Native American Issues / Public News Service

The U.S. International Joint Commission was asked in March 2024 to address the effects of transboundary water pollution in the Kootenai River Watershed, and should make its decisions by March 2026. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Montana joins tribes to target Canadian mining pollution

Montana has joined a coalition of Indigenous groups working to address Canadian coal mining pollution in the state's Kootenai River. The …

The nonprofit FracTracker Alliance has created an online map that shows the proximity of CO2 pipelines in Great Plains states to ecologically vulnerable areas and Indigenous lands. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

'FracTracker' maps pipeline effects on Indigenous land

A nonprofit group that tracks oil and gas development has created an interactive map to show how close CO2 pipelines in Great Plains states come to en…

Just under 14% of South Dakota kids are American Indian or Alaska Native, but make up more than 62% of children in the state's foster care system, according to the National Indian Child Welfare Association. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Remembering older kids in foster care on National Adoption Day

This coming Saturday is National Adoption Day and it is a good time to think about children who are older or have special needs and face more difficul…

Built in 1953 and outlasting its original lifespan, Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline transports 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily across 645 miles of terrain through Michigan and Wisconsin. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, November 18, 2024

Controversial Line 5 project faces more legal action in WI

A legal challenge is expected since the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has granted key permit approvals to a Canadian energy company to rer…

Monday, November 18, 2024

Some wins, but more needed for Native artists in WY

A great way to observe National Native American Heritage Month is to support Native artists but some in Wyoming said there are barriers to their expos…

According to MSCI, 97% of nickel, 89% of copper, 79% of lithium and 68% of cobalt supplies in the U.S. are located within 35 miles of Native American reservations. (Adobe Stock)

Federal agendas aside, tribes have a lot to offer in 'energy evolution'

President-elect Donald Trump's agenda for "energy dominance" could majorly impact leaders in the sector, including the state of Wyoming and the …

A bill making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives would create a truth and healing commission to address ongoing harms to Native American families linked to the federal children's boarding-school program. (Adobe Stock)

Biden boarding school apology a first step toward healing

President Joe Biden's recent apology on behalf of the federal government for harms done to generations of Native American children and their families …

Over the course of U.S. history, fewer than 30 Native Americans have served in Congress. (Adobe Stock)

Overcoming odds in boosting Native representation in elected offices

As Americans head to the polls this Election Day, researchers noted there are a record number of Indigenous candidates seeking public office around …

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative registered nearly 160,000 new voters for the Nov. 5 election, which represents the largest grassroots voter registration program in the country. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio's voting system affects BIPOC communities

Ohio voters are facing significant challenges at the ballot box, with some groups expressing concerns over voter roll purges and gerrymandering …

Even with the rise of social media and email blasts, traditional

ND tribal outreach leaders crank up the amps, messaging to voters

Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota…

The Klamath River was once home to the third largest salmon run on the West Coast. (Piotr Wawrzyniuk/Adobe Stock)

After 100 years, salmon return to Upper Klamath River

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Community leaders in a recent Progress Michigan webinar said if the GOP's Project 2025 is implemented, it could have a devastating effect on Michigan farms, rural schools and the state's Indigenous tribes. (Adobe Stock)

Leaders fear GOP 2025 plans would harm people in rural Michigan

Groups from across Michigan are sounding the alarm on the effect Republican-backed policies would have on people in rural parts of the state…

Adults and youth get ready to play double ball during the first annual Indigenous Dakota Games event in Lake Traverse Reservation. (Dustina Gill)

Sharing traditional games with Dakota youth

By LaVerne Whitebear for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News…

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park is home to more than 50 species which are threatened, endangered, sensitive or otherwise of concern. (Adobe Stock)

CA Tribes call for national monuments at world biodiversity conference

This week, more than 100 Californians are in Cali, Columbia, for the 16th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity. Tribes, policymakers …

According to legal assistance groups, there are no Native Americans serving in the North Dakota state Senate for the first time in three decades. They blame political boundaries updated by the Legislature in 2021, resulting in a lawsuit and a new court-ordered map. (Adobe Stock)

Court activity resumes in ND tribal redistricting case

Oral arguments were heard this week in a legal fight over redistricting outcomes for North Dakota tribal lands. About a year ago, North Dakota was …

To qualify for in-state tuition through the Native American Tuition Advantage Program, MSU students must meet at least one of several criteria, including providing a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, a photocopy of a Tribal ID, and a letter of Tribal Certification or proof of citizenship. (Jorge Ferreiro/Adobe Stock)

Michigan State expands access, affordability for Indigenous students

Michigan State University has launched a new program to expand educational opportunities for Native American students across the country. The Native …

Adrian Sinclair is the plant manager at the 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. (Ben Felder/Investigate Midwest)

