Antonia Gonzales

Photo: The walls of Craven Canyon, in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, are marked with ancient Native American petroglyphs. (Courtesy Lilias Jarding / Black Hills Clean Water Alliance) A South Dakota board is pausing a hearing on a uranium exploration project in an area considered sacred to regional Native American tribes. Meghan O’Brien of South Dakota Searchlight explains. The board was in its third day of a hearing on an application by Clean Nuclear Energy Corporation and its Canada-based parent company Nexus Uranium. The entities applied for a permit to drill near Craven Canyon, 7 miles north of Edgemont, S.D. The board went into a private session to discuss legal matters. When board members emerged, they announced the hearing would be adjourned until further notice. They did not give further details. Meanwhile, a project opponent has filed a federal lawsuit against the board, the state, and the company seeking the permit. The lawsuit alleges violations of due process, citing concerns about language interpretation and a heavy law enforcement presence at the hearing. The state board failed to provide a Lakota interpreter for the first day of the hearing, after promising to make one available. Lakota-speaking tribes formerly controlled the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. There is ancient Native American art on the walls of Craven Canyon near the drilling project site. Neither the state officials nor the company proposing the drilling immediately responded to South Dakota Searchlight's requests for comment. An estimated 200 people are expected to walk in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/R) in Lake Andes, S.D. Thursday. While it is the seventh such event, it will be the first one since its founder died. Last September, Charon Asetoyer, founder of the Native American Community Board (NACB), died. She was an advocate for preventing violence against women, and launched the first honor walk in 2018. Florence Hare is the interim executive director of the NACB. She says the walk will begin and end in Lake Andes City Park. “We're not protesting, we're just walking to bring awareness. We're going to walk by the Sheriff's Office. We're not going to walk on his property. And then we're also going to walk by the courthouse.” Hare says there are many unsolved cases in South Dakota and that includes the Lake Andes area. She says for years, there has been suspicions that certain parts of town were especially dangerous. This includes an old U.S. Army facility by Fort Randall Dam. “Sometimes our women would go missing, and it was because they were hanging around down there. So there is a very long history of MMIW. Our grandmothers, they would sit us down and say, ‘Don't go by that place, it's bad. You could go missing. They'll take you and that's it. You're gone.'” Hare adds that there has been much mistrust between the Native community and local law enforcement. “We're just in an area where there's no oversight on law enforcement or what happens out here. It's like the wild, wild west.” There will be mention of Asetoyer during the event, but Hare says the focus will be on the MMIW/R cases. Other events organized by the NACB will honor Asetoyer in good time, she says. As for the turnout, she expects about 150 Native people, and 50 allies. Of the 102 missing persons cases in the South Dakota Missing Persons Clearinghouse, 65 are Native people. That is almost two thirds of the total cases. And the first Native person to travel in space visited students and other guests Wednesday at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center in Fort Hall, Idaho. KIFI Local News 8 reports that John B. Herrington (citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma), discussed his three spacewalks and visit to the International Space Station in 2022. The Native astronaut has Idaho connections and graduated from Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1984, then joined the Astronaut Corps in 1996. Herrington said he used to sit in a cardboard box and dream of going to the moon. He shared his story and took questions from Shoshone-Bannock students.  Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, May 21, 2026 – Nevada's mining boom and Winnebago Tribe's NAGPRA victory

Photos: Anchorage police Chief Sean Case, left, and Kelly Hunt. (Rhonda McBride / Courtesy Melvin Hunt) Anchorage Police say they are in the final stages of their investigation into the death of Kelly Hunt, the 19-year-old Shaktoolik student who disappeared in January on her way to college in Soldotna, as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports. Hunt's remains were found last month in a ravine in same Anchorage neighborhood where she had been staying with a friend. Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case says the Medical Examiner's preliminary report determined Hunt died from hypothermia and exposure, with alcohol in her system. “There's no indication that there's physical trauma. There's no indication that an assault has occurred. So, most of those questions — on whether-or-not there was a homicide — those questions have been answered through the Medical Examiner's process.” Case says Hunt was missing for more than 100 days, and due to prolonged exposure to the elements, he says it is nearly impossible to determine Hunt's exact time of death. Before closing out the investigation, Case says police will conduct follow-up interviews to learn more about the circumstances leading up to her death. Based on the outcome of those interviews, Case says the investigation could shift back towards a criminal case. He calls Hunt's death a tragedy, but says there is no evidence of a crime. Hunt was supposed to catch a bus from Anchorage to attend the Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, Alaska. Her friends told police she left on the morning of January 7 to meet with someone to buy alcohol and had left her purse and suitcase behind. Case says the investigation was further complicated, because her disappearance was not reported until four days later, but despite that, Case believes his police officers and detectives did a thorough job. But advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, including Antonia Commack, question police handling of the case. She says investigators are drawing conclusions too soon, without first questioning the people who last saw Hunt.” “How are you going to make that determination before you speak to those people. Because the bottom line is, she is not old enough to drink herself. Somebody furnished her alcohol and she wound up dead. That should be a crime.” The Anchorage Police Department timed their report on the Kelly Hunt case with the launch of a new online dashboard that tracks missing persons iAnchorage and the department's homicide clearance rate. Case says the report confirms that Alaska Natives make up a disproportionate share of both missing persons and homicides, but says cases involving both Native and non-Native victims are solved at about the same rate. The Pinyon Plain Mine, as seen from the air in November 2019, is located on the Kaibab National Forest less than 10 miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. (Photo: Ryan Heinsius / KNAU) The company that owns a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon wants Arizona state regulators to approve a higher arsenic level in nearby groundwater. KNAU's Chris Clements reports at least two scientists oppose the idea. Brad Esser used to work for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He was asked by a nonprofit that opposes Energy Fuels' Pinyon Plain Mine mine to look into the request. “It sets the wrong incentive. You know, the response to high levels … is to try to understand what’s going on, not just simply raise the permit levels.” But Energy Fuels says the higher arsenic levels are naturally occurring in groundwater near the mine, and are not because of mining activity. Curtis Moore is a company executive. “It’s not surprising that there are elevated levels of arsenic next to this ore body. That’s why we put a mine there, because there’s an ore body there.” But Esser and another scientist argue it is more likely the mine is contributing to the high levels. “They think the mine's ventilation shafts could be creating oxygen-rich groundwater, causing arsenic minerals to dissolve. If that's true, Esser worries arsenic could one day reach the Havasuapi Tribe's key source of drinking water.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – Native Playlist: Joy Harjo and Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

At least five Native American men were detained January by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during raids in Minneapolis, Minn. As other reports of Native Americans being mistaken for undocumented immigrants continue, federal lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to improve the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s interactions with Native Americans when they are proving citizenship. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) has more. The Respect Tribal IDs Act would require DHS working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal nations to create training for officers to better detect and respect current tribal IDs. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) says ICE agents are breaking the law. “My Native American brothers and sisters, who are American citizens, are being held by ICE agents because these agents do not recognize tribal IDs, it’s disrespectful, it’s wrong, I would argue, illegal, and that’s why we need this legislation.” Luján says tribal leaders have voiced their concerns about ICE agents detaining their tribal members near their reservations. “I’ll remind you that some of the first awareness that we had about ICE agents going after Native American communities, happened in New Mexico, down in Mescalero and also on the Navajo Nation, and it’s happening in other parts of the country as well.” DHS said in a statement that ICE agents acknowledge and recognize tribal ID cards as proof of citizenship and there have been no ICE operations on tribal lands. Lujan says it is hard to collect data on the number of Native Americans who have been detained by ICE because DHS will not release the data. Meanwhile, some legal scholars are raising concerns about a case brought by the Trump administration that is before the Supreme Court and how it might undermine birthright citizenship among Native Americans. Antonia Commack, left, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Maka Monture Paki. Charlene Aqpik Apok, Tatiana Tiknor, Malia Villegas, Sabrina Dunphrey, and Jessica Black. (Courtesy Data for Indigenous Justice) A national organization called the Courage Project shines a light on acts of bravery, both big and small. This year, a group that works to bring attention to Alaska's missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) is in the spotlight. As KNBA's Rhonda McBride tells us, Data for Indigenous Justice (DIJ) is one of sixteen organizations nationwide to receive this award. The steady beat of the drum is what you hear at many events involving DIJ and while their presence is felt more than seen, they are a force for change. Funders for the Courage Project like the MacArthur Foundation say the award was created to recognize neighbors helping neighbors, people who perform everyday acts of civic courage, that speak to the American spirit and strengthen democracy. “When I first started doing this work, people wouldn’t even meet with me.” Charlene Apok, known by her Iñupiaq name, Aqpik, founded DIJ to bring attention to missing and murdered Alaska Natives. She saw breakdowns and inequities in how law enforcement handled their investigations and pushed for a database to better track those cases and expose systemic failures. “Organizations didn’t want to talk about it. It was too hot. It was too political. It was too uncomfortable. It shouldn’t be courageous to say the things that we’re saying, and to ask the questions that we’re asking. These should be things that are expected for the safety of our people.” Doug Modig, a traditional healer, says it is never easy to speak truth to power, especially for a small organization like Data for Indigenous Justice. “Real lives are at stake her. Real people are experiencing hurt. There aren't many people that have that courage, because it's so rare. It reminds me of a wolverine. They'll take on a bear, a full-grown bear.” Wolverines, Modig says, are fearless when it comes to protecting their territory. “Why don't they just give up? They're not going to make it, because they're so small. But the truth is, courage isn't about size. It's the content of your heart.” Aqpik says heart is exactly what her team brings to their work. Their commitment has helped to uncover critical information about unsolved cases. “I’ve come to learn, with a lot of guidance from my elders, that this role is called being a story keeper.” Aqpik says it is a sacred responsibility to listen to the stories that families share. She says they are the bravest of all. Long after the marches are over and the drumbeats fade, they must live with these stories. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — Native Bookshelf: “Shards of Silence” and “That Which Feeds Us”

Photo: Diné Bizaad is the latest mobile app created by Albert Haskie, the lead developer, who is Diné and from the Navajo Nation. (Courtesy Adoonee) Across the United States, there are over 575 federally recognized American Indian tribes. According to the U.S. Census, Native North American language use fell by 6% from 2013 to 2021, but among those who spoke a Native language, nearly half spoke Navajo. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) spoke to a Diné software developer who has created a mobile app to help preserve the Navajo language. Albert Haskie (Diné) spent two years building the app Diné Bizaad with a group of Navajo employees. “I’m making it for us, and that’s the primary goal.” Haskie says he learned the Navajo language at a young age but in sixth grade he transferred to a non-Navajo language school and that it was a cultural shock for him. “I kind of always missed it and always wanted to figure out how to reintroduce it into my life, but also try to reintroduce it to a lot of other people’s lives.” Haskie says users can build their own curriculum and it includes fun tools like the word of the day. He says the app differs from other language apps because this one has richer content and a practicing Navajo speaker who consulted on every word and phrase. Diné Bizaad was independently built without collaboration of the Navajo Nation. “I’ve showed them multiple times, but they just couldn’t find anything to work with me. I was more than happy to try to figure out working with them. But the reality is, it would have probably not launched within the time I wanted it to be.” A representative from the Department of Diné Education said Haskie talked with members within the department and that they are open to working with interested parties on preserving the Diné language. Haskie says he is in talks with other tribes to create language apps for their members. Whaling captain William ‘Wiyu’ Parks, right, and his wife Crystal on their way back from Punguk Island after a 3-month-long camping trip. (Courtesy Crystal Newhall) Whaling is an essential part of subsistence hunting in Siberian Yupik culture. High school student Tracy Tungiyan in the village of Gambell, Alaska on St. Lawrence Island wanted to understand more about it, so he interviewed a whaling captain from the community, William Parks, nicknamed Wiyu. He spoke to Parks in the library of the Gambell school and asked him whether whaling is easy or difficult. “There’s a degree of difficulty in it. You got to think of how enormous the whale is. You’re in basically a wash tub compared to the size of that whale. Depending on how the whale is moving, it could be pretty straightforward, catch up to it, strike. And there’s some days where the tails are really thrashing. You can’t get close to them. “We use these harpoons that have a barrel on there. We call them Puskaan [Siberian Yupik word]. I don’t know what they’re called in English. I’ve always known them as Puskaan. It has a harpoon, buoy, line buoy, and it fires either a black powder bomb or a penthrite bomb into the whale. Tungiyan asked Parks what hunting means to him and whether it was easier back then. “That’s a good question. To me, hunting is mostly about survival, it’s about tradition, and it’s about feeding family, relatives as a community, which is the most important part of life, in my opinion. You need food to survive. “I think mostly it’s like second nature to me. I don’t even think of how important this is to me anymore, more so that it’s the way I was brought up to live. It’s a part of me. It’s been a part of me since I was two, three years old. “Back then it was- seasons were more predictable. Weather was more predictable. In a way, it was easier. Nowadays, with lack of ice, bigger storms, shorter opportunities to head out. Yeah, I think it’s more difficult now compared to back then. The windows of good weather are getting shorter. “I know that everybody that goes hunting isn’t doing it for fun or sport. They’re doing it (as a) means of trying to harvest food. It's a part of who we are as people, as the community. Hunting is part of our nature. It’s been for thousands of years.” Tungiyan then asked him why catching a whale is so important for Gambell. “I think it’s important mostly because of the size of the catch. There’s enough to feed everybody. Just the sheer size of the whale. It’s an opportunity to feed the community, to have a community gather. Whaling has been part of our culture since the first whale swam and man saw it. It was a means of survival.” Tungiyan produced this story with former KNOM reporter Wali Rana and Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 18, 2026 – Trump administration takes aim at American buffalo

Photo: Ice jam flooding in Chalkyitsik, Alaska on May 7, 2026. (Courtesy National Weather Service) Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) issued a disaster declaration Monday for two Interior Alaska communities, after they were inundated with severe ice jam flooding. The declaration covers the areas near Chalkyitsik on the Black River and Hughes on the Koyukuk River, as The Alaska Desk’s Shelby Herbert from KUAC reports. Jeremy Zidek is a spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He says almost a dozen homes became flooded in Chalkyitsik, but the situation is especially dire in Hughes. The state is working to deliver emergency supplies to the community, but the water is still high. “They had water and ice on their runway. The water has gone down a little bit, but the runway is not serviceable by fixed-wing aircraft at this time. We're looking at an alternate runway that is nearby.” He says when the flooding peaked on May 9, most of the community's nearly-80 residents had to shelter at the Hughes Tribal Hall. Zidek says spring breakup is in full swing, and the danger hasn't passed for many other riverside communities in the Interior. “We're still looking at other areas of the state that could be impacted by ice jam flooding. And so, if there is a necessity to add new areas, the governor will consider the information we provide to him, and then make that determination.” In addition to activating the state's emergency response capabilities, the Governor's disaster declaration also opens up several assistance programs for the affected areas. The state's public assistance program focuses on restoring essential infrastructure, and can be accessed by local governments, tribes, and nonprofits. And its individual assistance and temporary housing programs can help individuals and families recover from flood-related property damage. Zidek says the state will release more information about those programs in the coming days. A House committee met Wednesday to review President Donald Trump's funding proposal for the Interior Department. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a southern Arizona congresswoman took that opportunity to talk about the recent destruction of a sacred border wall site. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared that federal officials apologized to the Tohono O'odham Nation weeks after a border wall contractor bulldozed Las Playas Intaglio, a thousand-year-old archeological site along the US-Mexico boundary. “This is a super unfortunate thing that happened. There's a series of mistakes that happened along the way – zero intention – and we've delivered direct apologies.” But U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) stressed words aren't enough. “I mean, unfortunately, once it's destroyed, you can't undo that.” Now, Grijalva fears another O'odham cultural site of concern, a desert oasis called Quitobaquito Springs, could be damaged next. It sits just south of Ajo inside Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. “So will you commit that [the] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service avoid Quitobaquito Springs and minimize impact by not using groundwater within five miles, and monitor those water levels closely as the border wall is being built?” Burgum replied, “Well, I – that's a very specific thing that I won't jump ahead and commit to.” Missing person Benjamin Stepetin, 42, stands in downtown Juneau, Alaska. (Courtesy Stepetin family) Divers are searching the murky waters of Gastineau Channel this week for the body of a Juneau, Alaska man missing for nearly a year, as KTOO's Clarise Larson reports. Benjamin “Benny” Stepetin, a 42-year-old Juneau resident, disappeared last June. His family believes he may have fallen or been pushed into the water near the downtown seawalk. His brother, Martin Stepetin Sr., says the family hasn't given up hope. “We just want to find our brother, you know. And we really miss our brother, and if we could get some closure to finding him, then that would be amazing.” The search, funded by the Juneau Police Department (JPD), includes divers and underwater sonar vehicles. Police are investigating the case as criminal and say some people may be withholding information. The search includes both divers and underwater vehicles with sonar technology. The team is scanning up and down the downtown seawalk, while thousands of cruise ship visitors walk above them. Martin says that his family believes their brother may have fallen or been pushed into the water along the seawalk. JPD is currently investigating the case as a criminal investigation. Deputy Chief Krag Campbell says police believe there may have been people involved in Benjamin's disappearance who are withholding information. “Our ultimate goal is to get a successful resolution to this investigation, and if at all possible, recover or find the body and missing person for the family. So doing those things whenever we can, I think, is very important.” People can share information by calling JPD's dispatch line at 907-586-0600 or submitting an anonymous tip through Juneau Crime Line. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 15, 2026 – Native In The Spotlight: Washington State Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis

Photo: One of the drilling units located on site. (C.J. Keene / SDPB) A mining company has backed down from a legal dispute connected to a standoff over mining at the sacred Black Hills site Pe' Sla. Many are chalking this in the win column for opposition, though others contend work is not yet finished. C.J. Keene has more. After the explosion of popular support and a courtroom battle, the company behind the proposed exploratory mining project has dropped the effort. For Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, it represents what can be accomplished when several organizations focus on a single goal. “Of course, water is an issue wherever a person lives. We all need, in fact, we all have the right to clean, plentiful water. We are getting congratulations from all over the country and beyond. I'm feeling a great deal of respect for the power of alliances and coalitions.” Many other organizations rose in opposition to the proposed mining, including NDN Collective, a Rapid City indigenous advocacy nonprofit, the Oglala Lakota Nation Youth Council, nine local tribes, and many community members. Wizipan Garriott, president at NDN Collective, says it is a feeling of victory. “With the result it shows the power of community organizing, coordination, and direct action in conjunction with legal action.” Garriott says distant issues involving watersheds, treaty rights, and Indigenous affairs are a matter every American should have a vested interest in. “If you believe in the Constitution, then you are required to believe in Indian treaties, and you have an ethical, moral, and legal duty to work towards honoring Indian treaties. Every single one of us has a duty to protect clean drinking water and a human right to clean drinking water. I think from a larger, moral standpoint, an injustice to one is an injustice to all.” Garriott estimates there are still well over a dozen mining claims in the Black Hills that he and other mining opponents are monitoring. The 8(a) Business Development program helps Alaska Native Corporations support like Covenant House Alaska. (Courtesy U.S. Small Business Association / LinkedIn) Alaska lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution this week supporting the role of Alaska Native Corporations in a federal contracting program, amid growing scrutiny and concerns from Native contractors. The Alaska Desk's Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. Alaska legislators passed a joint resolution supporting Native participation in the federal 8(a) Business Development Program. The program allows disadvantaged individuals, tribes and Alaska Native Corporations to compete for federal contracts. Haven Harris is the Senior Vice President of Growth and Strategy at Bering Straits Native Corporation and says those contracts are crucial for his organization. “We were able to give out a record dividend last year. We gave out our first special dividend ever just a month ago, and it’s all because of the benefits of federal contracting for us.” For Alaska Native Corporations, federal contracts are often their primary source of revenue and help pay dividends to shareholders and support services in their communities, but over the past year, the program has faced increased scrutiny. Native contractors say they are concerned the government is awarding fewer contracts and has not been accepting new applications into the program. Harris is also a board co-chair of the Native American Contractors Association. He says that in the past year. “8(a) contracts have been getting awarded at a lesser rate than they were previously.” Harris says no new businesses have been accepted into the program since August of last year. The Native American Contractors Association and about 50 other Native organizations signed a letter to the federal government earlier this month, asking it to resume a timely review of applications. Alaska’s congressional delegation and Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) have signaled support for the program. Harris says the legislature’s joint resolution is a helpful step. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, May 14, 2026 – Native American voting rights advocates brace for diminished Native power at the polls

A senior Indigenous banker in Canada cautions the Canadian government to keep Indigenous consultation at the forefront for major projects. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, he also says there is interest from Indigenous leaders in taking part in those major energy projects. Recently Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney repeated his plan to fast track major energy projects in Canada. Last week, he said Ottawa would build quickly and “in the right way” in consulting with Indigenous and provincial partners, but some of those leaders have been critical fearing that the process of consultation will be rushed and their concerns would be brushed aside. Carney's government wants to change parts of environmental law to make it easier to build a pipeline to the west coast, along with other energy projects. Bill Lomax is the president and CEO of the First Nations Bank of Canada. He says that early and meaningful talks with Indigenous communities is key. “We're seeing more business acquisitions happening, joint ventures happening with companies that are servicing, let's say, a pipeline. That kind of thing is just really taken off. We've seen our business grow. We're really a reflection of our clients. And their success leads to our success.” Lomax says the bank's commercial business was growing by 10% a year, but in the past year, it's been 26%. He says that shows how much Indigenous businesses are becoming involved, but he warns the opportunity for their approval is there if the consultation is done right. “You need to engage with the nation early on and let them know what you are thinking about, have them participate and have them be part of the plan.” Lomax says even though some Indigenous communities will be against some projects, but he believes there are many more that would be ready to move and move quickly. The First Nations Bank of Canada is an Indigenous-owned national bank. It's mission is to serve Indigenous people, nations, and businesses. The Alaska Native Language Center will publish a novel this summer retelling Rudyard Kipling's “The White Seal”, the only Jungle Book story set outside India, on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. Two artists from the Pribilof Islands retell the story through the perspective of a young Indigenous protagonist named Sergie. KUCB's Maggie Nelson has more. Garrett Pletnikoff is the coauthor of the new young adult chapter book “Sergie and the White Seal”. The story is an adaptation of one in Kipling's Jungle Book, “The White Seal”, published in 1894. And actually names Pletnikoff's great, great, great grandfather as a main antagonist. Kipling portrays Pletnikoff's ancestors through a disparaging colonial lens — as unclean murderers of the innocent marine mammals. Pletnikoff says this adaptation is a chance to tell a different story — to portray the Unangan community and the seals as partners instead of enemies, as Kipling wrote them. “The White Seal includes violent descriptions of seal harvesting, but Kipling never mentions that these harvests were not done by Unangan free will. The Unangan people of the Pribilof Islands were subjected to forced labor.” Hannah Zimmerman coauthored the book with Pletnikoff. She says they were inspired by Unangan lore and mythology and decided to name their main character after a spiritual leader from the Aleutian chain — Sergie Soboroff. “It’s a story of Sergie, who discovers that he’s a shaman, and he has this, you know, magical ability to talk to animals, and he discovers his purpose as a conduit between the animal world, in the human world.” Zimmerman says they used Sergie's role as a shaman to discuss topics like how colonization wiped out certain Indigenous practices. “When we read the book to fourth and fifth graders in the fall at the St Paul Island School. And I’ll never forget how, at the end of the book, one of the fifth grade students came up to me, and he was like, you know, I didn’t know Aleuts could be superheroes.” “Sergie and the White Seal” is now available through the University Press of Colorado's website. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, May 13, 2026 – How Indigenous knowledge built the foundation for today's response to the hantavirus outbreak

Photo: The Cannery Hotel & Casino in North Las Vegas, Nev. (AJFU / Wikimedia) A newly filed federal lawsuit alleges two Las Vegas hotel-casinos enabled years of sex trafficking tied to convicted sex offender Nathan Chasing Horse. The civil complaint was filed on behalf of two survivors, and names Boyd Gaming, Station Casinos, and other entities as defendants. The suit alleges trafficking occurred at properties including Cannery Casino & Hotel and Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino between 2014 and 2022. According to the lawsuit, Chasing Horse used his position as a self-described spiritual leader to manipulate and control women through coercion, isolation, and threats of violence. The complaint alleges the women were forced into commercial sex acts while hotel staff ignored visible warning signs. Attorney Alex Marcinko represents the survivors. “People like Nathan Chasing Horse don't operate in a vacuum. He doesn't exist without other entities allowing him to.” The lawsuit alleges hotel staff repeatedly rented rooms to Chasing Horse despite signs the women were being controlled and exploited. It also claims the hotels financially benefited from the repeated stays. “There was obvious signs of the torment these women were undergoing at these hotels, and nothing was done.” Chasing Horse was convicted earlier this year on sex trafficking and sexual abuse charges and sentenced in April to 37 years to life in prison. The lawsuit was filed under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which allows survivors to pursue civil claims against businesses accused of knowingly benefiting from trafficking ventures. Marcinko says the case could also raise broader questions about accountability within the hotel industry. “The hotel industry turns a blind eye to the human suffering in sex trafficking. It happens far too often.” The lawsuit seeks damages for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm the survivors say they endured. Every year, 20 to 30 Alaska Airlines employees volunteer to help Mt. Edgecumbe High School students get glammed up for prom.(Photo: KCAW/McKenney) Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska has a unique program that brings Alaska Airlines employees — known as “glam fairies” — to help students from villages across Alaska get ready for prom, as KCAW's Hope McKenney reports. For the past fourteen or so years, volunteers with the Prom Prince and Princess program have helped Mt. Edgecumbe students get glammed up for prom. They do hair, nails, and makeup, provide jewelry, shoes, corsages, and boutonnieres, and even do alterations on the many donated suits and dresses. “So I'm really happy to be here, because I love doing hair and makeup.” Lisa Lynch is one of the many glam faeries helping in the crowded room. “So I'm happy to be able to do this for other kids whose families can't be here to help them like that.” Alonza Topkok just finished her turn in the makeup chair. “I wanted shimmer, and I wanted glitter, and that's exactly what they gave me.” She says her prom look is inspired by the 2001 Mariah Carey cult classic “Glitter”. She says it means a lot that people volunteer their time and donate clothes, makeup, and jewelry when she and her friends don't have family members nearby to help out. Freshman Andrew Adams from Mentasta Lake is hovering at the entrance to the common room with his friends Calvin and Kacin. Adams went to a middle school prom a couple of years ago, but this is his first high school prom. When asked if they are all going to go up and ask those girls to dance, Adams replied, “Maybe, yeah.” Despite some nerves, Adams and his friends eventually ask one of the volunteers to help them get ready. Circling back around with them afterward, refreshed and ready to head out, they seem like they're going to be just fine. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, May 12, 2026 – High gas prices eat into business profits and personal budgets

The University of Arizona recognized Friday roughly 70 Native American graduates with a special celebration. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, an Indigenous actor was the event's keynote speaker. Dallas Goldtooth (Diné and Mdewakanton Dakota) is arguably best known for his role in the Peabody Award-winning FX series, “Reservation Dogs”. Goldtooth plays a comedic spiritual guide to a teen living in an Oklahoma rez town. He co-founded the 1491s, an all-Native sketch comedy group that uses humor as a way to tackle stereotypes of Indigenous people and complex social issues. Native Americans make up about 4% of the university's student body. Ice is seen held in place on the Kuskokwim River downriver from Aniak on May 8, 2026. (Photo: Samantha Watson / KYUK) The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs says it is distributing $20 million in emergency funding to more than a dozen Alaska Native communities in response to shortages of essential supplies and urgent infrastructure needs. As KYUK's Evan Erickson reports, the lion's share of the funding, $16 million, is going to the Kuskokwim Delta coastal village of Chefornak to address the impacts of severe erosion, permafrost thaw, and failing infrastructure. According to a press release, the funds are intended to restore damaged wetlands, address unsafe structures, relocate at-risk homes, and reconstruct the community's barge landing. Chefornak and 15 other communities spread across a vast swath of the state will also receive a portion of an additional $4 million that the federal government is using to purchase thousands of gallons of heating fuel, along with potable water supplies, and firewood. The press release says delayed spring barge deliveries, restricted water systems, and extreme winter conditions led to supply shortages in the communities receiving assistance. The announcement comes after Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland was in Alaska to meet with tribal leaders. Kirkland appeared alongside U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in Anchorage and Bethel as part of hearings of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on federal disaster support and the question of climate-driven village relocation. Students learn about Mark 3 pumps as part of their field day during spring training. (Courtesy Alaska DNR Division of Forestry and Fire Protection / Facebook) Alaska Native organizations and wildfire officials are preparing for another challenging fire season as communities face growing climate-related threats. Officials say dry spring conditions and warming temperatures are increasing wildfire risks in rural communities across the state. The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection says many Alaska wildfires are caused by human activity, including escaped burn piles, campfires, and sparks from equipment or vehicles. Officials are urging residents to prepare emergency kits, create evacuation plans, and clear brush and other flammable materials away from homes and buildings. Alaska Native organizations are also working with communities on climate adaptation, emergency preparedness, and public health planning efforts tied to wildfire smoke and extreme weather. Meanwhile, tribal leaders in western Alaska are calling for stronger tribally led disaster response systems as communities face increasing wildfire and environmental threats. Some rural communities are also concerned about how major wildfires could impact subsistence activities, travel routes, and deliveries of food, fuel, and other critical supplies during the summer months. Fire officials say even a single spark can quickly ignite dry grass during spring conditions.  Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 11, 2026 – What's in the near future for urban elder health care?

Photo: A semi-truck carrying uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine is parked near Shonto on the Navajo Nation after a collision on May 6, 2026. (Courtesy Navajo Police Department) The Navajo Police Department responded Wednesday to a crash involving a semi-truck carrying uranium ore from the Grand Canyon's South Rim to a mill in Utah. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on the first reported incident since hauling began nearly two years ago. The accident occurred about a half mile east of Highway 160 and state Route 98 near Shonto in Navajo County. Officials say an SUV tried passing another vehicle, striking the passenger-side tire and bumper of the uranium truck bound for Blanding, Utah. The tribe's Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Pinyon Plain Mine, which is owned by Energy Fuels, were notified. Using a gamma radiation detector, they inspected the crash site, concluding no radioactive material leaked. The collision sent two people in the SUV to a local hospital with injuries, while the truck driver was unharmed. Tracy Day's daughter Kaelyn Schneider hugs MMIP advocate Jamiann S'eiltin Hasselquist at the Kaasei Healing Kootéeyaa on May 5, 2025. (Photo: Yvonne Krumrey / KTOO) Juneau, Alaska woman Tracy Day has been missing for more than seven years. And while her disappearance has become a rallying cry for MMIP in Juneau, her daughter also wants people to know who she was before she went missing. KTOO's Yvonne Krumrey has more. Kaelyn Schnieder says her mom was always finding new adventures for the family to go on. The house she grew up in in Sitka, Alaska was spotless and Day was taking night classes to be a nurse. Her struggles with mental health came later. “But I feel like, when she went missing, everybody was like, ‘Oh, she’s living in St Vincent. And like, she’s a mentally ill addict.' It was just not the way I wanted people to see her, because my mom was a wonderful parent, and she wasn’t always sick.” Schneider says when she was a young child, she was the victim of child sex abuse by her friend's father. After Day found out what had happened, she blamed herself for trusting the family. Schneider believes it triggered Day's mental health issues. “It changed her brain chemistry, you know. So that’s, like, the best way I could explain it.” Schneider thinks that changed the trajectory of her mother's life. Tracy Day has been missing since February 14, 2019. (Courtesy Juneau Police Department) Day struggled with mental illness and substance abuse, but Schneider wants people to know her mom the way she remembers her, as a dignified, even glamorous woman. “She was kind of like a diva. Like back in the day, she always had her hair done, lipstick done, nails, everything. She was always dressed so beautifully.” She was also a devoted parent and she was fun. “When she wasn’t at work, we were never bored. We would go ride our bike and we would get curly fries with cheese and milkshakes, and then we would go to the duck pond and feed the ducks. And, like, she was a good, like, playful parent.” Schneider says that even through Dayʼs later mental health crises, she always stuck around and checked in with her family. “She would not take off. She’s the opposite. She’s like, the parent that annoys you, because they’re showing up so much.” Schneider's son was born after Day went missing. He is five years old now and she is finding herself having to explain the absence. “My son, he’s at that age where he’s starting to question, like, ‘what happened to grandma?' And like, ‘Why is she not in your life?' And you know, like, he always asks — it’s so horrible — He always asks, like, ‘Are you gonna disappear?' And like, as a mom, that is just horrible. You know that knowing that my son, like, has that thought in his head, because he knows it’s a possibility.” So Schneider says, for him and for her newborn son, she will keep looking for the truth of what happened to her mom. “I really want to keep searching and talking about her case, not only for me, but also for my sons. I want them to know that people are still interested and care.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 8, 2026 – What Native graduates are looking forward to

Photo: Artwork featured as part of the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition’s installation and community gathering at City Hall, May 4, 2026. (Courtesy The Ottawa Mission / Facebook) Across Canada this week, communities commemorated Red Dress Day with ceremonies. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the annual day on May 5 has become a national day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). On Parliament Hill in Ottawa and cities and towns across the country, people gathered for the fifteenth anniversary of Red Dress Day. They come to heal, to remember, and to honour the Indigenous people who were murdered or who have disappeared. Mary Daoust is the co-chair of the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. “Their voices can no longer be heard, but they can be heard through us. And that's why we're here today, is to speak and honour, and respect the ones that didn't have those voices and the ones that went missing, and the ones that aren't coming home. That we are still here and we have not forgotten them.” People took part in ceremonies and educational exhibits – and created activities to honour the lives the legacies of Indigenous people. The events also included drum groups and throat singers, a sacred fire and honour songs, and, of course, people wearing a red dress. Jenny Sawanohk is an Indigenous healer and member of the Cree First Nation. “I've seen violence. I've been in communities that have been impacted by this directly. I've had family members that have been victims of violence. A lot of us are in mourning. And we will be in mourning until this gets properly addressed. And we needed this day to really bring awareness and attention to it.” Vigils and marches were also held across the country. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the national inquiry into MMIP. That resulted in an action plan with 231 calls for justice. According to the federal government, Indigenous women are twelve times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered or end up missing. Billy Kirkland in Anchorage, Alaska. (Courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs / X) May is when the federal VIP season in Alaska really gets going – when high ranking federal officials tour the state to roll out new policies, hand out grants, or just simply listen to what people have to say. The Department of Interior sent some of its top people to Anchorage Tuesday for a closed-door meeting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). As Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports, they acknowledged that the number of Alaska cases has reached a crisis point. In the Cook Inlet Tribal Council's meeting room, more than two dozen Alaska Native and government leaders looked across tables at each other. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) led the discussion. “The two top guys in America on these issues are here in this room right now.” Those top guys were Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland (Navajo) and Bryan Mercier (Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon), the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). They came to announce the re-introduction of Operation Lady Justice, launched by Tara Sweeney (Iñupiaq) during President Donald Trump's first administration. The initiative created a task force that brought law enforcement, data collection and justice teams together, an effort that led to a Missing and Murdered Unit within the BIA. “All of our law enforcement are working collectively on an issue not being in silos.” This renewed federal push comes through an executive order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Kirkland says it expands efforts to solve new and cold cases and emphasizes prevention. “It's great that we're focused on these cases that haven't been solved. You know, what would be even better is that we didn't even have to solve these cases in the first place.” A crisis U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) says needs to be addressed with urgency. “I would suggest to you that that is a crisis.” Some of the Native leaders and MMIP advocates at the meeting, like Charlene Apok (Iñupiaq) with Data for Indigenous Justice, say hope now hinges on whether funding follows — and if tribes are empowered to lead the work. “We're hoping that we see the return on investments and that it trickles down to real changes. But I also know that no matter what, tribes in Alaska are going to keep working on this. And that gives me a lot of hope.” The gathering and the Interior Secretary's Executive order was timed to coincide with a national day of awareness for MMIP. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, May 7, 2026 – Native Fashion Week takes root in Santa Fe

