The Daily Spark

The American Indigenous Tourism Association is accepting nominations for its Excellence in Indigenous Tourism Awards, which recognize leadership, innovation, customer service and cultural stewardship across Native Nations and communities, according to the association. Award categories include Indigenous Destination of the Year, Best Cultural Heritage Experience, Industry Professional of the Year and Indigenous Artisan of the Year, among others. 

According to the association, award recipients will be recognized during the American Indigenous Tourism Conference, with the awards gala scheduled for Oct. 21 at Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, Washington. The association states that Indigenous-owned tourism businesses contribute $11.6 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Nominations are open through July 17 and may be submitted for individuals, businesses, organizations and destinations that support Indigenous tourism, cultural preservation and visitor experiences.

North Dakota will receive about $28 million from the federal government under a settlement resolving a lawsuit over costs tied to the 2016 and 2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests, according to reporting from the North Dakota Monitor. The settlement matches the amount awarded to the state in 2025 by U.S. District Judge Dan Traynor. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged the federal government contributed to the growth of the protests by allowing demonstrators to camp on federal land.

Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the agreement ends nearly seven years of litigation and covers about $7.5 million in legal fees incurred by the state. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement acknowledging the federal government "could have done more to reduce the impacts to the people of North Dakota" during the protests, while continuing to dispute Traynor's legal findings. During the trial, Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke testified that cleanup costs could have been reduced if demonstrators had been given more time to clear the camps. Wrigley said the settlement funds will be used to pay off a loan from the Bank of North Dakota.

People gathered in Mandaree, North Dakota, for a community event focused on faith, sobriety and recovery, according to reporting by KX News. The program, known as Pathways to Health and Wellness, included a horse ride from New Town to Mandaree organized by Pastor Don McKenzie.

After arriving in Mandaree, participants heard from faith leaders and people in recovery who shared their experiences with drug and alcohol addiction. One participant, Lavina Miller of Fort Berthold Recovery, spoke about her past struggles with substance use, including fentanyl addiction. According to KX News reporting, speakers were presented with blankets during the event.

MHA Chairman Mark Fox and members of the Tribal Business Council also addressed attendees about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on families across the reservation. McKenzie said the event's message focused on supporting people who are struggling and offering help when needed.

Bailey Skenandore, a citizen of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, has built Sweetgrass Salon in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward as a space where clients can express themselves through their hair while honoring its cultural significance, according to reporting by ICT. Skenandore said in an interview that hair is closely tied to identity and that creating a supportive environment for clients is central to her work. She noted that for some Indigenous people, hair can carry spiritual meaning and may be cut during periods of mourning or hardship.

Skenandore opened Sweetgrass Salon after spending eight years working under another salon owner. She told ICT that launching her own business gave her the freedom to create a space that reflected her vision. According to data cited by ICT from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Native-owned businesses have increased in recent decades.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition will hold the final stop of its Oral History Project in Tulsa from June 22-26, according to reporting by KOSU. The project documents the experiences of living survivors of federally supported Indian boarding schools and aims to preserve those stories for future generations. Interviews collected through the project will be permanently housed by the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian American History Museum and are expected to be released in early 2027.

Only people who attended a federally supported Indian boarding school in the United States before 1970 are eligible to participate. Charlee Brissette, co-director of the project and a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, told KOSU that about 25 interview slots remain available. KOSU reported that participants receive support throughout the interview process, including access to Indigenous mental health professionals, and retain the rights to their interviews and portraits.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the 2022 death of Logan Warrior Goings on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, according to statements made by investigators to Dakota News Now.

Logan was 6 years old when he was killed after a gun was fired into a residence in May 2022. FBI Special Agent Matthew Vogel said the investigation remains active and authorities continue to seek information from the public. 

Logan's grandmother, Holly Wilson, told Dakota News Now that the family is still seeking answers. According to Wilson, the family has not yet held a memorial dinner and continues to wait for justice in the case. The FBI said it will continue investigating the killing and encouraged anyone with information to contact authorities or submit a tip through its online reporting system. Vogel noted that tips can be submitted anonymously.

An estimated 1,800 dancers from Indigenous communities across Alaska, the Great Plains and the Hawaiian Islands gathered in Juneau on June 3 for the opening of Celebration, a biennial festival honoring Southeast Alaska Indigenous cultures, according to reporting by the Alaska Beacon. The Grand Entrance drew thousands of dancers, families and supporters and featured 34 dance groups singing, drumming and dancing through downtown Juneau and into Centennial Hall.

Celebration began in 1982 as a dance and culture festival recognizing Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures, according to the Sealaska Heritage Institute, which organizes the event. This year's theme, "enduring strength," highlights the resilience of Indigenous communities. The four-day gathering includes traditional song and dance performances, Native language activities, food, art, classes, a toddler regalia review and an Indigenous fashion show.

