National Native News

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. 

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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.

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.

A post shared by Deb Haaland (@debhaalandnm)

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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 [email protected].

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 Michelle Russo.

“His boys were his entire world, and every decision he made was rooted in his love for them.”

Russo said Hartvigson was known for being kind, generous and open.

“Kameron lived with an openness and sincerity that made everyone around him feel valued and loved. Those who knew him will forever remember his ability to make people feel seen, his unwavering support for those he cared about, and the warmth he brought into every space he entered.”

Talaluk Driscoll LaRoi Katchatag, 34, Unalakleet

Talaluk Driscoll LaRoi Katchatag, known as TK by many, was a soft-spoken, wise and strong man who loved his family, his sister AyyuSue Katchatag said.

“Not only strong in stature, but in mind, and spirit. His soul was genuine, and he lived life so matter of factly.”

His ex-wife Rachel Frankson described him as a strong-willed, hardworking and loving person, dedicated to his children.

“He worked hard. He loved hard. My kids loved him with their whole heart and the news of this has been devastating for them.”

Carol Mooers, 48, Unalakleet

Carol Mooers was a counselor at the school in Unalakleet, where Kelsi Ivanoff is the city administrator

“Carol contributed so much to our school and community. She was a pillar in our school, advocating for healthy minds and bodies for our youth. If there was a school event, you can guarantee she was there.”

Mooers supported students in all the ways she could — creating activities for them, fundraising, and making sure every child had food to eat, Teri Paniptchuk said.

“She always made sure that our kids here were taken care of. If needed she would be there right away to comfort our kids if they were having a hard day. Carol is one that we will never be able to forget.”

Liane Ryan, 52, Wasilla

Liane Ryan was a retired teacher with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District who visited rural Alaska schools to support new educators in the first years of their careers.

Warren Katchatag, the school janitor, said Ryan was mentoring the school’s fifth-grade teacher.

“She was always so friendly and always smiling and down-to-earth. She will be greatly missed at the school.”

Ryan was also a board member, volunteer, and participant of the Why Not Tri, a triathlon in the Mat-Su Borough. The organization that run the triathlon honored Ryan on its Facebook page.

“As a former board member, her dedication and impact will always be remembered.”

The other Alaskans who died in the plane crash are 34-year-old Bering Air pilot Chad Antill of Nome, 30-year-old Andrew Gonzalez of Wasilla, 45-year-old Ian Hofmann of Anchorage, and 52-year-old Jadee Moncur of Eagle River.

Attempts to reach their relatives and friends were unsuccessful as of Saturday.

The State of Indian Nations is strong and is on the rise says National Congress of American Indians President Mark Macarro.

He delivered the annual Indian nations address on Monday to tribal leaders who are gathered in Washington, D.C.

President Macarro says the first few weeks of the new presidential administration has been tumultuous, but he says Indian Country has the tools to work together – and leaders need to focus on defending tribal rights and holding the government accountable.

“I strongly affirm it’s time to speak up, it’s time to stand up tribal leadership must hold the federal government accountable for these commitments that’s why we are here.”

Tribal leaders are attending NCAI’s legislative winter session, which wraps up on Thursday.

Photo: Kimberli Mäkäräinen via Wiki CC

Singer Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of the Order of Canada.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, it comes a year after a CBC investigation that found her claims of Indigenous ancestry were not consistent with public documents.

The Order of Canada is an award that recognizes people who have made a significant contribution to the country. It is presented by the governor general of Canada.

In its more than 50-year history, only eight people have been expelled from the order.

Sainte-Marie becomes the ninth.

Her award was terminated nearly 30 years after she was appointed in 1997.

The investigation found that that St. Marie’s birth certificate shows that she was born in Massachusetts in 1941 of white parents and witnessed by an attending physician.

That’s also reaffirmed by a marriage certificate, the U.S. census, and a life insurance policy.

Sainte-Marie has faced these accusations before, but said in the past that she did not misrepresent herself.

“I’m an artist, an activist, a mom, a survivor, and a proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.”

She also claimed the documentary was full of mistakes and omissions.

In a written statement, she said being an Indian has little to do with sperm tracking and colonial record keeping it has to do with community, culture, knowledge, teachings, and your family.

