The region survived a year of deep cuts and layoffs. Here’s who is picking up the pieces.
Tribes
Posted inArticles
The public got one week to comment on Chaco Canyon drilling. It’s almost over
Indigenous leaders, New Mexico political leaders accuse feds of rushing a decision about the sacred site.
Posted inArticles
Why intentional fires can still be safe during this dry spring
Land managers are finding pockets of cool, wet conditions, allowing them to safely reduce future fire risk.
Posted inArticles
Congress contemplates sweeping investigation of Native boarding schools
What the Truth and Healing Commission Bill would — and would not — do.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
From low-flow nozzles to baling hay at night, see how farmers are adapting to less water.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
As a caribou herd crashed, wildlife managers turned to killing predators
The controversial culling program reveals the messy politics behind reviving a struggling Alaska herd.
Posted inArticles
It’s time to rethink how we care for our public lands and waters
Two former, high-ranking Interior Department employees, from opposing political parties, call for an overhaul of public-land management.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
The little-known photographer who documented a changing Okanogan, Washington
A century later, Frank Matsura’s images are still at the heart of families’ memories.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
LandBack advances across the West
More ancestral lands are being returned to tribes, while other important sites remain at risk.
Posted inArticles
Trump’s call for deep-sea mining off Alaska raises Indigenous concerns
“Whatever happens in the ocean, it really does affect our way of life.”
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
What’s needed to protect sage grouse?
The Burns Paiute and Shoshone-Bannock tribes are proving that reducing grazing may be the key to saving the iconic bird.
Posted inArticles
An EPA proposal would make it harder for tribes to protect their water
The agency’s plan would narrow water quality reviews and eliminate one of the few ways that tribes can their enforce treaty rights.
Posted inJanuary 2026: Deep Time in the West
What does ‘time immemorial’ really mean?
An overused phrase goes under the microscope.
Posted inArticles
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
Indigenous scholar Dina Gilio-Whitaker wants Natives to approach a difficult topic rationally, vulnerably and honestly.
Posted inArticles
Colorado cannot heal until it confronts Sand Creek honestly
To move forward, Coloradans must face the massacre’s trauma and begin to repair trust.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
Mexican wolves are rebounding, but are they ready for delisting?
A new bill from Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar looks to remove endangered species protections.
Posted inArticles
Washington approves over 99% of archaeological permits, records show
As tribes struggle to protect their heritage, the nation’s leading state archaeologist says she lacks the authority to stop development projects.
Posted inArticles
‘We’re basically slitting our own throat’: Montana rolls back water-quality standards
The EPA approved Montana’s weaker standards for nutrient pollution during the government shutdown.
Posted inArticles
Top Interior Department official has ties to Thacker Pass lithium mine
Karen Budd-Falen’s family ranching operation agreed to sell water rights to the company developing the controversial Nevada lithium project.
Posted inDecember 2025: Wild Harvest
How the gaming economy helps tribes navigate shifting policies
Tribal sovereignty and prosperity are tied to gaming’s sovereign source of income.