Podcasts about alaska native

The University of Washington’s WWAMI medical school program just received a new $25 million endowment for scholarships and rural education support, as Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports. The program gets its name from the five states it serves – Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho – and educates emerging physicians in those rural states. Dr. Nick Phelps, WWAMI's assistant dean at the University of Alaska Anchorage, says the gift will go to scholarships for 30 eligible students across the five-state class. “For the students who are accepted to receive this scholarship, it covers half of their tuition.” Phelps says those eligible to apply for the scholarships are students in two specific programs: one, a rural track, and the other, a tribal and traditional medicine track. Medical school tuition – and the debt students take on to pay it – can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Phelps says the scholarships change the financial equation. “Primary care practices and primary care physicians… are the bedrock of medicine, for lack of a better term. They’re also some of the lowest paid specialties for students to go into, so for somebody who really is strongly interested in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, some of those other primary care specialties, they have to do a bit of an internal calculus.” Many medical students choose specialties that pay better, which has helped create a shortage of primary care practitioners, both in Alaska and across the U.S. Phelps notes that the U.S. Department of Education will soon start limiting student loan amounts that Americans can take out for higher education, including medical school. Philanthropists William and Carolyn Franke and their family gave the WWAMI program the $25 million endowment to create the Franke Medical Student Scholars Program. Phelps says he hopes that the resulting scholarships encourage more Alaska students to focus on medicine that serves rural, remote and Indigenous Alaskans. The cliffs of Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation on September 1, 2023. (Photo: Chris Clements / KNAU) An energy company is asking for preliminary approval from the feds to look into building a hydropower project on the Navajo Nation. KNAU's Chris Clements has more. The company Nature and People First is asking for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate building a pumped storage project near Chilchinbeto, Ariz. It would include two reservoirs holding a total of 20,000 acre-feet of water. Pumped storage projects generate energy by letting water flow downhill and then pumping it back up. Nature and People First tried to get federal approval for three pumped storage projects in 2021, but the Navajo Nation and the feds later said no. Critics cited concerns about overuse of aquifers and damage to the environment of nearby Black Mesa, which is considered sacred by the Navajo and Hopi tribes. If it is granted, the permit would not allow the company to disturb any land or give them permission to enter private property. Grand Exit at Celebration 2026. (Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute) Thousands of Alaska Natives and visitors gathered in Juneau, Alaska last week for Celebration 2026, one of the largest Indigenous cultural events in the state. The four-day gathering, organized by Sealaska Heritage Institute, brought together Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian dancers, artists, and culture bearers from across Southeast Alaska, Canada, and beyond. The event featured traditional song and dance performances, Native art, language activities, and cultural workshops. This year’s theme was “Enduring Strength”. Celebration began more than 40 years ago as a way to preserve Native cultures and pass traditional knowledge to younger generations. Organizers say the event continues to showcase the survival and persistence of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian traditions while strengthening connections among Indigenous communities throughout the region. 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, June 8, 2026 — Confronting division with Pride

Daniel Buitrago & Brandon Fifield are back in studio with return guests Josh Nix and his lovely bride Mrs. Nix to find out all about Crazy J's!   The AWP studio live edge table by Knik River Customs, episode #4 w/Josh Nix in March of 2021, spring moose attacks in Anchor Town, Hilleberg Tent event brought to you by Barney's Sport Chalet & Alaska Wild Project coming up on Monday June 22nd, “This Day in Alaska History” brought to you by “Northern Waste”, 1840: The British flag replaced the Russian flag over Fort Dionysius in Southeast Alaska. The Hudson's Bay Company subsequently renamed the outpost Fort Stikine, 1924: The U.S. Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting American citizenship to all Native Americans born within the U.S. This had a profound impact on Alaska Native populations, extending their voting rights while recognizing their sovereign tribal affiliations, 1974: KISS performed at the Sundowner Drive-In Theater in Anchorage. Because of the Alaskan summer sun, the show started around 11:00 PM but still took place under a bright blue sky. The band built a stage directly in front of the drive-in's massive movie screen, digging the first guide boat out the trees, starting Crazy J's, vandalism at the boat launch, “PINKY” the bonker, 4AM starts to late night hook-ups, from the Knik to the Kenai, getting respect from your guide competition, separating from the pack through connections, full circle to the drift track in Montana, Kid friendly Northern Pike, Trivia Brought to our buy Connoisseur Crude          Visit our website - www.alaskawildproject.com Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/alaskawildproject Watch on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@alaskawildproject $upport on Patreon - www.patreon.com/alaskawildproject Visit Crazy J's Guiding - www.crazyjsguiding.com

Photo: More than an hour after the levee was breached, channels in the Siuslaw Estuary begin to fill up with a mix of fresh and salt water on May 29, 2026. (Brian Bull / KLCC) A major conservation project near the Oregon town of Florence has achieved its goal: connecting a large swath of restored farmland to the ocean. The Siuslaw Estuary is a 217-acre expanse that is expected to accommodate the return of salmon, lamprey, and native plants as it transforms with the tides. KLCC's Brian Bull reports. On a cool, misty morning at the estuary, Dan Kirk waves a burning bundle of sage as they walk through an old dairy farm site called the Waite Ranch. Kirk is the restoration manager for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). “I’ve been blessing the site almost daily, we really care about this project, and just putting as much intention and good thoughts and good feelings and gratitude as much as we can.” Besides the tribes, members of the Siuslaw Watershed Council and McKenzie River Trust gathered to witness something historic. Margaret Treadwell of the McKenzie River Trust watched a towering excavator crawl towards an earthen levee. It held back the Siuslaw River from the estuary. “It's really exciting, I have never seen a levee breach before.” After the excavator broke apart the levee, brackish water surged in immediately. People cheered. CTCLUSI Chief Doug Barrett watched as the reformed farmland became submerged. “I kinda got goosebumps. It's been a long time comin'.” The restoration work took nearly three years and $15 million. Barrett shared its new name. “Now it's called haich ikt' at'uu. Haich ikt' at'uu is the ‘heart of the river’, and so this is a pretty awesome place now to call our home. Just awesome to see the water coming in, knowing that the salmon and lamprey could come in here and hide from all of our predators. It's a pretty good feeling.” Four hours later, a contingent of tribal council members arrived in “Lottie” a 32-foot long canoe. After crossing through the mouth of the newly-opened channel, the group sprinkled tobacco and tule seeds into the water. Members of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians paddle “Lottie” a 32-foot dugout canoe, towards the Siuslaw Estuary on May 29, 2026. (Photo: Brian Bull / KLCC) Jesse Beers, CTCLUSI cultural stewardship manager, lowered the remains of a salmon into the currents. “When we were in the channel there, almost brought tears to my eyes. Returned some salmon remains to let the Salmon People know it's a good place to come again. And fatten up and be healthy. It's just an amazing experience.” The White House has nominated a citizen of the Klamath Tribes to lead the Indian Health Service (IHS). The nomination comes after more than a year without a Senate-confirmed director at the agency responsible for providing health care to Native communities across the country. The White House this week nominated Mark Cruz of Oregon to serve as IHS director. If confirmed by the Senate, Cruz would oversee an agency that provides health care services to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives through federal, tribal, and urban Indian health programs. The nomination was announced June 1. Cruz currently serves as Senior Advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Native health issues. He became one of the highest-ranking Native officials in the department after being sworn into the position last year. Native health advocates say the nomination is significant because IHS has operated without a permanent director since January 2025. The agency continues to face challenges including workforce shortages, aging facilities, and growing health care demands in tribal 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 Friday, June 5, 2026 — The life of Chief Powhatan and the fight to preserve his birthplace

