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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.
Murkowski Seeks Input on “Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act of 2025”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the chair of the U.S. Committee on Indian Affairs, is seeking input on a bill she plans to introduce in the Senate.
Comments are due to Sen. Murkowski’s office by Sep. 12, 2025 at Murkowski_Outreach@Indian.
What is covered in the Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act of 2025: The draft legislation addresses a wide range of issues affecting Native children and families, including child welfare, justice, physical, behavioral, and environmental health, housing and homelessness, education, child care, and the expansion of research and data capabilities. Specific to agricultural considerations the bill includes:
- 638 authority for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), which would allow Tribes to choose to administer FDPIR
- 638 authority for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would allow Tribes to choose to administer SNAP
- A new pilot 638 program to allow Alaska Native regional corporations and the Metlakatla Indian Community to administer SNAP
- Authorization and expansion of the Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects, which was first established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024.
- Provisions to improve data collection, Tribal data sovereignty, and use of Traditional Ecological Practices. Note however that IAC will be submitting comment recommending improvements to these provisions to better capture Tribal agricultural data and needs.
ACF Awards $3M for Tribal Home Visiting to Support Mothers and Young Children
The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) recently announced six tribal entities received awards under the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program.
The program develops and strengthens tribal capacity to promote the health and well-being of pregnant women and families with children from birth to kindergarten entry in AI/AN communities. The Tribal MIECHV program now funds 53 grants supporting tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to implement voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs across 110 tribal communities.
IHS Shares Resources Related to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Reporting
Indian Health Service (IHS) notes the timely reporting of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement helps in prevention and reduces negative impacts to beneficiaries and tribal, urban, and federal programs. This Dear Tribal Leader Letter highlights the HHS Office of the Inspector General, especially its free online trainings on fraud prevention, grantee responsibilities, and whistleblower protections. The letter is accompanied by enclosures on OIG's tribal training resources and summaries on fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.
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Tributes for Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr.
Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. Walks On at 66
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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