The Daily Spark

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is launching a webinar series to help food retailers prepare for new restrictions on purchases made with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. According to an agency announcement, the first webinar will be held on Thursday, with additional sessions scheduled through Oct. 27. The training will provide information about the new requirements, the foods affected by the restrictions and guidance on compliance requirements. 

North Dakota's waiver, which takes effect in September, will prohibit SNAP benefits from being used to purchase items including soft drinks, energy drinks, candy and certain sweetened food products, according to state officials. About 600 retailers that accept SNAP benefits will need to update their point-of-sale systems to ensure restricted items cannot be purchased with SNAP funds.

Fourteen Native candidates are on the ballot in June 9 primary elections in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina, according to reporting by ICT. In Maine, candidates are running as tribal leaders continue efforts to advance legislation related to tribal sovereignty. ICT reported that three Native candidates are seeking state and federal offices in Maine, and four  candidates are competing in Nevada races. Two additional Nevada candidates advanced directly to the general election after their primaries were canceled.

Seven Native candidates are running for local and state offices in North Dakota, including candidates from the MHA Nation, Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. In South Carolina, Fawn Pedalino of the Natchez-Kusso Tribe advanced to the general election as the sole Republican candidate in her race. ICT also reported that leaders of the Catawba Nation raised concerns about the lack of a polling place on tribal lands.

KFYR reports that 4 Bears Casino & Lodge’s $100 million building expansion is nearing completion. The expansion will include additional gaming rooms, a fine-dining steakhouse, a sports bar, a ballroom venue, a spa and a fitness center. The building will also house 90 guest rooms, a gift shop and a hair and nail salon. KFYR reports that the spa and guest rooms are not yet complete but could be finished later this summer. Once the project is completed, 4 Bears Casino & Lodge will have 265 rooms.

Bill Anoatubby announced his retirement Monday after serving more than four decades in leadership roles with the Chickasaw Nation, according to reporting from KFOR News. According to the Chickasaw Nation, Anoatubby began working for the tribe in 1975 as health services director and was elected as the nation’s first lieutenant governor in 1979. He was first elected governor in 1987.

Anoatubby said his decision came after “much thought and prayer” and that it was time to transition leadership to the next generation, according to the KFOR reporting. His resignation takes effect June 26. Following the announcement, Oklahoma leaders, including Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Senator James Lankford, praised Anoatubby’s leadership and contributions to the Chickasaw Nation and the state. State Chamber of Oklahoma President and CEO Chad Warmington also commended Anoatubby’s role in strengthening economic growth, cultural preservation and partnerships across Oklahoma.

A large-scale restoration project in Oregon’s McKenzie River watershed is using a process known as Stage 0 to reconnect streams with their floodplains and create a wetland habitat for fish and other species. According to reporting by High Country News, the approach involves reshaping valley floors, removing levees and distributing large wood across floodplains to encourage streams to spread into multiple channels.

The effort includes work at Quartz Creek and other sites in the watershed. Supporters say the projects could improve water quality and strengthen ecosystem resilience, while critics have raised questions about long-term outcomes and potential risks. Researchers and restoration practitioners say continued monitoring will be needed to evaluate the approach over time.

A totem pole carving program at Cedar Creek Corrections Center is helping incarcerated Indigenous people reconnect with cultural practices while learning traditional carving skills. The program was established through a partnership between the correctional facility, the Indigenous nonprofit Unkitawa and incarcerated carver Albert “Al” Smith, who is Suquamish, Shoshone-Bannock and Pima, according to Underscore Native and ICT. 

The program was celebrated March 2 with a totem pole awakening ceremony at the facility. Smith, who has been carving for nearly five decades, mentors other incarcerated Native men through the carving process. Jeremy Garretson, Northern Arapaho and reentry director at Unkitawa, said the program is likely the first of its kind in a correctional facility. Organizers are exploring similar programs at other correctional facilities in Washington state.

More than 300 people attended the Great Council State Park Heritage Festival on June 6 in Xenia, Ohio, according to reporting by WYSO. The event, hosted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, brought together citizens and leaders from Ohio's historic tribes to share their heritage with the public. 

Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Glenna Wallace spoke about her efforts to strengthen connections between Shawnee citizens and their Ohio homelands, according to WYSO. Carol Butler, historic preservation director for the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, told attendees that Shawnee people continue to maintain their traditions and cultures. Butler said she hopes to expand educational outreach about tribal history and contemporary Native communities through future work with schools, colleges and local organizations.

The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians issued a joint statement saying a new bill that passed the California State Assembly marks “a significant step toward aligning California water policy with Tribal rights, stewardship, and justice.” 

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, would establish state policy recognizing water-related inequities caused by state-sanctioned acts of termination, removal and assimilation of California Native American tribes. Agencies including the State Water Resources Control Board, regional water quality control boards and the Natural Resources Agency would have to consider the policy when developing regulations, permits and grant criteria. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. 

The bill, according to its supporters, would also expand consultation with tribes during certain water rights investigations. Karuk Tribe Chairman Russell "Buster" Attebery said California tribes lost access to water, traditional foods and cultural resources under the state's water rights system. The legislation would require specified state agencies to incorporate tribal consultation and other measures related to tribal water uses, water projects and water policy decisions.

A new study found that walleye in Mille Lacs Lake consistently return to the same spawning locations each year, according to reporting by MPR News. Researchers with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tracked about 70 adult walleye from 2019 through 2021 using acoustic transmitters and found that 96% of detected fish returned to the same spawning areas annually. The study identified three key spawning sites characterized by sand or gravel bottoms and strong wind and wave action.

According to the study, the most important spawning areas were located along largely undeveloped shorelines. Researchers said shoreline alterations, including vegetation removal, erosion and runoff from fertilizers, can reduce spawning success. Kelly Applegate, natural resources commissioner for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, said the findings will help support the sustainable management of walleye, or ogaawag in Ojibwe.

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College reported record-high student retention and persistence rates, according to data released by the college. The college's fall 2024 to fall 2025 retention rate reached 69.6%, the highest level since tracking began in 2011. The rate measures the percentage of students who return to NHSC the following fall. The college also reported a fall 2025 to spring 2026 persistence rate of 78.3%, meaning nearly four out of five degree- and certificate-seeking students continued their studies into the spring semester.

NHSC President Twyla Baker attributed the gains to student support efforts and partnerships with nonprofits Achieving the Dream and the American Indian College Fund. The college reported that full-time students achieved an 82% persistence rate during the fall 2025 semester.

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.