The Daily Spark

The Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Pojoaque, Sandia and Isleta pueblos filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, alleging the company enables sports gambling on tribal land in violation of tribal gaming compacts and federal law, according to reporting by Source NM. The lawsuit alleges Kalshi allows users 18 and older to place sports-related wagers in New Mexico, despite tribal gaming compacts limiting gambling at tribal casinos to people 21 and older.

According to Source NM, the lawsuit argues Kalshi should have created a geofence to block use of the platform within tribal boundaries. Tribal leaders said the platform diverts gaming revenue used to fund schools and other tribal services. Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuart Paisano was quoted in a statement as saying that the markets provide “an end-run around regulation of gaming on our lands.” The lawsuit follows similar litigation filed last year by the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin against Kalshi.

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act applies in the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s effort to recover the remains of two boys who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School more than a century ago. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and found the tribe is entitled to seek repatriation of Samuel Gilbert and Edward Hensley under federal law.

According to reporting by ICT, the Winnebago Tribe filed suit in 2024 after the U.S. Office of Army Cemeteries denied the tribe’s request to return the boys’ remains. The court ruling sends the case back to a lower court for further proceedings. Winnebago Chairman Coly Brown said the decision “brings joy to the tribe,” while Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition policy director Ponka-We Victors-Cozad called the ruling “a step forward” in efforts to return Native children buried at boarding schools to their tribal communities.

Racing Magpie selected three collaborative projects to receive $10,000 grants through its Spring 2026 Sinew Fund, according to a Lakota Times article highlighting the recipients. The fund supports Oceti Sakowin visual creatives working on artist-led, community-based projects in Lakota communities across the United States.

The recipients include the “Ma Lakota Project,” led by Amanda Takes War Bonnett and Jennifer Young Bull Bear, which will host workshops on traditional crafts on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Another funded project, “Creative Regenerations,” led by Donald Montileaux and Keith BraveHeart, will guide students and staff at Rockyford School in creating a ceramic mural installation. “Sovereign Selfies,” led by Adonica Little-Hamilton and Teslah Knight, will create an interactive art installation featuring Oceti Sakowin design elements at the Black Hills Powwow.

A coalition of Maine environmental and community health organizations released a five-year policy guide calling on state leaders to expand protections for Wabanaki sovereignty, environmental conservation and clean energy initiatives, according to an article in the Maine Morning Star. “Meeting the Moment” outlines policy recommendations ahead of this year’s elections for governor and the Maine Legislature.

According to the article, the report recommends the state work with Maine’s congressional delegation to restore self-determination for the Wabanaki Nations and establish an Office of Indigenous Studies within the Department of Education. The proposal also calls for funding Wabanaki Studies curriculum in schools and requiring the coursework for high school graduation. Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director Maulian Bryant said the current status of the Wabanaki Nations has resulted in missed economic opportunities and limited self-governance compared with other federally recognized tribes.

Amanda Page, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, is running for Deschutes County Commissioner, Seat 3, in Oregon and said she hopes to expand Indigenous representation in local government, according to Underscore Native News and ICT. Page, who currently serves on the Redmond School Board, said her campaign is focused on affordable housing, environmental protections and support for tribal sovereignty.

Page criticized developments she said could affect water resources and tribal treaty rights, including a proposed resort project near Redmond. She also said tribes should be consulted earlier in land use decisions affecting culturally significant areas and natural resources. Primary elections for the Deschutes County commissioner race are scheduled for May 19.

The Turtle Mountain community gathered Friday evening in Belcourt, North Dakota, to honor 12-year-old Abrium Swain following confirmation that a body found near Dunseith was identified as the missing boy, according to KMOT. A candlelight vigil originally scheduled for Thursday at the Tribal Welfare Center was moved to the school football field in Belcourt.

According to KMOT, Abrium was reported missing March 15 after reportedly leaving a child welfare center. The FBI is leading the investigation into his death alongside tribal, state and local agencies. Turtle Mountain tribal leadership said preliminary reports indicate foul play is not expected and investigators believe the boy died from exposure, though final federal reports are still pending. Turtle Mountain Community Schools released a statement offering counseling services to students and staff following the death of the sixth-grade student.

Native artists participating in the Minnesota Historical Society’s Native American Artist-in-Residence Program said the initiative has helped preserve and share traditional Indigenous art forms through research and community education. According to MPR News, the program has supported 23 artists from Minnesota and surrounding states since 2013 by providing financial support and access to museum collections for research.

