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Leaders on the Navajo Nation report progress in the effort to clean up hundreds of abandoned uranium mines on and near the reservation.

As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, federal officials recently traveled to the area for a firsthand view of the decades-long issue.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan met with tribal officials in Cameron, AZ on the Navajo Nation.

During the trip, he announced the creation of two federal field offices in the tribal capital Window Rock and in Flagstaff, AZ that’ll work with the Navajo EPA to facilitate the mine cleanup and removal of radioactive waste.

U.S. EPA officials also say they’re working to conduct assessments and prioritize the more than 300 abandoned uranium mines that haven’t yet received funding for remediation.

According to Navajo President Jonathan Nez’s office, Regan also visited an abandoned uranium mine site located within feet of occupied homes.

The effort to clean up the more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on and near the Navajo Nation has been ongoing for years and only a handful have been fully remediated. The tribe says about 200 sites currently have funds available for work, but progress has been slow.

Tribal leaders describe the legacy of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation as devastating, causing decades of negative environmental and health impacts among residents and former mine workers.

Between 1944 and 1986, 30 million tons of uranium ore was extracted from the area to support the Manhattan Project and Cold War-era nuclear weapons development.

A new partnership between Black Hills State and the Indian University of North America expands a student support program. This summer, it gave 25 undergrads a chance to jump-start their college careers.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.

The Seventh Gen summer program prepares Native students for success in college.

Joshua Rudnik is director of the Indian University at Crazy Horse Memorial. He says the program helps teenagers take the next step.

“Seventh Gen summer program here at Crazy Horse is for high school students who have just graduated and looking to move into higher education. During the summer they participate in their first semester of college. They earn 12 credits – those are general education credits.”

Along with classes, students live on a small campus and work a credit-eligible internship at the memorial.

Rudnik says the experience goes beyond the classroom.

“So it’s a busy summer, not only with the classes but the 20 hours they work. In addition to the classes and the internship, we have a co-curricular program that seeks to explore culturally significant sites here in the Black Hills.”

Rudnik says the new partnership will provide some Black Hills State professors for classes and help students connect.

“Well, if you’re looking into getting into college, our program is a good start. Not only do we provide your first semester of college with those twelve credits, but we also have a pretty strong student advising and student success team that will guide you through the process of entering college.”

Applications are closed for the summer 2023 program.

Rudnik expects them to reopen in the coming months.

Tribal leaders were among those to join President Joe Biden for a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act on the White House lawn this week.

The president signed the bill last month.

The new law authorizes funding, including tribal-specific funding, to address climate issues and energy.

It also seeks to lower health care costs and tax high-income people and large corporations.

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Mary Peltola (Yup’ik), a former state lawmaker from Bethel, AK, was sworn into the U.S. House Tuesday, becoming the first Alaska Native person to ever serve in Congress.

Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin reports from The Capitol.

Rep. Peltola is 49, a mother of seven, and a salmon fishing advocate. She gave a brief speech on the House floor.

“It is the honor of my life to represent Alaska, a place my elders and ancestors have called home for thousands of years, where to this day, many people in my community carry forward our traditions of hunting and fishing.”

She’s the first Democrat to win Alaska’s sole house seat in 50 years. She’s vowed to carry on the bipartisan legacy of her predecessor, Republican Don Young, who held the seat for Peltola’s entire life, until his death in March.

“Like all Alaskans, I mourned his passing. In Yup’ik when we lose a loved one, we say Tawaingunrituq. This isn’t the end.”

Ana Hoffman was at The Capitol to witness the moment. She’s co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives and Peltola’s classmate from Bethel.

“It feels like she’s bringing a completeness to the House of Representatives that’s been missing. As she was speaking, the thought that kept coming into my mind is the people’s house.”

Peltola won a special election to serve the remainder of Young’s term.

She’ll have to win again in November to keep the seat for the next two-year term.

Another Native woman also made history in Washington, D.C. this week.

Chief of the Mohegan Tribe Lynn Malerba was sworn in as Treasurer of the United States becoming the first Native American and Native woman to hold the office.

Her signature will now appear on currency.

In remarks, Malerba talked about the Biden administration’s commitment to Indian Country saying her appointment is a promise kept – and demonstrates respect for tribal sovereignty and understanding of the government-to-government relationship.

