The Daily Spark

Boys and Girls Clubs serving Native youth in South Dakota are finding ways to adapt after federal funding shortfalls, according to South Dakota News Watch. At the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club, which lost access to U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center funding, staff created the Steep Up Entrepreneurs Club. Program director Rachel Kocak said members now hand make, package and sell herbal teas, gaining life skills while helping fill budget gaps.

Other efforts include an online charity auction and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grant that funded new high tunnels for gardening. Clubs on the Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Lower Brule reservations are also facing similar financial challenges. Richard Abdoo, chair of the board for the SuAnn Big Crow Boys and Girls Club in Pine Ridge, said the club is planning collaborations and fundraising to cover an anticipated several-hundred-thousand-dollar shortfall next year.

Officials at the University of Alaska Fairbanks said federally funded programs for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students face larger cuts than initially announced, according to the Alaska Beacon. Interim Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education Bryan Uher said the university will lose an estimated $8.8 million of $12.9 million in five-year grant funding, affecting programs in Dillingham and Fairbanks focused on career training, workforce development and student services.

University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor Aparna Palmer told students in a Sept. 15 email that while a Sitka program is ending, courses in Indigenous studies and support for Native students will continue. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the grants were legally authorized by Congress and support critical workforce needs. A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he is working with the Department of Education to restore the funds.

Alaska Beacon

According to the North Dakota Monitor, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire urged South Dakota leaders to increase regular, respectful communication during a Sept. 19 appearance before the State-Tribal Relations Committee. Alkire said North Dakota’s Indian Affairs Commission — which includes tribal leaders, the governor and other members, and operates year-round — offers a useful model.

Council member Cyril Archambault, the tribe’s legislative liaison for North Dakota, said South Dakota lacks a similar commitment. Council member Nola Taken Alive said her tribe has a healthy relationship with North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong and noted meetings with South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signal possible improvement.

Tribal leaders advocated for their nations’ priorities during the National Congress of American Indians’ Tribal Unity Impact Days in Washington, D.C. Attendees connected with members of Congress, staff and federal agencies during the three-day event, Sept. 16-18.

Participants discussed policy issues including fiscal 2026 appropriations, public safety and housing. Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said the gathering showed "the strength and unity of Tribal Nations when we speak with one voice." He said the event reminded federal partners that "sovereignty is not negotiable."

Larry Wright Jr., executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, said the Nations "honor the strength of our ancestors" by standing together and continuing to build "a stronger future for Tribal Nations." Participants emphasized that long-term investments in Tribal communities are necessary for their success.

Guadalupe Lopez, a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, became director of Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives office in July, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The office, established in 2021, works to address the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who go missing or are murdered.

Lopez said the role is a “natural fit” because of her career in advocacy on gender-based violence and her personal connection to the issue. “I personally had people lose their life to violence and I have blood relatives that are on some of those posters that we share,” Lopez said.

She added that her priorities include supporting families, strengthening collaboration with the office’s advisory council and system partners, and advancing a new strategic plan.

Zuni Pueblo leaders have endorsed Deb Haaland’s bid for the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico. Haaland, an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo and the first Native American woman to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior, launched her campaign earlier this year.

The Zuni endorsement marks the fourth from New Mexico pueblos, following Jemez, Santo Domingo and Picuris. Other prominent Native figures, including former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Taos Pueblo fashion designer Patricia Michaels have also voiced support.

Haaland faces Democratic rivals Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagashima. Sandia Pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation have endorsed Bregman. The Democratic primary is set for June 2, 2026.

Native American designer Bethany Yellowtail, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, is partnering with Carhartt to launch a limited-edition fall collection, according to reporting by KPAX News. Yellowtail hails from the Might Few District of the Crow Nation and said her designs are inspired by her childhood growing up on her family’s cattle ranch on the reservation.

“From my Native roots to my journey in design, all the hard work has led to this moment. My dream is to see myself, the people I love, the land and the culture I come from authentically represented and woven into the fibers,” said Yellowtail in a video Carhartt released on Friday, Sept. 12 promoting the company’s new line. The full collection is set to release in October.

Tewa Women United, an advocacy group in New Mexico, is warning Pueblo citizens about nearby radioactive substances released by Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to Koahnic Broadcast Corporation’s “Native America Calling.”

The laboratory issued a statement that said tritium is safe in small doses, but the advocacy group is urging locals to stay away, stating the substance is dangerous and could pose a threat to people’s health.

Tritium is a naturally occurring substance but is also used in nuclear weapons. The laboratory said the gas is being released because the containers the substances are stored in pose a risk.

A University of Iowa professor and Lumbee tribal citizen is leading a project to send original documents to survivors of the boarding school era and their families, according to reporting by the Daily Iowan.

Operation Return begins in October. An online portal will let people request to have report cards, photos and letters between students and relatives sent to them free of charge. Lots of these old documents are at the National Archives, and have not been made available before.

“Most Indian boarding school survivors that I’ve ever met were not aware that there were records in the National Archives,” professor Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz was quoted as saying. She’s director of the Native Policy Lab and an associate professor for the university’s School of Planning and Public Affairs. Schuettpelz was recently awarded the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to fund Project Return earlier this summer.

