The Daily Spark

Former Nike executive Sam McCracken announced the launch of the Sam McCracken Youth Project, a Native-led nonprofit focused on advancing mental, physical and cultural wellness for Indigenous youth, according to Underscore Native News. McCracken, a citizen of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribe, introduced the program at the Reservation Economic Summit hosted by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

The program aims to serve more than 5,000 Native youth across 30 tribal communities in its first five years by combining culture, community and athletics. Organizers said the initiative will bring programming directly into communities to reduce barriers to access. The group plans to host its first event in June at the University of Montana in Missoula and will include Indigenous athletes to support mentorship and representation, according to Underscore Native News.

Owamni, the James Beard Award-winning Indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis co-founded by chef Sean Sherman, will reopen under a new name as it moves to a larger location, according to MPR News. The restaurant will be called Indígena by Owamni and is set to open this spring at the Guthrie Theater overlooking the Mississippi River.

Sherman said the name change reflects growth rather than reinvention and draws from the Spanish word for Indigenous, referencing shared histories across Indigenous communities. The restaurant will continue operating under the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems. The expanded space will include more seating and a broader menu, including bison, elk and seafood offerings. The restaurant is expected to open in late spring, according to MPR News.

A Navajo Nation Council committee voted unanimously to oppose the SAVE America Act, citing concerns the legislation would disproportionately affect Indigenous voters, according to Law360. The Naabik'íyáti' Committee said the bill, H.R. 7296, would require proof of U.S. citizenship such as a passport or REAL ID, documents that often require birth certificates many elders do not have.

Speaker Crystalyne Curley said the requirements could force some Navajo voters to travel more than 100 miles and make multiple trips to register and vote. The committee also raised concerns about financial burdens tied to travel costs. The legislation would require in-person identification for mail registration and has been referred to the U.S. Committee on House Administration, according to Law360. The Navajo Nation called on congressional leaders to work with tribes to expand voting access.

Twyla Baker, president of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, has been selected as one of 23 community college presidents to participate in the Aspen Presidents Fellowship, according to a report by the Minot Daily News. The yearlong program brings leaders together to develop reform agendas aimed at helping more students graduate into good jobs or continue to bachelor’s degree programs.

According to Minot Daily News, fellows will work with other college presidents and Aspen Institute College Excellence Program leaders to analyze labor markets, student outcomes and national models of excellence. “I am thrilled and honored to be selected to participate,” Baker said in a statement. “I look forward to the opportunity to learn within a community of practice and build a network of support amongst likeminded people.” The cohort includes leaders from 14 states representing a range of institutions, including tribal-serving colleges.

More than 50 people gathered in Rapid City, South Dakota, on March 26 to honor Sahela “Toka Win” Sangrait and call for justice. According to a report by ICT, federal prosecutors have charged United States Airman Quinterius Chappelle with first-degree murder in connection to Sangrait’s death, which authorities said occurred Aug. 10, 2024, on Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Family members and advocates said warning signs were missed and the crime could have been prevented.

ICT reports that Chappelle had a prior aggravated assault conviction from a February 2024 incident that was handled by Air Force authorities and that on the night of Sangrait’s death local law enforcement responded to a domestic violence report at his residence without contacting anyone inside. Community members are planning a demonstration outside the base, while Chappelle and Drew Durand, who faces related charges, are scheduled to appear in federal court in May.

The Montana Department of Commerce announced that two tribal governments will share $100,000 in grant funding through its Tribal Tourism Grant Program, according to reporting by the Daily Montanan. The program supports the development, expansion and improvement of tribal tourism assets and local economies.

According to the report, the Blackfeet Nation will receive $50,000 for repairs and upgrades to tribally owned campgrounds in multiple locations. The Fort Belknap Indian Community will receive $50,000 for repairs, mobility improvements and upgrades to the Milk River Indian Days arbor site in Fort Belknap Agency.

The Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People will host its April monthly meeting on Monday, April 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Dream Center in Bismarck, according to event materials.

Dalton Erickson of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition is scheduled to speak. The event is free and open to the public. Organizers said the gathering will take place at the Dream Center as part of MVCHP’s regular monthly meeting schedule.

The 54th Time Out Wacipi Powwow will take place Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, according to event materials. The event is hosted by the University of North Dakota Indigenous Student Center. Grand entry is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Admission is free and a public feed will be held Saturday at 5 p.m., according to the event listing. Head staff include Host Drum Young Enemy, emcees Wes Jourdain and Keveon Kingbird and Arena Director Rusty Gillette. Dance categories include women’s, men’s, teen, junior and golden age divisions, with cash prizes listed for top placements. Registration begins on site Friday at 4 p.m.

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has enacted a moratorium on generative artificial intelligence technology and hyperscale data center development on its lands, according to Futurism. The tribal council voted 24-0 after a tech startup approached the Nation about building a data center and requested a non-disclosure agreement and letter of intent. Mekusukey Band Representative Glen Chebon Kernell introduced the resolution and raised concerns during a March 3 assembly.

According to Futurism, tribal members and community residents raised concerns about the environmental impact of data centers. The tribal council worked with Honor the Earth, an Indigenous-led climate organization, to inform the public. Kernell said there was little opposition once the proposal became public, and leaders described the decision as part of broader concerns about environmental impact and sovereignty.

The Indian Health Service is moving forward on long-delayed construction projects aimed at replacing aging health facilities that serve Native communities, according to The Associated Press. At Santa Ana Pueblo, a new 235,000-square-foot medical center is expected to break ground in 2027 and provide services including dialysis, diabetes care and optometry. Tribal leaders said the project is expected to ease pressure on the Albuquerque Indian Health Center, a federal facility built about 90 years ago.

