The Daily Spark

Wileety Native American College at Sacramento State provides students with an education grounded in tribal leadership, traditional knowledge and community, according to reporting from Underscore Native News and ICT. The college opened in September 2025 and allows students admitted to Sacramento State to pursue a minor in Native American studies with an emphasis on tribal leadership alongside any university major. The inaugural cohort included 34 students.

The college was established after a 2018 campus survey found Native American and Black students reported the lowest sense of belonging and retention rates, according to Underscore Native News and ICT reporting. Inaugural Dean Annette Reed, a citizen of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, said the college aims to create a place where Native students feel supported and connected to community. Students also receive faculty mentors and participate in a cohort model designed to strengthen relationships on campus.

Michele Hakala-Beeksma, a member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, showcased three handmade Ojibwe dresses during an America 250 fashion show at the Mall of America, according to reporting from MPR News. Hakala-Beeksma, who works with the 1854 Treaty Authority, said participating in the event was important to ensure Indigenous history was represented as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The dresses represented different periods of Ojibwe history and were also displayed during the weekend event.

Hakala-Beeksma also presented the 1854 Treaty Authority’s exhibit, “Sovereign Nations: Discovering the Treaty Story of Minnesota’s Indigenous Peoples.” Dakota County Historical Society Executive Director Matt Carter said the organization expanded its America 250 programming to include Indigenous perspectives. Hakala-Beeksma told MPR News that treaties remain central to Minnesota’s history and continue to shape the relationship between tribal nations and the state.

EnCore Energy plans to restart South Dakota’s permitting process for the proposed Dewey-Burdock uranium mine after securing its final required federal permit last month, according to reporting by South Dakota Searchlight. The project spans nearly 20 square miles in Custer and Fall River counties and was added to the federal FAST-41 permitting process in 2025. According to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the company has submitted new water rights applications but has not yet applied for mine or groundwater discharge permits.

The project’s state permit applications have remained inactive since 2013 while federal reviews and litigation continued. According to the South Dakota Searchlight reporting, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Indigenous rights group NDN Collective oppose the project, citing concerns about potential impacts on historic and cultural sites in the Black Hills. The Black Hills Clean Water Alliance has also raised concerns about possible groundwater contamination and water use associated with the proposed mining operation.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library dedicated a medicinal garden during a private ceremony in Medora on July 3, marking what library leaders and tribal representatives described as an ongoing commitment to building relationships with tribal communities. According to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor, the garden was designed by Three Affiliated Tribes artist Cannupa Hanska Luger and features three garden beds shaped to resemble an opened tipi skin. Traditional seeds from regional tribes will be planted to symbolize community, renewal and continued participation.

Library officials and members of the Native American advisory council said the garden reflects work that will continue beyond the library’s opening. According to the North Dakota Monitor, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College President Twyla Baker said the project provides an opportunity to share Indigenous knowledge, while Theodore Roosevelt V said the partnership will require continued collaboration and the incorporation of tribal perspectives into the library’s future.

New research by Conservation International found that Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices and community stewardship play a direct role in protecting forests, wildlife and ecosystems while strengthening climate resilience, according to reporting from Grist. Researchers interviewed 49 Indigenous leaders from 43 communities across six continents and found every community reported experiencing climate-related impacts such as drought or extreme weather. The study also found more than half of the communities face pressure from extractive industries, including mining and logging.

The report identified traditional practices such as protecting sacred areas, preventing overfishing, monitoring for wildfires and resisting resource extraction as important factors in maintaining healthy ecosystems. According to the Grist reporting, 96% of respondents to the study said they set aside land for cultural or spiritual purposes that also protect biodiversity. Participants also called for greater climate funding, stronger legal protections for Indigenous territories and recognition of Indigenous land rights to support continued stewardship.

Patrick A. Penn, who formerly served as acting administrator of the Food and Nutrition Administration, recently visited the Spirit Lake Tribe to discuss tribal food systems, nutrition programs and government-to-government collaboration, according to a Facebook post from the Spirit Lake Food Distribution Program. During the visit, Penn, who currently serves in the USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations, met with tribal leadership and toured Tate Topa Tribal School and the North American Bison processing plant to learn about the tribe's Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and food sovereignty initiatives.

