Indigenous Affairs

Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction
Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction
The hastily approved project went forward without comment from the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe.
Maya L. Kapoor Feb. 18, 2021 From the print edition
‘Wild Indian’ is much more than just an Indigenous film
‘Wild Indian’ is much more than just an Indigenous film
Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s new picture pushes Indigenous cinema into the realm of the thriller genre, but does it go far enough?
Jason Asenap Feb. 12, 2021
Bridging the digital divide in Indian Country
Bridging the digital divide in Indian Country
A new report focuses on internet infrastructure on tribal lands and how tribes can use it to strengthen their sovereignty.
Jessica Douglas Feb. 4, 2021
Mountaintop removal threatens traditional Blackfoot territory
Mountaintop removal threatens traditional Blackfoot territory
Stop the Grassy Mountain coal project before it starts.
Rosalyn LaPier Perspective Feb. 1, 2021 From the print edition
Is it time to decolonize the housing market?
Is it time to decolonize the housing market?
In California, COVID-19 is exacerbating housing inequities. Indigenous activist Jackie Fielder believes she has a solution.
Jessica Douglas Interview Jan. 27, 2021 From the print edition
Reclaiming the National Bison Range
Reclaiming the National Bison Range
After decades of battling misinformation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes recover their lands and the herd.
Anna V. Smith Jan. 26, 2021 From the print edition
Bears Ears is just the beginning
Bears Ears is just the beginning
As the Biden administration begins, tribal nations with ties to Utah assert their relationships to the land.
Jessica Douglas and Graham Lee Brewer Jan. 22, 2021 From the print edition
A crude virus: How ‘man camps’ can cause a COVID surge
A crude virus: How ‘man camps’ can cause a COVID surge
The Keystone XL Pipeline threatens to spread more than just oil through Indigenous communities.
Kalen Goodluck, Lucy Meyer and Anjali Shrivastava Jan. 8, 2021
The battle for the Black Hills
The battle for the Black Hills
Nick Tilsen was arrested for protesting President Trump at Mount Rushmore. Now, his legal troubles are part of a legacy.
Nick Estes Jan. 1, 2021 From the print edition
Students and faculty urge deeper look at land-grant legacy
Students and faculty urge deeper look at land-grant legacy
University officials face pressure to address their history as the recipients of dispossessed Indigenous land.
Jessica Douglas Dec. 22, 2020 From the print edition
Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
From legal decisions to on-the-ground policies, Indigenous lawyers describe the administration’s tactics as an “onslaught” removing federal protections of land and wildlife.
Anna V. Smith Analysis Dec. 16, 2020
Tribal leaders respond to the idea of an Indigenous Interior secretary
Tribal leaders respond to the idea of an Indigenous Interior secretary
Representation is important, and so are policy decisions impacting tribes on the ground.
Graham Lee Brewer and Anna V. Smith Dec. 14, 2020
Why the U.S. is terrible at collecting Indigenous data
Why the U.S. is terrible at collecting Indigenous data
Abigail Echo-Hawk discusses the state of Indigenous public health.
Kalen Goodluck Interview Dec. 14, 2020
From boxes of memorabilia, sifting out a life
From boxes of memorabilia, sifting out a life
In her debut memoir, Danielle Geller researches her elusive mother — and the meaning of family.
Jessica Douglas Interview Dec. 11, 2020 From the print edition
A helpline connects Indigenous immigrants to crucial COVID-19 information
A helpline connects Indigenous immigrants to crucial COVID-19 information
For communities who speak Indigenous Mayan languages like Mam, the Oregon program is a vital resource.
Anna V. Smith Nov. 30, 2020 From the print edition
A whistleblower speaks out over excavation of Native sites
A whistleblower speaks out over excavation of Native sites
In California, archaeologists unearthed Indigenous burials 11 years ago, but the remains have yet to be repatriated.
Tay Wiles Nov. 12, 2020 From the print edition
How Indigenous voters swung the 2020 election
How Indigenous voters swung the 2020 election
In Arizona and Wisconsin, Native turnout — which often leans liberal — made the difference in Biden’s slim but winning margin.
Anna V. Smith Nov. 6, 2020
Stop the destruction of Tohono O’odham lands
Stop the destruction of Tohono O’odham lands
Tohono O’odham Chairman Ned Norris Jr. urges Congress to take action and stop Trump’s border wall.
Ned Norris Jr. Opinion Oct. 30, 2020 From the print edition
Violence at the U.S.-Mexico border as a presidential election nears
Violence at the U.S.-Mexico border as a presidential election nears
Law enforcement deploys tear gas and rubber bullets in confrontation with Indigenous activists.
Anna V. Smith, Jessica Kutz Oct. 28, 2020
How suspected fake Indigenous art wound up in a Wyoming museum
How suspected fake Indigenous art wound up in a Wyoming museum
Questions of authenticity and provenance surround artwork that traveled from East Texas to rural Wyoming.
Chris O’Connell and Savannah Maher, Texas Observer Oct. 26, 2020
In the face of #MMIWG, Indigenous women fight back
In the face of #MMIWG, Indigenous women fight back
On the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, girls and women box, march and continue searching for those lost.
Tailyr Irvine Photos Oct. 26, 2020 From the print edition
Cornell University addresses stolen Indigenous land in new project
Cornell University addresses stolen Indigenous land in new project
The university obtained almost 990,000 acres of expropriated Indigenous land through the Morrill Act and hopes to provide some remedies.
Jessica Douglas Oct. 23, 2020 From the print edition
The Alaska Native village of Kake defends their right to hunt
The Alaska Native village of Kake defends their right to hunt
The state of Alaska sues the Federal Subsistence Board for approving an emergency hunt for the Organized Village of Kake, despite the tribal community’s dire food shortage.
Jessica Douglas Oct. 12, 2020
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