The Daily Spark

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Bureau of Land Management, monitored Indigenous and environmental activists opposing the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada for years, according to more than 2,000 pages of internal records reviewed by ProPublica and The Nevada Independent. Surveillance efforts included social media tracking, video monitoring and meetings of a joint terrorism task force, with one protester arrested to date.

The main company behind the mine, Lithium Americas, hired a former FBI counterterrorism agent to help develop its security strategy. The Indigenous activist group People of Red Mountain describe the surveillance as targeted and unjust. “We’re being watched, we’re being followed, we’re under the microscope,” Gary McKinney, a spokesperson for the group and member of the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, was quoted as saying.

The Indigenous Farm Hub in Corrales, New Mexico, is helping Native youth reconnect with the land while increasing access to fresh food, according to reporting by New Mexico In Depth. The hub partners with the Native American Community Academy (NACA), allowing students from kindergarten through high school to learn farming skills outside the classroom. Co-founder Alan Brauer said the farm also runs a residency program to encourage new farmers, as the average farmer is about 58 years old.

The hub grows thousands of pounds of vegetables annually, distributing food through paid shares and donations to families with children attending the academy and a Diné language nest. The program emphasizes regenerative farming practices rooted in Indigenous traditions disrupted by colonialism.

North Dakota is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the state to use its 2021 legislative district map while a voting rights case filed by two tribes and three Native citizens proceeds, according to the North Dakota Monitor. In a Tuesday brief, state attorneys argued federal courts have overreached by allowing private plaintiffs to challenge redistricting plans.

The lawsuit, brought by the Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and three individuals, claims the 2021 map violates the Voting Rights Act. A federal judge ordered new district lines in 2023, but the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled the plaintiffs lacked standing. The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked changes to the current map, which places both reservations in the same district, while it considers a longer stay. The plaintiffs and supporters, including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, argue that there is a “clear record” of Congress supporting private enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

More than a dozen Indigenous artists, musicians and writers will gather Aug. 1-2 for IndigiPalooza, a Native arts and storytelling festival at the Missoula Public Library, according to Montana Free Press. The free, public event includes panel discussions, a traditional foods cooking demonstration, an art market and live performances by Native musicians Foreshadow and Supaman.

Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray, a citizen of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, co-organized the festival alongside Selya Avila of the Missoula Public Library and Anna East of Chickadee Community Services. Joy Harjo, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, will deliver the opening keynote.

La Tray said IndigiPalooza offers Native creators a space to share work with one another. “Native people need opportunities for us to be gathered among ourselves,” he told Montana Free Press.

Republican members of the New York State Senate’s Subcommittee on State-Native American Relations have backed calls for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to WXXI News. The confederacy — composed of Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, Tuscarora, Seneca and Cayuga nations — views lacrosse as a traditional spiritual game, returning to Olympic competition for the first time since 1908.

State Sen. Rob Ortt, who co-authored a letter to the International Olympic Committee, said, “It’s only fitting Native American tribes are properly represented as an independent, sovereign nation.” LeRoy “Jock” Hill, Haudenosaunee Nationals board member, was quoted as saying, “Lacrosse is interwoven, and so it has great spiritual significance to our people and to the Creator.” The IOC has not yet ruled on whether to recognize the Haudenosaunee as their own nation for the Olympics.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will host an intertribal canoe journey from July 31 to Aug. 5, marking the 30th annual gathering and the first time the tribe has hosted since 2005, according to ICT. The event comes 20 years after the Washington State Department of Transportation desecrated Tse-whit-zen, an ancestral village and burial site, during a construction project that led to the recovery of 335 human remains and more than 100,000 artifacts.

Tribal cultural coordinator Mark Charles said more than 100 canoes are expected to land on Elwha shores, followed by a five-day potlatch featuring traditional foods, songs, dancing and gifting. “The dams have been removed and the river is being restored, but everything with the dams coming out is still a healing process,” he said.

More than 200 teams representing about 160 tribal nations are competing in the 22nd annual Native American Basketball Invitational across Phoenix, according to the Arizona Republic. The tournament, founded in 2003, showcases Indigenous high school athletes and has awarded over $600,000 in scholarships.