The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced a new task force aimed at addressing violent crime in tribal communities. The Indian Country Violent Crime Task Force was announced May 5, which is also Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day. Officials say the initiative is designed to strengthen law enforcement coordination and protect families across Indian Country. The effort will be led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and will work with federal, tribal, and state partners to expand investigations, deploy mobile enforcement teams, and target drug trafficking and crimes against children. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the initiative takes what he calls a “zero-tolerance approach to violent crime” and is focused on protecting tribal communities. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland says the effort is also about strengthening coordination and accountability. In a statement, he says working closely with tribal communities will help improve public safety outcomes and prevent future crime. Officials say the task force will focus on solving missing persons and homicide cases, while using data to identify high-crime areas and direct resources where they are needed most. The initiative builds on earlier federal efforts, including Operation Lady Justice and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, as concerns about public safety in Indian Country continue. Keystone Pipeline in Canada. (Courtesy TransCanada) A 650-mile crude oil pipeline through eastern Montana and Wyoming just cleared another hurdle on the way to construction. Montana Public Radio's Ellis Juhlin reports, President Donald Trump issued a cross-border permit for the Bridger Pipeline Expansion Project Thursday. The pipeline would move no less than half a million gallons of crude tar sands oil from Canada into the U.S. daily. Its proposed path covers some of the same area as the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, which was terminated under President Joe Biden. The Bridger Pipeline would cross major rivers including the Missouri and the Yellowstone, prompting fears about the potential for contamination of water sources. It could also run through the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Tribal nations were not consulted as part of Trump's permitting decision and say a pipeline in this area could violate treaty rights. Jenny Harbine, a lawyer with the nonprofit firm EarthJustice, says pipelines like these are known to break. “Crude oil spills are extraordinarily time, consumptive and costly to clean up, and I don’t know that our local communities in Montana or our regulators are prepared for that kind of devastation.” The proposal must still go through several permitting processes at the state and federal level before construction could begin, but the pipeline is fast-tracked, and supported by Republican lawmakers in Montana. Construction could begin as early as next summer. Diehtosiida, a Sámi knowledge centre in Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino, Norway, where the 2026 Journalism Excellence Awards ceremony will take place in September. (Photo: Illustratedjc via Wikimedia) The World Indigenous Broadcasters Network (WIBN) has announced the finalists for its 2026 Journalism Excellence Award, highlighting top Indigenous reporting from around the world. Six journalists were selected from an international field, representing media organizations in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Sápmi, and Canada. The award recognizes excellence in storytelling, cultural integrity, and public accountability in Indigenous journalism. Entries were reviewed by an independent panel of Indigenous media leaders, who evaluated work based on reporting quality, innovation, and impact. WIBN Chair Shane Taurima says this year's finalists reflect the strength of Indigenous journalism globally, with reporting grounded in community voices and focused on issues that matter most. The winner will be announced at the WIBN Conference in Sápmi, Norway in September. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, May 6, 2026 – Tribes try to stay ahead of prediction markets on sports betting

Indigenous activists are reacting to news that President Donald Trump recently issued a presidential border-crossing permit for the Bridger Pipeline in northcentral Montana. Yellowstone Public Radio's Kayla Desroches reports. The Bridger Pipeline would start in Phillips County, Mont. at the Canadian border and carry Alberta oil sands down through eastern Montana. Fort Peck Assiniboine Tribal member and Wolf Point city councilman Lance FourStar says he fought for years against the Keystone XL pipeline. “This was all kind of new to me. I was hoping it wasn't real, and that it was just a rumor.” Indigenous activists and environmental groups have been rallying around the public comment period for the Bridger Pipeline's environmental analysis. FourStar says he is disappointed by the presidential approval, but not surprised. “That sinking feeling didn't happen this time.” A spokesperson with developer Bridger Pipeline says construction is slated to begin in fall 2027. The pipeline still needs several permits to go ahead. Kelly Hunt’s Funeral. (Courtesy Shaktoolik School / Facebook) The Norton Sound community of Shaktoolik said their goodbyes to Kelly Hunt at a memorial service this Saturday, as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports. She was the 19 year old whose remains were found in ravine in the Anchorage, Alaska area of Spenard two weeks ago, following her disappearance in January. Friends and family gathered in the school gym for a simple, but emotional, service, with arms held open and voices raised in song. “Where the tree of life is always blooming and the roses never fade.” Prayers to bring Kelly Hunt home were finally answered, though not in the way the community had hoped. She was last seen visiting friends in Anchorage, on her way to attend the Alaska Christian College. During the service, the lingering question of what happened to Hunt was set aside, to grieve and remember her as a young person, so was full of life and potential – qualities that Lynda Bekoalok says she cherishes. In her more than two decades as a teacher in Shaktoolik, she remembers Hunt as one of the community's most promising students. “She was always positive and willing to jump in and help no matter where. She was always diligent in school. She always had a smile on her face.” Bekoalok says everyone at the school encouraged Hunt to go to college. The community even raised money to help her with expenses, because they were proud of how she had overcome so many challenges at an early age. Anchorage Police continue to investigate her case with no word yet on how she died. No suspects have been arrested. New footage of an ocelot in southern Arizona have captured. (Courtesy Center for Biological Diversity) The ocelot is seldom seen in the Southwest anymore. Few animals from the wild, spotted cat species still roam between the borderlands of northern Mexico and southern Arizona. But as KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a group of tribal youth with ties to this now-endangered creature have bestowed one with an Indigenous name. Tucson high school first-year Isaac Valencia was among nearly three dozen O'odham students part of the Voices of Our Youth program, working with a tribal linguist. Then, a couple hundred ballots were cast to decide a fitting moniker through a recent online vote. “When I came up with the name, I named it an O'odham. And Himdam means traveler, like he has [an] untold story.” Himdam was first spotted in the Atascosa Highlands in 2024. More sightings of the same feline soon followed in the Whetstone, Patagonia and Santa Rita mountain ranges. The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity shared insights about ocelots and their fragile habitat, the Sky Islands, with this group of students. For 14-year-old Valencia, who is from the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Himdam's survival is inspiring. “It makes me real proud.” And naming the rare cat means so much more. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, May 5, 2026 – Alaska MMIW case exemplifies lingering distrust in law enforcement motivations

Photo: Apache Stronghold supporters converge at Oak Flat campground on February 22, 2025. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) A group opposed to a massive Arizona copper mining project filed a petition last week before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. They are hoping the court will reconsider the recent Oak Flat land swap between the U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. A split, three-judge panel from the very same appeals court allowed the controversial transfer to proceed after tossing out a slew of lawsuits – while also lifting an injunction back in March. But plaintiffs now argue they still have a case to be made. Judge Johnnie Rawlinson agrees. In her dissenting opinion from April, she wrote that before the court stamps its seal on a decision that will “completely annihilate sacred Native lands, we must be certain that every i was dotted and every t was crossed. And that simply is not the case.” An FNX original children's series is earning national recognition. “Navajo Highways”, created by Pete Sands and filmed in Moab, Utah, has been nominated for two Emmy Awards by the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The nominations, announced recently, honor the show's educational content and set design. The Navajo-language series teaches culture and storytelling through the journey of a young girl reconnecting with her roots. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 4, 2026 – Demands for action grow as details of Indigenous surveillance program surface

The online marketplace Etsy plans to ban products made out of fur as well as threatened or endangered animals. In Alaska, many Indigenous artists say they do not use the platform, but several said they were frustrated with the decision. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Cheyenne Nelson (Aleut and Tlingit) pulls a pair of earrings from a box stacked with her creations. Nelson is an owner of Iliamna Arts based in Anchorage. She uses fur from otters, rabbits, lynx, and foxes to make jewelry. She sells her art to customers from California to Chicago, and from Canada to the Netherlands, but this might change: Etsy emailed artists like Nelson in early April to notify them it will ban fur products starting August 11. “It was like the worst case scenario … I really like being able to have my art reach people that in no other way it would have reached.” The new Etsy policy says that it will apply to fur from animals killed primarily for their pelts, to protect wildlife from extinction. It was not clear how the company would establish that animals were killed for fur and not for sustenance. There do not appear to be exceptions for Indigenous artists. Etsy did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Nelson and several others say the new policy will disproportionately harm Indigenous artists. “You’ve ostracized the entire Indigenous population that wants to share their art through Etsy.” Jamie Nurauq Stallings is Yupik and Athabaskan who makes earrings, using fur and feathers from her family's hunts – ducks, beavers, and rabbits. She sells her art at local markets, as well as Etsy. “Historically, there’s been a lot of shame put on certain parts of our lives, like our language, and now it’s fur. … we have the highest regard for animals.” When Stallings was small, she was a part of her father's Indigenous dance group. Between the performances, she would sit with her mom at a table, selling earrings and talking to guests. “Earrings were the one thing that we were able to share with people. … I really love that – being able to connect to people from everywhere. It’s unifying.” Stallings says she hopes the ban can motivate Indigenous artists to come together and create their own platform that sells traditional art – on their terms. Until recently, evacuees in Anchorage were staying at hotels like the Wingate, pictured here on November 14, 2025. (Photo: Matt Faubion/ Alaska Public Media) Six months after arriving in Anchorage, evacuees from Western Alaska have moved from hotels into temporary housing. Hundreds of people have been unable to return to their homes after ex-Typhoon Halong devastated villages in October of last year. Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the state's emergency response, says it gives people a chance to return to a slightly more normal way of life. “They’re cooking their own foods. They have more privacy, more room within the units. They’re also have places where they can host celebrations for their family members, or have people come over and visit and not just be in kind of one hotel room.” Evacuees stayed in five hotels around Anchorage through the winter. They received meals from various assistance teams and on-site staff helped them register for disaster relief and connected them to assistance programs. Zidek says the state will continue to help people with paperwork and bureaucracy hurdles. “We’re working with the every applicant on a case by case basis to make sure that they’re they’re not kind of lost in the shuffle, and they don’t get so frustrated that they just lose interest in pursuing this assistance that they’re eligible for.” As of April 17, 165 households have moved into temporary housing in and around Anchorage. The housing is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Zidek says the state and FEMA are working together to identify ways to rebuild in Western Alaska so that those who want to return home can do so as soon as possible. This story was provided by Alaska Public Media's Hannah Flor Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 1, 2026 – Efforts to improve Native student achievement under fire

A Hualapai tribal leader is being remembered for her impact on economic development and tribal sovereignty. Louise Benson, former chairwoman of the Hualapai Tribe in Arizona, has died at the age of 83. The tribe announced her death April 18. Benson helped lead the development of Grand Canyon West, including the creation of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a major tourism destination that supports the tribe's economy. According to the Hualapai Tribe, she also worked on infrastructure and water access issues for her community. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) said in a statement: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of former Hualapai Tribal Chairwoman Louise Benson. As a dedicated leader for the Hualapai Tribe, championing critical infrastructure, and regional water security. Chairwoman Benson spent her life serving her people with unwavering commitment. My condolences go out to the Hualapai Tribe and all those who knew her.” In its statement, the Hualapai Tribe says Benson's legacy will continue through the economic foundation she helped build for future generations. Republican Native American voters Jen Thomasik and Brandy Ross stand outside a 2024 rally for Donald Trump held in Albuquerque, NM. (Photo: Jeanette DeDios / KUNM-FM) The Trump administration issued an executive order last month that seeks to restrict mail-in voting. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) has the details on how this could impact Native American communities. The order seeks to use federal data to create a list of adult U.S. citizens in each state who would have to show proof of eligibility before voting. States would be able to review and suggest changes. But many tribal members living in rural areas rely on mail-in voting in order to participate in elections because of long travel times to polling places. Jacqueline De León (Isleta Pueblo), senior attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, says the Supreme Court is currently considering a case called  Watson v. Republican National Committee about whether or not ballots received after election day can be counted. “And we know that that is especially important in Indian Country, where mail delivery can be slow and unpredictable, that our ballots be able to be counted even if they arrive after Election Day, if they were cast before Election Day.” She says tribal nations are facing a consequential moment in history. “Protecting tribal sovereignty is something that I think every Native person needs to take seriously, and they need to make considerations when they’re voting as to which candidates are going to do that for their tribal nation.” Attorneys general in 23 states, including New Mexico, are suing to block the Trump order. Candlelight vigil for Kelly Hunt in Anchorage, Alaska. (Courtesy Data for Indigenous Justice / Facebook) Community members gathered in Anchorage this week to honor the life of Kelly Hunt. A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday at 2522 Arctic Boulevard, where family, friends, and advocates came together to remember the 19 year old from Shaktoolik. The event included traditional dance groups and songs, as attendees paid tribute and called for justice. (Courtesy Data for Indigenous Justice / Facebook) Hunt disappeared earlier this year while on her way to college. Her body was found April 20 in a Spenard neighborhood. The vigil was supported by Data for Indigenous Justice, as community members continue to call for answers and accountability. Alaska Native leaders and advocates will gather in Anchorage next month for a summit focused on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis. The Alaska MMIP Justice Summit is scheduled for May 27 and 28 at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, followed by a Red Dress Gala on May 29. Organizers say the event will focus on raising awareness, sharing resources, and building solutions to address violence impacting Indigenous communities. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, April 30, 2026 – Reflecting on the milestone pipeline protest movement at Standing Rock

Actor Nathan Chasing Horse, known for his role in “Dances with Wolves”, has been sentenced in Nevada to 37 years to life in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. A jury found him guilty on 13 charges, mostly involving sexual abuse. Prosecutors say he used his position as a Lakota spiritual leader to gain trust and manipulate victims over many years. One woman, who was 14 when the abuse began, told the court her childhood was taken from her. Chasing Horse was arrested in 2023 and has denied the charges. Tongass National Forest Deputy Supervisor Barb Miranda talks about the Tongass Forest Plan Revision agenda to Wrangell, Alaska residents at the Nolan Center on April 21, 2027. (Photo: Colette Czarnecki / KSTK) U.S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel have been visiting Southeast Alaska communities to understand how residents want the Tongass National Forest used. The federal agency is doing a comprehensive revision of the Tongass National Forest plan, which will guide long-term management. They are focusing on tribal, subsistence, recreation, tourism, and timber aspects. Tongass National Forest Deputy Supervisor Barb Miranda with USFS visited Wrangell last week and gave a brief presentation to community members. “Down in the lower 48, the towns and wild places are surrounded by civilization. Here it’s the opposite — we have our communities surrounded by this wild place that provides so much for our food, for our subsistence and for our economies.” Miranda says the plan aims to balance ecological preservation and community needs. Towards the back of the room were activities where people could write down their thoughts and take a survey. Community members highlighted the importance of balancing commercial activities like logging and recreation with subsistence needs. Albert Rinehart is the tribal administrator for the Wrangell Cooperative Association. He just finished an activity that had him identify the greatest subsistence harvest in a certain area of the Tongass. “Subsistence is important to a lot of our smaller communities, rural communities. If we’re gonna be doing any planning, it should be to help those habitats prosper and have our subsistence game be available.” The current comprehensive plan for the Tongass was revised in 1997 and was last amended in 2016. The deadline for Southeast communities to comment is May 6. USFS plans to release a draft of the environmental impact statement in November with a 90-day comment period following. Additionally, they plan to release the final draft of the statement in the summer of 2027, and the final plan in January of 2028. This story was provided by KSTK's Collete Czarnecki Perseverance Lake in Ketchikan, Alaska. (Photo: Leila Kheiry) The Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) voted last week to uphold Ketchikan's rural designation. That is after two tribal organizations on Prince of Wales (POW) Island submitted requests for reconsideration to the federal Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) last July. FSB voted in 2025 to reclassify Ketchikan from a non-rural status, allowing all residents to hunt and fish on federally managed lands and waters that were previously closed to them. That designation was challenged by Craig's tribe and Native corporation. They said the board failed to “fully consider the unintended consequences” of allowing new subsistence hunters from Ketchikan to access POW's deer population. The Ketchikan Indian Community was in favor of the rural designation, and worked for years to get rights to federally regulated subsistence activities. The tribe argued that the rural designation allows its tribal citizens to exercise traditional subsistence practices. The vote to sustain Ketchikan's rural designation came in the final hours of the board's four-day wildlife regulatory meeting in Anchorage. The vote also followed an executive session on April 23 to discuss the requests for reconsideration. This story was provided by KRBD's Hunter Morrison Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, April 29, 2026 — The Menu: Traditional diet success and the first Indigenous ‘Chopped' champion

