National Native News

2024 MMIP Summit. (Photo courtesy Yurok Tribe) The Yurok Tribe and the Pala Band of Mission Indians are hosting this year’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Summit in Pala, Calif., which will take place Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the third year the summit will be held. The event brings together tribal leaders, advocates, lawmakers, and law enforcement to address MMIP in the state. Yurok Chairman Joseph James says the summit addresses the root causes of the MMIP crisis, which he says is an unfortunate issue that negatively impacts every Indigenous person in the state. This year’s summit will feature a youth panel, cultural sharing, and testimony from families. Topics include sex trafficking, the implementation of a statewide missing Indigenous person alert, and culture as healing. According to the tribe, California has the fifth highest rate of MMIP cases in the U.S. The summit is intended to help identify actionable tribally driven solutions to combat MMIP. Members of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California burn piles in an overgrown area near Dresslerville, Nev., to promote new willow growth, a key resource for traditional basket making. (Courtesy Washoe Tribe) The devastation from January’s Los Angeles wildfires is a reminder that extreme wildfires burn year-round. The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California is working to reintroduce intentional, cultural fire meant to restore forest health – and reduce explosive fires. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more. It’s a sun-splashed afternoon in a forest near South Lake Tahoe, where large fir and pine trees stretch into the clear blue sky, and dozens of tribal members are eager to learn about cultural burning. But first, they have to learn how to control and put out fires. That’s why a group is huddled around a heavy-duty water pump with two thick fire hoses connected to it. One hose is in a tub of water the size of an above-ground pool, and the other is unraveled a few dozen yards away. Jeremy Miles Placencia, a U.S. Forest Service forestry technician, leads the demonstration. “We have everything connected. We have our discharge hose. Now we can set up the fuel line.” And then Placencia revs up the water pump, which roars like an angry lawn mower, echoing through the forest. Water pushes through the extended hose, like a snake coming to life. Now, participants can practice spraying pressurized water as if they were putting out a fire. The U.S. Forest Service’s Jeremy Miles Placencia, left, demonstrates how to use a water pump at a fire training hosted by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. (Photo: Kaleb Roedel / Mountain West News Bureau) One person soaking up that knowledge is 30-year-old Kyle Tabor-Cooper (Nooksack) originally from Washington state. He now lives in Northern Nevada and is engaged to a member of the Washoe Tribe. “I’ve met a lot of people that have inspired me to get into this training and just show me a different kind of way with cultural, intentional fire.” Cultural fires are restorative, not destructive. They’re typically done on a smaller scale to take care of traditional medicine plants or other cultural resources that rely on fire, as Rhiana Jones, director of the Washoe Tribe’s environmental protection department, explains. “For example, the Washoe Tribe, our first two burns were burning a willow patch. Washoes are famous for their baskets, making beautiful baskets. So when you burn the willows, they grow back better, straighter, with less secondary nodes.” But the Washoe Tribe wasn’t allowed to intentionally burn for more than a century. That’s because of longtime colonial federal policies that prioritized suppression – or putting out fires as soon as they start. Jones said that has hurt tribes, and the health of many forests. A mountain range covered in a smoky haze. In the foreground, there is a stand of burnt-out pinyon pines. In the middle ground, there are rolling hills of cheatgrass, which borders patches of surviving pinyon forest. The Pine Nut Mountains on Washoe tribal lands, bathed in smoke from the Mosquito Fire in 2022, used to host many acres of pinyon pine forest. Pinyon pines are threatened by climate change-driven drought, wildfire, heat, and invasion by insects. “Fire suppression is like Indigenous culture and Indigenous people suppression as well. They were not interested in, I think, learning from Indigenous people.” But that has started to change over the last decade. Now, many federal fire officials say decades of keeping fire off the land caused a buildup of highly flammable dead trees and brush, turning many forests into a tinderbox. And rising temperatures and drier conditions are adding even more fuel. A 2021 study led by UCLA found that climate change has been the main driver of the increase in fire weather in the West. “Climate change has had a huge effect, with respect to drought, increase of pests and pathogens, and then increase of wildfire. So, we

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) says U.S. Health And Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy has pledged to preserve the Indian Health Service (IHS). Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin reports. Sen. Murkowski says she reached Sec. Kennedy by phone last weekend. “He was given a mandate to make a 10% reduction across the board throughout Health and Social Services. And after we had our conversation, he committed to me that there were going to be no reductions at IHS on his watch. It was important to have that line of communication.” Murkowski voted for Kennedy’s confirmation despite her disapproval of his decades-long campaigns to undermine trust in vaccines. She defended that vote by saying she has to find a way to work with top officials in the Trump administration to represent her constituents’ concerns, and she says Kennedy’s IHS pledge shows her approach is already paying off. