National Native News

Antonia Gonzales
  • 4.9 (65)
  • DAILY NEWS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

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. 4H AGO

    Tuesday, April 28, 2026

    Questions are being raised about how the Anchorage Police Department responded to a missing Alaska Native college student from the Bering Sea community of Shaktoolik. After almost four months, the remains of Kelly Hunt were found in a wooded area in the city, as KNBA’s Rhonda McBride reports. Although the search for Kelly Hunt ended in a ravine where she was found last week, the quest for answers goes on. The 19 year old’s remains were discovered not far from the home she had been staying in, where she stopped to visit on her way to attend college in Soldotna. She was last seen on the morning of January 7. Her family reported her missing four days later. Advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) have questioned the police’s response. “When a young Alaska Native woman is reporting missing, it is too late, and now we are looking at human remains.” Michael Livingston (Unangax̂), a retired Anchorage police officer and MMIP advocate, says Hunt’s case reflects a pattern he has seen too often. He says several red flags in Hunt’s disappearance should have prompted a more aggressive investigation. He says she had left her purse behind, with money inside, as well as clothing, signs she did not plan to be gone for very long. “Was there anymore, that anybody could have done, to try to have located her, early on in the game, to see whether or not any video surveillance cameras or people in the neighborhood might have seen anything suspicious?” Livingston says he would like to see an investigation into the police’s response. Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case says he would be happy to discuss the department’s handling of the case with advocates, but for now, the ability of police to talk about the investigation is very limited. “The problem is that can really cause challenges if it does become a criminal investigation later on.” Case says one of difficulties police faced was the four-day gap between the time that Hunt went missing and when her disappearance was reported. Case says he doesn’t blame anyone for the delay. The difficulties were understandable under the circumstances. “But as soon as we found out that she was missing, we took the report, and detectives took over that case and treated that case as a critical or a high-risk case, that there was definitely concern over.” Case says investigators continue to process evidence in the case as they wait for the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the exact cause of Kelly Hunt’s death. So far, no arrests have been made. A tribute to slain teen Emily Pike adorns a fence in Mesa, Ariz. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) signed a bipartisan bill into law this month, mandating that the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) make attempts to enter cooperative agreements with each of the state’s 22 federally recognized tribes. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on the measure meant to improve child welfare. The statute requires DCS to identify a liaison for each tribe, who is then responsible for providing technical assistance and coordinating communication. The agency will also share best practices, policies, training materials, and operational standards. Murdered San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was in the care of DCS when she went missing from a Mesa group home for the last time in early 2025. Her tribe has yet to enter an agreement with DCS, but is in talks. To date, only four tribes have established such Memoranda of Understanding.   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, April 28, 2026 – Oklahoma tribes work to keep Medicaid access intact as federal cuts loom

