The Daily Spark

Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to shift oversight of Haskell Indian Nations University from the Bureau of Indian Education to a tribally appointed board of regents, according to the Kansas Reflector. The Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act would maintain federal funding, establish a trust fund and require annual reports to Congress.

“It is clear that the best path forward is for the university to be led by an independent Board of Regents nominated by the Tribal community,” Sen. Jerry Moran was quoted as saying. Dalton Henry, president of the current board of regents, said tribal nations are best suited to guide Haskell’s future. The bill has gained support from several tribal leaders and national Native organizations.

California has awarded $15 million in grants to 14 Native American tribes, tribal coalitions and tribally led organizations to support job training, environmental protection and economic development projects, according to a June 25 announcement from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Jobs First Council.

The grants include $1.9 million to the Owens Valley Career Development Center for clean economy career pathways and $1.6 million to the Tule River Economic Development Corporation for workforce training. Other awards will support a bioenergy facility, aquaculture center, community centers and land restoration. “Our tribal partners are uniquely positioned to grow their local communities and economies utilizing cultural values and principles of self-determination,” said Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari.

Twelve Native American soldiers from Oklahoma who served in World War I are eligible for the Valor Medals Review, a congressional act directing the Department of Defense to identify whether service members were overlooked for the Medal of Honor due to their race, according to News On 6.

Researchers at the Sequoyah National Research Center, led by Assistant Director Erin Fehr, identified the men after years of examining Indian boarding school records and other archives. Among them is Choctaw code talker Otis Leader, who received the Distinguished Service Cross and French Croix de Guerre with Palm. The Department of Defense has up to three years to decide if these soldiers merit the Medal of Honor.

Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, was sworn in June 19 as senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to Native News Online. Cruz's appointment fulfills a commitment Kennedy made during his confirmation process to ensure Native voices are represented at the highest levels of the department.

Previously, Cruz served as deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior under the first Trump administration. He has also held key roles on Capitol Hill, including chief of staff to Representative Todd Rokita and legislative fellow in the office of Representative Tom Cole. Cruz began his career teaching at St. Francis Indian High School on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. He holds degrees from Pepperdine University and Brown University.

Talking Stick, an Indigenous-designed mental health app, has earned a Badge of Compliance from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The free app offers anonymous peer support from trained Indigenous advocates and was recognized for meeting national standards in data privacy, usability, accessibility, cultural safety and data sovereignty.

Developed by TryCycle Data Systems with Indigenous partners, Talking Stick also received a badge from ORCHA, an international digital health app review group.

Talking Stick is available on mobile and desktop and is offered to Native nations in both Canada and the U.S. It connects users with Indigenous peer advocates trained to provide compassionate, culturally grounded support.

The Trump administration has proposed opening 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to oil development, including areas around Teshekpuk Lake that have held protections for decades, according to reporting by the Alaska Beacon.

The integrated activity plan released by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would expand leasing from about 11.7 million acres to over 18.5 million acres. It would replace the 2013 Obama-era framework and eliminate protections for the Colville River.

The plan follows a directive from President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day executive order and is open for a 14-day public review and comment period. Environmental groups and Alaska Native communities have criticized the plan for threatening subsistence resources and wildlife habitats.

South Dakota officials are promoting the Black Hills as the site for President Donald Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes, drawing opposition from Indigenous groups who consider the area sacred. According to the Associated Press, Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote to Trump supporting the garden. A mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, offered to donate 40 acres near Mount Rushmore.

The land sits in a region subject to disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized the Black Hills as Sioux territory. The U.S. later seized the land for gold — a violation of the treaty, according to a 1980 Supreme Court ruling.

The Department of Interior said the statue garden is still in the planning phase. Indigenous advocates, including NDN Collective, object to the project, as well as the mining company’s separate graphite drilling project near Pe’ Sla.

President Donald Trump’s January executive order to expand school choice to Indian Country was met with widespread criticism from tribal leaders, parents and educators who feared it would harm tribal sovereignty and divert funds from tribally run schools. According to The Hechinger Report, the Bureau of Indian Education’s response plan outlines a more limited proposal than expected.

