National Native News

As Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) is likely headed to Washington DC for a cabinet position, tribal leaders are calling for a reset in state-tribal relations.

That came during an annual address to the South Dakota legislature by tribal chairmen.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Lee Strubinger has more.

Chairman Garrett Renville of the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe says the state of South Dakota is in the midst of an historic moment.

In addition to changes for Gov. Noem, the U.S. Senate is led by Sen. John Thune (R-SD).

Chairman Renville says the state’s lone congressman, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), is working well in a divided U.S. House of Representatives.

“South Dakota is now literally at the center of the political universe. We have an opportunity, now, to bring about real change for our people and at all levels of government. But we must work together.”

Renville says state-tribal relations have hit a series of breakdowns in government-to-government engagement.

That came following comments by Noem alleging Mexican drug cartels were operating out of reservations.

“Today, let’s reset. Today, let’s rebuild. Today, let’s start to listen and actually hear.”

Renville points to areas where the state and tribes have worked together — including on a resolution in 2024 urging congress to address law enforcement shortages on tribal lands.

He’s urging the state to pass another resolution urging congress rescind the Dakota Removal Act.

Renville and other tribal leaders met with Noem and Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden (R-SD) earlier this week.

Lt. Gov. Rhoden is next in line to become governor when Noem resigns her seat.

Standing Rock Chairwoman Janet Alkire also attended the meeting.

She says they talked with Noem about having a tribal law enforcement training center in the northern part of the country. That training takes place in New Mexico.

“If Gov. Noem makes it through the nomination process, she’ll be in charge of all the training for law enforcement. That’s one of the things we wanted to visit with her [on]. If we had some place up north, rather than sending all our folks down south. I think that’s why some folks don’t last. Locally, it’s much better.”

Alkire says she’s also looking forward to working with Rhoden, who is a West River rancher, when he becomes governor.

Courtesy C-SPAN

As Senate hearings continue this week for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, tribal leaders are among those closely watching.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren issued a statement Wednesday, expressing his support for former Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND).

Burgum has been nominated to lead the Department of the Interior.

A California tribe is celebrating after the Biden Administration green lit its petition to put land into trust for a major casino north of San Francisco.

As Jacob Resneck reports, that approval comes despite objections from neighboring tribes and many of the state’s political leaders.

The Koi Nation of Northern California applauded the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision on Monday to put 68 acres into trust for the Shiloh Resort and Casino in northern Sonoma County.

The decision follows a federal judge rebuffing attempts by a neighboring tribe to block the development.

In a statement, Darin Beltran, chair of the Koi Nation Tribal Council, said the federal government’s approval fills the tribe’s hearts with promise and hope.

But neighboring tribes including the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria which operates a casino complex 15 miles south of the site, has called the project a travesty as it’s outside the Koi Nation’s ancestral lands in a neighboring county.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) also urged the Biden Administration to reject the casino project that includes more than 100 table games, 2,700 slots, and a 400-room hotel.

Once completed, the Koi have signed an agreement with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma to manage the casino and resort.

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On Tuesday, President Joe Biden designated the Chuckwalla National Monument in California, located near Joshua Tree National Park.

The area holds spiritual, historic, and cultural significance to tribes.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) joined President Biden for the signing ceremony at the White House, which was streamed online.

In remarks, she talked about the importance of the administration working with tribes.

“When President Biden and I first stepped into these roles we understood fundamentally that tribes must be at the forefront of our efforts to conserve lands and waters we all depend on. Today I’m grateful for President Biden’s leadership, I’m grateful he has listened to tribes and local communities across the country and has committed our administration to conserving the places that are core to our identities and to our shared experiences.”

Biden also designed the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in northern California.

“This area is also sacred to many tribal nations who were violently forced to leave their homes. You know, they held ceremonies here, they found sources of reverence and healing here and they’re preserving lands fundamental to who they are and their way of life. Folks, it’s important.”

Together, the monuments will protect 848,000 acres of lands.

A signing ceremony was planned last week in California, but was postponed due to high winds.

Tribal leaders have also been advocating for a third national monument in California to be designated before the end of Biden’s term on January 20.

