The Daily Spark

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.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is hiring a coordinator to improve repatriation efforts of Native American remains, according to Gaylord News. In 2023, ProPublica found that the museum was one of the largest holders of Native American remains and funerary objects in the country, with more than 3,800 Native American remains and over 115,500 associated funerary objects available to return to tribes. Since 1990, federal protections have been in place to ensure the respectful treatment of Native American human remains, and the museum has repatriated numerous items to tribes like the Choctaw Nation. The museum continues its repatriation efforts with ongoing consultations and inventories.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has established the Three Affiliated Tribes National Park, 2,100 acres of rugged Badlands. Tribal Chairman Mark Fox told the Associated Press that the park aims to preserve culturally significant lands and support the economy through tourism in addition to providing recreational opportunities, such as canoeing, kayaking and viewing wildlife. Park Superintendent Ethan White Calfe said officials are planning to restore native prairie and soil. The park, which held a soft opening in September, currently allows only foot traffic by free online permits, with 10 miles of trails expected by the end of summer, according to Parks and Reserve Program Director Mary Fredericks.

The University of Oklahoma’s Native American Studies Department will host a retirement celebration Thursday for Cherokee language instructor Christine Armer, according to a department press release. Armer has taught the Cherokee language at OU for 20 years.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. in Dale Hall Tower, Room 906. It will feature Cherokee language speakers, a language roundtable with Q&A and reflections from Armer. Raised in a Cherokee-speaking community in Muldrow, Oklahoma, Armer did not speak English until grade school. She later collaborated with Cherokee linguist Durbin Feeling and earned a degree in elementary education from Northeastern State University in 2005. She was recruited to OU to create and teach Cherokee language courses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accepting applications for its Drug-Free Communities Support Program, which aims to reduce youth substance abuse through local coalitions, according to an April 24 report by Youth Today.

The program provides up to $125,000 in funding to eligible organizations, including federally recognized tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations. Grants support efforts to build collaboration among public and private agencies and address risk factors that contribute to youth substance use. Applications are due by May 5, 2025.

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana broke ground Wednesday on its new Ceremonial Center, a facility tribal leaders say will serve as a hub for cultural gatherings, language preservation and community events, according to Native News Online.

Chairman Gerald Gray said the center will create a space for future generations to continue the stories of their ancestors. Located on Stuckey Road alongside the Tribe’s Miijim Program, the center will include a meeting hall for 200 people, outdoor gathering spaces and a kitchen for community luncheons. The site will also anchor an upcoming 18-acre tribal housing development. Construction is scheduled for completion in early 2026. The Tribe has partnered with Dick Anderson Construction to build the facility, which Vice Chairman Clarence Sivertsen called “a gift to future generations of Little Shell citizens.”

A federal judge has ordered the United States to pay North Dakota nearly $28 million for law enforcement and other costs linked to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 and early 2017, according to an April 23 joint release by Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor ruled that the state proved its claims of negligence, gross negligence, civil trespass and public nuisance. Traynor cited failures by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, stating the agency gave the impression that it had issued a Special Use Permit for protestors when it had not. The ruling noted that protests resulted in harm to the state, including damaged property and extensive cleanup of 10 million pounds of debris.

Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona voiced support for President Trump’s proposal to build affordable public housing on federal lands, according to an April 24 report by The Hill. In a letter to federal officials, Gallego commended the formation of the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing and called for a “balanced approach” that includes environmental stewardship and respect for tribal sovereignty.

The task force, established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Interior Department in March, aims to identify underused federal lands and streamline their development for residential use. Gallego requested transparency on the task force’s membership, meeting notes and plans for coordination with rural and tribal communities.

Twelve Native and Indigenous actors will perform staged readings of five 10-minute plays during the Native American Short Play Festival in Littleton, Colorado, according to Colorado Community Media. The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 26 and 2 p.m. April 27 at the Littleton United Methodist Church.

Presented in partnership with Celebration of Native Arts, the festival features works by Native American and Native Hawaiian playwrights exploring themes of grief, legacy, tradition, empowerment and family. All five plays were originally performed by Native Voices Theater Company at the Autry Museum of the American West. Actor Teddy McCollough of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians said the festival is a way to reclaim narratives and ensure Native stories are told with truth and nuance.

Tribal Nations will play a key role in shaping the agenda at Fiber Connect 2025, according to a Business Wire announcement by the Fiber Broadband Association. The event, scheduled for June 1–4 in Nashville, will include sessions focused on Tribal digital sovereignty, broadband deployment challenges, and innovation on tribal lands. The FBA’s Tribal Broadband Roundtable curated the programming to highlight best practices and policy discussions.

“Fiber broadband is enabling tribes to transform economic opportunities—creating jobs, improving quality of life, sharing our rich culture, and preserving our traditions and languages,” said Robert Griffin, Tribal Broadband Director for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Tribal attendees will have exclusive access to a networking lounge. Regional discussions will continue at a follow-up event in Scottsdale on October 16.