The Daily Spark

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek presented Glendon Smith with a public service ambassador award in May for his work as the Oregon State Police tribal liaison, according to reporting from Underscore Native News and ICT. Smith, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, became the agency’s first full-time tribal liaison in June 2023 after more than a decade working for his tribal nation. His previous roles included associate tribal court judge, secretary-treasurer and chief executive officer of the Tribal Council.

Smith provides training to state troopers and coordinates with tribal police on jurisdictional issues involving treaty rights, fish and game enforcement, cultural artifacts, and missing and murdered Indigenous people, according to the Underscore Native News and ICT. He also facilitates communication between the Oregon State Police and Oregon’s nine tribal nations. Smith said his goal is to help tribes access needed assistance and resources.

Officials in Juneau are preparing for an annual glacial outburst flood expected in early August, according to reporting from the Alaska Beacon. The City and Borough of Juneau is partnering with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, along with state and federal agencies, to monitor Suicide Basin, an ice-dammed lake that fills with glacial melt before releasing floodwaters into the Mendenhall River. Officials estimate the basin will reach capacity between Aug. 1 and Aug. 9.

Crews with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City and Borough of Juneau have strengthened flood barriers to withstand a flood about 30% larger than last year's event and are installing pumps to reduce seepage, according to the Alaska Beacon reporting. Officials have expanded this year's voluntary evacuation advisory to about 1,900 residences, businesses, schools and transportation corridors. Public preparedness events will continue throughout July, and officials said wireless emergency alerts will be issued if flooding begins.

A new monolingual magazine published entirely in the Ojibwe language is introducing vocabulary for contemporary activities such as skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing, according to reporting from MPR News. The publication, Asab, was created by Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians citizen Nick Bimose Reo, who teaches Indigenous studies at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Reo said the annual magazine works with first-language speakers and hobbyists to develop Ojibwe words for activities that have limited existing vocabulary.

The first issue includes essays, poems and a glossary of skateboarding terms translated into Ojibwe ,according to the MPR News reporting. The project partnered with organizations including the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's Language Program and the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network. Contributors from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada submitted work exploring modern hobbies through the Ojibwe language, with future editions planning to focus on additional topics.

The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is marking 40 years since opening its first tribal gaming enterprise in 1986, according to an official statement from the Nation. Tribal leaders said gaming revenues have supported government services, infrastructure, education, healthcare and cultural preservation while expanding the Nation's gaming operations to include Yaamava' Resort & Casino in Highland, California, and Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The Nation said it is the first Native American tribe to wholly own and operate a casino in Las Vegas.

According to the statement, the Nation's gaming and government operations generate more than $3.2 billion in annual economic impact, support nearly 8,000 employees and provide more than $627 million in annual wages and benefits. The Nation also said its San Manuel Cares initiative has invested more than $450 million in philanthropic efforts since the early 2000s, supporting education, healthcare, housing, public safety, cultural preservation and Native-led organizations.

California's Medicaid waiver allowing reimbursement for Native traditional healing services is set to expire Dec. 31, making it the first of four state waivers approved in 2024 to come up for renewal, according to reporting from Native News Online. The waiver allows Medi-Cal to reimburse traditional healing services for Native patients receiving treatment for substance use disorder. Arizona, Oregon and New Mexico also received federal approval for similar waivers, though those states cover all Indian Health Service-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries.

Renewal requires state and federal public notice-and-comment periods and evidence that the waiver has been effective and budget-neutral. The California Consortium for Urban Indian Health said it supports renewing the waiver and expanding access by streamlining reimbursement and allowing Tribal clinics and Urban Indian Organizations to bill Medi-Cal directly. The organization also supports expanding coverage beyond substance use disorder and behavioral health services, according to the Native News Online reporting.

Members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council and the Diné Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission met at the Cove Chapter House to review uranium cleanup efforts, discuss proposed uranium development and consider recommendations to strengthen environmental protections, according to an official statement from the Office of the Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council. Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, the Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Department and community organizations provided updates on remediation projects across the Navajo Nation.

