Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Raymond Two Hawks Watson PHOTO
Indian politics . . . as traditional. I attempt to preserve my commentary centered on constructive features of my neighborhood’s tradition, historical past, and traditions, primarily as a result of I firmly consider that’s what is most wanted. Nonetheless, there are particular instances, like the current event, the place I really feel compelled to deal with the proverbial elephant within the room.
Two payments associated to recognition of Indian tribes have been not too long ago launched into the Normal Meeting. Home Invoice 5020 establishes a process for Native American tribes to petition the state for recognition. Home Invoice 5021 would acknowledge the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe as a Native American Indian tribe. Each payments have been launched by Consultant Vella-Wilkinson. and in step with Rhode Island Indian politics, each payments have been opposed by the Narragansett Indian Tribe.
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In an undated press launch posted on the tribal web site the Narragansett Indian Tribe expresses concern that state recognition “shouldn’t happen and not using a totally documented petition by the tribe, or group, that’s reviewed by the State of Rhode Island acknowledging that there’s satisfactory historic, anthropological, and genealogical proof to grant recognition.” The press launch additional states “Merely having tribal members residing in Rhode Island doesn’t meet this take a look at.” citing the presence of Indians in Rhode Island who’re from tribes that aren’t indigenous to Rhode Island as proof constructive of the priority.
The press launch cites the intensive course of that the Narragansett Indian Tribe endured to attain federal acknowledgment and recognition by the US as an Indian Nation and reiterates that the Narragansett Indian Tribe is the one federally acknowledged and acknowledged Indian tribe within the State of Rhode Island. The press launch additional determines that Home Invoice 5020 extra carefully mirrors the federal course of however that Home Invoice 5021 falls in need of the method utilized by the Federal authorities. The press launch concludes with quotes from Narragansett Indian Tribe Chief Sachem Anthony Dean Stanton questioning the State’s motive in recognizing a single tribe by laws whereas concurrently contemplating a invoice to determine a recognition course of and asserting that Rhode Island has by no means acknowledged the Narragansett Tribe and has traditionally opposed the Tribe’s train of presidency powers.
Individually, I totally assist the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe’s efforts to formalize a relationship with the State of Rhode Island. It is not uncommon information amongst New England Indians that the Seaconke Wampanoag are the lineage of the soldiers that fought alongside Pokanoket Struggle Captain Anawon through the King Philips Struggle and who have been current when Anawon was pressured to give up to Captain Benjamin Church at Anawon’s Rock in current day Rehoboth, Massachusetts on August 28, 1676. The Seaconke Wampanoag household traces are effectively documented, and the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe is totally acknowledged and revered as an Indian Tribe by the regional tribal neighborhood.
I’ve personally attended, drummed, and danced on the Seaconke Wampanoag powwow on a lot of events, Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe member Kali Reis is a champion boxer and actor, and Seaconke Wampaonag Tribe Chief Darrel Waldron has offered companies to the regional American Indian neighborhood for a number of years in his capability as Director of the Rhode Island Indian Council (https://turnto10.com/information/native/rhode-island-indian-council-says-community-lacks-visibility-indigenous-people). Briefly, there isn’t a official foundation for questioning whether or not the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe is an Indian Tribe with substantiated historic and modern ties to Rhode Island. If the Seaconke Wampanog Tribe so chooses, the Tribe deserves to be formally acknowledged by the State of Rhode Island.
Individually, and with all due respect to the Tribe, I disagree with most of the considerations alleged within the Narragansett Indian Tribe’s press launch. First, I object to the assertion that the State of Rhode Island is remitted to implement a course of mirroring the Federal course of when state recognizing an Indian Tribe. A elementary idea of constitutional regulation is that the Federal authorities and the States are separate sovereigns, and that States should not essentially topic to the insurance policies of the Federal authorities. Accordingly, as there isn’t a particular mandate that States undertake a course of mirroring the Federal course of when state recognizing an Indian Tribe, it’s improper to say that the State of Rhode Island is so mandated. This in flip negates the assertion that the State of Rhode Island is prohibited or handicapped from exercising its legislative authority to acknowledge an Indian Tribe.