The Treasurer directly oversees the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and is a key liaison with the Federal Reserve.

Malerba will also oversee a newly established office to communicate directly with tribes and be a hub for tribal policy.

She became chief of the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut in 2010 and was the first woman to serve as top leader in the tribe’s modern history.

The Department of Interior has removed a racial slur from 650 geographical features in the U.S.

Taylar Stagner has more.

The S-Q word is a slur for an Indigenous woman.

This affected hundreds of natural landscapes and around 70 tribal nations submitted suggestions for name changes, many of which were granted.

It’s an issue Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has been working on since taking office.

Crystal C’Bearing is with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

Her office deals with protecting cultural landmarks on and off tribal lands. She says it’s about time.

“It was a name that totally degraded women and dehumanized our native woman and just made them seem less than.”

Questions still exist involving certain places with incorrect or inconsistent spelling of Native languages, what name to use when two tribes suggest different names, and features that span multiple jurisdictions.

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U.S. Rep-elect Mary Peltola (D-AK) is being sworn in at the Capitol Tuesday.

Peltola beat Sarah Palin and Nick Begich in a special election for Alaska’s sole House seat.

She becomes the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress. Before heading to Washington D.C. this past weekend, Peltola returned to her hometown of Bethel, Alaska.

KYUK’s Nina Kravinsky is in Bethel.

Peltola supporters gathered at the library for a feast. Dishes, potluck style, filled a long table. In front of it, the Bethel Russian Orthodox choir sang.

Peltola wiped away tears as the choir switched into a Yup’ik rendition of “God Grant You Many Years.”

Bethany Kaiser is a paralegal from Bethel. She cried, too, when she heard the election results.

“I think she really can relate to not just Bethel but rural Alaska in general. I think she can really relate to coming from a small town and knowing the challenges that we all face out here.”

Challenges that include resources and infrastructure.

Bertha Nagasiak hopes Peltola being in Congress will bring better family and homeless services to Bethel. She’s hoping for more community spaces for families and support for people recovering from alcohol addiction.

“And I pray that she follows through on what she says and how she’s going to help the people of our community.”

Others said they wanted her to address the low salmon runs in the region. That issue was a big part of Peltola’s campaign – she describes herself as “pro-fish” and wants to place stricter bycatch limits on trawling.

Peltola told KYUK before the community event that she’s still working on the specifics, but she hopes to craft legislation that will benefit the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta.

“My perspective, my worldview is from this region. So I think it will be interwoven into every single thing that I do.”

Peltola now heads to D.C. where she’ll be sworn in to serve the last four months of late Congressman Don Young’s term.

She’s running again in November to serve the next full, two-year term.

Photo: Troy Smith via Flickr CC

Advocates for keeping the Badger-Two Medicine in northwest Montana free from oil and gas development say the legal fight over the land is far from over.

This comes after a federal judge last week reinstated a decades-old lease on the land that’s sacred to the Blackfeet Nation.

Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton has more.

Washington D.C. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered the U.S. Interior Department to reinstate Solenex’s lease in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, which was first issued in the 1980s.

Read Judge Leon’s opinion

The federal government canceled the lease six years ago saying it was issued illegally. Leon in his ruling said the government didn’t have the authority to cancel it.

The lease is on undeveloped land considered the cultural homeland of the Blackfeet Nation. Blackfeet Historical Preservation Officer John Murray is one of the intervenors in the case.

“The fight is far from over. The Badger-Two Medicine will remain the way it is today.”

The Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance also said in a statement it would fight the ruling, although the alliance and other groups have not yet said when they may appeal.

The Mountain States Legal Foundation, which is representing lease holder Solenex, says it will be ready to defend the ruling if appealed.

The Interior Department declined to comment on the case.

The Solenex lease was one of over 40 oil and gas leases that were issued in the Badger-Two Medicine and is the last remaining lease on that land. Others were either voluntarily relinquished, canceled by the Interior Department. or retired through private settlements.

Listen to Montana Public Radio’s podcast Shared State about Badger-Two Medicine

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A federal appeals court has ruled that fishermen in Alaska’s only Native reserve should not need state permits to fish in waters they’ve traditionally relied on, even outside reservation boundaries.

