Turtle Mountain Enters The History Books.
Y'see, peaceful protest can change minds and hearts!
Same-sex marriage is now recognized by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas in the northern part of the state. It's the first tribal nation in North Dakota to do so. Five years ago, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment required all states to recognize same-sex marriage. That applied to states, not sovereign states.
So, supporters from around the region gathered together to voice their support of "two-spirited" members. First time I've heard the term. Red Lake Nation News describes is like this-
Prior to the vote, almost 200 Turtle Mountain members and LGBTQ allies marched on the reservation in favor of legalizing marriage for the nation's two-spirited members. "Two-spirit” is an umbrella term used in some Indigenous communities for gender queer, gender fluid and gender nonconforming tribal members.
It seems the open tribal council meeting lasted for nearly three hours with a free exchange of ideas. So they talked and talked...and, then they did something about it! How refreshing is that?!
Take a look a a short video of the supporters featured in the Fargo Forum.
It seemed as kind of a quick moving out-of-the-blue story when I heard about it this morning, although if you think about it- it has been five years in the making.
There is a possibility in this heavily Catholic portion of the state, that there could be a petition issued and signed by 20% of the population that voted in the last election. All that to put it up for a vote. But until then, the Council's decision will stand.
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