Questions are being raised about how the Anchorage Police Department responded to a missing Alaska Native college student from the Bering Sea community of Shaktoolik. After almost four months, the remains of Kelly Hunt were found in a wooded area in the city, as KNBA's Rhonda McBride reports. Although the search for Kelly Hunt ended in a ravine where she was found last week, the quest for answers goes on. The 19 year old's remains were discovered not far from the home she had been staying in, where she stopped to visit on her way to attend college in Soldotna. She was last seen on the morning of January 7. Her family reported her missing four days later. Advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) have questioned the police's response. “When a young Alaska Native woman is reporting missing, it is too late, and now we are looking at human remains.” Michael Livingston (Unangax̂), a retired Anchorage police officer and MMIP advocate, says Hunt's case reflects a pattern he has seen too often. He says several red flags in Hunt's disappearance should have prompted a more aggressive investigation. He says she had left her purse behind, with money inside, as well as clothing, signs she did not plan to be gone for very long. “Was there anymore, that anybody could have done, to try to have located her, early on in the game, to see whether or not any video surveillance cameras or people in the neighborhood might have seen anything suspicious?” Livingston says he would like to see an investigation into the police's response. Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case says he would be happy to discuss the department's handling of the case with advocates, but for now, the ability of police to talk about the investigation is very limited. “The problem is that can really cause challenges if it does become a criminal investigation later on.” Case says one of difficulties police faced was the four-day gap between the time that Hunt went missing and when her disappearance was reported. Case says he doesn't blame anyone for the delay. The difficulties were understandable under the circumstances. “But as soon as we found out that she was missing, we took the report, and detectives took over that case and treated that case as a critical or a high-risk case, that there was definitely concern over.” Case says investigators continue to process evidence in the case as they wait for the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the exact cause of Kelly Hunt's death. So far, no arrests have been made. A tribute to slain teen Emily Pike adorns a fence in Mesa, Ariz. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) signed a bipartisan bill into law this month, mandating that the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) make attempts to enter cooperative agreements with each of the state's 22 federally recognized tribes. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on the measure meant to improve child welfare. The statute requires DCS to identify a liaison for each tribe, who is then responsible for providing technical assistance and coordinating communication. The agency will also share best practices, policies, training materials, and operational standards. Murdered San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was in the care of DCS when she went missing from a Mesa group home for the last time in early 2025. Her tribe has yet to enter an agreement with DCS, but is in talks. To date, only four tribes have established such Memoranda of Understanding. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Oklahoma tribes work to keep Medicaid access intact as federal cuts loom

Anchorage, Alaska police have identified the person found deceased last week in the Spenard area of the city as 19-year-old Kelly Hunt from the Alaska Native community of Shaktoolik. Police say Hunt was discovered outdoors on April 20 near the 3500 block of Lois Drive. Next of kin have been notified. According to investigators, Hunt had arrived in Anchorage on January 6 and was staying at a residence on Oregon Drive. She left that home the following morning, January 7. Four days later, on January 11, Hunt was reported missing to Anchorage Police. Detectives were assigned to investigate her disappearance. More than three months later, officers responded to a call just before 9 a.m. on April 20, where Hunt's body was found outside. Members of the crowd at the 2026 ASAA 1A/2A Basketball State Championships in March hold signs with a photo of Kelly Hunt printed on them. (Photo: Waatsasdiyei Apayakuk Yates) The Anchorage Police Department says the death remains under investigation. The State Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death. No arrests have been made at this time. In a statement, Police Chief Sean Case acknowledged the impact of the loss. Police are asking anyone with information related to the case to come forward as the investigation continues. 2026 U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit. (Courtesy Indigenous Data Alliance / Instagram) With the rise of AI, Indigenous people around the world are growing more concerned about data sovereignty. The Mountain West News Bureau's Hanna Merzbach has more on a recent conference on the topic in Tucson, Ariz. One attendee was Burt Dillabaugh, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, who works for an organization focused on Indigenous data sovereignty. He says at the last conference in 2024, people were still trying to understand the concept. Now, as AI scrapes data from the internet including traditional knowledge, they are ready to take action. “Since AI is here to stay, now is the time to be planning for it before it’s too late.” The mission is to protect Indigenous data – everything from genetics to language – from being exploited. “It's some outside entity,  whether it be the federal government or a university or some corporation, wanting … to get data from tribes.” He says tribes can protect their data with policies that govern access. Or by creating systems to store it within Indigenous nations. The Indigenous data sovereignty movement is gaining steam with the growth of AI. Indigenous members from across the world recently gathered in Tucson, Arizona to discuss how to keep control of their data. That includes Burt Dillabaugh, who is with an organization trying to do just that. He says attendees at the recent event were more familiar with the movement. “It was less like introducing this new concept to people and more like, We know what’s going on. Here’s some ideas, let’s get down to work, do something.” Ideas include having tribal nations create policies to govern data access and prevent exploitation. Dillabaugh says this often happens when the federal government or universities want to collect genetic data about tribes. He wants tribes to have more of a say about how that data is used. Two community members in Galena, Alaska stand on the shore of the Yukon River, which no longer feeds their families. (Courtesy Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Tribal Consortium) Three tribal organizations from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have launched a new resource page for their ongoing salmon advocacy partnership. The Association of Village Council Presidents, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish commission launched a partnership called the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Tribal Consortium (AYKTC) in 2002. A press release from the organization says the goal is to protect the ways of life associated with salmon, by focusing on policy and advocacy rooted in science and Indigenous knowledge. The tribal organizations have shown public support for a state Board of Fisheries proposal that would reduce salmon fishing time in Area M, and have advocated for bycatch caps and migratory corridor closures in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. Its new website salmonpeople.org serves as a center for testimonials and resources for salmon advocacy. It features a collection of news stories and accounts documenting the impact of Western Alaska salmon crashes on the lives of the people who live in the region. It also aims to be a landing page where people can learn about current fisheries policies and engage in advocacy. This story was provided by KYUK's Samantha Watson Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, April 27, 2026 – Wide disparities persist when encountering ancestors' remains

The U.S. Forest Service swapped 2,400 acres of lands last month with Resolution Copper that included an Apache holy site called Oak Flat. Now, an Arizona organization is challenging that decision. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has the latest. Resolution Copper told KJZZ that courts at every level have consistently ruled in the mining company's favor, adding “it is time for the meritless litigation to end”. Becket Fund senior counsel Luke Goodrich disagrees. “This litigation is far from over. It's really just getting started.” That is why his D.C. religious liberty firm filed a 41-page plea on Earth Day on behalf of the nonprofit Apache Stronghold. They are asking Arizona's federal district court to essentially undo this congressionally approved land exchange, claiming the U-S has violated federal laws and even an 1852 treaty. Goodrich says there is even legal precedent to back them up. “The courts, if they find that transfer is unlawful, can unwind the transfer and require the parties restore the land to its pristine state.” (Photo: Theo Greenly / KUCB) Unalaskans got a chance to learn about the island's only recycling program Tuesday, as part of Earth Day celebrations this week. Most of what the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska collects gets shipped out, but not the glass. KUCB's Sofia Stuart-Rasi has more on how used glass bottles could be put to use on island, over and over again. “Thank you all for joining us today.” Shenoy Anderson is standing in a conference room, walking community members through a PowerPoint presentation about recycling called “Bin to beyond”. “And recycling is a process of gathering and processing materials to create new products.” Anderson is the environmental director for the tribe. The tribe started their recycling program in 2024, collecting glass, number one plastic, aluminum, and cardboard. It is Unalaska’s only recycling program. Most of the recyclables get shipped out in containers to the Tacoma, Wash. area through a partnership with the barge company Matson, but glass is heavy and takes up too much space. So rather than see it go to waste, the tribe recycles it in house. “I got to take off all the plastic and, the metal off the bottles. That takes up most of the time.” That iss John Gustafson. He is the tribe’s recycling and facilities manager. He sorts the glass and runs the crusher machine, processing bottles into material used for sandbags and winter road traction for the island. That is cheaper than sending it out of town. When sorting glass, Gustafson has one hard rule. Bottles with food residue do not make the cut. Food residue and recycling can contaminate entire batches of material and can cause costly damage to equipment. “Like spaghetti sauce, Alfredo, and stuff like that. People don’t think to rinse it first.” As of now, the tribe has about 6,000 pounds of crushed glass stored. That is roughly 2 years’ worth, but Gustafson says there is room to grow in the future. “It’s just me and can only, you know, handle so much at a time. But eventually we want to upgrade all of our equipment and everything and we’ll spread the news to the whole community. It’ll be even busier.” Anderson says the tribe hopes to have the new equipment ready within the year and potentially recycle the glass into other materials for art, construction, and landscaping. She says once it is up and running, they plan to collect recyclable glass beyond an Alaska. “Our goal is to be a hub.” For now, community members can drop off recyclables at the Cowlingan Tribe’s office. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, April 24, 2026 — Music, fashion, and traditional ink under the stars with the Native Guitars Tour

An oil and gas lease sale is scheduled in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for June. The auction of drilling rights is mandated in federal law, but also reflects the Trump administration's commitment to promoting energy development in the state. The response from Indigenous residents that live in or near the refuge is mixed, as the Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced this month it will hold a lease sale in the nation's largest wildlife refuge, in the northeastern corner of Alaska. The piece of ANWR that has been the subject of passionate dispute for decades is the Coastal Plain, a swath along the Beaufort Sea that potentially has oil and gas reserves. The only community within the refuge is Kaktovik, an Iñupiaq village of about 300 people. Kaktovik Mayor Nathan Gordon Jr. says resource development in the refuge means economic opportunity because the regional government, the North Slope Borough, taxes oil and gas companies. “The taxes that come from the development pay for our schools, our water system, our sewer system. It pays for everything that has meaning in our lifestyle and protection and safety.” ANWR provides habitat for migratory birds and polar bears. And the Coastal Plain specifically is the calving grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. Gordon says he believes development within the refuge will not interfere with wildlife. “With restrictions in place, it’s already set in stone for us to have safe development with our animals.” But opponents of the project are concerned that gravel roads, drilling, and seismic exploration can harm caribou, especially during their vulnerable calving period. The Gwich'in community of Arctic Village is located right outside ANWR to the south. Faith Gemmill lives in Fairbanks, but is from Arctic Village and has family there. “Imagine oil development in their core calving area. It’s going to … devastate our herd.” Gemmill says caribou support food security, culture, spirituality, and economy for Gwich'in people, including the future generations. “Our way of life is reliant on the caribou. So in my opinion, (President Donald) Trump’s incessant drive to drill in this area is a form of cultural genocide of the Gwich’in.” If the upcoming lease sale is successful, it could still take years for a project to break ground. Additional reporting from Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin Diné chef Justin Pioche, right, inspects ingredients as “Chopped” host Ted Allen watches during an episode from April 21, 2026. (Courtesy Food Network) “Chopped” is a Food Network show where four chefs compete in a race against time to make a three-course meal. The latest episode aired Tuesday night and featured an all-Indigenous lineup. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a Navajo chef took the honors. From Chicago to Montana, Indian Country's top cooks vied for the “Chopped” title, but two of them repped the Southwest including Chef Ray Naranjo, who comes from the Santa Clara Pueblo just north of Santa Fe, N.M. Justin Pioche lives on the Navajo Nation. The 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the Southwest co-owns Pioche Food Group, a high-end catering company. He plans on using the $10,000 cash prize to help pay for his own brick-and-mortar restaurant. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native Aerica Calling episode Thursday, April 23, 2026 — Gathering of MCs: Native musicians compete for best bars, beats, and freestyles

Photo: An aerial view of the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson, Ariz. during an EcoFlight trip in April 2026. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) Today is Earth Day and earlier this month, the Colorado nonprofit EcoFlight came to Arizona as part of its annual aerial educational program — Flight Across America. A cohort of college students soared through the skies for an environmental tour of endangered landscapes across the West. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio took flight with them and has this report. On the Tucson International Airport tarmac, a fleet of three Cessna 210s taxi for takeoff. Manufacturers ceased production of this 6-seater model four decades ago, but these very planes have lately been the college students' main mode of transportation. Their four-day adventure across the Grand Canyon State kicked-off in Flagstaff. “And I am in awe of just what the world looks like from a bird's eye view.” Back on the ground, 23-year-old Kimmale Anderson reflects on her ride. She is from the Hopi village of Kykotsmovi and a senior majoring in environmental science at Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Anderson and seven more students met tribes along the way. While here in Tucson, Tohono O'odham Vice Chairwoman Carla Johnson joined her and the rest. “These leaders coming and being with us in these planes and giving their perspective is very powerful. And I think that they don't really speak for all of their people. And I appreciate the fact that they always express that.” An aerial view of solar panels near Tucson during an EcoFlight tour in April 2026. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) Arizona State University data science junior Sophia Honahni is Diné-Hopi and from Tuba City. “They had a lot to share – coming from both a western science and a traditional ecological knowledge perspective.” Eager high schoolers were the first to learn about the land from above through Flight Across America – until the nonprofit EcoFlight shifted its attention to career-bound college students who could make the most meaningful change in areas of conservation. This opportunity can, in part, be credited to one of the nation's most popular folk singers — John Denver. This passion for piloting and astronomy only grew when he moved to spend much of his life in this snowy Colorado city. Aspen is also where Bruce Gordon founded EcoFlight. “My good friend John Denver, you're old enough to know who he is? (laughter)” Gordon was one of the pilots that ferried students around Arizona. “But I laughed like that, because, even a number of the students we just had – maybe a third of them raised their hands.” Flight Across America was their brainchild for Earth Day 2000. “This idea sort of came to a huge fizzle when he passed away.” In 1997, the eight-time platinum album recording artist crashed an experimental plane into California's Monterey Bay. Gordon dedicated the maiden Flight Across America voyage in 2004 to Denver's memory. About 180 students have taken to the skies of the West since then. It is something Gordon thinks would have inspired Denver, too. “Yeah, he would have really been excited about this – getting up in the air, getting the people involved – because that was one of his main loves for sure.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, April 22, 2026 — Earth Day read: “Mother Earth is Our Elder” by Katłı̨̀ą Catherine Lafferty

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) is announcing more than $6.3 million in technical assistance funding for tribal water projects across the country. The funding, announced in Washington, D.C., will support 10 projects aimed at improving access to clean and reliable water in Native communities. The investment comes through the agency's Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program (TAP), which helps federally recognized tribes manage, develop, and protect water resources. Officials say the program is part of the federal government's trust responsibility to tribes, and has supported projects across 17 western states since 2016. Acting Commissioner Scott Cameron says the need for these projects remains urgent. In a statement, Cameron says, “These projects speak to the needs that remain in these communities… many focus on ensuring communities have safe drinking water and sanitation.” The funded projects include a range of water infrastructure improvements, from drinking water system installation and rehabilitation to wastewater and lagoon construction, well installation, and water quality testing. Among the largest awards, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Spirit Lake Tribe will each receive $1 millionfor water system upgrades and wastewater infrastructure. Other projects include nearly $1 million for the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians for drinking water improvements, and more than $950,000 for Nambe Pueblo to support a community health drinking water initiative. An intertribal project led by the Inter Tribal Council will receive $675,000 to support water quality testing and accessibility across nine tribal nations in Oklahoma. Additional funding will support projects for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, and the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel. Tribal leaders say the investments are critical not only for infrastructure, but for long-term community health, sustainability, and workforce development. Federal officials say the program is designed to strengthen tribal capacity and ensure tribes can protect and manage their own water resources for future generations. A stretch of North Dakota Highway 31 winds through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Monday, August 22, 2022. (Photo: Darren Thompson / Buffalo’s Fire) More than $2 million in grants is headed towards two tribes in North Dakota for road improvements. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is giving $1.2 million to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe for its Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 3400 Roadway Realignment Safety Project. It will fund improvements on a nearly one-mile stretch to address “slope, drainage, and crash history”, according to a press release from North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Steve Sitting Bear told Buffalo's Fire that the work on BIA 3400 addresses a real risk his people have lived with, but added that one-time grants aren't enough. And roughly $777,000 went to the Spirit Lake Tribe for its Oyate Walkway to add warning panels and improvements to existing crosswalks and pavement markings. Spirit Lake Tribal Chairwoman Lonna Jackson-Street expressed gratitude for the funding, adding that it'd connect her community to the city of Devils Lake. The grants are part of a $21 million package for tribes allocated through the Tribal Transportation Fund. A 2024 report by the FHWA says Native people are at most risk of death in vehicle crashes, highlighting the need for safe and stable infrastructure across Indian Country Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, April 21, 2026 — Federal funding reinstated for public libraries but worries about the long-term remain