The Governor General’s office says it does not comment on the specifics of termination cases.

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 realized that scholarship money wasn’t what students really needed.

“What they needed was somebody to believe in them. For the students – thank you for inspiring us every single day by doing what was once considered impossible. It is the honor of my life to have helped kick down the walls of ignorance that denied opportunity to so many for so long.”

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Photo: A moonlit arch over Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. (Bob Wick / BLM)

Two representatives from the Mountain West are seeking to strip president powers to designate national monuments and historic landmarks. But Indigenous communities say the effort will remove a safeguard for sacred lands and pave the way for development.

The Mountain West News Bureau’s Yvette Fernandez has more.

US. Reps. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) say the “Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act” is about fairness.

The legislation, Amodei says, would overturn a “one-sided approach on major land management decisions.”

It would strike a section from the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Mathilda Guerrero-Miller with Native Voters Alliance of Nevada sees the bill as an attempt to turn lands over to private interests.

“What this bill is trying to do is prevent more uses and protections of sacred spaces — all to protect and to better corporate greed for housing and development.”  

During his first administration, President Donald Trump scaled back the acreage on the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

President Joe Biden restored them.

President Biden also designated one of the newest national monuments, Avi Kwa Me in Nevada.

(Courtesy Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice-President)

Navajo Nation officials recently agreed to allow shipments of uranium ore to again cross the reservation.

As KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports, it comes after tribal leaders threatened to turn back trucks hauling ore from a mine near the Grand Canyon last summer.

The company Energy Fuels says it’ll limit uranium ore transport to specific routes and hours of the day and won’t haul when public events or cultural celebrations are held.

The company says it’ll also prevent dust from escaping the trucks and allow the Navajo Nation to inspect the loads.

Steve Etsitty is the executive director of the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency.

“We have put in place heightened safety measures for the communities where this transport will take place. And we have definitely received a lot more recognition of our role to do these protective measures by the company.”

This photo was part of a social media campaign opposed to uranium ore shipments across the Navajo Nation before the new rules were agreed. (Courtesy Navajo Nation)

As part of the deal, Energy Fuels will also help remove 10,000 tons of uranium waste from abandoned mines left on the Navajo Nation by other companies decades ago as the federal government built its nuclear arsenal.

The Indigenous-led group Haul No!, however, condemned the agreement and said cleanup of existing nuclear waste shouldn’t be linked to creating more.

The group vowed to continue its work to close the Pinyon Plain Mine and the White Mesa Mill in southern Utah.

Last summer, Energy Fuels began hauling ore from the mine near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren tried to block the trucks and said the tribe wasn’t given any notice by the company.

In the months since, Navajo officials and Energy Fuels have been in negotiations brokered by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs.

The company expects the uranium ore shipments to resume this month.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are investigating four deaths on a reserve in Saskatchewan.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, police say the victims may have been targeted.

The Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation is about 50 miles east of Regina.

Police have confirmed that the deaths of two men and two women are being considered as homicides.

RCMP inspector Ashley St. Germaine reassured people that there was no risk to the public at this time.

She says officers are working to identify suspects in what is a complex case, and there is no information to confirm that the suspects are still at large.

‘The Saskatchewan RCMP has a family liaison team working with the families of those believed to be the victims to provide them with investigational updates and connect them with the necessary support services. We know that when these unimaginable tragedies happen, it can be easy to speculate and spread rumors particularly in this age of social media.”

St. Germain asks that anyone with information should contact police.

The chief of a nearby First Nation offered her condolences and said this horrific even affected everyone deeply. And she says in the coming days her community walks alongside the people of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation as they carry the burden of these losses.

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Navajo Nation council speaker Crystalyne Curley and Billy Kirkland shake hands with guests at the Navajo Nation Washington Office. Kirkland was honored at the office during a reception in January. (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

A Navajo Nation citizen has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

The nomination of William “Billy” Kirkland was sent to the U.S. Senate on Monday, according to the Congressional database.

The Navajo Times reports Kirkland is a political strategist from Georgia who’s worked in the state’s political landscape. He also served in various positions during the first Trump administration.