Instead of vouchers or private school subsidies, the bureau proposes up to $1.3 million for services such as tutoring, college courses and after-school programs. In a letter to tribal leaders, the BIE said the plan was structured to “ensure tribes retain a leading role in determining how educational choices are expanded.” The bureau plans further consultation in July before the plan’s implementation this fall.

The Three Affiliated Tribes will break ground June 25 on a new water facility to support the growing Fort Berthold Rural Water Systems, according to KXNET. The original facility, built in 1994, serves all six segments on the reservation.

The tribes plan on opening a new office that will provide additional storage for pipes and materials used for operations and maintenance. A site introduction and traditional ground blessing by MHA Nation will begin at 11 a.m. at 3922 95th Ave NW in New Town, North Dakota. MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox is expected to attend the ceremony.

Lawmakers on South Dakota’s recidivism and rehabilitation committee held their first meeting June 23 at the University of South Dakota’s Sioux Falls campus to address the state’s incarceration rate and prison programming. The committee aims to analyze prison population makeup, evaluate rehabilitation efforts and compare sentencing laws with similar states, according to South Dakota Searchlight.

Native Americans make up nearly 40% of the state’s prison population but only about 9% of the general population, according to a Legislative Research Council presentation. Several lawmakers called the disparity “alarming” and emphasized the need for policy changes. Rep. Jeff Bathke told South Dakota Searchlight, “Right now, we’re just a warehouse. We warehouse people.” Sen. Tamara Grove and others called for greater investment in intervention and reintegration. The committee is expected to meet again in July in the Rapid City area.

The 79th Annual Shinnecock Indian Powwow will take place Aug. 29–Sept. 1 at the Shinnecock Powwow Grounds in Southampton, New York. The event features drum and dance contests, food, arts, crafts, and over $50,000 in prize money.

Grand entry is scheduled each evening at 7 p.m. from Friday to Sunday and at 12:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children, elders and military.

Free parking is available. More information, vendor forms, directions, campground details and FAQs are available here.

Nearly 50 Indigenous people gathered June 7 in Phoenix, Arizona, for the first “Wiping of Tears” ceremony hosted by the Phoenix Indian Center, aimed at collective healing from ongoing trauma and loss, according to Cronkite News. The Lakota-origin ceremony, led by Delaney Apple (Oglala Lakota), included traditional practices such as sage smudging, chokecherry tea and Wasna offerings.

Elicia Goodsoldier, language and culture program coordinator for the center and a member of the Navajo Nation and Spirit Lake Dakota Sioux Tribe, said the ceremony addresses grief that affects participation in cultural programs. Attendees shared stories of loss related to violence, addiction and missing relatives. Goodsoldier emphasized the need to reclaim traditional teachings and grieving practices disrupted by colonialism and urban relocation, noting the center serves members of over 90 federally recognized tribes.

Two bills aimed at expanding tribal rights in Maine await action from Gov. Janet Mills, who has not indicated whether she will sign or veto the measures, according to Maine Morning Star. One bill would prohibit the state from seizing tribal land for public use, while the other would grant the Wabanaki Nations exclusive rights to operate internet gaming in the state.

The bills mark the latest effort to advance tribal sovereignty following the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, which excluded the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation from protections granted under federal Indian law. Despite legislative support, tribal leaders remain uncertain if Mills will approve the measures.

The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association highlighted Indigenous tourism at the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025 trade show in Chicago, Illinois, from June 14–18, according to Native News Online. As a major exhibitor, AIANTA showcased cultural tourism initiatives such as its Top 10 Indigenous Experiences of 2025 list, NativeAmerica.travel booking platform and travel guides featuring Route 66 and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

AIANTA Chief Executive Officer Sherry Rupert said participation in the event helps connect Indigenous tourism businesses with international buyers while promoting economic development and cultural preservation for Native nations. More than 5,700 attendees joined the conference, where AIANTA exhibitors from across the country gained visibility through pre-show training, marketing and cross-promotion efforts.

