The Daily Spark

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington, D.C., and across all 50 states on April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Trump’s policies. Known as the “Hands Off!” rallies, participants expressed discontent with the administration's handling of issues such as federal worker layoffs, immigration policies, due process and LGBTQ+ rights. Organizers reported over 1,200 rallies nationwide.

The Spirit Lake Tribe's police force is operating with just four officers and sometimes responds to 200 calls in a week. The tribe’s chairperson, Lonna Jackson-Street, describes the need for more officers as urgent. To address the officer shortage, the tribe has established a Memorandum of Agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, allowing for direct recruitment of officers under tribal authority while ensuring the recruits meet BIA Police Academy credentials.

The House Committee on Natural Resources held its first field hearing of the 119th Congress at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City on April 4. Twelve members of Congress and eight tribal witnesses participated in discussions focused on strengthening federal policy under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Lawmakers highlighted the need to adapt federal programs in partnership with tribes. The hearing marked record attendance for a field event hosted by the committee.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, emphasized the importance of Native education programs during a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing. Murkowski, the committee’s chair, said she wanted to explore the possible impact to Native students if programs like the Alaska Native Education Program and Impact Aid are moved out of the Department of Education. Witnesses, including Sealaska Heritage Institute President Rosita Worl, said such changes could damage long-standing relationships with Native communities. Written testimony is being accepted through April 16 at testimony@indian.senate.gov.

The Nansemond Indian Nation and its healthcare arm, Fishing Point Healthcare, have filed a federal lawsuit against Virginia, alleging unlawful changes to the state’s Medicaid program that undermine tribal sovereignty. The complaint says the state bypassed federal consultation requirements and withheld reimbursements, disrupting services to both Native and non-Native patients. Virginia officials claim the tribe overbilled Medicaid, a charge the Nation disputes.

Eight young Alaskans have asked the Alaska Supreme Court to block a deal transferring ownership of the Alaska LNG project to Glenfarne Alaska LNG, LLC. The plaintiffs, aged 11 to 22, argue the transfer threatens lands and resources essential to their health and cultures. According to court documents, the project would cross 800 miles and could triple the state’s climate emissions. State officials argue the motion is procedurally improper and that the project has already received environmental approvals.

Long before the 1970 Earth Day, Native nations were protecting and managing natural resources. From the Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s air quality monitoring in the 1970s to the Nez Perce Tribe’s salmon restoration efforts today, Native-led environmental stewardship continues despite shifting federal priorities. Tribal nations have used science, Indigenous knowledge and legal authority to safeguard ecosystems, often setting higher environmental standards than federal regulations. Their work underscores the power of sovereignty in addressing environmental challenges.

The Indian Gaming Association honored the life and legacy of Ron His Horse Is Thunder, former chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who passed away March 26 at the age of 67. Born on March 19, 1958, a Hunkpapa Lakota and descendant of Sitting Bull, His Horse Is Thunder was known for his leadership in tribal education and advocacy. He led Sitting Bull College, the American Indian College Fund, and served on national boards, including an appointment by President George W. Bush.

Burial services are set for April 5 in Little Eagle, S.D.

Six tribes — Hopi, Navajo, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni, Kaibab Paiute, and Pueblo of Zuni — have formed the Grand Staircase-Escalante Tribal Coalition to safeguard the monument’s cultural and natural resources. The coalition aims to ensure Indigenous voices guide land management in this sacred area.

Four Michigan tribes and the water advocacy group For Love of Water are asking the Michigan Supreme Court to review a state decision allowing Enbridge Energy to build a tunnel for its Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. They argue the Public Service Commission failed to uphold constitutional and environmental protections. The appeal cites violations of the Michigan Environmental Protection Act and the public trust doctrine.

Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, are urging the Federal Communications Commission to open a tribal priority window ahead of the AWS-3 commercial spectrum auction. In a recent filing, tribal leaders said this step would align with federal trust responsibilities and support tribal self-sufficiency. Groups such as the National Congress of American Indians cited the success of a similar initiative in the 2.5 GHz auction. The FCC is considering whether such a move is feasible under current law.

Federal unions and advocacy groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees and the state of Washington, urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a request from the Trump administration to pause a California court order reinstating 16,000 probationary federal workers. According to court filings, the groups argue the Office of Personnel Management likely exceeded its authority and that any harm from reinstating workers is self-inflicted. The case involves employees from six federal agencies.

The House Judiciary Committee has revised Senate Bill 2128, removing a key provision and adding a study of the North Dakota justice system. The original bill, aimed at increasing time served in prison, faced concerns over overcrowding and costs. Amendments now allow prisoners to enter halfway houses during the final six months of their sentences and provide funding for electronic monitoring. A do-not-pass recommendation was issued, and the bill will be reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee next week.

Award-winning Native American author Susan Devan Harness, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, will present "Racialized: Power Structures in American Indian Transracial Adoption" following the screening of Daughter of a Lost Bird on April 9 at 7 p.m. in Field Hall, Room 4002. The event, hosted by the Native American Studies Program at WVU, explores Indigenous adoption, identity, and cultural resilience. The evening will also feature a book signing for Harness's memoir Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption.

North Dakota’s 2024 bighorn sheep survey recorded a minimum of 350 bighorns in the western grasslands, a slight 4% drop from 2023 but still the second highest count on record. Biologists counted 105 rams, 199 ewes, and 46 lambs. The population remains near record levels for the seventh consecutive year, despite lower lamb recruitment due to drought and predation. The Three Affiliated Tribes Fish and Wildlife Division also contributes to bighorn management. A 2025 hunting season is tentatively planned, with final decisions expected in September.

The Justice Department has launched Operation Not Forgotten, deploying 60 FBI personnel to 10 field offices to investigate violent crimes in Indian Country. The effort, the most extensive national FBI surge to date, will focus on cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people. The FBI will work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement to process forensic evidence and prosecute offenders.

Tribal nations are coming together to search for Renzo Bull Head, a 20-year-old United Tribes Technical College student who disappeared March 16 near Mandan. Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and MHA Nation have mobilized resources and volunteers to assist. Bull Head is one of 17 missing Indigenous people in North Dakota, highlighting the ongoing MMIR crisis.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Mandan Police.

The Trump administration’s rollback of federal protections for national parks could have lasting impacts on Tribal Nations, which have longstanding cultural and legal ties to these lands. Many national parks sit on ancestral homelands, and treaties affirm Tribal rights to protect sacred sites and natural resources. Funding cuts to Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and other key positions threaten these protections, raising concerns over sovereignty and consultation rights.

The Village of Hobart, Wisconsin, is asking a federal judge to overturn a decision allowing nearly 500 acres to be held in trust for the Oneida Nation. The village claims the process is biased because the tribe helps fund Bureau of Indian Affairs employees who handle land applications. The dispute, dating back to 2007, centers on tax exemptions and local control over tribal lands. The case is ongoing.