Native American Guardians Association

08/23/2026

Diné Proud!!! Hózhó!! 🪶🪶

07/18/2026

‼️ Update on Massapequa and NAGA lawsuit ‼️

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Native American Guardian's Association (NAGA), et al. v. New York State Board of Regents, et al. (Case No. 2:25-cv-03008, E.D.N.Y.) was filed May 29, 2025, by NAGA and co-plaintiff David Finkenbinder, an enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. It challenges "Part 123" — a 2023 New York State Education Department/Board of Regents regulation (8 NYCRR § 123) that bans public schools from using Indigenous names, logos, or mascots except for classroom instruction, and threatens loss of state funding for noncompliance.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

The dispute centers on the Massapequa Union Free School District's "Chiefs" mascot. Massapequa entered a contract with NAGA to keep the name, then joined NAGA in suing to block Part 123.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬

Plaintiffs argued Part 123:

• Violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 by creating a race-based classification (banning only Native imagery while permitting other ethnic-derived team names like "Vikings," "Patriots," "Yankees")
• Violates the First Amendment by suppressing speech based on content
• Violates the New York State Constitution

They sought a declaratory judgment annulling Part 123, an injunction against its enforcement, and a preliminary injunction.

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

On November 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara dismissed the case for lack of standing (and Eleventh Amendment immunity for state defendants), without reaching the constitutional merits (NARF, Native News Online). The judge found NAGA had no ownership or trademark rights to the "Chiefs" mascot, making its contract with Massapequa "illusory" — Massapequa never needed NAGA's permission to use the name in the first place. However, the judge noted Part 123 "appears to enact a legal classification on race/ancestry" subject to strict scrutiny, and might also implicate First Amendment rights — but said those issues weren't reached due to the standing defect (Native News Online; Fox News).

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞

NAGA appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and has publicly stated it intends to pursue the case to the U.S. Supreme Court (New York Post, Fox News). Separately, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, responding to a NAGA complaint, found in a related investigation that New York's ban violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and in January 2026 pressed the Connetquot Central School District to restore its "Thunderbirds" mascot.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬

NAGA and Massapequa filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit following Judge Sanket Bulsara's November 14, 2025, dismissal of the case for lack of standing (New York Post; Fox News).

Key developments since the dismissal:

• 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: Rather than going straight to appeal, Massapequa first tried to get the district court judgment altered in light of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI investigation findings against Connetquot Central School District. That motion was litigated through February 2026 — New York's Board of Regents opposed it (Feb. 10, 2026), and the court denied it, ruling the district's Title VI claims were "meritless" and showed no new evidence that would change the outcome (Feb. 25, 2026).

• 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Only after that denial did the case move to the Second Circuit. Community reporting from Massapequa notes the appeal is now filed, but stresses that the Second Circuit's review is limited to reviewing whether the district court was correct in its standing/capacity ruling — it cannot rule on the underlying constitutional merits (equal protection, First Amendment).

• 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐀'𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥: NAGA's attorney, Chap Petersen, has publicly framed the Second Circuit appeal as merely a procedural stepping stone, saying "no decision in this case will hold significance until we reach the U.S. Supreme Court" and that they view an eventual Second Circuit ruling as clearing the path for a Supreme Court petition.

07/15/2026

He was a bull rider. A painter. A man shaped by Oklahoma dust and rodeo life.

Will Sampson had never acted a day in his life when Hollywood came looking for him in 1975.

The producers of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest weren’t searching acting schools or talent agencies. They wanted someone real — someone whose presence alone could fill a room. During their search, a rodeo announcer mentioned a towering Muscogee Creek man from Okmulgee: a painter, a rodeo competitor, a man with quiet gravity written into his bones.

They found him. Offered him the role of Chief Bromden.

He said yes.

Sampson had never stood in front of a camera before, yet he delivered one of the most unforgettable performances in film history. Chief Bromden barely speaks for most of the movie. The role depended on silence, expression, and emotional weight carried through stillness alone.

And somehow, a first-time actor stole every scene.

Audiences felt it instantly. Critics did too. Hollywood suddenly had a Native American actor whose authenticity couldn’t be ignored.