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), ranking Democrats on subcommittees that oversee funding for the Department of the Interior, are urging the Trump administration to reinstate terminated Indian Affairs employees. They’re also calling for the federal hiring freeze to be lifted, and to rescind early retirement offers. In a letter sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum Thursday, the lawmakers ask the administration to “instead work to strengthen and grow Indian Affairs staff to best meet the needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives.” They say many of the Indian Affairs programs tribal communities rely on are already underfunded and understaffed, and that the administration’s actions are damaging, implemented without tribal consultation, and put vital Indian Country services at risk. (Courtesy Sun Bear Industries) Wisconsin tribal nations are working toward energy autonomy. They’re using renewable energy and creating economic opportunities, as Judith Ruiz-Branch reports. Tribal nations have historically faced challenges to own and control their own electricity, even though a significant number of plant and utility infrastructure are in close proximity to reservation lands. Isaiah Ness founded Sun Bear Industries after witnessing disproportionate opportunities in the renewable energy space. “There’s not much disparity in the type of person that was receiving solar. It was one of those things that you could see the common trend very easily. ” Ness now helps Indigenous and minority communities in Wisconsin to build renewable energy infrastructure with an emphasis on intersecting cultural appreciation and economic opportunities. The Menominee Nation is working to achieve energy sovereignty by 2035. Part of that vision began with their solar elder project which was created to ensure elder community members are never without power during outages. Ness says reservations typically have high power demands, and having autonomy over that is key. “It makes more sense for them to have on reservation power-producing plants and facilities that are also sourced from clean energy. And then for them to be able to reinvest into their own community. And so this concept of virtuous cycle how far and how many cycles can we make out of $1 that is injected into renewable energy.” Community partnerships and grants have been a crucial component to the progress Indigenous communities have made thus far. The Inflation Reduction Act allocated about $400 billion toward climate initiatives with a large portion dedicated to renewable energy projects through tax incentives and grants for tribes. Uncertainty looms on whether programs like these will be included in proposed spending cuts under the Trump administration. This story was produced with original reporting from Robert Chappell for Madison 365.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Photo: Entering Black Hills National Forest on Route 87 at Black Hills National Forest. (daveynin / Flickr) In South Dakota, the Senate passed a resolution Wednesday to promote the long-term health and viability of the Black Hills National Forest. SDPB’s C.J. Keene reports. Brought by State Sen. Randy Deibert (R-SD) from Spearfish, the bill was widely supported, though that does not mean it went without questions. State Sen. Red Dawn Foster (Oglala Lakota/D-SD) questioned issues like tribal involvement in the long-term forest plan and the treatment of old growth trees. Sen. Deibert was quick to quell concerns. “The tribes have a cooperative agency status that is above and beyond the local governments, so they will have a seat at the table on any action taken in the Hills. Now, the old growth – that’s part of the management plan too. They have guidelines in the management plan too when they do a harvest to acknowledge that growth and other unique situations.” The Black Hills are considered sacred in Lakota culture, and Indigenous people have historically been underrepresented in decision-making for forest management. (Courtesy Navajo Nation Council / Facebook) On Wednesday, members of the Navajo Nation Council joined Utah state officials and lawmakers at the state capitol in Salt Lake City to celebrate a water rights settlement. The Utah-Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement grants the Navajo Nation a water allocation of 81,500 acre-feet per year with rights to both surface and groundwater from the Colorado River within Utah. The settlement also includes significant funding for water infrastructure development. Navajo council members say this comes after years of advocacy and will provide Navajo communities with essential needs like brining running water to homes. According to the tribe, there are about 6,000 residents on the Utah side of the Navajo Nation and about half of them live without running water. Dancers from a dozen North Slope villages recently gathered for the biannual festival Kivġiq in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Alaska Desk reporter Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Susan Patkotak was not allowed to participate in Iñupiaq dancing growing up. But last week, the 19-year-old performed in front of hundreds of people and received a standing ovation. It was a new dance she created that told a story of reconnecting to the tradition. “It’s about how I wasn’t allowed to dance when I was younger.” @rosemongoyak22 2025 Kivġiq Grand Finale in Barrow, Alaska #2025 #kivġiq #Barrow #Alaska #Inuit #Aggi ♬ original sound – Rose Mongoyak Patkotak is a member of Barrow Dancers, one of 11 dance groups that took part in Kivġiq. The event, also known as the “messenger feast,” brought together at least 700 participants. It included a running race, gift-giving, sharing Indigenous food and, most importantly, Iñupiaq dancing. For performers like David Elavgaq, it was a chance to reconnect with relatives and friends and uplift each other through the traditional art form. “It’s healing for us coming out of the long, dark winter days.” Kivġiq is a longtime tradition held during the years of successful harvests, when coastal Iñupiaq tribes would trade their catch and products with their inland neighbors. The tradition was discontinued in the early 20th century because the church viewed Iñupiaq dancing as pagan. The festival finally restarted in the late 1980s. This year’s acts included traditional ceremonial dances like the box drum dance. The legend behind it describes the Mother Eagle teaching Iñupiaq people to drum and celebrate. The event also featured some brand-new dances – including the one from Patkotak with the Barrow Dancers. Patkotak only started dancing two years ago, and for a while it was hard for her to be left out of the practice. The lyrics of the song she performed at the recent festival describe the joyful feeling of being a part of the dancing tradition. “We create songs and dances to express ourselves and to express our stories.” Patkotak dedicated her dance to elders and everyone who yearns to reconnect to their culture.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

