Native American Issues / Public News Service

Lithium-ion batteries power products from laptops and cell phones to hybrid and electric cars. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, December 8, 2023

Native Tribes express concern over NV's clean energy projects

A federal judge in Nevada has dealt three tribal nations a legal setback in their efforts to stop what could be the construction of the country's larg…

The Mecca Hills, southeast of the Coachella Valley, are part of the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. (Bureau of Land Management)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

CA Tribes press to protect more land at White House Tribal Nations Summit

California tribes are headed to the White House Tribal Nations Summit tomorrow, where they will ask Congress and the Biden administration to create …

the National Young Farmers Coalition delivered a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership signed by 175 national, regional and local organizations in support of the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act. (Nikish Hiraman/peopleimages.com)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Land-access keeping young farmers from leading climate action

Young farmers in Missouri hope the new farm bill will include key benefits regarding land access so they can continue to pursue farming passionately…

Today marks the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day. (Nito/Adobe Stock)

On World AIDS Day, NM activists say more money is needed for prevention

New Mexico activists are tapping today's World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, to announce they'll ask the State Legislature to provide more money for treatment …

Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act has been a central component for Native American tribes in North Dakota to successfully challenge political boundaries drawn by the Legislature. But other court rulings have weakened enforcement of the law, spurring the state to appeal. (Adobe Stock)

Legal wrangling continues over redistricting for ND tribal areas

CLARIFICATION: North Dakota Native Vote Board Chair Wes Davis isn't opposed to having all affected tribes in the same district. His comment …

Alaska's Brooks Range is home to critical caribou habitat that covers about 157,000 square miles, which is equal in size to the state of Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Opposition grows to major road project in AK's iconic Brooks Range

Opposition is growing among hunters and anglers to a proposed road in Alaska's iconic Brooks Range. The state has invested millions in the project…

South Dakota's Thunder Valley Development Corporation is recruiting teens and young adults to help mentor children on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The organization's summer leadership academy also gives local youth a chance to learn critical thinking skills. (Photo courtesy of Thunder Valley)

Some SD Native American youth get a helping hand from peers

November is Native American Heritage Month, and a South Dakota organization is working to help establish leadership skills for Indigenous youth…

The need for multilingual voting information is key in many communities. For instance, some 40% of Asian Americans in Nevada speak English less than

NV election experts share 'what to know' ahead of 2024 races

With less than a year until the 2024 presidential election, Nevada election experts see a number of threats that could affect voters - from …

An assessment of whether to develop on Alaska's D-1 lands includes 28 million acres, an area larger than the state of Virginia. (BLM Alaska/Wikimedia Commons)

AK Tribes to BLM: protect lands from extraction

Alaska tribes are urging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to keep protections in place for more than 28 million acres they say are critical to …

More than 10 trillion gallons of water have been lost from the Colorado River basin between 2000 and 2021, according to a recent UCLA study. (Paul Moore/Adobe Stock)

AZ celebrates Colorado River conservation agreements

Arizona leaders are celebrating the federal government's just over $63 million investment for water conservation, efficiency and protection of the …

While they scored some gains in the most recent redistricting process, North Dakota tribal advocates say legislative boundaries often dilute the voting power of Native Americans. (Adobe Stock)

ND tribal advocates: Community work matters in redistricting cases

North Dakota is one step closer to getting a full sense of how the courts view redistricting challenges in tribal areas. Legal representatives say …

Former President Barack Obama's administration had rejected the Dakota Access oil pipeline over concerns about the impact on tribal lands, but it was revived under the Trump administration. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal advocates want more public accommodations for DAPL process

Public comment on an aspect of the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline runs through mid-December. In the meantime, Native American voices are …

The greenhouses at Meechoo�k Farm have long rows of white containers where seeds are put in small squares of dirt to grow into bundles. Water is an irrigation system from a 1,100-gallon tank, and bees are brought in to pollinate the plants, making a year-round harvest possible. (Adobe Stock)

Mashantucket Pequot Tribe teaches self-sufficiency through farming

By Jeniece Roman for WSHU Public Radio.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Connecticut News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

Statewide, about 60% of registered voters participated in the last election, but in Montana's four majority-Native American counties, turnout was significantly lower. Advocates for Indigenous Montanans are trying to change that for the upcoming election. (Adobe Stock)

MT advocates party like it's Election Day

Indigenous voting activists are throwing parties around Montana this weekend to encourage citizens to vote, but especially to encourage Native …

People with additional years of education beyond high school tend to be more civic-minded and interact more with neighbors and family members, according to a recent Gallup poll. (Tyler Olson/Adobe Stock)

Increasingly, politics make their way into students' college choices

By Jon Marcus for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Michigan News Connection reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public News …

Pumped storage hydroelectric facilities have been built around the world, including the Spanish facility above. (contributor_aerial/Adobe Stock)

Pumped storage energy project in NW could destroy sacred tribal resources

Critics say a proposed hydroelectric project in the Columbia River Gorge could damage cultural resources for nearby tribes. The company Rye …

