Climate, public lands and tribal law regulations are now likely to face legal challenges.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Posted inArticles
How the Colville Tribes are restoring traditional lands and wildlife
The tribes are re-establishing native species wiped out by systematic colonization.
Posted inArticles
States opposed tribes’ access to the Colorado River 70 years ago. History is repeating itself.
Records shed new light on states’ vocal opposition in the 1950s to tribes claiming their share of the river.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
As Newtok, Alaska, crumbles, residents are left in a dangerous limbo
The town is supposed to move, but federal funding and complex logistics mean most residents are stuck.
Posted inArticles
Despite the law meant to keep Native American families together, they’re being broken apart
A mother used the Indian Child Welfare Act to win back her parental rights. Then they came for her second child.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How Arizona squeezes tribes for water
A High Country News/ProPublica investigation shows that Arizona goes to unusual lengths in water negotiations to extract restrictive concessions from tribes.
Posted inMay 1, 2023: Reemergence
Alaska Natives are underserved by emergency translation services
A FEMA contractor’s incompetence in Alaska Native languages highlights a systemic problem.
Posted inArticles
Dwindling sea ice and rising Arctic ship traffic may bring unwelcome visitors to King Island, Alaska
Members of the King Island Native Community see potential threats to their food security and cultural resources.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal
What does the nation’s commitment to tribal co-stewardship mean for public lands?
The Biden administration’s policies signal a shift in lands management, but a sea change is yet to come.
Posted inArticles
How far can $25 million go to relocate a community that’s disappearing into Alaska’s melting permafrost?
A recent Interior Department grant aims to help residents in Newtok move to higher ground, but it’s just a sliver of what’s needed.
Posted inAugust 1, 2022: Our Fiery Future
The fires below
The world’s least understood ignition source is causing devastating wildfires across Montana’s Powder River Basin.
Posted inArticles
Reconsidering Wilma Mankiller
As the Cherokee Nation’s first female chief’s image is minted onto a coin, her full humanity should be examined.
Posted inArticles
Duwamish Tribe sues Interior in federal court, alleging sex discrimination
After decades of back-and-forth with federal authorities, the matrilineal descendants of Chief Seattle want federal recognition, once and for all.
Posted inArticles
See the Western conservation projects getting Infrastructure Act money this year
Approximately $68 million will be delivered to more than 100 projects across the country — many of which are based in the West.
Posted inArticles
How the economy of Indian Country impacts local communities
A ‘stealth’ economy for tribes often hides billions of dollars in jobs, growth and revenue.
Posted inApril 1, 2022: The Archives Issue
The children at rest in 4-H Park
The city of Albuquerque is finally working to address the legacy of its boarding school cemetery.
Posted inArticles
40 years after its closure, the Jackpile Mine’s toxic legacy continues
‘They have to look at it every day and wonder if that’s the reason why they’re dying.’
Posted inDecember 1, 2021: Visions of Wildness
Wild horses, buffalo and the politics of belonging
On the Wind River Indian Reservation, two animals slip between the cracks of what is wild and what isn’t.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Tribes unveil landmark missing and murdered Indigenous person response
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes worked with federal agencies to complete a first of its kind plan to address the crisis.
Posted inArticles
On day one, Haaland addresses Indigenous media
Tribal journalists given first opportunity to interview first Indigenous secretary of Interior.