As KRBD’s Eric Stone reports, the decision is a significant victory in Metlakatla’s decades-long fight for fishing rights.

The Ninth Circuit’s 28-page opinion is broad and unambiguous: the 1891 law that created Metlakatla’s reservation gives tribal members the right to fish in much of southern Southeast Alaska, even outside the Annette Island Reserve’s boundaries.

Metlakatla Mayor Albert Smith called the decision “a very well-reasoned and strongly worded opinion.”

“We’re still going over it, but we’re excited and grateful that the Ninth Circuit confirmed our fishing rights,”

The ancestors of Metlakatla’s Tsimshian people relocated from their former home in British Columbia in the late 19th century at the invitation of the U.S. government.

In 1891, Congress passed a 101-word statute creating the Annette Islands Reserve “for the use of the Metlakahtla Indians.”

That law doesn’t specifically mention fishing rights, but the tribe argued in its 2020 lawsuit against the state of Alaska that Congress intended the Annette Islands to be a permanent, self-sustaining home for the tribe — and that wasn’t possible without the ability to fish outside the reservation’s marine boundaries.

A federal district court judge sided with the state of Alaska and dismissed the case last year, but the Ninth Circuit disagreed, as Metlakatla’s attorney Christopher Lundberg explains.

“The key question that the Ninth Circuit resolved in Metlakatla’s favor was whether Congress in 1891 granted, when they established the reservation, also granted the community the right to fish on a non-exclusive basis in waters outside the reservation,”

The appeals court sent the case back to district court for further consideration.

Alaska Department of Law spokesperson Patty Sullivan called the decision “perplexing and disappointing” in a written statement and said the state is evaluating whether to appeal.

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, there are questions about a renewed relationship between the crown and Indigenous people in Canada.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the head of Canada’s largest First Nations group says the crown needs to apologize to Indigenous peoples.

RoseAnne Archibald is the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. She says when she met King Charles in May before he became king, she felt he was honest about wanting to be part of the solutions to problems plaguing Canada’s Indigenous people. But Archibald says there must be more.

“There needs to be an apology by the crown for the failures. And particularly for the destructiveness of colonization on First Nations people.  And the role of the Anglican church and the crown as the head of that church in many of those institutions of assimilation and genocide.”

Many First Nations people offered their condolences over the death of the Queen, many also spoke of the complicated history with the British crown.

The crown began entering into treaties with Canada’s Native people in 1701.

There are now eleven treaties in Canada.

Some Native historians says Britain had a sense of superiority and felt it had a right to come in to Canada and civilize everyone else.

They says that colonial policies like the residential schools are still having a harmful impact today.

One of the nearly 100 calls to action from Canada’s truth and reconciliation commission was for the crown to issue a royal proclamation. That call has not yet been addressed.

The Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States is holding a legislative hearing Wednesday on a number of tribal land bills.

Tribal leaders from California, Washington, and Kansas are expected to testify.

Lawmakers will also consider amending the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act to advance public safety in tribal communities.

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In the James Smith Cree Nation in north central Saskatchewan the healing begins after Sunday’s stabbing rampage that killed 10 people and wounded 18 others.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, people gathered at the reserve for a news conference, the day after the arrest and death of the prime suspect, Myles Sanderson.

There was a ceremonial fire, a sweat lodge, and an honor song.

It was an emotional event, one man who’s sister was killed in the attacks wrapped his arm around the widow of one of the suspects and talked about forgiveness.

Wally Burns is the chief of the James Smith Cree Nation.

“I’m trying to hold myself together with the words that need to come out. We ask three things. Three things from the governments. We ask that we have our own tribal policing, we ask for awareness of addictions, we ask for treatment centers, so things won’t happen like this to any nations.”

 Burns also issued a plea for an end to the violence. He thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for their support in the wake of the tragedy.

And with news of the death of Queen Elizabeth, he also offered his gratitude for a message she issued just a day before, offering her condolences to the community.

The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police attended the event adding that the police force is open to working towards a self-government police force in the community.

A trust fund is being set up to accept financial donations and provide help in the wake of the attacks.

Members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona have filed a request with the Ninth Circuit  U.S. Court of Appeals to rehear a case involving a sacred site.

