The Daily Spark

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Charles Riley said they will oppose a Trump administration proposal to reduce or eliminate a 10-mile federal buffer protecting land around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, according to reporting from Source New Mexico. The Bureau of Land Management announced a two-week public comment period on the proposal, which would either eliminate the buffer, reduce it to five miles or leave it unchanged. Public comments are due by July 29. 

Stansbury said the two-week comment period and lack of a public hearing do not provide adequate opportunity for public input, according to the Source New Mexico reporting. Aaron Sims, attorney for the Pueblo of Acoma and secretary of the Chaco Heritage Tribal Association, said the U.S. Department of the Interior has not fulfilled an agreement to jointly participate in a cultural resources study of the Chaco region. Riley said Chaco remains a living cultural and spiritual place for Pueblo communities and continues to be used for prayer and cultural practices.

A report released in March by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community found that educators and youth professionals identified loneliness and depression as leading concerns related to technology use among Native youth, according to reporting by MPR News. The first-of-its-kind study, conducted by Minnesota nonprofit LiveMore ScreenLess, surveyed 242 educators and youth professionals who primarily work with Native youth. About 90% of respondents said addressing technology and media use is more important than other issues facing Native youth today.

The report also found technology can strengthen cultural connections and relationships, according to the MPR reporting.  Clara Rebhan, a Cheyenne River Lakota student at Two Rivers High School, said following Indigenous creators on social media helps her feel connected to her heritage while also recognizing the importance of limiting screen time. Ashley Cornforth, secretary-treasurer of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and co-chair of IndigeFit Kids, said the goal is to help young people develop a healthy balance with technology rather than discourage its use.

Menominee community members launched a traditional dugout canoe on the Menominee River after a monthlong community effort to carve it from a 17-foot pine log, according to reporting from ICT. Led by Dawn M. Wilber and Wayne Swett, volunteers worked at the Chappee Webster Learning Center, burning, scraping, debarking and sanding the log into a canoe. Organizers said no one could remember the last time Menominee people paddled a traditional dugout canoe on the river.

Community members gathered for a water ceremony before the canoe's maiden voyage  according to the ICT reporting. Wilber said the canoe belongs to the community rather than any individual. Swett and Wilber’s group, The Protectors of the Menominee River, plan to use the canoe later this year to harvest wild rice.

The National Congress of American Indians is accepting applications for all NCAI Youth Commission officer positions, according to an announcement from the organization. Elections will take place during the 2026 NCAI Youth Convention, held in conjunction with the 83rd Annual Convention & Marketplace in Palm Springs, California, from Oct. 18-22. The organization said the leadership positions provide Native youth an opportunity to represent and advocate for young people across Indian Country.

Applicants must be 18 to 24 years old, be an Individual Indian Member of NCAI and be a citizen of a tribal nation that holds NCAI Tribal Nation Membership, according to the NCAI announcement. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 21. Questions and application information are available through Alison Black, NCAI Youth Leadership & Training Coordinator.

Cheyenne Frontier Days officials, community partners and members of the public celebrated the opening of the Morning Star American Indian Village on Friday during the event's 130th anniversary, according to reporting from the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. The new village replaces the former Native American Indian Village and includes a timber dance arbor, vendor spaces, educational signage and an herb garden featuring Native medicinal, food and utilitarian plants. 

Actor and Lakota citizen Mo Brings Plenty joined Cheyenne Frontier Days leaders for the ceremony, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reporting. State Rep. Ivan Posey, D-Fort Washakie, blessed the village with a traditional cedar-burning ceremony. Organizers said the open-air arbor and east-facing entrance were intentionally designed to reflect Native cultural traditions and symbolism.

A new Indian Growers' Market opened Saturday at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque to provide Native American farmers, producers, artisans and small business owners with a dedicated place to sell their products, according to reporting from KRQE. Organizers require vendors to be of Indigenous descent and provide proof of eligibility to participate. Vendors said the market's location near several Pueblo communities and its focus on Native businesses create new opportunities to reach customers beyond their home communities.

The inaugural market drew about 40 to 50 attendees. Vendors included Michael Garcia of Isleta Pueblo, who creates custom prints and 3D designs, and Chrishelda Rain Baca, whose business offers beverages and enchiladas made with locally grown crops from San Felipe, according to the KRQE reporting. Additional markets are scheduled for Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at the same location.

