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- By Native News Online Staff
Summer is a busy season filled with activity. Whether attending traditional ceremonies, taking part in powwows, or spending time with relatives and friends, our days are full and meaningful.
Here are three stories you may have missed this weekend:
Sen. Murkowski Introduces Legislation to Support Native Children & Families
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, has released a comprehensive draft bill designed to improve the well-being and future opportunities of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children.
The discussion draft builds on the findings and recommendations of The Way Forward—the final report of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, published in February 2024.
The proposed legislation tackles a broad range of issues, including child welfare, justice, health (physical, behavioral, and environmental), housing and homelessness, education, child care, and improved research and data infrastructure.
Native News Weekly (August 3, 2025): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (August 3, 2025): D.C. Briefs
The US Senate Passed FY26 Appropriations that provides $235 million for the Food Distribution on Indian Reservation Program (FDPIR) and $3 million for a FDPIR pilot program that allows Tribes participating in FDPIR to purchase traditional food from small Tribal producers.
The bill also provides $700,000 for processing and federal inspection of Tribal bison, which will help support Tribal food sovereignty by enabling Tribes to include bison raised on their own lands to be included in federal nutrition programs like school meals.
Additionally, bill provides $5.1 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Tribal Relations, which is responsible for government-to-government relations between USDA and Tribal governments.
Photos of the 2025 Pottawaomi Gathering Friday Night's Powwow Grand Entry
Powwow dancers from Potawatomi (Bodéwadmi) nations in the United States and Canada entered the dance arena for Friday night’s Grand Entry of the 2025 Pottawatomi Gathering’s powwow at Jijak Camp, owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi, commonly known as the Gun Lake Tribe.
On Friday evening, August 1, the powwow’s Grand Entry at Camp Jijak unfolded. Hundreds of dancers—gleaming regalia filling the arena—entered during a procession that lasted approximately 45 minutes. Military veterans from multiple conflicts carried eagle staffs and tribal flags, representing Potawatomi nations across the U.S. and Canada. Among them was a veteran who identified himself as a survivor of the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.
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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.
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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.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
