Podcasts about Indian country

Top federal prosecutors from the Four Corner states are descending upon the Phoenix metro this week as part of an annual conference meant to tackle crime and justice in Indian Country. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. A hotel room full of victim advocates, attorneys, and tribal law enforcement personnel congregate in Glendale. Arizona's top prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine, reminds them why they are all meeting. “It may sound like priorities are elsewhere in this administration, but all of the U.S. attorneys up here and every member of leadership in the Department of Justice will tell you: Indian Country is always a priority.” From Phoenix and Albuquerque to Denver and Salt Lake City, Courchaine stresses they are all on the same team. “If you work with a rural tribe, whether it's in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico or Arizona, it might feel like you are at the ends of the earth.” Three cubs belonging to Osso in the Anan Wildlife Observatory at Tongass National Forest. (Courtesy U.S. Forest Service / Facebook) A major logging project planned for Alaska's Tongass National Forest is raising concerns about potential impacts to subsistence resources. The U.S. Forest Service acknowledges the project could affect deer harvests relied on by communities in Southeast Alaska, where the Tongass has long supported Alaska Native cultural and subsistence practices. Conservationists are now pushing back against plans to log thousands of acres of old-growth forest, as Mark Moran reports. Conservationists are pushing back on a massive old growth logging plan by the Forest Service that would carve new roads through thousands of acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The agency says it will revitalize the logging industry and improve habitat and ecosystems for native species. The Revilla Integrated Research Project aims to log 4,000 acres of old growth trees in the Tongass near Ketchikan, harvest 83 million board feet of timber, and build more than 40 miles of roadway. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council’s Nathan Newcomber says the development plan threatens the habitat of a number of animals. He says even the Forest Service has acknowledged the risk. “Deer, bears, wolves, birds like the Queen Charlie Goshawk. They also state that they acknowledge the significant likelihood of impact to subsistence, including on deer harvest.” There were at least 120 objections to the plan during a public comment period, but the Forest Service says it intends to begin the work and address legal challenges later. Southeast Alaska has been transitioning away from clear cutting old tree stands in favor of what’s known as young growth logging, which Newcomber and other environmental advocates support, even though the practice now comprises only about one percent of the region’s economy. “To go back to this bygone era from the 1970s where you just clear-cut landscapes, it makes absolutely no sense. Nobody supports it apart from extractive industry and politicians. But local communities in Southeast Alaska, they wanna protect what we have. It’s our cultural way of life. It’s the way that people live up here.” Southeast Alaska is also highly dependent on tourism to support local economies. Driven largely by cruise ship traffic, the region sees as many as two million visitors a year, according to Alaska’s Southeast Conference. Confederate Brig. Gen. William L.. Cabell, left, and Union Col. William F. Cloud led troops during the skirmish. And on this day in 1863, fighting broke out near Camp Pike in the Choctaw Nation, in what is now Oklahoma. The skirmish came during the Civil War, when Indian Territory became a battleground involving Union and Confederate forces. Camp Pike had been used by Confederate troops following the Battle of Honey Springs, one of the war's largest battles in Indian Territory. 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, August 28, 2026 — Two states make progress in Native-focused education

FBI Director Kash Patel met with tribal law enforcement partners in Albuquerque, New Mexico last week. The visit comes on the heels of the agency launching a new tool to raise public awareness over missing and murdered Indigenous cases. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. It is called Voices Not Forgotten, a webpage featuring select, unsolved crimes across Indian Country where the FBI is seeking the public's help by offering $25,000 minimum rewards. That includes the high-profile homicides in Arizona of Maleeka “Mollie” Boone and Emily Pike. But as Deiandra Reid with the Albuquerque nonprofit Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women notes, this tool is not exhaustive. “You know, I looked at this website that they have, and I didn't see my sister on there.” Twenty-two years ago, Navajo teenager Tiffany Reid went missing while walking to high school in Shiprock, New Mexico. Decades prior, a 9-year-old Navajo girl disappeared from nearby Gallup, New Mexico. “Anthonette Cayedito is on there, and she's [been] missing for about 40 years, so I don't see what the difference is between her case and my sister's case. And a lot of times, our relatives fall through the cracks. The visibility is very important, but it's not the finish line.” The Pinyon Plain Mine, as seen from the air in November 2019, is owned and operated by Energy Fuels Inc., which has extensive Canadian roots: (Photo: Ryan Heinsius / KNAU) There has been a surge of mining companies looking to dig for minerals in the Southwest, including near tribal communities. KNAU's Chris Clements explains why so many of these companies are Canadian. It boils down to this: Canada has a unique tax system that allows mining companies that are exploring projects to pass their costs along to investors. John Steen, a professor at the University of British Columbia, says Canada is home to hundreds of those companies. “They’re hearing that the regulatory regime is, you know, maybe as not as tight as it was, and they’re seeing the U.S. as an attractive place for investment and exploration.” Steen says Canadian firms are responding to President Donald Trump's push to end reliance on China for critical minerals. Take Chakana Copper, which is using a subsidiary to explore mining copper on the Navajo Nation. Or Laramide Resources, which wants to mine uranium near the site of the largest release of radioactive mining material in U-S history. James Hopkins, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, says the reason for that is due in part to the rollback of mining regulations. And that's had consequences. “The growth in uranium mining in the United States is unprecedented. With the increased deregulation, you’re seeing these conflicts arising more and more with respect to tribal lands and tribal resources.” Hopkins says the flurry of mining projects, including some proposed by Canadian companies, is causing pushback from tribes who have long borne the environmental consequences of mining. Opponents of a proposed project to drill for uranium in the southern Black Hills listen to a meeting of the Board of Minerals and Environment at the Joe Foss Building in Pierre, South Dakota, Aug. 20, 2026. (Photo: Meghan O'Brien / South Dakota Searchlight) The South Dakota Board of Minerals and Environment took actions affecting two proposed uranium projects in the Black Hills. South Dakota Searchlight's Meghan O'Brien has more. The Dewey-Burdock Project has been on hold for more than a decade. Project leaders want to mine for uranium near Edgemont in the southern Black Hills. Uranium is a metallic, radioactive element used as fuel in nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Interest in uranium exploration and mining has risen recently. That is in response to nuclear energy's potential to supply electricity for data centers. The project needs federal, state, and local permitting. After being held up by legal challenges, it secured the remaining federal permits it needs and will start seeking state permits. The Board of Minerals and Environment approved a socioeconomic study, which will help the board understand the economic, environmental, and community impacts of the project. The board also continued discussions on a separate request to drill holes in search of uranium near Craven Canyon, in the same general area of the southern Black Hills. A new state law requires the board to have language interpretation services available at hearings for those who need it, such as Lakota speakers. Some of the project opponents are members of Lakota tribes. A lawsuit by a project opponent against the board alleges it violated due process because an interpreter was not available on the first day of a May permit hearing. The lawsuit is ongoing in federal court and the hearing is on hold. Opponents to the drilling project say it could endanger the canyon walls which are lined with ancient Native American petroglyphs. Others say Native American spiritual practices at the site could be disrupted and the drilling could endanger local water sources. 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, August 24, 2026 — Native in the Spotlight: Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord

It is no surprise to listeners, many of whom are in the trenches of strengthening under-invested communities, that few strategies are as impactful as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). These U.S. Department of Treasury-certified nonprofits operate in communities that banks do not serve, leaving them starved for capital and financial education. In many rural communities and in Indian Country specifically, CDFIs are often the only lending institutions available. It is important to note that low-income and communities of color carry the legacy of redlining and other public policies and corporate practices that intentionally barred low-income and people of color from small business loans and mortgages. It took years of grassroots action to move Congress to enact the Community Reinvestment Act and the Reigle Act, both of which are standout legislative solutions. On this episode of Power Station, Pete Upton, (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska) CEO of the Native CDFI Network, talks about how his on-the-ground members serve and invest in Native citizens across our nation, generating businesses, expanding homeownership and seeding generational wealth in Indian Country. He is a convener, bringing federal leaders, Native CDFI leaders and philanthropy to a common table to celebrate successes and advocate for what is needed and owed. 

Send us Fan MailIn this special episode of Insight in Indian Country, REDW HR Consulting Business Partner Jessica Goodfox sits down with Senior HR Consultant Taryn Reynolds to revisit their session at the 2026 WEWIN National Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma — "Breaking the Need to Explain Yourself: Confidence, Boundaries, and Voice for Indigenous Women." What started as a breakout session filled to standing room only became a candid, packed-room conversation about the pressure many Indigenous women feel to over-explain, soften their message, or justify their boundaries in professional and community spaces. Jessica and Taryn share what stood out from the room, walk through their "Rewrite the Script" exercise for turning over-apologetic responses into clear, respectful ones, and unpack how cultural values of humility and respect can coexist with self-advocacy and a clear voice.Grab your companion permission slips and worksheet HERE and get ready to build a healthier communication culture in your organization with REDW's HR Consulting team.REDW Advisors and CPAs is proud to bring you the Insight in Indian Country Podcast, covering important advisory, accounting, and finance topics that impact Tribal Nations and business affairs. Thanks for listening!

Photo: Rose High Bear, left, David Mora-Flores, Roman Wood, Joaquin Ocana, Claudia Vega, Damian Salazar, Paige Wentzel, amd Jaimie Myrick Duckett in Salem, Oreg., July 9, 2026. (Brian Bull) A small, two-acre farm near Salem, Oreg. aims to save the planet. Elderberry Wisdom Farms launched in 2018 and is the creation of Rose High Bear. The 81-year-old Alaskan Native trains interns on urban forestry and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, but as Brian Bull of Underscore Native News and KLCC reports, funding challenges make its future uncertain. Inside the Elderberry Wisdom Farm classroom, several people monitor a kettle of pressed elderberries. Urban forestry coordinator David Mora-Flores reads a thermometer … “It’s at 133 (degrees) right now. We’re trying to get it to about 90 degrees. At 90 degrees, we can add our flavoring and pH stabilizing agents, which are honey, lemon, and cinnamon juice.” … as Rose High Bear observes. “We're using raw organic honey from the Willamette Valley, and we don’t want to put it in something more than like 90 degrees, so we can keep all the health properties of the honey.” It is a lesson in product creation and marketing. This syrup will be used in spritzer and other items, and sold at markets. 30 years ago, High Bear helmed an award-winning audio series called “Wisdom of the Elders”, which profiled venerable people from Indian Country. But then Martin High Bear, her husband and Lakota medicine man, died. “And when he died in 1995, I seemed to continue to get messages through interpreters. So he told me that I would be leaving Portland.” High Bear settled in Salem and launched her farm. Her focus has since been getting her hands dirty, with help. Intern Claudia Vega shows some potted yew trees that a resident donated to the farm. “They’re so small, but they’re so-they’re so resilient. I mean, even just interacting with the trees is medicine itself.” Eight years in, the environmental and political climates have heated up for the farm. Last year, the Trump administration slashed budgets for DEI and environmental programs. High Bear recalls what she was about to do with a $750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant when the axe fell. “Planting trees in the city of Salem in the, you could call it, Title I school neighborhoods, low-income neighborhoods, where there is low tree canopies. Then on February 28, 2025, I lost four staff all in the same day after we got notified of the freeze.” U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR) was able to unfreeze the funds, which run out in 2028. High Bear says there is a need for her farm. “The prophecy says the day will come when the people of the earth will turn to Native people to learn how to care for the earth, and to care for one another. And so you know we’re just trying to help fulfill that. This work is really spiritual work.” Randy Merrill, left, and Brian Cassidy. (Courtesy AAIA) Two Army veterans are riding nearly 10,000 miles across Turtle Island to raise money and awareness for Native Nations. Randy Merrill and Brian Cassidy began the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge on August 2 with a goal of raising $10,000 for the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA). The nonprofit says the money will strengthen Native Nations, support Native youth and family programs, protect tribal sovereignty, preserve Indigenous cultures, and educate the public about Native Peoples. The veterans say the journey is also part of their own healing after military service and a way to stand in solidarity with Native communities. AAIA CEO Shannon O’Loughlin (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) says the challenge represents healing through service and helps raise awareness that Native Peoples and their diverse cultures deserve equal protection. Missouri in 1824 when the Treaty of Washingon was signed. (Photo: Lucas Fielding, Jr. / courtesy State Historical Society of Missouri) On this day in 1824, the U.S. and leaders of the Ioway (Baxoje) Nation signed the Treaty of Washington. Under the agreement, the Ioway ceded their remaining lands in present day Missouri to the U.S., marking another chapter in the federal government’s expansion through treaty-making with Tribal Nations. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, August 4, 2026 — When is it OK to let a Native language die?