Photo: Siletz tribal members Todd Logan, Joshua Rilatos, and Dylan Gorman work next to anatomic pathologist Kurt Williams of the Oregon State University necropsy team on November 18, 2025, The tribe removed the whale’s blubber, bones, and baleen for cultural use, while the OSU crew took away tissue samples for diagnostic testing. (Jens Odegaard / Oregon State University) A group of Siletz Indians in Oregon are holding a presentation this Saturday to honor a humpback whale that washed ashore in Lincoln County last fall and died. As KLCC's Brian Bull reports, it is to help non-Natives understand the historical and cultural significance of these mammals. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) sent a team in mid-November to do a traditional salvage of the whale, a common practice for coastal Native people for centuries. Lisa Norton, CTSI's chief administrative officer, and several others will discuss whales through storytelling, in a welcoming and open space near the Amanda Trail in Yachats. Norton hopes the audience leaves with one main takeaway. “Gaining and understanding of what it meant to us as a people, as individuals. And for those who were already connected with the whale, to understand that connection a little bit deeper or maybe understand that that connection isn’t over. And that it will live on in the stories that we do tell.” Norton says CTSI's cultural and natural resources department will eventually decide what will be done with the whale's bones and other materials. Ḵaayák'w Brandon Gomez introduces the Wind Dancer yaakw and asks permission to come ashore at Auke Recreation Area on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Yvonne Krumrey / KTOO) Thirteen canoes bringing Alaska Native paddlers from across Southeast Alaska and Canada arrived in Juneau, Alaska Tuesday afternoon. The canoes landed in two separate groups — one in downtown Juneau and the other at a traditional Aak’w (AHK) village site, north of town, as KTOO's Yvonne Krumrey reports. Áak'w Kwáan Elder Seikoonie Fran Houston waits on the shore at Auke Recreation Area as yaakw (canoes) enter the bay. “It’s going to be good to see family and family and family and friends, and it’s a beautiful day, so the ancestors are happy also.” Every other June, more than 100 paddlers arrive in Juneau this way to kick off Celebration, a gathering of Alaska Native people celebrating cultural revitalization. Sealaska Heritage Institute started the event more than four decades ago. They come to Celebration the old-fashioned way — paddling yaakw that were carved for this occasion. Some travel from as far north as the Yukon. “My name is Ughąts'etsӓna Ma. I'm Crow Clan. We’re from Dakwäkäda, Haines Junction, Yukon… We’re looking to celebrate now.” Ughąts'etsӓna Ma Cheyenne Sparvier-Kinney introduces her boat to the shore. Later, she reflects on the multi-day journey down Lynn Canal. “The journey was great. It was really a healing journey for a lot of us, not just our boat, but from the experiences that we’ve shared together. Yeah, it’s a healing journey for all of us.” Others, like ShaaL'aanee Brandon Ware, are from as far south as Petersburg. This was the community's first time sending a canoe to Celebration. “Gunalcheesh for having us. We are so grateful to be here. Forgive me if I miss protocol, this is our first journey in over 100 years.” In downtown Juneau, three yaakw make their way to shore as hundreds stand watching. As the yaakw neared, Shangukeidí Casey Moats stands up to greet the crowd. “I had heard that I would never know my language, I’d never belong to a clan, I’d never have a name, I wouldn’t know my songs, and to do this means everything in the whole world.” X'ash Kugé ka Yaanasax Barbara Cadiente-Nelson is a council member and secretary at Douglas Indian Association. She was one of the original planners for the first-ever Celebration in 1982. As she watches the yaakw arrive downtown, she says that for Alaska Native culture to continue to flourish, the next generation has to be grounded in place. “When you take a look around and you see our people of all ages and our youth, we are, yeah, and the young people that are singing and dancing, that they’re connected to place, they’re understanding and growing in their responsibility as Lingít, Haida, Tsimshians.” Celebration officially starts Wednesday, with a Grand Entrance parade into Centennial Hall downtown. Over the coming days, there will be numerous events and ceremonies dedicated to honor and uplift Alaska Native culture. With reporting help from Clarise Larson 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, June 4, 2026 — Telling the full story of Route 66

In this newscast: Twelve people were infected by an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness while aboard a cruise ship traveling through Southeast Alaska last week; A new public use cabin opened near Ward Lake this week; Thirteen canoes bringing Alaska Native paddlers from across Southeast Alaska and Canada arrived in Juneau Tuesday afternoon; A soon-to-be change in shipping services for Juneau's Costco is expected to make it more difficult for small businesses in outlying communities to get products to their towns; Petersburg residents give items at the dump a second life through the borough's salvaging program.

World War II reached far beyond the beaches of Normandy and the islands of the Pacific. It also came to Alaska, where Indigenous communities found themselves on the front lines of invasion, military occupation, and forced relocation.In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian Holly Miowak Guise discusses her groundbreaking book Alaska Native Resilience: Voices from World War II. Drawing on more than 90 oral history interviews with Alaska Native elders, Guise reveals how Alaska Native communities experienced the Aleutian Campaign, wartime relocation camps, segregation, military service, and the ongoing realities of colonialism in America's far north.Together, we explore the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, the forced evacuation of Indigenous communities, Alaska Native military service, the power of oral history, and the ways Native peoples resisted, adapted, and rebuilt their communities in the aftermath of war.This conversation challenges familiar narratives of the "Good War" and offers a powerful reminder that some of the most important stories of World War II remain largely unknown.

A new law permits the transfer of federal land in the Tongass National Forest to the Cape Fox Corporation. Plus, a Lingit leader is remembered for his Alaska Native fishing rights advocacy, and Virgin Voyages sees its inaugural visit to Sitka.

Photo courtesy Heard Museum / Facebook The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Ariz. remembered Indigenous servicemembers, who made the ultimate sacrifice, during a Memorial Day observance. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. On this hot Monday morning, Kiowa-Comanche singer Kenneth Cozad Sr. chants a series of honor songs. Each melody is meant to pay tribute to the fallen as the Oklahoma native beats upon a drum made from rawhide. One of his patriotic tunes is called “Star and Stripes”. It is inspired by World War II Kiowa Code Talker Leonard “Red Wolf” Cozad Sr. “My grandpa, he had a thought came to him about this flag here that our folks fought for this red, white, and blue, he said.” For Cozad, he's thankful to share his music. “Because we don't just be singing songs, just to be singing them, there's always has to be a purpose.” Visitors of the exhibition, “Arctic Marine Science: Sikuliaq to Shore”, can learn about various science instruments used by Sikuliaq research crews to study the environment. (Photo: James Daggett / Alaska Public Media) A new exhibit at an Alaska museum takes visitors inside an Arctic research vessel. Since opening last week, it has given guests a chance to glimpse at what it is like to study the Arctic marine ecosystem – and how Indigenous communities shape that research. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Rachel Boesenberg is associate curator at the Anchorage Museum. She is walking under a tall crane, with deep blue all around her. “So you enter here through the stern of the vessel.” Boesenberg is giving a tour of the new exhibition called Arctic Marine Science: Sikuliaq to Shore, which brings the audience aboard a replica of the research vessel Sikuliaq. Visitors make their way onto the bridge. Here, the captain’s chair faces a ceiling-high projector screen with a vast ocean that changes from stormy swells to chunks of pancake ice. “We’re looking off the bow of Sikuliaq, which visitors at this point have walked through.” Sikuliaq is operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and owned by the National Science Foundation. Each year, dozens of scientists board the vessel to study the Arctic. Brendan Smith is the communications director at the North Pacific Research Board. He dreamed up the idea for the exhibition. “I said to myself, what if we bring the Sikuliaq … into the museum? How do we give people an experience that makes them feel like they’re out at sea?” The result is an immersive experience, focused on how the ship is used to study the environment, and the people who bring that knowledge to life. And there is a station with Arctic soundscapes. “That’s a bowhead whale.” Boesenberg says these are the sounds that scientists gather using hydrophones they deploy from the real vessel. Harmony Jade Sugaq Wayner is an Indigenous scholar from Naknek in Southwest Alaska. She consulted on the exhibition and suggested curators include what Arctic research means for Alaska Native people. “We see a lot of big graphs about climate change and the extent of sea ice and those big global processes, but we don’t see the joy of living our culture in coastal Alaska and river Alaska.” The exhibition runs through April 2027. Whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River in Montana in 2023. (Photo: Watts / Flickr) People working in Montana's outdoor industry are reporting emotional impacts tied to climate change. According to reporting from Glacier Raft Company and environmental advocates, river guides are increasingly experiencing ecological grief as changing waterways affect their work and livelihoods. 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 26, 2026 – Border wall construction causes sacred site destruction