Jennifer Adams, a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, is researching paaxge beadwork, a traditional Ho-Chunk art form used in regalia and jewelry. Adams said she plans to create a pattern book to share with her community. Former resident Giizh Agaton Howes, a citizen of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, created an Ojibwe moccasin pattern book during her residency. Artist Cole Redhorse Taylor said the program changed how he viewed his ancestors, homeland and Dakota cultural traditions through his research on moccasins and Indigenous trade.

I.Am.Legacy, a Rapid City-based organization focused on supporting people impacted by incarceration and their families, hosted a three-day seminar called “From Chains to Ceremony” this month at the Ramkota Hotel, according to Native Sun News Today. The organization was founded by Eric Brings White after he faced barriers to employment and housing following his release from prison, despite earning a social work degree and completing parole early.

Co-founder Morgan Brings White said I.Am.Legacy opened in 2019 as a culturally grounded community hub for people leaving jail or prison and their relatives. The organization offers jail-based programming, recovery support and cultural activities aimed at addressing generational trauma, addiction and reentry challenges. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Native Americans account for nearly 57% of the federal caseload in South Dakota. Morgan Brings White said the organization is open to everyone and works to help families navigate systems including Child Protective Services and the Department of Social Services.

Lita Davis opened Bully Brew Coffee, a full-service cafe in Dunseith, North Dakota, after returning to the Turtle Mountains with her family following 23 years in Minneapolis, according to KMOT. The cafe serves specialty coffee drinks, soups and sandwiches and is located at 10 Main St. 

Davis told KMOT the idea came after noticing limited local dining options in the community. She now operates the cafe alongside her mother and business partner, Lynn Gladue. Davis said the business is an Indigenous-woman-owned operation and has created jobs in the community. According to KMOT, Davis also plans to expand the cafe and add more menu items in the future. The cafe’s coffee is roasted by North Dakota Coffee Roastery in Grand Forks.

A 12-year-old boy who had been missing from the Turtle Mountain Reservation since March was found dead near Dunseith, North Dakota, according to KX News. Family members confirmed that Abrium Swain, who disappeared March 15 from the Turtle Mountain Child Welfare Shelter in Belcourt, was identified through a DNA test with his father.

According to KX News, federal officers believe Swain died from exposure after his body was found near the north housing unit in Dunseith. Family members previously told KX News that Swain ran away from the shelter the morning he disappeared, briefly returned later that day, then left again. KX News reported that Turtle Mountain Child Welfare declined to release information about the case and that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Turtle Mountain Chairman’s Office and the FBI had not responded to requests for comment as of Thursday.

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts hosted its third annual Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe, New Mexico, featuring a sold-out gala, designer showcases and a Native Creatives Market, according to ICT. The May 8-9 event at the Eldorado Hotel included fashion collections from Indigenous designers Patricia Michaels, Himikalas Pamela Baker, Jamie Okuma, Jontay Kahm and Lauren Good Day.

According to ICT, the gala featured a three-course meal prepared by Chef Ray Naranjo of Santa Clara Pueblo and performances by tenor Bo Shimmin of Pueblo of Acoma, violinist Aspyn Kaskalla and singer Tiana Spotted Thunder. Designer Peshawn Bread produced the fashion presentation using multiple lighted platforms instead of a traditional runway. Lauren Good Day, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara, closed the show with ribbon skirts, cradleboards and moccasins presented in a collection focused on motherhood and solidarity.

The Native Dads Network received a $28,465 grant from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation to support Native students in the Woodland Joint Unified School District, according to The Davis Enterprise. The funding will support a one-year initiative called “Building Cultural Resilience for Woodland Joint Unified School District,” focused on strengthening cultural identity and supporting Native youth and families.

According to The Davis Enterprise, the grant will help fund cultural restorative justice classes and upgrades to the Native American Resource Center at Douglass Middle School, including new computers, furniture and collaborative workspaces. Native Dads Network Chair Mike Duncan said the organization was honored by the support and partnership. The project also includes plans for a mini mural intended to increase Native representation within the school environment. Woodland Joint Unified School District Superintendent Elodia Ortega-Lampkin said the grant is an investment in students and the cultural strength of the community.

The 78th Redding Rodeo opened Wednesday night with a Native American night celebration honoring Indigenous culture and history in Redding, California, according to Action News Now. Thousands attended the opening night of the four-day event, which included ceremonies, music and traditional performances.