Re-release | Host Jason Blitman talks to Shobha Rao (Indian Country) live at Camino Books in San Diego. They discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder, the title's double meaning from Rao's childhood experience as “Indian,” the book's central themes of water and rivers, the recurring power of three, and much more. This conversation originally took place on August 14, 2025. Shobha Rao moved to the United States from India at the age of seven. She is the author of the short story collection, An Unrestored Woman, and the novel, Girls Burn Brighter. Rao is the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Her story “Kavitha and Mustafa” was chosen by T.C. Boyle for inclusion in Best American Short Stories. Girls Burn Brighter was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. She lives in San Francisco.Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel's Seeking Freedom in Indian Country: Slavery, Sovereignty, and Resistance within the Five Tribes, 1790–1861 (LSU Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive study of African chattel slavery within the Five Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Dr. Oertel examines how chattel slavery functioned among all Five Tribes before and during the removal process, how the tribes reconstituted slavery post-removal in Indian Territory, and how enslaved Black people promoted freedom-seeking strategies at each stage. Furthermore, her work considers how the conflict over slavery in Indian Territory contributed to the larger national debate over slavery's fate on the eve of the Civil War. Historians have examined how the practice of African enslavement emerged within one or two tribes, how forced migration affected slavery within particular nations, and how the debate over slavery divided multiple Indigenous nations. Dr. Oertel, however, is the first to examine Indian Territory as a whole, its significance to the sectional debates, and its role as an incubator of emancipation policies in the United States. Knitting together these individual tribal narratives and supplementing them with extensive primary research on how slavery functioned across Indian Territory, she integrates Indian country into the antebellum march toward the Civil War. Seeking Freedom in Indian Country joins a rising chorus of studies that integrate southern and western history, which, by default, also pulls together the history of the so-called Indian Wars with the Civil War. Dr. Oertel suggests that we cannot fully understand the causes of the Civil War without also considering the changes brought about by the forced removal of Indians. She argues that settler colonialism and the expansion of African chattel slavery together set the stage for sectional conflict to explode in the West. Ironically, both Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism and Black resistance to slavery challenged white supremacy in ways that foretold the end of slavery but also furthered the settler colonial project. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south

Photo: Kaiser Canyon fire in Washington, July 2026. (Courtesy Inciweb / USFS via National Interagency Fire Center / Facebook) Wildfires continue to burn across the U.S, including many areas of Indian Country. In Washington state, the largest fire is the Kaiser Canyon Fire which is burning through the Colville Indian Reservation. As of late Tuesday, the fire surpassed 126,000 acres and was 16% contained. In an update Tuesday morning, Keith Kelley, operations section chief for Northern Rockies Unit 2, shared the day's plan of attack against the Kaiser Canyon Fire. More than 1,000 personnel are committed to the effort. “And we do have resources looking at some additional containment lines, trying to find places to what we call pinch in the fire, to keep it from spreading. So we’re kind of like checking it up. So we’ll put some dozer lines in, and the fire will slow its progression, and then eventually it will it will kind of continue to move. But it gives us an opportunity to put some dozer lines and put in some containment lines so we can stop that progression as it moves to the north. So certainly have resources in there. We’ll continue to do that.” The Kaiser Canyon Fire started July 16 when a lightning strike hit the Nespelem area on the Colville reservation. Meanwhile, more than a million acres have burned in Oregon. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs has closed its tribal government due to Level Three evacuations caused by the Bench Fire, which at last check had burned more than 45,000 acres. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation have set up a Wildfire Recovery Fund for volunteers and supplies to help those affected by the fires. Chris Deschene, left, and Emily Ellison are the two vice-presidential candidates in the upcoming 2026 Navajo Nation election. (Courtesy U.S. Department of Energy / Emily Ellison for Navajo President 2026 / Facebook) Following the Navajo Nation presidential primary last week, the top vote-getters have named their vice presidential picks. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley was first to announce her ticket in Window Rock, Ariz. “Excited to share this moment with you. I know people online were very anxious.” She picked former Arizona Democratic state lawmaker Chris Deschene. “Throughout my career, I know what it's like to be an underdog.” In 2014, the Marine Corps vet vied for the very seat Curley is now seeking, but after placing second in that primary, Deschene was disqualified, in part, because of Curley's November opponent – Farmington attorney Justin Jones. “This is where I grew up.” As for Jones, he returned to Rock Point, Ariz. to name his running mate. Emily Ellison is in charge of the Gallup nonprofit Battered Families Services. “I want to thank the committee for this opportunity to serve our Navajo people.” Billy Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, visits Choctow Central High School, one of several Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools with a graduation rate above 90%. (Courtesy BIE / Facebook) The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) says 21 of the high schools they fund achieved graduation rates of 90% or greater in 2025, in what the agency calls an “unprecedented milestone”, reflecting their commitment to student achievement, college and career readiness, and workforce development. The 21 schools include Kickapoo Nation School, Santa Fe Indian School, Shoshone-Bannock School, Navajo Preparatory School, and Choctaw Central High School. The BIE's overall graduation rate reached 79%, the highest in its history. The BIE is aiming for a rate of 91% by May 2030. The Associated Press reports that, beginning in 2018, the BIE began standardizing data collection methods, which has helped improve data accuracy. While Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland (Navajo) said that these gains reflect the Trump administration's commitment to Native American students, there are concerns that the administration's changes to the BIE — including the planned dissolving of the U.S. Department of Education and further fallout from DOGE cuts — could undermine progress and prevent struggling schools from improving students' performance. 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, July 29, 2026 – Southeast Alaska tribes closer to land designation more than a half century after being locked out

