- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
BRIMLEY, Mich. — The Bay Mills Indian Community, located in Brimley, Mich., issued the following statement to show solidarity with other tribal nations that are defending their tribal sovereignty and land:
“The Bay Mills Indian Community stands in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en People, the Tohono O'odham Nation, and all indigenous people who are defending their lands and waters from destruction and desecration. Too often, Indian people are forced to bear the costs of oil pipelines, mines, and border walls - usually without our consent. It is time for the Canadian and United States governments to live up the principles they espoused when they endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People - that we have the right to give or withhold consent to the use of our homelands.
We are aware of planned peaceful demonstrations across Canada and the United States to stand in solidarity with tribal communities defending their homelands. We encourage our own tribal members to participate in these peaceful demonstrations. It is important that we act in a peaceful and non-violent way, and we urge law enforcement officers to refrain from responding to peaceful demonstrations with force or violence.
Inconvenience is not the same as injustice.”
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Visits Oak Ridge Fire Command Post, Reaffirms Support for Navajo Nation Recovery Efforts
Native News Weekly (July 6, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
