The Daily Spark

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.

South Dakota Searchlight reports that the number of licensed Native American foster homes in South Dakota increased by 44% after new kinship care licensing rules took effect in the summer of 2025. Information presented during a meeting of the Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council showed the number of licensed Native American foster homes grew from 93 in July 2025 to 134 by late February. During the same period, the total number of licensed foster homes increased from 793 to 908.

State officials attributed the increase largely to rule changes that eased licensing requirements for kinship caregivers, who are relatives or close family friends caring for children removed from their homes. The South Dakota Department of Social Services reported that the number of children placed in licensed kinship care increased from 143 to 258, an 80% increase since July 2025. During the advisory council meeting, Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Protection Services Director Susan Schrader encouraged the state to work more closely with tribes on future kinship placements.

Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi celebrated the opening of the Wakaŋ Tipi Center in St. Paul at the end of May, according to reporting from MPR News. The new center is located along the Mississippi River at Wakaŋ Tipi, a 27-acre Dakota sacred site formerly known as Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. The approximately 7,000-square-foot building includes exhibit space, classrooms, community gathering areas and traditional medicine gardens.

The center will host ceremonies, educational programming and community events while supporting ongoing restoration efforts at the sacred site. Maggie Lorenz, executive director of Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi, said the center is intended to help people reconnect with culture and identity. Kate Beane, a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors, said the organization sought a permanent presence at the site to support stewardship and preservation efforts. Walking trails throughout the site are open to the public.

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is pursuing a housing development on 18.4 acres of tribally owned property near Stuckey Road in Great Falls, according to reporting from the Montana Free Press. Plans call for apartment buildings, duplexes, single-family homes and recreation space to be built in multiple phases. The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act program and is intended primarily for tribal members.

The Great Falls Planning Advisory Board and Zoning Commission unanimously approved requests to annex the property into the city and establish a planned unit development. Little Shell Chairman Gerald Gray said the project would provide affordable housing and build on the tribe’s investments in the community. The annexation and planned unit development still require final approval from the Great Falls City Commission before construction can move forward.Montana Free Presshttps://montanafreepress.org/2026/06/01/part-bargain-part-gamble-city-approves-funds-for-industrial-park/

A California assemblyman introduced a bill to fix a data collection system that chronically undercounts Indigenous students in public schools.

According to reporting by SFGate, Assembly Bill 1581 requires the state to log the tribal affiliation of any student who identifies as American Indian, Alaska Native or multiracial. 

Current state reporting rules push multiracial students into broad demographic categories. This creates an estimated 90% undercount of Native students statewide. Advocates say accurate numbers will help schools secure specific educational funding and build culturally relevant programs.

A newly proposed Indigenous School of Medicine aims to drastically increase the number of Native American physicians nationwide, who currently make up just .3% of practicing doctors.

According to reporting by South Dakota Searchlight, the initiative recently received a $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to conduct a feasibility study. Led by physician Donald Warne, the school hopes to begin enrolling students by 2030.

The program's curriculum will uniquely prioritize holistic well-being and cultural competency over traditional, rigid teaching methods. Organizers hope this culturally supportive environment will inspire Native students and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Distinct genetic mutations may help breast cancer tumors hide from the immune defenses of Native American women’s bodies, researchers found in a new University of Notre Dame study.

According to reporting by Medical Xpress, the research is the first detailed molecular analysis of breast cancer in this population. While Native American women have lower breast cancer incidence rates than white women, their mortality rates remain disproportionately high.

Researchers compared 17 tumor samples from Native American women with nearly 700 from white women, discovering significant differences in immune-related genes. The findings indicate to researchers that more research is needed. Jun Li, one of the study’s authors, was quoted as saying that the study is meant "to generate hypotheses, not change treatment guidelines."

According to reporting by KX News, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has joined the Together for School Meals initiative, which supports providing free breakfast and lunch to students in North Dakota.

Supporters of the measure say free school meals would improve children's health, assist families facing financial challenges and help students focus on learning. According to the KX News reporting, more than 70 organizations have signed on in support of the initiative. MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox said access to healthy school meals helps students succeed in the classroom and supports the well-being of youth and families. The group submitted more than 57,000 signatures to the North Dakota Secretary of State's Office, and more than 49,000 were accepted, according to a spokesperson for Together for School Meals. The measure will appear on the Nov. 3 North Dakota general election ballot.

A new exhibit co-created by Ohlone youth and UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science opened this month after researchers successfully challenged federal grant cuts in court, Berkeleyside reports. The mixed-reality exhibit, “Yuutka” — meaning “The Place of the Acorn” — features virtual acorn gathering, Ohlone ecological knowledge and interactive displays designed with Indigenous youth from the East Bay Ohlone community. The project was originally supported by a $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant that was terminated in 2025 as part of broader federal cuts to grants connected to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Researchers and Ohlone youth continued developing the exhibit despite the loss of funding, eventually joining a class-action lawsuit challenging the grant terminations. A federal judge ordered the restoration of multiple canceled grants in June 2025. Vincent Medina, co-leader of UC Berkeley’s ‘ottoy Initiative, said the project aimed to ensure Ohlone knowledge was recognized as scientific knowledge rather than folklore. The exhibit is the first mixed-reality installation in the museum’s history and the first designed in collaboration with Ohlone youth.

Yakama Nation members and nonprofit groups are opposing a proposed clean energy storage project near Pushpum, a sacred site along the Columbia River in Washington, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. The 700-acre Goldendale pumped-hydro energy storage project would be built on the contaminated grounds of an abandoned aluminum smelter formerly owned by Lockheed Martin. Supporters say the project could help meet regional energy demand and power up to 500,000 homes, but a state review found it would have “significant and unavoidable adverse impacts” on Yakama historic sites and culturally significant plants.

Yakama leaders and groups, including Columbia Riverkeeper, called on Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to intervene after state and federal agencies issued key permits. Elaine Harvey, a Yakama Nation member and watershed manager at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, said the project raises concerns about sacred root grounds, migratory corridors, wildlife and possible energy use by data centers.