and often confusing process. We’ve developed a method that combines machine learning, data, and technology to easily and instantly determine top-rated, affordable coverage,” said Melbourne O’Banion, co-founder and CEO of Bestow. “From beginning to end, we’ve designed the experience and products to be easy to understand, fast to obtain, and a quality, affordable solution for millions of families.”
The Utah launch builds on the company’s early access roll-out in states across the South, and follows a series of recent news, including a seed round financing, closing $2.5 million led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), as well as a partnership announcement with Munich American Reassurance Company and North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®. Bestow was founded by entrepreneurs and Brigham Young University graduates Melbourne O’Banion and Jonathan Abelmann, to launch a consumer-first life insurance solution driven by technology.
“Utah has an amazing spirit of innovation, founded by pioneers blazing new trails,” said Jonathan Abelmann, co-founder and President of Bestow. “Our time at BYU, in the heart of the Silicon Slopes, fostered our entrepreneurial energy. Now, we’re incredibly proud to give back to that community with Bestow, giving Utah families the financial freedom and confidence to live better.”
Bestow will open for enrollment nationally at this year’s end. For more information about Bestow, please visit http://www.hellobestow.com to learn more.
About Bestow:
Bestow is revolutionizing the approach to life insurance, helping this generation protect its financial future. Bestow is the first comprehensive full stack digital life insurance solution. The company provides simple products, algorithmic underwriting, and data-driven financial solutions in a bundled, streamlined user experience. For more information about Bestow, please visit https://www.hellobestow.com/.
==============================
Announces "#into18"
Month-Long Giving Campaign
Melbourne, FL - November 30, 2017 - On #GivingTuesday, To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) launched the #into18 campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise $100,000 before December 31st. The campaign is anchored by the idea that each gift and donation will help TWLOHA renew the fight to bring a conversation about mental health into unexpected places and spaces. It also gives our supporters and donors a chance to reflect and answer the question about what they want to bring #into18.
In 2017, TWLOHA shared 125 stories on their blog. These honest and vulnerable posts reached 7 million people on their website and on social media each month. They were able to have a presence at 111 events and host conversations in front of 1 million people face to face.
This year they sponsored 2,000 counseling sessions and connected 810,000 people to local mental health resources at more than 111 events. They also went beyond connecting people to local mental health resources by sponsoring 2,000 counseling sessions.
"We are incredibly grateful for all the ways people have participated in this conversation. It seems more urgent than ever to be a source of hope and encouragement. We want to use these funds to dream and plan new ways of reaching people that are hurting. We know this message helps save lives." said Lindsay Kolsch.
With your help, we will continue to grow our programs into high schools, expand our reach online and in person, and support those on the road to recovery.
To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. It exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Since its start in 2006, TWLOHA has donated over $1.8 million directly into treatment and recovery and answered over 200,000 messages from over 100 countries. For more information, please visit: www.twloha.com
Over the past ten years, TWLOHA has been heralded by press and seen on NBC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, MSNBC, Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, Relix, US Magazine, Glamour, Yahoo!, The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, NYLON Guys, MTV, Elle, NPR, and so many more. The organization has seen support from numerous celebrities including actress Jessica Chastain, actor Jared Padalecki, Miley Cyrus, Liv Tyler, Joaquin Phoenix, actress Sophia Bush, singer/songwriter Mat Kearney, USA soccer stars Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, singer/songwriter Christina Perri, rock band Switchfoot, pop rock act The Summer Set, Hayley Williams (Paramore), among others.
This past September TWLOHA wrapped its 6th annual campaign to honor National Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day. The organization was overwhelmed by the amount of love and support shown during this year's campaign, titled, "Stay. Find what you are made for,"during which over $103.5K was raised for treatment and counseling. The campaign was shared by supporters all over the world, including NBA player Kyle Korver, US Women's National Soccer Team stars Alex Morgan, Christen Press, and Ashlyn Harris, actress Shantel VanSanten, Switchfoot's Jon Foreman, Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, actress and singer Debby Ryan, The Ready Set's Jordan Witzrigreuter, and Jess Bowen of The Summer Set, all of whom were featured in a special video message directed by Dustin Miller, a Florida-based filmmaker and longtime TWLOHA collaborator: https://youtu.be/37cB2CQt_YA.
###