A post marks where Enbridge’s Line 5 crosses the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on Friday, June 24, 2022. (Photo: Danielle Kaeding / WPR) A Lake Superior tribe in Wisconsin says a Canadian energy firm’s plans to reroute an oil and gas pipeline will violate its water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. Danielle Kaeding has more. Energy firm Enbridge wants to reroute Line 5 after the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued the company in 2019 to shut down and remove the pipeline from its lands. Line 5 carries up to 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily from Superior to Sarnia, Ontario. Federal regulators signed off on the tribe’s water quality standards in 2009. Bad River Tribal Chair Robert Blanchard says the reroute would harm the tribe’s resources. “Because there’s many more streams and tributaries and everything that runs toward Bad River into Bad River out into Lake Superior.” Earthjustice attorney Stefanie Tsosie represents the tribe. She says it’s possible blasting bedrock to install the pipe could unearth elements that could become hazardous when exposed. “The blasting materials themselves could be hazardous and introduce hazardous components to the water.” She says those may include PFAS, mercury, or other chemicals. An Enbridge spokesperson says the company is confident the project will not significantly impact water quality or exceed the tribe’s standards. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on the Senate floor February 13, 2025. (Courtesy C-SPAN) U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has introduced a bill that would officially designate North America’s highest mountain as Denali, its Koyukon Athabascan name. The legislation would require that any reference in U.S. laws, maps, or other records refer to the mountain as Denali. This comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order to change the name back to Mount McKinley. Sen. Murkowski spoke about the mountain on the Senate floor last week, saying for Alaskans it will always be Denali. She says her action follows the Alaska State Legislature, which recently moved a resolution urging the administration and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to maintain the name Denali. And as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA tells us, the fight to preserve the name is an old battle. If she were alive, Poldine Carlo would probably sing her Denali song to protest President Trump’s executive order. Carlo was in her late 90’s when she performed her Denali song at a Denakkanaaga elders and youth conference. She had greeted President Barack Obama with the same song, when he visited Alaska in 2015, the summer his administration changed the name back from McKinley to Denali. “It just felt so good and it was healing.” Angela Gonzalez remembers when Poldine sang the song for President Obama. In her Athabascan Woman Blog, she wrote about it and the joy she felt over the return of the ancient name. “Just a feeling of a great land and untold stories from our ancestors.” Gonzalez’s maiden name is Yatlin, which means “runner”, and refers to her family’s long history of trading goods. “We definitely traveled a long ways.” where the mountain was part of a long network of trails that went all the way from Siberia to California – and Denali, which means tall one in her Koyukon Athabascan language, was an important landmark. “We were people who traded everywhere. We have artifacts from other locations.” Gonzalez says no matter what the president does, Denali will always be Denali.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

(Photo: Angel White Eyes / NDN Collective) After nearly 50 years in prison, Leonard Peltier is free to go home. He was released Tuesday morning from a federal prison in Florida. Former President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of the Indigenous activist last month, for his role in a 1975 deadly shootout with FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier, an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, will reside on his tribal homelands in North Dakota, serving out the remainder of his sentence in home confinement The Indigenous organization NDN Collective is bringing him back home. In a statement, Peltier said, “Today I am finally free. They may have imprisoned me, but they never took my spirit.” He also thanked his supporters saying he looks forward to seeing his friends, family, and community. NDN Collective CEO Nick Tilsen in a statement said Peltier never gave up fighting for his freedom so they never gave up fighting for him. Many see Peltier as a symbol of racism and oppression against Native Americans by the justice system. While the move to free Peltier has drawn applause from members of Congress and groups like Amnesty International, it has been opposed by law enforcement officials. On Wednesday, NDN Collective is hosting an event to celebrate his return home, and a community feed in Belcourt, N.D. The event will be live streamed. Peltier is 80 years old and is said to be in poor health. Listen to today’s Native America Calling for more on Leonard Peltier’s journey Tuesday, February 18, 2025 — Native American activism marks victory with Leonard Peltier’s release The chairman of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes delivered the State of Tribal Nations address to the Montana Legislature on Monday. Justin Gray Hawk says tribes in the state are healthy, strong, and resilient. He began the speech by highlighting some successes he says lawmakers and the state have supported in Indian Country, including a water settlement, economic ventures, and a tax sharing agreement. Gray Hawk says bills tribes have supported are funding for law enforcement, addressing missing and murdered Indigenous people, and expanding Medicaid. He says among issues tribes will continue to advocate for are Indian education, protecting tribal hunting and fishing rights, and bringing back bison to tribal lands. Gray Hawk ended his speech by encouraging partnerships with tribes. “This is an important time to come together. It is important to remind ourselves and our surrounding communities that together we are greater than the sum of our parts.” There are seven reservations and 12 tribes in Montana. Las Vegas Paiute Tribe 24th Annual Snow Mountain Powwow in 2012. (Photo: Tomás Del Coro / Wikimedia) Nevada’s only sitting Indigenous legislator has introduced a bill to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on what she calls the “correct day” – the second Monday in October. The bill was heard last week, as Alex Gonzalez reports. Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) issued a proclamation designating August 9 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Nevada, but Assemblymember Shea Backus (Cherokee/D-NV) says it doesn’t pay Indigenous communities the recognition or respect they deserve. She says AB144 would align both dates – as is celebrated across the nation. “Indigenous Peoples Day isn’t just about a day of recognition, it is about placing Indigenous voices at the forefront of decisions that shape the future of this state. It is this deep cultural connection that has shaped the character of the state of Nevada, and should be celebrated.” Backus says opponents of the bill see it as an attempt to remove Columbus Day, a federal holiday, from the books. She rejects that notion, and says the second Monday in October could instead be shared between both holidays. Assemblymember Richard DeLong (R-NV) questioned the precedent the change of date could be setting for the state. “Under state law, there are no overlaps. This would be the first time that the state ever decides to have a period of observance that you have two of them coinciding on the same day. So in that sense, it is unique and different.” But backers of the bill say banks and other establishments already recognize the October date both as Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day, and see the bill as a formality to codify the joint recognition into law. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Nearly 1,000 Indian Health Service (IHS) layoffs were rescinded Friday, as tribal organizations from across the country advocate to protect the federal workforce serving Indian Country. The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce. More than a dozen tribal organizations sent a letter to the Office of Personnel Management and the administration on Friday, urging for the protection of federal employees serving Indian Country. The letter raises concerns about what they say would be devastating impacts on essential services in tribal communities, including critical service disruption to healthcare and emergency services, and jobs with ripple effects on local economies. The groups are calling for full exemptions for employees in the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and other federal offices that support tribes. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is among organizations to sign the letter. The NIHB told Native News Online on Sunday that the IHS layoffs were rescinded “thanks at least in part to advocacy by the many Tribal organizations.” ICT reports new health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. verbally rescinded the IHS layoffs Friday evening. Tribal organizations are reminding officials that tribes have unique political status, and the government has trust and treaty obligations. A patient at the IHS Fort Belknap Hospital in Harlem, Mont. receives a COVID vaccination on April 6, 2021. (Courtesy IHS) A recent report shows that in rural counties home to large numbers of American Indians, including in Montana, people are more likely to rely on Medicaid for health insurance across all age groups. Kathleen Shannon has more. About 23% of Montanans rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. But the four counties with the highest rates – roughly 40% – are all home to American Indian reservations. That’s according to a report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families on Medicaid’s role in rural areas. Executive Director Joan Alker says that’s a national pattern. “This is important because if Congress moves ahead to make large cuts, these areas and Indian Country more generally will be in big trouble.” Alker says documents leaked from the House Budget Committee show it’s considering cuts to Medicaid between $200 billion and $2.3 trillion. She adds the cuts are not a “foregone conclusion.” Jason Smith, executive director of the Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health, says Medicaid doesn’t just cover individuals, it also helps reimburse health centers like his. “I would say the UIOs, particularly, had a lot of revenue coming from Medicaid. So it’s really a great secondary source of funding that has helped their organizations run and provide services for the communities.” As of January, more than 14,000 American Indians in Montana were enrolled in Medicaid expansion. A Poetry in the Park event commemorating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women on May 1, 2024. (Photo: Brian Bull / KLCC) An effort to improve response to reports of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in Oregon is underway in the state legislature. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports. State Rep. Tawna Sanchez (Shoshone-Bannock, Ute, and Carrizo descent/D-OR) is building on a 2019 MMIP bill she sponsored, that created talking sessions between tribal communities and state agencies, including the Oregon State Police (OSP). That led to improved training and a tribal liaison in the OSP. Now Rep. Sanchez has a bill that aims to have Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes and urban communities partner up with another state agency. “It’s asking that we put a sort of intervention kind of situation in the Oregon Health Authority. They’ve already got established prevention models that they’ve used, they already have the ability to get out to community. They already have the ability to bring folks into sort of that thought process of, like, ‘How do we fix this?’” The bill is currently in front of the legislature’s budget-writing committee with an estimated price tag of $500,000 per year. She’s concerned about whether federal funds could be tapped, given the uncertainty about the future of federal spending. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