Tulsa, Okla.-based Cherokee Nation citizen Courtney Jordan used to be a federal prosecutor, but she is now on the other side of the courtroom as a defense attorney specializing in the intersection of federal Indian law and criminal law. Jordan uses TikTok and other social media platforms to inform others about their rights and key cases in Indian Country, while openly sharing her own run-in with the law. She is a convicted felon whose legal career was turned upside down after she led police on a high-speed chase in 2022. Doctors later attributed the incident to adult on-set temporal lobe epilepsy and she eventually got her law license reinstated. She's now at the head of a burgeoning law practice and joins us for a conversation about her storied career. Break 1 Music: Cherokee County (song) Kalyn Fey (artist) Garden (album) Break 2 Music: In the Time of Chiefs (song) Estun-Bah (artist) From Where the Sun Rises (album)

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

House Committee on Natural Resources Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 10:15 AM Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittees Oversight and Investigations, and Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.” Witnesses Panel one Mr. Charles Addington Principal Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, on behalf of The Hon. Doug Burgum Mr. OJ Semans Sr. Executive Director, Coalition of Large Tribes, Mission, SD Ms. Abigail Echo-Hawk Executive Vice President, Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Grace Bulltail Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. David Mittelman Chief Executive Officer, Othram Inc., The Woodlands, TX https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418895 https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119433

Photo: Deb Haaland signs her new book, “A Voice Like Mine”, during a signing at the Sealaska Heritage Institute clan house Shuká Hít on June 28, 2026. (Mircea Brown / Sealaska Heritage Institute) Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) came to Juneau last weekend as a stop on a tour of her new memoir, “A Voice Like Mine”, as KTOO's Yvonne Krumrey reports. Haaland was the first Indigenous person to be appointed a cabinet secretary. The name of the book comes from a campaign slogan she used when she successfully ran for Congress in 2018, Haaland recounted. Her media consultant told her that Congress had never heard a voice like hers and the phrase “a voice like mine” felt apt to Haaland. Haaland spoke to a crowd at the Sealaska Heritage Institute clan house. “We’d never had a native woman in Congress. We had to wait 233 years to be represented in the US House of Representatives.” Haaland is from New Mexico. Her memoir includes many recipes based on traditional Puebloan foods. Haaland said that food has always been a part of her political organizing work. “When I started organizing in Indian Country, trying to get people registered and out to vote, I would ply them with green chili stew. Of bread, so they would come to our events, and then we’d all, you know, go early vote, or something like that.” Haaland is currently running for Governor of New Mexico. She said she was inspired by Indigenous advocates who came before her and she hopes there are more to follow. “This book I dedicated for those who have never given up, we can’t ever give up. You can’t get tired and say, ‘Oh my god, we’ve been fighting this for 10 years. I’m done. I’m just gonna, you know, do something. I’m gonna go watch TV. I don’t know.’ We can’t ever give up, because I don’t think our ancestors ever gave up.” “A Voice Like Mine” came out in June and is now available at local bookstores. (Courtesy Department of Finance Canada) A group of First Nations in Ontario have signed a deal with the Canadian and Ontario governments to take part ownership in a new nuclear reactor project. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the chiefs involved called it a historic step forward. The seven first nations are part of the Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto. The federal government in Ottawa and the Ontario government are providing CA$700 million (about $492.4 million) in loan guarantees to the First Nations. That money will become equity for one of our small modular reactors under construction at the Darlington Nuclear project east of Toronto. Chief Laurie Hockaday of the Alderville First Nation says the importance of this deal cannot be overstated. “Economic reconciliation is not achieved simply by inviting First Nations to observe development. It is achieved when first nations have meaningful opportunities to participate, to invest, to lead, and to help shape the future of projects taking place within their territories.” Darlington is the site for four small modular reactors, which are now under construction at a cost of about CA$21 billion (about $14.78 billion). The first reactor is expected to be completed by 2030 and, when fully operational, the four will generate about 1,200 megawatts of power, enough for about 1.2 million homes. Canadian Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne says the loan guarantee is among the first, and so far the largest, in the loan guarantee program with First Nations. “When it comes to nation building projects, Indigenous people are partners and we want that today to be a blue print. And nations across our country are watching what we are achieving today because today's a great example of us working together to achieve a common goal that generations will look back with pride.” Ontario's energy minister says the involvement of First Nations in the project marks an important milestone. And he adds that it is sensible for any government to build alliances and partnerships with First Nations. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — Finding success through the art of contemporary horsemanship

