The Daily Spark
Quick Stories, Must Reads

Demand for elderberries skyrockets

Small sparks from Indian Country, built to catch fire | Concise summaries of the most important news
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Food sovereignty
UTTC student raises $12k in food drive for North Dakota and Montana
Inspired by her grandparents, Tonah Fishinghawk-Chavez proves that caring for the community is an action, not just a word
Estimated reading time: 7 min readGabrielle Nelson
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Special Feature

For the love of dentalium

Harvested in the Pacific and traded inland, dentalium shells served Indigenous peoples as valuable currency, status symbols, and sacred items for millennia, a tradition that persists. Read our coverage.
Sovereignty, Community, Press Freedom.
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The Daily Spark
Quick stories, must reads
Powwow
Traditional Practices
What is a memorial at a powwow?
Powwow Eats
Powwow food vendors essential to savoring the experience
Video Etiquette
Powwow dos and don’ts
In the circle
For powwow vendors, art runs deeper than business
Chemistry
Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public Radio link for live coverage at UTTC powwow
In the circle
Thousands gather for start of 55th annual UTTC International Powwow
Northern Plains
State Capitol
Indigenous voices speak loudly at Bismarck ‘No Kings’ rally
Criminal Justice
South Dakota legislators to consider prison proposal
Sport
United Tribes Legends Softball Hall of Fame welcomes three players and two teams
Drums & Dreams
UTTC International Powwow flexes its cultural and economic muscle
Eagle Butte
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe elder accused of threatening lives of federal officers
Law Enforcement
Spirit Lake Nation responds to misconduct allegations at sheriff’s office, calls out ‘urgent need’ for responsive law enforcement
Native Issues
MMIP Response
North Dakota MMIP Task Force holds first meeting
Food Security
North Dakota counties most harmed by SNAP cuts are those on reservations
Stolen Children
Nearly forgotten: The Puyallup boy buried 2,700 miles from home
Climate Action
‘We need involvement’: Indigenous leaders demand change at COP30
Community Vision
North Dakota Native-led nonprofit eyes massive cultural center project in Bismarck
Explainer
How search and rescue technology helps find missing people — and its role in MMIP cases
Native Nations
Tribal leadership
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe swears in new leaders
Youth Action
Making cough syrup, building houses: Standing Rock students learn through community engagement
Fund Control
MHA citizens seek accountability in a suit against their Tribal Business Council
Sovereignty
MHA Nation decriminalizes medical marijuana
Powwow
Standing Rock holds its first Red Dress Special
Water Celebration
Community and candy: Fort Yates holds Long Soldier Parade
Arts, Culture & Sports
Community Voices
Why is Native American Heritage Month important?
Cultural Revival
‘I’m bringing my heritage out onto the runway’
Little people, ghost cars, vengeful spirits: the Indigenous supernatural crosses past and present
Video
Tipi of Terror: Buffalo’s Fire staff share spooky Native stories
Leadership
Native filmmaker aims to create global network of Indigenous storytellers
​​State Recognition
North Dakota proclaims First Nations Day and Native American Heritage Month
Opinion
Opinion
Imposed Rule
Tribal citizens stuck with an act, an IRA constitution they didn’t support
Opinion
Tribal Sovereignty
Supreme Court should uphold sovereign status for Native nations in Voting Rights Act case
Stories you might have missed
MMIP
Remains found during search for Isaac Hunt
MMIP
CTUIR elder remains missing after three-day search
Missing Persons
Spirit Lake Tribe searches for Danica White: ‘She is more than a missing person’
Search effort
Community unites in hope of finding Renzo Bullhead before winter
Digital Aid
Search for missing elder gets help from AI
Governmental Affairs
Prolonged federal government shutdown spurs tribes to declare states of emergency
MMIP
Families still searching for missing Spirit Lake citizens
Podcast
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