OK tribes' meat processing plants reverse historic ag consolidation

By Ben Felder for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Oklahoma News Service reporting for the Investigate Midwest-Solutions Jo…

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, securing Native Americans' right to vote in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal leaders mark Indigenous Peoples Day urging Native vote

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day, and tribal leaders are using the occasion to call on people in Indian Country to vote in the upcoming election…

Candice Griego, the new director of Tribal Relations for Roadrunner Food Bank, wants to help New Mexico's Indigenous communities develop food sovereignty. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM food bank goes the distance to reach Indigenous communities

A New Mexico food bank has expanded outreach to the state's Indigenous communities by hiring a Director of Tribal Relations. Candice Griego will …

Eric Greenlee, a student from Georgia Tech, installs water-level sensors in lakes at Lac du Flambeau to help monitor wild rice beds. (Photo courtesy Naomi Blinick)

Culture, conservation thrive as Great Lakes Tribes bring back wild rice

By Spoorthy Raman for Mongabay.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News…

Winnebago adults and children husking corn during the 2024 Indian Corn Harvest. (Photo courtesy Ho-Chunk, Inc.)

Ho-Chunk Farms revitalize, preserve tribal culture with Indian Corn Project

Ho-Chunk Farms' annual Indian Corn Harvest is reviving and preserving this tradition for the northeast Nebraska tribe. Corn from a Winnebago family's …

Lt. Gov. Penny Flanagan, DFL-Minn., could become the first Native American woman to serve as governor if the Harris-Walz ticket wins the White House. (Office of the Governor)

Early voting begins in AZ, as candidates court 'powerful' Native vote

It is the first day of early voting in Arizona and both presidential hopefuls will be making their cases to voters. Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn.…

To date, the Bureau of Land Management has permitted clean-energy projects on public lands adding 29 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power more than 12 million homes, according to the agency. (Adobe Stock)

BLM’s proposed Western Solar Plan leaves room for wildlife

A new federal proposal details which public lands across the West would be open to solar development. Wildlife advocates are glad to see that some - …

Many residents of Montana's seven Indigenous tribes live several hours from the nearest polling place. Advocates are pushing back on efforts to limit remote ballot collection efforts on tribal lands. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous groups fight limiting remote ballot collection

Montana's Indigenous population is pushing back against efforts to limit ballot collection on tribal lands. Many members of the state's seven tribes …

The New England Fishery Management Council is developing new management strategies for important forage fish stock off the Massachusetts coast, with the goal of improving river herring conservation. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

River herring loss in MA part of greater forage stock decline

Members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head are asking federal regulators to help restore the river herring, a forage fish they said is vital to the …

Life expectancy among American Indians and Alaskan Natives is more than five years shorter than the national average. (unm.edu)

Public health officials lack data in treating Native American communities

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public …

In Madison, Wis., the Indigenous Language Table meets weekly to practice their skills and support each other. (Photo courtesy of Laura Red Eagle)

Building an Indigenous language learning community in Wisconsin

By Robert Bordeaux for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Co…

Connie Brushbreaker, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, said she had to wait four months for the Indian Health Service to pay for an MRI and surgery she needed. Begging for funding

Gaps persist in Indian Health Service 'Referred Care' program

By Arielle Zionts and Katheryn Houghton for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the KF…

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act provides lump-sum compensation for illnesses contracted by people working in the uranium industry or exposed to above-ground nuclear tests. (Courtesy Nuclear Threat Initiative)

New Mexico tribal representatives in D.C. to support radiation exposure compensation

A 2,000-mile bus trip has not deterred representatives from Southwest tribes from traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to support expansion of …

Western Native Voice's 'Snag Dat Vote' is designed to make sure every Indigenous voter is prepared and energized to cast their ballot. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous group travels Montana to 'get out the vote'

Montana's largest Indigenous rights group is hosting a series of events around the state to empower Native voters as the election draws closer…

Climate change harms Indigenous people's health. While it causes some health conditions, it is also worsening chronic illnesses to which they are prone. (Adobe Stock)

EPA awards climate grant to CT tribal nation

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has been awarded a grant to cut climate pollution. It is part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate …

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana opened a recycling collection operation in 2023 after receiving a $565,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)

Coushatta Tribe works to overcome obstacles to recycling program

By Taylar Dawn Stagner for Grist.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Louisiana News Connection, reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

According to the Native American Rights Fund, there are 4.7 million Native Americans eligible to vote. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As summer fades, ND organizers feel good about tribal members voting

New findings looking at Native American participation in elections show a mixed bag of news but North Dakota outreach leaders said they are coming off…

Liquefied gas export terminals have zeroed in on the Texas Coast for a major expansion of the industry. (AA+W/Adobe Stock)