But Will Sampson never became just another Hollywood character actor.

He played Crazy Horse in The White Buffalo. Appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales. In Poltergeist II, he brought such spiritual intensity to the role of Taylor the Medicine Man that he became the emotional center of the entire film.

Off screen, he fought just as hard.

During production of The White Buffalo, Sampson halted filming after discovering white actors had been cast as Native Americans. He refused to continue until it was addressed. Later, he founded the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts to help Native actors find Native roles in an industry that had ignored them for decades.

He wasn’t interested in symbolic representation.

He wanted real change.

And he was more than an actor. Sampson was an accomplished painter whose work was exhibited in major Oklahoma museums, including the Gilcrease and Philbrook. He understood something deeply important: cultures survive through the stories they tell about themselves.

In his final years, scleroderma ravaged his body, reducing the massive 6’7”, 260-pound man to barely half his weight. In 1987, he underwent a heart and lung transplant in Houston.

He never recovered.

He was 53 years old.

Today, a road in Oklahoma bears his name. Two of his films have been preserved in the National Film Registry for their cultural significance.

But Will Sampson’s real legacy isn’t found on a highway sign or museum wall.

It’s the reminder that authenticity cannot be manufactured.

That dignity cannot be performed.

And that sometimes the most powerful person in Hollywood is the man who never chased it in the first place.

Hollywood had to find him — out in the dust of an Oklahoma rodeo.

07/04/2026

🇺🇸

06/15/2026

More than a patch—it's a symbol of service, honor, and commitment 💯

05/10/2026

05/06/2026

As a board, NAGA is always looking for better ways to serve our communities and strengthen our voice. That’s why we’re rebuilding our membership structure to create more meaningful, accessible ways for people to get involved.

Our upcoming membership launch will be open to everyone who supports our mission — enrolled Native Americans, non-enrolled Native Americans, and non-Native allies who believe in respectful education about Native history, culture, and imagery. We can’t wait to share the details with you soon.

05/05/2026

May 5 is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in the United States.

• It began in 2017 to honor victims like Hanna Harris and raise awareness of violence against Indigenous people.

• People wear red to honor victims.

• The color comes from the REDress Project, where empty red dresses symbolize those who are missing.

• Red is used because it is highly visible and represents the presence of those who are gone.

• Indigenous women face much higher rates of violence than other groups.

• In the U.S., they are about twice as likely to be murdered compared to the general population.

• More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime.

• Thousands of cases go unreported or misclassified, meaning the real numbers are likely higher.

04/29/2026

Lets all wish NAGA Board Member Jonathan Tso a Happy Birthday!

Nizhónígo nídizhchíį́jí ánáhoolzhiizh!!

(May your birthday be beautiful) 🎂🎉

04/29/2026

🦅 MAJOR UPDATE: NAGA Files 40-Page Reply Brief with Second Circuit Court of Appeals

We're pleased to announce that the Native American Guardian's Association (NAGA) and their VP, David Finkenbinder (Wanblee Ohitika - Brave Eagle) have officially filed our comprehensive 40-page Reply Brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Case 25-3221-cv.

This detailed brief clearly outlines our case against the New York State Board of Regents' discriminatory ban on Native American imagery in schools. We've presented strong constitutional arguments demonstrating how this law violates the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Our Path Forward:

While we anticipate this appeal may be dismissed at the Second Circuit level, this is simply the next step in our journey to the United States Supreme Court—the only logical finish line for this case. When we reach the Supreme Court, we are confident we will prevail and strike down these offensive and plainly unconstitutional laws.

As our attorney Chap Petersen has said, "The 'Native Name Ban' laws are both offensive and plainly unconstitutional. Their very existence is an embarrassment to all Americans, as well as the Native community".

We need your continued support as we advance this historic case. This fight is about protecting Native American history, preserving our legacy, and ensuring equal treatment under the law for all Americans.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue our march toward justice at the Supreme Court! 🦅

‼️Please consider donating to help us continue to fight this fight. Any amount is appreciated. https://givebutter.com/educateNOTeradicate ‼️