Podcasts about kjzz

Canadian energy firm Enbridge will reimburse a northern Wisconsin county for the cost of policing protests expected with construction of the company's Line 5 reroute. As Danielle Kaeding reports, the Ashland County board approved the deal Tuesday. The Wisconsin Counties Association negotiated an agreement where Enbridge will reimburse local governments for public safety costs tied to the Line 5 project in northern Wisconsin. Funds will be deposited into an escrow account managed by the association. Some residents worried the deal would turn local authorities into a private security force. Bad River tribal member Edith Leoso warned against signing the agreement to get reimbursed by Enbridge. “They will feed you what you want to hear, and then they will take everything from this area and leave you to pick up the pieces.” An Enbridge spokesperson said the company volunteered to fund the account. Enbridge also said it received a final US Army Corps permit that the company says will allow construction to move forward, but state approvals for the project are being challenged in court. Enbridge previously paid millions for public safety costs tied to protests of its Line 3 replacement project in Minnesota. ZenniHome founder Bob Worsley shares his excitement about opening up his facility in 2024 atop the former Navajo Generating Station near Page, Ariz. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) A civil lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona alleges a factory on the Navajo Nation was “squandering millions on improper and mysterious expenditures” before suddenly shutting down in July. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. The Albuquerque, N.M.-based firm Indigenous Design Studio + Architecture (IDSA) alleges that Mesa subcontractor ZenniHome breached its $50 million deal to build 160 modular homes. “There's a whole lot of money that got dumped into Zenni and obviously only to produce 18 homes, it's a mystery how that occurred.” Attorney Jay Curtis says IDSA is looking to repair the reputation of its founder, Tamarah Begay, in addition to recouping roughly $22 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for the Navajo Nation. ZenniHome CEO Bob Worsley says there will not be a refund of any amount. “No, the money is gone … It's not sitting in somebody's account somewhere, so the company has been liquidated. There's no more assets. It's just almost theater when we spent every dime they gave us, and about $4 million more than that – out of my pocket – so yeah, that's not going to happen.” Worsley also faces a separate federal class action lawsuit after laying off more than 200 employees last year. Rex Lee Jim, Vice President of the Navajo Nation prepares notes prior to a media call in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Radio Studio in Washington, D. C., Monday, March. 3, 2015. (Photo: Bob Nichols / USDA) Former Navajo Nation Vice President Rex Lee Jim is being remembered for his advocacy for Navajo people, including in education and culture, and as an international diplomat. Jim served as vice president from 2011 to 2015 with Navajo President Ben Shelly. He also served on the Navajo council, was a poet, playwright, author, and traditional medicine man. The Navajo Nation Council said Jim passed away on Tuesday and recognized his dedication to Navajo people, cultural preservation, and global Indigenous advocacy. JoAnn Chase (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), is being remembered for strengthening NCAI's national presence and advocating for Native rights. Chase served as executive director from 1994 to 2001. In a statement Tuesday, NCAI said of Chase's passing that her leadership help the organization become stronger and more visible, working with tribal leaders, Congress, and others. She later worked in philanthropy, policy, and arts, including most recently serving as vice chair of the board for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. 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, February 25, 2026 — The Menu: Commod Bods, a standout frybread stand, and Afro-Indigenous mutual aid in Minneapolis

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning news podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning news podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest story of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Audio available by 12 p.m. EST For decades, Native women and other women of color were subjected to forced sterilization by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. New Mexico lawmakers introduced a memorial last week to create a truth and reconciliation commission that would conduct a study into the history, and continuing impacts of this abuse. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) has this report. Senate memorial 14 includes research dating to the 1970s which shows between 25%-50% of Indigenous women ere sterilized, with some of the highest incidents occurring in New Mexico. The memorial would develop a plan to create a state truth and reconciliation commission to research and find all cases of sterilization in the state, gather survivor testimony, and review and recommend educational policy. Keely Badger is a human rights advocate who wrote her dissertation on the forced sterilization of Native women. Lawmakers asked her about challenges finding and accessing records. “I do think that the requests have to come from an official state body, official agencies, to get to the heart of this information. It is going to be more than one person’s ability to accumulate this information.” She says this may have been intentional by the states. “At a national level, they have sealed some of these records for a reason, in the same way that a lot of the information about the boarding school system was very challenging; took decades and decades of research to accumulate to get to a point where we could have a national apology. “I believe that this is one of those situations where it is going to require real political will and advocacy from civil society groups to get to the real heart of this from a national perspective.” If the memorial goes into law, New Mexico would be the first state in the nation to formally investigate and acknowledge these violations. The memorial will head to the senate floor for a vote and if passed, will go to the House of Representatives. White Mountain Apache Chairman Kasey Velasquez speaks about the significance of the Apache trout in Mesa, Ariz. on September 4, 2024. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ Thousands of members from the White Mountain Apache Tribe went to the polls last week to vote in a primary election that resulted in the sitting chairman losing his chance at another term. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports. In a three-way race, Chairman Kasey Velasquez earned a little over 400 votes, while his challengers both received nearly four times as much, according to the tribe's election commission. In the end though, longtime Whiteriver school board member Orlando Carroll got the most votes by a margin of more than 50 ballots. He will face off against Councilman Gary Alchesay in the April general election. Also on Wednesday, the tribe announced that a special prosecutor declined to criminally charge Velasquez under tribal law for allegations of sexual harassment against the HR director. A civil investigation by the tribe is still ongoing. And you will be seeing lots of commemorative Seahawks swag now that Seattle's NFL team has won Super Bowl 60. The ‘hawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13. The BBC reports that many Native American and First Nations people appreciate the team's logo. Turns out, it is based on a carved transformation mask from the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation from the late 1800s. The logo was chosen by the Seahawk's manager in the 1970s. Seattle's Burke Museum traced the origins of it to a photo of a ceremonial mask in an old art book. This led them to the Hudson Museum in Maine. The mask was loaned to Seattle for a ceremony with tribal members and team representatives. The BBC reports that, unlike other major league sports teams, the Seahawks logo has not sparked backlash because it respectfully borrows from Indigenous culture and does not resort to racist stereotypes. Some Indigenous people from Canada and the U.S. say it has inspired them to learn more of their own culture. A ceremony and parade for the Seahawks will be held in Seattle Wednesday morning. 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 Native America Calling’s special coverage of the 2026 State of Indian Nations address Monday, February 9, 2026 – 2026 State of Indian Nations

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories on the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. it is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Leaders of the North Slope village of Nuiqsut sued the U.S. Department of Interior on January 28, for canceling a key subsistence protection for a development project, as The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. About a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued an agreement with Nuiqsut leaders that prohibited oil and gas development around Teshekpuk Lake, which is located in the northeastern corner of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The goal was to mitigate the harm that the ConocoPhillips' Willow project would have on caribou – a crucial subsistence resource for Nuiqsut residents. But last month, the Department of the Interior, which oversees BLM, canceled that agreement, saying it was improperly issued in the first place. In turn, Nuiqsut's leadership filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the cancellation was illegal. “We’re fighting to protect the area and think about the caribou.” George Tuukaq Sielak is the president of Nuiqsut's Kuukpik Corporation. He says the cancellation was disappointing and damaged the trust of Nuiqsut residents. “By pulling that right of way off, I mean, it’s just like throwing us away.” Department of Interior officials declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. When BLM approved the controversial Willow project in 2023, one condition was mitigating the harm on Teshekpuk Lake – a key habitat for the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd. And BLM signed a right-of-way agreement with Nuiqsut to meet that condition. That