Carol Juneau (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) helped build and shape the foundation of what is now the Blackfeet Community College in the late 1970s. Her educational work led her to advocacy and elected office as she served 12 years in the Montana legislature. Juneau is one of six Native leaders in this year's class of National Native American Hall of Fame inductees. In this program, we'll learn more about Juneau and other Native legends including Dwight Birdwell (Cherokee), an honored marine veteran who's about to mark his 50th year practicing law. GUESTS James Parker Shield (Little Shell Chippewa), founder and CEO of the National Native American Hall of Fame Carol Juneau (MHA Nation), 2026 National Native American Hall of Fame inductee, retired educator, and politician Brandon Yellowbird Stevens (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin), strategist for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Dwight Birdwell (Cherokee), 2025 NNAHOF inductee, Army veteran, and attorney Break 1 Music: 20/20 (song) Blaine Bailey (artist) Indian Country (album) Break 2 Music: Tsudadatla Tsisqwa (song) Kalyn Fay (artist) Garden (album)

History was made in the National Hockey League (NHL) Friday night in Buffalo, N.Y. The Toronto Maple Leafs had the first overall pick of the NHL draft and they selected Gavin McKenna (Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation), only the second Indigenous player to ever be drafted at the top spot. Dale McCourt (Frog Lake First Nations) was taken number one by the Detroit Red Wings in 1977. More from Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto. Although the draft was in Buffalo, fans in Toronto watching on the big screen at the Scotia Bank Arena went wild after the announcement that their team was choosing McKenna, born in Whitehorse, Yukon. That kind of enthusiasm from the crowd has largely been missing in Toronto, as the team suffered one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history: ending up in 28th place and missing the playoffs. The next day, McKenna, the star rookie, got to meet the Toronto media for the first time where he was asked about his immediate plans. “Yeah, I'm going to the Jays game tonight. I've never been to a baseball game, so obviously a Blue Jays fan, so I'm looking forward to that and yeah I dunno know, I think just kind of hanging out, chillin' out. I think Dev Camp starts out pretty quick so I gotta make sure I'm ready for that. Yeah, just hanging out.” McKenna has been on the radar of NHL scouts since he was fourteen years old. When he jumped to the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Medicine Hat Tigers, over two seasons he racked up 97 and 129 points consecutively. At the end of the 2024-25 season, he ended up winning rookie of the year, WHL player of the year, the Canadian Hockey League David Branch Player of the Year, and an Under 18 world championship gold medal. He then committed to playing for Penn State in NCAA hockey during his draft season. Analysts say he has a high-end hockey IQ with an ability to manipulate defenders and is often compared to such greats as Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. Fans and owners in Toronto are hoping that with the McKenna one of the longest Stanley Cup droughts in franchise history could soon be over. Timinah Ellenwood-Parrish, left; his aunt Andria Scott, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Education Department administrative assistant; and Desiree Coyote, CTUIR Family Violence Services (FVS) coordinator, walk during an MMIP Week event on May 6, 2024, around the Nixyáawii Governance Center campus in Pendleton, Oreg. (Courtesy CTUIR / Facebook) The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is holding a special summit next week organized by its Family Violence Services (FVS) program. Desiree Coyote is the FVS program manager. She says she is particularly excited for this biennial event, given the quality of speakers and topics. “I am really happy to be able to get Marisa Cummings to attend, she’s done a lot of federal work in regards to Violence Against Women Act, and she’s got many years when it comes to jurisdictional issues and collaboration.” Another session led by Jordan Battle and Arianna Sessoms addresses domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking in the workplace. “There isn’t a lot of meaningful policies or practices around addressing those in the workplace. So I’m excited that, Jordan and Arianna is going to be here to talk about how the federal government is ensuring that there’s technical assistance and training for us at the Umatilla Indian reservation, but for other agencies who receive state and federal funding.” Coyote says it is important to address these pervasive issues in Indian Country, to keep them in the forefront for vulnerable people. “When it comes to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, for the U.S. overall, the overrepresentation of population definitely lies with communities of color and tribal nations specifically. Research actually so shows that the Indigenous community on this land, are five times more to have lived through these types of experiences, the intimate partner violence and sexual assault.” The 2026 Tribal State and Federal Summit titled Beyond Policy: Shaping Behavior and Culture will be held July 7-9 at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton, Oreg. 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, June 30, 2026 — The Menu: Native food and America's origins, a tribal vineyard, and a cafe's uninformed Indigenous branding misses the mark

The U.S. is celebrating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, but some Native Americans in the Mount Rushmore state are turning their focus to a different anniversary, as South Dakota Searchlight's Meghan O'Brien reports. Ben Jones is South Dakota's state historian. He also chairs the state's America 250 commission. He wants it to be an inclusive celebration. “There was just a strong desire personally, and I think among all the members of the commission, that we include everybody and everybody who lives in South Dakota to be a part of this.” But as July 4 nears, Trina Lone Hill (Oglala Sioux) is not planning to celebrate. “For me personally, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is like a slap in the face.” Lone Hill is a former historic preservation officer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Now, she serves on its tribal council. The founding of the country meant lost land, language, and culture for Indigenous people. So Lone Hill's focus is on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the week before Independence Day. The conflict on June 25, 1876, was a major victory for the Northern Cheyenne, Arapaho, Lakota, and Dakota people. It happened during the United States' encroachment on their land, after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills. Lakota people know the conflict as the Battle of the Greasy Grass. Representatives of several tribes are working with the National Park Service to commemorate the anniversary at the battlefield in Montana. Lone Hill will be one of more than a dozen speakers at the three-day event. U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) holds a press conference on Monday, June 1, 2026, in Tucson., Ariz. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is preparing to close one of its three locations in Arizona. The agency says this is part of a plan to modernize operations and improve health outcomes. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, state Democrats are raising alarm. More than 28,000 patients depend on the Tucson, Ariz. area office, especially members from the Tohono O'odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe. It mostly handles administrative work, but is expected to merge with the IHS Phoenix office. That location is already responsible for 180,000 patients in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. “Consolidating one to another, you're going to have a disruption of service. Any cut is going to cause a delay.” State Rep. Brian Garcia (Pascua Yaqui/D-AZ) is concerned. So too is State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (Pascua Yaqui/D-AZ), who also chairs the Indigenous Peoples Caucus. “I've never been to that clinic, but I know that some of our members do, and I used to represent Tohono O'odham and it's in their San Javier District, so it's disheartening to learn of its closure.” Arizona state Democrats sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy earlier this month, urging him to halt the looming closure. The agency did not comment on the letter. Mark Cruz testified Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The nominee to lead the IHS appeared before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday. Mark Cruz (Klamath Tribes) answered questions from lawmakers on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the next IHS director. Cruz currently serves as senior advisor for Native Affairs at HHS. He told senators he would focus on strengthening tribal consultation, improving health care access, and addressing workforce shortages across Indian Country if confirmed. His nomination now moves forward in the Senate confirmation process. IHS provides care to about 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. 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 25, 2026 — First Nations challenge Alberta's separation drive

