SUMMARY: Voters in Minnesota this week will caucus at the precinct level. U.S. Rep. Tim Walz has already picked state Rep. Peggy Flanagan as his running mate. Flanagan is a member of the White Earth band of Ojibwe. And she would be the first Native American woman to ever hold this office. More important, should Walz be elected, Flanagan would be inside the room on issues important to Indian Country. She might win the day. She might not. But she’ll be there for four years pushing. #NativeVote18

The government is in its official shut down mode. Congress cannot pass a budget because there are several different factions, think of them as mini-political parties, and they all have different goals. The Republicans are in charge. And this process could have been resolved within the caucus — if the GOP leadership had the votes.

How much does climate change cost taxpayers? A report released last week by The National Centers for Environmental Information pegged that total cost at $1.5 trillion, including estimates for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Instead of working to reduce the impact of climate change the Trump administration is developing more oil and gas.

What qualifications are needed to manage (and possibly reform?) the Indian health Service? The Trump administration’s pick Robert Weaver would be the least educated ever. His background is not medicine, science, or even public administration. It’s insurance.

Congress is governing at short-term intervals because there are not enough votes to pass a real spending bill. And that’s not a good sign going forward because the budget only gets more complicated because of all the issues that Congress has been avoiding.

SUMMARY: As the year 2017 winds down, a replay of some of the top issues facing Indian Country. And 2018 promises to be at least as chaotic.

Paulette Jordan is campaigning to be the Governor of Idaho. There have been very few Native Americans who have ever run for office at that level. And she’s the first Native woman who has the audacity to ask citizens to run their state.

There is an uncomfortable, even painful re-balancing going on across so much of society. The old world of male dominance is slowly coming to an end. Minnesota Senator Al Franken lost his office because of his own actions — and that broader change. But the governor of Minnesota could make history by appointing a Native American woman to office, something that’s never been done in the history of this country.

The Senate passed its tax bill early Saturday morning. There are a whole cast of winners: Big corporations, rich would-be heirs (like the Trump children) and religious schools. But this bill does nothing for tribal citizens who are at the low end of the earnings scale. And the Senate defeated a last minute amendment to add child credits -- something that would have helped ordinary working families.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Sept. 30. This federal program insures young people and pregnant women who make just enough money not to qualify for Medicaid (but can’t afford private insurance). The idea is to make sure that every child has the resources to see a doctor when they are ill. But unless Congress acts soon, some 9 million children will lose their insurance.