The Daily Spark

At the Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s Denełchin Lab in Anchorage, youth are turning recycled plastic into colorful creations while learning about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program, which has served over 1,000 students in a year, emphasizes hands-on learning through cultural connections, safety training and creative fabrication, according to Alaska Business.

Students sort plastic by color using Dena’ina words and shape the material into fish keychains, earrings, and even stools using lab equipment like 3D printers and plastic presses. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the STEM program aims to launch similar recycling labs in five rural Alaskan communities.

Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Legislative Commission on Indian Services, which allows the state’s nine federally recognized tribes to advise on legislative matters. The Oregon Senate unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 to honor the commission’s contributions since its 1975 founding, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Chairman Gary Burke of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation opened the Senate session with a song in his Native language. Senate President Rob Wagner, the resolution’s sponsor, called on lawmakers to engage tribal communities with respect and to honor treaty obligations. The resolution now moves to the House for consideration.

The California Capitol dome in Sacramento was lit red on Tuesday and Wednesday to mark Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Day, recognized annually on May 5. The observance raises awareness of violence affecting Indigenous communities, especially women, girls and two-spirit people.

A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday evening on the Capitol West Steps, according to KCRA. Organizers said previous vigils have drawn up to 800 attendees. State Assembly member James Ramos is expected to present a resolution Thursday on the Assembly floor to designate May as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month.

Urban Native families in Albuquerque are gathering weekly at the Resilience Hub, a space run by New Mexico Community Capital, to reconnect with cultural traditions through free powwow classes led by Niko DeRoin-Silva (Otoe-Missouria/Choctaw). The classes provide a space for participants to learn powwow etiquette, practice dancing and create regalia together.

At an April class, families participated in grand entry to a song by drum group Shield Chief. “I wanted to provide a safe space where adults and youth could come and explore their culture in a positive way,” DeRoin-Silva said. Juanita Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux) said she appreciates the opportunity for young people to learn without embarrassment. This story is part of Indigenously Positive, a series by New Mexico In Depth and New Mexico PBS.

Western Native Voice, a Montana-based nonprofit focused on Native equity and opportunity, is opening a new office in Washington, D.C., on May 12, according to reporting by Public News Service. Formed in 2022, Western Native Voice has worked closely with tribes across the West and sees the new office as a way to be more effective at the national level.

“Being able to be right there, be on top of the action and be able to use our voice in Washington is going to help us be a little bit more proactive,” Keaton Sunchild, the group’s director of government and political relations, was quoted as saying.

Sunchild said key national priorities include criminal justice funding for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and drug crises in tribal communities. Sunchild also flagged voting rights as a continued concern and said he plans to work on funding for more satellite election offices and for protections to ensure that tribal IDs are recognized for voter registration.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong has deployed the North Dakota National Guard to assist with wildfires on the Turtle Mountain Reservation, where more than a dozen fires burned near Belcourt and Rolla on May 5, according to reporting by InForum. Two Black Hawk helicopters and a surveillance plane were used to help contain flames in forested areas.

Jamie Azure, chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, told InForum that half of the fires were large but all were contained by Monday evening. Azure described the scene as looking “like a fire tornado” and said the cause may have been children playing with lighters. Several homes and a nursing home were evacuated, but none were damaged.

The Indigenous Student Advisory Team at Bismarck Public Schools is working to integrate Native American culture into schools by centering student voices, according to a report by KFYR-TV. The group was formed to identify student needs. Adviser Tomi Cimarosti told the station students asked for representation and involvement rather than material items.

The team has organized events, proposed mentorship programs and invited elders to share knowledge of language and tradition. Student Rita Wise Spirit told the station that the presence of elders would help restore cultural teachings, saying, ”A lot of us don’t know how to speak our language, and they can teach us a couple of things, and they can teach us about the old ways.” The group is now planning summer activities.

Spirit Lake Nation is continuing its efforts to search for missing Indigenous people in North Dakota, including a recent focus on Renzo Bullhead, a 20-year-old member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. According to a recent Spirit Lake Nation press release, the tribe has joined other tribes in deploying numerous resources, including drones and boats, to assist in the search. The Spirit Lake Tribe is also offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of two of its own members, Isaac Hunt and Jemini Posey. In honor of Posey and Missing Indigenous Women's Month, a 5K walk/run is set for May 11 at 2 p.m. in Fort Totten, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota, is preserving Native American culture with a seed bank project aimed at maintaining access to traditional crops. The project, part of the Land Grant program, preserves crops that have been integral to Native communities for generations, including varieties of corn over 150 years old, according to reporting by KFYR TV. The seed bank will allow the college to share these historical crops with other tribal communities and institutions.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced $6 million in grants to 11 Tribal Nations and nonprofit organizations across Arizona to assist individuals impacted by fraudulent sober living home practices, according to a May 1 statement from the Attorney General’s Office. The Sober Living Home Support Program, funded through Arizona's Anti-Racketeering Revolving Fund, provides up to $500,000 per recipient for compensation, remediation and supportive housing services.

Grantees include the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Native Action Program, Native American Fatherhood and Families Association, Native Health, Navajo Veterans Organization, Tucson Indian Center and others. The funds are intended to address harm caused by fraud involving the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. “Although we can never fully make up for the harm this fraud caused, we can make sure justice is served,” Mayes said.

