The Daily Spark

The People of the Sun Summit will take place Sept. 16-18 in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, to mark the 10th  anniversary of the #noDAPL movement and highlight renewable energy development in tribal communities, according to reporting from ICT. The event is hosted by Indigenized Energy, a nonprofit organization founded by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe citizen Cody Two Bears. Organizers said the summit will focus on energy sovereignty, renewable energy funding and strategies for advancing tribal energy projects.

According to ICT, the event comes as tribes face uncertainty over renewable energy funding. Organizers said proceeds from the summit will support Indigenized Energy's work assisting tribal nations with renewable energy projects. The gathering will also include discussions, networking opportunities and an awards ceremony recognizing Indigenous energy leaders.  The event will include a concert featuring Mumford & Sons and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, as well as appearances by actors Mark Ruffalo and Shailene Woodley.

California Indian Nations College, a tribal college in Palm Desert, has received an eight-year accreditation, according to reporting by CalMatters. College leaders said the accreditation allows the institution to offer associate degrees independently, qualify for federal grants and contracts, distribute federal financial aid and make it easier for students to transfer credits. The college, founded in 2018, has served 517 students and reported that 59% of its 2024 graduates transferred to another college or university.

According to the CalMatters reporting, two bills introduced in the California Legislature would further support tribal higher education. One would add tribal colleges to the state's definition of public higher education, while the other would create transfer pathways between accredited tribal colleges and public higher education systems. College President Celeste Townsend said the accreditation and proposed legislation could help strengthen educational opportunities for Native students and support future funding efforts.

The Red Lake Nation has returned a single-engine airplane to Roseau pilot Darrin Smedsmo and dropped all charges related to the aircraft's emergency landing on reservation land in October 2025, according to reporting from MPR News. The plane was removed from Red Lake Nation lands on June 3, more than seven months after tribal police impounded it following the landing. In a June 1 letter to Smedsmo's attorney, Chief Prosecutor Ogema Neadeau wrote that prosecutors decided not to pursue trespass or related charges and that returning the aircraft was "fair and equitable."

Tribal police cited Smedsmo under a 1978 resolution that prohibits aircraft from flying below 20,000 feet over Red Lake Nation lands, according to MPR News. The tribe said the case prompted discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration about airspace concerns and led to updated flight protocols for air ambulance and firefighting services. Red Lake Nation General Legal Counsel Joe Plumer told MPR News that both sides are focused on moving forward following the resolution.

A new monument is being built near Kulm, North Dakota, to honor Native Americans killed during the 1863 massacre at Whitestone Hill, according to reporting by KX News. The State Historical Society began planning the project in June 2023, consulting with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, descendants of Indigenous survivors and a seven-member committee of elders and descendants. The committee selected architectural firm Quintus 3D to design the monument after reviewing proposals.

According to the KX News reporting, construction will take place in four phases. The first phase, which includes the foundation and supporting infrastructure, is expected to be completed by August. Future phases will add vertical artwork panels, stone benches and tree plantings. The North Dakota Legislature authorized $250,000 for the project in 2023. A monument honoring U.S. soldiers who died at Whitestone Hill was erected at the site in 1909.

Lakota Funds will become South Dakota's third home loan lender under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans program, according to a USDA Rural Development announcement. The agency said the $764,000 investment will provide working capital to finance home loans on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota.  

The agency reported investing more than $8.6 million in South Dakota through the relending program since it began. USDA said Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, has received nearly $3.1 million since 2018, while Four Bands, located on the Cheyenne River Reservation, has received more than $4.8 million during the same period. USDA Rural Development also reported investing more than $24.7 million in 12 additional states since 2023 to support home loans through the program.

Three Diné veterans and their families received keys to newly constructed homes Tuesday in the communities of Nazlini and Low Mountain in Arizona, according to a news release from the Navajo Nation Council. The 1,344-square-foot homes include utilities and appliances, and were funded through the Navajo Nation's American Rescue Plan Act allocation approved by the Navajo Nation Council.

Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley attended the key presentation and said the project reflects ongoing efforts to address housing needs among Navajo veterans. The Council allocated $50 million in ARPA funding for veterans housing. The homes are part of a larger effort by BITCO Corporation to provide 80 homes for Navajo veterans across the Navajo Nation. The news release states that ARPA funding has supported housing, water, broadband, infrastructure and community development projects. Housing remains a priority as many Navajo families continue to face overcrowding and inadequate living conditions.