Red Lake Nation voters elected Chairman Darrell G. Seki Sr. to a fourth term in this week's tribal election, according to reporting from MPR News. Official results released Thursday showed Seki received 54.9% of the vote in the runoff election, defeating former Chairman Floyd "Buck" Jourdain, who received 45.1%. The election followed a late May general election in which Jourdain led Seki by 15 votes. Red Lake Nation holds leadership elections every four years, with polling locations in Red Lake, Redby, Ponemah and Minneapolis.

Voters also elected Eugene R. StandingCloud to represent the Ponemah district, Clem H. May Sr. to represent the Red Lake district and Lisa R. Beaulieu to represent the Little Rock district, according to the reporting from MPR News. The newly elected leaders will be sworn in at the next Red Lake Nation Tribal Council meeting.

The 65th annual World Eskimo Indian Olympics concluded Saturday after four days of competition and cultural activities celebrating traditional Arctic games, according to reporting from ICT. Athletes competed in events rooted in Indigenous hunting traditions that test strength, endurance, balance and agility. Organizers said the games also serve as a way to preserve and share Indigenous culture. Since the event began in 1961, similar competitions including the Arctic Winter Games, Native Youth Olympics and Avannaa Arctic Games have expanded opportunities for athletes. 

Competitors and organizers emphasized mentorship and community alongside competition, according to the ICT reporting. Nicole "Ikiituk" Johnson, lead official for the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, said the games connect athletic events with Indigenous storytelling, dance and traditional practices. The event also featured several world-record performances, including Leif Richards's record in the men's greased pole walk and Bernard Clark tying the men's one-hand reach world record.

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa are preparing for potential wildfire impacts as s wildfires continue to affect northeastern Minnesota, according to reporting from MPR News. Both tribal nations urged community members to remain indoors because of poor air quality and offered free face masks. Bois Forte Tribal Chairman Carlos Hernandez said the tribe has emergency evacuation plans in place, including identifying residents who may need specialized transportation if conditions worsen.

Bois Forte is also prepared to open tribal community centers as cooling and clean air shelters if needed, according to the MPR reporting The Grand Portage Band said it continues to monitor conditions and encouraged residents to enroll in the tribe's Emergency Alert System. Both tribal nations are providing updates through their social media channels.

A community-led initiative in Hawaiʻi is developing hand signs rooted in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi to make the Native Hawaiian language more accessible for deaf community members, according to reporting from Honolulu Civil Beat. Known as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Kuhi Lima, the effort began in 2024 and is creating signs based on Hawaiian language, culture and community practice. The project was founded by University of Hawaiʻi student Kekai Kaaumoana-Cummings, who is studying Hawaiian language and hopes to improve access to Indigenous language education for deaf Native Hawaiians.

Organizers say the sign system remains in development and has not yet been officially released, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat reporting. Supporters, including Maile Keamoai-Kane and researcher Keane Nakapueo-Garcia, said the initiative helps preserve Native Hawaiian language and identity while expanding opportunities for deaf people to learn and communicate through culturally grounded signs.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continued to spread across the Great Lakes region, bringing hazardous air quality to tribal communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and parts of New York, according to ICT. Air Quality Index readings exceeded 300 in several communities, with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reporting an AQI of 402 and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians reporting levels above 760. The poor air quality prompted closures of tribal services and the cancellation of the Michigan Indian Family Olympics, which had been scheduled for Friday.

Tribal leaders, organizers and community members expressed concern about the health impacts of prolonged smoke exposure. The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe said it canceled the Michigan Indian Family Olympics to prioritize community health. ICT also reported that officials encouraged residents to limit outdoor activity, wear KN95 masks when needed and use HEPA air filtration systems if available.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Squaxin Island Tribe, along with environmental organizations, have sued the federal government over changes to Endangered Species Act regulations, arguing the revised rule weakens protections for endangered wildlife habitat, according to reporting from the Washington State Standard. The lawsuits, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, challenge the Trump administration's decision to rescind the legal definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act. 

The tribes argue the rule threatens recovery efforts for federally listed Chinook salmon in the Puget Sound and Skagit River, which are protected under treaty fishing rights, according to the Washington State Standard reporting. Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Steve Edwards said the change puts habitat needed by Chinook salmon at risk and called the rule "anti-science." The lawsuit also alleges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service unlawfully rejected the tribe's consultation request.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has opened eight tribally owned short-term rental cabins in New Town, North Dakota, marking what the tribe says are the first tribally owned Airbnb rentals on the Fort Berthold Reservation, according to reporting from KFYR-TV. The Scandinavian-inspired cabins feature spacious rooms with large windows and are available for booking through Airbnb. 