Native American women from southeastern tribes are reviving the tradition of facial tattoos, known as inchunwa, as a form of cultural expression and identity, according to reporting by The Guardian. The Inchunwa Project, established in 2017 by a group of Choctaw women and two spirit people, is central to this resurgence, offering educational resources, retreats and a podcast to support the revitalization efforts. This project emphasizes the spiritual and communal significance of these tattoos, which are often applied during rites of passage and evolve with life milestones. While traditional hand-poke techniques are favored, modern methods are also utilized.

Native leaders say President Trump’s recent announcement that he will not recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and will bring Columbus Day “back from the ashes” highlights the ongoing need to advocate for Indigenous representation during Trump’s second term, according to reporting by the Associated Press.

Jonathan Nez, former president of the Navajo Nation, said the move disregards the hard-fought recognition of Native sovereignty and “takes us back in time.” Montana state Sen. Shane Morigeau, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, has introduced a bill to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day in the state alongside Columbus Day. He emphasized the goal is not to erase history but to teach it accurately. Bryan Newland, former Interior official and a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe), said the fight for recognition is generational and will persist beyond any administration.

Researchers have discovered a new species of electric-conducting bacteria in the Yaquina Bay estuary and named it Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis in honor of the Yaqona people, whose descendants are part of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, according to KLCC. The bacteria was identified in intertidal sediment samples by Clare Reimers, professor emerita at Oregon State University. The bacteria’s nickel-based fibers allow for long-distance electron transport, aiding in sediment nutrient cycling and pollutant cleanup.

President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he intends to bring Columbus Day “back from the ashes” by rejecting the recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day alongside it, according to the Associated Press. Trump accused Democrats of tarnishing Christopher Columbus’ legacy and undermining the explorer’s historical significance. This stance contrasts with President Joe Biden’s 2021 proclamation, which honored Indigenous peoples’ contributions and resilience while acknowledging the nation’s historical failures toward Native communities. Trump criticized efforts to shift focus from Columbus to Indigenous history, arguing it diminished the explorer’s legacy and the Italian-American community's connection to him.

Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery has expanded to a new location at the Denver International Airport. The grand opening celebration will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, in Concourse A, according to What Now Denver. The event will feature remarks from Tocabe Co-Founder Ben Jacobs, a member of the Osage Nation, as well as traditional dancers, drummers and complimentary fry bread nuggets. The airport location officially opened April 7 and offers Indigenous-inspired dishes such as bison ribs, fry bread tacos and green chili stew. Tocabe is one of the few American Indian-owned and operated restaurant concepts in the country.

Pasadena-based ethnomusicologist T. Christopher Aplin has received a $5,000 GRAMMY Museum grant to digitize Kiowa-language songs recorded by the American Indian Soundchiefs label. The project aims to preserve aging analog media, including instantaneous discs, reel-to-reels and cassettes as part of a cultural revitalization effort, according to a museum press release, and is supported by the Linn D. Pauahty Foundation, the Kiowa tribe and Mary Helen Deer, granddaughter of label founder Rev. Linn D. Pauahty.

American Indian Soundchiefs, founded in the 1940s, is considered the earliest and longest-running Native-led record label, according to reporting by Pasadena Now. It focused on in-depth documentation of tribal music and dance forms. Aplin previously received a $3,000 grant from the program in 2022 for related preservation work.

List of grantees here.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe has accused the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services of shooting coyotes from a helicopter near a bison herd without tribal permission, according to reporting by Cowboy State Daily. The tribe said the incident occurred on March 13 near Pavillion, Wyoming, when a helicopter was observed flying over tribal land, with gunfire confirmed in video footage. The tribe claims it did not authorize the operation, which it says undermines its sovereignty and efforts to reintegrate buffalo to the area. In response, USDA Wildlife Services denied discharging firearms near the bison, calling the tribe’s statement “misinformation.” The agency also stated it respects tribal sovereignty. Tribe officials remain open to future collaboration but expect respect for their authority.

The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes plan to build their first resort and casino along Interstate 84 between Boise and Mountain Home, according to reporting by the Idaho Capital Sun. The project is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars annually and create thousands of jobs. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe will provide investment and management support. Tribal Chairman Brian Mason said gaming revenues will strengthen the Duck Valley Indian Reservation community’s infrastructure and provide more opportunities for youth. The casino will include gaming machines, a hotel, a spa, an entertainment center and dining options. The tribes plan to submit their application to the U.S. Department of the Interior later this year.

Federal funding cuts could jeopardize Montana’s economy and essential services, according to a March 2025 report by the Montana Nonprofit Association. The report found that federal funding contributed over $14 billion to Montana in fiscal year 2024 and accounted for 43% of the state’s total revenue. Nonprofits, which provide nearly 12% of Montana jobs, face significant risk, with 64% of grant-funded organizations vulnerable to financial instability, according to the report. Cuts could also affect tribal nations, rural communities, local governments, public lands and essential services such as healthcare, housing and education. The report warned that reductions in federal support would disproportionately impact Native and rural communities, which already receive limited philanthropic funding. Native Americans would be particularly affected by cuts to veterans’ services and health care, as they serve in the military at rates five times the national average, according to the report.