National Native News

Antonia Gonzales
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  • DAILY NEWS
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Daily, five-minute newscast featuring the latest headlines and breaking news from Native and Indigenous communities anchored by Antonia Gonzales (Navajo) with reporters and storytellers from around the globe.

  1. 15H AGO

    Wednesday, May 20, 2026

    Photos: Anchorage police Chief Sean Case, left, and Kelly Hunt. (Rhonda McBride / Courtesy Melvin Hunt) Anchorage Police say they are in the final stages of their investigation into the death of Kelly Hunt, the 19-year-old Shaktoolik student who disappeared in January on her way to college in Soldotna, as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports. Hunt’s remains were found last month in a ravine in same Anchorage neighborhood where she had been staying with a friend. Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case says the Medical Examiner’s preliminary report determined Hunt died from hypothermia and exposure, with alcohol in her system. “There’s no indication that there’s physical trauma. There’s no indication that an assault has occurred. So, most of those questions — on whether-or-not there was a homicide — those questions have been answered through the Medical Examiner’s process.” Case says Hunt was missing for more than 100 days, and due to prolonged exposure to the elements, he says it is nearly impossible to determine Hunt’s exact time of death. Before closing out the investigation, Case says police will conduct follow-up interviews to learn more about the circumstances leading up to her death. Based on the outcome of those interviews, Case says the investigation could shift back towards a criminal case. He calls Hunt’s death a tragedy, but says there is no evidence of a crime. Hunt was supposed to catch a bus from Anchorage to attend the Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, Alaska. Her friends told police she left on the morning of January 7 to meet with someone to buy alcohol and had left her purse and suitcase behind. Case says the investigation was further complicated, because her disappearance was not reported until four days later, but despite that, Case believes his police officers and detectives did a thorough job. But advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, including Antonia Commack, question police handling of the case. She says investigators are drawing conclusions too soon, without first questioning the people who last saw Hunt.” “How are you going to make that determination before you speak to those people. Because the bottom line is, she is not old enough to drink herself. Somebody furnished her alcohol and she wound up dead. That should be a crime.” The Anchorage Police Department timed their report on the Kelly Hunt case with the launch of a new online dashboard that tracks missing persons iAnchorage and the department’s homicide clearance rate. Case says the report confirms that Alaska Natives make up a disproportionate share of both missing persons and homicides, but says cases involving both Native and non-Native victims are solved at about the same rate. The Pinyon Plain Mine, as seen from the air in November 2019, is located on the Kaibab National Forest less than 10 miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. (Photo: Ryan Heinsius / KNAU) The company that owns a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon wants Arizona state regulators to approve a higher arsenic level in nearby groundwater. KNAU’s Chris Clements reports at least two scientists oppose the idea. Brad Esser used to work for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He was asked by a nonprofit that opposes Energy Fuels’ Pinyon Plain Mine mine to look into the request. “It sets the wrong incentive. You know, the response to high levels … is to try to understand what’s going on, not just simply raise the permit levels.” But Energy Fuels says the higher arsenic levels are naturally occurring in groundwater near the mine, and are not because of mining activity. Curtis Moore is a company executive. “It’s not surprising that there are elevated levels of arsenic next to this ore body. That’s why we put a mine there, because there’s an ore body there.” But Esser and another scientist argue it is more likely the mine is contributing to the high levels. “They think the mine’s ventilation shafts could be creating oxygen-rich groundwater, causing arsenic minerals to dissolve. If that’s true, Esser worries arsenic could one day reach the Havasuapi Tribe’s key source of drinking water.”     Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – Native Playlist: Joy Harjo and Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