Tribal nations in Oklahoma are navigating an influx of corporate interest in Indian Country. Thomas Pablo reports on their leaders' responses to an A-I data center development boom.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Commemorate Juneteenth and reflect on its origins, history, meaning, and traditions.Learn about the prevalence and acceptance of slavery in world history (such as in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Athens, Rome, Britain, England, and Europe) and its development in the colonies and the United States. Examine the cruel and barbaric slave trade and Middle Passage across the ocean from first hand accounts.Explore how some Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton opposed slavery, and George Washington emancipated his slaves. Learn how Thomas Jefferson trembled for the future of the country because of slavery, and how he banned slavery in the Northwest Territory and signed the law banning the slave trade in America. Learn how the opposition to slavery led to sharp divisions in the country, eventually exploding into the Civil War.Review how President Abraham Lincoln shifted his original position and supported the emancipation of the slaves as a wartime measure, and implemented emancipation through the first and final Emancipation Proclamations. Learn how the final Emancipation Proclamation only freed those enslaved by the Confederate States of America.Learn how many enslaved first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation for the first time on June 19, 1865 by virtue of Union General Gordan Granger General's Order No. 3 issued in Galveston, Texas after the Union army occupies the city, but only after the 25th Army Corps — primarily composed of African American Union troops — liberate Galveston.Review how slavery was finally abolished through the ratification of the 13th Amendment and treaties with Native American tribes (who held slaves) such as the Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw.Explore how June 19 becomes a new celebration - called Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, and finally Juneteenth - and the celebration spread across the nation, and was finally recognized as a federal holiday in the wake of the George Floyd killing in 2021. Listen to several Juneteenth Presidential Proclamations by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.Focus on how commercialism is starting to creep into the Juneteenth celebrations.Highlights include Christina Snyder's book Slavery in Indian Country, The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America,  Olaudah Equiano (Gustavus Vassa), the Great Awakening, chattel slavery, Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, Eli Whitney & the cotton gin, Missouri Compromise, Bleeding Kansas, Lincoln Douglas debates, "A House Divided" Abraham Lincoln speech, presidential election of 1860, Declaration of Independence, abolitionists, Fort Sumter, Civil War, Grand Army of the Republic, Horace Greeley, Gideon Wells, William Seward, Antietam, Gettysburg Address, Lincoln First Inaurual Address, Lincoln Second Inaugural Address, Richard Hofstadlter's American Political Tradition, bill of lading, General Robert E. Lee, Appotomattox Court House, CSS Shenandoah, Union General Gordan Granger General Order No. 3, and much more.To learn more about America & Patriot Week, visit www.PatriotWeek.org. Our resources include videos, a TV series, blogs, lesson plans, and more.Check out Judge Michael Warren's new book, The Revolutionary Words that Forged America - The Definitive Guide to the Declaration of Independence (Republic Books 2026).

Before a joint legal project between the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians started 25 years ago, tribes were losing 80% of their cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, they are winning 70% of those cases. That's from an analysis just put out by the Tribal Supreme Court Project in conjunction with its 25th anniversary. We'll look at some of those wins and losses and what they add up to a quarter century later. We'll also get updates on two important lawsuits in Oklahoma: a class action lawsuit claims the federal government owes as many as 10,000 Native land owners compensation for oil and gas development — and the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against a novel jurisdiction agreement between the Muscogee Nation and the city of Tulsa, Okla. GUESTS Hazel James (Chickasaw), plaintiff in Tyson v. United States Peggy Immohotichey (Chickasaw), plaintiff in Tyson v. United States Melody McCoy (Cherokee), senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund Jason Salsman (Muscogee), press secretary for the Muscogee Nation Jeffrey Nelson, partner of mctlaw, manager of the Indian Law Practice Group Break 1 Music: Hatchet (song) Blaine Bailey (artist) Indian Country (album) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

Are AI data centers the future of economic development — or are they the latest form of resource extraction threatening Indigenous lands and waters?On this guest-hosted episode of All My Relations, Dallas Goldtooth sits down with Ashley LaMont for a powerful conversation on land, resistance, and the growing threat of AI data centers across Indian Country.Now serving as Co-Director of the Department of Sovereignty & Self-Determination at Honor the Earth, Ashley explains how stakeholders are framing AI infrastructure as an economic opportunity for Tribal Nations while these facilities consume enormous amounts of water and energy. Together, they unpack the environmental impacts of AI, the ongoing realities of colonialism, and why Indigenous sovereignty must remain at the center of conversations about technology and development.+++Produced by Matika Wilbur --@matikawilburHosted by Dallas Goldtooth - @dallasgoldtoothA/V Production & 2nd Edit: Pancho Sánchez -- @videosdelsanchoMusic: Mato Wayuhi -- @matowayuhiEpisode Artwork: Kitana Connelly @creatortwahna1st Edit & Social Media: Mandy Yeahpau @dontguacblocText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon.  Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now!  T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

