The Daily Spark

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation issued a press release May 12 responding to reports that some central Washington school districts are refusing to allow tribal students to wear traditional regalia during graduation ceremonies. The tribe stated that any prohibition of culturally significant items, such as beaded caps or eagle feathers, violates Washington state law and disrespects tribal heritage.

Citing RCW 28A.600.500 and Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction bulletin #028-25, the tribe emphasized that public schools may not prevent Native students from wearing regalia or other culturally significant objects. Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson called on schools to respect Colville students’ right to express their heritage and asked families to alert the Colville Business Council if any student is denied that right.

The Yurok Tribe will receive $26.4 million from the California Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program to build the Yurok Tribal Health and Wellness Center, according to a Yurok Tribe press release. The 24,000-square-foot facility will offer inpatient and outpatient services, including primary care, behavioral health and mental health treatment, to tribal members and nearby communities.

The funding is part of a larger $3.3 billion investment in 124 projects statewide. “By improving the health of the most vulnerable members of our community, the Yurok Tribal Health and Wellness Center will help us prevent future MMIP cases,” said Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James. The center will be built near Martin’s Ferry Bridge on the Yurok Reservation and is expected to open in three to five years.

The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency eliminated about $400 million in AmeriCorps grants in April, affecting several programs in North Dakota that served rural schools and communities, according to reporting by the North Dakota News Cooperative.

In Elgin-New Leipzig, the elimination of federal support for AmeriCorps participants has left schools without key paraprofessionals, who helped students with reading and math. The cuts also have affected child-care programs and community-building efforts. Local leaders have expressed confusion over the decisions, citing cost-effective programs being cut while others remained intact. The future of AmeriCorps funding in North Dakota remains uncertain.

Two new laws in Montana are designed to enhance Native American education and language preservation, according to reporting by Montana Free Press. Sponsored by state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, the laws improve financial accountability in the Indian Education For All (IEFA) program and expand the role of tribal governments in language revitalization efforts. Senate Bill 181 mandates transparency in how school districts use IEFA funds, while Senate Bill 182 offers more flexibility in partnerships for the Montana Indian Language Preservation program. Both laws aim to support Native communities and ensure proper use of state resources, Montana Free Press reported.

California State University, Los Angeles is asking its departments and offices to report any items of Native Californian origin they might have, whether those items were bought, gifted or collected in some other way, according to California Globe.

The request is part of the university’s effort to follow state repatriation laws that line up with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Staff are being asked to share such details as where the items are, when they were collected and who owns them, with responses due by Sept. 15.

Tribal leaders, lawmakers and community members gathered Tuesday at the Oklahoma Capitol to observe Oklahoma Treaty Day, an event hosted by the Oklahoma Native Caucus to highlight the ongoing significance of tribal treaties. The day included presentations on treaty obligations, tribal sovereignty and intergovernmental partnerships, according to News 9, a CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Speakers included Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Government Affairs Officer LaRenda Morgan. State Sen. Mary Boren said the event is a reminder that honoring treaties is not only a legal obligation but a step toward building a more inclusive Oklahoma.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation is hosting a flood preparedness training to help individuals respond to potential disasters, the MHA Emergency Operations Center has announced on Facebook. The free, three-hour session will be held in the center’s main training room on May 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Topics will include flood risks, alerts and warnings, evacuation planning, risk reduction, response strategies and recovery steps. The training is available in-person and online. The center is located at 8880 Hwy 23B, New Town, ND.

Over the weekend, wildfires ignited in 14 counties across North Dakota, burning more than 1,100 acres. According to KFYR, on Sunday alone, 20 new fires were reported, contributing to a total of 60 fire starts during the weekend. Efforts to combat the blazes involved local firefighters, the North Dakota Wildland Task Force, the North Dakota Forest Service and a team from Colorado.

The impacted counties include Slope, Sargent, Morton, LaMoure, Hettinger, Dickey, Logan, Adams, McKenzie, Dunn, Spirit Lake Sioux, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Ward, Rolette and Kidder. The Turtle Mountain fire complex remains ongoing.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) reported two new measles cases in Cass County, bringing the state’s total to 11 cases in 2025. According to HHS, both individuals were unvaccinated and contracted measles during international travel. One individual has been hospitalized. The Cass County cases are not connected to previously reported cases in Williams County.

Public exposure may have occurred at two Fargo-area clinics: Essentia Health – The Lights West Fargo Clinic on May 7 and Essentia Health Walk-in Care on 52nd Avenue on May 9. HHS and Essentia Health are identifying individuals who may have been exposed. Vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine but should monitor for symptoms for 21 days. Unvaccinated individuals should quarantine and monitor for symptoms. Early vaccination is not currently recommended for infants in Cass County due to the travel-related nature of the cases, according to HHS.

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds has once-again asked the Department of the Interior to establish a Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal law enforcement training center in South Dakota, according to South Dakota Searchlight. In a May 12 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Rounds said that the distance to the current training facility in New Mexico is a recruitment barrier for tribal law enforcement.