    5 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Tuesday, May 19, 2026

    At least five Native American men were detained January by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during raids in Minneapolis, Minn. As other reports of Native Americans being mistaken for undocumented immigrants continue, federal lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to improve the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s interactions with Native Americans when they are proving citizenship. KUNM’s Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) has more. The Respect Tribal IDs Act would require DHS working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal nations to create training for officers to better detect and respect current tribal IDs. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) says ICE agents are breaking the law. “My Native American brothers and sisters, who are American citizens, are being held by ICE agents because these agents do not recognize tribal IDs, it’s disrespectful, it’s wrong, I would argue, illegal, and that’s why we need this legislation.” Luján says tribal leaders have voiced their concerns about ICE agents detaining their tribal members near their reservations. “I’ll remind you that some of the first awareness that we had about ICE agents going after Native American communities, happened in New Mexico, down in Mescalero and also on the Navajo Nation, and it’s happening in other parts of the country as well.” DHS said in a statement that ICE agents acknowledge and recognize tribal ID cards as proof of citizenship and there have been no ICE operations on tribal lands. Lujan says it is hard to collect data on the number of Native Americans who have been detained by ICE because DHS will not release the data. Meanwhile, some legal scholars are raising concerns about a case brought by the Trump administration that is before the Supreme Court and how it might undermine birthright citizenship among Native Americans. Antonia Commack, left, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Maka Monture Paki. Charlene Aqpik Apok, Tatiana Tiknor, Malia Villegas, Sabrina Dunphrey, and Jessica Black. (Courtesy Data for Indigenous Justice) A national organization called the Courage Project shines a light on acts of bravery, both big and small. This year, a group that works to bring attention to Alaska’s missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) is in the spotlight. As KNBA’s Rhonda McBride tells us, Data for Indigenous Justice (DIJ) is one of sixteen organizations nationwide to receive this award. The steady beat of the drum is what you hear at many events involving DIJ and while their presence is felt more than seen, they are a force for change. Funders for the Courage Project like the MacArthur Foundation say the award was created to recognize neighbors helping neighbors, people who perform everyday acts of civic courage, that speak to the American spirit and strengthen democracy. “When I first started doing this work, people wouldn’t even meet with me.” Charlene Apok, known by her Iñupiaq name, Aqpik, founded DIJ to bring attention to missing and murdered Alaska Natives. She saw breakdowns and inequities in how law enforcement handled their investigations and pushed for a database to better track those cases and expose systemic failures. “Organizations didn’t want to talk about it. It was too hot. It was too political. It was too uncomfortable. It shouldn’t be courageous to say the things that we’re saying, and to ask the questions that we’re asking. These should be things that are expected for the safety of our people.” Doug Modig, a traditional healer, says it is never easy to speak truth to power, especially for a small organization like Data for Indigenous Justice. “Real lives are at stake her. Real people are experiencing hurt. There aren’t many people that have that courage, because it’s so rare. It reminds me of a wolverine. They’ll take on a bear, a full-grown bear.” Wolverines, Modig says, are fearless when it comes to protecting their territory. “Why don’t they just give up? They’re not going to make it, because they’re so small. But the truth is, courage isn’t about size. It’s the content of your heart.” Aqpik says heart is exactly what her team brings to their work. Their commitment has helped to uncover critical information about unsolved cases. “I’ve come to learn, with a lot of guidance from my elders, that this role is called being a story keeper.” Aqpik says it is a sacred responsibility to listen to the stories that families share. She says they are the bravest of all. Long after the marches are over and the drumbeats fade, they must live with these stories.     Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — Native Bookshelf: “Shards of Silence” and “That Which Feeds Us”