As the new chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was one of the featured speakers at the National Congress of American Indians winter summit in Washington, D.C. this week. As Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA tells us, she encouraged tribes to stand up for their rights. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’s worried about President Trump’s executive orders to shut down programs that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). She says the administration must not be allowed to apply these initiatives to tribes. “This is a different category altogether, folks.” Murkowski says this needs to be made clear to the new administration. “The federal government is charged with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust toward Native Indian tribes, and it’s that trust responsibility that we’re talking about here.” Murkowski told the group she was encouraged by a directive from the Interior Department that says the president’s DEI initiatives do not override the Department’s pre-existing legal obligations to tribes. But the senator says she does appreciate the administration’s desire to make government more efficient. “But how we achieve it, matters. It matters.” Murkowski says, above all, the administration needs to follow the law. The senator drew the most reaction from the crowd, when she compared the current political climate to boating in the rough seas of Southeast Alaska, when it’s not easy to find safe harbor. “I think we got people vomiting off both sides of the boat. It’s kind of tumultuous right now (laughter).” Murkowski says she’s heard that some tribes have had trouble accessing their federal money. She encouraged them contact her Indian affairs committee, so it can keep track. The Senator also noted that the president’s Department of Government Efficiency should look to tribes and their success in using tribal compacts, a self-governance mechanism that has saved the federal government the millions of dollars. U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) sent a letter this week to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum raising concerns about Indian education. In the letter, they outline their opposition of the president’s order “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families.” They’re concerned it would dismantle the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The U.S. lawmakers wrote, “the U.S. government has both trust and treaty responsibilities to provide Tribal education services, led by the BIE under the Department of the Interior.” The lawmakers say the BIE administers funds for hundreds of schools and programs, and for Native communities there are few to no other options. They also emphasize the schools provide culturally informed educational opportunities and language programs. The lawmakers are urging Burgum to engage in formal tribal consultations and ensure that BIE programs are fully funded. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been sworn in as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the Indian Health Service (IHS). Sec. Kennedy has promised to elevate Indian health in HHS. During his confirmation hearing in January, Kennedy committed to addressing Indian health care. “I’m going to bring in a Native at the assistant secretary level. I’d like to get him actually designated as an assistant secretary for the first time in American history, to make sure all of the decisions that we make in our agency are conscious of the impacts on the First Nations.” In a social media post, the Indian Health Service said, as the 18th largest public health care system in the United States, it looks forward to working with Kennedy with its efforts to strengthen health care services, expand access, and improve health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The IHS provides health services to more than two million American Indians and Alaska Natives in 37 states. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Photo: An illustration on the cover of the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards. (Courtesy Department of Education / State of South Dakota) A bill, which would mandate the teaching of the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings (OSEU), has advanced from the Senate Education Committee in the South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene reports. The bill was brought by State Sen. Tamara Grove (R-SD) from Lower Brule. She says the move is in the spirit of “resetting” state-tribal relations. “I am honored and blown away for all seven of the Senators to stand with me on (SB) 196. To really lean into the rest that the good chairman from Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate called for is just unbelievable.” Under the administration of former Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), state-tribal relations saw many polarizing moments – including Gov. Noem saying Native children “don’t have any hope.” That culminated in the then-governor’s banishment from every reservation in South Dakota. In the State of the Tribes speech to lawmakers, Sisseton Wahpeton Chairman J. Garrett Renville said this moment was a chance to reset that relationship. Sen. Grove says teaching these lessons in all public schools is a meaningful step toward reconciliation. “A big part of what (Native peoples) carry has been the rejection and the abandonment – those kinds of heart wounds. It’s part of the healing process, right? It says we want to move forward, and we want to be more inclusive about how we’re doing our education.” The OSEUs teach Native culture, traditions, and history. The standards were developed by a team of educators and experts in culture, history, oral traditions, and language in collaboration with the state’s education department. The bill will next be heard on the Senate floor. (Courtesy Brenda White Bull) In the New Mexico Legislature, a bill that would prohibit school boards from banning tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies in the state unanimously passed its first committee this week. As Jeanette DeDios reports, it stems from an incident that happened last May in the city of Farmington, N.M. A Native American high school graduate was told to remove their embellished graduation cap that had an eagle plume and beads. Farmington Municipal Schools later released a statement clarifying the district’s policy that caps and gowns could not be altered. The student was given a generic cap for the remainder of the ceremony. New Mexico Secretary for the Indian Affairs Department Josett Monette from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa discussed how important wearing regalia is for Native American students. “It’s our way of honoring the accomplishment. It’s our family’s way of honoring our accomplishments. And I think it means