The Daily Spark

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.

Montana has launched a sponsored license plate to support efforts addressing missing Indigenous persons, according to NonStop Local.

The Montana Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council introduced the plate as a new initiative aimed at raising awareness and generating funding for its work. According to a Montana Department of Justice Facebook post, proceeds from license plate sales will go directly toward supporting the council’s mission to reduce the number of missing Indigenous individuals in the state.

The initiative is intended to provide both financial support and increased public visibility for efforts focused on missing Indigenous persons in Montana. Information about how to obtain the sponsored license plate is available online, according to the department.

Native leaders shared legal resources with community members during a Jan. 9 press conference in Minneapolis amid increased activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to MPR News. Nikki Love, executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, displayed a phone number provided by an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund that Native people could call if stopped or detained by federal immigration authorities. Love shared the information with a small crowd gathered near 14th Avenue and Franklin Avenue.

Jacqueline De León, a senior staff attorney with NARF, said racial profiling of Native Americans is a consequence of recent Supreme Court decisions related to immigration enforcement, according to MPR News. De León cited a concurring opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo stating that ethnicity could be considered during immigration stops. De León said Native Americans, who are U.S. citizens, are being questioned based on race. According to MPR News, NARF later posted legal resources advising Native Americans of their rights, and multiple tribal nations in Minnesota urged members and descendants to carry identification.

Two Native American-owned corporations have cancelled contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following objections from tribal citizens and leaders, according to CBC News Indigenous.

A subsidiary of Oneida ESC Group, owned by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, cancelled a $3.8 million contract with ICE for engineering and inspection services after the Oneida government became aware of the agreement. The Oneida government also replaced the subsidiary’s board of managers. Oneida Nation Chairman Tahassi Hill said in an email to CBC Indigenous that nations must act when issues conflict with their laws, policies and core values.

Last month, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas cancelled a $29.9 million contract its corporation held with ICE for planning and design work and dismissed senior leadership, according to statements cited by CBC News Indigenous. Prairie Band Potawatomi Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said reservations were the government’s “first attempts at detention centres” and said participating in such contracts mirrored historic harm done to Native people.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians announced that its tribal phone system is experiencing an outage expected to last three days, according to KXNET. The outage includes phone lines at the Turtle Mountain Motor Vehicle Department on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.

Phones at the department are expected to be unavailable until Thursday, Jan. 15, according to KXNET. Officials said the enrollment card machine and vehicle registration services are also temporarily down, with no timeline announced for restoration. The office remains open, and staff are available to assist people in person.

Office hours remain unchanged, and officials said they appreciate the public’s patience during the outage.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are working with Open Access Technology International Inc. to build microgrids at several sites on the reservation to improve power reliability and move toward energy sovereignty, according to Underscore Native News and ICT. Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said the project is intended to reduce the impacts of frequent power outages, which average about six days per year and can be higher during winter storms and summer heat waves.

The microgrids will be built at the government center in Nespelem, the Paschal Sherman Indian School near Omak and in the Inchelium District. Grant Timentwa, general manager of the Colville Tribal Utility Corporation, said the infrastructure could support resilience and future economic development. The government center microgrid will include rooftop solar panels, battery energy storage, electric vehicle charging and control systems. Funding for the project includes state and federal sources, including Washington State Department of Commerce Tribal Clean Energy grants, according to Underscore Native News and ICT.

Fourth-grade students at Riverside Elementary School in Wisconsin learned about ancient Native American dugout canoes during a visit from two researchers involved in the discoveries, according to the Wausau Daily Herald. Tamera Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Sissel Schroeder, the Bradshaw Knight Professor of Environmental Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, spoke with students about Wisconsin’s First Nations and the recovery of 16 dugout canoes from Lake Mendota since 2021.

Radiocarbon dating shows the oldest canoe dates back about 5,200 years, according to the Wausau Daily Herald.

In Lodge Grass, Montana, members of the Crow Tribe are working to rebuild their community after years of widespread meth addiction left homes abandoned and families fractured, according to KFF Health News. Brothers Lonny and Teyon Fritzler, who both struggled with meth addiction for years, returned to their hometown after leaving to recover. Their family property has sat empty and in disrepair, a condition common in the town of about 500 people on the Crow Indian Reservation, the outlet reported.

An estimated 60% of Lodge Grass residents age 14 and older struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, according to a local survey contracted by the Mountain Shadow Association, a Native-led nonprofit. The organization has led efforts to remove abandoned buildings and construct new spaces, including a child care center and a planned addiction recovery campus known as Kaala’s Village. Community members say the new construction represents early signs of renewal after decades of harm caused by meth, according to KFF Health News.

More than 100 people gathered at the North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck on Jan. 11 to protest the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, according to KXNET. Demonstrations also took place in Fargo and Grand Forks, the outlet reported.

Protesters held signs and waved American flags as speakers criticized the shooting and broader federal leadership. Rod Reetz told KXNET he was “shocked” by the killing, adding, “We are shooting our own citizens.” Scott Gefrow voiced opposition to President Donald Trump, saying he did not view the president as a role model. The gathering included counter-protesters, including former Bismarck Mayor Marlan Haakenson, who spoke in support of ICE enforcement and said public demonstrations are a freedom to be cherished, according to the outlet.

While tensions rose at times, the protest remained peaceful. Organizers said a designated person handled de-escalation, and a local minister led a prayer during the event.

Leaders from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Spirit Lake Tribe have issued public statements addressing community concerns related to recent activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a Jan. 9 statement, Sitting Bear said his office has received reports of First Nations people being racially targeted, assaulted or detained by ICE and urged tribal members to carry tribal identification or proof of citizenship. He stated that Standing Rock is a sovereign nation and that any ICE presence or activity on tribal lands “is not authorized, not welcome, and will be addressed.”

The Spirit Lake Tribal Council released separate community guidance for members and families, particularly those traveling or living off the reservation. The guidance advises members to carry tribal identification, remain calm during encounters with federal officers and rely on official tribal communications for updates. According to the council, the guidance is informational and does not constitute legal advice.