    5 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Monday, May 18, 2026

    Photo: Diné Bizaad is the latest mobile app created by Albert Haskie, the lead developer, who is Diné and from the Navajo Nation. (Courtesy Adoonee) Across the United States, there are over 575 federally recognized American Indian tribes. According to the U.S. Census, Native North American language use fell by 6% from 2013 to 2021, but among those who spoke a Native language, nearly half spoke Navajo. KUNM’s Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) spoke to a Diné software developer who has created a mobile app to help preserve the Navajo language. Albert Haskie (Diné) spent two years building the app Diné Bizaad with a group of Navajo employees. “I’m making it for us, and that’s the primary goal.” Haskie says he learned the Navajo language at a young age but in sixth grade he transferred to a non-Navajo language school and that it was a cultural shock for him. “I kind of always missed it and always wanted to figure out how to reintroduce it into my life, but also try to reintroduce it to a lot of other people’s lives.” Haskie says users can build their own curriculum and it includes fun tools like the word of the day. He says the app differs from other language apps because this one has richer content and a practicing Navajo speaker who consulted on every word and phrase. Diné Bizaad was independently built without collaboration of the Navajo Nation. “I’ve showed them multiple times, but they just couldn’t find anything to work with me. I was more than happy to try to figure out working with them. But the reality is, it would have probably not launched within the time I wanted it to be.” A representative from the Department of Diné Education said Haskie talked with members within the department and that they are open to working with interested parties on preserving the Diné language. Haskie says he is in talks with other tribes to create language apps for their members. Whaling captain William ‘Wiyu’ Parks, right, and his wife Crystal on their way back from Punguk Island after a 3-month-long camping trip. (Courtesy Crystal Newhall) Whaling is an essential part of subsistence hunting in Siberian Yupik culture. High school student Tracy Tungiyan in the village of Gambell, Alaska on St. Lawrence Island wanted to understand more about it, so he interviewed a whaling captain from the community, William Parks, nicknamed Wiyu. He spoke to Parks in the library of the Gambell school and asked him whether whaling is easy or difficult. “There’s a degree of difficulty in it. You got to think of how enormous the whale is. You’re in basically a wash tub compared to the size of that whale. Depending on how the whale is moving, it could be pretty straightforward, catch up to it, strike. And there’s some days where the tails are really thrashing. You can’t get close to them. “We use these harpoons that have a barrel on there. We call them Puskaan [Siberian Yupik word]. I don’t know what they’re called in English. I’ve always known them as Puskaan. It has a harpoon, buoy, line buoy, and it fires either a black powder bomb or a penthrite bomb into the whale. Tungiyan asked Parks what hunting means to him and whether it was easier back then. “That’s a good question. To me, hunting is mostly about survival, it’s about tradition, and it’s about feeding family, relatives as a community, which is the most important part of life, in my opinion. You need food to survive. “I think mostly it’s like second nature to me. I don’t even think of how important this is to me anymore, more so that it’s the way I was brought up to live. It’s a part of me. It’s been a part of me since I was two, three years old. “Back then it was- seasons were more predictable. Weather was more predictable. In a way, it was easier. Nowadays, with lack of ice, bigger storms, shorter opportunities to head out. Yeah, I think it’s more difficult now compared to back then. The windows of good weather are getting shorter. “I know that everybody that goes hunting isn’t doing it for fun or sport. They’re doing it (as a) means of trying to harvest food. It’s a part of who we are as people, as the community. Hunting is part of our nature. It’s been for thousands of years.” Tungiyan then asked him why catching a whale is so important for Gambell. “I think it’s important mostly because of the size of the catch. There’s enough to feed everybody. Just the sheer size of the whale. It’s an opportunity to feed the community, to have a community gather. Whaling has been part of our culture since the first whale swam and man saw it. It was a means of survival.” Tungiyan produced this story with former KNOM reporter Wali Rana and Alaska Public Media’s Rachel Cassandra.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 18, 2026 – Trump administration takes aim at American buffalo