In 1969–1970–at the start of “Vietnamization”– a small, exposed rise south of Da Nang became one of the most contested observation posts in I Corps. Known simply as Hill 119, it overlooked the Thu Bon River Basin and Go Noi Island — terrain Marines called “Indian Country.” From this barren patch of ground, rotating platoons of Recon Marines watched, reported, called artillery, and launched patrols into enemy-held territory. Our guest, Col. Michael O. “Deli” Fallon, USMC (Ret.), served there as a young officer and later set out to reconstruct the full story. In writing Hill 119, Defending a Reconnaissance Marine' OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970, Fallon interviewed more than one hundred Marines and artillerymen who rotated through the position and analyzed hundreds of debriefing reports and command chronologies to piece together what daily life — and nightly danger — truly looked like. Hill 119 was an observation post and a patrol base, a radio relay site monitoring Recon frequencies, and even a testing ground for new battlefield technology, including early laser range-finding systems that sharpened artillery accuracy. Yet as President Nixon's policy of Vietnamization accelerated, fire support diminished and missions continued with fewer resources. Fallon writes candidly about what that shift meant to Marines holding an exposed hill while political decisions were made far away. We'll also explore the harder questions: operating among civilians whose loyalties were uncertain, the strain of constant rotation as platoons “flipped” in and out, the reliance on helicopter crews who flew into enemy fire to extract teams — and the court-martial that followed the shooting of a Vietnamese woman outside the perimeter, a case that unfolded in the shadow of My Lai. Hill 119 could feel like the moon — one Marine joked on the night of the Apollo landing, “You're already on the Moon.” But it was no abstraction. It was close combat, long watches, and young men navigating the line between aggression and restraint. Join us for a conversation about small-unit war, memory and documentation, leadership under scrutiny, and what Vietnamization looked like on the ground.

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to truly prepare a professional to work in Tribal finance and governance? For Lindsey Ray, Senior Tribal Programs Manager at Oklahoma State University, the answer started with a needs assessment, a gap in the market, and a partnership that grew into something much bigger than anyone expected. In this episode, REDW National Tribal Practice Leader Wes Benally sits down with Lindsey to explore the origin and evolution of OSU's Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate — a program that has now reached participants from 258 Tribes and enterprises across 32 states. Lindsey shares how the program grew from a hand-selected pilot cohort of 20 Oklahoma Tribal professionals in 2018 to a nationally recognized resource offered in both in-person and online formats, and how REDW became a core partner in developing and facilitating nearly a third of its sessions.The conversation goes beyond program logistics to ask a harder question: why do traditional accounting and MBA programs leave so many professionals underprepared for the realities of Tribal finance? Lindsey's answer — that Tribal finance is tied to sovereignty, governance, federal regulations, and long-term economic development in ways that mainstream curricula simply don't address — is the heart of why this certificate exists. Whether you're an entry-level accounting professional, an elected Tribal leader, or a CIO realizing that financial literacy gaps are showing up in your meetings, this episode makes a compelling case for education that's built specifically for Indian Country.Chapters·        01:06 - Why the OSU Program Keeps Coming Up Across Indian Country·        01:36 - The Origin: A Needs Assessment, a Training Gap, and NAFOA·        02:58 - From Oklahoma Pilot to National Program·        05:41 - Online vs. In-Person: What Each Format Offers·        10:01 - Who Should Attend — and Who's Actually Showing Up·        13:52 - Why Traditional Programs Fall Short for Tribal Finance·        16:09 - The Intentional Mix of Faculty, Practitioners, and Legal Experts·        18:32 - How Participants Stay Connected After the Program Ends·        20:25 - The Real Impact of Earning a Certificate Does your Tribal organization need advisors who bring hands-on Tribal finance experience to every engagement? Connect with REDW's National Tribal Practice to learn how our team supports Tribal governments and enterprises with training, advisory, and financial services tailored to your nation's unique needs.REDW Advisors and CPAs is proud to bring you the Insight in Indian Country Podcast, covering important advisory, accounting, and finance topics that impact Tribal Nations and business affairs. Thanks for listening!

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

It is always a sun-shiny day when Laurie Frankel gifts us all with a new book, and Enormous Wings is that book! Enormous Wings is a timely novel about Pepper Mills who grudgingly moves into a retirement community. While there, she gets some shocking news, and boy does she! Enormous Wings explores motherhood, family, sex, love, friendship, and how, even late in life, foundations can shift. Laurie handles these topics with empathy, humanity, and care. It’s why she’s so good at what she does. For this episode, Laurie talks about the inspiration, gets in-depth with her writing process, gives advice to aspiring writers, and shares some terrific book recs. To say it was a joy to host THE Laurie Frankel is an understatement. I had an absolute blast speaking with her again. Thank you, Laurie! Give a listen to my interview with Laurie for her excellent book, One Two Three, right here.  Laurie Frankel recommends: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio; The Future by Naomi Alderman; The Power by Naomi Alderman; Indian Country by Shobha Rao; The Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki; the work of Ruth Ozeki; Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe.   Follow Laurie on Instagram and Facebook and as always, check out her Substack.

