Trahant Reports

This is a tough moment for the Navajo Nation and other coal producing tribes. And there are no easy choices. The coal industry has no future. So how does a government help make the economic transition to renewable fuels? And, at the same time, how do you preserve really good paying jobs in a brand new industry?

How do tribes engage this White House in meaningful discussions about tribal priorities? We are seeing a number of tests on that ranging from the potential construction of border walls on tribal lands to the continued development of energy or pipelines in tribal communities or treaty lands.

A new study documents the global cost of colonialism. Why does it matter? Because the invasion of the Americas changed everything on the planet. There was a death rate of more than 90 percent of the people, now labeled "depopulation" in a scientific report. At that time, the Indigenous population of the Americas was 10 percent of the world's population and home to the largest and most complex cities.

The study also raises new questions, the impact of humans on nature? And what that might mean for climate change policy in the decades ahead?

President Donald J. Trump signed into law late Friday a three-week spending bill to fund about a quarter of government operations. So, now what? It could produce an era when the Congress rethinks its budget process.

Across the country tribes, federal employees, contractors, and nonprofits are reporting about the significant hardships because of the partial federal government shutdown.

The problem is frozen because the president, the Republicans in the House and the Senate, and the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives do not have enough power to say “yes.” Only no, not that.

The year we just passed, 2018, was full of interesting issues in Indian Country.

The year ended with a government shutdown. The president and the Congress are divided about how much money to spend on a wall, or border security, and how to talk to each other as partners. The road ahead makes this situation even more complex because for two years President Donald J. Trump has headed a one-party government. That’s done. Now, as we begin this year, Democrats will control the House of Representatives and exert a lot more influence about how policy is shaped.

A few days ago it sure looked like Congress would keep the government operating after the Senate passed another short-term spending bill unanimously. Then President Donald J. Trump took to Twitter, saying that Congress must spend billions on a border wall or else. That has led to a Christmas holiday shutdown.

Two years ago Ryan Zinke was riding high. Over the weekend he resigned as Secretary of Interior. But don’t expect many policy changes at Interior. Energy dominance is a theme that comes from the White House.

A new climate report released last week by the Trump administration predicts significant -- and expensive -- impacts on the planet as a result of climate change. The threats from weather-related catastrophes are already clear: Stronger and moreover frequent hurricanes, deadly heat waves, and more intense destructive wildfires.

And that includes a threat to “Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods and economies, including agriculture, hunting and gathering, fishing, forestry, energy, recreation, and tourism enterprises.

Indian Health programs were on the ballot in many states. There were a few wins and Alaska is at risk for a big loss.