conservation measure was backed by the law that directs the Department of Interior to conduct oil and gas leasing in the reserve. The law also requires “maximum protection” for Teshekpuk Lake and other significant subsistence areas. M Sielak, with Kuupik Corporation, says that Nuiqsut residents are careful when they consider development projects so close to their home, but the promise of additional protections for caribou helped more residents to get on board with Willow. “We will support development in our area, as long as we work together to balance, such as what we’re doing here with a right of way.” But the Department of the Interior said that the federal law does not authorize such conservation measures when it canceled the right-of-way agreement. The department also said in its cancellation letter that right-of-way agreements are usually used to allow oil and gas activities, not prohibit them, and that the primary goal of the law regulating the reserve is to support oil and gas leasing, while subsistence protections come second. The department indicated that they expect to hold lease sales this winter, which may include the area around Teshekpuk lake. Nuiqsut leadership say they might consider legal avenues – like seeking injunctive relief – to protect the area, but no decision has been made yet. A moonson sunset at Massai Point inside Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona. (Photo: Ron Stewart / National Park Service) A bipartisan bill on Capitol Hill is looking to turn one of Arizona's federal monuments into the state's fourth national park behind Saguaro, the Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. Established in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge, Chiricahua National Monument is known by many as the “Wonderland of Rocks”. From Geronimo to Cochise, this land is also steeped in Apache history, something the San Carlos Apache Tribe and neighboring Mescalero Apache Tribe in New Mexico, want to see permanently protected. The effort is being led by U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) in the House. If passed, Arizona would tie fourth-overall with Colorado – behind Utah, Alaska, and California – for states with the most national parks. Yurok Chairman Joseph L James speaks at the 3rd Annual MMIP Tribal Policy Summit. (Courtesy Yurok Tribe / Facebook) California tribes are gathering this week for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Tribal Policy Summit. The annual summit in its fourth year and is expected to draw tribal leaders, lawmakers, advocates, and victims' families. The theme is justice, healing, sovereignty, and solutions to the MMIP crisis. Two proposed pieces of legislation will be discussed: a bill to establish a MMIP Justice Program within the state justice department – and a bill to establish a Tribal Foster Care Prevention Program to prevent Indigenous children from entering the child welfare system, which advocates say is a MMIP pathway. The event is taking place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento. 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 the latest episode of Native America Calling Monday, February 2, 2026 – Native Americans are compelled to respond to indiscriminate ICE pressure

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning news podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

From an Iñupiaq Wordle game to a new language immersion program, a wave of efforts to revitalize Iñupiaq language has been sweeping across northern Alaska. Last month, one Utqiaġvik artist received a Rasmuson award to create an Iñupiaq language workbook for kids. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Alaina Bankston has loved making art since she was a child. Now that she has a child of her own, she wants to use her art to help him learn the Iñupiaq language. Bankston is an Utqiaġvik artist who recently received a Rasmuson award to create a workbook that will do just that. She will spend a year designing and illustrating a primer for children that teaches the Iñupiaq alphabet and numbers. Bankston says her four-year-old son Qalayauq was her inspiration for the project. “It all kind of started with creating for him and being able to use those resources.” Bankston says she is still on her own language learning journey. She practices speaking with elders and uses dictionaries and the Rosetta Stone app. But Bankston says children learn differently than adults, and she wanted to create educational materials that catered to the youngest learners. “You start kindergarten, you have the whole workbook, you’re learning the alphabet, the numbers, the colors, and we have all that in English. But I’m like, what if we had that in Iñupiaq?” Bankston says some resources for learning Iñupiaq are available through the North Slope Borough School District, but she says regular parents might not have access to them. “It’s really born out of necessity. I’m sure there are resources out there … but they’re not something you could just go pick up at a store or buy online.” Bankston's project is just one example of the language revitalization efforts in the region. Two years ago, the school district restarted its Iñupiaq immersion program, and a few years before that, Alaska Native linguists created a digital Iñupiaq dictionary. And when the popular puzzle game Wordle took off across the country, local linguists and enthusiasts created an Iñupiaq version. “I think we’ve been making big strides recently … with the history of it, it’s definitely a dying language, but I think it’s important we keep it alive.” Bankston says everyone can do their part to preserve the language, and the workbook is one such step for her. Arizona Poet Laureate Laura Tohe (Diné) reads her poetry at the state Capitol on January 14, 2026. (Courtesy Arizona Capitol TV) A former Navajo Nation poet laureate has been named by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) as the state's second-ever state poet. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. Laura Tohe has dedicated her life to Indigenous literature, but doesn't want that identity to dominate her tenure. “I don't want people to think that again, you know, I'm just shifting from Navajo Nation to Arizona as a Navajo poet.” And part of her pledge is to help bring poetry to rural communities. While most living on the Navajo Nation have no choice but to haul essentials like water, coal, and wood from far away – for Tohe growing up, it was books. “I did…” Born in Fort Defiance, Ariz., Tohe remembers taking long road trips with her mother to the closest library across state lines in New Mexico. “We did make it to Gallup, and I got a library card. She wanted to make sure I had access.” The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding a hearing Wednesday in Washington, D.C., focusing on Native children. The hearing will examine the draft Native Children's Commission Implementation Act, which focuses on improving justice and safety outcomes for Native children. It includes Tribal-federal coordination on public safety, juvenile justice, and victim services. The hearing will be streamed live on the committee's website. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Wednesday, January 28, 2026 – Remembering visionary Indigenous journalist Dan David

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Photo: A crowd congregates in Mesa, Ariz. where a roadside memorial remembering slain San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was taken down nearly a year after she disappeared. (Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) It was one year ago, on January 27, 2025, that San Carlos Apache teenager Emily Pike went missing from a Mesa, Ariz. group home. Her dismembered remains were discovered a month later in garbage bags more than 100 miles away. No arrests have been made, nor suspects named. Earlier this month, a memorial in Mesa marking where Emily was last seen alive got taken down. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, it's the latest rallying cry for justice in the 14-year-old girl's unsolved murder. “Who are we here for?” “Emily Pike.” “Then say her name.” “Emily Pike.” At the corner of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road, dozens of demonstrators met on a recent Saturday as cars drove by honking their horns. “Justice for who?” “Emily Pike.” “Justice for who?” “Emily Pike.” “Who do we love?” “Emily Pike.” “Who do we love?” “Emily Pike.” This is where Emily was last seen alive. Since her disappearance, a chain-link fence hugging the edge of a 28,000-square-foot vacant lot has become home to a roadside memorial for the slain Apache teen. And it just kept on growing as more shared her story. Visitors from near and far have flocked to this bustling intersection, adorned with flowers, stuffed animals, a banner of Emily's face, and lots of red ribbons – each markers of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) movement. That was, until someone suddenly took everything down earlier this month. No matter who did it, Jolene Shorty is still upset. “Look what you guys did. You took down her stuff. There is a respectful way. There is a traditional way to let things go. This is not the way.” For Shorty, she says this is the second tragedy to happen there. “But what I see here my people, what I see here my tribal nations, I see a clean slate, a clean slate to start over. … In a way, they almost helped us. We're going to come back and put up more stuff. We're going to honor them the way we're supposed to.” Delvina Charley (Diné) thinks taking down those mementos adds insult to injury. “This is the respect that we got … we're pushed to the side that our voices meant nothing, that she meant nothing. If this was a different privileged girl, it would have been handled differently.” Since the items were taken down, Emily's family has been in talks with the city of Mesa on planting a tree and placing a bench at Fitch Park – just a few blocks from her last known location. They're also in discussions with the Arizona Department of Transportation about putting up a highway sign honoring Emily at milepost 277 along US 60 near Globe – where her remains were found in the Tonto National Forest. “This girl lost her life thinking nobody cared.” Jared Marquez is San Carlos Apache and treasurer of the Turtle Island Women Warriors. “I've been there, being a 13-year-old kid, never talking to my parents, running around on the reservation, you know, nobody ever truly caring. And it's hard to think what this girl went through – a lot of us could have been through.” As for the investigation into Emily's murder, KJZZ asked the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Missing and Murdered Unit, and the lead agency, Gila County Sheriff's Office, for the status but did not receive any updates. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) are hosting a webinar titled “Know Your Rights,” followed by a Q&A on Wednesday. NARF will provide practical guidance for Tribal citizens on interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The organizations say it is in response to growing concerns from across Indian Country. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, January 27, 2026 – The concern over rising American imperialism to Indigenous people abroad and at home

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has started the process to demote Sen. Mark Kelly, over a video he took part in. Friday NewsCap panelists analyze the week's top stories. Plus, Netflix filmed a show about the unconventional approach to corrections in the Pinal County jail.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you needed to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Friday NewsCap revisits some of the biggest stories of the week from Arizona and beyond.Lorna Romero Ferguson of Elevate Strategies and Raquel Terán, former state lawmaker and chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, joined The Show to talk about the Department of Justice suing Arizona's secretary of state, another presidential endorsement in an Arizona congressional primary and more.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Ahead of the next legislative session this month, Arizona Democratic state lawmakers held a town hall at the end of December on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP). KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (Pascua Yaqui/D-AZ), chair of the Arizona legislature’s Indigenous Peoples Caucus, made no promises. “We will not have solutions for you today.” But she and others spent three hours listening. Reva Stewart (Diné) believes families are repeatedly asked to relive their trauma by testifying with no results. “Listening without action has become a pattern. Legislation without enforcement is not protection. Taskforce without authority or accountability are not solutions. Meetings without funding are not justice.” Roxanne Barley (Cocopah) complained that criteria changed for the state's Turquoise Alert, originally designed to notify the public of Indigenous disappearances. Of the five alerts in 2025, only one was for a Native American – a teen in Yuma. “That was the lie that we were promised, that was the hoax that we were told.” But State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie (Diné/D-AZ) explained how lawmakers negotiated and compromised. “And that is the ugly truth of politics.” Alaska state health officials are still recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, despite a recent, controversial change in federal guidance. The virus has historically seriously impacted Alaska Native communities. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. Hepatitis B is a virus spread through bodily fluids and from mother to baby during childbirth. Historically, Alaska has had high rates of hepatitis B, especially among Alaska Native people. In the 1970s, widespread infection led to high rates of liver cancer in Alaska Native children. State Epidemiology Chief Dr. Joe McLaughlin says screening and vaccinations have helped reduce rates of hepatitis B in the state. And McLaughlin says the vaccine is still important in Alaska, which has struggled with high rates of chronic hepatitis B. “This universal birth dosing helps to ensure every baby receives protection, regardless of their location or access to care or any follow-up challenges that they might have, this approach has definitely helped reduce disparities in hepatitis B outcomes across Alaska for decades.” Public health experts credit the vaccine with dramatically lowering the risk of developing chronic hepatitis B, serious liver diseases, and liver cancer. For over three decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all babies across the country get the vaccine at birth. Then, last month, the CDC narrowed its guidance, recommending the vaccine only for infants born to women who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown. The guidance says women who test negative should consult with a health care provider before vaccinating their newborn, but McLaughlin emphasizes that the CDC also acknowledged that each state has to consider its own hepatitis B rates and risk factors. “Alaska, where the rates are nearly three times the national average, clearly falls into a higher-risk category as a state in general. And our data support continuing universal birth dose vaccination to protect infants in Alaska.” Health insurers have said they will continue to cover the hepatitis B vaccine. 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 episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, January 6, 2026 — The Pleiades star cluster ushers in winter story season

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.