A state administrative law judge has ruled that a rural electric cooperative cannot disconnect power to the Upper Sioux Community’s casino in western Minnesota while a dispute over the tribe’s solar energy project continues, according to reporting from MPR News. The ruling follows a nearly two-year conflict between the Upper Sioux Community and its electric cooperative over the tribe’s 2.5-megawatt solar array. The cooperative had threatened to cut power if the tribe activated the system.

According to the MPR News reporting, the decision could have broader implications for how rural electric cooperatives in Minnesota handle customers who generate their own electricity. The dispute centers on whether the Upper Sioux Community can use electricity produced by its solar array to reduce the amount of power it purchases from the cooperative. The case remains before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to make a final determination.

Native American adults reported higher rates of long COVID than the overall U.S. population, according to survey findings highlighted by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Long COVID refers to symptoms that persist for weeks or months after an initial COVID-19 infection.

The survey found that 40% of Native American and Alaska Natives respondents reported having long COVID, compared with 30% of U.S. adults overall. According to CIDRAP, the findings were based on data from the California Health Interview Survey from 2021-2023. Researchers said the results underscore disparities in the burden of long COVID among Native American communities.

The Bureau of Land Management is investigating vandalism at six Native American rock art sites in Wyoming's Bighorn Basin, according to a June 4 statement from the bureau. Officials said people scratched names and phrases onto and around petroglyphs, fired bullets at multiple sites and lit a bonfire beneath one rock art panel, causing discoloration, cracking and the loss of rock fragments, according to reporting by Wyoming Public Media. The sites are protected under the federal Archaeological Resources Protection Act.

The damage is considered irreversible, according to the Bureau of Land Management. “This intentional damage takes away future generations’ ability to view this part of our human history and to study these sites,” Karina Black, an archaeologist with the agency’s Cody Field Office, was quoted as saying. The Bureau of Land Management said the sites are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is asking anyone with information about the vandalism to contact its Cody Field Office.

Leaders from Great Plains tribes questioned federal officials about a growing backlog of Indian probate cases and staffing shortages during an April meeting in Rapid City convened by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association. Bureau of Indian Affairs Great Plains Regional Director Olivia Steve said the agency estimates there are between 54,000 and 55,000 outstanding probate cases nationwide, according to reporting by Native Sun News Today. Steve said the Department of the Interior created a mobile Indian Affairs Probate Strike Team. She reported that a regional team at the Fort Berthold Agency helped close 335 probate cases in about three months.

Tribal leaders said staffing shortages continue to slow progress. Former Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier said Pine Ridge had only three staff members assigned to more than 1,500 probate cases. Leaders also raised concerns about access to local BIA offices, records management and proposed cuts to Indian child welfare and social services programs. According to the Native Sun News Today reporting, tribal officials called for permanent staffing solutions and greater consultation as the Interior Department works to address the backlog.

Canada's Senate has approved the “Combatting Hate Act” but rejected an amendment that would have made it a criminal offense to promote hatred against Indigenous Peoples by condoning, denying or downplaying the Indian residential school system, according to reporting by ICT. The amendment was introduced by Sen. Nancy Karetak-Lindell of Nunavut, an Inuk senator and residential school survivor. ICT reported that Karetak-Lindell told senators June 3 that the amendment had previously been approved by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights by a 7-1 vote. She said the proposal would address what she described as a gap in Canada's Criminal Code and questioned why Indigenous Peoples were not included alongside other groups protected by targeted hate provisions.

According to the ICT reporting, Sen. Pierre Moreau, the government's representative in the Senate, opposed the amendment, saying there had been no consultation on addressing residential school denialism. Following the vote, Indigenous leaders and survivor advocates criticized the decision. ICT reported that Laura Arndt of the Survivors Secretariat, an organization that documents the history of one of Canada’s largest residential schools, said she shut down comments on its social media platforms after receiving a surge of denialist and hateful messages. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak also expressed disappointment. The bill now moves forward in the legislative process.

The Minnesota Historical Society has opened a new exhibit at the visitor center at Jeffers Petroglyphs, a site in southwestern Minnesota known for thousands of ancient rock carvings. According to reporting by MPR News, the exhibit features contemporary Native perspectives alongside information about the petroglyphs, some of which are believed to be more than 7,000 years old. The updated visitor center is part of an effort to introduce a new generation of visitors to the site’s cultural and historical significance. 

Jeffers Petroglyphs contains thousands of sacred rock carvings created by the ancestors of today’s Native peoples, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. The site includes interactive exhibits focused on Native American culture and prairie ecology, as well as guided tours of the carvings. MPR News reported that the exhibit combines archaeological interpretation with contemporary Native voices to help visitors better understand the meaning and legacy of the carvings.

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.