I’m not alone in my evaluation. The Nationwide Congress of State Legislatures states “State acknowledged tribes are tribes acknowledged by particular person states, often by means of the state legislature or by a state fee or comparable group. Some state-recognized tribes are additionally federally acknowledged . . . The primary motive tribes petition for state recognition is to have their existence acknowledged and to proceed a government-to-government relationship with the state.” (https://www.ncsl.org/quad-caucus/state-tribal-institute-most-frequently-asked-questions).
What is obvious is that States have autonomy and authority to state acknowledge Indian Tribes by means of legislative act, state recognition by legislative act is not going to infringe upon the rights of a federally acknowledged Indian Nation, and elementary functions of state recognition is to acknowledge the existence of an Indian Tribe and proceed a government-to-government relationship with the state. What is just not clear is the grounds for asserting that as a result of the Narragansett Indian Tribe was pressured to endure the indignity of the federal recognition course of to determine a relationship with the US, each different Tribe with ties to Rhode Island should endure a equally demeaning course of to formalize a relationship with the State of Rhode Island.
Second, I object to the assertion that the Narragansett Tribe has by no means been acknowledged by the State of Rhode Island. On the contrary, the Narragansett Tribe was acknowledged by Act of the Normal Meeting in 1936 by means of P.L. 1936, ch. 2331 of the Rhode Island Normal Legal guidelines which established Indian Day within the State of Rhode Island in recognition of the a number of Indian Tribes of Rhode Island, which embrace the Narragansett, Wampanoag, Nipmuc, Aquedneck and Niantic. The press launch ought to correctly state that the Narragansett Indian Tribe has by no means been acknowledged by the State of Rhode Island, which is primarily as a result of the Narragansett Indian Tribe was not integrated till the Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1978. That time apart, it’s inaccurate to say that the State of Rhode Island has by no means acknowledged the Narragansett Tribe, and the file ought to be clarified on this regard.
One area I do discover grounds for settlement is in questioning the knowledge of the State recognizing just one Tribe by legislative act. This looks as if an inherently divisive choice that fails to deal with the basic problem of the State’s have to formalize relationships with the a number of Indian Tribes of Rhode Island. My private choice is that the State merely reestablish—by Act—the Rhode Island Fee for Indian Affairs, or some model of it. The Fee was established in 1976 by Government Order No. 39, existed contemporaneously with the federally acknowledged Narragansett Indian Tribe, and was not abolished till 1995 by Government Order No. 95-8. In my humble opinion, re-establishment of a fee looks as if a extra environment friendly and fewer contentious technique of addressing the matter; a number of neighboring states have established commissions, and I might urge the State to do additional analysis on this regard.
I’ll share extra remarks from the Nationwide Congress of State Legislatures to assist my perspective. They state, “Many tribes and states are discovering methods to put aside jurisdictional debate in favor of cooperative government-to-government relationships that respect the autonomy of each governments. It’s now widespread for tribes and states to work collectively to construct new constructions for communication and cooperation. This collaboration doesn’t imply that both a state or a tribe is freely giving jurisdiction or sovereignty.” (https://www.ncsl.org/quad-caucus/state-tribal-collaboration). The Nationwide Congress of State Legislatures additional states “As Indian tribes enhance governmental capability and extra frequent train their powers of self-government, tribal and state governments are more and more discovering areas of mutual curiosity and discovering methods to put aside jurisdictional rivalry in favor of cooperative government-to-government interactions.”
Key phrases equivalent to “autonomy” and “self-government” essentially infer that the State’s relationship with every of the a number of Indian tribes is particular and particular person, and that no Indian Tribe is inherently topic to a relationship established between one other Indian Tribe and the State or the US.
In closing, the State of Rhode Island can and may formalize mutually respectful government-to-government relationships with the Indian Tribes it shares historic and modern relationships with. Additional, the State needn’t and shouldn’t repeat or reinforce divisive practices when establishing such relationships with the Indian Tribes.
Opposite to what some would have you ever consider; the previous doesn’t have to manipulate the long run and the State of Rhode Island needn’t defer to Indian politics as traditional when partaking this essential matter.
My three cents.