Photo: Youth royalty from the Colorado River Indian Tribes stamp the Ireichō – or Book of Names – in Parker, Ariz. on October 25, 2025. (Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is among the chapters of U.S. history that the Trump administration is actively working to erase. It is part of a sweeping campaign to remove so-called “disparaging” signs and markers of the country's past and focus only on “American greatness”. In the final installment of his series on the camps, KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio visits the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) to see how others are making sure victims are highlighted in – not erased from – the history books. Inside a strip mall owned by the tribe, hundreds flock to its museum in Parker, Ariz. Director Valerie Welsh-Tahbo says her space used to be an old swimwear shop. Tucked in one teal-hued corner is an exhibit dedicated to the Poston camp's 18,000 internees.  “This was already up here, this structure in this store and I said, ‘Let's hang onto this … just because of where it was situated, and that design, it just spawned that idea.” To honor Poston's past. another way the museum is paying respect is by welcoming Soto Zen Buddhist priest Duncan Ryūken Williams and his Ireichō. “Chō, chō means like a book or a registry, and so we created a book with everybody's names in it, and said, ‘How do we honor everyone?' And we came up with this idea of stamping or placing this mark under people's names.” The Japanese word Irei essentially means “to console the spirits”, and that's what Wiliams hopes his book does by bringing forth personhood and dignity – one name at a time. “A lot of government camp rosters mangle Japanese names, and so we can't honor people if their names are misspelled.” And their goal? “To make sure all 125,284 people whose names are printed in this book get at least one mark of acknowledgement.” There's still 30,000 names unmarked, but Williams has a plan. “We'll just systematically, from the beginning of the book, invite the general public to come and place a mark under the next name in the sequence of names that doesn't yet have a mark.” “I think this person – Hisayo Kotsubo – does not yet have a stamp. She's born in the year 1897 so if I could ask you to just place this stamp right under the letter H.” Their blue-tipped stamp is no bigger than your thumb. Some even practiced that art of dotting with Susan Kamei. “It's a personal story.” Her parents, grandparents, and one set of great-grandparents were internees. Her dad's side was brought to Poston, while her mom's ended up in Heart Mountain, Wyo. “I try to put myself in their shoes.” 84-year-old Janet Brothers doesn't have to imagine, because she lived it. “I was here at camp as a baby. I was six months old … feeling the heat, looking around, and seeing the desert and the mountains, knowing that's what my parents saw every day, was very emotional for me.” The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is remembering the life of former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne/R-CO), who died Tuesday at age 92. NCAI President Mark Macarro in a statement said Campbell broke barriers and left a path for those who seek to follow as leaders in Indian Country and in America. Sen. Campbell is being remembered for his work on Indian policy and elevating Indian Country issues, serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The Associated Press reports, his daughter said Campbell died of natural causes surround by family. 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. Wednesday, December 31, 2025 – Memorable moments in Native film and TV in 2025

During World War II, Japanese Americans were held captive in 10 internment camps throughout the US. Two of them in Arizona, built on reservations without tribal consent. In our last story, we heard how the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) in western Arizona have made a point to preserve the remnants of one such war-time prison. Today, KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio takes us to the state's other site, which sits well-hidden in the shadows of Phoenix – slowly fading away atop of the Gila River Indian Community. He had the privilege to see this restricted site twice this year with the tribe's Wally Jones, who supervised his trip. “I can't give, really the location. I wanted to, but people do search it.” They first met in April at the Chevron gas station in Bapchule, Ariz. about 30 miles south of downtown Phoenix. The tribe did not allow KJZZ to record inside the camp itself, but Jones agreed to let Pietrorazio document their short ride there. No matter who is coming out, Jones stresses they're not tours. “This is not a tourist camp. This is a regulated entry that the department processes for the council's consideration for your visit. It's not just anyone can come out here. These are one of the few sites that the community allows non-members to come in and kind of experience what was here.” What was here in 1942 would've equated to Arizona's fourth-largest city, home to over 13,000 internees stuck in the Sonoran Desert. “The