Courtesy Angel Charley / Facebook

Women will hold the majority in the 2025 New Mexico Legislature, with more than 50%, after additional women were elected in November.

Among them is Angel Charley.

“What’s new is that we’re a majority female legislature now and I think what that means is we’re gonna be more responsive to family issues, community-based issues because of the experience that all of us as legislators are bringing. And I’m just looking forward to working on solutions that really impact people and families.”

Charley is Laguna, Zuni, and Navajo.

The Democrat will serve in the Senate for District 30, which includes a handful of tribal nations in the state.

She’s a long-time advocate for women and children, including being the former executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

Her role as a state lawmaker will also include issues involving public safety and addressing violence against women.

“We know in our community is what actually is gonna work. And so previously when I worked at the coalition, we were a part of a cohort that passed the Indian Family Protection Act. And in that were solutions straight from our community, from people experiencing barriers directly, and creating law policy that addresses those. So I see that as the same thing, you know, in this new role that I’m gonna have is when we center the people who are most impacted by law, policy, and systems, we are all better, our systems are stronger for it.”

Charley is now the executive director of Illuminative, a national group working to uplift the voices and representation of Native people throughout the country.

The New Mexico legislative session begins next week.

2025 Champions for Change: Katie Lynch (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), top left clockwise, Lourdes Pereira (Hia-Ced O’odham/Tohono O’odham), Lily Painter (Kiowa/Winnebago), Maiyuraq Jones (Native Village of Unalakleet), and Joshua Ching (Native Hawaiian).

Five Native young people have been chosen to represent their communities on the national stage by the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute.

The Champions for Change class of 2025 represent Native nations from across the country, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Their areas of focus include improving Indigenous health systems, environmental rights, cultural representation, and art and literacy.

The program was launched in 2013 to highlight positive stories of impact from Indian Country.

Each year, five young people, ages 14-24, are selected.

The new class joins more than 50 active alumni.

2025 Champions for Change:

Joshua Ching (Native Hawaiian), 20, of Hawaii, studying Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration at Yale University

Maiyuraq Jones (Native Village of Unalakleet), 20 of Alaska, studying Environmental Science at Western Washington University

Katie Lynch (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), 23, of Michigan, PhD student of Health Infrastructures & Learning Systems at the University of Michigan Medical School

Lily Painter (Kiowa/Winnebago), 23, of Oklahoma, artist and storyteller, working towards her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma

Lourdes Pereira (Hia-Ced O’odham/Tohono O’odham), 24, of Arizona, Arizona State University gradudate, working for her tribe and the Administration for Native Americans

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Members of the Native community in Los Angeles, Calif. gathered Monday evening, for a prayer and healing circle as wildfires continue to burn in Southern California.

The gathering at United American Indian Involvement (UAII) was intended to bring together community members and raise awareness about the resources being provided to those in need by the urban Indian organization.

UAII has set up an emergency response center – among efforts the organization is providing temporary shelter, coordinating housing, distributing emergency supplies, and coordinating transportation for those impacted by the fires.

The organization held a press conference before the gathering.

UAII board member Laura Escobar says that, among challenges they’re hearing from Native community members in fire zones, there are power outages – and people unable to leave secured areas and not being able to get necessities like food and water.

UAII board member and elder Keith Vielle says their effort is what community is all about that even though they may be far away from their reservations, they have Native values and traditional ways, which include helping one another.

They’re also offering hotel accommodations and meals, and working on long-term plans to offer assistance after the fires.

The organization is accepting donations and has a telephone helpline for those impacted by the wildfires.

According to the UAII, it serves a large urban Native population with more than 200,000 Native people living in Los Angeles County.

Neighboring tribes are among those offering support to fight the wildfires.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in San Bernardino County says as its neighbors face overwhelming challenges of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, the tribe is responding to mutual aid requests.

It has sent the San Manuel Fire Department to the Eaton Fire in Altadena to help battle the blaze.

In a statement, the tribe says during this difficult time, the tribe “stands united with the courageous first responders, fully committed to help safeguard homes, loved ones, and the spirit of community.”

