The Daily Spark

A Mdewakanton Dakota woman said she was detained for more than 48 hours by federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities area after being accused of obstructing an investigation. According to ICT, Sophie Watso, 30, was detained Jan. 14 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and held until Jan. 16.

Watso said agents approached her vehicle while she was monitoring immigration activity and accused her of violating U.S. Code 18 Section 111. She said agents broke the windows of her truck, removed her from the vehicle and detained her. Watso was taken to the Bishop Henry Whipple Building at Fort Snelling, which is being used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an immigration detention and processing site, according to ICT.

Watso said she was later transferred to Sherburne County Jail, where she was released without charges. She said the experience left her traumatized and fearful.

Asserting its sovereign status, one of the nation’s largest tribes has officially banned Immigration and Customs Enforcement from its 3,500-square miles.

Oglala Sioux Tribal president Frank Star Comes Out issued his proclamation following a tribal council session held Jan. 21. Members passed Resolution No. 26-04, which rejects a partnership proposal between OST and ICE. They also approved another motion banning ICE agents from coming onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The OST proclamation also banned U.S. Border Patrol, citing its assistance to ICE with “unlawful conduct against Native people” in the Twin Cities. ICE operations in Minnesota have sparked nationwide furor following the recent shooting deaths of two unarmed people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Four homeless members of the OST and one Standing Rock tribal member are among those reportedly detained by ICE as they continue their immigration crackdown.

Before becoming U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was banished from all of the state’s reservations for making disparaging remarks about Native people. An OST official told Buffalo’s Fire that the ban on Noem from Pine Ridge remains in effect.

The Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce is inviting Native community members across Colorado to start and lead community teaching classes, according to an RMICC announcement. The initiative offers payment to instructors and full funding for approved projects led within their own communities.

According to the announcement, RMICC is open to a wide range of skills that benefit community well-being, including sewing, quilling and beading; outdoor and land-based skills; financial and business education; basic mechanics; entrepreneurship and business mixers; dance, fitness and movement; food, nutrition and health education; and traditional tipi or lodge setup and breakdown. RMICC said additional skill-based classes will also be considered if they serve community needs.

The announcement states the effort aims to support community mental health and encourage knowledge sharing across the state, including in Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Denver and Fort Morgan. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact RMICC for more information.

Jingle dress dancers gathered Sunday to hold healing ceremonies at memorial sites for Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis, where the two were shot and killed while observing federal immigration operations. According to MPR News, hundreds of people attended the ceremonies on Feb. 1, many wearing ribbon skirts and regalia.

Star Downwind, a lead organizer, told MPR the gatherings followed a tradition rooted in community healing: “The dress came to our people when there was a time of sickness. And so that's what we do. We show up when there's people suffering.” A prayer opened the ceremony before dancers moved clockwise around the drum as the crowd looked on.

Several community members helped organize the event, including Minnesota Indigenous Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition CEO Nicole Matthews. Matthews said prayer and gathering together offered strength as federal immigration operations continue.

Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana, has entered into a new partnership with Glacier National Park aimed at expanding educational, cultural and professional opportunities for students and community members.

According to the Daily Montanan, the agreement was signed Jan. 22 and will promote park access through the college’s educational programming and allow the college to host cultural events within the park. The partnership also creates additional internships and service-learning opportunities for students through the park, while the college will provide workshops and seminars to help train park staff.

In a statement on the five-year memorandum of understanding, cited by the Daily Montanan, Blackfeet Community College President Brad Hall described the agreement as an “intentional, collaborative relationship,” pointing to the college’s role as a resource for community-based knowledge. A Glacier spokesperson said the agreement formalizes an existing relationship between the park and the college. Superintendent Dave Roemer said the park is honored to commit to education and learning connected to the land.

An Osage higher education leader will serve as interim president of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, according to ICT. The Bureau of Indian Education announced Monday that Alex Red Corn will take the role.

Red Corn currently serves as director and associate professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Kansas and as associate vice chancellor for sovereign partnerships and Indigenous initiatives, according to the Bureau of Indian Education. He holds a doctorate in education and has led multiple programs focused on Native education and tribal partnerships. BIE Director Tony Dearman said Red Corn’s experience and commitment to Native students make him well suited to lead Haskell during a transitional period.

Red Corn will serve through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act program as part of a partnership between the Bureau of Indian Education and the University of Kansas, according to ICT. The bureau said it will continue its search for a permanent president.