More than 400 athletes from over 100 communities gathered in Anchorage, Alaska for this year's Native Youth Olympic games, held April 16-18 at the Alaska Airlines Center. Among them was Mila Neely, a sophomore at Juneau-Douglas High School (Yadaa.at Kalé) in Juneau, Alaska, but for Neely, the competition went beyond physical strength. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, with family roots in Oklahoma, where her ancestors, including her great, great, great, great grandmother, were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. When she was nine years old, she retraced that history alongside her father and great grandfather. “It's kind of indescribable… to just stand where your ancestors stand… when my grandma was walking the Trail of Tears, she was thinking of me.” Neely says that experience continues to shape how she approaches the games. “For the games… especially when I'm doing seal hop… I'll be like, ‘My grandma walked the Trail of Tears, I can make it to the end.’” She also sees connections between Cherokee traditions and Alaska Native values, rooted in community strength. “Our ancestors… they really just wanted other people to do good… because if they didn't do good, their family might go hungry.” For Neely, every event carries a deeper purpose. “I hope I'd be making her proud… trying to make my ancestors proud, and keep our culture alive.” She says she is competing not just for herself, but for the generations who came before her, and those still to come. Turtle Mountain Community College. (Courtesy Wanda Parisien) For the second year in a row, the Trump administration is proposing to end all funding for the nation's tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). As Brian Bull of Buffalo's Fire reports, administrators are rallying against the proposal. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has blasted the White House's proposed cuts, saying it is deeply concerned that the Trump budget for Fiscal Year 2027 “does not align with the Administration's stated policies to support rural America and expand access to higher education.” Last year's proposed budget cuts never came to pass, but Wanda Parisien president of Turtle Mountain Community College, in Belcourt, N.D., says this renewed call is a disheartening prospect. “Our programs are gonna be cut, so we're gonna have fewer students because those programs won't be offered. If we have fewer students, we're not going to have the money to pay our instructors. We live in a poverty-stricken area.” Another tribal institution of higher learning is Nueta, Hidatsa, and Sahnish Community College in Fort Berthold. Its president Twyla Baker says she and other administrators will be working with congressional representatives to challenge this proposed cut. “Our representatives are highly cognizant of the fact that we are economic drivers in our communities. The TCUs — we generated $3.8 billion for the U.S. economy and supported over 40,000 jobs in healthcare and government and retail.” Besides the disruption caused, should the cuts to tribal colleges and universities be implemented, tribal administrators say it would be a violation of the federal government's trust and treaty obligation to tribes. Tomi Kay Phillips is president of Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, N.D. She is cautiously optimistic the funding cut will be thwarted, eventually. “I believe that we will get the funding, it just doesn't make sense for them not to fund us. Y'know, we make do with what we have if we have to. Our ancestors went through worse things. And we will always be okay.” The proposed cut to tribal colleges and universities comes to roughly $160 million and includes TCUs, institutes operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIA), technical colleges, and scholarships. It came through the U.S. Interior Department, helmed by former Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND). A request for comment on the proposal to Sec. Burgum was not answered. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, April 20, 2026 — Native Bookshelf: “Python's Kiss” by Louise Erdrich

Opening ceremonies for the statewide Native Youth Olympic (NYO) games got underway at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska Thursday. This year's NYO coordinator, Brittany Vo, says it is impressive to watch the procession of 400 athletes from across Alaska enter the stadium, as they carry homemade banners that represent their schools and communities. “It's just so exciting to have so much representation in one room, which I think is really powerful to see how one event can bring us all together.” Over the next two days, thousands of people will come to watch traditional Native games like the Alaskan High Kick, the Seal Hop, and Stick Pull – tests of skill, strength, and endurance, Vo says, that are rooted in survival off the land. “It's really important to me, because as a youth, I didn't always feel like pride in my culture. And the fact that these students come and they're proud to do these games is really important for self-esteem and confidence.” This year marks the 40th year that the Cook Inlet Tribal Council has hosted NYO. Since then, the games have continued to grow. Today, teams from more than 100 Alaska communities take part. The deadline to comment has passed on a Trump administration proposal that could roll back a two-decade ban on oil and gas drilling around a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within seven days, more than 70,000 comments were gathered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on potential changes for public lands surrounding Chaco Canyon. The BLM wants to repeal a Biden-era 10-mile buffer zone of more than 336,000 acres. Rich in oil and gas, some 40,000 wells already dot the Greater Chaco Landscape. “What we are fighting for is the last, right now, unleased federal lands.” Marissa Naranjo is from the Santa Clara Pueblo. She is with the New Mexico nonprofit Sovereign Energy. “Even when tribes lead, engage and help shape the process over many years, you know at this point, there's no guarantee that those outcomes will be respected, as we're seeing by the seven-day public comment. It could set the tone for how sacred sites and public lands are treated nationwide.” The mineral leasing withdrawal in 2023 followed a 150-day comment period. After a year of working for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Scott Davis has stepped down from his role as deputy assistant secretary of Indian Affairs (ASIA). As Brian Bull of Buffalo's Fire reports, Davis is now back in North Dakota and the private sector. Davis is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe with Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa heritage. He has long been a familiar face across North Dakota, having served as the executive director of the state's Indian Affairs Commission from 2009 to 2021. It was in that capacity that he became friends with Doug Burgum, then governor of North Dakota. When Burgum was confirmed as the 55th U.S. Secretary of the Interior last year, he tapped Davis to join his staff. Davis confesses he was hesitant. “You know when things started getting really busy, and not enough people power in the ASIA Hallway, I said I would help him get things set up, and whether that was a year, two years. But it wasn't solely intended by no means, it was never my goal to be working in government, but sometimes that's where the Creator puts you.” Davis said he is proud to have met with 400 tribes and addressed red tape, natural resources development, and probate while in federal office. He will go back to his consulting and lobbying firm, Tatanka Consulting, which he founded in 2023. He will also spend more time with his family. Among the groups praising Davis' tenure are the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the InterTribal Buffalo Council. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, April 17, 2026 – Storytelling and advocacy through film, culture, and collaboration at Arctic Encounter

Photo: Researchers and community members gather for a presentation by Robin Masterman at the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel on April 9, 2026. (Samantha Watson / KYUK) Researchers and local experts gathered in Bethel last week to share environmental knowledge. As KYUK's Samantha Watson reports, the conference highlighted the power of linking Indigenous knowledge with Western science across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. It is the beginning of the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference, but before everyone gets down to work – organizer Katie Basile asks them to stop and … “Think about resilience and abundance in Western Alaska. What does that look like?” Basile, with the Alaska Sea Grant which organized the conference, says it is hard not to get bogged down by the difficult issues the region is facing. Many of those problems are informing research presented this week: salmon fisheries in decline, permafrost erosion, and the devastation of Typhoon Halong. Basile says this gathering is also an opportunity to imagine what things could lead to a better future. “What conversations can we have this week that will connect us to a narrative of abundance and resilience?” The conference is in its 18th year and it rotates between Western Alaska communities. Bridging Indigenous knowledge with Western science took center stage. Joann Slats, mayor of Napakiak, spoke about growing up in the village — when permafrost was close to the surface. “The permafrost was about two feet, July, June.” Today, Slats says stronger fall storms, including October's ex-Typhoon Halong, have been a new piece of the village's relationship with its environment. “90% in our community, 90% of the homes experienced water getting into their homes.” Much of the research that was presented had similar firsthand accounts and testimonies around the changing environment. Nicole Herman-Mercer with the U.S. Geological Survey presented a project that couples collecting interviews with data surrounding extreme weather events in Y-K Delta communities. “We set out to develop finer scale climate data coupled with community narratives to create storylines of change.” Organizers said a record-breaking 160 people registered to participate in the conference this year. An eagle staff stands among the trees in the Black Elk Wilderness on March 21, 2026. (Photo: Preston Keres / U.S. Forest Service) A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by Great Sioux Nation Tribal leaders and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), that allows collaborative stewardship of the Black Elk Wilderness in South Dakota. Brian Bull of Buffalo's Fire reports. Last month, members of both parties signed the MOU, in an event that also included a hike up Black Elk Peak. The wilderness comprises more than 13,000 acres of forest in the Black Hills National Forest and was created in 1980. Boyd Gourneau is chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, one of the 11 tribes represented in the agreement. He says this is an especially important development for Native youth. “Our children are one of the most important resources for the future of our nation. We want our kids to have a chance to visit the sacred lands, our ancestors roamed free at one time.” Gourneau said he wished the parties would have signed a MOU, as he considers that more binding. Ultimately he would like to see all the land returned to tribes. In a release, the USFS said the MOU “enhances opportunities for tribal guidance, knowledge, and consultation regarding wilderness management, resource protection, recreation, and cultural interpretation.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, April 16, 2026 – Eklutna: a trailblazer on gaming and climate change action in Alaska

Photo: Fresh snow coats Monument Valley Tribal Park straddling Utah and Arizona in February 2026. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) The Navajo Nation signed an agreement with Utah last month that centers on advancing economic development and authentic Indigenous representation through cinema. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, it also formalizes a time-honored tradition of filmmaking on Navajoland – home to one of Hollywood's most iconic Western settings straddling Utah and Arizona. If you ever take a road trip to Monument Valley, you will see why this legendary landscape is so much more than just a movie set. It is also a tribal park, the first to be founded in 1958 and where about 100 or so Navajos actually call home. This 17-mile dirt loop – dotted with horses and hogans – is managed by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department. “If they say no, we tell the film production, no. But that doesn't mean that we're going to shut the door on you.” For Edsel Pete, who is in charge of the Navajo Nation TV and Film Office, the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the state of Utah is all about being “film friendly”, while also caring for the environment. Scripts can be changed – the land, not so much. “As we know, film is not going anywhere, but we don't want to just give away the resources. This is all we got, and we want to protect it.” Towering red sandstone buttes have, time and again, turned into the unmistakable backdrop for some of Tinseltown's biggest blockbusters. From Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” to the final chapter of the “Back to the Future” trilogy. No matter the genre, Monument Valley has been glittering on the silver screen for nearly a century, but its popularity began with Westerns. Virigina Pearce is director of the Utah Film Commission. “Both states claim it as our own and it does get a lot of requests.” Arizona was the first state to ink such an MOU with the Navajo Nation in 2019; talks are underway with New Mexico to follow suit. “This MOU came at such a great time for us to not only look back and consider the history, but also look forward and think about how much more could we do if we work together.” James Lujan is from the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. He chairs the Cinematic Arts and Technology Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. and suggests these MOUs could benefit everyone. “It's a win for the production companies. It's a win for the tribe, because they have people that they're putting to work to train below-the-line crew members.” Like gaffers, camera operators, and set designers. But Lujan thinks training above-the-line talent – screenwriters, producers and directors – is even more important for representation. “Because that's the only way we're going to break into mainstream cinema is by taking ownership and control of our own stories.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – Iñupiaq leaders weigh their economic future and oil drilling in the Arctic

Photo: A voter fills in a ballot during Bethel’s municipal election on October 1, 2024. (MaryCait Dolan / KYUK) The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is speaking out against a proposed federal voting bill it says could create new barriers for Alaska Native voters. In a press release issued April 6, AFN urged Congress to reject the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which is currently being debated in the U.S. Senate. AFN represents more than 190 tribes, along with Native corporations and nonprofits across Alaska. Leaders say the bill would require voters to present documentary proof of citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — in person at a designated election office in order to register for federal elections. For many Alaska Native communities, especially in rural areas, that could mean traveling long distances, often by plane, at significant cost. In the statement, AFN says, “The SAVE Act… would disenfranchise eligible voters and recreate the very barriers our communities have fought for decades to dismantle.” The organization also raised concerns about how the bill would treat Tribal identification, noting that many IDs do not include citizenship status and could require voters to obtain additional documentation. AFN says that process could take weeks and may be difficult or impossible for some community members. The group argues the legislation is unnecessary, calling it “a solution in search of a problem” and pointing out that noncitizen voting is already illegal and rare. AFN says the bill could also restrict systems widely used in Alaska, including mail-in and online voter registration. As the debate continues in Washington, tribal leaders are calling on Congress to focus instead on improving access to voting, particularly in rural communities. A federal judge has rejected a plea agreement in the case of missing Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay. Begay, a 62-year-old member of the Navajo Nation, was last seen in 2021 at her home in Sweetwater, Ariz. and has not been found. According to the Associated Press, the judge denied a proposed deal for Preston Henry Tolth, who is accused of assaulting Begay before she disappeared. Prosecutors say the agreement would have allowed Tolth to avoid additional prison time. Begay's family opposed the deal in court. Her niece, Seraphine Warren, told the judge, “Accountability is not time served… we still don't have the truth.” Advocates say the case highlights ongoing challenges in addressing missing and murdered Indigenous people across the country. Arizona drivers have lots of specialty license plates to choose from – 114 to be exact. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, the largest tribe in the Phoenix metro area is among the latest to be featured. Back in 2023, State Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-AZ) pitched letting the Gila River Indian Community design its own plate. “Lots of people will think, ‘Oh, this is just another license plate bill.' … It is a very big deal.” Because for each plate sold, $17 will be donated to the tribe's transportation committee for traffic and road improvements. Commuters regularly travel through their reservation just south of Phoenix. “Especially when the I-10 is down.” Martinez's proposal passed as part of a larger bill that included the neighboring Ak-Chin Indian Community and Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Gila River, in March, became the fifth of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes to print one. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — Native in the Spotlight: cartographer Margaret Wickens Pearce

Photo: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to Native American leaders gathered at Gila River Indian Community's Wild Horse Pass Casino on April 8, 2026. (Caitlin Sievers / Arizona Mirror) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a stop in the Phoenix, Ariz. metro area to visit the Gila River Indian Community last week. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, Sec. Kennedy touted tribal health accomplishments a year into President Donald Trump's second term. Kennedy briefly took the stage at Wild Horse Pass during the annual Tribal Self-Governance Conference. “ We're going to make Indian Country healthy again. Thank you all very, very much.” In his speech, Kennedy talked about making progress on key issues like food sovereignty, chronic disease, and federal dietary guidelines. He, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) literally flipped the food pyramid upside down. Tackling staffing shortages and aging infrastructure throughout the entire Indian Health Service (IHS) was another topic. Yet, the now defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated a dozen leases for IHS facilities. This decision was seen as a costs-saving measure to shore up funds tied up in federal office space. And according to data from Stanford’s Big Local News, the U.S. cancelled 121 IHS contracts totaling over $8 million last year. The federal government is encouraging tribes to partner with data centers. That could mean leasing land or, as the Mountain West News Bureau's Hanna Merzbach reports, selling power. At a U.S. Department of Energy webinar, Ken Ahmann with Colusa Indian Energy said that is where the big bucks come in. “ Potentially billions of dollars into the coffers of tribes.” His company provides energy infrastructure to data centers on tribal land. He says these partnerships can be good for tribes that have land and resources to power big projects like the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Paul Bemore is the chair of the tribe's utility board. “Tribes that are casino-dependent really need to look at other ways to build their economies, and I think data centers is one of those opportunities.” Though Bemore says people may be wary about how this will impact the environment. Other tribes have expressed concerns about data centers draining precious water supplies. The Native Youth Olympic (NYO) games begin this week in Anchorage. The games kick off Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Center, bringing together hundreds of student athletes from across the state. Now in its 54th year, NYO celebrates traditional Alaska Native games rooted in survival skills, strength, and endurance. Events include the one-foot high kick, seal hop, and wrist carry — all designed to test both physical ability and mental toughness. Ann Lawrence is from Point Hope, Alaska and a cultural advisor for Cook Inlet Tribal Council. She says watching the children reunite every year brings her joy. “I love watching the kids participate. You see the friendship has grown over the years. Some of them that have started out as freshman, are graduating from high school, and they're very involved, and it just warms my heart that these kids know that what they're doing here is something that they can share with their future relatives. Maybe as they become parents, grandparents, I think is so important.” The games run through Saturday and are free and open to the public. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, April 13, 2026 — Tribes confront growing data center development pressure

After much speculation, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren announced earlier this week that he will seek reelection later on this year. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. President Nygren became the youngest president in Window Rock after defeating incumbent Jonathan Nez four years ago. Nygren won that race by just more than 3,500 votes. In a video message on social media, Nygren picked up his signature, black open crown hat. “And I will be tossing my hat into the race for Navajo Nation president. Let's keep building on the momentum that we've built so far.” Since his inauguration, the sitting president has faced considerable scrutiny. A special prosecutor has called for his immediate resignation over alleged ethics violations that included the misuse of public funds, while Navajo Nation Council delegates continue trying to oust him. (Courtesy Mircea Brown) The nonprofit tribal organization Sealaska Heritage Institute has published a new book that presents Tlingit Raven stories for the first time in the original language with English translations. The 860-page volume brings together 50 stories by seven Tlingit storytellers born in between 1870 and 1915 across Southeast Alaska. As KCAW's Hope McKenney reports, the stories were transcribed from recordings of oral performances and include some of the oldest known recordings of these stories told in Lingít. The book is currently available through Sealaska Heritage Institute's website. Geiger says they also hope to make the original audio recordings of these stories available in the near future. 75-year-old Ḵ'ashgé Daphne Wright grew up listening to her aunt Katherine Mills tell her stories of Raven, a cultural hero, world-maker, and trickster figure among the Tlingit of Southeast Alaska. “I can just remember we’d be sitting in the kitchen, around the kitchen table, and it was maybe in the evening, with everyone just kind of sitting around and just listening, and just kind of a warm feeling. And just listening to my aunt’s voice.” Wright says reading this book, which features stories from her aunt, is like hearing her aunt's voice again. “I miss her so much, you know. And I miss my mother … And so it just means so much that there’s something here and an actual physical book that has her stories in it.” This volume has been more than four decades in the making. It is the fifth in a series of books from Sealaska Heritage Institute called the “Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature,” and is the first in the series to be exclusively focused on Raven. Will Geiger is a research specialist with the Southeast nonprofit. “The intention of this series is to present standout examples of the Tlingit oral tradition in a written form, so that people who whether you do speak Lingít or not, you’re able to appreciate the depth and the artistry and the history.” This book features a transcribed version of the original recording on the left hand page and an English translation on the right. Geiger says Raven is one of the most developed characters in the Tlingit oral tradition, with stories ranging from sacred to humorous. “Mostly, he appears in the form of a person. And he can change forms … He turns into a woman, a little hemlock needle … and a raven.” For Lgeik'i Heather Powell Mills, a Lingít language teacher in Hoonah, hearing or reading these stories in the original language leads to deeper understanding. “Hearing our language is it’s like medicine to us… to have a strong connection to the land, to understand where you come from, in order to know where you’re going.” Mills says she's grateful these stories were recorded and preserved for future generations. “We don’t have the time we used to have. I think this is a great way for us to learn. It was their dream for us.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, April 10, 2026 – Money management during economic uncertainty and the rise of Buy Now Pay Later

