Sovereignty
MHA Nation decriminalizes medical marijuana
Gabrielle Nelson
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Audio
A Nez Perce elder’s remembrance of Nagasaki resonates to this day
Brian Bull
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Truth Told
Emmy Award goes to animated documentary honoring MMIP
Jolan Kruse
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Dentalium image
Special Feature

For the love of dentalium

Harvested in the Pacific and traded inland, dentalium shells served Indigenous peoples as valuable currency, status symbols, and sacred items for millennia, a tradition that persists. Read our coverage.
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The Daily Spark
Quick stories, must reads
Bismarck-Mandan
Rural Uncertainty
USDA upheaval brings uncertainty to farmers, rural communities 
Indian Affairs
North Dakota lawmakers to review key bills impacting Native American communities
Northern Plains
MMIP
What caused a splash in the Missouri River the night Renzo Bullhead disappeared?
Safe Aging
North Dakota ranked No. 2 for aging in place in national study
Vaccine Decline
State reports first measles case amidst declining vaccination rates
Funding Fallout
Sudden cut of ‘politicized’ FEMA grants leaves North Dakota communities in the lurch
Community Search
MMIR: Native community unites in water and ground search for Standing Rock man, last seen on train bridge
Land and oil
‘Big Muddy’: North Dakota approaches deadline in high-stakes MHA oil tax lawsuit
Native Issues
Opinion
Identity check
In ID we trust: Reflections on self-preservation in an age of deportations
Healing Journey
Conference addresses gender-based violence in Native communities
Leadership Growth
Educator John Little advocates for more Natives in higher ed
Standing Rock woman dedicated to bringing home missing Indigenous people
Funding Slashed
Trump administration delivers blow to Native media
First food
Ready the skunk cabbage, it’s the great camas bake-off
Native Nations
Cultural Revival
Standing Rock nonprofit connects people with Native traditions
Elder Celebration
MHA Nation elders gather for summer luncheon
Dakota Access Pipeline
Federal government appealing $28M award to North Dakota for pipeline protest costs
Opinion
Youth Pride
Twin Buttes Powwow in North Dakota celebrates every child as a champion
Pipeline Concerns
Public hearing set for proposed pipeline in Mountrail and Ward counties
Arts & Culture
Indigenous Cinema
How ‘Dark Winds’ delivers
Heritage
The journey of dentalium: Tracing ancient trade routes along the Upper Missouri
Heritage
Dentalium journey with artist Tipiziwin Tolman: from necessity to cultural icon
Heritage
Revitalizing ancestral art forms: Holly Young draws inspiration from family and community
Fresh Start
Sundance Film Festival to relocate to Boulder in 2027
Art
ND Native photographer featured in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art exhibition
Opinion
Opinion
Community Uprising
Cheyenne River Sioux families walk to draw attention to allegations of mistreatment at the jail
Opinion
MMIP
Why Buffalo’s Fire was red for one day
Opinion
Heritage
Harvesting Connection: Dentalium and the two ‘Indian’ worlds
Opinion
Elders first
When is being ‘elder’ more than just being ‘older’?
Opinion
Cultural Preservation
A look inside the Denver March Powwow
Opinion
Due Credit
Buffalo’s Fire’s news-sharing campaign: When republishing a story avoid the ‘copycat’ syndrome
Stories you might have missed
Language revival
Language efforts in MHA Nation are strong but limited by few first speakers
Budget Battle
Funding for tribal services threatened by ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Not Forgotten
MMIP motorcycle ride ends with prayers at Bear Butte
Rising Voices
Tribal judge aims to Indigenize the bench
Tribal urgency
Congress and USDA have yet to act on year-old recommendations that could alleviate food insecurity among tribes
Video
Cole Brings Plenty: 2-day MMIP commemoration kicks off
Education
High school students learn engineering at ASPIRE summer camps
Podcast
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