What does it take for a single idea to travel from a research lab in New Haven to war zones in Uganda, refugee camps in Malaysia, and clinics across 30 countries and six continents? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Myrna Weissman, one of the most consequential figures in modern psychiatry, to find out.Dr. Weissman co-developed Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) alongside her late husband, Dr. Gerald Klerman, on a simple premise: that human suffering is deeply tied to human connection. Grief. Conflict. Loneliness. Life upended. These are not niche clinical categories, but rather a universal language of distress. And IPT was built to respond to it.In this conversation, Dr. Weissman reflects on five decades of research, the pandemic-era project that became a sweeping global volume (now available free via open access), and what it means to build something that outlives its origins. *This episode briefly mentions suicide.(Re-post: This is one of our most beloved episodes, brought back by popular demand. If you've heard it before, we hope it moves you just as much the second time.)What Is Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Why Does It Work?IPT links the emergence of psychiatric symptoms to what is happening in a person's current life. It focuses on four core problem areas:1. Grief — the loss of a loved one2. Disputes — conflict with someone important to you3. Transitions — life changes, even positive ones, that disrupt relationships4. Loneliness/Isolation — chronic or newly developed lack of attachmentThese four areas have proven to resonate across vastly different cultures because they reflect fundamental aspects of the human condition. Dr. Weissman emphasizes that IPT is not the only evidence-based psychotherapy — it is “one tool in the toolbox, not a religion.”IPT for AdolescentsAdolescence is a prime time for IPT's problem areas, especially disputes, transitions, and loneliness. Key takeaways for parents:• Try to understand the specific stressors behind an adolescent's symptoms rather than reacting to global, dramatic statements.• Always be alert to the possibility of suicidal ideation.• Communication barriers between teens and parents are common; a trusted third party (grandparent, therapist, family friend) can sometimes serve as a valuable bridge.The New Book: IPT Around the WorldThis book is now available open access for readers everywhere!The COVID-19 pandemic gave Dr. Weissman the unexpected opportunity to connect with IPT practitioners worldwide. What began as a routine update to the standard IPT manual grew into a sweeping collaborative volume covering more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Contributors were asked: What are you doing? What works? What doesn't? What adaptations did you need to make?Notable chapters include:• Uganda — IPT was introduced around 2003 amid civil war and a mental health crisis. A landmark clinical trial published in JAMA confirmed its effectiveness. Sean Mabry, a former WHO worker, went on to treat hundreds of thousands of people using IPT, even by telephone during the pandemic, and has now established a low-cost program in New Jersey.• China — After government engagement and training by Columbia experts, IPT became what practitioners called a “rapidly growing practice,” with books, training programs, and internet-based delivery.• Malaysia — IPT has been applied with refugees, using the “transitions” framework to help people process displacement and profound loss.• Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Zambia, Uganda) — Adaptations have been made for cultural context, including how disputes are communicated and resolved within different family and community structures.• Japan and Hong Kong — Initial resistance to psychotherapy has given way to growing acceptance and translated materials.• United States special populations — Chapters cover Alaska Natives, people who are incarcerated, sexual and gender minorities, pre-adolescents, adolescents, and older adults.Cultural AdaptationsDr. Weissman shares a vivid example from Uganda: women in marital disputes are often encouraged not to confront their husbands directly, but to work through an elder who mediates. The underlying IPT principle, that the dispute is driving the symptoms, remains intact; only the implementation changes.Resources Mentioned• International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT) — volunteer-run, affordable membership, biannual international conference (10th meeting held in the UK, March 2024)• Dr. Weissman's new book on IPT across international sites — published Open Access, freely available to practitioners and researchers worldwide• Oxford University Press — publisher of the standard IPT manualAbout the GuestDr. Myrna Weissman is the Diana Goldman Kemper Family Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mailman School of Public Health, and Chief of the Division of Translational Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Alongside her late husband, Dr. Gerald Klerman, she co-developed Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), now backed by over 140 clinical trials, translated into numerous languages, and recommended by the World Health Organization.

In this episode, Fred from the Subarctic Alaska Sasquatch YouTube Channel speaks by phone with Patquah, an Inupiaq man originally from Utqiagvik who has spent years living in the Noatak River Valley.Their conversation explores subsistence living in Arctic Alaska, the nomadic history of the Inupiaq people, and the oral traditions passed down through generations to help hunters, travelers, and families understand the dangers of the land.Patquah shares accounts of strange lights, unexplained wilderness phenomena, and traditional warnings about “little people” said to inhabit remote areas of Alaska.These stories include descriptions of foot-tall mountain beings with red eyes and unusual strength, as well as child-sized figures wearing pointed hoods. Rather than framing these traditions as simple folklore or superstition, Patquah explains how elders used these stories as practical survival knowledge, teaching younger generations to respect the land, pay attention to signs, and avoid becoming careless in dangerous country.The conversation then turns to a recent and unsettling experience from April 21, 2026, during a snowmachine hunting trip near the Noatak–Kivalina trail in Northwest Alaska.While traveling through the area, Patquah heard a powerful, echoing scream that seemed to carry across the landscape and left him with the strong feeling that he was being watched. The following day, as weather conditions worsened and he and two companions briefly became disoriented, they spotted a large, dark, hairy figure sitting on a ridge. After viewing it through binoculars, the group chose to leave the area rather than approach.Patquah later learned that relatives and other hunters had reported similar screams and sightings in the region, adding another layer to an already compelling account.This episode blends Inupiaq oral tradition, Alaska Native cultural history, remote wilderness survival, and a modern hairy man encounter from the Mulgrave Hills and Noatak River Valley region.Click the link below to visit Fred's Subarctic Alaska Sasquatch YouTube Channel for more incredible encounter stories, traditional accounts, and unexplained experiences from the wilds of Alaska.Subarctic Alaska Sasquatch YouTube ChannelEmail BrianGet Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sasquatch-odyssey--4839697/support.Have you had a Bigfoot encounter, Sasquatch sighting, Dogman experience, or other cryptid or paranormal encounter? We'd love to hear your story. Email brian@paranormalworldproductions.com to be featured on a future episode of Sasquatch Odyssey.Sasquatch Odyssey is a leading Bigfoot and cryptid podcast exploring real encounters, field research, and scientific analysis of the Sasquatch phenomenon.Follow the show and turn on automatic downloads so you never miss an episode.

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”