Other California tribes and tribes across the country have sent fire trucks and crews to help battle the wildfires.

Courtesy C-SPAN

Nomination hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet are scheduled to begin this week.

Tribal leaders from across the country are closely watching and are preparing for the incoming administration.

Discussions took place at the Biden administration’s final White House Tribal Nations Summit last month in Washington.

Tribal leaders also talked about the transition at a U.S. Department of Justice tribal consultation held in Santa Fe, N.M., leading up to the White House summit.

Leaders like Mark Mitchell with the Pueblo of Tesuque say regardless of which political party is in office, tribal treaty and trust responsibilities need to be kept.

He says the work of tribal leaders includes advocating for Native American issues and concerns, and for his tribe in New Mexico, that includes environmental and sacred site protection.

“How do we bridge the gap? How can we educate them, the incoming administration, as to their foresight? Because right now, I don’t think they’re looking at that. We understand the issue of having funding and relying on natural resources, et cetera, but at what costs to the tribes? Those are some of the questions we’re asking internally. So hopefully we come up with a strategic plan as we move forward.”

Mitchell says as the process for selecting the cabinet moves forward, he hopes there’s insight into Indian Country.

“I hope they have some type of Native person on there advising them that, hey, this is another route we can secure and address the issues of the Native communities. And I hope they’re doing that. I haven’t seen anything as of yet, but I sure hope they’re doing that.”

Senate hearings for nominees are scheduled to begin Tuesday.

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The mayor of Anchorage, Alaska has thrown her support behind the Eklutna Tribe’s efforts to build a small casino on the outskirts of the city.

The tribe sees gaming as an opportunity to create jobs and boost the economy.

As Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA tells us, the endorsement comes amid a lawsuit to block the project.

Only about six-and-a half acres are involved – a Native allotment that has become a test case of tribal sovereignty in Alaska.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) has asked President-elect Donald Trump to reverse an Interior Department decision last year that cleared the way for the tribe to seek a permit for a gaming hall that would have up to 700 electronic slot machines.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. (Courtesy City of Anchorage)

The BIA released its environmental assessment of the project and opened it up for public comment.

In her written response, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance gave a whole-hearted endorsement of the gaming hall, noting that the assessment found no significant concerns.

She also cited the Eklutna tribe’s track record for environmental stewardship.

“We’d like to formally share our support for the Native Village of Eklutna, as it exercises its sovereignty and pursues economic development.”

Mayor LaFrance says she has confidence in the tribe, based on its relationship with the city.

“There’s such an emphasis on listening, problem solving and being very open about the situation and so I feel like that’s part of what makes the relationship so strong.”

Sky Starkey is a tribal rights attorney.

“It’s really good to see Mayor LaFrance embracing what tribes have to offer.”

Longtime tribal advocates like attorney Starkey say these kinds of endorsements are not unusual in the Lower 48 states, but unprecedented in Alaska where there’s been an ongoing debate about whether tribes exist.

Michelle Demmert, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Department of Tribal Governance, says she’s glad to see the mayor acknowledge the importance of tribes.

“Tribes are really great partners. We bring in a lot of money, we bring in a lot of resources. We want the same types of healthy communities for our villages like everyone else wants.”

A group of neighboring property owners say the mayor shouldn’t have endorsed the project without hearing from them first.

In a lawsuit, they say the land does not have Indian Country status and that the casino will hurt the rural character of their community.

A community corn field at the Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico, seen here on March 17, 2023. The Pueblo, which is largely supported by farming, irrigates its farms with snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. (Photo: Kaleb Roedel / Mountain West News Bureau)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a new plan to strengthen its collaboration with tribes and help build more sustainable food systems.

The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more.

Nationwide, there are 574 federally recognized tribes.

Nearly half of them are in the West, where tribes manage or farm more than 55 million acres of land.

The USDA’s new strategy aims to help tribes better protect and preserve the natural resources and farmland they rely on.

That includes dedicating more staff and funding to conservation across tribal lands. And incorporating Indigenous knowledge into that work.

Roylene Comes At Night is a conservationist with the agency and a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.