Raymond Two Hawks Watson, J.D., M.C.P.
Raymond Two Hawks Watson is a civil rights chief in Rhode Island. He has an completed profession in enterprise. He’s the founding father of the Windfall Cultural Fairness Initiative. Watson holds a Bachelor’s Diploma in Political Science from Union School in NY, a Grasp’s Diploma in Neighborhood Planning from the College of Rhode Island, and a graduate of the Roger Williams College College of Legislation. Watson can also be the recipient of the Rhode Island Basis’s 2016 Innovation Fellowship.
WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WHDH) – An investigation is underway after four people were found dead inside a home in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, Friday.
Officials say a co-worker of someone who lived at the house called police after the person didn’t show up to work for two days.
Police say all appeared to have gunshot wounds.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Nationally, over half, or 54.5 percent of home listings in November, lingered on the market for at least 60 days, up from 49.9 percent from the same time last year, Redfin reported. The total was the highest for any November since 2019.
Milwaukee, Wis., followed Providence at 38.8 percent, with Montgomery County, Penn., in third at 41.4 percent, according to the report released Monday.
Miami saw the highest percentage of “stale” listings, with 63.8 percent remaining on the market after 60 days, followed by Austin, Texas, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The only New England city besides Providence included in the top 50 most populated metropolitan areas is Boston, which saw a rate of 44.2 percent.
“A lot of listings on the market are either stale or uninhabitable,” Meme Loggins, a Redfin real estate agent in Oregon, said in the report. “There’s a lot of inventory, but it doesn’t feel like enough.”
So what’s different about Providence?
There are a number of factors in play, including demand for rental properties, according to Alysandra Nemeth, a local Redfin real estate agent.
Nemeth told the Globe on Friday several multifamily homes she sold in the last few months moved quickly.
“If you have a multifamily [listing] that comes up and you’ve got an investor or someone that’s looking to owner-occupy a property and rent some out … it’s the perfect scenario because there’s no shortage of people that are looking to rent within the area,” Nemeth said.
Nemeth thinks the lack of inventory in the Rhode Island market is also keeping listings fresh.
Data released by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors in December showed there was a less than two months worth of supply of single-family homes across the state — well below the six-month supply level considered indicative of a healthy real estate market.
Driven, in part, by the competition for properties, the median statewide home price soared more than 11 percent year over year to $480,000, according to the association.
“It just continues to be a battle where, you know, if a good home comes on the market and it’s priced right, it’s probably going to go quicker, and entertain more offers than some other areas,” Nemeth said.
Providence’s location is also desirable for buyers, Nemeth said. There’s easy access to Boston and New York City, all with a considerably lower price point than those metro areas, Nemeth said.
And Providence has plenty of appeal of its own, too.
“There’s just a lot of, like, great culinary experiences in Providence — like the food here is amazing,” Nemeth said. “So that also goes hand in hand with it. There’s a lot going on. This city is probably like the next city to watch out for.”
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
Here are the biggest business news stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2026.
Hasbro Inc. has been teasing Rhode Island’s leaders in mulling a move to Boston, and officials are tossing out all sorts of ideas — tax credits, an annual “Rhode Island Hasbro Day,” special access to airport lounges, subsidies for on-site child care — to see what might keep the century-old toy company anchored in its home state.
State leaders pitched Hasbro earlier this winter on six potential locations in three cities where Hasbro could relocate. But in that same meeting, leaders from Rhode Island Commerce and Governor Dan McKee’s office also pitched a series of incentives for the maker of Monopoly, My Little Pony, and Nerf, according to a report and videos released to the Globe on Monday in response to a public records request.
Hasbro spokespeople maintain that they have “no updates” on any potential relocation, but CEO Chris Cocks told employees in late 2024 that they would hear from the company’s leadership team sometime in the first quarter of 2025 about whether they’d be heading for greener pastures beyond Rhode Island.
Antonio Afonso, McKee’s chief of staff and the state’s “point person” on Hasbro, declined to be interviewed.
In Newport, there’s one man who seems to be everywhere: Nicholas S. Schorsch.
A wealthy entrepreneur and investor, Schorsch has been on roll with his Heritage Restaurant Group since relocating to Newport from New York City 12 years ago, and has amassed a growing portfolio.
