Biden pledges new commitments, respect for tribal nations
December 1, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to give Native Americans a stronger voice in federal affairs, promising at the first in-person summit on tribal affairs in six years that he will bolster tribal consultations, inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in decision-making and funding for communities struggling with the impacts of climate change.
Biden: Nevada site sacred to tribes to be national monument
November 30, 2022 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — President Joe Biden told a gathering of tribal leaders in Washington on Wednesday that he intends to designate an area considered sacred by area Native Americans in southern Nevada as a new national monument.
S. Dakota AG hires missing Indigenous, trafficking positions
November 30, 2022 GMTRAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's attorney general on Wednesday announced that he has filled a position to coordinate efforts from state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations, to tackle alarming rates of Indigenous people going missing or having their deaths remain unsolved.
Researchers seek lost Native American boarding school graves
November 29, 2022 GMTGENOA, Neb. (AP) — The bodies of more than 80 Native American children are buried at the former Genoa Indian Industrial School in central Nebraska.
But for decades, the location of the student cemetery has been a mystery, lost over time after the school closed in 1931 and memories faded of the once-busy campus that sprawled over 640 acres in the tiny community of Genoa.
Braun, protester of Dakota Access pipeline, dies at 53
November 29, 2022 GMTEAGLE BUTTE, S.D. (AP) — Joye Braun, a fierce advocate for Native American rights and an organizer of protests against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, has died.
Braun, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux, died Nov.
Grand Canyon park changes campground name that haunted tribe
November 22, 2022 GMTGRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — For years, the Indian Garden name assigned to a popular Grand Canyon campground has been a painful reminder for a Native American tribe that was displaced by the national park.
Bison spread as Native American tribes reclaim stewardship
November 21, 2022 GMTBADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. (AP) — Perched atop a fence at Badlands National Park, Troy Heinert peered from beneath his wide-brimmed hat into a corral where 100 wild bison awaited transfer to the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
NY schools told to stop using Native American mascots
November 18, 2022 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Schools in New York state must stop using Native American references in mascots, team names and logos by the end of the current school year or face penalties including a loss of state aid, the state Department of Education said.
Panel OKs name change of Colorado mountain tied to massacre
November 18, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — A Colorado state panel recommended Thursday that Mount Evans, a prominent peak near Denver, be renamed Mount Blue Sky at the request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.
The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board voted unanimously for the change.
‘Momentous:’ US advances largest dam demolition in history
November 18, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — U.S. regulators approved a plan Thursday to demolish four dams on a California river and open up hundreds of miles of salmon habitat that would be the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the world when it goes forward.
Former tribal leader gets 3 years in casino bribery case
November 16, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The former leader of a Massachusetts Native American tribe convicted of accepting bribes including exercise equipment and a weekend stay at a luxury hotel from an architectural firm working with the tribe to build a casino has been sentenced to three years in prison.
California breaks ground on Native American monument
November 14, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Long before California got its name, the Miwok Indians hunted and fished along the banks of what would become known as the Sacramento River — including a spot where the state Capitol now stands surrounded by dozens of monuments to the state's history.
US outlines effects of withdrawing land from oil drilling
November 12, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department’s plan to withdraw hundreds of square miles in New Mexico from oil and gas production for the next 20 years is expected to result in only a few dozen wells not being drilled on federal land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, according to an environmental assessment.
New Mexico Indian Affairs’ cabinet secretary leaving the job
November 10, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department’s cabinet secretary will be leaving her job at the end of this month.
Lynn Trujillo was appointed to the position by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in January 2019.
Kansas board recommends ending Native American mascots
November 10, 2022 GMTThe Kansas State Board of Education on Thursday recommended that the state's public school districts eliminate Native American mascots and branding to reduce their harmful impacts on students.
The board approved a motion making a “strong recommendation” that Kansas public K-12 nontribal schools retire Native American-themed mascots and branding as soon as possible but within the next three to five years at the latest.