It's Monday, May 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Daughter of imprisoned Chinese pastor urges his release Before he left for the Chinese-American summit in Beijing, President Donald Trump said that he would advocate for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin of the underground Zion Church who was arrested in October 2025 during a massive Communist crackdown against the body of Christ. In a recent interview on Fox News Channel, Grace Drexel, his daughter, who emigrated to America several years ago, spoke about her father's church. DREXEL: “My father's church was one of the largest independent churches in China, and for that reason they came after my father. The charge against them was the illegal use of information networks, because he was hosting his services, both online and offline, having smaller groups meet together.” She described Pastor Jin's character. DREXEL: “My father is a pastor in China, and, like Christians everywhere, he believed that the church should only have one God and serve one God. He led his church in order to be faithful to Scripture and faithful to his beliefs. “Ultimately, I know my father as just a very gentle and kind man. He is not very confrontational.  This kind and gentle man is now in prison. They handcuffed him and shaved his hair, and is not getting his medication that he needs -- all because he was just leading a church.” Grace was counting on U.S. President Trump to negotiate her father's release from his unjust imprisonment with Chinese President Xi Jinping. DREXEL: “We hope that, as the two leaders are meeting together, that they will both have a softening of the hearts and will release my father and allow him to come to the U.S.” According to President Trump, President Jinping was “going to strongly consider the pastor,” reports The Hill.com. Grace Drexel, Pastor Jin's daughter, advocated for the release of hundreds of other pastors who have also been unfairly imprisoned for their faith in Jesus Christ. DREXEL: “We see that this is not an isolated case. There are so many pastors and church leaders and churches being persecuted in China actively today. In fact, we know that there are hundreds of pastors that are currently in prison, or are in detention, or have recently, very recently, been released. This is a very critical period in China, and it's very disheartening and very scary for many Christians in China.” Send a polite, 2-sentence letter urging Pastor Ezra Jin's release to Ambassador Xie Feng, Chinese Embassy, 3505 International Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. Church of Scotland sees surge of converts amid “deep spiritual hunger” The Church of Scotland in the United Kingdom has seen a surge of converts since the COVID-19 pandemic amid what one clergyman called "a deep spiritual hunger,” reports The Christian Post. In 2025, 820 people in the denomination affirmed faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, which is nearly double the 428 people who did so in 2021, according to official church figures. In a May 8th report, church leaders wrote, "We are seeing evidence of increased Bible engagement, renewed interest in spiritual questions, growing church attendance, and more young people and young adults coming to faith with confidence." Rev. David Cameron noted that 3,292 Scotts have professed faith in Christ between 2021 and 2025. He said, "I believe this growth reflects the fact that, even in uncertain times, there remains a deep spiritual hunger within our parishes." The new conversions come amid a wider decline in membership in the Church of Scotland, whose approximately 229,000 members recorded at the end of 2025 indicated a fall of 5% from 2024, primarily because of death. The Church of Scotland, which was established in the 16th century as a Reformed, Presbyterian denomination, differs from the Church of England in that it does not recognize the British monarch as its political head. Sadly, in 2016 the Scottish church rejetced clear Biblical teaching and allowed its clergy to enter into faux homosexual marriages and civil partnerships. Then, in May 2022, the Church of Scotland General Assembly voted in favor of permitting the church's clergy to conduct homosexual faux marriages, reported the BBC. Romans 1:26-27 says, “God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.” Supreme Court allows Abortion Kill Pill to continue to be sent by mail Here in the United States, on May 14th, the Supreme Court ruled to allow the Abortion Kill Pill to continue to be sent through the mail. It trumped the May 1st ruling by a federal appeals court in Louisiana which had barred the mailing of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which is the preferred murder method that 63% of mothers choose who wish to abort their children. To their credit, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito both dissented. Alito contended that “[w]hat is at stake is the perpetration of a scheme to undermine our decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization,” the court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Gov. DeSantis vs. House Minority Leader Jeffries on redistricting Ever since the Virginia Supreme Court rejected the unconstitutional redistricting in Virginia where Republicans would only be left with one of 11 Congressional seats, Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been discouraging Florida Republican politicians from doing their own redistricting, reports The Hill.com. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis got a kick out Congressman Jeffries' rhetoric. DeSANTIS: “I heard this guy, Jeffries, popping off in Washington, about Florida. He wants to be Speaker of the House, and he's more liberal than [Nancy] Pelosi from New York City. We're going to go after Florida. Please be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida and campaign. I'll put you up in the Florida governor's mansion. We'll take you fishing. “There's nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Hakeem Jeffries everywhere around this state. Voters will not like what they see. They will not want that type of ideology. And so, the door is open. The invitation is out there. I don't think there would be anything better for the Republican Party of Florida, but to have Jeffries there. “Now, I kind of feel bad for the guy, because he's as left as they come. He's always going left, and yet the Far Left hates him. You know, they call him a ‘Dollar Store Obama.'” On May 15th, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal of Virginia Democrats to revive their lopsided redistricting plan, reports Politico.com. Missionary Sheldon Jackson felt compelled to share Gospel And finally, 192 years ago today, Sheldon Jackson was born in 1834.  He wanted to become a missionary overseas, but the Presbyterian board told the five-foot-tall Jackson, who had weak eyesight and was often ill, that he would be better suited for duty in the United States.  Jackson's first assignment was at the Choctaw mission in Oklahoma Territory, where he worked until poor health forced him to go back East in 1859. In the summer of 1869, Jackson went on a missionary tour using the railroad and stage lines, establishing a church a day. Jackson found his major life's work in the new territory of Alaska with 20,000 miles of coastline. In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward, during the administration of President Andrew Johnson, had negotiated the Alaska Purchase from Russia.   In 1877, Jackson began his work in Alaska. He became committed to the Christian, educational, and economic wellbeing of the Alaska Natives.  He famously said, “I must work the works of Him Who sent me while it is yet day,” adapting the command of John 9:4.  The Scripture says, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” Ultimately, he travelled one million miles and established more than one hundred missions and churches, mostly in the Western United States. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, May 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus  (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In this episode of Behaviour Speak, Ben Reiman sits down with Dr. Anna Kawennison Fetter, Indigenous licensed psychologist (enrolled member of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe), Assistant Professor at Duke School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences. They explore how Indigenous mental health is shaped by history, invisibility, and academic systems that were never designed to include Indigenous people. Anna shares how discovering Indigenous scholarship on historical loss, historical trauma, and the soul wound transformed her understanding of psychology—and of herself. Together, Ben and Anna unpack how settler colonialism shows up as chronic psychological stress for Indigenous students, especially in predominantly white institutions, through everyday experiences like erasure, identity policing, and cultural invalidation. The conversation dives into Anna's research developing culturally grounded measures of stress and microaggressions, highlighting why traditional psychological models often fail to capture Indigenous lived experience—and why “you can't see what you're not measuring.” In the second half of the episode, Anna reflects on her time in an Indigenous‑led research group mentored by Dr. Joseph Gone. She explains how this collective, community‑based approach to research functioned almost like an intervention—offering mentorship, skill‑building, belonging, and hope in a system that regularly pushes Indigenous scholars out. This is a powerful conversation about: Why recruitment without structural change doesn't work How mentorship must go beyond warmth and affirmation Why ignorance is not an excuse to disengage And what becomes possible when research finally reflects lived experience Topics Covered Historical loss vs. intergenerational trauma The “soul wound” and Indigenous mental health Microaggressions specific to Indigenous students Invisibility and identity policing in academic spaces Ethnic identity as a buffer for well-being Indigenous‑led research and mentorship as resistance Building culturally responsive systems—not just diverse ones Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9q86FBWMe2c     Continuing Education Credits (https://www.cbiconsultants.com/shop) BACB: 1.5 Ethics IBAO:  1.5 Cultural QABA: 1.5 Ethics CBA/CPD: 1.5 Cultural Diversity  Follow us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behaviourspeak/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/behaviourspeak TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behaviorspeak Contact Dr. Fetter: https://psychiatry.duke.edu/profile/anna-fetter https://www.annakawennison.com/ Research Discussed: Fetter, A. K., Christophe, N. K., & Thompson, M. N. (2025). Measurement invariance of the revised multigroup ethnic identity measure among a national sample of Native American and Alaska Native college students. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000758 Fetter, A. K., Wiglesworth, A., Rey, L. F., Young, A. R., Azarani, M., & Gone, J. P. (2024). Supporting the Next Generation of Indigenous Psychologists: An Illustrative Case Example. The Counseling Psychologist, 52(7), 1174-1202. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000241283697 Fetter, A.K., Williams, M. & Thompson, M.N. Perceived Racial Misclassification Among Native American and Alaska Native College Students: Preliminary Evidence for a Culturally Relevant Stressor. Race Soc Probl 18, 27 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-026-09493-1 Fetter, A. K., & Thompson, M. N. (2023). The impact of historical loss on Native American college students' mental health: The protective role of ethnic identity. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 70(5), 486–497. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000686    

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?

Fred from the Subarctic Alaska Sasquatch YouTube Channel is back with two more amazing encounter stories. Be sure to check out Fred's channel using the link below to see all his videos.In this episode, Fred shares two chilling accounts from the wilds of Alaska involving what many Native communities have long referred to as the “hairy man.”The first story follows Rodolfo, a Filipino immigrant who joins an Alaska Native friend on a moose hunt near Grayling Creek off the Yukon River. What begins as a routine hunting trip quickly turns unsettling when the men hear strange whistling in the dark, spot a massive shadowy figure, and witness Rodolfo's friend panic after shining a spotlight on what appears to be an angry, towering creature. As the encounter escalates, gunshots are fired when the figure comes within ten feet of them.Later, Rodolfo sees the creature from a distance, only for the terror to continue that night near their landing area, where he reports eyeshine, a nearly ten-foot-tall figure baring its teeth, brushing dirt from itself, and letting out a terrifying scream before the men arrange an early pickup by radio.The second account centers on Alvin and Myrna, an Athabascan couple hiking Devil's Creek Trail in February 2020 with their nine-month-old Tibetan Mastiff. During the hike, something begins mimicking Myrna's voice in an apparent attempt to lure the dog away. Moments later, the animal is snatched, leaving the couple shaken and desperate for answers.Alvin later catches sight of the creature and hears a scream echo through the valley, turning a peaceful outing into a nightmare they would never forget.These stories serve as a powerful reminder of how vast, remote, and mysterious Alaska's wilderness truly is. Whether you believe these encounters involve Bigfoot, the legendary hairy man, or something else entirely, Subarctic Alaska Sasquatch YouTube ChannelEmail BrianGet Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sasquatch-odyssey--4839697/support.Have you had a Bigfoot encounter, Sasquatch sighting, Dogman experience, or other cryptid or paranormal encounter? We'd love to hear your story. Email brian@paranormalworldproductions.com to be featured on a future episode of Sasquatch Odyssey.Sasquatch Odyssey is a leading Bigfoot and cryptid podcast exploring real encounters, field research, and scientific analysis of the Sasquatch phenomenon.Follow the show and turn on automatic downloads so you never miss an episode.

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

MMIP advocates fault police in Anchorage for not acting fast enough when young Alaska Native woman went missing in January. Kelly Hunt's body was discovered in April. Her death is now under investigation. It's the latest case revealing the persistent lack of trust Native communities have when it comes to MMIP cases. Hunt's case comes as the Trump administration is touting a surge in federal agents in selected locations to address the backlog in unsolved serious crimes, but tribal leaders and advocates say there's no real progress on the lingering disconnect between Native people and law enforcement officials on all levels. And despite some recent progress, there are serious hurdles when it comes to jurisdictional confusion and information sharing across agencies. GUESTS Regina Antone (Gila River Indian Community), lieutenant governor of the Gila River Indian Community Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community Alexis Savage (Iñupiaq), MMIP advocate LaRenda Morgan (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), Cheyenne and Arapaho MMIP chapter chairwoman and the governmental affairs officer for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Break 1 Music: Nakoda Healing Song (song) YB Nakota (artist) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

Ketchikan High School's National Honor Society honors the victim of the fatal 2024 landslide. Plus, Alaska Native artists are frustrated at online retailer Etsy's plan to ban fur products, and the state Department of Fish and Game estimates the commercial salmon harvest this year is less than two-thirds of what they ended up harvesting last year.

Indigenous maternal health is in a critical state, but we can change that.Learn why 93% of pregnancy-related deaths in these communities are preventable. Explore the healthcare gaps for First Nations and how restorative midwifery is working to save lives.  https://bit.ly/4uncumOWhat You'll Learn:The 93% Preventability Gap: While 87% of all U.S. maternal deaths are preventable, that number rises to 93% for Native American and Alaska Native populations, signaling a critical failure in the care pipeline.The Postpartum "Blind Spot": 68% of pregnancy-related deaths occur between one week and one year after birth. Most of these happen after 43 days postpartum, a period when many mothers lose insurance or clinical support. Leading Causes are Treatable: Mental health conditions and infections are the top underlying causes. These are highly manageable when caught early, yet they often go unnoticed in "medical deserts." The Power of Advocacy: Learn why every mother should explicitly state, "I was pregnant within the last year," to every healthcare provider they see to trigger appropriate clinical protocols.Restoring Traditions: How Indigenous-led midwifery and the Momnibus Act are working to dismantle systemic bias and return to culturally safe birthing practices.#MaternalHealth #NativeHealth #PublicHealth #PostpartumCare #HealthEquity #HearHer #MaternalMortality #WomensHealth #IndigenousHealth #HealthcareAccess #CDCSupport the showConnect with Us: Email our Host: mail@every1dies.org  Website: https://every1dies.org: Find show notes, links and expanded resources Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube  

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

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 is seeking feedback on how it should manage Prince of Wales Island's federally owned landscapes. Plus, a new article shows how access to commercial fishing looks a lot different in Metlakatla compared to other coastal Alaska Native communities.

