The Daily Spark

On Thursday delegates at the National Congress of American Indians’ 82nd annual convention in Seattle re-elected NCAI president Mark Macarro, according to Indianz.Com. Macarro, who first won the organization’s top executive post in 2013, took nearly 60% in a runoff against Jacqueline “Jackie” Pata of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Nez Perce Chair Shannon Wheeler of Idaho was eliminated in the first round.

Macarro, chair of the Pechanga Band of Indians in California, thanked delegates who supported him and those who did not, saying the three-way race pushed him to refine his message and priorities. Pata pledged to stand beside him and NCAI, thanking her tribe and the Alaska caucus for backing her late-breaking bid.

Delegates also returned Brian Weeden of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as first vice president and elected Christie Modlin of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma as recording secretary.

Two California Democrats introduced the Tribal Internet Expansion Act Tuesday to add tribal lands to the federal Communications Act. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Raul Ruiz, would clarify that tribes can receive federal broadband support in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

According to reporting by Law360, the change is meant to steer more resources to Indian Country and strengthen the FCC’s Universal Service Fund so it better serves tribal nations. Ruiz was quoted as saying that access to high-speed internet is now a necessity and many tribal communities lack affordable service that students, patients and families rely on.

Larry Wright Jr., executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, called the bill a timely step toward closing the “tribal digital divide.”

Ely Samuel Parker, a Seneca leader and aide to Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War, was formally admitted to the New York State Bar in a posthumous ceremony at a Buffalo courthouse on Nov. 14, 176 years after racial barriers blocked his entry. Parker died in 1895. According to reporting by The New York Times, legal experts say it’s the first recorded case of a Native American being admitted posthumously to a state bar, underscoring Parker’s enduring impact on the profession.

Parker was born Hasonoanda, or “Leading Name,” on the Tonawanda Seneca Reservation near Buffalo in 1828. At 19, he moved to Ellicottville to read law under district attorney William P. Angel. When New York courts blocked him from joining the bar in 1849 because he was not recognized as a U.S. citizen, he turned to a career in engineering.

He later met Grant in Illinois and, during the Civil War, served on his staff. After the war, he became the first Native American to serve as federal Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Parker never received a law license during his lifetime but was central to the Senecas’ fight to reclaim their Tonawanda homelands, working with attorney John Martindale on legal battles that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The land he helped protect remains Tonawanda territory.

Posthumous bar admissions remain rare but have become more common as a way to confront historic discrimination in the legal profession.

The Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, according to KXII. The tribes argue that Stitt does not have the authority to appoint a special prosecutor for wildlife crimes on tribal land.

Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said in a statement that the nation “will defend its rights and those of its members against the Governor’s unlawful prosecution,” adding that hunting and fishing are rooted in Choctaw sovereignty and traditions. Governor Stitt, newly appointed special prosecutor Russ Cochran and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are listed as defendants. According to KXII, Stitt appointed Cochran on Nov. 13 following actions by the state attorney general regarding prosecutions in eastern Oklahoma. In October, Attorney General Gentner Drummond upheld tribal hunting rights and said the state would not prosecute Native American hunters on tribal land without a state permit.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the University of Arizona announced an agreement Monday that grants the tribe naming rights to the school’s football stadium for $60 million over 20 years, according to ICT. Arizona Stadium will be renamed Casino Del Sol Stadium, and the deal is the largest in Big 12 history.

Pascua Yaqui Tribe Chairman Julian Hernandez said in a statement that the tribe “values partnerships grounded in respect and opportunity” and that the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to education, cultural preservation and community strength. University President Suresh Garimella said the agreement aligns with the university’s land-grant mission to build sustainable relationships with tribal nations. According to ICT, the partnership includes new stadium branding, digital integration and expanded visibility in national broadcasts. University adviser Levi Esquerra said the agreement strengthens ties between the tribe and the university and will support Native nations and the region.

Leaders at tribal colleges and universities say they remain uncertain about long-term federal support, even after the U.S. Department of Education announced a funding increase of more than 100% earlier this year, according to the Associated Press.

Ruth De La Cruz, who teaches in the food sovereignty program at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, said the work reflects the knowledge her ancestors protected. The college is operated by the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. President Twyla Baker said those teachings are part of the government’s trust responsibilities to tribal nations. “We prepaid for all of this,” she was quoted as saying.

The increase coincides with funding decreases in other federal agencies that support tribal colleges and universities, said Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. She said vacant tribal liaison positions and proposed federal workforce cuts add to the pressure. United Tribes Technical College President Leander McDonald said the uncertainty makes it difficult to plan new programs or hire staff. “How long is the storm going to last?” he was quoted as saying.

The U.S. Army released findings from the eighth year of the Carlisle Barracks Disinterment Program, which returned 17 Native American children to their families, according to a news release. The children died after being sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School more than 100 years ago. The Office of Army Cemeteries reported that remains belonging to one child from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and 16 children from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes were biologically consistent with student and burial records. Both tribes requested that the names of the children remain private.