The request follows a 2024 effort by Rounds and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson to push for a regional Bureau of Indian Affairs training center. Rounds pointed to last summer’s state-led law enforcement training session in Pierre as evidence that a local facility can support Native recruits. That session allowed 11 recruits to complete certification and participate in a remote BIA module, typically held in New Mexico, South Dakota Searchlight reported.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has released its Minority and Missing Report, developed in partnership with law enforcement and community organizations. According to NCAI, the report highlights systemic disparities in missing persons cases involving Indigenous and minority communities, citing data from state agencies, the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The report calls for increased law enforcement resources, improved training and a national awareness campaign. “We have long known that American Indian and Alaskan Native families suffer from a crisis of missing persons, but this report finally puts the full scope of this tragedy into focus,” NCAI’s president, Mark Macarro, was quoted as saying on the organization’s website. The effort is part of a broader initiative that includes partners such as FBI-LEEDA, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Child ID Program, and the NFL Alumni Association’s Caring for Kids Campaign.

The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, announced a new biennial schedule for the Native American Hall of Honor. The next induction ceremony is set for Fall 2027. The shift to an odd-year schedule aims to align with key state events and to allow for greater participation from tribal and state leaders. Applications for the 2027 ceremony will open in 2026, providing an opportunity to recognize Native American leaders who have significantly contributed to arts and culture, athletics, leadership and veterans. The Native American Hall of Honor is an annual recognition program housed at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. It honors Native Americans who have made lasting contributions to their communities and the state in the areas of arts and culture, athletics, leadership and veterans. Inductees are recognized through a formal ceremony and a permanent display showcasing their legacy.

United Tribes Technical College celebrated a record 143 graduates for the 2024-2025 academic year, surpassing last year’s total of 118 graduates. This marks the highest number of graduates across fall, spring and summer sessions. The previous years saw 83 graduates in 2021-2022 and 88 in 2020-2021. During the May 9, 2025, commencement, graduates stood and turned to face the audience to be acknowledged by family, friends and community members. Rayden Bullhead was also presented with an honorary welding certificate for his brother, Renzo Bullhead, who has been missing since March 16.

Frybread Mamas donated all proceeds from a recent Indian taco sale to the ongoing search for Renzo Bullhead, according to a Facebook post by the Sacred Pipe Resource Center. The sale took place during a pop-up event, with community members contributing through their purchases. Renzo’s family issued a public statement thanking the business for its support during what they described as “a time of great need,” and said they were deeply moved by the kindness shown.

First Nations Development Institute is accepting applications from federally and state-recognized tribes for pilot projects focused on acquiring conservation easements or equivalents on trust lands. According to First Nations Development Institute, the funding is part of its Stewarding Native Lands program, which supports tribal land protection, community access and stewardship. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that limit land use to preserve cultural and environmental values. First Nations Development Institute expects to award six grants of up to $50,000 each with support from the Doris Duke Foundation. Grant recipients will also receive technical assistance, training and legal support. The application deadline is June 11 at 6 p.m. Central Time.

North Dakota’s interstate speed limit will increase to 80 mph starting Aug. 1, according to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor. Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed House Bill 1298 into law on May 5, raising the limit and increasing fines for speeding violations.

The new law sets a fine of $20 or $5 per mph over the limit — whichever is greater — on roads posted at 65 mph or higher. On lower-speed roads, fines will be $20 or $3 per mph over. Drivers exceeding the limit by more than 16 mph will face an additional $20 fine. Speeding in construction zones with workers present will now carry an extra $150 fine. Armstrong said in a statement that the law balances higher limits with deterrents, aligning the state’s policy with South Dakota and Montana.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) marked Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Week on the Senate floor, calling for more federal action to address the ongoing crisis. Schatz, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, highlighted the disproportionate violence faced by Native women and girls, including murder being the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women. He stressed the decades-long failure of the federal government to adequately address the issue, leaving many communities to bear the burden of finding justice on their own. According to a press release from his office, Schatz noted his role in the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which restored tribal jurisdiction over certain crimes and expanded resources for Native communities, but said, “There remains so much work to be done to ensure that Native people feel safe in their homes and communities.”

Beginning Aug. 1, all local public boards in North Dakota will be required to offer a public comment period at each meeting, according to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor. The mandate, established under Senate Bill 2180 and signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong on April 30, applies to all public boards, including school districts, park districts, and water resource boards.

The new law allows boards to limit comments by total time, individual speaking time or both, and restricts topics to agenda items from the current or previous meeting. Boards must also establish public comment policies that prohibit defamatory or disruptive remarks, the North Dakota Monitor reported.

Progressive organizations in North Dakota will host an all-day event called “The People’s Session” on May 16 to gather public input on future policy priorities. The event is organized by Gender Justice, Prairie Action and the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.

The session aims to develop proposals for the 2027 legislative session on issues including health care, housing, education, LGBTQ rights and reproductive access, according to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor. A survey commissioned by Gender Justice found North Dakotans broadly support expanding reproductive rights and affordable housing, but organizers said those priorities were largely overlooked during the 2025 session. The event is free and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heritage Center, with registration required through Gender Justice’s website.