Redding Rancheria Chairman Jack Potter said the event highlights Native identity and contributions while bringing people together. According to Action News Now, the evening included a performance of “America the Beautiful” in the Piute language and traditional dancing by participants wearing regalia. The rodeo also featured professional events, including bareback riding, steer wrestling and bull riding. Organizers expect about 20,000 people to attend the event through Saturday night.

The Bureau of Land Management issued a final decision canceling bison grazing permits held by American Prairie on federal land in Montana, according to the Daily Montanan. The decision affects six allotments covering about 63,000 acres where the nonprofit grazed about 900 bison under BLM authorization.

According to the Daily Montanan, BLM said the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act allows permits for livestock grazing and that bison managed for conservation purposes do not meet the agency’s definition of livestock. BLM terminated bison and combined cattle-bison permits for American Prairie and reissued cattle-only permits, with the terminations effective Sept. 30. The agency said the decision applies to “this particular non-tribal permittee” and does not adjudicate tribal bison grazing rights. American Prairie said it plans to appeal.

Mary Beth Garrison, senior adviser of communities and communications for Rio Tinto U.S. Borax, discussed the company’s cultural heritage management efforts during a May 6 meeting of the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council, according to the Tehachapi News. Garrison said the company expanded its cultural heritage policies after the 2020 destruction of ancient Aboriginal rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Australia during a mine expansion project. 

According to the Tehachapi News, Garrison said Rio Tinto later implemented cultural heritage management plans at its mining operations, including in Boron, California. She said surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022 documented evidence of Indigenous travel through the area, including a grinding stone later given to the Native American Heritage League in Sacramento. Garrison also highlighted restoration work on the company’s historic Twenty Mule Team display and said visitor numbers increased after the project was completed.

The Department of the Interior approved its first tribal energy resource agreement, expanding the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s authority to manage energy development on its lands, according to an Interior Department announcement. The agreement allows the tribe to enter into and manage energy-related leases, rights-of-way and business agreements without obtaining federal approval for each individual action, reducing processing delays and federal oversight.

According to the Interior Department, tribal energy resource agreements are intended to support tribal self-determination and economic development through increased tribal management of energy resources. The department said the opportunity for tribes to enter into the agreements has existed since 2008, but this marks the first approval issued by the federal government. Interior officials also said the department plans to continue outreach and listening sessions with tribes to streamline future applications for similar agreements.

Students at Mescalero Apache School in New Mexico are developing wildfire and flood warning sensors aimed at helping protect their community from climate-related disasters, according to an article in New Mexico In Depth. 

The student-led project began after severe flooding damaged the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s fish hatchery in July 2025, killing about 500,000 trout, according to the article. Students said they wanted to create faster and more affordable detection systems than existing satellite technology, which tribal officials said can issue false alarms and delayed alerts. The wildfire sensor is designed to detect chemical compounds associated with smoke and fire and send warnings to emergency services. Students also are developing a flood sensor that would alert communities when water levels rise to dangerous levels.

Candace Stock, a chef from the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota, said in an interview with MPR News that she had to relearn how to cook after a car crash left her with dysosmia, a condition that distorts the sense of smell.

Stock said she suffered cracked vertebrae, broken ribs and a concussion after falling asleep at the wheel while working long hours at a country club in Deer Lodge, Montana. She later learned the crash affected the way she experienced food, making some fruits taste like chemicals and fresh meat smell spoiled. Despite the condition, Stock said she relied on years of culinary training, memory and feedback from coworkers to continue cooking professionally. 

Now the incoming executive chef for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Stock said support from coworkers, donors and family helped her regain confidence in the kitchen. She also said memories tied to Native foods and traditions continue to inspire her cooking.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and S&K Gaming celebrated the grand opening of the new 400 Horses Casino in Polson, Montana, on May 5 alongside the Indian Gaming Association, according to Yogonet. Tribal officials described the project as a major investment in economic development, job creation and tribal sovereignty through tribal gaming.

Located near Highway 83 and the Polson Airport, the 35,000-square-foot facility includes nearly 300 gaming machines, outdoor patio areas overlooking Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountains, and the “371” restaurant, named after the deepest point of Flathead Lake. Yogonet reported that casino and gaming operations support more than 200 jobs in the community, with additional seasonal positions created each summer. Tribal officials also said the casino includes cultural and educational exhibits highlighting the history and traditions of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.