Pipeline Number 5 lies beneath the Straits of Mackinaw. Opponents claim the aging oil line threatens the largest freshwater system in the world. (ehrlif/Adobe Stock)

Fast-track Line 5 permitting push met with protest

Michigan's Senate GOP pushed for fast track of Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel construction at a press conference this week. Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor …

Michigan's Voting Rights Act would provide curbside voting and establishes protections for voters with disabilities. It also allows organizers to arrange rides to the polls for voters during elections. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

Michigan voting rights advocates push for lifting language, other barriers

Michigan lawmakers are set to consider a new Voting Rights Act for the state by next week. Introduced in June, Senate Bills 401, 402, 403 and 404 …

The number of wolves in Wisconsin is estimated at 1,000, up from 200 when the state adopted its first management plan in 1999. (dnr.wisconsin.gov)

Wisconsin's wolf management plan back in the spotlight

The long-awaited Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan is up for adoption next week by the state's Department of Natural Resources, and the board will …

Civic engagement groups like Common Cause say greater transparency and education about redistricting could spur more public interest, including how shifts in the political boundaries impact how much funding a community receives from state Legislatures, like the one in South Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

South Dakota gets 'C-plus' grade for redistricting

A non-partisan political group is out with state-by-state grades for recent redistricting efforts, including South Dakota. Common Cause gives South …

Oregon ranks in the middle of states in a new evaluation of its redistricting process. (iQoncept/Adobe Stock)

Report: Improvements needed for OR's redistricting process

Oregon has room to improve when it comes to drawing voting-district lines, according to a new report. The nonpartisan elections watchdog Common …

Wilderness areas comprise roughly 3.5 million acres of Montana's landmass, or almost 4%. (Adobe Stock)

MT seeks public input on environmental policy

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality wants to know what people think the state's next Environmental Policy Act should include. Critics …

Latinos make up about 25% of the U.S. population, but only 5.2% are lead actors in the film industry and less than 3% of directors and screenwriters are Latino, according to the 2022 LDC U.S. Latino GDP Report. (MACLEG/AdobeStock)

Virtual national film festival highlights Hispanic Heritage Month

A film festival created to help close the gap in storytelling for people of color is offering free, virtual showings as part of Hispanic Heritage …

The National Congress of American Indians is working with tribes to help end the opioid epidemic in tribal communities. (Adobe Stock)

$50 million earmarked for Indigenous community development

Native American Bank has been chosen to administer $50 million in grants from the U.S. Treasury Department to bolster low-income Native American …

Legislation introduced in Massachusetts would teach students about the Native American history of the region and the contemporary Indigenous peoples who live here, including the Aquinnah Wampanoag, Mashpee Wampanoag, Nipmuc and Massachusett. (Adobe Stock)<br />

MA aims to teach Native American heritage, improve mental health

Advocates for Native American students in Massachusetts are working to improve high school graduation rates by improving students' mental health…

President Joe Biden does not believe the U.S.-Mexican border wall built by his predecessor was effective, but cited a 2019 congressional appropriation of funds as the reason for new border wall in the Rio Grande Valley. (AerialStockFootage/Adobe Stock)

South Texas opponents of new border wall promise resistance

Opponents of previous efforts to build a border wall in South Texas are reeling from the Biden administration's announcement last week to resume…

Idaho law enforcement received nearly 6,000 reported incidents of intimate partner violence in 2022. (nito/Adobe Stock)

Domestic violence awareness month: struggles for pregnant, indigenous people

October is domestic violence awareness month. The issue remains prevalent across the nation and in Idaho. Nearly one in three women experience …

Cabeza Prieta is one of the largest wildlife refuges in the United States and contains more than 800,000 acres of designated wilderness. (Adobe Stock)

AZ coalition seeks expansion of wildlife refuge and protection of ancestral lands

An Arizona-based coalition is calling on the Department of the Interior to expand the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in addition to returning …

Lewiston, Idaho, sits on the Snake River at the border with Washington. (Guy Sagi/Adobe Stock)

Indigenous leaders in ID call for action to save salmon

Indigenous leaders are traveling through the Northwest to highlight the plight of dwindling fish populations in the region. The All Our Relations …

For decades, Arizona courts interpreted the state Constitution to deny the right to vote to Native Americas as

Federal judge blocks AZ law that 'disenfranchised' Native voters

A federal judge has blocked a 2022 Arizona law that voting-rights advocates say would have made it harder for some Native Americans to vote. House …

Aerial view of Winnebago, Neb., home of Little Priest Tribal College. It is one of 32 fully accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUS) in the United States. (Jacob/Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Little Priest Tribal College builds opportunity 'pipelines,' STEM workforce

Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago says its student body and campus are growing - and so are its options for people to study in STEM fields…

It has been nearly four years since North Dakota reached a settlement with Native American tribes over its Voter ID law, but advocates say there are still barriers for tribal members who want to cast a ballot. (Adobe Stock)