Discussions focused on tribal sovereignty, self-determination in federal nutrition programs, food supply challenges and improving access to healthy foods for Native families. The meeting    highlighted efforts to expand access to nutritious foods through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, local food procurement and nutrition education. According to the Spirit Lake Food Distribution Program, the visit also reinforced the U.S. Department of Agriculture's commitment to partnering with tribal nations to strengthen food security, local agriculture and community well-being.

Montana State University's Caring for Our Own Program, which supports American Indian and Alaska Native nursing students, received a $70,000 endowed gift to establish the Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail Endowed Fund, according to Montana State University. The donation from retired nursing professor Kathleen "Kay" Chafey will provide long-term funding for student resources, including tutoring, field-based learning and classroom supplies. The program currently serves 63 students, with enrollment expected to grow to about 75 this fall.

The endowment honors Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail, who became the first registered nurse from the Crow Reservation in 1927. More than 100 graduates of the Caring for Our Own Program are licensed nurses working in Montana, and the program is expected to reach 200 graduates by December. University officials said the endowed fund will help sustain the program as it approaches its 30th anniversary.

Five Oklahoma tribes have been awarded a combined $1.6 million through the Native American Housing Initiatives grant program to support affordable housing and community development projects, according to reporting from Oklahoma Voice. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Housing Authority received $500,000 to build three tiny homes, provide rental assistance and offer down payment support. The Bah-Kho-Je Housing Authority, which serves the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, received $400,000 to convert an RV park into a permanent housing community.

The Osage Nation Housing Department and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians each received $250,000 to build housing for veterans and older tribal citizens, according to reporting from the Oklahoma Voice. The Otoe-Missouria Tribe received $200,000 for home repairs and rental assistance.

Menominee water protectors launched a hand-crafted dugout canoe on the Menominee River this week, marking what organizers say is the first time in generations that a Menominee-made canoe has traveled the river, according to reporting from ICT. The organizers, Dawn M. Wilber and Wayne Swett, spent more than two weeks shaping a 17-foot pine log using traditional methods before beginning a 48-mile journey from the Sixty Islands Archaeological site to the mouth of the Menominee River. 

The annual canoe journey reconnects participants with their ancestral homelands while highlighting the cultural significance of the river and surrounding sites, according to the ICT reporting. Organizers also said the event raises awareness about efforts to protect the area from a proposed mining project near the Menominee River. Wilber and Swett said they plan to preserve the canoe after the journey by sinking it in the water using a traditional storage practice.

Native-led fashion platform HOSH has partnered with NDN Girls Book Club to release a limited six-piece capsule collection supporting Native youth literacy. According to Native News Online, the collection includes T-shirts, sweaters and hats created to raise funds for the nonprofit's next initiative, a cross-country mobile book program that will deliver books, workshops and community programming to Native communities across the country.

The collection debuted during a launch event in New York City that featured a performance by Native musician Ken Pomeroy. All proceeds from the limited collection will support NDN Girls Book Club's ongoing programming and the new mobile book initiative.

The National Congress of American Indians released a statement about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold a Mississippi law allowing legally cast mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive afterward. According to the statement, the organization argued in an amicus brief with the Alaska Federation of Natives and Native American Rights Fund that many American Indian and Alaska Native voters face postal delays and long distances that can affect ballot delivery in remote tribal communities.

NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. said the decision "ensures one less barrier to counting Native votes" and reaffirmed the organization's commitment to protecting Native voting rights. NCAI also encouraged tribal nations and citizens to remain engaged in elections and continue efforts to strengthen civic participation.

Susan Davis Feller, founding president and CEO of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums, died June 18 in Oklahoma at age 71, according to reporting from ICT. Feller, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, died peacefully less than two weeks after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer that was complicated by strokes, according to her family. The ATALM board of directors said Feller dedicated more than two decades to strengthening tribal archives, libraries, museums, language programs and cultural institutions through the organization she founded.

ATALM Chief Operating Officer Melissa Brodt, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, will serve as interim president and CEO, according to reporting from ICT. Board Chairman Walter Echo-Hawk, Pawnee Nation, said Feller's vision created a national organization that provides training, networking and support for tribal cultural institutions.

White Earth Nation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed a multiyear funding agreement Tuesday that expands the tribe's role in managing the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota. According to reporting from MPR News, the agreement takes effect July 1 and directs about $400,000 to White Earth Nation to help manage water, wild rice beds and forests on refuge lands within the reservation. Tribal staff will work alongside federal employees under the agreement, which follows a memorandum of agreement and co-stewardship agreement signed in 2024.