    5 min

  4. 5D AGO

    Friday, May 15, 2026

    Photo: Ice jam flooding in Chalkyitsik, Alaska on May 7, 2026. (Courtesy National Weather Service) Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) issued a disaster declaration Monday for two Interior Alaska communities, after they were inundated with severe ice jam flooding. The declaration covers the areas near Chalkyitsik on the Black River and Hughes on the Koyukuk River, as The Alaska Desk’s Shelby Herbert from KUAC reports. Jeremy Zidek is a spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He says almost a dozen homes became flooded in Chalkyitsik, but the situation is especially dire in Hughes. The state is working to deliver emergency supplies to the community, but the water is still high. “They had water and ice on their runway. The water has gone down a little bit, but the runway is not serviceable by fixed-wing aircraft at this time. We’re looking at an alternate runway that is nearby.” He says when the flooding peaked on May 9, most of the community’s nearly-80 residents had to shelter at the Hughes Tribal Hall. Zidek says spring breakup is in full swing, and the danger hasn’t passed for many other riverside communities in the Interior. “We’re still looking at other areas of the state that could be impacted by ice jam flooding. And so, if there is a necessity to add new areas, the governor will consider the information we provide to him, and then make that determination.” In addition to activating the state’s emergency response capabilities, the Governor’s disaster declaration also opens up several assistance programs for the affected areas. The state’s public assistance program focuses on restoring essential infrastructure, and can be accessed by local governments, tribes, and nonprofits. And its individual assistance and temporary housing programs can help individuals and families recover from flood-related property damage. Zidek says the state will release more information about those programs in the coming days. A House committee met Wednesday to review President Donald Trump’s funding proposal for the Interior Department. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a southern Arizona congresswoman took that opportunity to talk about the recent destruction of a sacred border wall site. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared that federal officials apologized to the Tohono O’odham Nation weeks after a border wall contractor bulldozed Las Playas Intaglio, a thousand-year-old archeological site along the US-Mexico boundary. “This is a super unfortunate thing that happened. There’s a series of mistakes that happened along the way – zero intention – and we’ve delivered direct apologies.” But U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) stressed words aren’t enough. “I mean, unfortunately, once it’s destroyed, you can’t undo that.” Now, Grijalva fears another O’odham cultural site of concern, a desert oasis called Quitobaquito Springs, could be damaged next. It sits just south of Ajo inside Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. “So will you commit that [the] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service avoid Quitobaquito Springs and minimize impact by not using groundwater within five miles, and monitor those water levels closely as the border wall is being built?” Burgum replied, “Well, I – that’s a very specific thing that I won’t jump ahead and commit to.” Missing person Benjamin Stepetin, 42, stands in downtown Juneau, Alaska. (Courtesy Stepetin family) Divers are searching the murky waters of Gastineau Channel this week for the body of a Juneau, Alaska man missing for nearly a year, as KTOO’s Clarise Larson reports. Benjamin “Benny” Stepetin, a 42-year-old Juneau resident, disappeared last June. His family believes he may have fallen or been pushed into the water near the downtown seawalk. His brother, Martin Stepetin Sr., says the family hasn’t given up hope. “We just want to find our brother, you know. And we really miss our brother, and if we could get some closure to finding him, then that would be amazing.” The search, funded by the Juneau Police Department (JPD), includes divers and underwater sonar vehicles. Police are investigating the case as criminal and say some people may be withholding information. The search includes both divers and underwater vehicles with sonar technology. The team is scanning up and down the downtown seawalk, while thousands of cruise ship visitors walk above them. Martin says that his family believes their brother may have fallen or been pushed into the water along the seawalk. JPD is currently investigating the case as a criminal investigation. Deputy Chief Krag Campbell says police believe there may have been people involved in Benjamin’s disappearance who are withholding information. “Our ultimate goal is to get a successful resolution to this investigation, and if at all possible, recover or find the body and missing person for the family. So doing those things whenever we can, I think, is very important.” People can share information by calling JPD’s dispatch line at 907-586-0600 or submitting an anonymous tip through Juneau Crime Line.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 15, 2026 – Native In The Spotlight: Washington State Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis

    5 min

  5. 6D AGO

    Thursday, May 14, 2026

    Photo: One of the drilling units located on site. (C.J. Keene / SDPB) A mining company has backed down from a legal dispute connected to a standoff over mining at the sacred Black Hills site Pe’ Sla. Many are chalking this in the win column for opposition, though others contend work is not yet finished. C.J. Keene has more. After the explosion of popular support and a courtroom battle, the company behind the proposed exploratory mining project has dropped the effort. For Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, it represents what can be accomplished when several organizations focus on a single goal. “Of course, water is an issue wherever a person lives. We all need, in fact, we all have the right to clean, plentiful water. We are getting congratulations from all over the country and beyond. I’m feeling a great deal of respect for the power of alliances and coalitions.” Many other organizations rose in opposition to the proposed mining, including NDN Collective, a Rapid City indigenous advocacy nonprofit, the Oglala Lakota Nation Youth Council, nine local tribes, and many community members. Wizipan Garriott, president at NDN Collective, says it is a feeling of victory. “With the result it shows the power of community organizing, coordination, and direct action in conjunction with legal action.” Garriott says distant issues involving watersheds, treaty rights, and Indigenous affairs are a matter every American should have a vested interest in. “If you believe in the Constitution, then you are required to believe in Indian treaties, and you have an ethical, moral, and legal duty to work towards honoring Indian treaties. Every single one of us has a duty to protect clean drinking water and a human right to clean drinking water. I think from a larger, moral standpoint, an injustice to one is an injustice to all.” Garriott estimates there are still well over a dozen mining claims in the Black Hills that he and other mining opponents are monitoring. The 8(a) Business Development program helps Alaska Native Corporations support like Covenant House Alaska. (Courtesy U.S. Small Business Association / LinkedIn) Alaska lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution this week supporting the role of Alaska Native Corporations in a federal contracting program, amid growing scrutiny and concerns from Native contractors. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. Alaska legislators passed a joint resolution supporting Native participation in the federal 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program. The program allows disadvantaged individuals, tribes and Alaska Native Corporations to compete for federal contracts. Haven Harris is the Senior Vice President of Growth and Strategy at Bering Straits Native Corporation and says those contracts are crucial for his organization. “We were able to give out a record dividend last year. We gave out our first special dividend ever just a month ago, and it’s all because of the benefits of federal contracting for us.” For Alaska Native Corporations, federal contracts are often their primary source of revenue and help pay dividends to shareholders and support services in their communities, but over the past year, the program has faced increased scrutiny. Native contractors say they are concerned the government is awarding fewer contracts and has not been accepting new applications into the program. Harris is also a board co-chair of the Native American Contractors Association. He says that in the past year. “8(a) contracts have been getting awarded at a lesser rate than they were previously.” Harris says no new businesses have been accepted into the program since August of last year. The Native American Contractors Association and about 50 other Native organizations signed a letter to the federal government earlier this month, asking it to resume a timely review of applications. Alaska’s congressional delegation and Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) have signaled support for the program. Harris says the legislature’s joint resolution is a helpful step. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X in January that he was going to take a “sledgehammer” to 8a, which he called “oldest DEI program in the federal government”. We are taking a sledgehammer to the oldest DEI program in the federal government—the 8(a) program. pic.twitter.com/c9iH8gcqG7 — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 16, 2026   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, May 14, 2026 – Native American voting rights advocates brace for diminished Native power at the polls

    5 min

  6. MAY 13

    Wednesday, May 13, 2026

    A senior Indigenous banker in Canada cautions the Canadian government to keep Indigenous consultation at the forefront for major projects. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, he also says there is interest from Indigenous leaders in taking part in those major energy projects. Recently Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney repeated his plan to fast track major energy projects in Canada. Last week, he said Ottawa would build quickly and “in the right way” in consulting with Indigenous and provincial partners, but some of those leaders have been critical fearing that the process of consultation will be rushed and their concerns would be brushed aside. Carney’s government wants to change parts of environmental law to make it easier to build a pipeline to the west coast, along with other energy projects. Bill Lomax is the president and CEO of the First Nations Bank of Canada. He says that early and meaningful talks with Indigenous communities is key. “We’re seeing more business acquisitions happening, joint ventures happening with companies that are servicing, let’s say, a pipeline. That kind of thing is just really taken off. We’ve seen our business grow. We’re really a reflection of our clients. And their success leads to our success.” Lomax says the bank’s commercial business was growing by 10% a year, but in the past year, it’s been 26%. He says that shows how much Indigenous businesses are becoming involved, but he warns the opportunity for their approval is there if the consultation is done right. “You need to engage with the nation early on and let them know what you are thinking about, have them participate and have them be part of the plan.” Lomax says even though some Indigenous communities will be against some projects, but he believes there are many more that would be ready to move and move quickly. The First Nations Bank of Canada is an Indigenous-owned national bank. It’s mission is to serve Indigenous people, nations, and businesses. The Alaska Native Language Center will publish a novel this summer retelling Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Seal”, the only Jungle Book story set outside India, on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. Two artists from the Pribilof Islands retell the story through the perspective of a young Indigenous protagonist named Sergie. KUCB’s Maggie Nelson has more. Garrett Pletnikoff is the coauthor of the new young adult chapter book “Sergie and the White Seal”. The story is an adaptation of one in Kipling’s Jungle Book, “The White Seal”, published in 1894. And actually names Pletnikoff’s great, great, great grandfather as a main antagonist. Kipling portrays Pletnikoff’s ancestors through a disparaging colonial lens — as unclean murderers of the innocent marine mammals. Pletnikoff says this adaptation is a chance to tell a different story — to portray the Unangan community and the seals as partners instead of enemies, as Kipling wrote them. “The White Seal includes violent descriptions of seal harvesting, but Kipling never mentions that these harvests were not done by Unangan free will. The Unangan people of the Pribilof Islands were subjected to forced labor.” Hannah Zimmerman coauthored the book with Pletnikoff. She says they were inspired by Unangan lore and mythology and decided to name their main character after a spiritual leader from the Aleutian chain — Sergie Soboroff. “It’s a story of Sergie, who discovers that he’s a shaman, and he has this, you know, magical ability to talk to animals, and he discovers his purpose as a conduit between the animal world, in the human world.” Zimmerman says they used Sergie’s role as a shaman to discuss topics like how colonization wiped out certain Indigenous practices. “When we read the book to fourth and fifth graders in the fall at the St Paul Island School. And I’ll never forget how, at the end of the book, one of the fifth grade students came up to me, and he was like, you know, I didn’t know Aleuts could be superheroes.” “Sergie and the White Seal” is now available through the University Press of Colorado’s website.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, May 13, 2026 – How Indigenous knowledge built the foundation for today’s response to the hantavirus outbreak

