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The U.S. Department of Interior is releasing a list of proposed names to replace a derogatory anti-Indigenous word on public lands

A representative of Wisconsin tribes challenges Republican-led efforts to change voting laws and restrict teaching about racism

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U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland talks about parallels between her own family’s residential school experience and Japanese internment as she tours a former relocation camp

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two cases centering on Native American sovereignty

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A hospital on the Navajo Nation near the Arizona-New Mexico border is suing the Indian Health Service after a steep cut to its budget.

A new apartment building has opened in Seattle on low-income and un-housed Native Americans in the city

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Bill in Maine Legislature seeks to change decades old tribal settlement

Top young entertainers on UNITY lineup to encourage Native youth

Civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich honored on U.S. Senate Floor

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Native group funds South Dakota state position for MMIWP specialist

Residential school survivors seek closure following discovery of graves

Bill in Michigan Legislature encourages Indian boarding school lessons

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Bill in Congress seeks to help tackle violence in Alaska Native villages

Keeseekoose First Nation discovers graves at former residential schools

 
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BIA announces reforms following investigative journalism

Native youth leaders lay out three top priorities for NCAI 

NCAI president sees Indian Country strides, continues advocacy

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Members of the Native community in Fairbanks, Alaska held a vigil Friday in memory of Sophie Sergie outside the courtroom where a jury handed down guilty verdicts to the person who murdered the Alaska Native woman in 1993 on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. People gathered in front of a court house holding candles and signs with Sophie’s name. Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Fairbanks Native Association organized the vigil and livestreamed it. According to the Fairbanks Native Association, there are between 35 to 40 unsolved homicide cases in the Fairbanks area with some dating back to the 1970s. The organizations recently started a justice initiative to draw awareness to cases, support families, and work with law enforcement. The vigil ended with songs to honor Sergie.

National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp will deliver the 2022 State of Indian Nations address Monday to tribal leaders, members of Congress, and government officials. The address promises to outline priorities for the year and future visions for tribal nations across the country. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) will deliver the congressional response and, for the first time, the Native youth commission will give remarks as part of N.C.A.I.’s Executive Council Winter Session. Tribal leaders from across the country are taking part in the meeting to hear from members of Congress and the Biden administration. Two interactive fireside chats are included this year to provide a time for questions and comments from tribal leaders.

Tribes manage millions of acres of wildlife habitat, but are faced with funding challenges. A bill in Congress would provide a boost in carrying out projects, as Mike Moen reports.

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A Fairbanks, Alaska jury returned guilty verdicts Thursday against Steven Downs for the sexual assault and murder of Alaska Native Sophie Sergie in 1993 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a case in which DNA collected for an ancestry website prompted the discovery of Downs’ connection, as KUAC’s Robyne reports.

Navajo gaming and Seminole Hard Rock to launch digital sports betting

Sports wagering for the Super Bowl will be in full swing this year. Research from the American Gambling Association found more than 18 million people plan to bet online, in person at sportsbooks, or with a bookie on the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Navajo Nation will soon get into the digital sports betting action as it teams up with the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hard Rock brand. They’ve joined forces to launch the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app in Arizona, where sports betting became legal in 2021. The digital Hard Rock Sportsbook is expected to be launched in the state this month.

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South Dakota Senate lawmakers are passing a bill that creates and funds community-based schools centered on Native American cultural curriculum. A similar proposal passed the chamber two years ago but failed in the House. Supporters hope this year is different. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Lee Strubinger reports.

A bill in the Alaska State Legislature to provide for state recognition of federally recognized tribes was heard in the Senate State Affairs committee Thursday. House Bill 123 was read for the first time in January and referred to committees. It would not give tribes new power, since they’re sovereign. It aims to have the state acknowledge that sovereignty. The state of Alaska and tribes already work together in a government-to-government capacity through tribal compacts. The state has a compact in child welfare. The state recognition initiative gained more than the needed 36 thousand signatures to be put on this year’s ballot. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, there are 229 federally recognized tribes in Alaska. Listen To The Hearing | Follow The Bill

A tribal regalia bill in the Utah Legislature recently passed in the Senate. It had already passed the House. The bill ensures Native students can wear traditional dress, a feather, beaded attired, or moccasins during high school graduation ceremonies across the state. The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Spencer Cox.

The state of New York is dropping requirements for face coverings indoors, but not the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, which announced Wednesday it will continue its mask requirements in all public places on the reservation.