They’re hoping to block a massive copper mine slated for Oak Flat on national forest land.

As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, their request to the court is rarely granted.

Members of the group Apache Stronghold this week traveled from the San Carlos Apache Reservation east of Phoenix to San Francisco to make the petition and hold a day of prayer.

In June, a three-judge panel upheld a lower court decision denying the group’s attempt to halt the Resolution Copper mine.

It’s planned for Oak Flat, which tribal members describe as their most sacred site and key to many religious ceremonies.

Apache Stronghold hopes the court will grant a new hearing in front of 11 judges.

Such a move by the circuit court would be very rare, and only a handful are allowed each year out of hundreds of requests.

Circuit court officials say justices could take several weeks or longer to decide whether to rehear the case.

Becket Law, which represents Apache Stronghold, says they’re hoping for a decision by early October, and they also plan to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2014 Congress approved a federal land exchange that paved the way for the copper mine.

Tribal groups, environmentalists and religious advocates say it would destroy Oak Flat along with the area’s desert ecosystem.

The University of Arizona celebrated the grand opening of a new tribal micro-campus this week.

The campus will serve the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson.

It’s intended to help tribal members obtain college degrees, certificates, and access the university’s technology, research, and tutoring services.

The 5,000 sq ft space is located east of the reservation, in a building of a former middle school.

University officials say the new campus is part of their commitment to Native communities and they hope to establish future campuses for other tribes in the state.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s education department worked with the university to develop initial curriculum.

Classes offered are areas in Indigenous governance, leadership, management, and policy.

The fall term begins in October.

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The intense manhunt for the prime suspect in a mass stabbing over the weekend in Saskatchewan is over. Myles Sanderson has died.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, he was facing murder charges linked to the stabbing deaths of ten people and the wounding of at least 18 others.

Most of the victims were from the James Smith Cree Nation about 120 miles northeast of Saskatoon. The community has been on edge and grieving since the stabbings took place early Sunday morning.

One of the suspects, Damien Sanderson, was found dead on the reserve the following day. The other suspect, Myles Sanderson, his brother became the target of a four-day manhunt across the province.

That ended Wednesday afternoon on a highway about 40 miles northeast of Saskatoon near the town of Rosthern.

“Our province is breathing a collective sigh of relief as Myles Sanderson is no longer at large. I can confirm that he is no longer a threat and that there is no risk to the public related to this investigation,” said RCMP Assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore. 

After multiple tips from the public, officers stopped a stolen pickup truck and arrested Sanderson.

Video shared from the scene showed the truck in a ditch surrounded by police cruisers, with a police helicopter flying overhead.

Blackmore says it was confirmed that the driver of the truck was Myles Sanderson.

“He was arrested by police and taken into custody. Shortly after his arrest he went into medical distress. Nearby EMS were called by police to attend the scene. And he was transported to a hospital in Saskatoon. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital.”

On Wednesday evening, members of the James Smith Cree Nation gathered for the first wake since the attacks and there will be more in coming days.

As for the motive for the attacks, police say there may never be an answer.

The Oceti Sakowin Community Academy has officially opened its doors in Rapid City, SD.

The move comes just weeks after the public school district’s Lakota Immersion Program shutdown.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.

The first class of academy kindergartners was introduced to teachers Tuesday at the city’s first Indigenous-led and designed school.

NDN Collective, a Rapid City-based Indigenous advocacy organization, founded the academy.

NDN Collective president Nick Tilsen addressed the students.

“To all the little ones you might think – why are all these people here? Why did the drum come? Why did the elected leaders come? Why did all the grandparents come. They came here for one reason. And that’s for you. (Lakota language) It’s for you and for your future.”

The curriculum includes daily lessons in the Lakota language and reflects subjects including environment, identity, culture, sovereignty, and treaties along with general academic subjects.

Mary Bowman works with the NDN Collective education equity team. She has 15 years of education experience in the Rapid City area. She compared the academy’s vision with her own educational background.

“We learned in a very nurturing environment, and I don’t feel like it’s been that way for a long time. That wasn’t my experience in education, I graduated from the Rapid City Area Schools. I think the opportunity to see themselves in what they are learning is a big thing, they’re going to be motivated and engaged.”

Bowman questioned the school district’s efforts to sustain the Rapid City Lakota Immersion Program.