“This gives us an opportunity to now build this tribe by tribe, so that each tribal nation that has their own concerns can adapt and adopt those concerns to meet their needs.”

She says, overall, the new strategy supports tribes’ cultural and farming traditions. And will make sure their priorities and knowledge shape future federal policies.

UAII volunteers feed our Navajo Firefighters in Los Angeles County. (Courtesy UAII / Facebook)

The United American Indian Involvement (UAII), an urban Indian organization in Los Angeles, Calif., is offering support to those impacted by wildfires in the area.

The organization’s emergency response includes providing food, water, and temporary shelter to those in need.

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The Klamath Tribes – which are comprised of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin people – have sent help down to Southern California to fight the massive wildfires.

KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

The Klamath Tribes sent a Type 3 fire engine and crew down to tackle the Eaton Fire, which was nearing 14,000 acres Thursday night.

The incident command post is at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

William Ray Junior is chairman for the Klamath Tribes.

He says the crew will be be on the fire line no later than Friday morning.

“Y’know, we had a lot of help in Oregon, in our backyard from Southern California crews, and we’re just returning the favor in their time of need and wanna just want to show that the tribes are supportive with our crews that we have available, with our Indian spirit of giving.”

Ray says the Klamath Tribes and U.S. Forest Service will jointly be sending a second engine and crew down before the weekend.

Both deployments are equipped for 14 days.

More fires are expected across Southern California due to ongoing dry weather and powerful Santa Ana Winds through early next week.

On Thursday, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a social media post that a team of wildland firefighters has been deployed to southern California to help battle the fires.

He says the Navajo Scouts, a team of 23 members, including a female firefighter, are highly trained to fight fires like these.

Members of the team are from various communities across the Navajo Nation.

Courtesy Natasha Hayden

A Kodiak Island resident has been honored with a national award for environmental leadership.

One of eight awardees, Natasha Hayden was recognized for her work advocating for Alaska Native fishing rights.

KMXT’s Davis Hovey has more.

When the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska contacted Natasha Hayden to tell her she’d won a national award, she says she almost thought it was a scam.

“Also, in today’s climate of where people are reaching out to you, to try to get you to send them money, and to send your personal information, there was quite a bit of skepticism about it. Just like, oh somebody is cold calling me basically to say you’ve won this award.”

But the award was real.

It acknowledges a range of advocacy work Hayden has been doing for Alaska Native people on Kodiak Island, including her tribe of the Native Village of Afognak, for years.

Over those last ten years as a tribal council member of her village, Hayden has focused on fisheries advocacy and stewardship of marine mammals around Kodiak Island.

Hayden is also part of the Kodiak Island Tribal Coalition, which represents the Kodiak Archipelago’s ten tribes.

She says various villages in the region have lost 50 to 100% of their commercial fishing permits in a larger outmigration from those communities over the course of a few decades.

“Seeing this severe negative impact and working towards restoring access to those fisheries that are right outside of our back door has been primary, and it’s intertwined with everything.”

Hayden says she is building on the resource management work that was done by generations preceding her, which she says future generations will take up as well.

“And I take a lot, I mean, a huge amount of comfort from the belief that the Alutiiq people have been here for thousands of years, and that we’re still going to be here in a thousand years.”

Hayden will receive $25,000 as part of her 2024 Environmental Leader award.

Other awardees include a Meskwaki artist and farmer from Iowa, an Indigenous food sovereignty advocate in Louisiana, and a Diné environmental scientist in Arizona.

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Photo courtesy the Rogers Family / Facebook

People from across the country, including Indian Country, are checking in on family and friends in Southern California as wildfires devastate Los Angeles.

Fires have forced evacuations and have destroyed homes, businesses, and historic sites, which include the loss of Will Rogers’ historic home.

On Wednesday, California State Parks confirmed the loss and released photos of his ranch house and buildings at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades burned to the ground.

A representative for the family of the famous Cherokee actor said in a statement, “while the loss to the ranch is devastating, it pales in comparison to the loss of property and businesses and more importantly, the lives of those in the surrounding area.”

