Native Life

Native Issues

Reporting on the issues that shape Native life — from tribal sovereignty and education to healthcare, housing and economic development.
The Signal Peak Mine, located in the Bull Mountains west of Billings, is Montana’s only underground coal mine
Federal Government

Crow Tribe coal swap clears Senate committee

Land exchange benefitting Signal Peak Energy moves forward over Senate Democrats’ concerns
Tom Lutey, Montana Free Press
Analysis
Reflecting on the cycle of life: Family photos transport mourners to a bygone era
Spotted Bear matriarch begins journey to the earth lodge villages
By Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
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MMIP
Buffalo’s Fire built an interactive map to track missing Indigenous people, and we need community help
Vital information is often buried, hard to find. We’re asking our communities to send us tips and corrections
By Pier Paolo Bozzano
MMIP
On the Blackfeet Reservation, families learn to search for their own missing relatives
As Indigenous people go missing and are murdered at disproportionately high rates, families learn forensic skills to find their own loved ones.
Nora Mabie and Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press
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ShineThe Shine series explores limitations and solutions to government transparency in Indian Country.