The Red Lake Nation Tribal Council unanimously passed a resolution restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agents from entering tribal lands without a court order signed by a federal judge, according to MPR News. The resolution also requires agents to meet with the tribe’s public safety director and be accompanied by a tribal public safety officer while on the reservation.

The resolution was approved in mid-January and cites concerns about immigration agents stopping and arresting Native Americans in northwestern Minnesota, according to MPR News. There have been no reports of ICE agents on the Red Lake Reservation, which is located about 30 miles north of Bemidji. The resolution also prohibits ICE agents from fishing on portions of Lower and Upper Red Lake within reservation boundaries. Red Lake Nation legal director Joe Plumer said the measure aims to ensure non-tribal members comply with tribal laws and regulations, according to MPR News.

A new exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry uses Indigenous storytelling to examine ancient geological events in the Pacific Northwest, according to reporting by Underscore Native News. “Heads and Hearts: Seeing the Landscape through Nez Perce Eyes” draws on Nimiipuu stories to explore events such as the eruption of Mount Mazama, Ice Age floods, earthquakes and landslides. The exhibit runs through Feb. 16.

Ethnogeologist Roger Amerman, a Choctaw Nation citizen, and consulting geologist Ellen Morris Bishop worked for nearly two years with Nez Perce knowledge holders to gather stories and analyze them alongside Western geological research, according to Underscore Native News. Morris Bishop said the stories provide insight into geological history while remaining culturally grounded. With permission, the team recorded traditional stories and incorporated petroglyphs and video into the exhibit. Amerman said the work highlights Indigenous knowledge as a valid scientific lens and was quoted describing it as “geology with a soul."

The Trump administration plans to consolidate the federal Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice and has proposed a 29% funding cut for the office in the 2026 budget, according to ICT. The change would shift oversight of tribal grants to the Department of Justice tribal affairs division beginning in February, according to testimony from Stanley E. Woodward, associate attorney general, during a tribal consultation meeting held Jan. 21-23 in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

Tribal leaders and advocates testified in opposition to the plan, warning the consolidation could delay funding and disrupt services addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and tribal justice systems, according to ICT. Several speakers said tribes rely heavily on Office on Violence Against Women grants to support victim services, law enforcement and courts. Elizabeth Jerue, executive director of the Healing Hearts Coalition, testified that the consolidation is not something tribes requested.

The North Dakota Senate voted down a bill Friday that would have provided free school meals to all K-12 students, leaving the issue likely headed to a statewide ballot, according to the North Dakota Monitor. House Bill 1624 failed on a 24-22 vote, one day after passing the House 55-38.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, would have provided $65 million to fund free breakfast and lunch beginning next school year, according to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor. Supporters said placing the program in state law would allow lawmakers to adjust funding and policy in future sessions. Opponents argued the cost could be better spent elsewhere and said lawmakers should not rush legislation to head off a constitutional measure.

The Together for Free School Meals coalition said it will continue gathering signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot, according to the North Dakota Monitor.

A new LGBTQ+ Safety Taskforce focused on reducing suicidality among LGBTQ+ youth in North Dakota is set to launch Feb. 2, according to a press release from organizer Faye Seidler. The effort aims to address gaps in state intervention by increasing protective factors through community connections and outreach.

The task force will operate as a volunteer-led network across North Dakota rather than a formal organization, according to the release. Seidler said volunteers will advocate in their local communities and legislative districts by connecting resources, sharing data, developing support networks and challenging stigma and prejudice. To mark the launch, Seidler will host a 16-hour Twitch livestream beginning Jan. 31 at 8 a.m. Additional information is available at fayeseidlerconsulting.com/lgbtq-safety-taskforce, according to the release.

A federal judge declined to dismiss two lawsuits challenging whether northeast Oklahoma prosecutors can prosecute Native Americans for crimes committed in Indian Country, according to KOSU. The U.S. Department of Justice and several tribes are suing district attorneys Matthew Ballard and Carol Iski, alleging they exceeded their jurisdiction by prosecuting tribal members on reservations outside their own tribal nations.

Ballard and Iski argued the cases should be dismissed based on the recent Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals decision Tulsa v. O’Brien, which held that state courts have jurisdiction over non-member Indians in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan ruled that Oklahoma law does not align with federal law on the issue and denied the motions to dismiss, according to KOSU. The DOJ, Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Muscogee Nation are plaintiffs in both cases, with the Chickasaw Nation also joining the case against Ballard.

The Bismarck City Commission on Tuesday approved a request from Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health to begin phase two planning for a proposed community triage center, according to KFYR-TV. The initiative would include an unrestricted homeless shelter and a medical detox program, with a crisis center also under consideration to reduce pressure on hospitals and emergency responders.