Christopher David, chief executive officer of Native Americans for Community Action, led a recent “Healing Through Traditions” tobacco cessation workshop in Flagstaff, Arizona, according to the Navajo-Hopi Observer. Participants learned about the cultural importance of hand-prepared tobacco, its distinction from commercial products and the role of tobacco in Native ceremonies.

The workshop included history on tobacco’s sacred use and the impact of the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act. David emphasized that when used appropriately in ceremonies, traditional tobacco poses minimal health risks compared to commercial tobacco, which is linked to high rates of cancer and heart disease among Native populations. Attendees also made leather medicine bags as part of the session. Another free workshop is scheduled for June 24.

The Walatowa Head Start Early Childhood Learning Center on the Pueblo of Jemez is one of three Head Start sites in New Mexico that offer formal language immersion, according to The 74. Children begin each school day with a prayer in Hemish, the oral language of the tribe. Led by teacher Bertha Gachupin, the students share their Native name, clan and a prayer while offering sacred cornmeal and reinforcing cultural identity and language skills. Classrooms feature hand grinders for cornmeal, and the children participate in traditional activities such as songs, dances and story hour led by local elders.

Executive Director Lana Garcia said the language loss in the community has been alarming, but the program’s efforts are helping preserve Hemish among the tribe’s youngest members. Federal funding uncertainty remains a challenge, though Garcia remains focused on keeping the tribe’s culture and language alive through the center’s curriculum.

To support families navigating a growing health crisis, the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians will hold its third annual dementia awareness community cookout for members Saturday.

The event highlights challenges specific to Indian Country. According to the Alzheimer's Association, Native Americans have a higher likelihood of developing dementia than White or Asian Americans but often have less access to health services and are less likely to receive a formal diagnosis.

• One in six American Indian and Alaska Native adults aged 45 and older report experiencing memory loss or increased confusion.
• The number of Native Americans age 65 and older living with dementia is projected to increase four-fold between 2020 and 2060.
• While 92% of Native Americans believe it is important for dementia care providers to be culturally competent, only 49% report having access to such providers.

To help raise awareness of these issues, the community-led event will feature experts and resources, including special guest speaker Martin J. Schreiber, a former Wisconsin governor and author of the Alzheimer's caregiving memoir, "My Two Elaines." Susan McFadden, author of "Dementia-Friendly Communities," will also appear.

A drum group will open the gathering at 1 p.m. The cookout includes free food, prizes and entertainment by John Welch.

The event for Stockbridge-Munsee community members is scheduled from 1-4 p.m., Saturday at the Many Trails Campground, N9125 State Highway 55, in Bowler, Wisconsin.

An expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act included in a major congressional spending bill could increase payments and coverage for victims of uranium mining and nuclear testing on tribal lands in the Southwest, according to Native News Online.

The revised act, sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, raises compensation amounts, covers additional illnesses linked to radiation poisoning and extends the program through 2028. The changes offer hope to survivors in the Navajo Nation, where uranium mining from 1944 to 1986 exposed communities to radiation associated with cancer and other serious illnesses. Diné citizen Maggie Billman was quoted as saying, “We’re still losing family, relatives, neighbors all across the Navajo Nation from people being exposed.” Billman said improved health care access, not just compensation, is needed for impacted communities.

Three Indigenous prisoners filed a lawsuit against the Rhode Island Department of Corrections on June 13 in U.S. District Court in Providence, claiming officials denied their requests to hold religious ceremonies, consult with a Native elder and access traditional items, such as medicine bags and dreamcatchers, according to Rhode Island Current.

Filed by the ACLU of Rhode Island and the Roger Williams University School of Law Prisoners’ Rights Litigation Clinic on behalf of Tyler Smith, Kyle Moreino and Joseph Shepard, the lawsuit alleges violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The suit follows an earlier case settled in April that allowed another Indigenous prisoner to wear a headband linked to his faith. The ACLU claims corrections officials have not adopted new policies since that settlement, according to reporting by Rhode Island Current.