The development includes grills, a hot tub, a dog park and direct access to Lake Sakakawea. The MHA Nation said the cabins are the first phase of the project, with additional development planned.

The National Congress of American Indians criticized the White House report “Saving America's Story,” saying it misrepresents the history and legal status of Tribal Nations, according to an official statement from the organization. NCAI said efforts to reinterpret U.S. history should recognize Tribal Nations as sovereign governments and acknowledge documented histories including land dispossession, forced removal, assimilation policies and the federal Indian boarding school era.

NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. said Tribal Nations are sovereign governments with a unique political relationship with the United States that should not be minimized or mischaracterized, according to the statement. The organization called on federal leaders, Congress, museums and educators to support historical scholarship, Tribal consultation, Indigenous language revitalization and implementation of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative recommendations.

Four First Nations in northern Ontario were under mandatory evacuation orders as fast-moving wildfires threatened their communities, according to reporting from APTN News. Residents of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation fled by boat as fire approached the community, while mandatory evacuations were also ordered for Whitesand First Nation, Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation and Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation. Emergency Management Ontario directed residents to leave the area and travel south to Thunder Bay. 

The Ontario Provincial Police said multiple highway closures were in effect and warned that wildfire conditions could change rapidly because of weather and other factors, according to reporting from APTN News. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation urged residents to follow community emergency and evacuation plans and directions from local leadership as Environment Canada issued a severe heat warning for much of northern Ontario.

Vancouver's FIFA World Cup organizers partnered with the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations to help plan the tournament and highlight Indigenous cultures, according to reporting from The Associated Press. The collaboration builds on a model established during the 2010 Winter Olympics, when Indigenous communities were recognized by the International Olympic Committee as official host partners. FIFA also made Indigenous engagement a central part of its sustainability and human rights strategy for the 2026 World Cup, the AP reported.

Each of the three First Nations will receive $6 million for legacy projects tied to the tournament, according to The Associated Press reporting. The Squamish Nation plans to build a youth soccer field in West Vancouver. Tewanee Joseph of the Squamish Nation said the partnerships provide opportunities to share the diversity of Indigenous cultures while creating lasting benefits for First Nations communities.

Indigenous actor, writer and comedian Dallas Goldtooth is curating a six-film series at the Walker Art Center that examines masculinity through movies he grew up watching, according to reporting from MPR News. The series, “Once Upon a Time in Manhood,” opened July 10 and features “Willow,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Die Hard,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Fight Club” and “Boy.” Goldtooth told MPR News he selected films that invite audiences to reflect on how popular culture shaped ideas about manhood. 

Goldtooth said the series explores what he calls "a language of violence" that appears across the films while encouraging viewers to consider which ideas about masculinity they want to keep or leave behind, according to the MPR News reporting. The series runs through Aug. 14 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

More than 1,000 requests for services from American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of violence went unmet because of reductions in federal funding, according to reporting by Stateline. Stateline reported that a new Urban Indian Health Institute survey of 201 tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations and nonprofits found providers were unable to fulfill 690 requests for safe housing and 466 requests for other services. According to the report, nearly one-quarter of the unmet requests involved children. 

The findings were discussed Tuesday during a U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources hearing on missing and murdered Indigenous people, according to the Stateline reporting. The Urban Indian Health Institute reported that between 36% and 41% of surveyed organizations said services including healthcare, legal assistance and victim advocacy have been or will be reduced because of funding cuts. During the hearing, institute director Abigail Echo-Hawk said organizations also face uncertainty about rehiring staff because of ongoing funding reductions.

Lower water levels at Lake Sakakawea have exposed remnants of the former town of Sanish, which was evacuated before the construction of the Garrison Dam, according to reporting from KFYR-TV. Founded in 1915, Sanish was one of several communities relocated after plans for the dam were announced in the 1940s. Historical preservationist Lorna Meidinger told KFYR-TV that residents were given priority in selecting lots as New Town was established, with many families from Sanish and Van Hook relocating there. 

Remnants of the former town can now be seen east of the Four Bears Bridge as lake levels recede, according to the KFYR-TV reporting. Randy Desarly, whose family lived and attended school in Sanish before the relocation, said the exposed landscape serves as a reminder of the community's history. The Garrison Dam was built for Missouri River flood control, agricultural irrigation and hydroelectric power.