Climate activists along TX coast want LNG ban

Climate and environmental activists along the Texas Coast are celebrating after receiving favorable news from an insurance company covering liquefied …

By federal law, tribal law enforcement officers may attend a state training program or the Indian Police Academy in New Mexico. This year is the first tribal-specific training has been included in South Dakota's program. (Adobe Stock)

SD police academy grads newly schooled on Indian Country

South Dakota's police training program included a new course this year, one specific to tribal communities. A class of 20 graduated yesterday from …

In 2022, there was a 1,700% increase in hard clams in Shinnecock Bay and more than 110 acres of seagrass was regrown. (Adobe Stock)

NY Indigenous women use seaweed to conserve shellfish

By Alexandra Talty, Pulitzer fellow, for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for New York News Connection reporting for the Solutions …

The Arizona State University Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty is designed to provide tribal nations with the resources they need to build proactive digital platforms. (ASU)

New ASU program to help tribal governments develop digital sovereignty

Historic inequities have left many tribal nations behind the rest of the country but a new Arizona State University program is designed to launch them…

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is among 17 national forests managed under the Northwest Forest Plan. (heidi/Adobe Stock)

Committee makes recommendations in updated NW Forest Plan

The U.S. Forest Service is considering changes to modernize the Northwest Forest Plan. While it was hailed as a success when it was created 30 years …

Group proposes changes, encourages use of Indigenous SD education standards

A team of educators and supporters recently proposed changes to South Dakota's framework for Indigenous education, making the lessons more accessible …

Citizens of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation participate in the Netlh-'ii~-ne Steward program along the northern California coast, covering natural-resources management strategies and cultural practices. (Rosa Laucci/Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation)

CA tribes ask Newsom to sign bill on co-management of lands, waters

Indigenous leaders are asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would allow federally recognized tribes to sign agreements with the …

The Postsecondary National Policy Institue says in 2020, 22% of the 18- to 24-year-old Native American population were enrolled in college compared to 40% of the overall U.S. population. (Adobe Stock)

MN's new free tuition program resets higher ed path for tribal students

Indigenous populations have long faced barriers in pursuing higher education and Minnesota's new free college tuition program could help put some of t…

The Lomakatsi Restoration Project partners with the U.S. Department of the Interior on forestry training for tribal youth. (fs.usda.gov)

Fed grant supports OR tribal youth conservation training

Federal grant money is supporting an Oregon organization rehabilitating the land and training tribal youth. The Interior Department's Indian Youth …

In a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Cement Masons Plasterers and Shophands Local 633 holds a 10-week training camp each summer for Native Americans looking to learn a trade. (Photo courtesy of Fair Contracting Foundation of Minnesota)

MN cement mason bootcamp pays off for tribal youths

The next time you drive over a newly built highway in Minnesota, the concrete may have been poured by a Native American trained through a pre-…

Coastal flooding and erosion caused by rising sea levels are critical issues facing tribes in the Northwest. (Jan/Adobe Stock)

Report finds barriers for NW coastal tribes responding to climate change

Coastal tribes in the Northwest are on the front lines of the changing climate but face barriers to responding to its effects. A new report …

A new policy brief says North Dakota has one of the lower residential placement rates for youth offenders in the country. But nationally, report authors say there are still too many young people - roughly 2,500 on a typical day - being held in adult prisons and jails. (Adobe Stock)

New snapshot of youth incarceration shows hope, but disparities persist

Over the past couple of years, North Dakota has implemented juvenile justice reforms. And a new national report says there's been major progress in …

The Biden administration's recent $15 million commitment to its Investing in America agenda is expected to grow Indian Youth Services Corps partnerships by 30%, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous-led public service program in SD secures more funding

The Department of the Interior is disbursing $7 million to offices throughout the country for Indigenous-led conservation projects. The Indian …

The 2014 water crisis due to algal blooms had an economic impact of around $65 million. (Elena/Adobe Stock)

Climate change contributes to shift in Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms

By Kathiann Kowalski for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Networ…

According to a 2022 Government Accountability Office report, 18% of people on Tribal lands did not have access to broadband internet, compared to only 4% in non-Tribal areas. (Adobe Stock)

‘Tension, confusion’ around broadband access in Indian Country

Some federal incentives to bring internet access to Indian Country neglected to require tribal participation, according to a new report. The Federal …

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Public News Service (podcast)"
	"Hey Google, play the Public News Service podcast"
	"Alexa, play Public News Service podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Alexa, play 2000 24 Talks podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Alexa, play the Yonder Report podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

PNS Daily Newscast - November 21, 2024

2024Talks - November 21, 2024

The Yonder Report - November 21, 2024

Native American/Indigenous