The seminal film, while important for finally having Native representation, relied on stereotypes.
Indigenous Affairs
Posted inOctober 28, 2019: Where Hunting Still Has Meaning
The Klamath River now has the legal rights of a person
A Yurok Tribe resolution allows cases to be brought on behalf of the river as a person in tribal court.
Posted inOctober 14, 2019: Severed Ties
An Indigenous way of life for these California tribes breaks state laws
In Mendocino County, ‘guerrilla gatherers’ risk fines and jail time to keep food culture alive.
Posted inArticles
Stickball: Indigenous women show who’s got game
Physicality and communication are key elements at the Choctaw Nation’s annual tournament.
Posted inArticles
America’s obsession with killing Indians hasn’t died
Why remaking ‘Last of the Mohicans’ isn’t just damaging, it’s lazy and unimaginative.
Posted inSeptember 2, 2019: In Bad Faith
San Juan County ends legal fight against Voting Rights Act decision
The first-ever Navajo majority commission halted a legal challenge to the ruling that ended discriminatory voting boundaries.
Posted inSeptember 16, 2019: "We can either wait on Mother Nature – or we can give it a shot ourselves."
Far-right extremists appropriate Indigenous struggles for violent ends
From Nazi Germany to Norway and El Paso, white nationalists use Indigenous imagery to justify racist violence.
Posted inSeptember 16, 2019: "We can either wait on Mother Nature – or we can give it a shot ourselves."
A Maori filmmaker and the fight for proper Indigenous narratives
Hepi Mita offers a fascinating look at his mother’s life in ‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen.’
Posted inArticles
Lingerie company Yandy quietly removes Native American-themed costumes
Dozens of Native American-themed costumes are no longer available online.
Posted inSeptember 2, 2019: In Bad Faith
When public lands become tribal lands again
A story of fire, stolen lands, and how hard it is to get the U.S. to follow its own laws.
Posted inSeptember 2, 2019: In Bad Faith
The legacy of colonialism on public lands created the Mauna Kea conflict
Public lands are often the only places where Indigenous sacred landscapes still exist.
Posted inArticles
The Bureau of Indian Affairs steps up its harassment policy
Timeframes for responding to allegations and more show improvements from ‘zero tolerance’ rhetoric.
Posted inArticles
Inside the protests over the Thirty Meter Telescope
In the latest act of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiʻian) sovereignty, thousands have gathered on the grounds of a sacred volcano under threat.
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
Can Bacone College reclaim its roots as a center for Native art?
The private college redefined Indigenous art but faces financial and infrastructure challenges today.
Posted inArticles
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe goes solar
An image of sovereignty in the Colorado high desert.
Posted in2019
High Country News wins 19 National Native Media Awards
For the past two years, we’ve built a tribal affairs desk that centers Native voices for a Native audience.
Posted inArticles
How to Indigenize the Green New Deal and environmental justice
Native nations and activists must have a seat at the table.
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
No happy ending in ‘The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open’
The new film is a character study of two Indigenous women developing a rocky friendship in real time.
Posted inArticles
California governor apologizes to tribal nations for past atrocities
‘It’s called genocide. There’s no other way to describe it.’
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
Lawmakers can address the MMIW crisis. Will they?
Canada is taking major steps to stop the murder of Indigenous women and girls. The U.S. needs to do the same.