November 09, 2025
Opinion. One in four Native Americans utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as SNAP or food stamps. Native Americans live at the poverty level twice the national average. Among Native American SNAP recipients, most are elders, children or disabled individuals.
Currents
The U.S. Senate on Monday night approved a bipartisan deal to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, breaking a weeks-long standoff that disrupted food aid for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay, and snarled air travel across the country.
From Our Partners
Across the country today, museums are being forced to reckon with the truth. For centuries, most mainstream museums were built from taking — taking objects, taking stories, taking lands. They displayed the Ancestors of Native Nations under the banner of “education,” while silencing the very Peoples those Ancestors came from.
Brimley, MI – November 5, 2025 – As rising grocery costs and recent government instability affecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits strain household budgets, Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) is reaffirming its commitment to student well-being by ensuring reliable access to nutritious food through its Campus Cares Cupboard and free lunch program, now bolstered by critical state grant funding.
The nation’s first Indigenous-focused Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and a corresponding Indigenous concentration in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program will open for applications in 2026 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These groundbreaking graduate programs, offered through the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health , will prepare future leaders to address the health priorities of Indigenous peoples through culturally informed, community-driven solutions.
Palm Desert, California — California Indian Nations College (CINC), the only accredited tribal college in California in decades, is experiencing remarkable growth while making a profound impact on Indigenous education. Since its founding, CINC has served 506 students, providing culturally responsive higher education that empowers Native communities and fosters leadership, academic success, and cultural preservation.
Opinion
Guest Opinion. Last week, I was honored to testify before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the matter of Lumbee recognition. I am grateful to Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for holding a serious, measured hearing — one that created space for actual evidence to be presented. This is long overdue.
Opinion. One in four Native Americans utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as SNAP or food stamps. Native Americans live at the poverty level twice the national average. Among Native American SNAP recipients, most are elders, children or disabled individuals.
Sovereignty
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation will host its annual Puneesuwak “Honoring” Our Veterans event, a celebration recognizing more than 200 years of Native and non-Native Americans serving side by side in the U.S. Armed Forces. The celebration will honor more than 200 years of Native and non-Native military service
This week, the Lumbee Tribe stood forward with near total support from U.S. leaders, including President Donald Trump, who made it his Native American Heritage month priority to usher along federal tribal sovereignty that the Lumbee have sought since at least Civil War-reconstruction.
Education
The American Indian College Fund has launched a new campaign, You Can Do Something , in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. The effort aims to reshape how Americans understand history, power and culture — and to encourage action to honor and support Native peoples.
The American Indian College Fund will host its sixth annual Tribal College and University (TCU) Virtual Fair from November 17–20. The four-day online event will connect TCUs with Native students, families, and educators through informational sessions and specialized workshops.
Arts & Entertainment
This Native American Heritage Month, Native News Online is celebrating by sharing our favorite Native American actor movies, TV shows, books, chefs, musicians, artists, and fashion designers.
The Cherokee Nation’s push to expand the television and film industry in northeast Oklahoma continues to deliver results, with several productions supported by the tribe’s film incentive program premiering this fall.
Health
Environment
Ten Michigan Tribal Nations have filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Enbridge’s “underhanded procedural tactics” in the ongoing legal fight over the Line 5 oil pipelines.
Alaska Native organizations and tribal governments, in collaboration with the Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), regional nonprofits, and community partners, have launched the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund to deliver immediate and long-term support to communities devastated by Typhoon Halong.