    5 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Monday, April 27, 2026

    Anchorage, Alaska police have identified the person found deceased last week in the Spenard area of the city as 19-year-old Kelly Hunt from the Alaska Native community of Shaktoolik. Police say Hunt was discovered outdoors on April 20 near the 3500 block of Lois Drive. Next of kin have been notified. According to investigators, Hunt had arrived in Anchorage on January 6 and was staying at a residence on Oregon Drive. She left that home the following morning, January 7. Four days later, on January 11, Hunt was reported missing to Anchorage Police. Detectives were assigned to investigate her disappearance. More than three months later, officers responded to a call just before 9 a.m. on April 20, where Hunt’s body was found outside. Members of the crowd at the 2026 ASAA 1A/2A Basketball State Championships in March hold signs with a photo of Kelly Hunt printed on them. (Photo: Waatsasdiyei Apayakuk Yates) The Anchorage Police Department says the death remains under investigation. The State Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death. No arrests have been made at this time. In a statement, Police Chief Sean Case acknowledged the impact of the loss. Police are asking anyone with information related to the case to come forward as the investigation continues. 2026 U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit. (Courtesy Indigenous Data Alliance / Instagram) With the rise of AI, Indigenous people around the world are growing more concerned about data sovereignty. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Hanna Merzbach has more on a recent conference on the topic in Tucson, Ariz. One attendee was Burt Dillabaugh, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, who works for an organization focused on Indigenous data sovereignty. He says at the last conference in 2024, people were still trying to understand the concept. Now, as AI scrapes data from the internet including traditional knowledge, they are ready to take action. “Since AI is here to stay, now is the time to be planning for it before it’s too late.” The mission is to protect Indigenous data – everything from genetics to language – from being exploited. “It’s some outside entity,  whether it be the federal government or a university or some corporation, wanting … to get data from tribes.” He says tribes can protect their data with policies that govern access. Or by creating systems to store it within Indigenous nations. The Indigenous data sovereignty movement is gaining steam with the growth of AI. Indigenous members from across the world recently gathered in Tucson, Arizona to discuss how to keep control of their data. That includes Burt Dillabaugh, who is with an organization trying to do just that. He says attendees at the recent event were more familiar with the movement. “It was less like introducing this new concept to people and more like, We know what’s going on. Here’s some ideas, let’s get down to work, do something.” Ideas include having tribal nations create policies to govern data access and prevent exploitation. Dillabaugh says this often happens when the federal government or universities want to collect genetic data about tribes. He wants tribes to have more of a say about how that data is used. Two community members in Galena, Alaska stand on the shore of the Yukon River, which no longer feeds their families. (Courtesy Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Tribal Consortium) Three tribal organizations from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have launched a new resource page for their ongoing salmon advocacy partnership. The Association of Village Council Presidents, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish commission launched a partnership called the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Tribal Consortium (AYKTC) in 2002. A press release from the organization says the goal is to protect the ways of life associated with salmon, by focusing on policy and advocacy rooted in science and Indigenous knowledge. The tribal organizations have shown public support for a state Board of Fisheries proposal that would reduce salmon fishing time in Area M, and have advocated for bycatch caps and migratory corridor closures in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. Its new website salmonpeople.org serves as a center for testimonials and resources for salmon advocacy. It features a collection of news stories and accounts documenting the impact of Western Alaska salmon crashes on the lives of the people who live in the region. It also aims to be a landing page where people can learn about current fisheries policies and engage in advocacy. This story was provided by KYUK’s Samantha Watson     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, April 27, 2026 – Wide disparities persist when encountering ancestors’ remains

    5 min

  3. 4D AGO

    Friday, April 24, 2026

    The U.S. Forest Service swapped 2,400 acres of lands last month with Resolution Copper that included an Apache holy site called Oak Flat. Now, an Arizona organization is challenging that decision. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has the latest. Resolution Copper told KJZZ that courts at every level have consistently ruled in the mining company’s favor, adding “it is time for the meritless litigation to end”. Becket Fund senior counsel Luke Goodrich disagrees. “This litigation is far from over. It’s really just getting started.” That is why his D.C. religious liberty firm filed a 41-page plea on Earth Day on behalf of the nonprofit Apache Stronghold. They are asking Arizona’s federal district court to essentially undo this congressionally approved land exchange, claiming the U-S has violated federal laws and even an 1852 treaty. Goodrich says there is even legal precedent to back them up. “The courts, if they find that transfer is unlawful, can unwind the transfer and require the parties restore the land to its pristine state.” (Photo: Theo Greenly / KUCB) Unalaskans got a chance to learn about the island’s only recycling program Tuesday, as part of Earth Day celebrations this week. Most of what the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska collects gets shipped out, but not the glass. KUCB’s Sofia Stuart-Rasi has more on how used glass bottles could be put to use on island, over and over again. “Thank you all for joining us today.” Shenoy Anderson is standing in a conference room, walking community members through a PowerPoint presentation about recycling called “Bin to beyond”. “And recycling is a process of gathering and processing materials to create new products.” Anderson is the environmental director for the tribe. The tribe started their recycling program in 2024, collecting glass, number one plastic, aluminum, and cardboard. It is Unalaska’s only recycling program. Most of the recyclables get shipped out in containers to the Tacoma, Wash. area through a partnership with the barge company Matson, but glass is heavy and takes up too much space. So rather than see it go to waste, the tribe recycles it in house. “I got to take off all the plastic and, the metal off the bottles. That takes up most of the time.” That iss John Gustafson. He is the tribe’s recycling and facilities manager. He sorts the glass and runs the crusher machine, processing bottles into material used for sandbags and winter road traction for the island. That is cheaper than sending it out of town. When sorting glass, Gustafson has one hard rule. Bottles with food residue do not make the cut. Food residue and recycling can contaminate entire batches of material and can cause costly damage to equipment. “Like spaghetti sauce, Alfredo, and stuff like that. People don’t think to rinse it first.” As of now, the tribe has about 6,000 pounds of crushed glass stored. That is roughly 2 years’ worth, but Gustafson says there is room to grow in the future. “It’s just me and can only, you know, handle so much at a time. But eventually we want to upgrade all of our equipment and everything and we’ll spread the news to the whole community. It’ll be even busier.” Anderson says the tribe hopes to have the new equipment ready within the year and potentially recycle the glass into other materials for art, construction, and landscaping. She says once it is up and running, they plan to collect recyclable glass beyond an Alaska. “Our goal is to be a hub.” For now, community members can drop off recyclables at the Cowlingan Tribe’s office.         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, April 24, 2026 — Music, fashion, and traditional ink under the stars with the Native Guitars Tour