The White House has nominated Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to serve as director of the Indian Health Service, according to reporting by ICT. The position has been vacant since former IHS Director Roselyn Tso, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, resigned in January 2025. 

Cruz has served since June 2025 as tribal senior adviser for Indian health to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the ICT reporting. He previously worked as deputy assistant secretary for policy and economic development for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. The IHS director oversees health care services for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives from 575 federally recognized tribes. Cruz's nomination has been referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and requires confirmation by the full U.S. Senate.

Denfeld High School in Duluth reported a 12-percentage-point increase in its Native American graduation rate this school year, rising to 74%, according to reporting from to MPR News. Native students make up 13% of the school's student body.  

School officials attribute the gains to mentoring programs, relationship-building and culturally focused initiatives. Principal Tom Tusken said the school's Check and Connect program pairs students with mentors who monitor academic progress and provide support. The school has also launched an Indigenous cohort that incorporates cultural activities into the curriculum and displays Ojibwe language signage and the flag of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. School officials told MPR News that proposed budget reductions could result in the loss of 17 staff positions, including a counselor and a Check and Connect mentor.

Tribal leaders and environmental advocates are raising concerns about the long-term effects of dredging in the Columbia River estuary, according to reporting by High Country News. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes 6 million to 9 million cubic yards of sediment from the lower Columbia River each year to maintain a shipping channel used for commercial navigation. Tribal leaders say the practice has contributed to habitat loss, declining fish populations and impacts to culturally significant species including salmon, lamprey and sturgeon. 

According to the High Country News reporting, tribal representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Yakama Nation and the Chinook Indian Nation have questioned the Corps' current sediment management plan and called for greater consultation. Federal agencies reviewing the plan found dredging activities are expected to affect some aquatic species, while tribal leaders expressed concerns about impacts to cultural resources, fisheries and river ecosystems. The Corps maintains that dredging is necessary to support navigation and commerce along the Columbia River.

California Assembly members approved a measure that would establish enforceable protections for the free exercise of California Indian religious and spiritual practices on state lands, Assemblymember James C. Ramos said in a June 1 statement. The bill would prohibit state agencies from substantially burdening a California tribe's religious practices, allow access to sacred sites on state public lands and permit the gathering of traditional plants, foods and other materials used in tribal religious practices.

The bill would require the government to demonstrate a compelling interest pursued through the least restrictive means before taking actions that substantially burden California Indian religious practices. The measure also would allow California Indians to carry sacred items into the state Capitol with appropriate accommodations. The bill's sponsor, Indigenous Justice, said the legislation is intended to strengthen protections for tribal religious freedom on state lands. The bill now advances to the California Senate.

More than 50 Indigenous candidates appeared on primary election ballots June 2 in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to reporting by ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership's Indigenous candidate database. The database identified 52 Indigenous candidates running for offices ranging from school boards and county positions to state legislatures and governor.  

In an important race in New Mexico, Deb Haaland of Laguna Pueblo sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Haaland previously served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and was the first Native American to lead a cabinet-level federal agency. Montana had 20 Indigenous candidates on the ballot, while New Mexico had 16 and South Dakota had seven, according to the ICT reporting.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has been selected for the Fiscal Year 2025 Indian Health Service Joint Venture Construction Program for Long Term Care projects, according to reporting from the Coeur d'Alene Press. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Indian Health Service, supports tribal nations and organizations developing health care facilities. Tribal officials said the award will support plans for a future long-term care facility and expand health care opportunities within the community.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is the only recipient in the lower 48 states under the program's first initiative dedicated to long-term care facilities, according to the Coeur d'Alene Press reporting. Under the Joint Venture Construction Program, tribes fund the acquisition or construction of health care facilities while IHS seeks federal funding for staffing and operational support through a long-term partnership agreement. Tribal officials said the future facility would be the first of its kind for Idaho tribes and would support expanded access to health services for tribal members and elders.

The National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education has received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support early literacy instruction in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools, according to an announcement from the National Fund. The five-year initiative will involve up to 60 bureau-operated and tribally controlled schools in Arizona and New Mexico and serve thousands of students in kindergarten through third grade.

The project will train approximately 150 teachers in Science of Reading-aligned instruction, provide tutoring support for students and assist school leaders in developing instructional systems, the announcement says. The National Fund said the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with tribal leaders and the non-profits TNTP and WestEd. The project also received support from philanthropic organizations, including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Native Americans in Philanthropy.