The commission approved a letter asking the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency to remove the Tse Tah Repository Cell and restore the nearby Tso family homestead, citing concerns about the repository's condition, its construction without the family's consent, and potential environmental and public health risks, according to the statement. Commissioners also reviewed a draft resolution supporting amendments to the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and said their next regular meeting will be held in the Western Agency at Coal Mine Canyon Chapter in August, with the date to be announced later.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has named Nikki Santos, a citizen of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, as its new chief executive officer, according to reporting from ICT. Santos succeeds former CEO Deborah Parker of the Tulalip Tribes, who stepped down in April after leading the organization for four years. The coalition announced Santos' appointment Wednesday following a three-month search.

Santos brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in federal policy, philanthropy, strategic development, fundraising and community-based organizing, according to the ICT reporting. She previously served as a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and executive director of the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute, and held leadership roles with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. The coalition said Santos will lead its work to address the ongoing impacts of the federal Indian boarding school system through truth, justice and Indigenous-led healing.

A beaded artwork by Apsáalooke, Arikara and Hidatsa artist Karis Jackson of Browning, Montana, was included in the America250 Semiquincentennial Time Capsule buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, according to reporting from the Daily Montanan. The time capsule contains contributions from the three branches of the federal government, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the five U.S. territories and partner organizations. Jackson's piece represents Montana. 

The Montana Historical Society said the commissioned artwork depicts the outline of Montana in the colors of the state flag surrounding a bison. Within the bison are a mountainous landscape, the state flower, bitterroot, and the state bird, the western meadowlark. The Montana 250th Commission commissioned the artwork for $1,000 specifically for the time capsule, according to the Daily Montanan reporting.

Founded in 2010, the Native American Women Warriors Association continues to advocate for Native women veterans through education, outreach and support programs, according to reporting from ICT. Founder Mitchelene Big Man, an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe, said she created the organization after seeing Native women veterans receive less recognition for their military service. The volunteer-led association provides advocacy, connects veterans with resources, and offers financial assistance and scholarships while supporting veterans and their families.

Association leaders said the organization has grown steadily since its founding and participates in powwows, conferences, community events and military recognition activities, according to the ICT reporting. The group has also been recognized by the Obama Presidential Center and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, where two of its jingle dresses are on permanent display. Big Man said the organization's mission remains focused on supporting Native women veterans and strengthening community connections.

Several tribal nations in South Dakota are holding elections for leadership positions this year, according to SDPB, citing South Dakota News Watch. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe will hold its general election in August to choose a new president after longtime President Anthony Reider did not seek reelection.

The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe reelected Chairman Peter Lengkeek in April. Lengkeek has served as chairman since 2020, according to SDPB While tribal elections often have term lengths and limits similar to local, state and federal offices, tribal governments conduct elections on their own schedules. A complete list of this year's tribal elections is available from South Dakota News Watch.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation filed a federal lawsuit July 3 against the State of Kansas, alleging the Kansas Lottery violated the Nation's sovereignty by selling lottery tickets and operating lottery machines within its reservation boundaries, according to a press release from the Nation. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, asks the court to halt the lottery operations and alleges they violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Nation's Gaming Ordinance and the Nation's sovereign rights.

The Nation sent multiple written notices to Kansas Lottery Executive Director Stephen Durrell in May and June, and held discussions with state officials before filing suit, but the issue was not resolved, according to its press release.The lawsuit also seeks a declaration that the reservation established under the 1846 treaty has never been diminished or disestablished under federal law and continues to constitute Indian land, according to the Nation.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality approved a request July 6 to increase the allowable arsenic level in a groundwater monitoring well at the Pinyon Plain Mine near the Grand Canyon, according to reporting from ICT. The agency raised the aquifer quality limit for arsenic from 0.05 to 0.055 milligrams per liter at the request of Energy Fuels Resources, which operates the uranium mine. The company said the increase reflects naturally occurring conditions rather than mining activity, according to documents filed with the state.

The Havasupai Tribe opposed the change, saying in a statement that the decision weakens groundwater protections. The Sierra Club also criticized the approval, citing concerns about arsenic and uranium levels near the mine, according to the ICT reporting. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Communications Director Caroline Oppleman said the agency approved the request because it complied with state law and added public notice requirements after consulting with the tribe.

The University of California, Berkeley will return 24 cultural items, including corn, corn cobs, beans, peas and other seeds, to the Pueblo of Isleta in New Mexico, according to reporting from The College Fix. The items are housed at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology and are being repatriated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The items were collected between 1940 and 1941 by George F. Carter during field research with Native American agriculturalists in the Southwestern United States.