    5 min

  7. MAY 12

    Tuesday, May 12, 2026

    Photo: The Cannery Hotel & Casino in North Las Vegas, Nev. (AJFU / Wikimedia) A newly filed federal lawsuit alleges two Las Vegas hotel-casinos enabled years of sex trafficking tied to convicted sex offender Nathan Chasing Horse. The civil complaint was filed on behalf of two survivors, and names Boyd Gaming, Station Casinos, and other entities as defendants. The suit alleges trafficking occurred at properties including Cannery Casino & Hotel and Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino between 2014 and 2022. According to the lawsuit, Chasing Horse used his position as a self-described spiritual leader to manipulate and control women through coercion, isolation, and threats of violence. The complaint alleges the women were forced into commercial sex acts while hotel staff ignored visible warning signs. Attorney Alex Marcinko represents the survivors. “People like Nathan Chasing Horse don’t operate in a vacuum. He doesn’t exist without other entities allowing him to.” The lawsuit alleges hotel staff repeatedly rented rooms to Chasing Horse despite signs the women were being controlled and exploited. It also claims the hotels financially benefited from the repeated stays. “There was obvious signs of the torment these women were undergoing at these hotels, and nothing was done.” Chasing Horse was convicted earlier this year on sex trafficking and sexual abuse charges and sentenced in April to 37 years to life in prison. The lawsuit was filed under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which allows survivors to pursue civil claims against businesses accused of knowingly benefiting from trafficking ventures. Marcinko says the case could also raise broader questions about accountability within the hotel industry. “The hotel industry turns a blind eye to the human suffering in sex trafficking. It happens far too often.” The lawsuit seeks damages for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm the survivors say they endured. Every year, 20 to 30 Alaska Airlines employees volunteer to help Mt. Edgecumbe High School students get glammed up for prom.(Photo: KCAW/McKenney) Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska has a unique program that brings Alaska Airlines employees — known as “glam fairies” — to help students from villages across Alaska get ready for prom, as KCAW’s Hope McKenney reports. For the past fourteen or so years, volunteers with the Prom Prince and Princess program have helped Mt. Edgecumbe students get glammed up for prom. They do hair, nails, and makeup, provide jewelry, shoes, corsages, and boutonnieres, and even do alterations on the many donated suits and dresses. “So I’m really happy to be here, because I love doing hair and makeup.” Lisa Lynch is one of the many glam faeries helping in the crowded room. “So I’m happy to be able to do this for other kids whose families can’t be here to help them like that.” Alonza Topkok just finished her turn in the makeup chair. “I wanted shimmer, and I wanted glitter, and that’s exactly what they gave me.” She says her prom look is inspired by the 2001 Mariah Carey cult classic “Glitter”. She says it means a lot that people volunteer their time and donate clothes, makeup, and jewelry when she and her friends don’t have family members nearby to help out. Freshman Andrew Adams from Mentasta Lake is hovering at the entrance to the common room with his friends Calvin and Kacin. Adams went to a middle school prom a couple of years ago, but this is his first high school prom. When asked if they are all going to go up and ask those girls to dance, Adams replied, “Maybe, yeah.” Despite some nerves, Adams and his friends eventually ask one of the volunteers to help them get ready. Circling back around with them afterward, refreshed and ready to head out, they seem like they’re going to be just fine.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, May 12, 2026 – High gas prices eat into business profits and personal budgets