Big bet a bust in bid to allow sports gambling in California
November 10, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The most expensive ballot proposition gamble in U.S. history went bust Tuesday as California voters overwhelmingly rejected sports betting initiatives by Native American tribes and the gaming industry.
Justices seem to favor most of Native child welfare law
November 9, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court appeared likely Wednesday to leave in place most of a federal law that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children.
Hageman wins Wyoming US House seat after ousting Cheney
November 9, 2022 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Republican Harriet Hageman has beaten a Native American activist to win Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House, cementing her place as successor to ousted GOP Rep. Liz Cheney.
The race between Hageman and Lynnette Grey Bull drew little attention outside Wyoming compared with the GOP primary, when voters turned against Cheney for her criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Republican’s Lankford, Mullin win Oklahoma Senate seats
November 9, 2022 GMTOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republicans U.S. Sen. James Lankford and U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin both coasted to election victory on Tuesday, with Mullin poised to become the first Native American in the U.S.
Hageman faces Grey Bull for US House after beating Cheney
November 8, 2022 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The race to choose Wyoming's next U.S. representative has received a lot less attention since Harriet Hageman beat Liz Cheney in the GOP primary in August. But it's still on.
Hageman is now running against Native American activist Lynnette Grey Bull, who as the Democratic nominee for the job faces odds longer than Cheney's in a midterm election that could favor Republicans over Democrats.
Native child welfare law faces major Supreme Court challenge
November 7, 2022 GMTFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Wednesday on the most significant challenge to a law that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children.
Ground search of Native American site in Kansas delayed
October 31, 2022 GMTA plan to search for unmarked graves at a former Native American boarding school in Kansas is on hold amid a disagreement between a Shawnee Tribe and state and city officials overseeing the site.
Navajo presidential hopefuls represent change or continuity
October 31, 2022 GMTFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Navajos next week will choose whether to elect a president who has never held political office or one whose career in tribal government spans two decades.
Incumbent President Jonathan Nez and challenger Buu Nygren emerged as the top two vote-getters among 15 candidates in the tribe’s primary election in August.
Justices’ past affirmative action views, in their own words
October 31, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A Supreme Court that is the most diverse in history will hear two cases Monday challenging the use of affirmative action in higher education.
Outgoing senators backing US recognition for 2 state tribes
October 28, 2022 GMTMOUNT VERNON, Ala. (AP) — Testifying before Congress, Chief Framon Weaver said his Alabama-based tribe, with roots dating back to the 1830s, held a distinction no one else wanted when it came to being recognized by the U.S.
Approval of oil leases in New Mexico prompts legal challenge
October 28, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Biden administration’s approval of oil leases in a corner of New Mexico that has become a battleground over increased development and preservation of Native American sites has prompted a legal challenge.
Navajo Nation planning to investigate missing trial members
October 26, 2022 GMTLEUPP, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation officials have issued an executive order to investigate and locate missing tribal members in a manner that is empathetic to victims and their families.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez met Monday with Navajo Nation police, the FBI and prosecutors in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah for the plan’s signing ceremony.
Feud with tribes threatens Oklahoma governor’s reelection
October 20, 2022 GMTADA, Okla. (AP) — Many of the 39 Native American tribes based in Oklahoma have played roles in state politics for decades, often behind the scenes. They became bigger, more outspoken players when voters approved Las Vegas-style gambling in 2004.
First Native American woman in space awed by Mother Earth
October 19, 2022 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first Native American woman in space said Wednesday she is overwhelmed by the beauty and delicacy of Mother Earth, and is channeling “positive energy” as her five-month mission gets underway.
Justice: Hotel sued for denying rooms to Native Americans
October 19, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice sued the owners of a Rapid City, South Dakota hotel on Wednesday, alleging that they violated the civil rights of Native Americans by trying to ban them from the property.
