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
Powwow
In the circle
Thousands gather for start of 55th annual UTTC International Powwow
Drums & Dreams
UTTC International Powwow flexes its cultural and economic muscle
Final Step
Look in the mirror: Powwow community reflects on ‘the Last Dance’ for Gathering of Nations
Opinion
Youth Pride
Twin Buttes Powwow celebrates every child as a champion
Northern Plains
Heritage
UTTC agriculture students connect with Native roots
Law Enforcement
Spirit Lake Nation responds to misconduct allegations at sheriff’s office, calls out ‘urgent need’ for responsive law enforcement
Sovereignty
MHA Nation decriminalizes medical marijuana
Opioid Aid
16 North Dakota organizations receive $8 million in opioid grants
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
Native Issues
Justice Rising
MMIP activists hold late summer walk in Oregon to spread awareness
Lake Stewardship
Native nations push through funding uncertainties to keep protecting the Great Lakes
Creative Wealth
Bush fellow to explore culturally attuned investment strategies for fellow creatives
Emergency Preparedness
Red Thread Network provides a template for what to do if a loved one goes missing
Media journey
Dispatch from the IJA conference: As event winds down, president reflects on ‘full-circle’ moment
Truth Told
Emmy Award goes to animated documentary honoring MMIP
Native Nations
Water Celebration
Community and candy: Fort Yates holds Long Soldier Parade
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
Arts, Culture & Sports
Heritage Remembered
Lost in the flood: MHA Interpretive Center honors Elbowoods in new exhibit
Explainer
Powwow etiquette: A respectful visitor’s guide
Interview
Catching up with Gary Farmer on Route 66
Audio
A Nez Perce elder’s remembrance of Nagasaki resonates to this day
Hollywood vs Heritage
Best Native American movies, series — the ones worth watching
Indigenous Cinema
How ‘Dark Winds’ delivers
Opinion
Opinion
Imposed Rule
Tribal citizens stuck with an act, an IRA constitution they didn’t support
Opinion
Tribal Sovereignty
Supreme Court should uphold sovereign status for Native nations in Voting Rights Act case
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’?
Stories you might have missed
Live Coverage
United Tribes Technical College Tribal Leaders Summit opens with unity and strength
IJA 2025
Dispatch from the IJA conference: ‘We shall remain’
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
Podcast
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