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.
Happy Monday Morning!
The United Nations is celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples today. Normally, the day is celebated each year on August 9, but since it fell on Sunday, the United Nations will celebrate today.
Indian Country Welcomes Newly Confirmed IHS Director Mark Cruz
After 18 months without a Senate-confirmed director, the Indian Health Service (IHS) will have new permanent leadership.
The U.S. Senate on Friday, August 7, 2026, confirmed Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes of Oregon, to serve as director of the Indian Health Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cruz will become the 12th director of IHS, which provides health care services to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives through a network of federal, Tribal and urban Indian health programs.
Public Comments Open on Proposed Rare Earth Mine Near Sacred Mato Tipila
The Forest Service is currently accepting public comments on the proposed project. Those who oppose the mine are being urged to submit comments and call for protection of Mato Tipila, Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) and the surrounding ecosystem.
The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on the proposed Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project through August 28, 2026.
Submit your comment HERE.
UN to Mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples With Focus on Indigenous Midwives
The United Nations will mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Monday, August 10, with a virtual commemoration highlighting the vital role Indigenous midwives play in safeguarding the health, well-being and cultural continuity of their communities.
The 2026 theme is “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being.”
The International Day is officially observed each year on August 9. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 49/214 establishing August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The date commemorates the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, held in 1982.