    5 min

  4. 5D AGO

    Thursday, April 23, 2026

    An oil and gas lease sale is scheduled in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for June. The auction of drilling rights is mandated in federal law, but also reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to promoting energy development in the state. The response from Indigenous residents that live in or near the refuge is mixed, as the Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced this month it will hold a lease sale in the nation’s largest wildlife refuge, in the northeastern corner of Alaska. The piece of ANWR that has been the subject of passionate dispute for decades is the Coastal Plain, a swath along the Beaufort Sea that potentially has oil and gas reserves. The only community within the refuge is Kaktovik, an Iñupiaq village of about 300 people. Kaktovik Mayor Nathan Gordon Jr. says resource development in the refuge means economic opportunity because the regional government, the North Slope Borough, taxes oil and gas companies. “The taxes that come from the development pay for our schools, our water system, our sewer system. It pays for everything that has meaning in our lifestyle and protection and safety.” ANWR provides habitat for migratory birds and polar bears. And the Coastal Plain specifically is the calving grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. Gordon says he believes development within the refuge will not interfere with wildlife. “With restrictions in place, it’s already set in stone for us to have safe development with our animals.” But opponents of the project are concerned that gravel roads, drilling, and seismic exploration can harm caribou, especially during their vulnerable calving period. The Gwich’in community of Arctic Village is located right outside ANWR to the south. Faith Gemmill lives in Fairbanks, but is from Arctic Village and has family there. “Imagine oil development in their core calving area. It’s going to … devastate our herd.” Gemmill says caribou support food security, culture, spirituality, and economy for Gwich’in people, including the future generations. “Our way of life is reliant on the caribou. So in my opinion, (President Donald) Trump’s incessant drive to drill in this area is a form of cultural genocide of the Gwich’in.” If the upcoming lease sale is successful, it could still take years for a project to break ground. Additional reporting from Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin Diné chef Justin Pioche, right, inspects ingredients as “Chopped” host Ted Allen watches during an episode from April 21, 2026. (Courtesy Food Network) “Chopped” is a Food Network show where four chefs compete in a race against time to make a three-course meal. The latest episode aired Tuesday night and featured an all-Indigenous lineup. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a Navajo chef took the honors. From Chicago to Montana, Indian Country’s top cooks vied for the “Chopped” title, but two of them repped the Southwest including Chef Ray Naranjo, who comes from the Santa Clara Pueblo just north of Santa Fe, N.M. Justin Pioche lives on the Navajo Nation. The 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the Southwest co-owns Pioche Food Group, a high-end catering company. He plans on using the $10,000 cash prize to help pay for his own brick-and-mortar restaurant.   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 Aerica Calling episode Thursday, April 23, 2026 — Gathering of MCs: Native musicians compete for best bars, beats, and freestyles