Photo: A cross and mural honor slain teen Emily Pike along U.S. 70 Route near Peridot on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) The FBI announced earlier this month that it is, once again, putting extra agents in the field to address a backlog of cold cases on tribal lands. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, this effort is part of a years-long joint initiative with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Under Operation Not Forgotten, more law enforcement personnel will be filtering through nearly a dozen FBI field offices with close ties to Indian Country. Agents are being sent to cities like Phoenix, Ariz., Billings, Mont., Albuquerque, N.M., and Denver, Colo. Kevin Smith is with the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “A lot of our state is tribal territory. Right now, we're set for 14 agents.” The FBI is handling 4,100 active Indigenous criminal cases nationwide. Smith says Arizona's share is in the hundreds – including two high-profile ones for San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike and 8-year-old Navajo Maleeka “Mollie” Boone. “Every case is unique, and every case takes the time that it takes.” The Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments last month on whether prisoners can be forcibly medicated with psychiatric drugs — without a court hearing and the right to a lawyer. In the state corrections system, Alaska Native people are incarcerated at about twice the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. Prisoner Mark Andrews is housed at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. (Photo: Anne Hillman / Alaska Public Media) The Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments this month on whether prisoners can be forcibly medicated with psychiatric drugs — without a court hearing and the right to a lawyer. In the state corrections system, Alaska Native people are incarcerated at about twice the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought the case against the Department of Corrections (DOC) on behalf of a prisoner, Mark Andrews. He says he has been unjustly drugged with powerful psychotropic medication for most of the last seven years, without due process or access to legal counsel. The Department policy currently allows prisoners to be drugged against their will if they are gravely disabled or are in imminent risk for harming themselves or others. Doron Levine is a lawyer for the ACLU. He argued at the hearing that the policy infringes on rights protected by the state constitution. “Few things are more personal than someone’s body, and arguably, nothing is more personal than a person’s mind. It’s the locus of a person’s identity, and it’s a last refuge of freedom for people who are incarcerated.” Under department policy, prisoners have the right to hearings every six months with department staff. And they have the right to appeal the decision to a department committee. The ACLU argues that Andrews did not have sufficient access to hearings or an appeal. Justice Jennifer Henderson questioned Kimber Rogers, the attorney representing DOC. Justice Henderson says the facts seem to suggest that the prisoner was denied the rights promised in the department's policy. Justice Henderson: “How do you respond to that?” Kimber Rogers: “Your Honor, I agree that there were definitely some problems, and Mr. Andrews’ hearings, but I don’t think that that’s important.” Henderson: “There were more than some problems. There were long periods of time where there were no hearings, for example.” Rogers: “Well, Your Honor, I would dispute that actually.” The ACLU lawyer argued that there should be a hearing in a courtroom because DOC staff may be biased to protect the institution over the person, but Rogers says a hearing inside prison is the best approach. When the Supreme Court issues a ruling, the decision could apply to the approximately 22 Alaska prisoners who are being forcibly drugged. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, April 9, 2026 — Roller derby skaters don't let anyone push them around

Photo: U.S. Department of Interior building. (Kmf164 via Wikimedia) Tribal leaders are raising concerns about a possible overhaul of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that could lead to more staff cuts. During a congressional hearing last week, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) president Mark Macarro warned lawmakers a proposed reorganization could reduce positions critical to delivering funding and services to tribal nations. He says the plan is moving forward without meaningful consultation. Macarro told lawmakers, “this action has been done without consultation with tribal nations and without consideration of the impact it will have on the delivery of programs and services.” A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found workforce reductions have already caused delays and left gaps in services across Indian Country. Federal officials say the changes are intended to improve efficiency, but tribal leaders warn the impacts could be far reaching. Native children playing outside at the Iselta Head Start. (Photo: Jeanette DeDios / KUNM-FM) The Pueblo of Isleta could lose federal funds for its Head Start program because online betting and prediction markets are hurting the tribe's gaming revenues. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) met with tribal leaders last week to discuss the importance of preserving early education programs on sovereign Native lands. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) has more. At the Isleta Head Start, which serves children ages three to five at the pueblo, the program offers both educational and cultural learning like traditional dancing and language learning. Native American communities must do a 20% non-federal match for their Head Start programs in order to receive the remaining 80% of their budget from the federal government, so Isleta Pueblo uses revenues from its casino gaming for the match. But tribal officials say that is now at risk because online gaming platforms use federal regulatory loopholes to offer gambling-like services nationwide, while avoiding state gaming compacts under which tribal casinos must operate. Charles Jojola , 1st Lieutenant Governor for the Pueblo of Isleta, says that every gaming Pueblo has similar concerns. “Coming into our state, unregulated. They’re not sharing any of their revenues. What people gamble, what they make, they’re walking away, you know, from the state with all that money. And as far as Indian tribes go, you know, we’re required.” The Trump administration has eased Biden-era regulations on prediction markets. Rep. Vasquez introduced an amendment to prohibit sports betting using prediction market models. He also co-sponsored another bill that would prohibit members of Congress and the administration from entering into contracts. He says if they do not prohibit this it is going to lead to corruption issues. “Because now you’re able to make predictions or bets on things like world events, on legislation, passing on what the President is going to do tomorrow, on what the Supreme Court case is going to decide on a case that they have before them.” Councilwoman for the Pueblo Eulalia Lucero says this will directly impact the Pueblo's children. “This is the forefront of the foundation of their future, and it’s developing their knowledge, their awareness, so that they can be stronger as they go into the next phases of education.” Vasquez says that online gaming is a clear violation and overstep of the rules that currently exist and it will be one of his top priorities this year. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – Tribes scramble to save critical healthcare funding

Photo courtesy National Indian Child Welfare Association The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act in 2023, according to reporting by SCOTUSblog, affirming the law's role in keeping Native children connected to their families and tribes. But nearly two years later, implementation challenges remain. Legal analysis from Cornell Law School says states are still working to fully carry out ICWA's requirements, including placement preferences and coordination with tribal governments. And according to the National Indian Child Welfare Association, tribal leaders say the law is critical to protecting Native children and preserving cultural identity, and are calling for stronger enforcement nationwide. D. John Sauer is sworn in by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi with President Donald Trump one year ago this week. In the U.S. Supreme Court showdown over the 14th Amendment last week, justices sharply questioned the Trump administration's lawyer for invoking Native American history to challenge the birthright citizenship of immigrants. KNBA's Rhonda McBride reports on why his argument faced resistance. In defending President Donald Trump's executive order against birthright citizenship, U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer compared Indian tribes to foreign governments. He argued that the U.S. Constitution treats tribes as sovereign nations and that when the country was founded, tribal members and their children were not considered citizens, much like the children of foreign diplomats, a standard Sauer says should be applied to immigrants. Justice Sonia Sotomayor challenged Sauer's reasoning. “You're using some pretty obscure sources to get to this concept. The Indian Tribes were analogized to foreign diplomats. So what do we do with that?” Sauer replied, “I think with the Indian Tribes, we think that's a case that strongly supports us.” But Bob Anderson (Chippewa), an Indian Law Professor at Harvard, says that comparison does not hold. “The Indian law case just doesn't fit with anything that they're trying to do. And they were really trying to make it apply and I think they failed.” Bob Anderson took on the subsistence rights case of Katie John when he was an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund in 1985. (Photo: Rhonda McBride) Anderson says those doubts about Sauer's case appeared to cut across ideological lines. “It seemed to me that the conservative members of the court recognized that. I was surprised that they seemed to be so much in alignment with the opponents of the Trump administration.” Justice Neil Gorsuch, widely regarded as an expert on Indian Law, pressed Sauer on Native American citizenship. “Do you think they’re birthright citizens?” Sauer responded, “No. I think the clear understanding that everybody agrees in the congressional debates is that the children of tribal Indians are not birthright citizens.” Justice Gorsuch eventually got Sauer to agree that by today's standards, tribal Indians are birthright citizens, but then Sauer walked that back. “I’m not sure. I have to think through that.” Based on Sauer's arguments, Anderson says Native Americans should not worry about their citizenship status. “No, there’s no way that this case could affect the citizenship of Indian tribes, because Congress passed the separate law in 1924, automatically making all tribal members in the United States citizens as well as their children.” The 1924 law passed decades after the 14th Amendment – to close the loophole that had left Native Americans without automatic citizenship. The law, however, did not affect their tribal government-to-government status under the Constitution. AIHEC CEO Ahniwake Rose. (Courtesy Ahniwake Rose / LinkedIn) Leaders from tribal colleges and universities are calling on Congress to increase federal funding, saying current support falls short of what is needed. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) says tribal colleges receive significantly less funding per student than other public institutions, despite serving communities with high financial need. AIHEC President and CEO Ahniwake Rose says, “A flourishing tribal higher education sector strengthens the entire nation.” Leaders are urging lawmakers to fully fund tribal college programs, saying the federal government has a trust responsibility to support Native education. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, April 7, 2026 – Alutiiq Museum tells tale of Alaska Native children sent to Carlisle Indian Boarding School

Photo: Marcia Lowry outside the federal courthouse in Anchorage on September 8, 2025. She was lead attorney in the class action lawsuit against the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. (Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a federal class-action lawsuit filed against the Alaska Office of Children's Services (OCS) Tuesday. The lawsuit was brought by a national nonprofit working for foster care reforms. Attorneys for the organization alleged Alaska foster children are at risk of harm because of systemic problems that violated federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and federal child welfare protections. They pointed to high caseloads for caseworkers and an inadequate hiring and training process. About two thirds of kids in out-of-home care in the state are Alaska Native, but Gleason wrote that the attorneys did not prove that any of the foster youth represented were actually harmed. Gleason also questioned the reliability of the evidence presented. Marcia Lowry is attorney and executive director of A Better Childhood, which brought the suit. She calls the dismissal “quite disappointing”. “We did do a trial that involved a lot of evidence that, I think, was largely undisputed about how high the caseloads are in Alaska, about the lack of placement resources for children, about the failure to basically make attempts to remedy that situation.” She says a lot of children in Alaska are not getting benefits they are entitled to under federal law. Lowry says A Better Childhood is not sure yet of its next steps but is considering an appeal. “We have seen dysfunctional child welfare systems really, really change and provide good services to kids, but we have seen that only as a result of litigation.” OCS declined an interview for this story. In a written statement they said they are pleased with the court's decision and the verdict is an opportunity for the office to continue advancing its work. This story was provided by Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio) The U.S. Supreme Court last week spent two hours hearing a landmark case that could upend birthright citizenship. A 19th century ruling on the citizenry of tribal members was at the heart of the Trump administration's defense. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has this report. This was the exchange during oral arguments when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch pressed Solicitor General John Sauer, who presented the government's case. Sauer: “Yes, yes, so a tribal Indian for example gives up allegiance to…” Justice Gorsuch: “Are tribal members born today birthright citizens?” Sauer: “Uh, I think so – on our test, yes – if they're lawfully domiciled here. I have to think that through, but that's my reaction.” Gorsuch: “I'll take the yes, that's alright.” In an 1884 majority decision, the justices ruled John Elk, a Winnebago man living in Omaha, was not a U.S. citizen in spite of the 14th Amendment – codifying birthright citizenship. “My mother was probably not a United States citizen when she was born in 1923 in Oklahoma.” Bob Miller, who is Eastern Shawnee and with Arizona State University's Indian Legal Clinic, has been teaching this very precedent of Elk v. Wilkins for three decades now. “I disagree completely with the argument that that's analogous to undocumented immigrants and them having children here.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, April 6, 2026 – What the ‘conversion therapy’ court decision means for LGBTQ2+ protections

Photo: Utqiagvik coast in June 2022. (Alena Naiden) Arctic sea ice has been shrinking in recent decades, reaching record lows both in summer and in winter. A new study shows a continuation of this trend: ice is sticking to Alaska's northern shores for less time than it used to. Researchers say this can have implications for the climate, resource development, and subsistence hunting. The Alaska Desk's Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. Andrew Mahoney is a research professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. In January, he and his colleague published a study in the “Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans”. It focused on the ice that attaches to the shores of Alaska's northern coast, called landfast ice. They found that over nearly three decades, the landfast ice in Alaska's Arctic is forming later, breaking up earlier, and not reaching as far offshore. “So it’s sort of shrinking in time, and it’s shrinking in space as well.” Mahoney previously looked at the landfast ice in Chukchi and Beaufort seas in a study published in 2014. At that time, the Chukchi Sea seemed to experience more ice loss, while the Beaufort Sea seemed more stable. This year's study showed that that has changed. “Now we’re starting to see changes in the Beaufort Sea, that the Beaufort Sea of today is not the Beaufort Sea of the 1970s. Mahoney says that while landfast ice is only a small fraction of the overall ice cover, it is the type of ice most people come in contact with. Indigenous communities have used it for millennia to hunt – like whalers in Utqiagvik in spring. “A large fraction of the community, at any one time might actually be out on the land fast ice actively whaling, and the success of that whale hunt is in part related to how accessible and how stable and safe the land fast ice is.” He added that the oil and gas industry also uses landfast ice to build seasonal ice roads to connect to facilities. His team's study was funded by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, with the interest of oil and gas development near shore. And when landfast ice breaks up earlier in spring, coastal communities lose a shield protecting them from the open water and waves. “There’s a lot of erosion affecting these communities. Most of it happens in the fall, but we could start to see more erosion happening in the springtime if landfast Ice keeps breaking up earlier.” The Arctic has been warming four times faster than the rest of the world. The recent landfast ice decline might be related to the overall thinning of Arctic sea ice due to climate change. But more research is needed to better understand the process behind it. Orlando Carroll was elected chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe on April 1, 2026. (Courtesy Orlando Carroll for WMAT Chairman) It was just election day for the 15,000-member White Mountain Apache Tribe. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a new chairman has been named and hopes his administration can help change course. The tribal radio station first announced official election committee results late Wednesday. Whiteriver school board member Orlando Carroll won the seat by 80 ballots. Over 4,200 votes were cast in that race. The chairman-elect celebrated with supporters. “You are the core of the Carroll administration.” Carroll promises stability and a brighter future after the tribe had two different sitting chairmen within in recent weeks. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, April 3, 2026 – Juno Awards reach new milestones for Indigenous representation

Over the weekend, a Diné pro athlete from the Arizona Ridge Riders ascended to the top ranks of competitive bull riding worldwide. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. “Keyshawn just crafted his career moment, and he perches above them all and is the master of the Pit.” For the first time, Keyshawn Whitehorse from Kraken Springs, Utah won the Ty Murray Invitational after hanging onto a bucking bull named “Lights Out”. The 28 year old had a perfect weekend, going 4 for 4 on rides, with pretty much everybody in the building was right behind him. “And all you guys, Navajo Nation, the support here in Albuquerque, N.M. – I've dreamed of this moment in my entire life, and now we're on track for a gold buckle. This is a great stepping stone.” With this title win, Whitehorse is among the top 10 riders in the world. Gayle Hoseth (Yup’ik), Alaska Federation of Natives Co-Chair. (Photo: Avery Lill / KDLG) Alaska Native groups have scrambled to make their voices heard on a series of subsistence proposals from Safari Club International, which aims to reshape fish and game management on federal lands. By the time the deadline for public comment passed on Monday, more than 2,000 people had weighed in. Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports. The letters are emotional, overwhelmingly from rural hunters and fishers, worried that the Safari Club's proposals to the U.S. Interior Department would threaten their ability to live off the land. Tribal leaders like Gayla Hoseth (Yup'ik), Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Co-Chair, say these battles never seem to end. “We're often times, repeating ourselves, over and over.” This time, Native groups are facing off against one of the most powerful sport-hunting advocacy groups in the nation, which seeks to overturn Biden-era policies that added three tribally nominated seats to the Federal Subsistence Board. The Safari Club also wants to remove three other public seats and return the board to its original make-up, limited to the heads of five federal agencies. “We've said this many times on the record that it's a revolving door of these regional administrators that come through our state – and that are here for a time — and not really knowing and being on the land.” As a senior advisor to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during the Biden Administration, Raina Thiele shepherded the process of adding the additional tribal seats. Although it took about three and a half years to get them in place, Thiel says it was worth the effort. Along the way, tribal leaders introduced many ideas on how to improve subsistence management on federal lands “Nobody really lives the way we live in Alaska. It's an incredibly unique system so folks just don't have the context or the history with it to really understand it.” The Safari Club has also called on federal managers to defer to the state when overseeing wildlife on federal land, which opponents say conflicts with a 1980 law that gives rural Alaskans priority for hunting and fishing on federal lands. John Sturgeon, a longtime Alaska Safari Club policy maker, says the group does not oppose rural priority for hunting and fishing. “The word deference means consideration. It's not a mandate. So bottom line, Fish and Game does not have the authority to promulgate regulations. We're not asking for that. We're saying that we have to listen to (the Alaska Department of) Fish and Game, and we don't think they've been doing that over the years.” Alaska's dual management system for state and federal lands has spawned many a battle over the right to hunt and fish – and this one could be the start of another long fight. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, April 2, 2026 – The promise and curse of social media

