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- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.
Indian Affairs Announces Tribal Tourism Grant Opportunity $1.4 Million to Support Tribal Tourism
Letters of Support Needed to Support Native Children & Families Legislation
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is urging Native Americans to contact their congressional representatives in support of the Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 9076). This bipartisan legislation is ready to move forward towards a vote in the House of Representatives in early September.
To help your outreach efforts, NICWA developed a sample letter that you can adapt and send to your House representative. This letter emphasizes the critical impact of H.R. 9076 on Native children and families and urges representatives and calls for prompt action from federal elected officials. Your voice can help ensure the timely passage of this vital legislation.
You can find your representative's contact information at congress.gov.
Health Care Facilities Can Use Federal Funding to Reduce Operating Costs and Improve Resilience
The Inflation Reduction Act offers billions of dollars that can support tribal-serving health care organizations by improving emergency preparedness and lowering operating expenses. Crucially, tax credits for on-site renewable energy, electric vehicle fleets and ambulances, and charging stations are eligible for "elective pay,” meaning that non-profit and Indian Tribal governments can receive a payment equal to the full value of the credits.
Many grant and loan programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act can be used for the same projects as the tax credits, subject to certain requirements and limitations. For example, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund loans can support small-scale power generation and zero-emissions transportation. You can learn more about these opportunities through resources and webinars from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, including case studies from providers who have leveraged these opportunities.
The Department welcomes outreach from organizations open to being featured in a case study as well as any questions to [email protected].
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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.
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