The event runs until July 26, when championship games will be held at PHX Arena, with opening ceremonies and a national anthem performance by guitarist Rudy Perez. NABI President and CEO GinaMarie Scarpa was quoted as saying, “It celebrates rez ball and our Native American athletes.” Scarpa said the tournament continues to grow, with more than 500 games scheduled in just three days. Alumni, including professionals and community leaders, return to mentor youth and share their experiences.

The Native Land Conservancy and the Land Trust Alliance have released a new report aimed at advancing Indigenous land access and return. “Partnerships for Indigenous Land Access and Return: A Summary of Legal and Relational Pathways” was developed in collaboration with Tahoma Peak Solutions and an advisory team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts, according to the Land Trust Alliance.

The report outlines more than 70 examples of land being returned or access being restored to tribes and Indigenous-led nonprofits across the United States. It includes case studies, legal strategies and recommendations for building partnerships. Ramona Peters, founder of the Native Land Conservancy, was quoted in a press release as saying, “Restoring land to the care of the original people will revitalize those connections to the land.” The report is available on the Land Trust Alliance’s Resource Center and the Native Land Conservancy Initiatives website.

A sage field on the University of Alberta’s Augustana campus, protected for years by Métis professor Willow White, was accidentally mowed down in May, according to CBC News. White began working to preserve the sacred site after joining the campus in 2022, creating a plant walk that features signs with Indigenous language and cultural teachings.

White, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta, collaborated with elders, knowledge holders and students on the project. Following the mowing, students, faculty and alumni joined her to pull invasive weeds and support regrowth. “There’s a community of care now around the field where three years ago that didn’t exist,” White said. The university issued an apology by email.

Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced a second run for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, according to ICT. Nez, a Democrat, previously ran in 2024 and lost to Republican Eli Crane. He now joins a 2026 candidate field that includes Crane and Democrat Eric Descheenie.

“I am a fighter, and now more than ever we need someone to warrior up and fight for Arizona,” Nez was quoted as saying in a news release. He criticized Crane’s support of a rescission package, saying it harmed district residents by cutting Medicaid access, hospital funding and support for tribal radio. The district includes Apache and Navajo counties and is home to 14 of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes. Nez said his prior leadership brought progress on water security and cost reductions. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.

Tribal health organizations are increasing outreach to address low measles vaccination rates in Native communities, according to South Dakota Searchlight. The Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board is hosting mobile clinics across Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Meghan O’Connell, the board’s chief public health officer, said it is working with tribes that want to host additional clinics.

The Oyate Health Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, has created a measles response team, ordered extra masks and called parents of unvaccinated children. Harry Brown, a physician with United South and Eastern Tribes, said efforts to increase vaccination must involve listening to families’ concerns and building trust. Data from the Indian Health Service shows lower early childhood vaccination rates for Native American children than white children but comparable coverage by age 17. Transportation barriers and mistrust of underfunded health services continue to affect access to care.

President Trump said he may block a new stadium for the Washington Commanders unless the team reverts to its former name, according to NPR. The Commanders dropped their old name in 2020 after years of criticism that it was racist toward Indigenous people.

“The Washington 'Whatever’s' should immediately change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also called for the Cleveland Guardians to return to the name Cleveland Indians. “Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,” he wrote, offering no evidence.

The National Congress of American Indians issued a press release on Monday rejecting Trump’s claim. It stated that Indian Country has repeatedly opposed the use of Native-themed mascots and cited decades of resolutions supported by hundreds of tribal nations. “Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society,” NCAI President Mark Macarro was quoted as saying.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of the Heritage Place Lucky Mound Assisted Living Center in the Parshall Segment of the Fort Berthold Reservation.

According to the event announcement, the center includes 20 congregate-style units, gardens and cultural therapeutic spaces. It also features community areas and rooms dedicated to health and education services. The project reflects MHA Nation’s stated commitment to provide safe and supportive environments for elders. The celebration included remarks from MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox, a presentation by the MHA Nation Color Guard from VFW Post 9061 and a performance by the Thunder Butte Singers. The center is located at 3 Nokota Drive in Parshall, North Dakota.

The Daily Spark widget from Buffalo’s Fire — an independent Native news organization — is a living news ticker you can add to your site in seconds. Every weekday, it pulses with news flashes curated by Native journalists to keep your audience up to speed on policy moves, cultural moments and opportunities across Indian Country — with no extra work for you or your team.