Kirkland is said to have played a role working with tribes on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women helping with the Trump administration’s response through Operation Lady Justice.

He was honored during a reception at the Navajo Nation Washington Office in January on the night before President Trump took office.

Navajo Nation council speaker Crystalyne Curley and Billy Kirkland shake hands with a guest at the Navajo Nation Washington Office. Kirkland was honored at the office during a reception in January. (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Kirkland gave brief remarks at the reception, in an audio recording provided by Indianz.com.

“Anytime we can get Indian Country more involved in anything we’re doing, whether it’s here in Washington or in the states or policy wise or the inaugural ceremonies taking place tomorrow, the inauguration ball, we definitely want to do so. The White House will continue to have an open-door policy with all the tribal nations.”

If confirmed, Kirkland will replace Bryan Newland (citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community), who resigned at the end of the Biden administration.

Eklutna Casino. (Photo: Rhonda McBride)

Just a day after the Eklutna Tribe’s casino opened to the public near Anchorage, the state of Alaska filed a lawsuit against the federal government that, if successful, could shut it down, as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports.

The lawsuit claims federal agencies misused their legal authority to allow the gaming operation to go forward.

The Native Village of Eklutna opened a small gaming hall to the public on Monday with 85 electronic bingo machines, following years of legal debate over whether it could do so on a Native allotment.

(Photo: Rhonda McBride)

The state has argued that tribes do not have jurisdiction over its lands in Alaska, but last year the U.S. Interior Department gave the tribe the green light to pursue the gaming hall.

A few days before President Trump was sworn into office, Newland, then the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, gave the tribe final approval for its project.

The Chin’an Gaming Hall opened in just four-and-a-half-days, made up of trailers that were quickly moved onto the lot and bolted together.

The lawsuit has not affected the gaming hall’s operations yet.

The tribe’s president, Aaron Leggett, said in a statement that Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) and his Attorney General, Treg Taylor, have asked for a court order that could cause enormous damage to the tribe and the community.

“I am disappointed for my people and my ancestors, who have worked diligently for generations to get to this moment.”

He says the tribe will stand up to the legal challenge, because it knows its case is strong.

Fort Peck Buffalo Manager Robbie Magnan receives a gift and shakes hands with Mosquito First Nation Chief Tanya Stone. (Photo: Chamois Anderson)

Last week marked a historic transfer of Yellowstone bison from the United States to Canada.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Olivia Weitz has the details.

In recent years, Yellowstone bison have been re-homed to tribes across the U.S.

Last week – for the first time – the bison conservation transfer program sent them to Canada. 

Chamois Anderson with the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife helped with the transportation logistics.

She says 11 bison traveled on a 700-mile route from the Fort Peck Tribes in northeastern Montana to a tribal nation in Saskatchewan. 

“Lots of singing, the whole community was yelling and happy and just, just absolute jubilation. It was really, really remarkable.”

Chief Tanya Stone of Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nations released a statement in a press release.

“These buffalo are coming to us as a family group led by a matriarch. This beautiful gift is deeply meaningful as we collectively rebuild our relationship to them as they teach us perseverance, strength, and determination.”

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The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is due to vote Tuesday on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

His path to confirmation by the full Senate is uncertain.

Alaska Public Media Washington correspondent Liz Ruskin has more.

At a hearing last week, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) pressed Kennedy on his support for the Indian Health Service, an often overshadowed agency within the Health Department.

The Indian Health Service provides care for more than two million American Indians and Alaska Natives from the country’s 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.

Kennedy says he plans to elevate the importance of Indigenous health.

“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.”

Kennedy says Alaska is one of his favorite places and that he’s spent time with Gwich’in people in Arctic Village.

Sen. Murkowski called Kennedy a health influencer, and she urged him to use his platform to increase public confidence in vaccines.

He has for decades cast doubt on their safety.

Public health experts say vaccine skepticism is lowering vaccination rates and risks the return of illnesses like polio and measles.

(Courtesy Native Renewables)

Energy inequity is evident for Native communities across Arizona.

It’s estimated that 21% of Navajo homes and 35% of Hopi homes lack access to electricity.

Alex Gonzalez has more.

