On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines why the Trump administration is attempting to erase Indigenous Peoples from U.S. history.

On Oct. 9, former president Donald Trump signed a proclamation restoring Columbus Day, calling the explorer "a true American hero" and suggesting that "every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination".

To dig into the implications, Cierra talks with Brett Chapman, a Ponca and Pawnee lawyer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His ancestor, Chief Standing Bear, was a civil rights activist.

Today, Chapman continues that legacy by defending Native American sovereignty in the courts. He shares his thoughts on what the Trump administration's policies mean for Indigenous Peoples in the United States.

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