May 05, 2025
President Donald Trump posted on social media Sunday evening that he is directing his administration to reopen Alcatraz, the former maximum-security prision that closed six decades ago and later became a powerful symbol of Indigenous resistance.
Currents
On the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, white smoke rose from a chimney in the Vatican—signaling to the world that a new pontiff had been chosen.
From Our Partners
If you’ve been thinking about going back to school, or starting fresh, and wondering where you’d even begin, you’re not alone. For many Native students across the country, finding a college that gets you, that fits your life, and honors your roots can feel out of reach. That’s where Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) steps in.
(Green Bay, WI) — Bay Bank stands for your future as it seeks to improve the financial literacy of its customers and the wider community. Financial literacy means you have the skills, knowledge and tools to make individual financial decisions and know what actions to take to attain your goals.
Palm Desert, CA — California Indian Nations College (CINC) is proud to announce its seventh graduation cohort, marking a historic milestone as CINC celebrates its largest graduating class. The ceremony will take place in the Ballroom at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on May 29, 2025.
Opinion
Guest Opinion. The tribal gaming industry has been the most successful economic development in Indian country in my lifetime. Over the past four and a half decades, it has lifted entire communities out of crushing poverty and conferred economic and political power to Indian people for the first time in generations.
Guest Opinion. Native communities already experience obstacles to voting, from language barriers and lack of polling places on reservations to state laws which do not recognize Tribal identifications or accept reservation addresses that sometimes do not include house numbers or even street names.
Sovereignty
The Jamul Indian Village of California marked a momentous occasion last week, celebrating the passage of S. 3857—the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act —alongside members of Congress, local officials, Tribal Leaders, Elders, and community members. The legislation facilitates the long-awaited return of 172.10 acres of ancestral land in Jamul to the Tribe.
The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana officially broke ground today on its long-anticipated Ceremonial Center, marking a significant milestone in the Tribe’s ongoing journey of resilience, cultural renewal, and self-determination.
Education
Bella Garcia, a senior at Clovis High School in California and a citizen of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, has spent her senior year pushing back against school officials who say she can’t wear her full tribal regalia at graduation.
Two students making waves in Indigenous art and filmmaking were honored this week as winners of the 2025 Tribal College Journal (TCJ) Student Art and Film Contest.
Arts & Entertainment
In his book " The Usual Suspect ," Oklahoma attorney Gary Pitchlynn (Choctaw) shares his story from one of the state's most shocking murder trials, the 1977 Girl Scout murders at Camp Scott.
Native Fashion Week Santa Fe 2025 cements its status as one of the largest Indigenous fashion events in the United States, establishing itself as a key fixture on the global fashion calendar — where heritage and innovation meet.
Health
Environment
On Wednesday, NDN Fund announced the successful closing of a loan with the Native Conservancy, an Indigenous-led land trust based in Alaska’s Copper River Delta. As the impact investment arm of NDN Collective, NDN Fund provides braided capital—combining financing with capacity and power-building support—to Indigenous-owned and led businesses working to strengthen their communities.
The California Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials today approved AB 362, a bill that would require the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water boards to consider the impacts of proposed water projects on tribal communities. The measure, introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), also mandates that state and local water boards establish water quality standards that protect tribal water uses, where applicable.