The Daily Spark

Maine is nearing approval of legislation that would allow tribal online gaming and casino play, according to CU Independent. The proposal would authorize tribes to operate online gaming platforms and expand casino-style gaming, representing a change in the state’s gaming framework as the measure advances toward final approval.

According to CU Independent, the legislation is intended to create additional economic opportunities for tribal communities while expanding gaming options available to residents. The report said the move reflects growing use of online platforms within the gaming industry. Regulatory considerations, including compliance with state and federal law, remain part of the process as the legislation moves forward.

Gallup is promoting Route 66 installations and cultural sites in New Mexico to attract visitors and direct spending to downtown businesses and artisans, according to Prism News. McKinley County has emphasized heritage assets along the Route 66 corridor, including a Route 66 Monument unveiled at the George Galanis Multicultural Center, Prism News reported.

The corridor includes established destinations such as the El Rancho Hotel, along with museums, trading posts and cultural centers that feature Navajo and Zuni arts and community exhibitions. These sites serve as both cultural attractions and points of sale for local crafts, helping circulate visitor dollars to merchants and artisans, according to Prism News.

A federal lawsuit over mineral rights beneath the Missouri River on tribal land involving the MHA Nation and the state of North Dakota is headed for trial after a judge denied summary judgment requests from both sides, according to KFYR.

A U.S. District judge ordered the case to proceed after rejecting motions seeking a ruling without trial. The dispute centers on ownership of minerals beneath the Missouri River, with an estimated $100 million in potential unpaid royalties if drilling were to occur. The MHA Nation and the federal government argue the tribe holds mineral rights through a federal trust. North Dakota contends the state owns the rights and should control leasing, collection and development.

Federal opinions dating back to the 1930s are cited by the tribe in support of its claim. A 2020 federal ruling favored the state, but a 2022 decision by the Biden administration returned ownership to the tribes. A trial date has not been set.

Tribes in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region are opposing a Trump administration proposal to repeal long-standing protections for roadless areas on national forest land, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed repealing the federal “roadless rule,” which restricts logging and road construction on 44.7 million acres nationwide, including about 69,000 acres in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the rule is overly restrictive and that repealing it would allow logging and forest management to reduce wildfire risk.

Wisconsin Ojibwe leaders said the proposal moved forward without tribal consultation and threatens treaty-protected resources. St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin Chairman Conrad St. John said the rollback could open lands to logging and mining that benefit corporations. Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission said roadless areas support water quality, biodiversity and wild rice beds. Tribes across the Midwest have submitted formal opposition to the repeal, according to WPR.

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska is seeking legislation that would require the Nebraska governor to negotiate a tobacco tax compact with the tribe in good faith and without using unrelated issues as leverage, according to ICT.

The tribe announced Legislative Bill 1037 during a Thursday press conference at the Nebraska State Capitol. John Cartier, attorney general for the Omaha Tribe, said negotiations with Gov. Jim Pillen’s office have stalled after state officials cited the tribe’s decision to legalize marijuana. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has also raised concerns tied to the tribal marijuana law, according to ICT.

Cartier said the proposed compact would allow the tribe to retain a portion of tobacco tax revenue generated on the reservation. He said the legislation would prevent the governor from using unrelated policy issues to influence negotiations. Pillen’s office did not respond to a request for comment from ICT, while a spokesperson for Hilgers said the proposal is under review.

Filmmaker and educator Tracy Rector has spent decades supporting Indigenous storytellers through film and community-based programs, according to ICT and Underscore Native News.

Rector is the founder and co-director of 4th World Media Lab, a yearlong fellowship that supports emerging and mid-career Indigenous filmmakers through mentorship, training and industry access. She also helped launch Longhouse Media in 2005 to support Native youth filmmaking. Rector said her approach to storytelling is rooted in community care, cultural responsibility and what she calls narrative sovereignty.

In 2025, 4th World Media Lab marked its 10th anniversary as part of the Seattle International Film Festival, while Indigenous-made programming at the festival reached its 20th year. Rector said the fellowship prioritizes relationships, collaboration and support for filmmakers whose work is often marginalized.

Rector said her work is shaped by motherhood, activism and a commitment to ensuring Indigenous communities have the tools and agency to tell their own stories.

Dancers in colorful regalia filled the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Sunday during a mid-winter powwow that marked the start of the university’s Life and Dignity Week, according to KFYR.

The University of Mary hosted the event alongside Bismarck State College and United Tribes Technical College. Dancers competed in traditional, grass, jingle, fancy and other categories.

“The powwow brings a lot of celebration and it’s an opportunity for not only our Indigenous people to come and dance and socialize, but also to share our culture,” Jessie Taken Alive-Rencounter, a dancer in the powwow, told KFRY.