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin said in a statement “Will Rogers is among our most beloved Cherokees” and described the loss is a “tragedy”.

The tribe says its thoughts are with Cherokee Nation citizens living in California, and all those affected by the fires.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a 2017 MMIP rally. (Photo: Obert Madondo / Flickr)

In Canada, there’s mixed reaction from Native leaders to the announcement this week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he’s stepping down.

Prime Minister Trudeau has been under pressure to resign for months, both from the opposition and from within his own Liberal Party.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, many Indigenous leaders say while Trudeau has taken positive steps over the past ten years, there’s still much to be done.

Many of Trudeau’s critics within the Indigenous community say he’s come up short on some important issues such as clean drinking water on reserves.

As of November, there were still 31 long term drinking water advisories in 29 Native communities.

And while some leaders have praised him for his commitment to reconciliation, others says his government’s approach has been mainly to talk about the issue.

Terry Teegee is a British Columbia regional chief with the Assembly of First Nations.

“With reconciliation and policy that was passed over the last nine years, there certainly was movement. But I think further to that was, you know, you can’t just pass policy without the necessary commitments and resources to see it through. And I think that’s really where some of the commitments towards reconciliation didn’t live up to its billing.”

Some leaders say Trudeau has made progress on increased spending for Indigenous programs.

The latest data suggests that Trudeau’s government has increased spending in Native communities to more than $30 billion (CAD) last year from $11 billion in 2016.

There was also criticism of Trudeau for his support for pipelines, such as the buying of the Trans Mountain Pipeline in BC, ensuring its further expansion, despite opposition from Indigenous groups.

Terry Teegee does say, however, that he hopes a new government, if it’s led by the Conservatives, is better than the last one under Stephen Harper, which because of funding cuts and the loss of First Nations rights, were probably some of the worst ten years ever experienced.

President Jimmy Carter’s coffin during his funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral, January 9, 2025. (Courtesy C-SPAN)

Among government offices closed Thursday are tribal departments across the country in honor of President Jimmy Carter as his funeral takes place.

The former president is being remembered for his impact on Indian Country, including signing legislation into law involving religious freedom, child welfare, and tribal colleges.

Tribal leaders say President Carter was a leader who championed peace and dignity.

In Alaska, he’s remembered for creating environmental protections and a national monument in Southeast Alaska.

He’s also remembered for listening to the story from the people of Angoon about the bombing of a village.

Carter was adopted by Lingít people in the 1970s.

Rosita Worl, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, says his most important legacy is continuing to serve as a role model for leadership after his presidency.

“He cared for humanity. And he proved it by doing the work himself. That’s a trait we admire.”

Worl says they have a representative attending his funeral service in Washington D.C.

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Photo: U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz announces the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act of 2024 on April 17, 2024. (Courtesy Rep. Ruiz / Facebook)

A signing ceremony is expected to take place next week for two new national monuments in California, which include tribal cultural and sacred sites.

The White House announced the designations Tuesday and an event was to take place in the state, but was postponed due to high winds.

Suzanne Potter reports.

U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), whose district includes parts of the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument, says the lands will now be protected from mining, drilling, and development.

“This is one of these unique examples where you have both the conservation and tribal leaders, as well as the renewable energy and utility companies, all endorsing this enormous monument.”

Big news! @POTUS designated 600K+ acres in #CA25 as the Chuckwalla National Monument—a win for wildlife, sacred sites, tourism, and climate goals.

Grateful to @SenAlexPadilla, @Senlaphonza & all partners.

Watch my recap! pic.twitter.com/7sfeXfuHlg

— Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (@RepRaulRuizMD) January 7, 2025

The area south of Joshua Tree National Park is also habitat for the Chuckwalla lizard, bighorn sheep, and the endangered desert tortoise.

Thomas Tortez is former chair of the Torres Martinez Band of Cahuilla Indians.

“The next step is to strategically develop a co-stewardship plan, put all those resources together and then, start to protect the land.”

The White House also intends to designate a new national monument near Shasta Lake in northern California.

Brandy McDaniels with the Pit River Tribe says they’ve been fighting development in the area for decades.