    5 min

  8. MAY 11

    Monday, May 11, 2026

    The University of Arizona recognized Friday roughly 70 Native American graduates with a special celebration. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, an Indigenous actor was the event’s keynote speaker. Dallas Goldtooth (Diné and Mdewakanton Dakota) is arguably best known for his role in the Peabody Award-winning FX series, “Reservation Dogs”. Goldtooth plays a comedic spiritual guide to a teen living in an Oklahoma rez town. He co-founded the 1491s, an all-Native sketch comedy group that uses humor as a way to tackle stereotypes of Indigenous people and complex social issues. Native Americans make up about 4% of the university’s student body. Ice is seen held in place on the Kuskokwim River downriver from Aniak on May 8, 2026. (Photo: Samantha Watson / KYUK) The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs says it is distributing $20 million in emergency funding to more than a dozen Alaska Native communities in response to shortages of essential supplies and urgent infrastructure needs. As KYUK’s Evan Erickson reports, the lion’s share of the funding, $16 million, is going to the Kuskokwim Delta coastal village of Chefornak to address the impacts of severe erosion, permafrost thaw, and failing infrastructure. According to a press release, the funds are intended to restore damaged wetlands, address unsafe structures, relocate at-risk homes, and reconstruct the community’s barge landing. Chefornak and 15 other communities spread across a vast swath of the state will also receive a portion of an additional $4 million that the federal government is using to purchase thousands of gallons of heating fuel, along with potable water supplies, and firewood. The press release says delayed spring barge deliveries, restricted water systems, and extreme winter conditions led to supply shortages in the communities receiving assistance. The announcement comes after Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland was in Alaska to meet with tribal leaders. Kirkland appeared alongside U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in Anchorage and Bethel as part of hearings of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on federal disaster support and the question of climate-driven village relocation. Students learn about Mark 3 pumps as part of their field day during spring training. (Courtesy Alaska DNR Division of Forestry and Fire Protection / Facebook) Alaska Native organizations and wildfire officials are preparing for another challenging fire season as communities face growing climate-related threats. Officials say dry spring conditions and warming temperatures are increasing wildfire risks in rural communities across the state. The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection says many Alaska wildfires are caused by human activity, including escaped burn piles, campfires, and sparks from equipment or vehicles. Officials are urging residents to prepare emergency kits, create evacuation plans, and clear brush and other flammable materials away from homes and buildings. Alaska Native organizations are also working with communities on climate adaptation, emergency preparedness, and public health planning efforts tied to wildfire smoke and extreme weather. Meanwhile, tribal leaders in western Alaska are calling for stronger tribally led disaster response systems as communities face increasing wildfire and environmental threats. Some rural communities are also concerned about how major wildfires could impact subsistence activities, travel routes, and deliveries of food, fuel, and other critical supplies during the summer months. Fire officials say even a single spark can quickly ignite dry grass during spring conditions.    Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 11, 2026 – What’s in the near future for urban elder health care?

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About

Daily, five-minute newscast featuring the latest headlines and breaking news from Native and Indigenous communities anchored by Antonia Gonzales (Navajo) with reporters and storytellers from around the globe.

Information

  • Creator
    Antonia Gonzales
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    304
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Koahnic Broadcast Corporation - All rights reserved - Contact nola@nv1.org for permission
  • Show Website
    National Native News

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