something to be able to represent who we are as Native people.” During the Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee hearing, State Sen. William Sharer (R-NM) from Farmington suggested defining what regalia is and questioned whether this bill could affect the first amendment. “What about other groups? I know this one clearly talks about Native American, but what if somebody wanted to support Christopher Columbus? What if somebody wanted to put a swastika on their head for First Amendment rights.” Bill co-sponsor State Sen. Benny Shendo Jr. (Jemez Pueblo/D-NM) says the intent isn’t to exclude anybody but to reaffirm Native Americans students’ sovereign rights. “We’re the only group of people as federally recognized tribes that are named in the Constitution. No other group of people is. That’s why this relationship and what we do, we’re not excluding anybody. We’re exerting our right to be who we are, that this country identified from the very beginning.” State Sen. William Soules (D-NM) recommended giving the bill an emergency clause so it would go into effect in time for this year’s graduates in May.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by NM Native Vote (@nativevoters)   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Photo: The Dwight Eisenhower Executive Office Building houses the OMB. (Yuhan Zhang / Wikipedia) Native communities across the country continue to raise concerns about potential impacts from President Donald Trump’s executive orders and other administration actions. As the Mountain West News Bureau’s Murphy Woodhouse reports, Native organizations from across the country are responding. Of particular concern was a late January Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that temporarily froze federal payments, and sowed ongoing uncertainty across the country. “To see the federal funding freeze was very alarming and concerning for many folks within Indian Country.” That’s Matthew Campbell, deputy director of the Native American Rights Fund, speaking from Boulder, Colo. Matthew Campbell. His group was one of a number of Native organizations that recently sent a letter demanding the Trump administration make sure the U.S. government abides by its treaty obligations to Tribal Nations. The OMB memo was ultimately rescinded, but Campbell says concern remains. He noted that federal funding helps support law enforcement, education, and healthcare in Native communities. The letter reads “all the Tribal organizations represented here are also resolute on a touchstone. Indian Country is a vital non-discretionary part of the federal government budget.” U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) herself sent a letter to OMB, demanding it direct federal agencies to ensure federal funding to tribes is not affected by President Trump’s executive orders. Native youth are urging tribal leaders to invest in young people. Youth leaders at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) winter legislative session say young people are addressing many of the challenges facing their communities today, including climate change, education, and language revitalization. NCAI Youth Commission co-presidents Madison Brown and Angelina Serna delivered remarks to tribal leaders this week, gathered in Washington, D.C. Serna says Indigenous knowledge, which includes young people, is a valuable tool for healing, governance, and a thriving future. “We must ensure that our leaders, our elders, our youth, and our spiritual guides are present in every room where decisions are being made about our future. This isn’t just about having a seat at the table. It’s about ensuring that our voices shape the conversation. It is about understanding that the solutions to many of the crises we face lie in the deep lived experiences of our peoples.” Brown asked tribal leaders to advance youth leadership programs to help them better understand policies and legislative processes at the tribal, state and federal level. “The current state of Native youth is filled with hope and determination. We are not asking for permission to exist or simply to continue tribal youth programs. We are asserting our place in the world. Yes, we are youth and there is responsibility in advancing our priorities, but we are youth with lived experiences and deeply rooted in the teachings of our elders.” A youth leadership summit is being held during the NCAI conference, both wrap up on Thursday. (Courtesy CSKT) Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was detected for the first time on northwest Montana’s Flathead Reservation. Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton reports, tribal officials are now sampling deer herds to see how widespread the fatal disease is. CWD is a fast-spreading disease that’s 100% fatal to deer, elk, and moose. It’s been detected throughout Montana, but until now, hasn’t been seen on Confederated Salish and Kootenai lands. The tribes say a mule deer taken by a tribal hunter tested positive earlier this month. Rich Jansen is the head of the tribes’ Natural Resources Department. “Our people don’t want it on the reservation. That is a big thing for us because it is a culturally sensitive food source, frankly that we utilize.” There hasn’t been a documented case of humans becoming infected, but federal health officials advise against eating animals that test positive. Jansen says his staff will sample at least 150 animals to get a better understanding of how widespread the disease is.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

