Students Imani Haven and Carmen Thompson from Dishchii'bikoh Community School are competing in the National History Day. They have advanced to the national competition, using the platform as a way to spread awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. The students centered their research on Emily Pike, a young Indigenous girl whose life was taken way too soon, to bring attention to the issue. Their teacher Jeron Valasco has been their sponsor.

Shonie De La Rosa is a Native filmmaker who directed “The Arrangement.” The romantic comedy centers on the Navajo culture and arranged marriage with the actors speaking primarily in the Navajo language. The film was supported by Navajo Nation Film to help preserve and revitalize the language.

Arizona-based journalist Patty Talahongva (Hopi) and ASU Howard Center for Investigative Reporting professor Lauren Mucciolo go in-depth on the crisis many Native Alaska villages are facing amid rising temperatures and the fight for survival and relocation. The work culminates in the FRONTLINE/PBS documentary “Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages” which will air on Earth Day, April 22.  

Shuuluk Leo-Retz (Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Nation), an ASU alumnus and starring cast member of Haagua: "An Indigenous Surf Film," explores indigenous culture, surfing, and the importance of water.

Author Brian Young (Navajo) talks about his books for young adult readers that explore Navajo identity paying homage to tradition in modern times. The two-time Ivy League grad discusses Native representation in media and his refusal to water down his work to appeal to a broader audience.

Thomas “Breeze” Marcus is an artist whose murals are displayed all over the Phoenix area. He was raised on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation. “Breeze” ties his modern graffiti art displays with ties to cultural art elements. A featured artists at Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week (March 20-23), he tackles new-wave A.I. (American Indian) art.

Pearl Yellowman (Diné) was the Vice President of Operations at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. She recently found herself on the list of layoffs at the school, SIPI, among 20 others. Yellowman talks about the impact of cuts to higher learning and Native American students. [We’ve reached out to SIPI’s current leadership for comment, we’ll update when we get a response.]

Federal Indian Law Attorney Julia Kolsrud discusses the tribe’s quest to gain crucial and much-needed resources in what would be the largest tribal water settlement in U.S. history.

Melanie Henshaw (Muscogee Nation) is an indigenous affairs reporter for InvestigateWest. Her recent reporting focuses on Colville tribal members facing higher than average medical debt for bills that aren’t even theirs to pay.

Former Miss Navajo Nation Alyson Shirley recently graduated from Arizona State University with her Master’s degree in Global Health. She plans to work with tribal member to address health disparities and inequities when it comes to HIV and STIs. Shirley also talks about her reign as Miss Navajo.