“As social, economically suppressed communities, having to fight against people with deep pockets and have all the money in the world to come in and destroy our lands – and that’s what we’ve been fighting to protect for a very long time.”

Tribal leaders are also calling on President Biden to designate one more national monument in California before the end of his term.

This week, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) shared her perspective about the agency’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative and President Joe Biden’s apology to Indian Country.

In a blog post on the Interior Department website, Sec. Haaland says, of all the work in the department under the Biden-Harris Administration, one of the most significant, she says, has been the boarding school initiative, which she launched in 2021.

Haaland shares thoughts about her own family history with Indian boarding schools.

A day ahead of President Biden’s apology, Haaland told National Native News, she’s been personal impacted.

“Decades ago, when I was sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table and talking to her about boarding schools she didn’t tell me everything, right? I knew there was more to what she was telling me.”

Haaland says she still feels the impact of injustices on her ancestors, including that her great grandpa, being more than 100 miles away from his daughter’s boarding school, only had a “horse and wagon”.

“She told me he was able to only visit her twice during the five years that she was there. Her time there, her dad’s time at boarding school, that affected my life, and I didn’t realize how much it affected my life until I got a little bit older.”

Haaland’s boarding school initiative included an investigative report and listening tour across Indian Country.

Biden traveled to a tribal community in Arizona in October, where he formally apology to Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

In December, Biden established the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument.

In the blog post, Haaland says the work is not finished, but also talks about healing.

(Courtesy Red Ribbon Skirt Society / Facebook)

The Pennington County Commission in South Dakota has approved a statue commemorating the search for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.

C.J. Keene has more.

The statue, created by the Red Ribbon Skirt Society, will be installed outside the county administration building.

The base of the statue’s plaque reads “And her name shall be Justice.”

The small-scale mockup of the statue features a woman in traditional regalia holding an eagle feather.

Artist Rachel Berg of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is creating the statue.

The Red Ribbon Skirt Society has raised about half of the statue’s $30,000 cost and hopes to install the memorial by summer.

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Photo: Chuckwalla National Monument. (benmacaskill / Flickr)

Tribal leaders and elected officials are celebrating the establishment of two national monuments in California by President Joe Biden – the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument.

Together, they will protect 848,000 acres of lands, which include tribal cultural and sacred sites.

The Tribal Council of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe in a statement said the protection of the Chuckwalla National Monument brings their people an overwhelming sense of peace and joy.

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) in a statement said it’s another victory for safeguarding California’s public lands for generations to come.

Tribal leaders are also calling on President Biden to designate one more national monument in California before the end of his term – the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument.

Tribal leaders and California state lawmakers held a press conference in Sacramento last fall, urging Biden to designate all three national monuments in the state.

Assemblymember James Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla/D-CA), during the press conference, talked about the significance of the areas to tribes.

“By designating these areas it’s not just designating a monument. To us as Indian people it’s a way of life and protecting the lives of our ancestors, and who we are, and for future generations to move forward.”

Altrena Santillanes, secretary of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, was among tribal leaders to speak at the press conference.

“We want it to be where our ancestors they were able to enjoy it and live in it and we also want that for the present and for the future generations where we can also share this with our communities that are in our surrounding areas. We can educate and we can teach about our culture.”

Biden is expected to sign proclamations Tuesday, creating the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla national monuments.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

In South Dakota, the push to secure justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People  remains a priority, but some advocates are seeking more resources.

Mike Moen has more.

The issue has garnered more attention at the national level in recent years, including the 2023 launch of an outreach program led by federal authorities.

South Dakota is a host district for one of the handful of U.S. attorneys assigned to the effort.

While that extra leadership might be helpful, Tanya Grassel-Kreitlow with the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault says there still is not enough funding to accelerate meaningful progress.

“We are desperate for funding, and then without funding, we are not able to provide advocacy to work with the families of the missing and to work with the potential victims who we’ve identified through a lot of factors who have the potential to become missing.”

She spoke during a recent forum hosted by the South Dakota Humanities Council.

Panel members also said agencies still do not share enough intelligence to prevent crimes.