“We want to see our indigenous students do well, and we’re not waiting for somebody to do something. We’re getting out there and doing it. I think that effort was a half-hearted effort, and I think that’s part of the problem.”

Families interested in enrollment can find more information at ocetisakowinacademy.org.

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UPDATE: The second suspect Myles Sanderson died from “medical distress” after he was taken into police custody.

Meanwhile, as Dan Karpenchuk reports, the James Smith Cree Nation is still in shock and grieving after 10 people were killed and 18 wounded.

In the James Smith Cree Nation, 120 miles northeast of Saskatoon, relatives of the victims are grieving, many of them for Gloria Burns, a respected elder, and a first responder, who was killed when she took the call for help.

Here are reactions from some community members.

“My sister was a very caring woman. She had time for everyone and tried her best to care for everyone.” “This tragedy that happened on our land is because of drugs and alcohol.”

Police have still not been able to provide details about the motive for the attacks.  They say some of the victims appear to have been targeted, while others were selected at random.

Myles Sanderson has a lengthy criminal record. And according to a parole board document, he has a history of violent offenses, including assault. He now faces three counts of first degree murder, as well as attempted murder.

Meanwhile three of the victims remain in hospital in critical condition.

Apache Stronghold (Photo: Facebook)

Members of the Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Apache people, other Native people, and non-Native allies, held a day of prayer Tuesday in San Francisco as they continue their fight to protect a scared site from a proposed copper mine.

They’re seeking a rehearing in their case in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco against the U.S. to protect Oak Flat in Arizona from Resolution Copper.

Oak Flat is located within national forest land east of Phoenix, is a part of a land swap approved by congress in 2014 between the federal government and the company.

In June, the court ruled 2-1 in favor of the government’s decision to transfer Oak Flat to the company finding it does not burden the religious practices of Apache people.

Members of the Apache Stronghold say the sacred land is now on the chopping block and if mined, Oak Flat will be swallowed in a massive crater, ending their religious and traditional practices in the area forever.

The case is being considered for a rehearing in front of a full 11-judge court instead of the three-judge panel.

The Apache Stronghold is hoping this is a second chance to win the case before it goes before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Native POP recently showcased Indigenous music in downtown Rapid City.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.

Labor Day weekend brought Rapid City its first PopFest at Main Street Square. It was a full day of music across genres.

Lafawn Janis is the executive director for Native POP. She says there’s a value for providing performance stages to Native musicians.

“The lyrics are amazing, and it’s relevant to our lives. We brought in artists from around the country and had local artists as well. We all experience a lot of the same social issues. It was really cool to see, and it’s good for our youth to be able to see this.”

For Janis, she says there’s an emotional connection to the show.

“It just makes me smile from the inside out, I know that sounds cheesy, but it really does. It’s an honor to be able to create it and bring it for everyone here.”

One of the performers was Welby June. He describes his sound as soul music, and says engaging with art builds connections.

“It’s great to have this platform to help the local community see the different facets of native folk. That’s incredibly helpful in building community relations in Rapid City and around the area.”

Janis says Native POP hopes to make more musical events possible in the future.

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The manhunt for one of two suspects in a stabbing rampage in Saskatchewan is now in its third day.

The second suspect was found dead Monday on a reserve in northern Saskatchewan.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, 10 people were killed and 18 others wounded in the attacks on the reserve early Sunday morning.

 An intense manhunt for the two suspects, Damien and Myles Sanderson, began early Sunday morning after reports began coming in, to police of multiple stabbings on the James Smith Cree nation, about 120 miles northeast of Saskatoon.

Arrest warrants were issued for the brothers, both in their thirties, and the alert was extended to the neighboring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.

Police investigators were looking at no less than 13 separate crime scenes on the reserve, as well as the nearby town of Weldon.

By Monday afternoon, the body of one of the suspects, Damien Sanderson, was found on the reserve. Here’s Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“His body was located outdoors in a heavily grassed area in proximity to a house that was being examined. We can confirm that he had visible injuries. These injuries are not believed to be self inflicted at this point.”

Blackmore says the other suspect Myles Sanderson is still the target of a manhunt. He faces three counts of first degree murder.