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

Jesus shows up on a beach after the worst week of his friends' lives and asks a disarmingly simple question: have you eaten anything? This week we push back against the lie of scarcity and practice the defiant, countercultural act of believing there is enough.   LINKS:  Current Conversation | Connect | YouTube |  Coming Up TRANSCRIPT: Eat Something: Waking Up to Being Fed The Question That Shouldn't Be Radical A beat of honesty to begin… This week's message is built around a phrase that should not be controversial. It shouldn't raise anyone's blood pressure. It shouldn't feel political. It shouldn't require courage to say. The phrase is: There actually is enough. And yet… depending on your life experience, where you grew up, what your bank account looks like, what neighborhood you're in… that phrase might land anywhere from obviously true to laughably false to offensive, because you don't know my life. So before we go anywhere else, let's hold all of that. Let's hold the complexity of that sentence in the room together. The Story… Breakfast on the Beach (John 21:1–14) Tell the story… Let's paint the scene: It's after the resurrection. The disciples are rattled, confused, grief-stained. They've seen what they've seen, but nothing has quite settled yet. So they do the thing people do when they don't know what else to do: they go back to work. Peter says, I'm going fishing. And the others say, We'll come too. They fish all night. They catch nothing. Then, as dawn is breaking, a figure appears on the shore. He calls out: "Hey, you don't have any fish, do you?" They say no. He tells them to throw the net on the other side of the boat. They do — and suddenly there are so many fish they can't haul the net in. And then — and this is one of my favorite mental pictures of Jesus ever — they get to shore, and he's already has a charcoal fire going. Fish already on it. Bread already there. He doesn't wait for them to bring what they caught and make it into something. There is already something prepared. And he says: "Come and have breakfast." There's no moment of like… “let's debrief the last week.” or “I need you to understand what just happened.” Come and have breakfast. Pull up some sand and have a seat. The first thing the newly-alive Jesus does with his bewildered, grieving, exhausted friends is to feed them. The Lie of Scarcity Now — here's where we need to be honest with each other, and honest about the world we actually live in. Because it is not true that everyone in this room or in this city, or this country has always had enough to eat. Or enough to feel safe. Or enough to rest. In 2024, nearly 1 in 7 U.S. households — that's 47.9 million people — experienced food insecurity at some point during the year. Nearly 1 in 5 households with children were food insecure, the highest rate since 2014.  And those numbers are not distributed evenly. Almost 1 in 4 Black households, 1 in 5 Hispanic households, and nearly 1 in 3 American Indian and Alaska Native households were food insecure in 2024 — at least double the rate for non-Hispanic white households. These inequities reflect the impact of structural barriers rooted in systemic racism and other forms of discrimination that result in higher rates of poverty.  So when we talk about scarcity — we have to say this plainly: for a lot of people in our lives and community, scarcity has not been a philosophical problem or a spiritual metaphor. It has been Tuesday. An embodied, lived reality. And we have to also say: that is not because the earth doesn't produce enough. It's not because there isn't enough food, or enough housing, or enough care to go around. The pie is plenty big. But the slices are cut unevenly.. Research from the Federal Reserve Board shows that Black families' median wealth was approximately 15% that of white families — $44,900 compared to $285,000 — in 2022. Studies indicate these racial disparities persist even when factors like income and education are accounted for, suggesting that pervasive racism embedded in historical, political, and economic systems continues to drive the gap.  Scarcity, as most of us experience it, is manufactured. It is the product of systems — empire systems, to use a biblical word — that concentrate abundance at the top and make the rest fight over the remainder. The problem is not that there isn't enough fish in the sea. The problem is who controls the nets. What Jesus Keeps Doing And this is where the Easter story opens up into something larger than one morning on a beach. Because if you read the Gospels as a whole — if you trace the arc of what Jesus actually did — you start to notice a pattern. Feeding keeps happening. Abundance keeps showing up in the middle of scarcity. Five loaves and two fish for thousands of people, and there are baskets left over. Water turned to wine at a wedding — not a trickle, but somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons. A woman who loses a coin and sweeps her whole house until she finds it, then throws a party that probably costs more than the coin. A father who sees his prodigal kid coming from a long way off and kills the fatted calf — we're celebrating tonight. Over and over, Jesus enacts this: there is enough. More than enough. Abundance is the character of the divine, not scarcity. And then he dies. And the people who crucified him — Rome, the religious gatekeepers, the systems that depended on keeping people in their place — they thought that was the end of it. But here's what resurrection means, in part: his teachings didn't die with him. The practices didn't die. The communities he formed kept forming. Throughout history, untold numbers of people, inspired by this life and death, have put their bodies and their resources on the line to insist — there is enough, and we're going to share it. The church at its best — not its worst, not its empire-adjacent self, but its best — has always been a community that takes the fish off the fire and says come and have breakfast. That is what resurrection looks like in a neighborhood. In a coalition. In a food pantry. In a protest. In a community that shows up, over and over, to say: the story of scarcity is a lie, and we're not going to live by it. What We're Doing Here, Fabric… And here's where I want to get concrete, because I think this community is doing exactly that kind of work — and I don't want us to miss it or undervalue it. Our new partnership with ISAIAH — a statewide coalition of congregations and allies working for racial and economic equity in Minnesota GuideStar — is one expression of this. ISAIAH was founded in 2000 and has won real, tangible things: healthcare access for all children regardless of immigration status, billions in public transit funding, paid leave, homeowners' rights. These are not small things. These are exactly the kind of retooling… taking systems built on scarcity and bending them toward abundance… that the beach breakfast points toward. When Fabric shows up in public — at Fabric on the Town events like this past Friday at Midtown Global Market, for Fabric in Action events, or simply at tables in the neighborhood— we are not doing outreach in the old-school sense of trying to recruit people to our club. We are practicing what it looks like to be a community that shows up and says: we're here. We see you. There's room at the table.  When you show up on Sunday, or in your Fabric group, or check in on someone during the week — you are participating in this same movement. You are part of a network that is slowly, stubbornly, defiantly insisting that there is enough connection, enough care, enough belonging to go around. This is not soft or peripheral… this is the work. The Hard Part: Receiving But here's where I want to gently push, because there's a move in this story that's easy to skip over. The disciples don't just witness the breakfast. Jesus tells them to bring what they caught — and they do. And then he says: come and eat. Receiving is part of this. And for a lot of us — especially those of us who've been trained by scarcity, by systems that told us our needs were a burden, by communities or families that taught us to make do and not ask — receiving is actually the harder practice. Self-compassion researchers Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer have spent years documenting something that resonates here: one of the key barriers to human flourishing is not a lack of generosity toward others, but an inability to extend that same generosity to ourselves. Their work in Mindful Self-Compassion identifies a move they call mindful awareness — which is simply this: noticing what is actually happening in your experience right now, without immediately narrating it, judging it, or trying to fix it. Not: I shouldn't feel this way. Not: Other people have it worse. Not: If I just work harder, I'll feel okay. Just: This is what is happening in me right now. That kind of honest, gentle noticing — of your own hunger, your own exhaustion, your own longing — is actually a prerequisite for being able to receive. You can't take food you don't know you need. Closing Practice So let's close with something simple. An invitation to practice mindful awareness — and what this story might call coming to the fire. Take a breath. Let your feet feel the floor. And ask yourself — without judgment, without fixing — one of these questions. Just one. Let whichever lands, land. Where am I running on empty right now? What kind of nourishment have I been telling myself I don't need, or don't deserve, or can wait?

There are no casinos or lotteries in Alaska. The state has some of the most restrictive gaming laws in the country, but the small Dena’ina Athabascan Village of Eklutna, located in Anchorage's municipality, is pushing the envelope on tribal gaming rights in the state. The Chin’an Gaming Hall is still open even after a year of legal disputes and threats by the state to close its doors. The village is also at the forefront of climate advocacy in southcentral Alaska. They have been working to restore their river’s namesake and salmon habitat. We’ll speak with the Eklutna’s president Aaron Leggett, live from the Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, an annual gathering of policymakers, diplomats, Indigenous leaders, and stakeholders. We’ll also hear from Alaska Native elders and subsistence rights advocates from St. Lawrence Island about whaling and contamination from a former military site on the island. GUESTS Aaron Leggett (Dena'ina Athabascan), president of the Village of Eklutna Vi Waghiyi (Yupik), environmental health and justice program director at the Alaska Community Action on Toxics Merle Apassingok (Yupik), elder and leader from the Native Village of Gambell Dr. Sara Olsvig (Inuit), chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council

Matt Schaeffer, Assistant Special Agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Office, joins Arizona’s Morning News to talk about Operation Not Forgotten. It investigates cold cases and rampant violent crimes within the American Indian and Alaska Native communities. 