University of Kansas returning Native American remains
October 18, 2022 GMTLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has begun the process of returning Native American remains and other sacred objects that were recently discovered in its museum collections, the university said.
Kansas to search grounds of former Native American school
October 17, 2022 GMTFAIRWAY, Kan. (AP) — The grounds of a former Native American boarding school in Kansas will be searched to determine if any Indigenous children were buried there, state officials said.
Native Americans recall torture, hatred at boarding schools
October 15, 2022 GMTMISSION, S.D. (AP) — After her mother died when Rosalie Whirlwind Soldier was just four years old, she was put into a Native American boarding school in South Dakota and told her native Lakota language was “devil's speak.”
Tribal leaders pepper New Mexico candidates with questions
October 15, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Leaders representing Native American communities around New Mexico hosted a number of political candidates Friday, peppering them with questions about how they would ensure voting access for tribal members, respect sovereignty and protect water rights as the West grapples with historic drought.
Ute Indian Tribe criticizes Biden monument on ancestral land
October 13, 2022 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah-based Native American tribe that frequently has sparred with President Joe Biden criticized the White House again for not adequately consulting its leaders ahead of this week's creation of a national monument on ancestral lands in Colorado.
Arizona’s CD2 could decide congressional delegation makeup
October 13, 2022 GMTFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Cowboy caviar is more expensive to make. Tractor parts are in short supply. And employees are hard to find.
One voter, Hallie Overman-Jackman, sees a path to improving the economy, and that's to vote the Republican ticket in next month's general election.
Hopi curator to lead New Mexico’s Native American art museum
October 12, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An expert in the field of Indigenous art has been named as the executive director of New Mexico’s Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.
Pollyanna “Polly” Nordstrand, who is Hopi, will take on her new role next month.
Governor voids territorial orders targeting Native Americans
October 10, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor on Monday voided four pre-statehood proclamations that targeted Native Americans during what was a tumultuous time across the western frontier as federal soldiers tried to defeat Navajos, Apaches and others.
Study: Most Maine schools fall short on Wabanaki history
October 10, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Maine Department of Education is not doing enough to enforce a decades-old law requiring students to be taught about Native American history, leading most schools to fall short, according to a study.
SpaceX delivers Russian, Native American women to station
October 7, 2022 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A Russian cosmonaut who caught a U.S. lift to the International Space Station arrived at her new home Thursday for a five-month stay, accompanied by a Japanese astronaut and two from NASA, including the first Native American woman in space.
Drug companies in opioid crisis donated $27K to Ohio’s Ryan
October 5, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who has made his opponent's questionable record fighting the opioid epidemic a central theme of his campaign for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat, has received campaign donations over the years from drug distributors blamed for key roles in the crisis, an Associated Press review found.
Russian launches to space from US, 1st time in 20 years
October 5, 2022 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.. (AP) — For the first time in 20 years, a Russian cosmonaut rocketed from the U.S. on Wednesday, launching to the International Space Station alongside NASA and Japanese astronauts despite tensions over the war in Ukraine.
Haaland: US expanding Native American massacre site
October 5, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced an expansion Wednesday of a National Park Service historical site dedicated to t he massacre by U.S.
Trial set in North Dakota tribes’ lawsuit over redistricting
October 4, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A trial has been set in a federal lawsuit brought by two Native American tribes that allege North Dakota’s new legislative map dilutes tribal members’ voting strength.
Acclaimed Native American flute player, hoop dancer has died
October 3, 2022 GMTKevin Locke, an acclaimed Native American flute player, hoop dancer, cultural ambassador and educator, has died in South Dakota at age 68, according to his family.
A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and from the ancestral line of Lakota and Anishinabe, Locke died Friday night after returning to his hotel room in Hill City, his son Ohiyesá Locke said Monday.
Sacheen Littlefeather, actor who declined Brando Oscar, dies
October 3, 2022 GMTSacheen Littlefeather, the actor and activist who declined Marlon Brando’s 1973 Academy Award for “The Godfather” on his behalf in an indelible protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans, has died.