camp is not maintained. The community has decided to let nature recapture its natural state, but there are remnants of various barracks, facilities.” And there are at least 230 ornate garden ponds – now dried up – that prisoners built. “It always amazes me that we find these ponds out here, that it was a signal of their tradition and their hope that they would not let their culture fade away.” Seven months later, Pietrorazio returned – this time not on his own, but as a guest of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in a caravan of at least 20 vehicles. Bill Staples Jr. is president of the JACL Arizona chapter. “And I was really touched by how emotionally connected the Gila River Indian Community was in welcoming the Japanese Americans…” Pietrorazio caught up with Staples at the tribe's Huhugam Heritage Center after a November ceremony. Also there, making the trip from Seattle, was 85-year-old camp survivor Sylvia Domoto. “They've been so welcoming and continue to respect and to keep the land there, so that we can say, ‘Yes, this really happened. It isn't just a fantasy.'” Suicide prevention sign and phone on the east sidewalk of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo: Guillaume Paumier / Wikimedia) A new law in California aimed at preventing suicides is taking effect in the new year. The measure requires the transportation and public health departments to identify best practices and countermeasures to avoid suicides on state bridges and overpasses. The bill by Assemblymember James Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla/D-CA) builds on his previous work, which includes efforts to improve mental health services and the establishment of a suicide prevention office. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, December 30, 2025 — The Menu: A memoir and a documentary film document two tribes' connections to food sovereignty

Arizona tribal reservations were home to two of the nation's 10 internment camps during World War II. On the western edge of the state, the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) welcome visitors to see abandoned relics from that dark past. In fact, there is even an annual pilgrimage – and this year, KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio went along, in part three of his ongoing series. One way to remember those who lived – and died – at the internment camp officially known as the Colorado River Relocation Center, and more commonly known as Poston, is by rebuilding, with CRIT entrusting the care of crumbling buildings to the nonprofit behind the pilgrimage. Barbara Darden is a preservation architect from Aurora, Colo. “It's not Poston Community Alliance. It's not anybody that we work for. The building is our client.” She's been restoring Poston piece-by-piece since 2009, turning that camp into a construction zone – this time, along with Andrew Phillips, owner of a Durango, Colo. company called Natural Dwelling. “The same mud, the same walls, the same exact material being reworked a second time around.” In October, camp survivors and descendants repaired a classroom wall internees made from adobe clay and mud. Youth groups from the Colorado River Indian Tribes honor Poston pilgrimage guests with bird dances and songs on October 25, 2025. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) “My first guess is they were able to find these little pockets of windblown clay in the foothills here … they used the few scant resources they had, made great brick and their workmanship and their mix design and how they laid it and stacked it and built it, is all top drawer.” For the restoration, new slabs were hauled out from a Phoenix, Ariz. brickyard to replace that broken wall, but the old material isn't going to waste. It's being blended into new mortar that will fill in the cracks, using a mixer much like one the U.S. Army gifted to internees over eight decades ago. Hard work also being done by CRIT member Adrian Antone Jr. to restore vandalized structures. “I thought it was pretty disrespectful. And so finally, giving my part to help out, especially build this little wall.” Darden dreamt of rebuilding a lot more. “We would love to restore everything.” But that comes with a big price tag, defrayed by National Park Service grants to preserve interment sites like this one. Now, the Trump administration is eradicating signs marking the camps and other so-called “disparaging” reminders of the country's history. “We do not anticipate any more grants. Being more realistic, we're looking at maybe four buildings here, and then the others will just have to let them go and watch them fall into ruin.” Either way, CRIT will keep working to protect this history – one brick at a time. President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Friday that will give Alaska Native veterans more time to file for their Native allotments. KNBA’s Rhonda McBride has more. The deadline to apply is Monday, December 29, but legislation passed earlier this month gives veterans a five-year extension. The Native allotment program was created more than 100 years ago to put more federal land into private ownership. It allowed individual Alaska Natives to each claim 160 acres, but when the federal program ended in 1971. Vietnam vets missed out, because many were overseas fighting the war. As of mid-December, only about 25% of eligible veterans had applied for their allotments. Many said the process was too difficult to navigate. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), one of the main sponsors of the bill, said he will make staff available to assist veterans with their applications. 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 the latest episode of Native America Calling Monday, December 29, 2025 – Wounded Knee's perpetual stain on history

