Independent News from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Largest tribal transit station in Minnesota under construction on White Earth Reservation

Tribal leaders break ground on long-awaited transit facility aimed at safer, more connected communities

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Disease Preparedness

Tribes prepare for measles outbreaks as confirmed cases in US surpass 1,000

Indian Country no stranger to diseases

Cultural Innovation

Inside the 13 Moons curriculum: How the Swinomish Tribe keeps traditions alive while teaching STEAM and helping to reduce chemical exposures

Other tribes can adapt the curriculum to their own communities

Missing and Murdered

Renzo Bullhead’s family hang on to hope and prayer as search continues

Nearly 11 weeks in, Bullhead’s disappearance remains a mystery

Federal Accountability

Native nations sue U.S. over use of tribal funds for boarding schools

Buffalo’s Fire

Final Gathering

Bismarck Public Schools’ Indigenous Parent Advisory Committee holds final meeting of school year

Seeking Justice

Xia Brave Bull’s siblings recall generous, adventurous, ‘crazy’ person

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.

Sovereignty, Community, Press Freedom.
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The Daily Spark

Quick stories, must reads

Bismarck-Mandan

Crisis Response

North Dakota Legislature passes law aimed at tackling MMIP crisis

Rural Uncertainty

USDA upheaval brings uncertainty to farmers, rural communities

North Dakota lawmakers to review key bills impacting Native American communities

Dakota Access Pipeline

Media petition North Dakota Supreme Court for expanded access to Greenpeace trial

Free school meals bill fails in the North Dakota House

Tribal consultation

Bill seeks to strengthen tribal consultation on North Dakota legislation

Free school meals bill advances in North Dakota legislative committee

Northern Plains

Vaccine Decline

State reports first measles case amidst declining vaccination rates

Michael StandaertNorth Dakota News Cooperative

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

‘Big Muddy’: North Dakota approaches deadline in high-stakes MHA oil tax lawsuit

Senators Push to Expand VA Transportation Grants for Rural Veterans

North Dakota faces major housing shortage as baby boomers age

Trump policies leave North Dakota summer tourism prospects uncertain

Native Issues

American Indian vs Native American: Which term is right and when?

Teresa Trumbly Lamsam, Ph.D.

Missing and murdered

Xia Brave Bull, missing since March, found dead

Native health officials testify that HHS cuts have caused ‘significant harm’ to programs serving tribal communities

Community Uprising

Cheyenne River Sioux families walk to draw attention to allegations of mistreatment at the jail

Generational Healing

East Coast boarding school survivors invited to share their experiences

Native university students share poetry, songs to honor MMIP victims and survivors

Why we use ‘Murdered and Missing Indigenous Peoples’ at Buffalo’s Fire

Native Nations

Activism continues

Leonard Peltier remains defiant in AP interview, maintaining innocence and vowing continued activism

Graham Lee BrewerAssociated Press

Leonard Peltier: ‘Today I am finally free’

Proud, cheerful and emotional, Leonard Peltier thanks supporters for welcome home

Pipeline Concerns

Public hearing set for proposed pipeline in Mountrail and Ward counties

Leonard Peltier: ‘Today I am finally free’

Bismarck, North Dakota

Unprecedented TribalEcon Summit features trade history, vendors in North Dakota capital

International pressure, stateside push leads to act of clemency for AIM icon Leonard Peltier

Lost Opportunity

Senate confirmation hearings for Interior secretary gloss over Native issues

Arts & Culture

Sundance Film Festival to relocate to Boulder in 2027

Buffalo’s Fire

The journey of dentalium: Tracing ancient trade routes along the Upper Missouri

Dentalium journey with artist Tipiziwin Tolman: from necessity to cultural icon

Revitalizing ancestral art forms: Holly Young draws inspiration from family and community

ND Native photographer featured in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art exhibition

Cultural Identity

Zig Jackson’s Vision: ‘Culture is the most powerful thing you have in art’

Fashion & Heritage

Lily Gladstone’s historic Oscar gowns, celebrating Native heritage, go on display in D.C.

Opinion

Why Buffalo’s Fire was red for one day

Buffalo’s Fire

Harvesting Connection: Dentalium and the two ‘Indian’ worlds

When is being ‘elder’ more than just being ‘older’?

Cultural Preservation

A look inside the Denver March Powwow

Buffalo’s Fire’s news-sharing campaign: When republishing a story avoid the ‘copycat’ syndrome

Renzo is a relative to us all

Trump should grant Leonard Peltier a full pardon, toss home confinement

Stories you might have missed

Buffalo’s Fire adds two Report for America journalists to cover tribal issues

Reporting Excellence

Brian Bull wins prestigious Edward R. Murrow journalism awards

MMIP organization holds first annual gathering for victims’ families, advocates

Humanities North Dakota gets a lifeline, but at a fraction of its former funding

From status symbols to marketplace staples: The resurgence of dentalium shells

Dentalium: History and significance in Native American culture

Cultural revival

Yuhaaviatam reclaims its ancestral name

Pandleton image