“Myles Sanderson may have sustained injuries. This has not been confirmed. But we do want the public to know this because there is a possibility he may seek medical attention. Even if he is injured it does not mean he is not still dangerous.”

Meanwhile condolences have been pouring into the James Smith Cree Nation from Native and political leaders across the country all describing the attacks as horrific and shocking. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also called it heartbreaking.

“My thoughts and the thoughts of all Canadians are with those who’ve lost loved ones and with those who are injured. This kind of violence or any kind of violence has no place in our country.”

Trudeau also said he told leaders at the reserve that federal resources will be there in this time of crisis.

The Canadian flag at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, as well as those at all federal buildings in Saskatchewan, have been lowered to half mast.

The James Smith Cree Nation has asked for privacy.  Four of those injured remain in critical condition in hospital.

A federal district judge in South Dakota has declined to stop Lyman County’s November 2022 commission election, even though he found that it will violate the federal Voting Rights Act.

But to protect future elections, Chief Judge Roberto Lange has ordered the county not to alter its redistricting plan passed in late August until after the 2030 census.

Victoria Wicks has this report.

Judge Lange has issued a limited preliminary injunction for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in its battle for fair districting in Lyman County.

The tribe first approached the Lyman County Commission in October 2021 to break up the county’s single voting district that has historically resulted in the defeat of Native candidates, a system that violates the federal Voting Rights Act.

Almost 47% of the population of Lyman County is Native.

After almost a year of negotiations and court hearings, county commissioners approved an ordinance on August 22 that establishes a non-reservation district with three commission seats and a reservation district with two candidates to be elected in 2024.

An earlier proposal would have left the tribe waiting until 2026 for its second seat to be filled.

In his order issued September 2, Judge Lange said this latest ordinance is more palatable than the previous one, but it still leaves this November’s election in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Lower Brule leaders wanted the 2022 election to be canceled, with a special election held in early 2023. Judge Lange said that proposal was not workable.

Judge Lange suggested that the 2022 election could be legally held by electing three of those six candidates, using the two new commission districts the county approved in August.

However, Judge Lange said neither party approved of that solution and both sides have now said it’s too late to make changes for the upcoming election.

To ensure federal protection of Native voters in future elections, Judge Lange enjoined Lyman County from modifying its new ordinance until after the 2030 Census.

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Native American National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Nicole Mann is part of the crew preparing to launch a U.S. commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station by the end of September.

This will be Mann’s first spaceflight since becoming an astronaut in 2013.

Mann is the NASA SpaceX Crew-5 spacecraft commander.

“I will fly myself and three other crewmates. We will launch from Kennedy Space Center in a dragon spacecraft, which is built by SpaceX. We will take a day or so to get to the International Space Station and we’ll stay on board for about six months to execute our mission. Our spacecraft will stay attached the entire time and then at the end of the mission we’ll come back home and we’ll splash down off the coast of Florida.”

The team will conduct more than 200 scientific experiments during the mission.

“Some of those are technology demonstration to help us further human exploration a lot of them are scientific investigations and research to benefit humans back on earth. So, because the space station is in microgravity there’s a lot of things we can do that that you simply can’t do on earth.”

Mann is Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California and says she’s proud to represent Native people.

“I think your background and your heritage is an important part of who you are and your family and the community that brought you up. I think it’s also important to then share with our communities, what amazing things our people we grew up with are executing, and what they’re doing. Hopefully there are some young Native kids that are looking and see what amazing things, amazing opportunities that they have in front of them, and a lot of those barriers that used to exist are being broken down.”

Mann is responsible for all phases of flight from launch to re-entry. She’ll serve as an Expedition 68 flight engineer aboard the station.

Mann has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

She’s a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.

The public can follow the SpaceX Crew-5 Mission at nasa.gov.

The Pueblo of Isleta in New Mexico recently celebrated Miguel Trujillo Day to honor the Pueblo civil rights leader.

The Marine veteran and school teacher fought for Native voting rights in the 1940s after he attempted to register to vote and was refused.

The New Mexico Constitution held that “Indians not taxed” could not vote. Trujillo filed a federal lawsuit, which he won on August 3, 1948.

