Native Affairs

Pua Case. A portrait of a middle age woman wearing a headband and a fabric wrap
M. Kaleipumehana Cabral, Kapulei Flores  Sep 3, 2019 10:43AM EDT

Inside the Native Hawaiian Fight to Save Mauna Kea, The Tallest Mountain in the World [Photo Essay]

After nearly a decade of opposition by natives of Hawai’i and allies, the construction of a massive and destructive telescope on Mauna a Wākea is moving forward. Here, stories and words from kiaʻi (protectors) of this sacred mountain at the center of Hawai’i Island life.
White teepees in the snow with a protest sign that reads "Defend the Sacred" on Standing Rock Reservation
Ayana Byrd  Aug 20, 2019 2:23PM EDT

ICYMI: Standing Rock Sioux Back In Court to Stop Dakota Access Pipeline

As the pipeline prepares to double its daily output, the tribe demands a new environmental assessment of the project.
David Levien and Brian Koppelman. Two middle-aged White men with short gray hair wearing gray suit jackets and jeans in front of a step and repeat.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 15, 2019 2:25PM EDT

New York's Cayuga Nation Sues Showtime for Defamation

“This episode of ‘Billions’ is a deliberate and intentional resort to an offensive stereotype of Native Americans,” alleges the lawsuit. 
Steven Wilson. Young Lakota man with short dark hair wearing gray jacket and tan pants performing National Anthem in University of South Dakota's gym.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 1, 2019 12:17PM EDT

The National Anthem Will Be Performed in Lakota At Upcoming Presidential Forum

Steven Wilson will set the tone for the first-ever presidential election forum to focus entirely on Native American issues.
Mauna Kea protestors. Black and white image of crowd with main shot of man with back to camera.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 19, 2019 11:10AM EDT

WATCH: The 50-Year History of Mismanagement at Hawai'i's Mauna Kea

In just six minutes, this film provides context for the recent protests at the sacred site.
An older person in tan jacket, white and red scarf and black pants is being carried by two people in uniforms.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 18, 2019 12:11PM EDT

Native Hawaiian Elders Arrested in Telescope Protest at Mauna Kea

“This mountain represents the last thing they want to take that we will not give them.”
An Apache man puts on a red headress
Akiba Solomon  Jul 16, 2019 3:37PM EDT

For the Millionth Time, We Are Not 'All Immigrants'

People keep using the false rhetoric of “we are all immigrants” when denouncing American racism and xenophobia. Use this vintage piece by scholar and revolutionary Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to debunk this notion for good.
Molly of Denali. Animation showing Native Alaskan and Black girl in a town.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 9, 2019 3:51PM EDT

3 Things to Know About New Animated Series 'Molly of Denali'

The groundbreaking PBS Kids series stars 10-year-old Alaska Native Molly.
Mural in San Francisco's George Washington High School depicting Black people performing manual labor.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 1, 2019 12:50PM EDT

San Francisco High School to Remove Racist Murals

The city’s school board voted unanimously to get rid of a long-standing art series that shows Black people and Native Americans in disturbing scenes alongside the school’s namesake, President George Washington.
Red and blue lettesr read "SBA" on white background.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 27, 2019 2:35PM EDT

White Business Owners Claim Cherokee Heritage to Win $300 Million in Contracts

A new report alleges that the Small Business Administration facilitated the distribution of millions of dollars reserved for businesses owned by people of color to White people claiming membership in tribes that experts say don’t exist.
Three Native American men from the Sioux Tribe wearing Ghost Dance costumes.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 26, 2019 5:30PM EDT

Bill Seeks to Rescind Medals Awarded Following Wounded Knee Massacre

“The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration that can be awarded to a U.S. military service member, and it should not be used to legitimize the massacre of innocent civilians.”
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe logo
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 21, 2019 3:24PM EDT

New Center Will Celebrate Heritage of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne

A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts breathes new life into how the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe showcases its culture.
Black and white photo of Native American woman with four children, outside
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 19, 2019 5:24PM EDT

California Governor Apologizes to Native Americans for Genocide

Gavin Newsom: “We can never undo the wrongs inflicted on the peoples who have lived on this land that we now call California since time immemorial, but we can work together to build bridges, tell the truth about our past and begin to heal deep wounds.”
Joy Harjo. Middle-aged Native American woman with long dark hair and black top.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 19, 2019 1:25PM EDT

Joy Harjo is Nation's First Native American Poet Laureate

The author and performer says that “words are powerful and can make change.”
Frank LaMere. Older Native American man in yellow, blue and red-stripes at podium with long gray hair blowing.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 18, 2019 4:07PM EDT

Native American Activist Frank LaMere Dead at 69

The Nebraska native who fought for Indigenous children and against police brutality lost his battle with cancer.
Creek Nation. Man in white cowboy hat, long-sleeve shirt and jeans rides a brown horse with other riders and a tractor trailer in the background
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 11, 2019 5:08PM EDT

New Podcast Explores Connection Between a Murder and the Fight for Tribal Sovereignty

This Land follows how a 1999 murder paved the way for an upcoming 2019 Supreme Court decision that will decide the land rights of five tribes in Oklahoma.
protestors hold signs against the Dakota Access pipeline
Ayana Byrd  Jun 4, 2019 4:25PM EDT

Trump Administration Seeks More Prison Time For Pipeline Protesters

The Department of Transportation wants Congress to update the law to send anti-pipeline activists to prison for up to 20 years.
Native woman with hand to her mouth standing in front of water and bridge
Ayana Byrd  May 31, 2019 3:08PM EDT

READ: The Me Too Movement in Indigenous Communities

An investigation into why so many Native women are assaulted and harassed—and how they are advocating for themselves.
Shinnecock Musem. Sign on grass with traditional Native American abode in background.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  May 28, 2019 5:18PM EDT

Shinnecock Indian Nation Erects Billboards to Assert Sovereignty

Tribe chairperson Bryan Polite in response to restraining order: “We don’t recognize their authority on our sovereign lands.”
Three Native American women, standing, full-length, facing front, holding beaded(?) bags, Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Wasco County, Oregon.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  May 10, 2019 11:49AM EDT

Smithsonian Highlights How Transcontinental Railroad Impacted Native Americans

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center delves into how the railroad—largely constructed by Chinese immigrants—added to the destruction of Native American lands, livelihood and sovereignty.