Wherever your site is built, The Daily Spark is designed to drop in smoothly and keep itself updated automatically. Here’s how it works:

• For most websites: We provide a short embed code — paste it into your site’s markup and The Daily Spark will appear and refresh daily. (Ideal for platforms like Wix, Squarespace or custom HTML sites.) See it here.
• For WordPress: We offer a lightweight WordPress plugin that supports both shortcodes and direct placement in your theme templates — flexible for any theme. See it here.
• For React projects: We will provide a clear example showing how to integrate The Daily Spark as a React component. [coming soon]

Once added, there’s no ongoing maintenance: fresh news headlines from Indian Country will appear automatically every weekday morning — no work required from your team. Keep on reading for detailed instructions on how to add the widget to your site.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes formed a new Environmental Protection Commission to regulate oil and gas operations on tribal lands, according to Oklahoma Energy Today. In a July 7 notice to oil and gas operators, Environmental Director Billy Nichols cited tribal sovereignty and federal law, granting the commission authority to inspect facilities, monitor air and water quality and enforce compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners Brian Bingman, Kim David and Todd Hiett responded by stressing the tribes lack the federal “Treatment as a State” designation required for regulatory enforcement. They assured oil and gas operators the state’s Pollution Abatement Department will continue to address environmental concerns, Oklahoma Energy Today reported.

Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle, is calling for full implementation of the Red Dress Alert system across Canada, according to CBC. The alert, now in a pilot phase in Manitoba, would notify the public when an Indigenous woman, girl, two-spirit or gender-diverse person goes missing.

Anderson-Pyrz, a member of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, said long delays in searches, such as those at Prairie Green and Brady Road landfills, highlight systemic racism in policing and public institutions. “If we hold these systems to account, we wouldn't be having to fight on the front lines,” she was quoted as saying. She urged governments to adopt a prevention-based approach and ensure policies and accountability mechanisms are in place. “There cannot be a two-tier system in Canada,” Anderson-Pyrz said.

The National Park Service opened a new $35 million welcome center at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument that centers Wabanaki tribal history and perspectives, according to the Associated Press. The center, Tekαkαpimək — meaning “as far as the eye can see” in Penobscot — sits atop Lookout Mountain and offers views of Katahdin, a sacred site to the Penobscot Nation.

Developed through collaboration with the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes, the center features an amphitheater and eastward lookout for sunrise ceremonies. It also displays exhibits and art that reflect Wabanaki culture, stewardship and language. Jennifer Neptune, a Penobscot artist and contributor, said the site honors the mountain’s sacredness. The project was funded by philanthropic donors including the Quimby family, Burt’s Bees, L.L. Bean and the National Park Foundation. Tribal representatives shaped the design after rejecting an earlier version seen as colonial. Penobscot historian James Francis said the project’s strength lies in giving Wabanaki people a voice.

Educators gathered in Bismarck last week for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Indian Education Summit, according to the North Dakota Monitor. Speakers highlighted storytelling as a key method for teaching Native culture and values. In a video shown Friday, Standing Rock Sioux citizen Gladys Hawk described how childhood stories from her grandmother in Lakota helped teach life lessons. “We have to listen to what our elders have to say, because usually they’re teaching us something important,” Hawk was quoted as saying.

Sharla Steever and Scott Simpson presented the video as part of the Teachings of Our Elders project, which now features more than 350 interviews with tribal elders. Steever said storytelling fosters connection and memory in classrooms. The project supports North Dakota’s 2021 law requiring K‑12 schools to teach Native history. Youth speaker Haiden Person of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe emphasized that education is key to addressing anti‑Indigenous racism.

Chicago’s first Native American-inspired affordable housing project is moving forward on the city’s Northwest Side, according to WGN. The city council approved funding for Jigzibik, a seven-story building with 45 rental units. The name Jigzibik, meaning “at the river’s edge” in Potawatomi, reflects the project’s cultural design, which includes a symbolic representation of the river.

The development will include a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Organizers held a land blessing instead of a traditional groundbreaking. “We decided we would do it with an Indigenous method and prepare the ground like we would traditionally if communities were gathering,” one organizer said. The project, six years in the making, is a collaboration between city agencies and Native American organizations.