62-year-old Leonard Selestewa is a member of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona and didn’t have electricity at his house for years.

He adds that, for much of his life, he adapted to an “off-grid” world and found light in the sun, kerosene lamps, gas-run generators, flashlights, and other battery-operated devices.

That was before Native Renewables came along.

It’s a nonprofit that offers free solar-energy systems on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. They determined Selestewa’s home was eligible.

“The system is carrying the TV, the DVD player, and the small light. We could watch movies all night and do something actually called a movie marathon if we wanted to.”

Selestewa says he is appreciative of Native Renewables for bringing light into his life.

In addition to the women-led organization installing off-grid solar systems with battery storage for free, they also aim to educate Native communities on solar energy and provide workforce development to ensure Native folks have the needed skills to install and maintain systems for years to come.

Selestewa says despite there being transmission lines running through Navajo and Hopi lands, the power hasn’t been for them.

That is a result of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signing into law the Rural Electrification Act, which would allow farmers to access low-cost loans to build power lines and usher in electricity. But Native communities were excluded.

Then, in 1966, Congress enacted a ban on development for land the Navajo and Hopi people were contesting. That ban wasn’t lifted until 2009.

“Hopi families out there are without the basic things, especially electricity, and in many cases, indoor plumbing, water. And that is almost like ten times on the Navajo side. Like I said, their population is in the thousands where ours is just a mere 20,000, 25,000.”

Since 2015, Native Renewables has created 19 jobs for people from the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe.

Former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act awarded the group several million dollars in federal funding.

This story includes original reporting by Yessenia Funes for Atmos.

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More than 20 tribal organizations are urging the Trump administration to respect tribal sovereignty – and uphold treaty and trust responsibilities.

The coalition sent a letter on Sunday to President Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and members of Congress.

This follows actions by the administration in Trump’s first two weeks in office, including a recent rescinded memo, which sought to freeze federal loans and grants.

The letter states that recent orders are raising concerns among tribes and tribal organizations, including urban Indian organizations across the country, which provide healthcare, education, economic development, and other services to tribal communities.

The organizations say questions remain about how federal agencies will interpret and implement the administration’s executive orders and policies moving forward.

The National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium are among tribal groups, which signed the letter, emphasizing tribes as sovereign nations with unique political status and not special interest groups.

Tribal leaders across the country are seeking to build a relationship with Secretary Burgum.

He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week.

The former governor of North Dakota received support from the five tribes in his state.

According to U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Burgum received support from more than 185 tribes.

During his confirmation hearing in January, tribes were mentioned several times. He was questioned about tribal sovereignty and tribal consultation.

Here’s how Burgum described working with tribes.

“Tribal consultation to me as governor of North Dakota has meant actually spending time going to the tribes, listening, sometimes listening for hours to really understand what the issues are and then getting people ahead of time and then working on things that are important.”

Burgum highlighted one area of concern in his state to improve public safety saying he helped achieved agreements with tribes on law enforcement.

Much of his hearing focused on energy development, but conservation and protection of sacred sites were touched on.

Tribal leaders are hopeful Burgum brings his work on government-to-government relationships, and his knowledge of Indian Country to his position as Interior Secretary, as he now oversee the agency that includes Indian affairs and the management of public lands.

Jack Frantz, the director of North Slope Borough Housing Department, speaks to the participants of the housing summit on Jan. 23, 2025. (Courtesy North Slope Borough)

Housing shortages and overcrowding affect most of Alaska, and the North Slope is no exception.

Alaska Desk reporter for our flagship station KNBA Alena Naiden has more.

In particular, the remote region faces additional logistical challenges, but also unique economic opportunities.

That was the takeaway from a recent North Slope Borough housing summit held in Anchorage.

The event highlighted affordable ways for residents to buy or build homes in the Arctic.

Jack Frantz is the director of the borough Housing Department.

He says that homes in the region are falling apart faster than new ones are being built.

“You also hear about it when you have, you know, a young adult that wants to stay on the North Slope, but has to move down to one of the lower cities just because of a lack of housing on the North Slope as well.”

Frantz says that the country’s most northern region – which is predominantly Alaska Native – is in a unique situation.