The Alaska chapter of Safari Club International took a group of men from Kipnuk deer hunting last month. The hunters were evacuees from a storm that ravaged the Western Alaska coast, unleashed by Typhoon Halong. After more than a month of staying in shelters and hotel rooms in Anchorage, they were quick to accept the invitation. As KNBA's Rhonda McBride tells us, what transpired turned out to be more than just a hunt. The Safari Club and Alaska Native subsistence hunters have often been on the opposite side in debates over fish and game management. And some who have followed the politics over the years find it puzzling that the Safari Club reached out to help Kipnuk hunters displaced by the storm. But John Sturgeon, a longtime Safari Club member, says it should not be a surprise. “The Safari Club and the subsistence people are much closer together than most folks would think. We're hunters. They're hunters.” Sturgeon helped to organize the hunt. “We have the resources to help. And them eating wild game and going out after wild game is really important to them. And we just said, ‘Well, this is something we can do to help, especially at Christmas time.' So we're hoping this will make a few people happy.” What started out with five hunters snowballed. The evacuees had no clothes or gear, which they either lost in the storm or had to leave behind. Club members loaned them guns and scopes. One dug into his own pocket to outfit them for the hunt. The Safari Club bought them hunting licenses and chartered a boat from Whittier, Alaska to Montague Island, where the men took nine Sitka black-tailed deer. It's the first time Darrell John had gone hunting since an ocean surge carried his house away. “We were hunting deer on a beach, which I never ever thought I would be hunting.” “When I was gutting deer, I knew my family was going to eat something. Made me feel like I was providing for my family again.” Although John never dreamed he'd go hunting in a such in a faraway place like Prince William Sound, he suddenly felt more like his old self. When the hunters returned, they wanted to share their catch with others displaced by the storm. Suddenly plans mushroomed into a feast to feed more than 200. The Safari Club collected donations of fish and wild game, which included a seal from Kodiak Island. John's wife Lacey John knew right away what was cooking. “Seals have a strong scent. The seal that was baking. It smelled like home. I just breathed in. (laughter) ” Karson Apodaca. (Courtesy Sayetsitty Family / gofundme) A Christmas parade on the Navajo Nation was suddenly cut short this week after a suspected drunk driver struck and killed a child and injured three bystanders. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. The Kayenta Township near Monument Valley shared joy on social media ahead of its annual Christmas market and parade at the rodeo grounds. “The parade is going to start on Navajo Route 591, which is right behind Chevron, okay? It's like you're going to the flea market here if you live in Kayenta … That one's gonna start right at 5:00 p.m., so be ready.” But about 10 minutes later, that holiday cheer came to an abrupt halt after an alleged drunk driver entered the parade route and hit four people, including a child and a pregnant woman. The Navajo Police Department confirmed three-year-old Karson Apodaca died and a suspect is in custody. The Kayenta community and guests came together to honor and remember Karson Apodaca with a peaceful vigil walk, the singing of Christmas carols, and the decoration of a Christmas tree in his honor, followed by prayer circle. (Courtesy Sayetsitty Family / GoFundMe) The sale of alcohol, as well as possession and consumption, is prohibited on tribal land. Josephine Romines, a volunteer from Unconquered Life, during the Holiday Resource Rally on December 10 in Ada, Okla, which served about 800 families during the event. (Courtesy Chickasaw Nation) This year, the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and Feed the Children partnered to bring holiday packages to an estimated 800 Ada, Okla. area families. The recent drive-thru distribution included a 25 lbs. box of food, and a 15lbs box of personal care items, books, toys, and other products. This is the 10th year the tribe and organization have partnered to help families during the holidays. 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 the latest episode of Native America Calling Friday, December 26, 2025 – For all its promise, AI is a potential threat to culture