The office of Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) met the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and local officials last week to settle a dispute over law enforcement funding on the Flathead Reservation. Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton has the latest. For years, Lake County has sought state funding to cover its costs for enforcing and prosecuting felonies on the reservation. It’s exercised that authority under a decades-old agreement with the state and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The county is once again backing legislation that would fund its law enforcement services for tribal members, but Commissioner Gale Decker says this time is different. “The county is saying fund us until the state can retrocede and the feds can come in and take it over.” That bill would give the county a little more than half of what it says it costs to police the reservation over the next two years. The state intends to pull out of the law enforcement agreement, known as Public Law 280, but the timeline is unknown. Gov. Gianforte’s office did not respond to a request for comment about whether it supports temporary funding for Lake County. If both the county and state pull out, it will be left up to the tribes and the federal government to provide law enforcement. The tribes have taken over more felony cases, but it’s unclear if they are able to take every case. Federal officials have long said they do not have the resources spare for the reservation. (Courtesy University of Oregon) An author of a new report says institutions need to do more to close the higher education graduation gap for Native Americans. As Isobel Charlé reports, that includes in Oregon where there are some efforts to boost higher education among Native students. The report notes at just 25%, Native Americans have the lowest college-going rate of any racial group in the country. Cheryl Crazy Bull with the American Indian College Fund, who helped author the report, recommends states set specific higher education goals focused on increasing Native participation. She adds they should prioritize direct engagement with tribes and schools to provide resources, as well as expanding recruitment practices. “Those practices can often exclude Native students who live in reservation rural areas as well as urban Native students. ” In 2022, Oregon made public universities free for Native students enrolled in one of the state’s nine federally recognized tribes through the Oregon Tribal Stewardship Grant. The program has been gaining steam over the years, but the graduation gap, made larger during the pandemic, has not closed. While Crazy Bull says financial barriers play a big part in preventing Native people from accessing higher education, she adds not all issues can be solved with money. “How do institutions create a place or a sense of belonging for students? That’s just a constant effort.” Crazy Bull adds, even before the new administration, anti-DEI practices were harmful to Native students’ experiences. Native students can apply for the Oregon Tribal Stewardship Grant until April, as long as funds are available. To qualify for the grant, they must be accepted for enrollment at an Oregon college or university. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) is running for governor of New Mexico. The announcement was made in a video, which was launched Tuesday. In the video, Haaland talks about her time in Congress and at the Interior Department saying among things she worked on in the state – helping open small businesses, expanding solar power, and bringing water to rural communities. Her platform for governor includes lowering costs for families, improving schools, and addressing crime prevention. Haaland made history becoming one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress and the first Native person to hold the position of Secretary of the Interior. Haaland says in the coming weeks, she’ll be traveling the state to hear directly from community members.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Deb Haaland (@debhaalandnm)   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.

Photo: Residents of Nome fill the cavernous walls of Old St. Joe’s Church as church leaders stand on stage. (Photo: Ben Townsend / KNOM) Investigators are still determining what caused the Bering Air plane crash near Nome, Alaska, on Thursday that killed all 10 people on board. Over the weekend, crews retrieved pieces of the wreckage from an ice floe. And, as KNOM’s Ben Townsend reports, Alaskans joined together to mourn the lives lost in one of the state’s deadliest plane crashes in recent decades. Crews had to act fast over the weekend to get to the crash site before a storm closed in on the region. The Coast Guard says the Cessna Caravan, which was traveling from Unalakleet, crashed on an ice floe 34 miles from Nome, killing the pilot and all nine passengers on board. Nome Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim West Jr. says he stressed over who to send to assist in the recovery because several of the first responders knew the victims. “The number of bodies out there or casualties, things like that affect people differently. Do we sacrifice ourselves for the younger crew that’s coming up? I mean, we’ve been through it, we’ve seen it, we’ve dealt with it. They haven’t.” Crews were able to retrieve the bodies of all 10 victims before freezing rain and high winds hit. Helicopters were seen bringing pieces of the plane back to Nome throughout the afternoon Saturday. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said it’s too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. NTSB officials will travel to Nome to inspect the plane parts. “What we want to do is get that wreckage so that we can examine it ourselves,” Church leaders join in prayer on stage at Old St. Joe’s Church in Nome. (Photos: Ben Townsend / KNOM) At a vigil Saturday night, Unalakleet resident Tony Haugen reflected on the impact of the crash. “When the region has something that occurs like this here, it doesn’t only affect one community. We feel the pain regionwide.” Troopers have named the 10 victims, who range in age from 30 to 58. Two were from Nome, including the pilot. Two were from Unalakleet, and six were from Southcentral Alaska. The 10 Alaskans killed in the plane crash near Nome Thursday include a mentor to new teachers, a school counselor, and two employees with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium who were traveling to service a local water plant. Alena Naiden, Alaska Desk reporter for our flagship station KNBA, has more. The plane was on its way from Unalakleet when it quickly lost elevation over the sea ice. As the investigation into the cause of the crash continues, family, friends, and colleagues of the victims are sharing stories of the lives lost. Here’s what we know so far about the Alaskans on board Bering Air flight 445. If you would like to share memories of any of those on board the flight for this story, please reach out to reporter Alena Naiden at anaiden@alaskapublic.org. Rhone Baumgartner, 46, Anchorage Rhone Baumgartner was one of two Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) employees on the flight who had traveled to Unalakleet to service the water plant. David Beveridge, a vice president of ANTHC’s Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, said that both Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, the other ANTHC employee, were motivated by a commitment to the health organization’s mission. “They had the skills to help people across Alaska and the devotion to do so under any conditions. These two members of our team lost their lives serving others. The loss of these two incredible individuals and everyone else on board the plane will be felt all over Alaska.” Natasha Singh, ANTHC interim president and CEO, also said that Baumgartner and Hartvigson were passionate about the work they did and the communities they served. “They were the best at what they did and had just flown into Unalakleet to help address heating and mechanical issues in the depths of winter. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for the people we serve in the work we do. Everyone at ANTHC feels a sense of shock and loss because they were so crucial to our Rural Energy and Tribal Support teams.” Baumgartner’s family asked for privacy during their grieving time. Donnell Erickson, 58, Nome Donnell Erickson was a Bering Strait School District mechanic who serviced school and city vehicles in Unalakleet, said Warren Katchatag, a Unalakleet resident and janitor at the local school who used to work with him. Nome resident Michael Nichols also worked with Erickson. “I was a fuel truck driver, and he was a mechanic. He took care of the whole fleet and, not just here in Nome, but he actually traveled around the village taking care of a lot of stuff. Really good guy.” Kameron Hartvigson, 41, Anchorage Kameron Hartvigson, the ANTHC employee, was also a father of two boys, said his friend Mi

Photo: Indian Health Service is headquartered in Rockville, Md. (Antony-22 / Wikimedia) U.S. lawmakers are considering legislation, which would elevate the Indian Health Service Director position to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health within the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill was heard this week, in the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. Interim National Indian Health Board CEO AC Locklear testified in support of the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act. The assistant secretary would have more privileges within the agency working to strengthen advocacy and policies and prioritize funding for Indian health care. Locklear says elevating the position would ensure direct tribal representation at the highest levels of government. “Just being able to be that principal advisor across the board. Directors are typically directed to execute a particular program such as direct services. The assistant secretary would be able to have more strategy behind a lot of their work in advising the secretary.” The position is supported by health secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy said he’d bring in a Native person at the assistant secretary level. This week, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget. She’s seeking to ensure tribes and tribal programs, and the federal funding they receive are not affected by the president’s orders and policies. Sen. Murkowski said any pauses or elimination of tribal programs would undermine the United States’ trust responsibility. She asked OMB to take action now to reaffirm the unique treatment, programs and services to tribes based on their political and legal status. Students of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program carry strips of baleen to give them to the representatives of organizations that support ANSEP. The gifting was a part of ANSEP’s 30th anniversary celebration on Friday, Jan. 31, at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Alena Naiden / KNBA) A program that has supported thousands of Alaska students from across the state recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Alena Naiden, Alaska Desk reporter from our flagship station KNBA, has more. Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) began 30 years ago to help one Indigenous student get a scholarship. Since then, ANSEP has helped more than 2,500 Alaskans from all over the state get their footing in science, engineering, and business. Matt Calhoun, the program’s executive director, is Athabaskan from Southcentral Alaska, with roots in the Upper Kuskokwim River region. Calhoun dropped out of college back in the 1990s but returned to become one of the first ANSEP students – and, according to the University of Alaska Anchorage, the first Alaska Native to earn a Ph.D. in civil engineering. Calhoun said there were 20 university students in the program when he started. “Now there’s thousands, from kindergarten to PhD. That’s really the progress that’s occurred over the past 30 years.” ANSEP is a University of Alaska program funded through a variety of government and private organizations. One of its main features is that it allows middle and high school students to take college classes, helping families – as well as the state as a whole – save money. One of those students is Isabella January. Originally from Bethel, she joined the program because she wanted to dip her toes into science. But by the time she graduated high school, she’d already earned 125 college credits. This spring, she will graduate with an associate of science degree and then attend the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the fall. “I plan to specialize in either neurosurgery or emergency medicine, and I will be receiving my MD within the next four years. It is all thanks to ANSEP for allowing me to get a jump start in my career.” She said she hopes to specialize in removing tumors or treating aneurysms and strokes. Several hundred participants – including students, alumni, partners, and supporters – gathered at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center for the anniversary celebration, which was a night filled with music, dance, food, and speeches. The event featured keynote speaker Izzy Yasana, a value brand manager at Nike and a member of the Klamath and Modoc tribes. Following the ANSEP tradition, students presented giant strips of baleen to various organizations for their support of the program. ANSEP founder Herb Schroeder spoke during the event as well. Schroeder said the idea behind the program was to grow the number of Alaska Native professionals working in areas like fish and wildlife management, health care, and education. He said he faced pushback for that initiative and saw mistreatment of Alaska Native students in schools and universities. He said he