A June 4 Federal Register notice identifies the items as objects of cultural patrimony with ongoing historical, traditional or cultural importance to the Pueblo of Isleta, according to The College Fix reporting. The notice states the items will no longer be available for public display or scientific research at the museum.

California has approved the transfer of 136 acres of Blues Beach and surrounding Mendocino County bluffs to Kai Poma, a nonprofit founded by representatives of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, according to The Los Angeles Times. The transfer marks the first time land managed by the California Department of Transportation has been returned to Indigenous tribes.

The property south of Westport was purchased by California in the 1960s during the expansion of Highway 1, according to The Los Angeles Times reporting. The California Transportation Commission approved the transfer June 26, clearing the final regulatory step before the deed is recorded. Kai Poma plans to conduct cultural and archaeological resource studies and environmental surveys, and develop a resource management plan while maintaining public access from sunrise to sunset.

The 12th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam will take place July 8-11 on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, bringing nationally recognized muralists, live performances and community art activities to Eagle Butte, according to the Cheyenne River Youth Project. The free event will feature 11 muralists creating public art throughout the community before activities shift to the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park on July 10-11.

The event will include youth art activities, free spray painting, skateboard painting, hoop dancing classes, poetry, community meals and performances by Murs, Bazille, Reed Two Bulls and the Sampson Brothers, according to the Cheyenne River Youth Project. Opening and closing circles each day will include prayer, smudging and drum songs led by the Wakinyan Maza drum group.

The 25th Navajo Nation Council unanimously approved legislation on July 2, authorizing an investment of nearly $245 million in broadband infrastructure projects across the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Nation Council Office of the Speaker. The measure includes $75.5 million from the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance for the Navajo Nation Broadband Office and $169 million in debt financing from the Capital Development Financing Fund.

The funding will expand broadband access to all 110 chapters, according to the Office of the Speaker. Fifty-two chapters are connected to fiber optic infrastructure, while 58 will receive low Earth orbit satellite internet service through Starlink. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will have up to 10 calendar days to act on the resolution once it is certified and delivered.

Gallup-McKinley County Schools disproportionately disciplines Native American and Hispanic students, causing them to lose significantly more instructional time than their peers, according to reporting by Source NM. The findings come from a yearslong investigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice, which found Native American students lose roughly 8 to 10 times as many school days to out-of-school suspensions as white students, while Hispanic students lose three to four times as many.

The New Mexico Department of Justice found the district has reduced expulsions and referrals to law enforcement since the investigation began in 2023, according to the Source NM reporting. Gallup-McKinley County Schools said it is reviewing the report and highlighted efforts under Superintendent Jvanna Hanks, including the creation of an Equity Council with positions designated for members of the Native American community. The district also said it is committed to ensuring all students are treated fairly and remain engaged in learning.

Powwow dancers attending the Gathering of Nations shared how dance styles have changed over time, with some pointing to new categories and greater participation across regional traditions, according to reporting from ICT. Leslee Woody, who dances Southern Cloth, said powwows often vary depending on organizers and location. Her mother, Loraine Lee, said newer categories such as woodland, chicken and horse dance have become more common in recent years. Dancers also described greater flexibility in the styles people choose to dance. Loraine Lee said dancers now often participate in categories outside their regional traditions,  according to the ICT reporting. Nelly Ann of Thunderchild First Nation said the growing number of dance categories has contributed to a revitalization of powwow culture. Brayden Sanchez said younger dancers are learning quickly and that he continues dancing grass in honor of his late brother.

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has awarded a $750,000 grant to the California Tribal Families Coalition to expand legal advocacy for Indigenous children and families, according to reporting from The Imprint. The funding, distributed over three years through the tribe's Doyuti T'uhkama grant program, will support Indigenous advocates and attorneys in child welfare cases, expand professional training and increase early legal intervention in Child Protective Services cases involving tribal children.

The California Tribal Families Coalition works to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act and strengthen tribal authority in child welfare cases. The grant will help expand the coalition's advocacy and prevention efforts, according to The Imprint reporting. Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Chairman Anthony Roberts said the investment is intended to strengthen tribal capacity and help keep Indigenous children connected to their families, communities and cultures.