Newsom OKs name change for law school founded by racist
September 24, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A prominent law school in San Francisco named for a 19th century rancher who sponsored deadly atrocities against Native Americans has a new name after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation approving the change.
Tribes seek more details on water use at Arizona copper mine
September 21, 2022 GMTFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An environmental review for a proposed copper mine in eastern Arizona did not adequately analyze the potential impacts of climate change and the strain that drought and demand have put on water resources in the region, a U.S.
Record spending over California’s legal gambling initiative
September 21, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The campaign that could bring legalized sports betting to California is the most expensive ballot-initiative fight in U.S. history at about $400 million and counting, pitting wealthy Native American tribes against online gambling companies and less-affluent tribes over what's expected to be a multibillion-dollar marketplace.
More than 100 archaeological sites featured on new website
September 21, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A new website highlights how archaeological sites across Kentucky have contributed knowledge about the state's history, officials said.
Discover Kentucky Archaeology was launched by the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office in partnership with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a statement from the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet said.
Massachusetts panel explores changes to state seal, motto
September 20, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The commission appointed to come up with a new state seal and motto for Massachusetts to replace the current ones that critics decry as racially insensitive to the state's Indigenous communities discussed some early ideas, but made no firm decisions, at a meeting Tuesday.
2 Illinois sites get new names, eliminating derogatory term
September 17, 2022 GMTPALOS PARK, Ill. (AP) — A suburban Chicago waterway and a western Illinois island have been renamed under a new national policy to remove their previous names' use of a racist term for a Native American woman.
Maine’s 1st ski mountain restores historic name
September 14, 2022 GMTBRIDGTON, Maine (AP) — Maine's first ski mountain — created when the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a single trail in 1936 — is reverting to its original name, Pleasant Mountain.
Operators of what was known as Shawnee Peak for more than 30 years polled skiers about the name, and announced the change on Wednesday.
Malerba sworn in as 1st Native American in US Treasurer post
September 12, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Mohegan Chief Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba was sworn in Monday as the Treasurer of the United States, the first Native American to hold that office.
Her signature will now appear along with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on U.S.
South Dakota tribes buy land near Wounded Knee massacre site
September 10, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Two American Indian tribes in South Dakota have joined forces to purchase 40 acres around the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark, the site of one of the deadliest massacres in U.S.
Judge restores oil lease on land sacred to US, Canada tribes
September 9, 2022 GMTBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Biden administration to reinstate a drilling lease that has been in dispute for decades on land near the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that is considered sacred to Native American tribes in the U.S.
Oklahoma appellate court next for Osage Nation case
September 9, 2022 GMTOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Questions over whether the Osage Nation reservation in northern Oklahoma still exists will next be answered by the state's Court of Criminal Appeals.
Osage County District Judge Stuart Tate ruled last week in a criminal case involving a Native American defendant that the Osage Nation reservation was disestablished by Congress and that the state therefore retains criminal jurisdiction there.
Authorities rename 28 Wisconsin sites to remove racist word
September 9, 2022 GMTGREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The government has renamed more than two dozen lakes and other sites on federal land in Wisconsin to remove a racist term for a Native American woman.
US changes names of places with racist term for Native women
September 9, 2022 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The U.S. government has joined a ski resort and others that have quit using a racist term for a Native American woman by renaming hundreds of peaks, lakes, streams and other geographical features on federal lands in the West and elsewhere.
Lawsuit contests Montana vaccine mandate ban on tribal land
September 8, 2022 GMTGREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A federal lawsuit in Montana seeks to block a state agency from enforcing on tribal lands a legislative prohibition against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The Glacier County Regional Port Authority filed the complaint Tuesday in U.S.
South Dakota settles with tribes to ensure voting rights
September 7, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota secretary of state will implement a voting rights coordinator and train state agencies to comply with federal voting rights laws as part of a settlement with two Native American tribes.