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

Geronimo's name is famous across the world: the Apache warrior who led a resistance movement against the United States out in the South West for years...But what happened to Geronimo (or Goyaałé) that led to his campaign of resistance? Why did the US and Mexico feel like they had to bring him down? And how did his story end?Our guest today is Dr. Veronica Tiller, a writer of Native American History and editor & publisher of the award-winning economic reference guide Tiller's Guide to Indian Country. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Hannah Feodorov. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

The term "commod bod" is used with humor and affection. It also offers a critical way to describe bodies shaped by long-term reliance on U.S. federal commodity food programs. In Commod Bods: Embodied Heritage, Foodways, and Indigeneity (University of Arizona Press, 2026), Kasey Jernigan shares her ongoing collaborative research with Choctaw women and describes the ways that shifting patterns of participation in food and nutrition assistance programs (commodity foods) have shaped foodways; how these foodways are linked to bodies and health, particularly "obesity" and related conditions; and how foodways and bodies are intertwined with settler colonialism and experiences of structural violence, identity making, and heritage in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Organized thematically, the book moves from a critical history of obesity and health in Indian Country to narratives of Choctaw women navigating food, memory, and belonging. Chapters such as "Food and Fellowship" and "Heritage, Embodied" center personal stories that show how food is not only sustenance but also a site of connection, resistance, and meaning making. Food is critical to cultural survival and affirmation. For Choctaw people, the intentional demise of traditional foodways and dependence on federal food programs are specific experiences that inform part of what it means to be Choctaw today. Kasey Jernigan is an assistant professor of American studies and anthropology at the University of Virginia, where she also co-directs the Black and Indigenous Feminist Futures Institute. She is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Caleb Zakarin is the CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The term "commod bod" is used with humor and affection. It also offers a critical way to describe bodies shaped by long-term reliance on U.S. federal commodity food programs. In Commod Bods: Embodied Heritage, Foodways, and Indigeneity (University of Arizona Press, 2026), Kasey Jernigan shares her ongoing collaborative research with Choctaw women and describes the ways that shifting patterns of participation in food and nutrition assistance programs (commodity foods) have shaped foodways; how these foodways are linked to bodies and health, particularly "obesity" and related conditions; and how foodways and bodies are intertwined with settler colonialism and experiences of structural violence, identity making, and heritage in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Organized thematically, the book moves from a critical history of obesity and health in Indian Country to narratives of Choctaw women navigating food, memory, and belonging. Chapters such as "Food and Fellowship" and "Heritage, Embodied" center personal stories that show how food is not only sustenance but also a site of connection, resistance, and meaning making. Food is critical to cultural survival and affirmation. For Choctaw people, the intentional demise of traditional foodways and dependence on federal food programs are specific experiences that inform part of what it means to be Choctaw today. Kasey Jernigan is an assistant professor of American studies and anthropology at the University of Virginia, where she also co-directs the Black and Indigenous Feminist Futures Institute. She is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Caleb Zakarin is the CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

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

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

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

On this week's episode, The Imprint's Nancy Marie Spears sits down with reporter Suzette Brewer to discuss her recent two-part series on the tragic past and promising future of birth justice for the Native American community. The series examines the use of sterilization on Indigenous women, a practice many believe was intended to facilitate the dying out of tribes, and the more recent efforts to build a birth justice movement in the Native American community. Spears and Brewer discuss how the series came together over the course of a decade and what Brewer discovered. They also had time to chat about their reporter careers and the Indian Child Welfare Act.Suzette Brewer is a journalist specializing in federal Indian law and social justice, with a focus on issues affecting Native women and children. She has reported extensively on the Indian Child Welfare Act, the U.S. Supreme Court, Native voting rights, environmental justice in Indian Country, and the opioid crisis. Brewer is a recipient of the Richard LaCourse–Gannett Foundation Al Neuharth Investigative Journalism Award, a John Jay/Tow Juvenile Justice Reporting Fellow, and a 2024 National Fellow with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation and is from Stilwell, Oklahoma.Reading RoomFor Centuries, Native Women Have Been Told to ‘Trust the Doctor.' The Results Have Been Disastrous.https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/for-centuries-native-women-have-been-told-to-trust-the-doctor-the-results-have-been-disastrous/271389Birth Justice: The Fight for Reproductive Freedom in Indian Countryhttps://imprintnews.org/top-stories/birth-justice-the-fight-for-reproductive-freedom-in-indian-country/271753Reporting by Nancy Marie Spearshttps://imprintnews.org/author/nancy-marie-spears

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

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

On Monday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as the newest head of the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem. It's an enormously consequential role that involves taking charge of ICE, border patrol, and TSA. And Mullin is an interesting choice for the role — he's a conservative, Christian citizen of Cherokee nation, known both for his ability to reach across the aisle, and for being a political firebrand. So today on the show, we're asking: What will Markwayne Mullin's leadership of DHS mean for Indian Country? And what will it mean for the nation as a whole?To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

VR25 - This episode is dedicated to the memory of Cricket, the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer murdered in cold blood by Kristi Noem on an unknown date in a gravel pit in South Dakota. One week after Donald Trump took now-former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's job out to the gravel pit, Thomas, Lydia, and Matt get together for a post-mortem. After a brief amuse douche from Noem's (ahem) closest advisor, Matt plays the one excerpt from her 2024 campaign book “Not Going Back” which should have disqualified her from a Cabinet seat. (No, not that one! But we also revisit that story too and it's so much worse--and involves twice as many animals--than you may  remember.) We then review some of the most notable lowlights of Noem's time as DHS Secretary, from completely failing to understand the ancient  legal concept which allowed federal judges to release so many of the people she was illegally detaining without bond to her disturbing enthusiasm for calling US citizens concerned about killer ICE agents “domestic terrorists.” Also: why exactly did Noem lose her job last week, and where did the $220 million of our money handed over to a shell company run by her former press secretary's husband go? Finally, we take a closer look at Trump's choice to replace Noem at DHS: an Oklahoma Senator with two first names and a temper even shorter than his MMA career.  Watch this episode on YouTube! “NO GOING BACK: The Truth On What's Wrong With Politics and How to Move America Forward,” Kristi Noem (2024) DHS ad filmed at Mount Rushmore featuring Kristi Noem on horseback “Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts,” Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica (Nov. 14, 2025) “Markwayne Mullin is for Trump--and Indian Country,” Graham Lee Brewer, High Country News (Dec. 9, 2019) “ICE Barbie Replacement Mark Mullin Makes a Killing From Trump's Wars,” Harry Thompson & Tom Latchem, March 9, 2026 “Mullin' It Over” column archives on Markwayne Mullin's Senate website Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!