    5 min

  5. 6D AGO

    Wednesday, April 22, 2026

    Photo: An aerial view of the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson, Ariz. during an EcoFlight trip in April 2026. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) Today is Earth Day and earlier this month, the Colorado nonprofit EcoFlight came to Arizona as part of its annual aerial educational program — Flight Across America. A cohort of college students soared through the skies for an environmental tour of endangered landscapes across the West. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio took flight with them and has this report. On the Tucson International Airport tarmac, a fleet of three Cessna 210s taxi for takeoff. Manufacturers ceased production of this 6-seater model four decades ago, but these very planes have lately been the college students’ main mode of transportation. Their four-day adventure across the Grand Canyon State kicked-off in Flagstaff. “And I am in awe of just what the world looks like from a bird’s eye view.” Back on the ground, 23-year-old Kimmale Anderson reflects on her ride. She is from the Hopi village of Kykotsmovi and a senior majoring in environmental science at Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Anderson and seven more students met tribes along the way. While here in Tucson, Tohono O’odham Vice Chairwoman Carla Johnson joined her and the rest. “These leaders coming and being with us in these planes and giving their perspective is very powerful. And I think that they don’t really speak for all of their people. And I appreciate the fact that they always express that.” An aerial view of solar panels near Tucson during an EcoFlight tour in April 2026. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) Arizona State University data science junior Sophia Honahni is Diné-Hopi and from Tuba City. “They had a lot to share – coming from both a western science and a traditional ecological knowledge perspective.” Eager high schoolers were the first to learn about the land from above through Flight Across America – until the nonprofit EcoFlight shifted its attention to career-bound college students who could make the most meaningful change in areas of conservation. This opportunity can, in part, be credited to one of the nation’s most popular folk singers — John Denver. This passion for piloting and astronomy only grew when he moved to spend much of his life in this snowy Colorado city. Aspen is also where Bruce Gordon founded EcoFlight. “My good friend John Denver, you’re old enough to know who he is? (laughter)” Gordon was one of the pilots that ferried students around Arizona. “But I laughed like that, because, even a number of the students we just had – maybe a third of them raised their hands.” Flight Across America was their brainchild for Earth Day 2000. “This idea sort of came to a huge fizzle when he passed away.” In 1997, the eight-time platinum album recording artist crashed an experimental plane into California’s Monterey Bay. Gordon dedicated the maiden Flight Across America voyage in 2004 to Denver’s memory. About 180 students have taken to the skies of the West since then. It is something Gordon thinks would have inspired Denver, too. “Yeah, he would have really been excited about this – getting up in the air, getting the people involved – because that was one of his main loves for sure.”     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, April 22, 2026 — Earth Day read: “Mother Earth is Our Elder” by Katłı̨̀ą Catherine Lafferty