As 2024 vote looms, ND Tribal advocates ramp up outreach

While North Dakota does not have voter registration, civic engagement groups say efforts are still needed to help underserved populations get …

The U.S. Department of the Interior currently manages 11,000 bison in herds across 4.6 million acres of public lands in a dozen states. (Adobe Stock)

Native American Tribes get funding for bison restoration

The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced $5 million in funding to help reintroduce bison to Native American Tribal lands around the country…

Native American voters living on rural reservations often use ballot-collection services because of limited access to home mail services and polling places. Montana, home to 12 tribal nations, enacted a law that makes it illegal to pay organizers who collect completed absentee ballots from voters, according to the Brennan Center. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous Effort Aims to Get Out the Vote

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and in Montana, Indigenous advocates are working to register people and get out the vote. As part of its …

Washington Invests $5 Million in Tribal Land Bison Restoration

The U.S. Interior Department has invested $5 million in reintroducing bison to Native American Tribal lands across the country. Montana's iconic …

Thousands of miles of fencing in Wyoming and across the Western U.S., which act as barriers to wildlife seeking winter and summer ranges, was installed over 100 years ago. (Adobe Stock)

Hunters, Anglers Get $2.5 Million to Restore Migration Corridors

A new partnership between the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) aims to improve migration corridors …

Many saguaro cacti were damaged or destroyed during construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall initiated by former President Donald Trump and funded by taxpayers. (Photo courtesy: LaikenJordahl)

NM Saw Lasting Consequences from Trump's U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

The unprecedented attempt to build a wall along the U.S. Mexico border has had devastating effects on wildlife from which they may not recover…

Tonight: Great Lakes Documentary Premieres in Traverse City

They're calling it an "adventure conservation documentary," and the film has its first showing tonight in Traverse City. "Troubled Water" chronicles …

Access to health care in rural America was a popular topic at the Rural Policy Action Summit in April, according to a report, with concerns raised about the number of rural hospitals closing their doors. (Adobe Stock)

A Call for Better Broadband, Jobs, Local Investment for Rural IA

A group of rural policymakers and advocates has released its top priorities to help small towns thrive in Iowa and across the country. The 2023 …

Oil and gas wells, roads, pipelines and other infrastructure near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park have destroyed some cultural sites and transformed others into industrial parks. (MarkKaletka/Flicker/Creative Commons)

Protection of NM's Greater Chaco Region Faces New Threats

A previous agreement to protect New Mexico's Greater Chaco Canyon region from oil and gas development is back on the table, forcing supporters to…

Fermi 2 is a 1,198 MWe General Electric boiling water reactor that began operations in 1985.(spiritofamerica/Adobe Stock)

DTE Energy Nuclear Plant Closed for Almost 3 Weeks

The Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant has been closed for repairs for almost three weeks. Local residents and advocacy groups in Monroe County are voicing …

Claire Gunderson is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the Jemez and Laguna Pueblo of New Mexico. (Charlie Leight/ASU News)

First-Year ASU Student Helps Close Engineering Gender Gap

The percentage of female engineers varies by specialty, but 2021 figures show only 9% of mechanical engineers are women. One Arizona State University …

An upcoming event in South Dakota, centered around food sovereignty, aims to help Native American chefs, community leaders and others share traditional and modern ideas about expanding food systems. (Adobe Stock)

SD Summit: Creating More Pathways for Indigenous Food Sovereignty

As food-sovereignty efforts continue among Native American tribes, a South Dakota organization is bringing together stakeholders for a key …

Hunger relief experts say the pandemic made it much harder for marginalized populations to access healthy food, and federal relief grants helped some organizations address gaps. (Adobe Stock)

Relief Grants in MN Help Instill Hope in Addressing Food Insecurity

Minnesota saw a record 5.7 million people people visit food shelves last year. While there is still great concern about households not having enough …

In 2018, Michigan's Proposal 3 was touted as a

Report Cites 'Flawed' Voter Purges as Unfair

There are many good reasons for states to update their voter rolls in preparation for elections, but a new report contended many are too zealous …

Officials with the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Student Success Through Applied Research Lab are gathering data from colleges and universities across the country as they create a searchable database for Indigenous students seeking financial relief. They hope to have an initial version ready next year. (Adobe Stock)

WI Project to Create Financial Aid Tool for Native College Students

Indigenous college students face many obstacles in higher education, including overwhelming costs and not feeling culturally connected on campus…

The new monument's Native American name is Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni, which refers to the ancestral footprints of Indigenous peoples. It is made up of three distinct areas to the south, northeast and northwest of Grand Canyon National Park. (Adobe Stock)

Biden Announces Historic National Monument Near Grand Canyon

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced the designation of a new national monument near the Grand Canyon. The latest move will conserve and …

Desiree Fowler will be formally inducted into her new role during the board's annual conference in December. (AZ School Boards Association)

Arizona School Boards Association Elects First Indigenous President

The Arizona School Boards Association has for the first time in the organization's approximately 80-year history chosen an Indigenous woman to be pres…

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