Photo: Debris sits in piles in Kwigillingok after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought widespread devastation to the region. (Brea Paul) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened $1 billion in grants for disaster management last week. The news comes after the agency terminated the program for that work a year ago, but a federal court found that termination unlawful, and ordered the agency to restart it. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more on what that means for some tribes in Alaska. FEMA opened applications for a program to help communities protect themselves from fires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The agency canceled the program last year, but a federal judge in the U.S. District of Massachusetts ordered that the agency reinstate the funding. Dustin Evon is tribal resilience coordinator for the village of Kwigillingok in Western Alaska, one of the villages hit hardest by the ex-Typhoon Halong. The village participated in the FEMA program, before it was canceled. Evon says it is still unclear how useful the new version of the program will be for Alaska villages like his. “There is good news, but we’ll see how it goes. A lot of these grants don't really fit our rural Alaska villages.” Last spring, FEMA canceled its program Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC). The agency called it wasteful, ineffective, and too concerned with political agendas. Twenty states sued FEMA in response. Kwigillingok residents for years have been working to protect themselves from flooding and erosion and voted to relocate several years ago. In 2022, the village was accepted into the BRIC program to select a relocation site. Village leaders also applied for another BRIC grant to do a feasibility study for the site, but the program was canceled. “We were all devastated. This is like a year and a half of work out on the drain.” FEMA said BRIC has a few changes following the order to relaunch. The agency said it will eliminate phased projects, funding for hazard mitigation planning, and technical assistance provisions – the very things that tribes like Kwigillingok applied for in the past. Evon says he is concerned that the agency is not planning to do phased projects. “Alaska has four seasons, and we can only do summer-to-freeze up projects. And the project we were planning was going to be multi-year and in phases.” The application for the program is open until late July. A new partnership between journalism and legal experts aims to improve how stories are reported across Indian Country. The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) and the Center for Indigenous Law and Justice (CILC) at UC Berkeley School of Law announced a national collaboration this week focused on strengthening coverage of Native Nations. The effort will provide journalists with training in federal Indian law, tribal sovereignty, and best practices for reporting in Native communities. Merri Lopez-Keifer, CILJ Executive Director, said in a joint statement announcing the partnership, “By working together, we can ensure that reporting on Indian Country is grounded in legal accuracy, cultural respect, and a deeper understanding of tribal governance.” Leaders say many of the most important issues in Indian Country — like missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP), water rights, and child welfare — are shaped by complex legal systems that are often misunderstood. Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, IJA Executive Director, also said in the joint statement, “Journalists need access to clear, accurate information about federal Indian law and tribal systems. This partnership helps meet that need while centering Indigenous perspectives and community-informed practices.” Organizers say the collaboration will include workshops, webinars, and national training opportunities aimed at improving the accuracy and integrity of reporting on Native Nations. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, April 1, 2026 – Record-setting ‘heat dome’ is harbinger of another unnaturally hot summer

New funding is supporting efforts to help fossil fuel-dependent communities in our region adapt to other forms of energy. One of the projects will focus on the Four Corners region, including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. The Mountain West News Bureau's Kaleb Roedel has more. The work is part of an effort led by the nonprofit group Resources for the Future and partner universities. The Four Corners project is backed by about $70,000 and focuses on a Mountain West region long shaped by coal production and power plants and, lately, rising energy costs. Daniel Raimi helps lead the initiative. He says the focus is not simply on replacing fossil fuel jobs. “It doesn’t have to be solar or wind or geothermal or nuclear or anything else. There might be a great opportunity in aerospace, or there might be a great opportunity in some kind of medical sciences, or there might be a great opportunity in tourism.” He says it is about helping tribal communities build new economic paths — on their own terms. President Ronald Reagan speaking at the Christopher Columbus statue dedication at Baltimore's Inner Harbor on October 8, 1984. (Public domain) The Trump administration has placed a one-ton statue of controversial Italian explorer Christopher Columbus on White House grounds. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. A national Italian American coalition gifted it to President Donald Trump. The towering 13-foot statue is actually a replica of one first presented by Ronald Reagan to the city of Baltimore. It was toppled by protesters in 2020, but never replaced. Italian-born Massimo Sommacampagna is part of the national group and president of the AZ Italian American Chamber of Commerce. He says they celebrate Columbus Day as an American civic holiday. “Not necessarily the individual and the atrocities that he's been known for in the past.” Especially against Native Americans. David Martinez is Akimel O'odham and runs ASU's Institute for Transborder Indigenous Nations. “I mean he bragged about abusing Indigenous women in his diaries.” He thinks erecting a statue of Columbus sends a strong message. “Then you're saying that all of the historical trauma that colonization inflicted on Indigenous people was worth it.” Meanwhile, Phoenix and cities across the country are moving swiftly to erase markers of Cesar Chavez, following allegations of rape and sexual abuse. Martinez believes Americans would feel differently about the Yuma-born labor rights icon if he came to prominence centuries prior. “If Chavez was 400 years ago, we’d probably be seeing a different reaction right now. More people would be inclined to preserve the historic symbolism of Chavez and ignore the criminal behavior.” Arizona lawmakers are looking to abolish a state holiday named after him. Tribal leaders are raising concerns about potential federal cuts that could impact services across Indian Country. The issue came up during a congressional hearing last week in Washington, D.C., on funding for tribal programs. During the hearing, Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), says, “Just this week, we learned that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is planning significant cuts to staff critical in administering programs.” Leaders say those changes could delay funding and disrupt services tribal communities rely on. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, March 31, 2026 — The Menu: “A Feather and a Fork” cookbook and preserving ooligan (smelt fish)

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are proposing to update a key housing law for Tribal Nations, as communities across Indian Country continue to face severe housing shortages. Last week, U.S. Rep. Troy Downing (R-MT) introduced the American Housing and Self-Determination Modernization Act. The legislation would modernize and reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA), which provides federal funding for tribal housing programs, but it has not been fully reauthorized in more than a decade. Rep. Downing said in a press release that “Homeownership is the foundation of the American dream – that doesn't stop with Americans in our tribal communities.” The new act would increase funding and give tribes more flexibility to build, repair, and manage housing, Downing says. He said that, across Indian Country, many Native families are living in overcrowded homes with multiple generations sharing limited space. During that time, tribal leaders say the need has only grown. Mark Macarro, President of the National Congress of American Indians, says in a prepared statement that “the time to reauthorize and modernize NAHASDA is now.” Sharon Vogel is the president of United Native American Housing Association. She says that the legislation “will provide a stable environment for Indian housing development which will have a positive impact on meeting the needs of our tribal communities and families.” Other supporters of the act, quoted in a press release, say the changes are long overdue and warn that, without sustained investment, the gap between available housing and the need will continue to widen. U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski  (R-AK) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) are leading similar legislation in the Senate. The Skiku team traveled to several Interior villages along the Yukon River – Grayling, Anvik, Shageluk, and Holy Cross — to teach kids skiing. (Courtesy Skiku) Skiku is a non-profit that brings skiing to communities across rural Alaska. This year, organizers tried something new to make the activity stick – training a village resident to be a coach. As the Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports, the idea is to encourage kids to ski throughout winter. Justin River Lechton was a fifth grade student in Aniak, in Southwest Alaska, when he learned to ski. He loved it and started going out on the river with his dogs, breaking trail, and enjoying the freedom the activity brought him. “It brought me outdoors. It took me outside to nature. And I was just enjoying it so much.” Now, Lechton is 21 and becoming a ski coach. In February, he joined the nonprofit Skiku, which taught him how to ski and has been bringing the sport to kids across Alaska. Together, he and the Skiku team traveled to several Interior villages – Grayling, Anvik, and Shageluk. The February trip culminated with a week in another community in the same region – Holy Cross, where Lechton now lives. There, he ran the show. Next winter, he will be the coach for Holy Cross kids. “They’re mostly inside, and it’d be great to get them outside and to do something outdoors, all together, as a team.” Skiku has been around for more than a decade, bringing cross-country ski coaches and equipment to kids in Alaska villages. Tyler Henegan is its executive director. He says usually, after the visit, the skis go back in the closet. Henegan says what's missing is an adult who will take kids out. “To kind of keep those four communities shredding.  In my mind, I have a Jedi Padawan situation where we can kind of have that person mentor folks out there and really kind of hope to make something a little more sustainable too, that’s really more community driven.” That is where Lechton comes in, to keep it going throughout the season. Sonta Hamilton Roach says that children in the region stay active by hauling wood and working outside, but she says they do not get many chances to try themselves in competitive sports. And Roach is happy all four villages in her area are part of this project. “We’re all the same people trying to live good, healthy, quality lives in our communities. When you really see our tribes come together, we can do cool things.” The organizers say they hope to find more residents like Lechton in each of them to keep kids skiing throughout the season. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, March 30, 2026 – Understanding the Jack Abramoff Indian gaming scandal 25 years later

Gov. Gavin Newsom convened a meeting of tribal leaders in 2019 to acknowledge and apologize for the genocide and horrific mistreatment of Native American peoples throughout our state's history. (Courtesy Asm. James Ramos / Facebook) A bill in the California legislature seeks a formal apology to Native Americans for the state's role in atrocities committed against them during the formation of the state, including forced removal from their lands, bounties for their heads, and other violence. Assemblymember James Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla/D-CA) introduced the bill seeking the apology from the California Legislature and courts. The bill also requires a plaque to be displayed in the State Capitol to memorialize the apology. Asm. Ramos notes Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued a formal apology in 2019, but the legislature and courts have yet to apologize, which he says is a stain on California's history. He says California's First People deserve an apology for the harm they endured, and the generational trauma that continues today.The bill is supported by tribes and Native organizations in the state. Ophir Creek Water Quality Collection. (Courtesy Yakutat Tlingit Tribe) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday it is awarding more than $6 million to tribes across the country. The funding supports 35 tribal conservation projects. According to the agency, the Tribal Wildlife Grants program has awarded more than $100 million to tribes since 2003, supporting hundreds of conservation projects. Patients at the Alaska Native Medical Center come from all over the state. The weekly dance gatherings help to bring a sense of home to the Anchorage hospital. (Photo: Rhonda McBride) You can count on it, like the steady beat of a Native drum. Every Wednesday night, dancers across the generations fill up the hospital lobby at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. But as KNBA's Rhonda McBride tells us, the kids are the ones to watch. These days, we see mostly see Alaska Native dance groups on the stage, but in the hospital lobby, the dancing is not meant to be a performance. Instead, a shared experience. The rhythms are almost hypnotic, yet the dancers are fully present. Everyone is seated, within a circle of sound and motion that spirals out from a small group of drummers. “In Yup'ik, we say Yuraq. Not dance.” Kyle Watson (Yup’ik), a 12-year-old sixth grader at Mears Middle School in Anchorage, is here every Wednesday. His movements are precise, as if every fiber of his being snaps to the beat of the drum. “It just makes me happy.” Once Kyle is here, he says any anger or sadness fades away. The Yuraq demands his full attention. “I keep on learning about Yup'ik words. And I keep on learning about dance motions too.” And then, as if he Is channeling something from another time and place. The excitement that comes out of Kyle's throat comes from way-down deep, a throwback to a technique his ancestors used to excite the dancers and encourage them to pick up their pace. Kyle's grandfather Percy Alexie usually stands in the back of the room to watch. “I'm proud of him. He makes it fun. He makes it fun. He goes around and meets people. And I enjoy meeting other people that enjoy watching him too. And I'm proud to say, he taught himself. He taught himself and it's just over a year now.” Group leader Ossie Kairairuak (Yup’ik) says this dance gathering is going on its sixteenth year – and by far, the best part is watching kids like Kyle. “Kids in their most pure form can never do wrong. This kid is purely motivated to learn those songs by heart. And let his body, let his feelings express it. He has that gift. And it's fun to watch. And it's fun to embrace. And let him be who he was meant to be.” Kairairiak says Kyle's voice is an echo from the spirit world, proof of what his mother always told him – that our ancestors are always with us. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, March 27, 2026 – Native in the Spotlight: Aaju Peter

Photo: The microgrid at Blue Lake Rancheria generates renewable energy and provides about $150,000 in annual electricity savings. (Courtesy Schatz Energy Resource Center) Microgrids can be a lifeline in remote areas prone to power outages, according to local and tribal leaders in Humboldt County in California. Leaders spoke at an event on energy security in an era of wildfire, drought, and sea-level rise — linked to climate change. Suzanne Potter has more. Dr. Arne Jacobson, director of the Schatz Energy Research Center at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt says microgrids often involve solar panels plus battery storage. “During normal operation, they’re connected to the regional grid, and they can export power and generate revenue. And during a regional grid outage, they operate in “island mode” and can provide resilience energy services.” Microgrids have gained popularity in recent years as utilities have had to shut off power intermittently during wildfires and high wind events. Jacobson adds that the Willow Creek and Hoopa substations and their associated circuits in the Humboldt area are frequently on the top 10 list of least reliable circuits in the state. Beth Burks, who directs the Redwood Coastal Energy Authority, says its microgrid serves as backup power to the airport, and kept it online for 15 hours in December 2022, when an earthquake knocked out power. “We’re all familiar with how important it is to keep the airport going. We do emergency medical transport out of there, and the Coast Guard serves 250 miles of search-and-rescue territory. And again, we can keep them going when we go into ‘islanding.'” “Islanding” is the term for a system that can kick in and power a local area when the main utility grid goes down. Heidi Moore-Guynup with the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe says its microgrid saved the day during the 2022 blackout, keeping several tribal buildings running so they could provide ice, gas, medical care, and lodging. “We want to be known as the safe place to go, the islands in times of despair. We are a very small rural community, but we are engaged in technological advances that can help rural global energy access.” Ketchikan-based artist Savannah LeCornu was selected as this year's poster artist for the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau, Alaska. (Courtesy Jason Baldwin) Ketchikan, Alaska-based artist Savannah LeCornu was recently selected as this year's poster artist for the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau. The annual spring event seeks art submissions from Alaska creatives for festival merchandise, including its promotional poster. KRBD's Hunter Morrison sat down with LeCornu to discuss how the opportunity will help expand representation of Indigenous artists throughout Alaska. Hunter Morrison: Can you tell me a little bit about what inspires your work as an artist? Savannah LeCornu: I'm an Indigenous artist. I’m part of three different tribes. I’m Tsimshian, Haida and Nez Perce. So a lot of my inspiration comes from the art styles of my tribes, as well as my family, surroundings, environment, friends, that kind of thing. HM: Can you tell me a little bit more about what mediums of art you specialize in? SL: Yeah. So mainly I draw and I paint. I do a lot of traditional drawing, but I also do digital drawing as well. So, working with Procreate on my iPad. And then I also do painting, mainly acrylic, but I have done watercolor here and there. HM: You were selected as this year’s poster artist for the Alaska Folk Festival. Do you have a design yet for that poster? Or, do you have ideas of what that design might look like? SL: I don’t know how secret they are with it. I will say my inspirations were some of my favorite musicians in Alaska, as well as the northern lights. HM: How will this opportunity expand not only your work as an artist, but expand the celebration of Indigenous people and Indigenous art? SL: Wow, what a great question. What I’m hoping for with being the artist for this year’s folk fest is that my art gets started to be seen more widely throughout Alaska. I will say it’s not my most obvious Indigenous design. I will say all of my art inherently becomes Indigenous because I am Indigenous, but at the same time, there’s no form line in it. There’s no traditional Native art in it for this design. But I still hope that means that people look into my own art and see more of what I do, and that people just explore more of it. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, March 26, 2026 — Native Bookshelf: Unsettling Territory and Sons of Gunshooter

President Donald Trump swore in Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee) as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security at the White House Tuesday. The president talked about Sec. Mullin serving in the House and Senate, mentioning that Mullin is Native American and has worked on tribal issues. “Markwayne has also been a fantastic advocate for our cherished tribal communities. He’s now the first member of the Cherokee Nation ever to serve as a member of the cabinet. I didn’t know all these things. I would have picked him faster if I had known. I would have made a quicker decision.” Mullin also spoke after the ceremony. “I made this very clear that I don’t care what color your state is, I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue, at the end of the day, my job is to be secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same. And we will do that. I’ll fight every single day.” After Mullin's confirmation this week, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. congratulated him and wished him success in his new role. Kaktovik children sit on the floor of the new gym during the grand opening of the facility on December 1, 2025. (Photo: Angela Cox) The predominantly Indigenous community of Kaktovik in northern Alaska hosted a regional basketball tournament last month, in a new gym that was finally rebuilt, years after the old one burned down. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports that, for at least one family, the new gym’s significance was bigger than basketball. The Kaktovik high school girls’ basketball team is playing against Point Lay. It is the 1A North Slope regional championship and the Kaktovik Lady Rams are down by a couple of points Senior Mya Aishanna hears her mom yelling. “That did something to me that, like – snap, I have five minutes left, I can do this.” The Kaktovik Lady Rams did not win the game, but Aishanna says the moment was still special. The community's gym and school burned down six years ago. The new gym was finally finished in December. The tournament was the first big event the community held there. “Our crowd, just hearing them cheer for us, like, it made me so happy.” Aishanna says not having a place to play sports for so long, the students often practiced outside. “It was kind of difficult because of the polar bears and the wind and the coldness …  All our players were kind of rusty shooting, because we had nowhere to shoot.” Several students left the school. Mya Aishanna's brother was one student. Mya's mother is Stephanie Aishanna. “He missed the gym so much, he moved to Fairbanks to live with my brother.” She says the family lost a hunter to help during the subsistence season. Stephanie Aishanna says the community used the facility for funerals, Thanksgiving feasts, and other gatherings. “It was the heartbeat of our community, and we totally lost that.” Kaktovik community and guests from across the North Slope gather at the new Kaktovik gym on December 1, 2025. (Photo: Angela Cox) Mya Aishanna was part of a group of students who advocated for the construction of a new gym. They wrote letters to municipal leadership and held a silent protest. “We just had to act, because us students have to have somewhere to play.” Now that they have the new facility, Aishanna says she already feels the difference. The weekend tournament also proved that the new facility is more than a place to practice and play. More than a hundred people also took refuge there during a major storm over that same weekend. Now that the basketball tournament is over, adults and students regularly go there to play and exercise. And in a few months, Mya Aishanna's class will be the first to graduate in the new facility. Her mom says she will make sure that her son will attend his sister's ceremony as well. The Indian Nations Gaming and Governance Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Tribal Leadership Council announced Tuesday the establishment of the Tribal Leadership Council Endowment. According to the council, it is the first endowed scholarship established by a Native American non-profit organization in the law school's history. The scholarship will be awarded to tribal citizens of federally recognized tribes pursuing a J.D. degree at the school and in the program. The first scholarship will be awarded when the endowment is fully matured. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – Hopi culture stewards: community, communication, and resource protection

