Overview:
The weekend may be over, but the news affecting Indian Country doesn’t stop. Each Monday, Native News Online brings you “Articles You May Have Missed”—a quick look at the important stories from across Indian Country that deserve your attention.
Good Morning Morning!
With the midterm elections in the rearview mirror, Congress returns to Washington this week.
Pueblo goernors and other Native Americans leaders will be on the steps of the U.S. Capitol today to proclaim their opposition to Senate Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) that aims to accelerate federal environmental review of project proposals. Native leaders oppose the legilsation because they believe it would weaken tribal sovereignty, reduce protections for sacred sites and cultural resources, and diminish the ability of Tribal Nations to participate meaningfully in federal decisions involving their ancestral lands. (Read more about this issue below).
Here are some of the articles you may have missed this past weekend:
On Monday, Nov. 9, the U.S. Senate will vote on a bill that, if passed, could have far-reaching consequences for tribal preservation, sacred sites, and cultural resources across Indian Country.
The Senate Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) aims to accelerate federal environmental review of project proposals. The bill proposes significant changes to long-standing environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. The bill was introduced in September, with no congressional oversight, public hearings or tribal consultation.
Advocates and lawmakers opposing BAAJA say that while the bill includes provisions that would advance clean energy initiatives, other provisions would devastate tribal sovereignty and environmental protections by allowing developers access to public lands for uranium mining, oil and gas pipelines, large-scale data centers, and more, without judicial review.
Tribal Leaders Oppose Senate Permitting Bill Despite Changes in Substitute Amendment
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has released a substitute amendment to legislation intended to streamline federal permitting, lower energy costs and create jobs.
However, the proposed changes have done little to ease concerns among tribal leaders who say the legislation threatens tribal sovereignty and diminishes the role of Tribal Nations in federal decision-making.
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee; Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee; Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairwoman of the EPW Committee; and Mike Lee (R-Utah), chairman of the ENR Committee, released the substitute amendment to the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) on Saturday.
National Bison Day: Buffalo Restoration Reconnects Tribal Nations to Culture, Food Sovereignty
Today is National Bison Day in the United States, observed annually on the first Saturday in November. The day honors an animal deeply revered by Tribal Nations — one that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations, providing nutritious food, clothing, tools and materials for ceremonial and cultural practices.
In 2016, the American bison was designated the national mammal of the United States. Before westward expansion and mass slaughter decimated their populations, an estimated 60 million bison roamed North America, with the largest herds concentrated across what is now the central United States.
For generations, Native Americans throughout the Great Plains and other bison territories depended on the buffalo for virtually every aspect of life. The animal provided sustenance, supported tribal economies and held profound cultural and spiritual significance.