The remote geography makes shipping and construction challenging and expensive.

But he says residents of the oil-rich region also have interest and resources to purchase houses. He says that more than half of the North Slope homes are owned by residents.

The housing summit aimed to connect potential home buyers to existing financing opportunities, available contractors, and affordable ways to ship supplies.

For example, Frantz says summit panelists discussed how residents and entities could form a co-op and order supplies together to cut shipping costs.

“When you talk about economies of scale, generally, just more you order, the bigger discount you get.”

The borough plans to put together a guide listing banks and contractors who are looking to work with buyers in the region.

They also plan to present a report on the summit during Kivgiq, which is a celebratory mid-winter festival in mid February in Utqiaġvik.

They will also discuss it during future village visits.

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The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people continues to be of national concern among tribes.

Now, tribes are hoping new measures will get bi-partisan support in Congress to help tribal law enforcement solve these cases.

These bills also coincide with the first-ever “Missing in Nevada Day” this weekend.  

The Mountain West News Bureau’s Yvette Fernandez has the details.

One bill is called Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES).

The other is called Invest to Protect.

Both would fund tribal law enforcement to combat violence and in particular address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis.

Tribal Chairman of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Benny Tso says these funds would give them access to forensic resources and enhance data-sharing among tribal and non-tribal law enforcement.

He says it will impact their ability to solve these crimes. 

“A lot of our brothers and sisters go missing to no avail, with no help and no resources. It seems like a lot of those cases get swept under the rug. And, it’s troubling to hear all these cases that go unheard or unanswered.” 

According to the National Crime Information Center, murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women and is ten times higher than all other ethnicities.

Both measures passed the U.S. Senate last year, but will have to be reintroduced with the current Congress.  

Researchers measure a test excavation they made into the wall of the cache during their visit in the summer of 2024. The white spot in the middle is the preserved birch bark. (Courtesy U.S. Air Force)

A nearly thousand-year-old cache linked to the Dene people was found near Cook Inlet this summer.

Researchers say it’s the oldest such find in the Anchorage Bowl.

Alaska Desk reporter Alena Naiden for our flagship station KNBA has more.

Archeologists discovered a cellar lined with birch bark in June at a known Dene site at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

They estimate that the cache was about three and a half feet across and was likely used for storing food.

Aaron Leggett is the president of the Native Village of Eklutna, located roughly 20 miles north of the discovery.

He says it’s another testament that the Dene people have been the stewards of the lands in Southcentral Alaska for at least a millennia.

“It’s further confirmation of Denaʼina oral tradition. It also shows that there’s still a lot more work to be done on Denaʼina archeology, and especially in Upper Cook Inlet.”

A letter “T” is carved into a birch tree near the cache. The image was taken in 2005 during a visit by the Dena’ina team that consisted of a cultural anthropologist Nancy Yaw Davis and representatives from Knik, Chickaloon, and Eklutna tribes who documented archeological sites on Elmendorf Air Force Base. (Courtesy U.S. Air Force)

JBER archeologist Liz Ortiz was among those who first encountered the cache.

Ortiz says that she and her colleague expected it to be a couple hundred years old.

Instead, tests showed something extraordinary for Southcentral – a relatively densely populated region where ground conditions are less stable compared to other parts of the state.

“When we got the results back that said it was 960 years, plus or minus 30, we were shocked. I mean, Margan and I were jumping up and down in our cube in tears. It was very, very exciting”

Another JBER archeologist Margan Grove says that discoveries like this are important to discuss.

They highlight the long-standing Indigenous history of the urban landscape of Anchorage.

“Anchorage is a new town – you know, 1914 is when it’s first established, but there are people who were here much longer than that.”

Researchers collaborated with elders and knowledge holders from Denaʼina and Ahtna tribes to get more context about the place.

Today, half of Alaska’s population lives within the Dene homelands, and Leggett says careful analysis of the remaining sites – in consultation with the tribes – is crucial.

“We’ve always said that we know we can’t stop development, but can we use these opportunities to kind of fill in the picture?”

Archaeologists plan to further evaluate the soil samples in and around the cache.

Together with tribal leaders, they hope to go back to the site later this year.

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