    5 min

  6. APR 21

    Tuesday, April 21, 2026

    The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) is announcing more than $6.3 million in technical assistance funding for tribal water projects across the country. The funding, announced in Washington, D.C., will support 10 projects aimed at improving access to clean and reliable water in Native communities. The investment comes through the agency’s Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program (TAP), which helps federally recognized tribes manage, develop, and protect water resources. Officials say the program is part of the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes, and has supported projects across 17 western states since 2016. Acting Commissioner Scott Cameron says the need for these projects remains urgent. In a statement, Cameron says, “These projects speak to the needs that remain in these communities… many focus on ensuring communities have safe drinking water and sanitation.” The funded projects include a range of water infrastructure improvements, from drinking water system installation and rehabilitation to wastewater and lagoon construction, well installation, and water quality testing. Among the largest awards, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Spirit Lake Tribe will each receive $1 millionfor water system upgrades and wastewater infrastructure. Other projects include nearly $1 million for the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians for drinking water improvements, and more than $950,000 for Nambe Pueblo to support a community health drinking water initiative. An intertribal project led by the Inter Tribal Council will receive $675,000 to support water quality testing and accessibility across nine tribal nations in Oklahoma. Additional funding will support projects for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, and the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel. Tribal leaders say the investments are critical not only for infrastructure, but for long-term community health, sustainability, and workforce development. Federal officials say the program is designed to strengthen tribal capacity and ensure tribes can protect and manage their own water resources for future generations. A stretch of North Dakota Highway 31 winds through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Monday, August 22, 2022. (Photo: Darren Thompson / Buffalo’s Fire) More than $2 million in grants is headed towards two tribes in North Dakota for road improvements. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is giving $1.2 million to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe for its Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 3400 Roadway Realignment Safety Project. It will fund improvements on a nearly one-mile stretch to address “slope, drainage, and crash history”, according to a press release from North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Steve Sitting Bear told Buffalo’s Fire that the work on BIA 3400 addresses a real risk his people have lived with, but added that one-time grants aren’t enough. And roughly $777,000 went to the Spirit Lake Tribe for its Oyate Walkway to add warning panels and improvements to existing crosswalks and pavement markings. Spirit Lake Tribal Chairwoman Lonna Jackson-Street expressed gratitude for the funding, adding that it’d connect her community to the city of Devils Lake. The grants are part of a $21 million package for tribes allocated through the Tribal Transportation Fund. A 2024 report by the FHWA says Native people are at most risk of death in vehicle crashes, highlighting the need for safe and stable infrastructure across Indian Country   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, April 21, 2026 — Federal funding reinstated for public libraries but worries about the long-term remain

    5 min

  7. APR 20

    Monday, April 20, 2026

    More than 400 athletes from over 100 communities gathered in Anchorage, Alaska for this year’s Native Youth Olympic games, held April 16-18 at the Alaska Airlines Center. Among them was Mila Neely, a sophomore at Juneau-Douglas High School (Yadaa.at Kalé) in Juneau, Alaska, but for Neely, the competition went beyond physical strength. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, with family roots in Oklahoma, where her ancestors, including her great, great, great, great grandmother, were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. When she was nine years old, she retraced that history alongside her father and great grandfather. “It’s kind of indescribable… to just stand where your ancestors stand… when my grandma was walking the Trail of Tears, she was thinking of me.” Neely says that experience continues to shape how she approaches the games. “For the games… especially when I’m doing seal hop… I’ll be like, ‘My grandma walked the Trail of Tears, I can make it to the end.’” She also sees connections between Cherokee traditions and Alaska Native values, rooted in community strength. “Our ancestors… they really just wanted other people to do good… because if they didn’t do good, their family might go hungry.” For Neely, every event carries a deeper purpose. “I hope I’d be making her proud… trying to make my ancestors proud, and keep our culture alive.” She says she is competing not just for herself, but for the generations who came before her, and those still to come. Turtle Mountain Community College. (Courtesy Wanda Parisien) For the second year in a row, the Trump administration is proposing to end all funding for the nation’s tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). As Brian Bull of Buffalo’s Fire reports, administrators are rallying against the proposal. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has blasted the White House’s proposed cuts, saying it is deeply concerned that the Trump budget for Fiscal Year 2027 “does not align with the Administration’s stated policies to support rural America and expand access to higher education.” Last year’s proposed budget cuts never came to pass, but Wanda Parisien president of Turtle Mountain Community College, in Belcourt, N.D., says this renewed call is a disheartening prospect. “Our programs are gonna be cut, so we’re gonna have fewer students because those programs won’t be offered. If we have fewer students, we’re not going to have the money to pay our instructors. We live in a poverty-stricken area.” Another tribal institution of higher learning is Nueta, Hidatsa, and Sahnish Community College in Fort Berthold. Its president Twyla Baker says she and other administrators will be working with congressional representatives to challenge this proposed cut. “Our representatives are highly cognizant of the fact that we are economic drivers in our communities. The TCUs — we generated $3.8 billion for the U.S. economy and supported over 40,000 jobs in healthcare and government and retail.” Besides the disruption caused, should the cuts to tribal colleges and universities be implemented, tribal administrators say it would be a violation of the federal government’s trust and treaty obligation to tribes. Tomi Kay Phillips is president of Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, N.D. She is cautiously optimistic the funding cut will be thwarted, eventually. “I believe that we will get the funding, it just doesn’t make sense for them not to fund us. Y’know, we make do with what we have if we have to. Our ancestors went through worse things. And we will always be okay.” The proposed cut to tribal colleges and universities comes to roughly $160 million and includes TCUs, institutes operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIA), technical colleges, and scholarships. It came through the U.S. Interior Department, helmed by former Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND). A request for comment on the proposal to Sec. Burgum was not answered.   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, April 20, 2026 — Native Bookshelf: “Python’s Kiss” by Louise Erdrich