According to Lucy Spooner, coordinator of mission for life at the University of Mary, more than 60 participants pre-registered for the event. Life and Dignity Week continues through Friday, according to the university.

An 8-year-old girl who went missing on tribal lands in northern Arizona was found dead Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Navajo Nation officials said Maleeka Boone was last seen Thursday evening in the Coalmine Canyon area, about 240 miles north of Phoenix. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the agency is conducting the investigation with tribal police and declined to provide details about her death. A Navajo Police Department spokesperson said they did not have further information.

In a social media video, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called Boone’s death devastating. “This tragedy weighs heavy on my heart,” Nygren said.

Her disappearance led to the issuance of a Turquoise Alert, an alert system for Native Americans who have gone missing, according to the Associated Press.

American Indian Movement patrols have returned to Minneapolis streets as federal immigration enforcement activity increases in the area, according to ICT.

AIM members and other Indigenous volunteers are patrolling along Franklin Avenue to help elders, youths and community members feel safe. Crow Bellecourt, executive director of the Indigenous Protector Movement, said the patrols now include close to 100 people and operate from morning into late evening. Bellecourt, whose father Clyde Bellecourt helped found AIM in 1968, described the return of patrols as “full circle.”

Heather Bruegl, an activist and historian with ties to AIM, said the patrols reflect the movement’s origins in monitoring policing practices and protecting community members. Mary LaGarde, executive director of the Minneapolis American Indian Center, said fear has increased among elders and families due to the federal law enforcement presence. Volunteers have arrived from across the region to support the patrols, according to ICT.

The owners of a McDonald’s in Ronan, Montana, apologized Friday after a viral video appeared to show an employee refusing service to the Browning High School wrestling team, according to Montana Free Press. The school is located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana.

The 14-second video, reportedly recorded Thursday, shows a man who appears to be an employee saying, “Browning school is not allowed. We’re not allowed to serve you guys.” A student can be heard responding, “I guess they don’t like Indians here.” Tara Tatsey of Browning said her son, a team member, sent her the video, which she shared on Facebook. It drew more than 150,000 views and 650 shares in less than 24 hours.

Browning Public Schools Superintendent Rebecca Rappold confirmed the team was denied service and said the incident is being investigated. In a written statement shared through a McDonald’s spokesperson, franchise owners Chris and Melissa Crawshaw said the incident “was the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding” and apologized, saying everyone is welcome in the restaurant.

An MMIP activist has taken to the lens to raise awareness on the issue. The photography exhibit “Ampkwa: munk lush nsayka shawash tilixam” opened Wednesday at the Gretchen Schuette Art Gallery at Chemeteka Community College in Salem, Oregon. It will run through Feb. 6.. Photographer Amanda Freeman, founder of Ampkwa Advocacy, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and is also of Umpqua, Chinook and Umatilla descent. She says the exhibit’s name translates to “healing our Indigenous relatives” and consists of three dozen photos she’s taken. Each person in the photos lost a friend or relative to the MMIP crisis or has suffered addiction or domestic violence. Part of the exhibit also features a red dress with an extension that spans several walls, and shares the legend of Deer Woman. The mythical being protects women and children, and punishes predatory or abusive men. Freeman says she hopes visitors come and learn of the MMIP issue, and spread the word. “I would like them to remember that we’re not disposable,” said Freeman. “Any awareness is good awareness.” There will be a reception and artist’s talk on Jan. 28 at noon. Freeman said she’s invited relatives of Wesley Dixon Jones — a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation who’s been missing since early October — to talk about the ongoing search for him during the event.

According to Sylvan Lake News, Mamawi Atosketan Native School, located between Ponoka and Maskwacis, won a $150,000 USD award in the Global High Schools – The Americas category at the Zayed Sustainability Prize ceremony Jan. 13 in Abu Dhabi. Two students and two adult representatives traveled to the United Arab Emirates to represent the school. Grade 11 students Elias Mykat of Ermineskin Cree Nation and Kenyon Bull from Louis Bull Tribe were part of the delegation, along with sustainability project lead Ray Fankhauser and grant proposal submitter Melanie Dussaye.

The winning proposal centers on a student-led hydroponic farm project designed to provide year-round fresh produce to the school and the Maskwacis community. The project was selected from 7,761 applications across 173 countries. According to the school, prize funds will be used to construct a hydroponic greenhouse supporting food sovereignty, sustainability education and community access to fresh vegetables.

The Choctaw Nation will host one of two new national testing sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the Federal Aviation Administration announced according to Oklahoma Voice. The other site was awarded to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. The FAA said the sites are the first new drone testing grounds created in nearly a decade and are intended to evaluate the safety, operations and navigation systems of public and civil drone technologies before use in national airspace.