Funding came up during a Congressional hearing last fall, and a key lawmaker pledged a bigger level of support moving forward. But it’s unclear what that will look like when budget negotiations resume in the spring.

Lily Mendoza leads the Red Ribbon Skirt Society, based in Rapid City. She says federal officials have improved their listening efforts when grassroots groups speak out on the issue.

And she says the Society sees good relationships with local law enforcement, but her team still has to fill in gaps to ensure accountability.

“You know, ‘I got a call from a parent. They’re concerned about their child. Can you check into this?’ So, those systems that the Not Invisible Act is supposed to be putting in place, the grassroots organizations are taking that on.”

Mendoza does applaud a specialized federal unit, that launched in 2021, that can more freely navigate the country to help look into these cases.

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Photo: Roylene Comes At Night, left, State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington, Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation, and state leaders toured multiple sites associated with the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program throughout central Washington on June 6, 2024. (Nate Gallahan / USDA / Public Domain)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a new plan to strengthen its collaboration with tribes. And help them build more sustainable food systems.

The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more.

Nationwide, there are 574 federally recognized tribes.

Nearly half of them are in the West – where tribes manage or farm more than 55 million acres of land.

The USDA’s new strategy aims to help tribes better protect and preserve the natural resources and farmland they rely on.

That includes dedicating more staff and funding to conservation across tribal lands. And incorporating Indigenous knowledge into that work.

Roylene Comes At Night is a conservationist with the agency and a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.

“This gives us an opportunity to now build this tribe by tribe, so that each tribal nation that has their own concerns can adapt and adopt those concerns to meet their needs.”

She says, overall, the new strategy supports tribes’ cultural and farming traditions – and will make sure their priorities and knowledge shape future federal policies.

Students and tribal members at the Fort Washakie School visited the site along with researchers from the University of Wisconsin. (Photo: David Lovelace)

A new study profiles a recently discovered species of amphibian that survived harsh Wyoming weather by burrowing into the ground.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Chris Clements has more on the slimy tetrapods, which lived near the Wind River Reservation millions of years ago.

University of Wisconsin researcher Dave Lovelace came across the fossils, still preserved in their burrows, on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Dubois, Wyo.

He returned there over the years, eventually partnering with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe to bring local middle school students and elders to the site.

The idea was to have researchers talk about the fossils, and for elders of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes to discuss their knowledge of the creatures.

“Looking at weaving those two narratives together. We don’t have that built in knowledge and history.”

Reba Teran is Eastern Shoshone and a co-author of the paper.

She named the species Ninumbeehan dookoodukah, two Shoshone words.

“The Ninumbee are still here with us. They were very powerful beings. They were only like three feet tall. And they live up in our mountains even today.”

Lovelace says the early amphibians’ burrowing habit gives researchers hope about a way for modern amphibians to survive climate change.

The Alutiiq Museum is currently under construction to expand its footprint near downtown Kodiak, April 8, 2024. (Photo: Brian Venua / KMXT)

The Alutiiq Museum has received a grant to revamp the Koniag Cultural Library.

The grant comes as it’s finishing construction on its new building.

As KMXT’s Brian Venua reports, staff say it’s good timing to have even more to show off at its grand reopening in May.

The Alutiiq Museum has been closed for over a year for an expansion to nearly double its size.

Museum officials plan to display more items from its collections as well as feature more art from contemporary culture bearers.

But now with this grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the museum will make it easier than ever to access its library, too.

“In the past, we had a library – I don’t think anyone knew that.”

That’s Amanda Lancaster, the museum’s curator of collections.

Since 2018, the library has served as the official tribal library of Koniag, Kodiak’s regional Native corporation.

It was in the basement, it was very inaccessible, you had to make an appointment, you had to have a staff member with you just because it was in the basement and sort of more of a staff space.

The library features thousands of printed materials, hundreds of audio/visual items, and well over 10,000 photos as part of the collection for people to research Alutiiq culture.

The new funding will help the museum pay for renovations for a more friendly library space.

Lancaster says they’re aiming to have matching shelving units, furniture for a seating area and computers for research.