The Office of Army Cemeteries will begin disinterring the remains of 12 Native American students buried at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School cemetery on Sept. 1, according to reporting from WGAL. The disinterments are intended to return the children’s remains to their families and tribes. Those scheduled for disinterment include Alaska Natives Mabel Stock, Edward Angalook, Lucy Spaulding and Tummassak Tomicock, as well as Peter Howe, Richard Morgan and Christine Redstone of the Fort Peck Tribes.

According to the WGAL reporting, the group also includes Frances Bones of the Comanche Nation, Fannie Gibson of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Della Atkins of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Susie Davis of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and Margaret Davis of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The National Park Service states that more than 7,800 children from 140 tribes attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School between 1879 and 1918.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has visited all 22 federally recognized tribes in the state, completing a nearly three-and-a-half-year effort that began shortly after taking office in 2023, according to reporting from Arizona Luminaria. Hobbs reached the milestone on May 27 during a visit to the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe. Jason Chavez, director of Tribal Affairs in the Governor's Office, told Arizona Luminaria that Hobbs made 35 visits to tribal nations during her term, including multiple visits to the Navajo Nation and Gila River Indian Community.

The meetings focused on issues that varied among tribes, including water, public safety, infrastructure, health care, gaming and education, according to the Arizona Luminaria reporting. Chavez said some policy actions stemmed from discussions with tribal leaders, including a 2024 agreement involving state trust land identified in the 1996 Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act. The report also noted that some Indigenous leaders and advocates continue to press for action on issues including Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, public safety and environmental concerns.

Council Delegate Curtis Yanito and representatives of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition met with congressional staff in Washington, D.C., on May 12 and May 13, to discuss concerns regarding efforts to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the current Grand Staircase-Escalante Resource Management Plan, according to a statement from the 25th Navajo Nation Council. Discussions focused on preserving tribal consultation, maintaining government-to-government relationships and protecting culturally and historically significant landscapes connected to tribal communities.

Coalition representatives reported that the House Rules Committee agenda did not include Grand Staircase-Escalante and that a House vote related to a Congressional Review Act challenge was not expected in the immediate future, the statement said. The coalition said the Resource Management Plan was developed through collaboration with tribal leaders, cultural specialists and natural resource representatives and incorporates Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and stewardship principles into monument management. Coalition members also expressed concerns that overturning the plan could affect future co-stewardship efforts and cultural resource protections tied to the monument.

Haskell Indian Nations University and the Indian Health Service have signed an agreement to support construction of a new health care facility on the university's campus in Lawrence, Kansas, according to a June 1 announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Under the agreement, the Indian Health Service will construct a new clinic on 4.4 acres of Haskell land while maintaining health care services during construction. Once the new facility is completed, the existing clinic building will be returned to Haskell for academic and workforce training purposes.

The new facility will provide Haskell students with opportunities for clinical training, observational learning and professional development alongside Indian Health Service providers, the agency said. Officials said the project is intended to expand health care capacity in the Lawrence area while supporting students pursuing careers in health care and public service.

A Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled May 29 that attorneys for Douglas Ray Stankewitz, a Monache man serving a life sentence for a 1978 murder conviction, may seek additional evidence under California's Racial Justice Act, according to reporting from ICT. Judge Alvin Harrell III granted the request and scheduled a hearing for Aug. 14. Stankewitz has maintained his innocence for decades and argued that racial bias against Indigenous people contributed to his arrest, prosecution and conviction.

Stankewitz's attorneys are seeking records they believe could help evaluate claims of racial disparities in murder convictions in Fresno County and determine why the only Native American juror candidate in his 1983 retrial was dismissed. During the May 29 hearing, the defense presented evidence it said demonstrated a history of racial bias in the community. The ruling allows the defense to pursue additional information as the case moves forward.

Energy Fuels Inc. submitted a finalized operations and reclamation plan to New Mexico officials in May for a proposed uranium mine in McKinley County near Mount Taylor, according to reporting from Source New Mexico. The plan outlines how the company would extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the boundaries of the Cibola National Forest and transport the material to a mill in Blanding, Utah. The proposal also calls for pumping groundwater from the mine, treating it and releasing it into the nearby Rio San Jose.

According to the Source New Mexico reporting, the proposed mine site is located within the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property, a site considered sacred by several Indigenous tribes and pueblos, including Navajo and Laguna communities. The state will accept public comments on the plan through July 19. State officials have not yet determined that the proposal is administratively complete, and additional information may be required before the permitting process advances.