Photo: Audience holding up Kelly Hunt’s poster at March Madness game. (Waatsasdiyei Apayakuk Yates) Kelly Hunt was just 19 when she went missing from Shaktoolik, a small community near Nome. It is the kind of loss that does not just affect one family. It rocked an entire village — and reached hundreds of miles away — to the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, where March Madness brought teams from across the state together. As KNBA's Jill Fratis tells us, a group of high school basketball players made sure her name is not forgotten. The stands were full. The energy was high. And on the court, the Shaktoolik Wolverines were in the spotlight. Then, for a moment, the game pauses. And the focus shifts far beyond basketball.  All at once, dozens of people stand and raise posters that read: “Bring Kelly Home”. Alexis Savage had no idea what would happen next. “Everyone came with so much passion, and you could feel it in the arena. And I just wanted it to feel like, if she was right there, she could feel everybody fighting for her, and that’s really what it was. When people were chanting her name, I just felt goosebumps.” What many don't know is that Kelly Hunt played on this same basketball court just a year ago as a senior in high school. She played Number 15 for the Wolverines. Savage says moments like this matter because awareness for missing people like Kelly needs to be sustained to make a difference, especially in Alaska, where cases involving Alaska Natives often don ot get the attention they deserve. Savage is from Buckland, a close-knit Iñupiaq community not unlike Shaktoolik. She says Kelly's disappearance hits close to home. “I had a loved one from my hometown go missing, a few years back, and I just felt like there wasn’t very much action taken, and that was the start of my advocacy, where I just felt the need to speak up for people that just can’t speak for themselves.” Savage has children of her own and says stories like Kelly's are a reminder of why it's so important to keep speaking up, to keep sharing names and faces, and to never let cases like fade from public view. The Oak Flat campground, formerly located within the Tonto National Forest before a congressional land exchange was executed in March 2026. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio) Oak Flat is no longer part of the Tonto National Forest following a recent land exchange. The 2,400 acres just east of Phoenix – long-considered Apache holy land – is now private property belonging to a multinational mining company. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on what's next. Despite new ownership, Resolution Copper president Vicky Peacey stresses Oak Flat will remain mostly untouched. “We wanted to make sure that the look, the feel of the area, was very similar to how the Forest Service had managed it.” Minus a massive two-mile-wide crater expected to swallow Oak Flat within the next four or so decades. In the meantime, they hired 4Winds Contracting to maintain it. “All their employees are from San Carlos, so they will be out there to manage the campgrounds to make sure they keep clean, orderly, and neat.” A new website is letting larger groups apply for special use permits. “If people want to come and use the campground, it is open. If people want to use it for cultural purposes, absolutely welcome to do so. And we're excited to work with everybody…” Even Apache Stronghold. The nonprofit fought the copper mine all the way to the U-S Supreme Court. A spiritual gathering is planned there this weekend – a first since a panel of federal judges allowed the congressional land exchange to go through. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – A movement assesses the legacy for César Chávez

The Iñupiat community of Kaktovik in northern Alaska is known as the polar bear capital of the U.S. Hundreds of tourists used to flock to the village of about 250 people to see bears. But several years ago, the tours were halted because of opposition from residents. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more on what happened to the tours, and what the tribe is doing to revive them. “There is polar bear ground right there.” Nathan Gordon Jr. is driving his truck on the spit right outside of Kaktovik. He is mayor and leads the town's polar bear patrol program. Under his back seat, he has a shotgun, and in his console, shotgun rounds and cracker shells. Mayor Nathan Gordon Jr. looks at one of the rounds for deterring bears on March 3, 2026. (Photo: Alena Naiden) Kaktovik sits on Barter Island on the Beaufort Sea coast. In late summer and fall, up to 80 polar bears come on land – a trend that has been increasing as the sea ice diminishes. That brought the need for patrol – and created opportunities for polar bear viewing. “There was booming during the fall time.” But in 2020, the pandemic put a pause on visitation. Then the federal government halted the tours. Gordon says Kaktovik leaders have been working to revive them. “Let’s get this place back to making money, and it’ll be great for everybody.” Ketil Reitan started the company Kaktovik Tours in 2010. By 2019, he and his two children took several hundred tourists a season. “We were able to make a year’s income in about six weeks.” The number of tourists soared from about 50 in 2010 to over 1,000. Tourism grew so quickly, residents were worried it was interfering with subsistence practices. NoraJane Burns says that visitors would book out seats on small flights and limit the amount of freight that was coming in. “Especially when we have elders that go out for medical … and then when they try to come back, the flights would be booked.” NoraJane Burns outside of her home in Kaktovik, Alaska on March 3, 2026. (Photo: Alena Naiden) The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tours. A year later, the U.S. Department of Interior issued an order to pause commercial polar bear viewing permits. Since then, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been collaborating with the city and village of Kaktovik, as well as Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation. They have been working on a management plan for polar bear viewing. Gordon says that this time around, he wants the community to develop infrastructure for tourists and focus more on educating them. But who will run the tours? Burns is busy with her job at Kaktovik Public Works Department and Reitan sold his boats and moved to Nome, but they both hope the younger generation will take over polar bear tours, if and when they are back. (Courtesy Maȟpíya Lúta) A South Dakota high schooler is receiving one of the nation's highest honors for citizens by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. SDPB's Jackson Dircks reports. Cody Two Bulls (Oglala Sioux) came up with an idea four years ago at baseball practice. His teammates told him they did not have backpacks and school supplies. Two Bulls began trying to find donations to help his teammates, but soon realized there were a lot of people needing the resources. “I started like, ‘What if instead of helping out just specifically my teammates or my family, what if I did it for everyone?' So then, like a flower it started blossoming. And then new people started reaching out to me, and I put it out there on the internet. Next thing you know, I'm getting like a bunch of donations to help as much as I can on the reservation.” That idea has led to thousands of meals, backpacks, holiday gifts, and essential items reaching kids and families in need on the Pine Ridge Reservtion. Two Bulls created what is called Baseball and Backpacks. People donate items on Walmart and Amazon shopping lists, and those get sent to Two Bulls' house. He gathers the items, things like notebooks and toiletries, into backpacks for students. The giveaway is done at a baseball field, where simultaneously Two Bulls holds a baseball clinic that teaches kids the fundamentals of the sport. There are four of these different drives, though some look different, like a Christmas toy drive and Easter drive. He does this on top of being a multisport athlete at Maȟpíya Lúta. Two Bulls is one of five individuals named a 2026 Citizen Honors Award recipient. He's receiving the Service Act Award – which honors Americans who “consistently place others before themselves through a focused initiative of volunteer service.” Two Bulls calls it humbling and honoring to be recognized. “The fact that I'm just a smalltown kid from South Dakota, it's mindblowing. It's crazy to me how just by helping others, I was able to get recognized for that,” Two Bulls said. “So, even today for example, when I started telling all my teachers and we shared it to school, it's a whole new feeling. It's like, ‘Wow!'” Two Bulls will be honored March 25 in Washington D.C. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, March 23, 2026 – Stakes are high in the Line 5 oil pipeline legal fight

Photo: U.S. Reps. Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo/D-NM), left, Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk/D-KS), and Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee/R-OK), testify before a subcommittee on March 4, 2020 as members of the Native American Caucus. (Courtesy Rep. Markwayne Mullin) The nomination of U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee/R-OK) to be the next Homeland Security secretary cleared a key committee vote after overcoming a cringeworthy confirmation hearing over his combative past comments. Correspondent Matt Laslo reports on the bipartisan relationships the enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation has built over his decade in Washington. Contrary to the tough guy you may have seen on your screen picking fights with union bosses or Senate committee chairs, Sen. Mullin has lots of fans in Congress. U.S. Sen.Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) serves with Mullin on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. “I may have some policy disagreements with Sen. Mullin. Mark's Mark. That's who he is, you know? So yeah, I don’t know that there’s anything out of sorts there. It’s just, that’s just who he is.” Luján says Mullin has been a key ally on the other side of the aisle in today's divided Washington. “Not just, you know, Democrat, Republican. He’s been a member that tribal leaders have sought out to support different efforts.” Mullin stepped into a 137-year long fight last year and played a pivotal role in helping North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe gain full federal recognition over protests from other tribes. U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) told National Native News that Mullin was pivotal. “He thought that the opposition by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina was incorrect. And so as an enrolled Cherokee, he supported the Lumbees and it’s always appreciated.” U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk/D-KS) overlapped with Mullin in the U.S. House for her first two terms. Besides the two both being former MMA fighters, Rep. Davids says she and Mullin put partisan differences aside and worked together for Indian Country. “When he was in the House, we worked on quite a few tribal related things, including trying to stabilize Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). And then, also on foster programs and that kind of stuff. So we’ve been able to work together on issues that we both care about.” Masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents may garner the national headlines, but Davids says she is watching to see how Mullin handles the other parts of the sweeping Homeland Security agency that outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem neglected. “I’m hopeful that he will be much better in terms of leading the department. Of course there’s hot button issues, but when you think about FEMA and the importance of FEMA functioning, of our TSA folks …” The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is offering a career pathway for tribal students looking at wildland firefighting jobs. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. Highschoolers across six BIE-run schools are participating, including Northwest High School in Shiprock on the Navajo Nation. “This just happened to occur organically.” Carmelia Becenti (Diné) is BIE chief academic officer. She credits President Trump's executive order on “expanding educational freedom”. They are also pitching the curriculum to colleges. “We are trying to somewhat steer them towards being stewards of our lands. That doesn't always happen.” Garth Fisher is with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Division of Wildland Fire Management. He says they are teaching coursework about leadership, fire suppression, and FEMA readiness. Once done, students put their training to the test during a field day. “They get to put the gear on, how it feels. They get to look like a firefighter.” That equipment is expensive, says Becenti, which is why the BIE is buying it now. “And that way, year after year, as we recruit more students at these schools and across the bureau, you know, we have this PPE that we can use over and over and over.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, March 20, 2026 – A view from the Iditarod trail and other winter sports competitions

The nomination of U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation/R-OK) to become the next Homeland Security Secretary hit a rough patch Wednesday.  Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lost the faith of President Donald Trump, but the pick to replace her, Sen. Mullin, lost the faith of the Senate Homeland Security Committee Chair, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), for mocking him for being attacked by his neighbor nine years ago, as Matt Laslo reports. “You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake' and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted. I was shocked that you would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain and my family so much pain. I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force.” Mullin is a former MMA fighter and was not backing down. “I think before I can start my opening statement, I have to address the remarks of the chairman made calling me a liar. Sir, I think there’s — everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct to the point, and if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face.” While the heated exchange made national headlines, most Republican senators, like U.S. Sen. Ted. Cruz (R-TX), shrugged it off. “The two of them don’t like each other. There’s no ambiguity on that.” U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said, “I’m not going to get involved in that.” U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) told National Native News cited his mother’s wisdom. “Reminded of what my mom would say, ‘if you don’t have something good to say about somebody, don’t say it.’ And, you know, those rules we learned in kindergarten still apply up here as well.” Even Mullin's home state colleague, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), was taken aback by the barbs. “In my time in Congress, rarely have I seen such an intense exchange between two members of the same party, especially in the [U.S.] Senate. Clearly, both of them are very strong-willed, very confident in their point of view and perspective and their memory. It was just fascinating.” While most Republican senators are refusing to weigh in, Sen. Lucas says he is not discounting Chairman Paul or Mullin's accounts. “I know from having served with Markwayne in the House, I suspect the case in the [U.S.] Senate is the same — members have an insight into the nature of each other that no one on the outside can have. I never impugn the opinions of my colleagues, so maybe there was a little bit of truth in what they both had to say.” (Courtesy Asm. James Ramos / Facebook) Assemblymember James Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla/D-CA) is urging for the establishment of California Native American Day as an official paid state holiday. A bill introduced by Asm. Ramos would designate the fourth Friday of September as a paid holiday for state employees. Ramos, along with tribal representatives, legislators, and labor leaders, held a press conference Wednesday in Sacramento., Calif. Ramos says the legislature and the state should honor California's First People with the paid holiday. “It’s true and just that this has to happen. It’s time that the voices continue to move forward and to make sure that we’re calling out for respect and honor for California’s First People and tribal elders.” Ramos say they have many worthy holidays, but the bill creates justice for past atrocities toward California Indian people who have lived through colonization, including the mission era and gold rush eras. Denver’s bison transfer included a ceremony with songs and prayers for the bisons’ safe return to tribal lands. (Photo: Rachel Cohen / KUNC) Several tribes are working to bring bison back to their lands. As the Mountain West News Bureau’s Rachel Cohen reports, one source helping them is in Denver, Colo. where the local government manages a herd. Snow was falling fast and hard at a mountain park west of the city earlier this month, when 34 bison were gifted to four tribes or nonprofits. Denver has managed two small herds since the early 1900s and started giving some animals to tribes six years ago.  Lewis TallBull is with the TallBull Memorial Council, which has members from various tribes.  Lewis TallBull with the TallBull Memorial Council was part of the drumming ceremony to honor the bison. (Photo: Rachel Cohen / KUNC) This year, the organization is taking one bison back to a property it manages near Denver. “The Bison represent so much. They represent the water and the fire and the thunder and the clouds and the snow. They represent all that. But at the same time, they represent us as Indigenous people.” Tribal leaders said the animals would add genetic diversity to their growing herds – and help feed tribal members with a historic food source. The Navajo Nation got 11 bison in the transfer and the Northern Cheyenne in Montana received 10.  Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, March 19, 2026 – Native American Muslims, a distinct minority, reflect on Ramadan and religious intolerance

Legal online sports betting in Wisconsin would have to go through in-state tribal computer servers, under a bi-partisan bill given final okay by the state legislature Tuesday. Chuck Quirmbach reports. Supporters and critics of online sports betting acknowledge it frequently occurs in Wisconsin. Gamblers go through commercial companies like Draft Kings, but the Wisconsin Constitution says most legal betting can only occur on sovereign tribal properties here, regulated by state-tribal gaming compacts. The just-passed bill by the legislature attempts to reinforce that online sports bets in the state must go through the 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin. Shannon Holsey is President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. She says the new legislation is good public policy. “It provides clarity, respect to tribal sovereignty, and it strengthens Wisconsin’s long-standing state and tribal partnership. Especially for our tribe and all tribes. It really creates opportunity, while allowing us to grow responsibly, securely and on our own terms.” Holsey says any additional revenue for the Stockbridge-Munsee would go toward funding things like tribal housing, health care and public safety. Remarks opposing the Wisconsin sports betting bill center on what critics like State Sen. Steve Nass (R-WI) say is the possibility of more people becoming addicted to gambling. “Making gambling easier and more accessible online will only accelerate these harms-family breakdown, lost productivity, addiction treatment.” But other supporters of the sports betting bill say more ways to prevent problem gambling could now be negotiated with the tribes. Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) still has to sign the legislation and the federal government has to approve amended gaming compacts. Pete Kaiser leaving Unalakleet checkpoint. (Courtesy Iditarod Insider) Jessie Holmes was the first musher to reach the end of the 1000-mile trail from Anchorage to Nome, winning his second consecutive Iditarod. KNBA’s Rhonda McBride reports. Four of the race's Indigenous mushers were still out on the trail Wednesday morning. Pete Kaiser (Yup'ik) from Bethel and Ryan Redington (Iñupiat) were finishing up their mandatory eight-hour rest in White Mountain, one of the last two checkpoints in the race. Both former champions were hoping for a repeat, b But Kaiser says his team contracted stomach virus on the trail, so he rested them more to give them time to recover. Kaiser told the Iditarod Insider this changed his focus. “I've been kind of reminiscing and soaking in the sights more than ever, trying to be in the moment more than stressing out about placement and different things like that. So of course it would be fun to be further up, but that's not always in the cards. I've had a good trip.” Kaiser's team is positioned to finish in the top ten. He says the cold dry snow on the Bering Sea Coast was one of the biggest challenges, because it sticks to the sled runners. Redington, who is not far behind Kaiser, told the Iditarod Insider this last stretch of the trail also tested his team. “Hopefully we get a little less wind. If it is windy, I'm going to take a lot more rest.” Ryan Redington talks about the strong Bering Sea winds are slowing his team down. (Courtesy Iditarod Insider) There were also three rookie Indigenous mushers in the race. Jesse Terry, an Anishinaabe from Ontario, is in 16th place and Kevin Hansen, an Iñupiaq from Kotzebue, is in 21st place. Jody Potts-Joseph, a Hän Gwich'in from Eagle Village, who had to contend with bison on the trail, pulled out of the race after her team came down with kennel cough. She said she had to put her team first. Iditarod Trail officials praised her handling of the dogs. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, March 18, 2026 – States, philanthropy help keep tribal clean energy projects going