News
US plans $50B wildfire fight
The plan will focus on regions where out-of-control blazes have wiped out neighborhoods and sometimes entire communities
Tribal sovereignty ballot initiative smashes threshold
'The amount of support we’ve gotten throughout this process has been amazing'
National monument proposed for site sacred to tribes
At 703-square-miles, the national monument would be about the size of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Florida
From Indian bar bouncer to humanitarian
Tom Goldtooth describes his journey to leading the Indigenous Environmental Network
Indigenous news outlets, nonprofits drive deeper coverage
Journalism-focused philanthropy quadrupled from 2009 to 2019 as traditional newspaper revenue shrank
Illegal Amazon gold seeps into supply chains
Tarnished Gold: 'People know where the gold comes from, but they don’t bother to go very far back into the supply chain because they know they will come into contact with all kinds of criminal activity'
Vicious circle: Tribal broadband program hindered
Many tribes did not have the broadband access needed to apply for the funding that would let them improve broadband access
Aircraft, fuel key to illegal Indigenous land mining
Tarnished Gold: Indigenous rights groups estimate some 20,000 illegal gold miners are present on a Indigenous reserve that is roughly the same size as Portugal
Tribal chairman gives lawmakers history lesson
State and tribal governments have long had an uneasy relationship in South Dakota, and the annual State of the Tribes address
‘An extraordinary Navajo leader’
Peterson Zah, former Navajo president, received the Grand Canyon Trust Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of leadership.
Alaska school in race with climate change
It has been an ongoing problem for the southwest Alaska village of Napakiak, but the pace has accelerated in the past few years
Sports betting lawsuit tied to tribes
More than two dozen states have legalized some form of sports gambling, including Washington state
Groups try to block laws that hurt Native voters
Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote say the laws would harm their efforts to ensure Native Americans can vote #NativeVote22
Tribal leaders voice concerns about water, voting, COVID
The 27th Annual Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day was held this week in Phoenix
Redistricting: Removing Native voices
Leaders of the Kansas legislature want to gerrymander Rep. Sharice Davids out of Congress, while discrimination lawsuits are piling up in states that have approved final district maps #NativeVote22
The ‘incorrigible’ Thunder Before the Storm
AIM co-founder Clyde Bellecourt spent a lifetime challenging authority
Kyrsten Sinema meets with tribal leaders
Tribal leaders hope the lawmaker from Arizona continues to support tribes with infrastructure and other measures
Rapid City puts up $9 million for Native center
But more work is needed to resolve dispute over former boarding school land
Modoc Nation buy strategic ranchland
The tribe has purchased several properties near the California-Oregon border, intending to develop a presence on lands they were forcibly removed from
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Deforestation, death threats and mangroves
Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues for the week ending Jan. 9, 2022
Navajo woman sworn in as Arizona Senate member
'My priorities are from an Indigenous perspective, from a rural perspective'
Joe Biden reduces Alaska lands available for development
‘Strategy diminishes Alaska Native self-determination’
'Strong editing power’
Dalton Walker and Dianna Hunt promoted to positions that ‘are crucial in the daily rhythm of the digital newsroom’
Let's talk jobs!
Indian Country Today wants to hear from you about jobs, work and life in your community
Chuck Sams talks new parks leadership role
In a sit-down conversation with Underscore.news, the country’s first Native parks director discusses the role his agency can play in better representing Indigenous people
The Wrap: ‘We all need to work together on this’
Indian Country headlines for Monday, Jan. 10, 2022
Campaign helps town turn the tide against COVID
A small town, home to Pascua Yaqui Tribe citizens, in the Phoenix Valley was hit hard by the coronavirus
Native redistricting strategy bolsters South Dakota urban vote
'This map provides at least a small outlet. This is a good start'
Tribe looks at casino plans with fresh eyes
'We need to exercise our sovereignty. Casinos are just low-hanging fruit'
Churches starting to face facts on boarding schools
Government, churches begin to address assimilationist education policies
No Golden Globe, ‘Reservation Dogs’ still a winner
It continues to be a TV series showcasing Indigenous genius
‘We’re being wrapped in poison’
A century of oil and gas development has devastated parts of northern Oklahoma. Now the Ponca Tribe is fighting back.
Debate over boarding schools continues
Boarding school alumni are widespread among Indigenous communities, and their thoughts about their experiences vary widely
Gambling venture files legal challenge
Tribes have requested Oregon lawmakers temporarily halt any expansion of state or private gambling until there’s a larger look at the role and future of gaming in the state
Breaking barriers: NHL's 1st First Nations scout
Brigette Lacquette, Ojibwa, became the first Indigenous woman to scout for an NHL team
‘Pots of money’ out of reach for some
Alaska Federation of Natives panel talks infrastructure funding
Dakota, Ojibwe memorial ride draws large crowd
The return each year of the Dakota Wokiksuye Memorial Ride ensures that dozens of Dakota continue to honor their ancestors in Reconciliation Park
Overdue education plan frustrates New Mexico tribal leaders
Tribal leaders were expecting to be invited to comment on a draft last October, ahead of a public release of the plan by Dec. 1 that did not happen
'We were trapped': Trauma of Jan. 6 lingers
'I’ve heard a lot of gunshots in my time, and it was very clear what that was. I knew that things had severely escalated'