The court ruled New Mexico discriminated against Indians by restricting voting on the basis they paid state and federal taxes, but not private property tax on reservations. Trujillo set a precedent for the future of Native voting rights, which the Isleta Pueblo Voters Alliance continues to reflect on today.

“It’s just a beautiful story and it’s just refreshing now at this current day that we’ve had those leaders in place and we continue to have those types of Native leaders to amplify the voices of our people.”

Janice Lucero is a voting rights advocate and community organizer.

“Native folks and Indigenous communities are starting to step up to the table. We are starting to fight for what we know and that is our land, that is our water, that is our body and the more we get out to vote, we can be those change makers.”

Lucero says the alliance works on voter registration, voter education and advocates to get out the Native vote.

“There has to be a shift. There has to be a shift in how we vote, how we speak up, getting out there being educated. Do the research folks, find out who you align with, the values that’s so important do they align with your values? It’s important that we know those people are advocating for us. We don’t want outside people coming in and trying to take over and have their own agenda. Indigenous people have been here for years and we have our own agenda and that’s with the land and that’s with each other.”

The Isleta Pueblo Voters Alliance was founded by community members in 2020. The alliance co-hosted the event with the Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of Isleta Veterans Association, and the New Mexico Humanities Council.

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There is a first-of-its-kind agreement between the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.

The new arrangement helps the organizations work together more effectively.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.

The memorandum of mutual support is described as “historic” and a “force multiplier” for both offices, as violent crime rates continue to rise.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Kevin Killer says the agreement will tighten jurisdictional gaps.

“It’s going to mean people can feel safe at night and they can understand when the chief reaches out for partners he doesn’t have to worry about going through all these jurisdictional loopholes to get some arrest warrant once they flee the reservation. Because they know – they know once they leave the reservation it’s a different jurisdiction, and it’s a different relationship.”

Killer says the reservation’s public safety budget is $5 million a year, while Pennington County has a budget approaching $45 million, not including Rapid City.

Algin Young is the chief of police for the tribe. He says the agreement formalizes a long-term working relationship with the sheriff’s office.

“We’ve seen an increase in violent crime and we’ve seen a shortage in police officers – people wanting to be police officers. This is a force multiplier and us collaborating with the Sheriff’s office for public safety.”

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom says the agreement also respects tribal sovereignty.

“This agreement is an acknowledgement of the tribe’s sovereignty. It’s government to government, signing agreements. We’ll come when asked, we’ll do what you ask, we’ll leave when asked, it’s really that simple, but it gives us the ability to better protect our communities.”

The agreement acknowledges cultural differences between the communities and commits to develop an understanding between departments to better serve the public.

Tipi encampment at the annual Tamkaliks celebration in eastern Oregon. (Photo: Brian Bull/KLCC)

Five years after the passage of Senate Bill 13, which mandated teaching Oregon students about Native Americans, new curriculum materials are rolling out.

KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

K through 12 educational materials are being developed by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the state’s nine federally-recognized tribes.

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are the latest to roll out their curriculum.

“I know when I went to school, the only Indians we heard about was Sitting Bull.”

Delores Pigsley is the Siletz Tribal Chair.

She’s hopeful that by sharing her tribe’s history, culture, and practices, Native youth can feel empowered and visible, while non-Indians can appreciate their Indigenous neighbors more.

“I think it’ll be a challenge to teachers to adopt the curriculum, and to give it their best shot. So it’s gonna be important how it’s taught, and how it’s accepted.”

An ODE official says all nine sovereign tribes of Oregon are in different stages of development with their lesson plans.

Western Oregon University has announced it will offer in-state tuition to Native Americans.

The tuition is for undergraduate students who are enrolled members of any federally recognized tribe.

In-state tuition for 2022-23 is $8,730 for 15 credits. Out-of-state tuition is more than $28,000.

The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma is hosting a special reception on Saturday to celebrate the opening of its newest exhibit, “We Are Cherokee: Cherokee Freedmen and the Right to Citizenship.”

The exhibit at the tribe’s national history museum examines the history of slavery in Cherokee Nation.

Stories, images, and documents of Cherokee Freedmen are featured, alongside nine original artworks by Cherokee Nation artists.

The exhibit is part of the Cherokee Freedmen Art and History Project, established in 2020, which seeks materials and stories to broaden Cherokee Nation’s understanding of Freedmen.

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