According to the Office of Army Cemeteries, remains found in two graves did not match burial records. Those remains were reinterred in their original locations at the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery, where the graves are now marked as Unknown. The agency stated that its team will continue reviewing records and pursuing leads to identify the individuals buried in unmarked graves. Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Office of Army Cemeteries and Army National Military Cemeteries, expressed condolences and reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to locating the burial sites of the missing children.

The Mandan Police Department is looking for 22-year-old Ava Morin, an Indigenous woman who was reportedly last seen on Nov. 15, according to the North Dakota Office of Attorney General.

A Nov. 16 post on Morin’s Facebook page, made at 5 a.m., shows what appears to be a bloody scalp and says that a woman “just hit me in the back of my head with a metal bat.”

The Mandan Police Department did not immediately respond to questions about whether Morin is believed to be endangered, where she was last seen and what her tribal affiliation is.

Morin is described by the attorney general’s office as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 140 pounds, with brown eyes and hair. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Mandan Police Department at 701-667-3250.

Two Northern California tribes signed a treaty committing to jointly restore the Eel River and its fish populations, according to The Mendocino Voice. Leaders from the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Yurok Tribe met last month at the Eel River Canyon Preserve in Trinity County to sign the “Treaty of Friendship.” The agreement centers on rebuilding declining fish populations as PG&E moves to decommission the Potter Valley Project’s Scott Dam and Cape Horn dams in Mendocino County.

The tribes said the dams have long damaged the river and blocked access to fish habitat. Dam removal, expected to begin in 2028, will allow the river to flow freely again through the ancestral lands of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. The Yurok Tribe, California’s largest federally recognized tribe, will share its experience from Klamath River restoration efforts. The treaty was signed by Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James and Round Valley Indian Tribes President Joe Parker. Parker was quoted as saying, “The Eel River is our lifeblood and when it suffers, our people suffer.”

A new initiative from Protect the Sacred aims to connect Native youth with elders to preserve Indigenous languages and cultural traditions, according to reporting by Axios Phoenix. Connecting the Rainbow will fund fellowships for young people to document elders’ stories through filmmaking, podcasting and other media, according to Diné activist Allie Redhorse Young. Young said geographic separation has disrupted oral tradition and contributed to youth isolation. A 2023 U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs report found that of 167 Native languages spoken in the U.S., only 20 are expected to survive past 2050.

Protect the Sacred launched in 2020 as an emergency response to the COVID pandemic. The group has since expanded its advocacy work. One Connecting the Rainbow fellow, Chazlyn Curley, plans to produce a podcast with her grandmother on the Navajo Nation. Curley said her grandmother taught her, “T'áá hwó' ají t'éego,” which translates to “It’s all up to your effort and hard work and determination.”

Tribal Self-Governance announced that its docuseries “For Our People: Stories of Tribal Self-Governance & Sovereignty” received a 2025 Anthem Award for social impact storytelling, according to a statement by the organization. The honored episode centers on the Quinault Indian Nation’s work to relocate neighborhoods to higher ground in response to rising sea levels, intensified storms and changing ecosystems on their ancestral lands.

The episode includes accounts from tribal council members, elders, scientists and community members. In the release, Tribal Self-Governance Executive Director Jay Spaan said the award recognizes the Nation’s achievements and the role of self-governance in supporting Native communities. The Anthem Awards received more than 2,000 submissions from 42 countries. Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will hold a community biogas workshop Dec. 4-5 to share training, education and feasibility information on renewable natural gas development, according to a CTUIR press release. The event will highlight anaerobic digestion technology and include free hands-on kits demonstrating the chemistry and engineering involved.

CTUIR’s First Foods Policy Program is partnering with biogas expert David House to lead the workshop. According to CTUIR Climate Adaption Planner Colleen Sanders, the gathering will help regional partners discuss potential benefits, barriers and future goals for food production and renewable energy systems. Technical discussions will take place Dec. 4 at the Nixyaawii Governance Center, with a virtual participation option available. The Dec. 5 community session at the Mission Longhouse will include participants from agriculture, public utilities, waste management and regional food sectors. Participants who register by Nov. 26 will receive a free copy of “The Complete Biogas Handbook.”

More than 300 homes in Washington are now eligible for Native tenant ownership through a federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, but none has been transferred, according to reporting by Underscore Native News and ICT. A 2024 state audit found that the Washington State Housing Finance Commission failed for more than two decades to create policies, oversight or guidance for the Eventual Tenant Ownership program and initially undercounted eligible homes, listing 135 instead of 160 by 2023.

Updated policies adopted in 2024 and 2025 require regular progress reports, clearer guidance for tribal housing authorities and yearly certifications. The commission has approved tenant transfer plans for the Tulalip Tribal Housing Department and the Spokane Indian Housing Authority, with plans from Colville and Nooksack nearing approval and Quinault and Lower Elwha still in development. State Rep. Gerry Pollet said legislation is needed to ensure accountability and move Native tenants into ownership.