In 2024 alone, the group acquired restaurants Caleb & Broad, Flo’s Clam Shack, The Reef, The Red Parrot, The Brick Alley Pub, and many more. In late December, the group also announced it would acquire the historic Vanderbilt hotel, a Georgian Revival mansion. It’s not yet clear what the Heritage group paid for the hotel, but the transaction is expected to close in early 2025.
The group also operates Newport Craft Brewing, La Forge Casino Restaurant, La Costa Lobster Rolls and Tacos, Cluck Truck, Cluck House, A Mano Pizza & Gelato, Wiener Wagon, and Wally’s Wieners. It also owns Newport Lobster Company, one of the largest seafood wholesalers in the area, and runs concessions at Easton’s Beach.
Many of the restaurants Schorsch has acquired were family-run operations where the owners were nearing retirement age. His purchase, some say, was a lifeline so they could step away from their businesses. But critics are concerned about the powerhouse the group is becoming, saying that much control over businesses on Aquidneck Island could raise prices and stifle competition.
Rhode Island’s largest health care system, Brown University Health, previously known as Lifespan Corp., acquired St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton from bankrupt Steward Health Care for $175 million in 2024. This year, the hospital owner plans to expand in Foxborough, Mass., by bolstering two outpatient clinics it purchased from Steward that could generate $43 million annually by fiscal year 2027. The clinics could be an opportunity, officials told investors in December, to expand cancer care and ambulatory surgery into Massachusetts. They also plan to broaden their specialty physician groups.
The Washington Bridge westbound on Interstate 195 abruptly closed more than a year ago, leaving drivers scrambling, and a long list of questions about went went wrong. The bridge — meant to last at least two more decades — needs to be demolished and rebuilt. Demolition is expected to take another year, and there is no timeline currently for when a new span will be completed. Chicago-based Walsh Construction Company will compete with a joint venture of American Bridge Company from Pennsylvania and New York-based MLJ Contracting Corp. to build the new bridge.
The state has sued 13 companies who were previously hired by the state to inspect the bridge, or do construction or design work. Several defendants have already pushed back on the suit, calling it a political “blame game.” A judge is expected to consider their motions to dismiss the lawsuit this month.
On New Year’s Eve, Tara Booker, the executive director of homelessness response for the R.I. Department of Housing, submitted her resignation. In a phone conversation with the Globe, Booker declined to comment as to why she would leave, and said she would remain at her post “through at least Jan. 31, and potentially longer.”
“I have a transition plan,” said Booker. “I don’t really want to comment on anything right now. I’m still working and want a productive transition.”
Booker also declined to comment on any winter shelter plans, which is a program she has overseen at the department since she was hired in March 2024. She is one of several of the department’s high-ranking leaders who have given their notice in the last year. Over the summer, former secretary Stefan I. Pryor resigned. Under his leadership, the department faced internal struggles and incomplete projects, and was circumventing procurement rules that may have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, the Globe reported. In November, after less than a year on the job, deputy housing secretary Deborah Flannery resigned.
Leaders in the General Assembly, including Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, said they have been “disappointed” in the department’s former leadership. In late November, agency consultant Deborah Goddard was appointed by Governor Dan McKee as the department’s fourth housing secretary since it was created in 2022. Her appointment will need the Senate’s approval.
Like her predecessors, Goddard will face a housing crisis that has been worsening for more than 30 years, developers who may want to build affordable housing but are facing red tape, and inflation.
It’s been two years since the state unveiled plans to redevelop the long-vacant “Superman” building in downtown Providence ― the tallest building in the state ― into apartments with room for commercial space. It was seen as a major win for the McKee administration, but not much has been done since. When asked if the idea of redeveloping 111 Westminster St. from office space into 285 residential units was dead, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said, “They’re hanging on by their fingernails.”
“They want money,” Ruggerio told the Globe. “The problem is, they never told us how much.”
In August, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told the Globe that the owner of the Industrial National Bank Building is asking for more than $10 million in additional support to convert the 26-story skyscraper into apartments, but wouldn’t say exactly how much.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
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