    5 min

  8. APR 17

    Friday, April 17, 2026

    Opening ceremonies for the statewide Native Youth Olympic (NYO) games got underway at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska Thursday. This year’s NYO coordinator, Brittany Vo, says it is impressive to watch the procession of 400 athletes from across Alaska enter the stadium, as they carry homemade banners that represent their schools and communities. “It’s just so exciting to have so much representation in one room, which I think is really powerful to see how one event can bring us all together.” Over the next two days, thousands of people will come to watch traditional Native games like the Alaskan High Kick, the Seal Hop, and Stick Pull – tests of skill, strength, and endurance, Vo says, that are rooted in survival off the land. “It’s really important to me, because as a youth, I didn’t always feel like pride in my culture. And the fact that these students come and they’re proud to do these games is really important for self-esteem and confidence.” This year marks the 40th year that the Cook Inlet Tribal Council has hosted NYO. Since then, the games have continued to grow. Today, teams from more than 100 Alaska communities take part. The deadline to comment has passed on a Trump administration proposal that could roll back a two-decade ban on oil and gas drilling around a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within seven days, more than 70,000 comments were gathered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on potential changes for public lands surrounding Chaco Canyon. The BLM wants to repeal a Biden-era 10-mile buffer zone of more than 336,000 acres. Rich in oil and gas, some 40,000 wells already dot the Greater Chaco Landscape. “What we are fighting for is the last, right now, unleased federal lands.” Marissa Naranjo is from the Santa Clara Pueblo. She is with the New Mexico nonprofit Sovereign Energy. “Even when tribes lead, engage and help shape the process over many years, you know at this point, there’s no guarantee that those outcomes will be respected, as we’re seeing by the seven-day public comment. It could set the tone for how sacred sites and public lands are treated nationwide.” The mineral leasing withdrawal in 2023 followed a 150-day comment period. After a year of working for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Scott Davis has stepped down from his role as deputy assistant secretary of Indian Affairs (ASIA). As Brian Bull of Buffalo’s Fire reports, Davis is now back in North Dakota and the private sector. Davis is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe with Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa heritage. He has long been a familiar face across North Dakota, having served as the executive director of the state’s Indian Affairs Commission from 2009 to 2021. It was in that capacity that he became friends with Doug Burgum, then governor of North Dakota. When Burgum was confirmed as the 55th U.S. Secretary of the Interior last year, he tapped Davis to join his staff. Davis confesses he was hesitant. “You know when things started getting really busy, and not enough people power in the ASIA Hallway, I said I would help him get things set up, and whether that was a year, two years. But it wasn’t solely intended by no means, it was never my goal to be working in government, but sometimes that’s where the Creator puts you.” Davis said he is proud to have met with 400 tribes and addressed red tape, natural resources development, and probate while in federal office. He will go back to his consulting and lobbying firm, Tatanka Consulting, which he founded in 2023. He will also spend more time with his family. Among the groups praising Davis’ tenure are the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the InterTribal Buffalo Council.   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, April 17, 2026 – Storytelling and advocacy through film, culture, and collaboration at Arctic Encounter

    5 min
See All (300)

4.9
out of 5
65 Ratings

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
    2008 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Koahnic Broadcast Corporation - All rights reserved - Contact nola@nv1.org for permission
  • Show Website
    National Native News

You Might Also Like