Patrons won’t need appointments or staff supervision just to be in there – they’ll just need to check in and use the library at their leisure.

“We’re just hoping that it will make it much more accessible so that people will want to come and use it.”

While the new money won’t cover new acquisitions, it could make room for future donations.

“It’s going to be much larger and much more spacious and (have) space to sit and read.”

It’s also a reason to recatalog and reorganize all of those resources.

“I’m just really excited to have one sort of dedicated project where we make sure everything’s in the right space.”

After the renovations, the grant will also pay for an outreach effort to solicit comments on how to make the library as useful as possible.

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President Jimmy Carter at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska, July 7, 1980. (Photo: Douglas C. Gruben / Public Domain)

A series of remembrances for President Jimmy Carter begins in Georgia Saturday and culminates next Thursday, with a national day of mourning.

But as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA tells us, there are also reflections about the president’s lasting impact on Alaska.

President Carter was known as Nahoowoo in Southeast Alaska.

The Deishetaan Clan of Angoon gave him the name, when it adopted him sometime in the late 1970’s.

The Lingít name belonged to Billy Jones, who at the age of thirteen witnessed the bombardment of Angoon by the U.S. Navy in 1882.

His account was the basis for an apology to the village, the Navy secretary made this past October, 142 years later.

Rosita Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, says Carter took one of the first steps in that long process.

“He was the first president, actually, that listened to their story.”

A post shared by Sealaska Heritage Institute (@shinstitute)

Angoon is on Admiralty Island, which Carter turned into a national monument in 1978. In 1980, he added more environmental safeguards through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).

ANILCA also doubled the size of Alaska’s national parks and refuges and set aside more than 50 million acres as wilderness.

Conservationists hailed the legislation as one of Carter’s greatest achievements, while resource development leaders said it locked up too much land.

The Lingít name for Admiralty Island is Kootznoowoo, which means Fortress of the Bear. The island has the largest concentration of brown bears in the world. (Public Domain)

For Alaska Natives, ANILCA added more protections for hunting and fishing, which Worl says should have been stronger.

“It’s not perfect, but without it, we wouldn’t have had the protections we had.”

Worl says those protections are still a good platform to strengthen policies to protect the Alaska Native subsistence lifestyle. But Worl says Carter’s most important legacy – the example he set as a leader up until his death last month at the age of 100 …

“He cared for humanity. And he proved it by doing the work himself. That’s a trait we admire.”

Worl says Garfield George of the Deisheetaan will represent the Lingít at President Carter’s memorial service in Washington D.C.

Kootenai Falls in Montana. (Photo: Jeff Hitchcock / Flickr)

Cross-border governing bodies are taking steps to address mining pollution coming from Canada.

Eric Tegethoff has more.

Coal mining pollution in the Kootenai River has flowed into Montana for more than a century and affected water quality hundreds of miles downstream.

Selenium is the biggest concern. It can harm fish and other wildlife at high concentrations.

Tribes in the region have been at the forefront of addressing the issue.

Tom McDonald, vice chair of the Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council, is among those leading efforts.

“It’s just elevated every year and they keep expanding and getting bigger and the problem keeps getting worse and it keeps moving downstream. It’s affected the water course in the Kootenai River for nearly 400 miles, into Montana, into Idaho and then back up into Canada.”

The International Joint Commission settles boundary waters differences between the U.S. and Canada.

It has announced the formation of a governance body to address pollution in the Kootenai River.

The body will set up a cleanup plan over the next two years.

The governance body set up to address the issue is composed of eleven governments, including tribal governments, the states of Idaho and Montana, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

McDonald emphasized the issue comes down to the regulatory responsibility of British Columbia.

“If they were just enforcing the rules and regulations that they’re supposed to be doing, I don’t think we would even be here today. So they haven’t been doing their job and so it’s really laying more eyes on it, putting more pressure on to enforce their rules and regulations and then mitigation packages.”

The Canadian company NWP Coal is proposing a new mine in the same watershed as the existing coal mines.

The company claims its project will not increase selenium contamination, but does not address the current pollution issue.

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