James Grimsley, the Choctaw Nation’s executive director of Advanced Technology Initiatives, said in a statement that the designation comes as the FAA works to develop rules allowing drones to fly beyond visual line of sight, expanding commercial and public safety uses. In a separate statement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the new test sites will help gather critical data to safely expand drone operations. The FAA said Duffy unveiled a proposed beyond visual line of sight rule in August.

A Maine Superior Court judge blocked the expansion of Juniper Ridge Landfill on Friday, siding with the Penobscot Nation and the Conservation Law Foundation, according to Maine Morning Star. Penobscot County Superior Court Judge Bruce Mallonee ruled the Maine Department of Environmental Protection did not conduct adequate fact-finding to determine the public benefit of expanding the landfill near Old Town and did not sufficiently consider environmental impacts on the Penobscot Nation.

“For generations, we have spoken about the many impacts our community fights against at once — on our health, our lands, and the Penobscot River,” Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis said in a statement responding to the decision. The department approved the expansion license in November 2024 after determining the project would benefit the public. The ruling prevents the plan from moving forward under its current approval. Juniper Ridge is owned by the state through the Bureau of General Services and operated by NEWSME Landfill Operations, a subsidiary of Casella, and is expected to reach capacity in 2028.

The Assembly of First Nations is calling on the Canadian government to classify Indian residential school denialism as hate speech, citing harm to survivors and families, according to ICT. The AFN passed a resolution at a special assembly in December urging the government to criminalize the rhetoric. “Denialism is deliberate harm,” Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias told the assembly, saying organized campaigns seek to erase the truth of residential schools and unmarked graves, retraumatizing survivors and undermining healing.

Laura Arndt of the Survivors Secretariat said denialism retraumatizes families and minimizes documented history. Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, said denialism is not legitimate debate but a rejection of well-documented facts and lived experiences supported by archival records and nearly 7,000 survivor statements collected by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Scott said denialism perpetuates racism and misinformation and supports discussion of legal and policy measures to address it.

South Dakota and tribal nations can make progress on health care and public safety during the 2026 legislative session, Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Kathleen Wooden Knife said, according to reporting by South Dakota Searchlight.

Wooden Knife told a joint session of the Legislature Wednesday that Lakota and Dakota people have lower life expectancy, which she said shows the federal government’s treaty obligations for Native health care aren’t being met. She urged tribes and the state to explore a managed care model for Medicaid that would let tribes coordinate care and negotiate costs. The State-Tribal Relations Committee endorsed a bill to create a task force to study the model, according to South Dakota Searchlight.

She also supported a bill to recognize tribal law enforcement as certified under state law and encouraged work on foster care and kinship placement for Native children.

East Grand Forks Superintendent Kevin Grover issued a statement reaffirming the district’s commitment to student safety amid reports of increased immigration enforcement in Minnesota, according to the Grand Forks Herald. In a Jan. 12 press release, Grover encouraged families seeking support to contact school offices or counseling teams. The district does not collect or maintain information about the immigration status of students or families and prohibits outside agencies from entering schools without permission, a warrant or a court order, according to the release. Federal privacy laws also limit the sharing of student records.

The Spirit Lake Tribal Council also issued a statement saying it is monitoring developments and preparing to share information on tribal identification, individual rights and available resources, according to the Herald. As of Jan. 9, there had been no confirmed ICE activity on the reservation. The Spirit Lake Nation joined the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in a Jan. 10 joint statement calling for accountability and respect for human life.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed limiting the authority of states and some authorized tribes to block major projects under the Clean Water Act, according to the Associated Press.

The proposal would add constraints to reviews conducted under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which allows states and tribes to assess how federally regulated projects such as pipelines, dams and mines affect water quality. EPA officials said the changes would increase transparency and efficiency while preventing unnecessary delays, according to the agency.

The proposal would narrow reviews to focus on direct discharges into federally regulated waters. The Biden administration expanded state and tribal authority in 2023, but the Trump administration now seeks to reverse that approach, according to the AP. A final rule is expected this spring after a public comment period.

Chicago nonprofits have broken ground on a Native-focused affordable housing project in the city’s Irving Park neighborhood, according to The DePaulia.

The seven-story building, called Jigzibik, will include 45 fully affordable housing units and space for community services. The name means “at the river’s edge” and reflects the building’s location along the Chicago River. The project is co-developed by Visionary Ventures, a Native-led nonprofit, and Full Circle Communities. Funding includes support from the Chicago Department of Housing, permanent supportive housing funds and low-income housing tax credits, according to The DePaulia.

“We knew we needed housing for our community. We’ve been promised housing for over 50 years,” Shelly Tucciarelli, executive director of Visionary Ventures and a tribal member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, was quoted as saying.

Construction began July 11, 2025, and is expected to be completed in fall 2026.