Bryan Rice’s behavior at the BIA highlights a culture of harassment and inaction.
Anna V. Smith
Anna V. Smith is an associate editor of High Country News. She writes and edits stories on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice for the Indigenous Affairs desk from Oregon.
Posted inArticles
Denver cop with tattoo resembling militia group logo killed tribal citizen in 2015
Officer Michael Traudt says he is not a member of the Three Percenters.
Posted inArticles
Senate hears stories of Indian Country’s missing and murdered
Data gaps, understaffing and lax investigations have deepened the crisis.
Posted inArticles
Arizona’s long road to make elections accessible
In Coconino County, relocating five polling places caused confusion this election cycle. By 2020, it must fix 46 to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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How the Americans with Disabilities Act could affect Native American voters
The relocation of polling sites near the Navajo Nation months before midterm elections raises concerns of future voter suppression.
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5 obstacles for Native voters in the November midterms
Native Americans have low participation rates in federal and state elections, but the problem doesn’t lay with political passivism.
Posted inArticles
Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s impact on Indian Country
The recently confirmed justice was heavily opposed by Indigenous leaders.
Posted inNovember 26, 2018: Follow the fish
Why don’t anti-Indian groups count as hate groups?
The current understanding of ‘hate groups’ excludes those who undermine tribal rights and sovereignty.
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
The next Supreme Court pick could shape Indian law for decades
The highest court in the land holds legal power over tribal nations, but it lacks knowledge of tribal law.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River
For the first time, the largest tribe in California has one of its own to lead its legal battles.
Posted inArticles
As Oregon’s midterms approach, divided sides dig in
The right and the ‘resistance’ are doubling down after the election of Donald Trump.
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Bureau of Indian Affairs director resigns
As the agency navigates turbulent times, its leadership changes hands.
Posted inApril 16, 2018: Cashing in on Standing Rock
By the numbers: harassment in the Interior Department
Findings from the department’s survey.
Posted inApril 16, 2018: Cashing in on Standing Rock
Harassment pervades the Bureau of Indian Affairs
One of the oldest agencies in the Department of Interior appears to have some of its worst harassment problems.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
What Northwestern tribes say about the Jordan Cove pipeline
Under Trump, the natural gas pipeline gets a third chance.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
Latest: Long-term noise pollution gives birds PTSD
New research links natural gas compressors with physical impacts on birds.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
Latest: Another lease on life for the Salton Sea?
Now that water deliveries have ended, it’s a race for a solution.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
In a burning West, wildfire smoke threatens public health
Montana hospitals handled an increase of respiratory-related problems this year.
Posted inDecember 25, 2017: Bear Essentials
What Trump’s Supreme Court pick holds for Indian Country
Neil Gorsuch’s background in Indian law and Western issues could be useful to tribal litigants.
Posted inNovember 27, 2017: Profit and Politics
How states generate money from the land they own
From Arizona to Oregon, states have different tactics to make money off their state trust lands.