Accounts of the boarding school era are often tragic. An estimated 973 Native children died while attending the schools, with survivors sharing stories of abuse and isolation. The federal government and churches operated hundreds of the schools in the 20th century.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Native American Cultural Center will host the 13th annual American Indian Heritage Day on Sept. 26. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and features dancing and drumming, hands-on stations and interactive activities for school groups.
Texas House Bill 174 designates the last Friday in September to recognize the role of American Indian communities and leaders. The program will also be streamed live at noon for virtual audiences.

Robert Redford, actor and Oscar-winning director, died at age 89 on Tuesday morning at his home in Provo, Utah, according to reporting by NPR. He acted in more than 80 movies, including “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” “All the President’s Men” and “Jeremiah Johnson.” In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which became a launching pad for independent film artists.

One such artist, Sterlin Harjo, a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and of Muskogee descent, created the award-winning TV series “Reservation Dogs” about four Indigenous teenagers growing up on a rural Oklahoma reservation. In a social media post, Harjo remembered Redford as a generous and inspiring man, saying “RIP Mr. Redford. My career and path as a young man was defined by his commitment to empower Native film and storytellers .… Journey Well.”

Conservative activists are criticizing Kamehameha Schools, a private school in Hawaii, for giving admissions preference to Native Hawaiians, according to reporting by the Associated Press. A website was set up this month by Students for Fair Admissions with the goal of challenging Kamehameha’s admissions policy in court.

In 2024, more than 5,400 students enrolled across three Kamehameha campuses on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. The school is known for providing affordable tuition and education on Hawaiian values.

The White House has approved half a million dollars toward disaster relief for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe in South Dakota, following heavy floods that occurred this summer.

According to reporting by South Dakota Public Broadcasting, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he agreed to provide the $500,000 in relief funding after a phone call with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

In June, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate saw heavy flooding on the Lake Traverse Reservation, which FEMA teams investigated the following month. The approval means affected property owners can apply for federal relief for repairs and temporary housing. People are encouraged to first contact their insurance companies before applying for aid.

Members of Colorado’s Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes now have free access to all 43 state parks following the enactment of House Bill 1163. The law, effective August 5, waives state park fees for tribal members who present a valid tribal photo ID card. State Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, one of the bill's sponsors, described the measure as “the first step in an ongoing process by the state to honor the commitment and uphold the ancestral land reconnection for the oldest continuous residents of our state.”

The bill also mandates that Colorado Parks and Wildlife engage with other tribal nations and explore expanding access to additional Indigenous communities. Reports on these outreach efforts are due to legislators in January 2026 and 2027, according to SkyHi News.

Coast Salish weavers Gail White Eagle of the Muckleshoot Tribe, Danielle Morsette of the Suquamish Tribe, and Connie McCloud of the Puyallup Tribe helped design the Seattle Sounders’ new Salish Sea Kit, which includes a jersey, shorts, socks, and a scarf, according to Underscore + ICT. The design incorporates traditional Coast Salish weaving patterns, colors, and symbols, including a wave, orca tail, and the phrase “x̌ax̌aʔ ti qʷuʔ” in Lushootseed and English, meaning “water is sacred.”

The weavers guided the design process, sending instructional videos to Adidas to ensure their techniques, including twilling and twining, were represented. The league donated the first $50,000 from jersey sales to local Native nonprofit organizations. White Eagle and Morsette said the project honors their culture, teaches traditional practices, and allows their communities to see meaningful Coast Salish representation in professional sports.

President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and for tribes in Montana and South Dakota following storms and flooding this spring and summer, according to the Associated Press. The disaster declarations will allow federal funding to help residents, local governments and nonprofits recover from damage caused by the storms.

Trump’s approval came weeks to months after some requests, continuing a trend over time of longer waits for disaster relief regardless of the political party in power. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration is conducting “a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him” to ensure federal tax dollars are spent wisely. Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers noted the delays have left some residents waiting for assistance to repair homes and recover from August flooding.

Members of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska harvested corn in early September at the Irogre Memorial Garden in White Cloud, Kansas, according to ICT. The garden was planted this spring in memory of Lance Irogre Foster, a longtime tribal historic preservation officer who died in January.

The harvest used the traditional three sisters method, planting corn, beans and squash together, and involved hand-picking, shucking and blanching the corn to preserve it for future tribal feasts. Shelby Merry, a tribal member, said the effort to avoid machinery helped participants reconnect with their ancestors and the land. Elder Reuben Ironhorse-Kent said the harvest also teaches the tribe traditional food practices and the medicinal value of homegrown foods.

The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction has released Journey to Understanding, the first updated edition in over two decades of a textbook on the five Native nations that share land with North Dakota, according to North Dakota Monitor. The text introduces students to tribal history, culture, sovereignty and federal policies. A digital version is already on the University of North Dakota’s Scholarly Commons site, and thousands of free print copies will be sent to K-12 schools statewide.

Over the next several months, the agency will publish updated tribe-specific books and a first-ever textbook on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. Tribal colleges, Native organizations and higher education institutions helped develop the series, and tribes had full editorial oversight.

North Dakota Monitor

The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation have entered a profit-sharing agreement with Integra Resources, a Canadian mining company, to jointly develop a gold and silver mine on their homelands in southwestern Idaho, according to Grist. The legally binding deal includes revenue sharing, oversight by the tribe and commitments to support economic development and language revitalization efforts during the mine’s operation.

Vice Chairman Arnold Thomas told Grist revenue from the project will help fund a tribal health care system and language programs. Consultant Maranda Compton called the deal “the new standard” for how companies and tribes can work together under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.