Phase two includes identifying short- and long-term plans, convening community partners and exploring ownership and funding options, according to KFYR-TV. Commissioners previously approved a request in February 2025 for public health officials to research the need for services addressing homelessness, addiction and behavioral health. Public Health Director Renae Moch said those needs consistently rank high in the agency’s community health needs assessments. Mayor Mike Schmitz and Commissioner John Risch said coordinated services could help reduce taxpayer costs tied to policing and jail use, according to KFYR-TV.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation will host a reception Feb. 11 in Washington, D.C., highlighting the work of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, according to event materials shared by organizers. The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Senate Hart Building’s ninth floor reception room during the National Congress of American Indians Executive Council Winter Session.

The reception will focus on updates from the commission’s “The Way Forward” report, and next steps related to Native children and families will be discussed, according to the materials. The event is presented by the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation with co-hosts including the National Congress of American Indians, the Alaska Federation of Natives, tribal nations and regional tribal organizations. Organizers said the gathering builds on momentum from an NCAI resolution supporting implementation of the report’s recommendations.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation are now selling fruits and vegetables to the public at its newly operating NG2 Greenhouse in Parshall, North Dakota, on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The retail store, which is connected to the greenhouse, sells bell peppers, strawberries, baby lettuce and herbs, along with merchandise, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

The MHA Nation held its greenhouse grand opening on Nov. 26 after nearly five years of construction. The climate-controlled greenhouse can grow year-round and is expected to produce 2 million pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. MHA Chairman Mark Fox said at the grand opening that they plan to expand production to 10 million pounds a year with two additions to the greenhouse, which will expand the growing space to 412,000 square feet. He said they also plan to hold farmers markets during the summer.

The Environmental Protection Agency this month proposed revisions to the Clean Water Act that would narrow how tribes and states review federal projects for water quality impacts and change how tribes gain regulatory authority, according to Grist. The proposal would limit reviews to pollution discharges rather than evaluating a project’s full impacts on water quality, including risks to cultural resources and wildlife, a process tribes and states have used since 2023.

The proposal would also restrict water quality reviews to tribes with Treatment in a Similar Manner as a State status, known as TAS, requiring others to seek approval through a more rigorous authorization process, according to Grist. Currently, 84 tribal nations hold TAS status. Legal experts said the changes would reduce one of the few mechanisms tribes use to enforce treaty rights and protect waters near tribal lands. The EPA said a 30-day public comment period is underway and the rule is expected to face litigation after it is finalized.

U.S. officials ordered national parks this month to remove or edit signs and displays related to the mistreatment of Native Americans, climate change and environmental protection, according to a report by Reuters citing the Washington Post. Documents reviewed by the Post show removal or edits were directed at materials in at least 17 parks, including the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Big Bend and Zion.

The orders include removing a display at the Grand Canyon about the forced removal of Native Americans and flagging a brochure and sign about climate change at Glacier National Park, according to Reuters. The U.S. Department of the Interior said the actions are part of carrying out President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The department said all federal agencies are reviewing interpretive materials to ensure alignment with the order and that the National Park Service is taking action following that review.

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in south Minneapolis is operating a warming center that provides food, clothing and overnight shelter during subzero temperatures, according to MPR News. The center offers 20 beds overnight in response to extreme winter weather and has been open since last year.

CEO Ruth Buffalo told MRP News the center also hosts “Resource Connect” every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering breakfast, lunch and on-site housing support services after receiving $100,000 in emergency funding from the city of Minneapolis last year. Buffalo said the center has seen up to 200 people on Tuesdays with the addition of a mobile medical unit that provides basic checkups, exams and referrals.

Buffalo said the funding was projected to last one year and has now ended, and the organization has applied for additional grants to continue services. She said the center is open to anyone in need and relies heavily on volunteers to operate.

Michigan spent three years and $1.1 million studying the state’s Native American boarding schools but has declined to release the completed report to the public, according to Bridge Michigan. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights, which oversaw the study, said the report produced by a Washington-based Native American firm, Kauffman and Associates, was too flawed to release, while the consulting firm accused the state of editing the report in ways that minimized findings.

The report was completed in October, but department officials declined to share it with Bridge Michigan or members of the Civil Rights Commission. Commission member Regina Gasco said survivors testified with the expectation the findings would be made public. The study was requested by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 and funded by the Legislature in 2023, according to Bridge Michigan. State officials said the report lacked substance, while Kauffman and Associates said it was asked to significantly cut content and remove references to local government involvement.