Most banks want the casino loan. Few understand the full scope of what tribal banking actually looks like, and what it takes to do it right.In this episode of Travillian Next, host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Mike Lettig, Senior Managing Director and Group Head of Native American Financial Services at Huntington Bank, and Jackson Brossy, Vice President of Native American Financial Services at Huntington Bank, for an in-depth conversation on Native American banking, tribal sovereignty, and the growing opportunity in Indian Country that most financial institutions are overlooking.Mike and Jackson cover how Huntington built a fully integrated Native American Financial Services practice, why Indian Country is one of the safest places in the private sector to do business, and how tribal sovereignty works in practice when structuring deals, including a landmark unsecured credit facility completed entirely under Navajo law. Jackson also breaks down the $26 billion federal contracting sector, why tribes and Alaska Native corporations are uniquely positioned to access it, and why every financial institution should be paying attention.Whether you are a banker exploring tribal markets for the first time or a financial professional looking to deepen your understanding of Indigenous economic development, this conversation is a must-listen.

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

In this episode of the Hope In The Valley series, host Ramon Sanchez and co-host Dr. Ashleigh Herrera sit down with Johnny Delgado and Cheyenne Bond from the Bakersfield American Indian Health Project (BAIHP). Together, they pull back the curtain on the unique challenges facing the American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Kern County regarding opioid and stimulant use disorders.From the impact of intergenerational trauma to the power of culturally grounded healing, this conversation explores how tradition and evidence-based treatment can work hand-in-hand. We discuss the role of gender-based taboos, the importance of "trusted messengers," and how to remove the systemic barriers—like rural isolation and stigma—that prevent individuals from seeking life-saving care. Join us for a deeply respectful and insightful look at resilience and the path to wellness in the Valley.

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

The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska is telling the story of 11 children taken from the area and shipped off to the Carlisle Indian Boarding School more than a century ago. The museum was instrumental in securing the return of one of those children who was buried on school grounds. It is part of an ongoing effort by the museum to document and repatriate Alaska Native ancestors under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. We'll hear about their work. GUESTS Dehrich Chya (Alutiiq, Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak), director of language and living culture at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository Benjamin Jacuk (Dena'ina Athabascan and Sugpiaq), director of Indigenous research at the Alaska Native Heritage Center Nyché Andrew (Yup’ik/Iñupiaq) Break 1 Music: They Sing to Each Other (song) Pamyua (artist) Side A Side B (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

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

Sam Davenport writes the AK IRL newsletter. It dissects Alaska reality television as entertainment and as a cultural lens that shapes how Alaska is perceived from the Outside — an idea often signaled right from the start in show titles filled with buzzwords like wild, survival, and frontier. As if there's a checklist for how Alaska gets branded and sold. She writes about the manufactured drama, the narrative structure, the way reality TV can feel like a funhouse mirror — recognizable, but distorted. And yet, within that distortion, there are moments of truth. Shows like Deadliest Catch have introduced millions of viewers to the commercial fishing industry, offering glimpses into lives they might otherwise never encounter. There's a reason people keep watching these reality shows about Alaska: there's a fascination with remoteness, solitude, escapism, and the idea of living outside the noise.  But Sam also looks at what gets left out of these shows. The recurring image of Alaska as an empty, unpeopled wilderness erases the Alaska Native communities who have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. She points to how exaggeration, assumption, and spectacle can flatten the complexity of a place into something consumable, and how that flattening has consequences. Some shows approach that responsibility with more care than others, but the broader pattern of Alaska as novelty, extremity, and myth persists. From fishing boats to gold mines to even dating shows, the state has become a stage where outsiders project their fantasies. And what Sam's newsletter does is turn that image back onto itself, reflecting both Alaska and the assumptions and expectations of the people watching it.

Sam Davenport writes the AK IRL newsletter. It dissects Alaska reality television as entertainment and as a cultural lens that shapes how Alaska is perceived from the Outside — an idea often signaled right from the start in show titles filled with buzzwords like wild, survival, and frontier. As if there's a checklist for how Alaska gets branded and sold. She writes about the manufactured drama, the narrative structure, the way reality TV can feel like a funhouse mirror — recognizable, but distorted. And yet, within that distortion, there are moments of truth. Shows like Deadliest Catch have introduced millions of viewers to the commercial fishing industry, offering glimpses into lives they might otherwise never encounter. There's a reason people keep watching these reality shows about Alaska: there's a fascination with remoteness, solitude, escapism, and the idea of living outside the noise.  But Sam also looks at what gets left out of these shows. The recurring image of Alaska as an empty, unpeopled wilderness erases the Alaska Native communities who have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. She points to how exaggeration, assumption, and spectacle can flatten the complexity of a place into something consumable, and how that flattening has consequences. Some shows approach that responsibility with more care than others, but the broader pattern of Alaska as novelty, extremity, and myth persists. From fishing boats to gold mines to even dating shows, the state has become a stage where outsiders project their fantasies. And what Sam's newsletter does is turn that image back onto itself, reflecting both Alaska and the assumptions and expectations of the people watching it.

In this Expert Spotlight episode of the HerSuiteSpot Podcast, Marsha Guerrier sits down with Kimber Olson, Founder, CEO, and Principal Consultant of Juniper & Pine Consulting, LLC. An enrolled member of the Chiricahua Apache Mimbres Band Nation, Dr. Olson designs and delivers culturally grounded, healing-centered trainings for Tribal Nations. Her work centers Indigenous regulation, trauma-responsive systems, and stewardship-based leadership — bridging Indigenous knowledge systems, neuroscience, and community practice to strengthen family well-being, staff wellness, and social service ecosystems. With more than thirty years of experience partnering with Indigenous and Alaska Native communities, Kimber brings deep relational wisdom to conversations about leadership, systems change, and care. This episode invites listeners to rethink leadership not as control, but as stewardship — and to understand how culture itself can be a governing framework for sustainable impact.

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: 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

Prosecutors in South Dakota have dismissed charges against an Indigenous rights advocate. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s CJ Keene reports. Charges stemming from a 2022 incident against Nick Tilsen, CEO and founder of NDN Collective, were dropped. In a statement, Tilsen said, “my freedom wasn't granted by a judge, a jury, or the settler colonial court system. My freedom was won by the people, the movement, and the ancestors.” Tilsen faced more than 25 years in prison, originally facing charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and obstruction. Ultimately, the trial resulted in a hung jury. Tilsen maintained his innocence throughout, saying the incident was an effort to watch an interaction between police and an Indigenous member of the Rapid City, S.D. community. NDN Collective spokespeople had contended the charges were excessive. In the same statement, representatives describe them as, “blatantly politically motivated effort to silence a movement leader by criminalizing his actions.” In response, Pennington County State's Attorney said, “the decision to dismiss this case was made after careful review and thoughtful consideration.” The office adds they stand by the charging decision. “While we believe the case was properly charged and presented, the jury's inability to reach a verdict was an important factor in evaluating whether further prosecution would serve the interest of justice.” A nearly empty critical care unit at Bartlett Hospital on April 7, 2020, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo: Rashah McChesney / KTOO) Alaska will receive about $1 billion from the federal government over the next few years to improve healthcare, but millions of that depends on the legislature passing several bills aligning Alaska with best practices for rural healthcare. Alaska Native people are much more likely to live in rural areas than other Alaskans. As Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports, a proposal to make it easier for out-of-state nurses to practice in Alaska is facing fierce pushback. When you boil it down, Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association head Jared Kosin says joining a so-called license compact is pretty simple. He says there would be a set of criteria nurses would demonstrate. “And if they do, then they are issued a license and then they can practice in any states that use those same standards.” Proponents say joining a compact would help ease a nurse shortage across the state that is projected to worsen. Kosin says it may be simple to explain, but actually getting a bill passed to join the nurse licensure compact has been anything but. “It’s just so snagged up in politics.” The last version of the bill was introduced in 2023. It was supported by most healthcare organizations in the state, but it was opposed by nursing unions. He says that created a toxic dynamic. And this year there is new pressure on the legislature thanks to the Rural Health Transformation Program. When the Alaska Department of Health (DOH) applied for the money, it told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) the state would join the compact. The state has been directed by CMS to create compacts for other health care positions too: physicians, emergency medical services, psychologists, and physician assistants. The DOH does not know exactly how much money would be clawed back if Alaska does not pass all the required legislation, but a DOH official wrote over email that a ballpark estimate is that millions of dollars is at stake annually and tens of millions of dollars over the five years of rural funding. Shannon Davenport is a union leader and a nurse. She says there are many problems with the nursing field right now, especially workplace safety, and she doesn't think the nursing compact is the solution to them. “It’s not the golden goose. It’s not the answer to everything.” Even so, most nurses support a compact — almost 90% of nurses living in Alaska, according to a 2023 survey. The federal deadline to join the compact is at the end of 2027. 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 17, 2026 – Re-enactors help bring Native American perspective of the Revolutionary War to life