The agreement was established through the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, according to the reporting from MPR News. White Earth Nation Chairman Michael Fairbanks said the agreement is part of the tribe's broader effort to reclaim a role in managing treaty lands. Refuge Manager Kent Sundseth said public access and visitor experiences at the refuge will remain unchanged while tribal and federal staff work together on conservation, habitat management and educational programming.

Allison Morrisette is ending her tenure as South Dakota's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People liaison, a position within the South Dakota Attorney General's Office that she has held since it was created in 2021. According to an interview with South Dakota Searchlight, Morrisette will take a new position with the state's Unified Judicial System working with young offenders. Morrisette, a citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said she is developing a transition plan for her successor and hopes the next liaison continues building trust between families and law enforcement agencies.

Morrisette told South Dakota Searchlight that her role focused on connecting families with investigators, prosecutors, victim-witness assistants and tribal or community resources rather than investigating cases herself. She said the work relied on collaboration across state and tribal jurisdictions and consistent communication with families. "It was far more than a job for me," Morrisette was quoted as saying. "I hope somebody really good applies for this position, and that it's not just a job for them."

The Suquamish Tribe and the U.S. Navy signed a government-to-government agreement before construction begins on a new drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, according to reporting by The Seattle Times. Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman said the agreement follows about 20 years of discussions over the project and reflects the tribe's position that its sovereignty and treaty rights must be protected. The new drydock is part of a multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the shipyard and accommodate the Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The agreement follows three years of formal negotiations and includes funding for the tribe's existing salmon-rearing facility, construction of a new shellfish hatchery, land protection and income supplements for tribal fishers, according to The Seattle Times. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Brendan Rogers said the agreement was built through government-to-government collaboration, while Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby acknowledged the project's effects on local fisheries, wildlife, transportation and the surrounding area.

Evey Lyn Parisien-Lafountain, a 16-year-old Indigenous girl who was seven months pregnant when she disappeared, has been missing since about 11 p.m. on May 20, according to information released by her family. Parisien-Lafountain is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs about 143 pounds, has brown eyes and brown or black hair. She was last seen in south Fargo, North Dakota, wearing a gray zip-up hoodie and white and light brown checkered pajama pants.

According to the information released by her family, Parisien-Lafountain is due to give birth at the end of July. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact the Fargo Police Department at 701-235-4493. Her family said even small details, including possible sightings or interactions, could assist investigators as the search continues.

Navajo educator George R. Joe has developed the Tribal Trailz app to help travelers learn about tribal lands, history and culture while driving through New Mexico and Arizona, according to reporting from KRQE. Joe said he spent the past three years creating the app as an alternative to traditional travel guides, allowing users to listen to stories while traveling through Flagstaff, Monument Valley, Gallup and other areas.

The app currently focuses on Navajo Nation routes and also includes routes through the Zuni and Acoma pueblos, according to the KRQE reporting. Joe said he is working with additional pueblos to expand the app and is in the second phase of development, which includes adding routes in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Joe said his goal is to provide accurate information about Native people while creating an educational experience for visitors.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs has announced that it is accepting applications for $2.4 million in Tribal Tourism Grants to help federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations expand tourism and increase visitation. The program will award 10 grants ranging from $200,000 to $300,000 to support tourism promotion, strengthen destination positioning and increase tribal participation in the tourism industry.

The Tribal Tourism Grant Program is administered by the Office of Indian Economic Development under the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by Aug. 7. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland said the funding is intended to help tribes build on their cultural and natural assets while supporting jobs and sustainable economic growth in tribal communities.

Gavin McKenna, a citizen of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation, became the second Indigenous player selected first overall in the National Hockey League draft when the Toronto Maple Leafs chose him with the No. 1 pick in Buffalo, New York. According to reporting from ICT, McKenna wore a beaded pin created by his sister that honored orange shirt day and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women while his family wore traditional Native clothing to represent their community during the draft.

Before the draft, McKenna told ESPN the pin featured "two wolves," with orange representing  “every child matters” and red honoring "the women who were lost." According to reporting from ICT, members of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation gathered for a community watch party to celebrate the selection. Deputy Chief Erin McQuaig said the First Nation is proud of McKenna and expressed confidence he will continue to uphold the Nation's values as he begins his NHL career.