Leader regrets UND still holds tribal artifacts, remains
August 31, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The University of North Dakota's president apologized Wednesday for the school's possession of Native American artifacts and human remains that should have been returned to tribes decades ago under federal law.
Rhode Island mayor proposes $10M reparations spending plan
August 25, 2022 GMTProvidence’s mayor proposed spending $10 million in federal coronavirus pandemic aid on financial literacy and homeownership, workforce training, small business development and other programs recently recommended by the city’s reparations commission.
Utah sues Biden over move to restore 2 national monuments
August 24, 2022 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The state of Utah and two Republican-leaning rural counties sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over the president's decision last year to restore two sprawling national monuments on rugged lands sacred to Native Americans that former President Donald Trump had downsized.
ACLU SD joins case in support of Indian Child Welfare Act
August 24, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is joining other states in filing an amicus brief in defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
As inflation soars, access to Indigenous foods declines
August 23, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Blueberry bison tamales, harvest salad with mixed greens, creamy carrot and wild rice soup, roasted turkey with squash. This contemporary Native American meal, crafted from the traditional foods of tribes across the United States and prepared with “Ketapanen” – a Menominee expression of love – cost caterer Jessica Pamonicutt $976 to feed a group of 50 people last November.
Review: Terrified woman tracked through Western wilderness
August 22, 2022 GMT“Fox Creek” by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
Retired sheriff and part time private detective Cork O’Connor is working the grill in his Aurora, Minnesota, restaurant when a stranger wanders in looking for help finding his wife, Delores, who has run off to have an affair with a Native American named Henry Meloux.
FEMA declares new strategy to engage Native American tribes
August 18, 2022 GMTThe Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a new strategy to better engage with hundreds of Native American tribes as they face climate change-related disasters, the agency announced Thursday.
Noem releases social study standards burnishing U.S. history
August 15, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday released a revised proposal for social studies standards in public schools that lays out a mostly shining vision of American history, after an initial draft of the standards came under heavy criticism last year from conservatives and Native American educators.
Trial starts in challenge to new Montana voting laws
August 15, 2022 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — Native Americans who must travel long distances to election offices and cope with unreliable and infrequent mail delivery are further disenfranchised under election laws approved last year, a lawyer said Monday during opening statements in a trial challenging the laws' constitutionality.
Film academy apologizes to Littlefeather for 1973 Oscars
August 15, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather stood on the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences apologized to her for the abuse she endured.
Lacrosse’s new, fast-paced version may be path into LA Games
August 13, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — Lacrosse player/coach/board member Dana Dobbie appreciates this new, fast-paced version of her sport called “Sixes.”
Not because the 37-year-old helped design the blueprint for the revved-up format that produces an abundance of offense.
Judge tells Lyman County to work with tribe on election plan
August 12, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal judge temporarily ordered a South Dakota county to work with the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe to implement by November a redistricting plan to allow for the election of tribal candidates to the County Commission.
Archives to return Native American remains, burial objects
August 11, 2022 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The remains of Native American people who once lived in Alabama were dug up a century ago — often by amateur archaeologists — and given to the state along with the jewelry, urns and other objects buried with them.
English rugby club dropping Native American-themed chant
August 11, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — English rugby club Exeter will stop playing its “Tomahawk Chop” chant during games as part of a rebrand to move away from a Native American theme that had come under increasing criticism.
Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum
August 10, 2022 GMTPLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Native Americans in Massachusetts are calling for a boycott of a popular living history museum featuring Colonial reenactors portraying life in Plymouth, the famous English settlement founded by the Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower.
60 curators, 1 show: Native Americans pick favorite pottery
August 6, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Native American voices and artistry are at the core of a new traveling exhibition of clay pottery from the Pueblo Indian region of the American Southwest, as major art institutions increasingly defer to tribal communities for displays of ancestral art and artifacts.