Elizabeth Peratrovich is most well-known for her work to pass Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. But her story also has more to it than that act. Research: Anchorage Museum. “Elizabeth Peratrovich.” https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/women-of-the-north-profiles/elizabeth-peratrovich-major-force-behind-alaskas-anti-discrimination-bill/ Arnett, Jessica Leslie. “Unsettled Rights in Territorial Alaska.” Western Historical Quarterly, AUTUMN 2017, Vol. 48, No. 3 (AUTUMN 2017), pp. 233-254. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26782857 Boochever, Ann with Roy Peratrovich Jr. “Fighter in Velvet Gloves.” University of Alaska Press. 2019. Boochever, Ann. “Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Sealaska Heritage Institute. 11/19/2021. Via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzvcc1UlrMw Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. “A Recollection of Civil Rights Leader Elizabeth Peratrovich.” August 1991. http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native_gov/recollections/peratrovich/default.htm Coen, Ross. “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Summer 2021, Vol. 112, No. 3 (Summer 2021), pp. 107-123. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27165253 Cole, Terrence M. “Jim Crow in Alaska: The Passage of the Alaska Equal Rights Act of 1945.” Western Historical Quarterly , Nov., 1992, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Nov., 1992), pp. 429-449. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/970301 Davis, Jennifer. “Elizabeth Peratrovich, Civil and Voting Rights Activist.” In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress. Library of Congress Blogs. 11/1/2021. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/11/elizabeth-peratrovich-civil-and-voting-rights-activist/ Guise, Holly Miowak. “Listening to Generations of Activists: Truly Remembering Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Indian Country Today. 2/16/2021. https://ictnews.org/opinion/listening-to-generations-of-activists-truly-remembering-elizabeth-peratrovich/ Haycox, Stephen W. “William Paul, Sr., and the Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925.” Alaska History, Vol. 2., No. 1, (Winter 1986/87). http://www.alaskool.org/native_ed/articles/literacy_act/LiteracyTxt.html Johnson, Erik. “The 19th Amendment, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and the Ongoing Fight for Equal Rights.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/dena-history-peratrovich.htm Juneau Empire. “Mrs. Roy Peratrovich Sr. Dies in Seattle Hospital following Lengthy Illness.” 12/2/1958. National Park Service. “Alberta Schenck: Teenage Activist.” https://www.nps.gov/people/alberta-schenck.htm Page, Marisa. “Honoring the Women Paving the Path to Equity.” First Nations. https://www.firstnations.org/news/honoring-the-women-paving-the-path-to-equity/ Schenck, Alberta. “To Whom It May Concern.” The Nome Nugget. 3/3/1944. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/assets/timeline/000/000/342/342_w_full.jpg Silverman, Jeffry Lloyd and Phil Lucas, directors. “For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska.” Lincoln, NE. Vision Maker Media. 2008. “Super Race Theory Hit In Hearing.” The Daily Alaska Empire. 2/6/1945. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045499/1945-02-06/ed-1/?sp=8&st=pdf Swensen, Thomas Michael. “The Relationship between Indigenous Rights, Citizenship, and Land in Territorial Alaska: How the Past Opened the Door to the Future.” GROWING OUR OWN: INDIGENOUS RESEARCH, SCHOLARS, AND EDUCATION Proceedings from the Alaska Native Studies Conference (2015). Twyman, Abby. “Alaskans and the Nation Celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Discover Prince of Wales Island. https://discoverpowisland.com/alaskans-and-the-nation-celebrate-elizabeth-peratrovich/ Vaughan, Carson. “Overlooked No More: Elizabeth Peratrovich, Rights Advocate for Alaska Natives.” New York Times. March 20, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/obituaries/elizabeth-peratrovich-overlooked.html Weingroff, Richard F. “Who Is Elizabeth Peratrovich? The Story Behind the Country's First Anti-Discrimination Law.” U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/who-elizabeth-peratrovich-story-behind-countrys-first-anti Christen, Morgan. “Alaska Native Women’s Long Road to Suffrage.” Western Legal History, Vol. 30, No. 1-2. https://www.njchs.org/wp-content/uploads/wlh_30-1_crp_color1.pdf “Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood.” EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/alaska-native-brotherhood-and-alaska-native-sisterhood Drucker, Philip. “The native brotherhoods : modern intertribal organizations on the Northwest coast.” Washington, D. C. : U. S. Government Printing office. 1958. https://archive.org/details/nativebrotherhoo0168druc/ Haycox, Stephen W. “William Paul, Sr., and the Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925 .” Alaska History, Vol. 2., No. 1, (Winter 1986/87). http://www.alaskool.org/native_ed/articles/literacy_act/literacytxt.html Peratrovich, Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich. Letter to Governor Ernest Gruening. 12/30/1941. https://vilda.alaska.edu/digital/collection/cdmg41/id/1176/rec/4?fbclid=IwY2xjawQSoR9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSUTluVjJHRVlpVTlvcFhYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHq36iDmGp2t6h-sfgereAekSEHRQii-E6uBse3GvIQAw-72DcoQffc-LWxRO_aem_MECxGHPbZdPWw-7iUjGeow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chandler Museum in Arizona has a new exhibit called “Being Eddie Basha.” It is a retrospective of the hometown-turned-statewide grocer who died in 2013. And as KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, this 3,800 sq ft installation is all about unpacking the man behind the grocery king persona. Chandler Museum's storytelling coordinator, Sarah Biggerstaff, literally leaned on Basha's own words for one interactive display. “This is our telephone. There's about 20 clips, and they range from, like, 20 seconds to a minute. You can pick it up, give it a couple seconds, but then you hear him actually speaking. And at our opening, it was really moving.” “I would want my epithets to have to say, ‘Eddie Basha, he was a good man, but a bad boy.’ And that's how I want to be remembered.” An interactive telephone display inside the “Being Eddie Basha” exhibit at Chandler Museum. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) Another one of his principles was putting people over profits. The great-grandson of Lebanese immigrants brought his family brand to tribal lands beginning in 1981 with the Diné Supermarket in Chinle. Basha even committed 25 cents of every dollar to the Navajo Nation. “And of course, the relationship with the Navajo became extremely powerful and fruitful and still exists today.” From Tuba City to Window Rock, stores kept popping up. More locations would follow on Apache land in Peridot and Whiteriver. The one-time gubernatorial candidate was also an avid collector of Western and American Indian art. Basha owned one of the world's largest private collections, most of which has since been donated to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Ariz. Parker Kenick of Nome competing in the One Hand Reach at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. (Photo courtesy Carter Photography) Athletes, coaches, and spectators crowded Main Street in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada Saturday for the closing ceremonies of the Arctic Winter Games, also known as the Olympics of the North. And Team Alaska had a lot to celebrate. Among the six Arctic nations, it led the count for ulus, the medals shaped like the curved knife emblematic of Arctic life. Alaska had 227 ulus, followed by Team Yukon with 174 and Alberta North with 127. As KNBA's Rhonda McBride tells us, Parker Kenick of Nome took home three gold ulus and many lessons about life. Although Parker Kenick started learning traditional Alaska Native games when he was eight, he did not take part in the Arctic Winter Games until later in life. This year he competed in the adult category and won gold ulus in the Two Foot High Kick, the Alaskan High Kick, and the One Hand Reach. Kenick says he is grateful for the community support that made it possible for him to travel to the games. “Our spirits get lifted here because there's so many people here that want to see us do our best, to our absolute limit.” Kenick competed in his first Arctic Winter Games in 2023 and says he was lucky to be mentored by some of the best Indigenous athletes in the world. Now he's returning the favor. One of his coaches, Candace Parker, says when Kenick first started out, he was very quiet and kept to himself. Today, he readily volunteers to coach the younger athletes. “I would say full circle moment for him to be out on the floor passing on the knowledge. May not have been technical but doing more encouraging.” Parker Kenick of Nome, center, enjoys mentoring younger students at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. (Photo courtesy Carter Photography) Parker says young people can be self-absorbed, but the games teach them to think beyond themselves. She says it is an important exercise in humility, one that athletes like Kenick have embraced. Parker has been coaching since 1996, but this year she reached an important milestone – having three generations of her family compete in this year's Arctic Winter Games. 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 16, 2026 – What's in a (tribe's) name?

