January 17, 2025
The crystal waters of the St. Mary’s River in northern Michigan and southern Ontario once teemed with whitefish, a vital food source for the Anishinaabek people. But after two centuries of colonization, overfishing and invasive species, these culturally significant fish populations have declined sharply.
Currents
Native relations emerged as a central focus of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday for Secretary of the Interior, where he pledged to uphold the government-to-government relationship with tribes through consultation on issues like public land management.
From Our Partners
Exhibition examines Indigenous representation and identity during a period of regional transformation
Opinion
Guest Opinion . As a Karuk Tribal member from the Klamath River, my heart goes out to everyone in Southern California who has been displaced or devastated by the recent wildfires. Our communities know this pain all too well—we, too, have seen homes reduced to ash and sacred lands scorched by wildfires. Fire, which can be a source of renewal, has become a destructive force, intensified by years of mismanagement, climate change, and systemic disregard for Indigenous knowledge.
Guest Opinion. This month we celebrate an important birthday: Our Speaker Services turns three . Its future is bright.
Sovereignty
Cherokee Nation has reached an $80 million settlement with the federal government to resolve claims of trust resource mismanagement during the 20th century.
A federal judge declined a request to bar the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians from barricading reservation roads on the same day the tribal council voted to keep the disputed roads open.
Education
California enacted Assembly Bill 1821 (AB 1821) last week, mandating the inclusion of Native American history and perspectives in public education.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will return to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in the 119th Congress, his office announced today.
Arts & Entertainment
The crystal waters of the St. Mary’s River in northern Michigan and southern Ontario once teemed with whitefish, a vital food source for the Anishinaabek people. But after two centuries of colonization, overfishing and invasive species, these culturally significant fish populations have declined sharply.
An embattled gaming hall proposed by the Native Village of Eklutna has received an endorsement from the mayor of Anchorage, even as the state’s governor petitions the incoming Trump administration to revoke its approval.
Health
Environment
Attorneys representing Native American tribes and environmental organizations brought their case Tuesday before a three-judge panel in the Michigan Court of Appeals to challenge a 2023 permit from the Michigan Public Service Commission — one of three needed for Enbridge to proceed with its controversial Line 5 tunnel project.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed an agreement Friday to improve fish passage in Mill Creek near Walla Walla, Wash.