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Showing posts with the label culture

Sunrise gatherings, dances and speeches mark celebration of culture on Indigenous Peoples Day

Native Americans are celebrating their histories and cultures with events across the country marking Indigenous Peoples Day ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Events across the country — including a sunrise gathering in Minneapolis, a statehouse rally in Maine, a celebratory march in Seattle and traditional dancing, music, and food in Alaska and Arizona — marked celebrations of Indigenous Peoples Day. The ceremonies, speeches and performances in traditional regalia Monday came two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated the day honoring “America's first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.” At a gathering in Phoenix where dancers performed in traditional Aztec clothing, Sifa Matafahi said it was an opportunity to "pay respect to Indigenous cultures ... to reflect on our past and history, while also acknowledging our cultural presence.” A celebratory march was held in Seattle and a sunrise ceremony at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. In Minnesota...

US border officer suicides at 13-year high: How agency is focusing on 'culture change'

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2022 saw the most Customs and Border Protection agents die by suicide since 2009 -- a total of 14 Sal, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee, was going through a difficult time in his life when he first started at the agency . His mother was being physically abused by her partner, he said -- and that was the tipping point. "So one day at work ... I'm just pacing back and forth and I have a miserable look on my face," Sal, who was not identified by his last name, said during a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) podcast in September 2021. "And someone overheard me say, 'I want to eat my own gun.'" His life was saved, he recalled, after a coworker noticed that he wasn't doing well and called to check in on him. His supervisors came to his apartment and made the decision to take his firearm away, helping him get the help he needed. He was put on light duty and was able to attend counseling sessions, with people who checked in on him regularly...