Alaska is the largest state in the union. It is also one of the deadliest places in America to be an Indigenous woman. Alaska Native people make up roughly one-fifth of the state's population but account for more than sixty percent of its recorded homicide victims. Four of the ten American cities with the highest per-capita rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women are located in Alaska.And for decades, a quiet, unspoken policy within the Anchorage Police Department — known internally as NHI, or "no human involved" — ensured that the women most at risk received the least protection.This episode is the story of what that policy made possible, and what a community of determined women did about it. In 2017, Brian Steven Smith — a South African national living in Anchorage — was arrested after a woman brought a memory card to police containing footage of him torturing and murdering thirty-year-old Kathleen Jo Henry, an Alaska Native woman he'd picked up near a Walmart and brought to a midtown hotel where he had maintenance access. During his interrogation, Smith voluntarily confessed to a second murder — that of Veronica Abouchuk, fifty-two, an Alaska Native woman from the village of Stebbins whose remains had been lying near Earthquake Park for more than a year. He was convicted in February of twenty-twenty-four on all fourteen counts and sentenced to two hundred and twenty-six years in July of twenty-twenty-four.But the case didn't end there.Photographs recovered from Smith's devices showed a third woman — appearing dead or unconscious, with blood visible, a man's foot standing over her body. Those photographs sat in a case file for five years. It took a community advocate digging through sentencing documents to find them and publish them. Within hours, the family of Cassandra Boskofsky, missing since August of twenty-nineteen, recognized her. Smith was never charged in her death. Her remains have never been found. In September of 2024, her family held a presumptive death hearing and a civilian jury of six ruled her death a homicide — the only official acknowledgment her family has ever received.Also discussed in this episode: the NHI designation and the testimony of former APD officer Michael Livingston, who spent twenty-eight years on the force and is now a full-time MMIP advocate; the missed opportunity when a woman named Alicia Youngblood told police in 2019  that Smith had confessed a murder to her, and police did nothing; the question of Ian Calhoun, a man prosecutors believe probably knew about at least one of Smith's murders and who has never been charged; and the HBO and Investigation Discovery documentary series "Lost Women of Alaska," executive produced and narrated by Octavia Spencer, which premiered February twenty-fifth, twenty-twenty-six.There are two rewards currently outstanding. Five hundred dollars for information leading to the recovery of Cassandra Boskofsky's remains, and five hundred dollars for information leading to the arrest of Ian Calhoun. If you have information, contact the Anchorage Police Department or reach out through MMIP advocacy networks in Alaska.If this episode moved you, share it. Subscribe. Leave a review. And if you have a case you'd like us to cover, reach out at brian@paranormalworldproductions.com.If you're drawn to real criminal investigations, cold cases, and the details that don't always make it into the official report, make sure you're following The Guilty Files wherever you listen.Turn on automatic downloads so you never miss an episode — because each case unfolds in two parts, and the truth is rarely found in just one.If you value careful analysis, real law enforcement insight, and true crime without the sensationalism, consider leaving a five-star rating and written review.It helps more than you know and allows us to keep bringing these case files to light.Until next time —The facts matter.The details matter.And the truth is often redacted.

Photo: A scenic overview of the Colorado River from the Navajo Bridge near Jacob Lake. (Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has invited tribal leaders to testify on Capitol Hill today. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, the Northeast Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act is the hearing's subject. This $5 billion deal would resolve claims for three parties, including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. For San Juan Southern Paiute President Carlene Yellowhair, this proposal is not just about securing precious water in the Southwest. If passed, it would also set aside 5,400 acres for a new reservation in Arizona. “We want to settle, because we want our land, our home, a place to build. We lost all of our elders. They started it and we just want to finish it.” The tribe has more than 300 members, including Vice President Johnny Lehi Jr. “You know, the land and the water, that's what we needed to become more sovereign.” 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. JH: There were more than some problems. There were long periods of time where there were no hearings, for example. KR: 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. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) is applauding the House passage of the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act. The bill to improve access to homeownership for Native families on tribal trust land is led by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and passed last week. NAIHC executive director Rudy Soto says the bill improves coordination between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, lenders, and tribal communities, establishes timelines, and helps Native families, veterans, and tribal citizens who want to achieve homeownership. The Senate previously approved the measure and it now heads to the president's desk. 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 11, 2024 – Michigan backs away from Boarding Schools report

Photo: Quannah Chasinghorse checks out the dog teams at the Iditarod ceremonial start on Saturday. Her mother, Jody Potts-Joseph, is rookie in the race. (Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) Five Indigenous mushers and their dog teams are headed to Nome, Alaska. The 1,000-mile Iditarod race got underway in Willow, north of Anchorage on Sunday. A fresh blanket of snow covered the trail. Two of the top contenders in a field of 37 mushers are Alaska Native. Ryan Redington, an Iñupiaq musher from Knik, won the race in 2023. Pete Kaiser, a Yup'ik from Bethel, took the title in 2019. Kaiser skipped last year's Iditarod and had not planned to race this year until three weeks ago, following his historic tenth win of Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race. Pete Kaiser with his family and lead dog, just after winning his historic tenth Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race. (Photo: Gabby Salgado / KYUK) After Kaiser set the record for winning the most Kusko 300s, he says returning to the Iditarod felt like the right decision. “By the time the Kusko's over, you know, you’ve done 90% of the work. Started training in July, and so I just felt like things were looking okay. Felt like, going down the trail again. So here we are.” There are three Indigenous rookies in the race to watch. Jesse Terry, an Anishinaabe musher from Sioux Lookout, Ont., is a veteran of several mid-distance races. He has been mushing dogs since he was 11 years old. Another rookie, Kevin Hansen, an Iñupiaq from Kotzebue, has been sprint racing since the third grade. He finished second in last year's Kobuk 440, just behind defending Iditarod champ, Jesse Holmes. But for Hansen, this race is about more than competition. “Part of who I am as an Iñupiaq, and you really feel it out there. And times when it’s just you, your dogs and the land and dealing with the elements and challenges.” This may be Jody Potts-Joseph's first Iditarod, but the Hän Gwiich'in from Eagle Village, is well known. She starred in the TV show, “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans”, and her daughter, Quanna Chasinghorse, is an Indigenous model, featured in magazines like Vogue. Together, they have been outspoken environmental advocates. “Why mushing out of all the spectrum of things that I do? It's because that's really where my heart is. I just love the land. I love being out on the land with the dogs. And it fills my soul, and it just gives me a lot of purpose.” Potts-Joseph says it has been a tough training season. Interior Alaska temperatures dropped down to 30 to 65 below F this winter — too cold for her dogs to run safely. Her main goal: to finish the Iditarod with a healthy team. The first finishers are expected to cross the finish line next Monday or Tuesday. Inside a data center at one of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories. (Photo: Joe DelNero / National Laboratory of the Rockies) 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. 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 9, 2026 – Surviving cancer

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is congratulating U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee/R-OK). On Thursday, President Donald Trump nominated Sen. Mullin as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin would be the first Native American man to become a U.S. cabinet secretary if confirmed. Chief Hoskin said in a statement that having a Cherokee Nation citizen serve within the U.S. Cabinet is a mark of high esteem for his tribe. Hoskin says the appointment reflects the resilience and leadership of Cherokee people. Arizona Humanities is once again teaming up with an Indigenous nonprofit to organize an all-day celebration of a unique food from the Southwest. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on Saturday's gathering. Blue corn is not only nutritious, it is also synonymous with traditional ceremonies across this arid land. Amber McCrary (Diné) is programs manager with Arizona Humanities and she says that is why, for the second year running, a festival named after this desert crop is taking root in downtown Phoenix. “It's always been there in my life and I would just like to see it kind of become this bigger thing that we all will celebrate together.” This time around, the festival is tied to a Smithsonian initiative where each state is responsible for hosting a single folklife event this year, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. And for Arizona, that theme is blue corn – through food, art, and storytelling – even down to the wardrobe, says co-organizer Kinsale Drake (Diné), founder of the NDN Girls Book Club. “If you are coming to the festival, wear your best blue. … We have a dress code.” Kyle Watson, 12, taught himself to dance by coming to the Alaska Native Medical Center Hospital lobby every Wednesday. (Photo: Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) 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 6, 2026 — Notable events: Heard Museum art fair and Native culture in miniature

In this episode, Alex Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP, editor-in-chief of the journal Pediatrics, offers a sampling from the March issue. David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, also speak with Allison Empey, MD, FAAP, about considerations in research with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. For resources go to aap.org/podcast.

A crew from Chevak, Alaska recover a submerged boat, part of the marine debris created by Typhoons Merbok (2022) and Helong (2025). (Photo: Richard Tuluk) Typhoon Merbok swept buildings, boats, and tons of trash into the sea off the west coast of Alaska in 2022. The city of Chevak is one of many coastal Alaska Native communities tasked with helping to find and recover that and other marine debris clogging the coastal waters and shorelines. With federal funding help, the ongoing cleanup is aimed at making the waterways safe for people and marine animals. A similar project is underway in Hawai'i, where the non-profit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project works year-round, pulling tons of debris from around the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a place sacred to Native Hawaiians. Coastal tribes are an important piece of the puzzle for solving the growing problem of derelict nets, ropes, boats, and other trash that threaten marine ecosystems. In this program, we'll talk with some of the people involved in the cleanup about what it takes to rid marine areas of unsightly and dangerous debris. GUESTS Richard Tuluk (Cup'ik), project manager for the City of Chevak Jacquie Foss, commercial fisherman and works with Alaska Sea Grant and the Alaska Center for Marine Debris Grant Ka’ehukai Goin (Kānaka ʻŌiwi), cultural specialist and lead marine debris tech for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project