According to The Associated Press, the Albuquerque center remains on a 1993 priority list of clinics and hospitals identified for replacement. In February, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged $1 billion toward delayed projects, including $22 million for the Santa Ana Pueblo center. Federal officials said about $8 billion is still needed to complete the remaining projects on the list.

Arizona lawmakers are considering a measure urging the Trump administration to ease restrictions on mining in protected areas, including land near the Grand Canyon, according to Arizona Mirror. House Concurrent Memorial 2009 asks federal officials to repeal policies that limit mineral extraction and to streamline permitting for new mines. Supporters said the proposal is aimed at expanding access to copper and other minerals that are restricted by federal land protections.

Opponents raised concerns about environmental impacts and the protection of culturally significant lands. State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, criticized the proposal during a committee hearing, while supporters said it seeks to balance conservation with resource access. The lands referenced in the proposal include areas designated as national monuments, which tribes have identified as culturally and spiritually significant, according to Arizona Mirror.

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California has completed a landback purchase of more than 10,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada, according to ICT. The land, formerly known as Loyalton Ranch, has been renamed the WélmeltiɁ Preserve. Chairman Serrell Smokey told ICT the property will support cultural practices, land stewardship and reconnecting youth with the land and Native language.

According to ICT, the acquisition followed four years of work with partner organizations including the Northern Sierra Partnership, Feather River Land Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Board. Partners raised $6.9 million for the purchase, including $5.5 million from the California Wildlife Conservation Board and private donations. Tribal leaders said plans for the land include conservation, restoration and fire mitigation and described the return as part of a broader healing process following forced removal from the area.

A dispute between the Upper Sioux Community and Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light & Power Association could shape whether tribal nations in Minnesota can generate more of their own electricity while remaining connected to local utilities, according to MPR News. The case is before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission after the cooperative argued the tribe’s 2.5-megawatt solar array violates co-op policy and state law. The Upper Sioux Community said the project was designed to help power Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort while keeping the electricity on tribal land.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce sided with the tribe in recent briefs, arguing federal law requires utilities to support customers who self-generate. The outcome could affect other tribal nations pursuing similar projects, including White Earth Nation, which is building a large solar array backed by a federal grant, according to MPR News.

Rapid City, South Dakota, will see contested races in every city council ward in the June 2 municipal election, with 11 candidates filing, including two Native candidates, according to Native Sun News Today. One seat in each of the city’s five wards is up for election, and four incumbents are seeking another three-year term. Ward 5 Council President Rod Pettigrew is not running again, leaving an open seat. 

At a recent candidate forum, candidates outlined priorities including affordable housing, infrastructure and clean water. Valeriah Big Eagle, director of He Sapa Initiatives at NDN Collective, emphasized housing, education and addressing racism in Rapid City, according to Native Sun News Today. Other candidates highlighted growth, public transportation and collaboration. Early voting begins April 17.

Starting July 1, Montana will expand eligibility for its American Indian tuition waiver, allowing more students to qualify for the program that covers tuition costs, according to reporting by Montana Free Press. The change removes the blood quantum requirement and extends eligibility to unenrolled tribal descendants, while maintaining financial need and state residency requirements. About 800 students currently receive the waiver, which costs the state about $3.8 million annually, according to Montana Free Press, citing the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

Officials said the update aims to broaden access to higher education, but some tribal leaders raised concerns about the reasoning behind the change and lack of consultation. Lawmakers said the adjustment followed a 2025 executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

The Medicine Wheel Ride will travel through the Arizona communities of San Carlos, White River and Coal Mine May 1-2 to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, according to a statement from organizers. The ride will bring participants together in unity, prayer and purpose while honoring those who are still missing, according to the organizers, who said each mile and stop is intended to build connection and uplift communities. The ride is open to all participants.

Wolf Point Fire Chief Clint Bushman has been charged with felony theft in the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes Tribal Court, according to reporting by the Daily Montanan. During a February city council meeting, Wolf Point Mayor Chris Dschaak said Bushman had been placed on administrative leave. According to court documents cited by the Daily Montanan, at the end of 2025, Dschaak discovered missing funds from a Volunteer Ball Association account, a nonprofit fund separate from city and county fire department budgets. 

The Daily Montanan reported that Dschaak identified about $120,000 in suspicious transactions, including $40,000 in cash withdrawals and $20,000 in Amazon purchases that were not approved by association members. The information was provided to the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice. Felony theft in tribal court carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, a $5,000 fine or both, according to the Daily Montanan.

An Indigenous student reached a resolution with Brigham Young University after challenging school policies requiring him to cut his hair, according to the Daily Mail. Jerrhan First Charger, a member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, filed a federal lawsuit after being told he could be removed from class and suspended from the BYU Living Legends dance team for wearing long braids tied to his culture. Brigham Young University is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

University officials later allowed First Charger to continue his studies and remain on the dance team with an exception to its Honor Code grooming standards. The university said the policy remains in effect but may allow rare exceptions on a case-by-case basis. First Charger said his hair reflects his cultural identity and traditions, and he sought recognition of that significance in his communications with the school.

A Washington bill aimed at strengthening oversight of a state-managed federal housing program for Native families died in committee this legislative session, according to Underscore Native News and ICT. House Bill 2527 was introduced after reporting found that more than 300 homes eligible for transfer to Native homeowners had not been conveyed. The measure would have allowed the Washington Housing Finance Commission to penalize private developers who failed to meet tenant ownership obligations.

State Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle, said confusion about the program and misleading testimony from commission staff contributed to the bill’s failure. According to Underscore Native News and ICT, he plans to revise the legislation and reintroduce it in 2027.