Law enforcement on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is expanding the search area for 71-year-old Wesley Dixon Jones, a tribal elder who was last seen Oct. 5.

The location of the new search area was not identified in a Nov. 14 CTUIR news release, but UTPD detective William Morris said they’ll initiate the search with drones and that the CTUIR Geographic Information Systems is supporting the effort.

The FBI has recently updated its information on Jones to align its last known sighting of Jones with that of the CTUIR’s. The tribe has said Jones was last seen Oct. 5 at 3:15 p.m. riding as a passenger in a gray 2003 Ford Escape headed east on Short Mile Road in the Mission area. When the driver drove back on the same stretch, Jones was no longer seen in the vehicle.

Jones is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 140 lbs. He has brown eyes and long black hair and was last seen wearing a black and red Tiger Scott jacket, black shirt, black sweatpants and boots. A relative said he had a Shakespeare fishing rod with him.

Morris said he’s been in constant contact with Jones’s daughters, Mollyanne and Twila, as they coordinate search efforts.

“This is a difficult time for his daughters right now, but despite that there has been a good amount of mutual support between us and the family,” Morris was quoted as saying. “It’s important to me to maintain good relationships with the family.”

According to Michigan Advance, tribal leaders and advocates in Michigan said the recent pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the federal government shutdown highlighted ongoing barriers to food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. Meredith Migizi, executive director of Miigwech, Inc., said the interruption raised concerns about treaty obligations and reliance on federal systems that do not always meet tribal needs.

Joe Van Alstine, food distribution program specialist for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, said food sovereignty requires tribes to build their own networks, including working with local farmers and strengthening tribal distribution centers. Households cannot receive both SNAP and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations benefits in the same month, creating obstacles for citizens who considered switching programs during the lapse. Advocates said processing delays and limited access to distribution sites leave many tribal citizens without stable options when federal programs are disrupted.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has launched a new online Choctaw Dictionary Project to support language learners and document the Mississippi dialect of the Choctaw language, according to the Mississippi Free Press. The digital resource, released in September, includes more than 5,000 words along with recorded stories and histories. Jason Lewis, who works in cultural content development for the tribe’s Choctaw Tribal Language Program, said earlier dictionaries reflected the Oklahoma dialect recorded after removal, not the language spoken today in Mississippi.

The Tribal Language Program has worked since 2019 to collect stories and develop a consistent writing system. Program Director DeLaura Saunders told the Mississippi Free Press the goal is to provide resources for younger tribal citizens who are no longer hearing the language daily. Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben described the language as “the living spirit of our identity” in a Sept. 8 statement. The tribe plans continued additions to the dictionary as staff complete interviews, transcriptions and new entries.

D’Angelo James Hunt, 26, is being charged with second-degree murder after his brother’s remains were found behind their father’s home on the Spirit Lake Reservation, according to KFYR-TV.

Isaac Hunt disappeared in March 2024, when he was 27. Family members discovered what appeared to be a human skull on Nov. 15, leading to the recovery of additional remains the next day.

The FBI’s Evidence Response Team also recovered clothing and shoes consistent with what the victim was wearing when he was last seen, according to KFYR, which cited the criminal complaint.

The case falls under federal jurisdiction because both individuals are Spirit Lake Tribe citizens and the alleged crime occurred on tribal land. D’Angelo Hunt remains in custody at the Grand Forks County Corrections Center.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe has withdrawn from the National Congress of American Indians and the Coalition of Large Tribes, saying the groups no longer represent its interests, according to ICT. In a statement, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out said NCAI’s voting structure does not equitably account for the tribe’s population size and has resulted in advocacy that favors self-governance tribes over direct-service tribes. He said the tribe’s concerns about NCAI’s policy positions led to the decision to revoke its membership.

NCAI President Mark Macarro told ICT he was disappointed but said the organization respects the tribe’s decision. He acknowledged inequities in NCAI’s voting tiers and said constitutional reform may be needed. Star Comes Out said the tribe also left the Coalition of Large Tribes because of concerns about communication and messaging he said aligned too closely with the Trump administration. COLT Executive Director OJ Semans told ICT the coalition works with every administration to advocate for its members and cited recent efforts involving Indian Health Service employees.

Children displaced from western Alaska villages by the remnants of Typhoon Halong are finding stability in a Yup’ik language immersion program in Anchorage, according to the Associated Press. Nearly 700 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged when flooding swept away structures along the Bering Sea, and hundreds of residents were airlifted to Anchorage. The Anchorage School District has enrolled about 170 displaced students, including 71 in the Yup’ik immersion program at College Gate Elementary and Wendler Middle School.

Teachers and administrators told the AP the program has expanded rapidly as evacuees join classes that split instruction between Yup’ik and English. Principal Darrell Berntsen, who greeted families at a Red Cross shelter, encouraged parents to enroll their children to help them adjust. Students described learning new Yup’ik phrases while navigating homesickness and temporary housing far from their villages. Educators said the program is helping preserve Alaska Native language and culture and allowing children to communicate with older generations.