Independent News from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

News from the Northern Plains

The Daily Spark

Quick Stories, Must Reads

$200,000 reward offered as vigil marks one year since Emily Pike’s death

Small sparks from Indian Country, built to catch fire | Concise summaries of the most important news

Tribal Oversight

Proposed gas pipeline in North Dakota could help reduce Bakken flaring

MHA Nation and Standing Rock say they will monitor pipeline progress for water and environment impact

5 min readGabrielle Nelson

Tribal Response

MMIP groups and tribal councils condemn violence by federal law enforcement

North and South Dakota tribes issue joint statement

3 min readJolan Kruse

Goodbye, cabin fever: Bismarck winter powwow promotes healing

Over 200 dancers participated in the 3rd annual Winter Jam Powwow

4 min readGabrielle Nelson

Standing Rock man assaulted hours before death by train

Hoksila Running Bear was struck by a train following months of threats. His mother seeks answers

6 min readJolan Kruse

Plea agreement could scrub murder charge in North Dakota MMIP case

5 min readJolan Kruse

Native Leadership

Native political organizer and activist running for South Dakota governor

7 min readGabrielle Nelson

Oglala Sioux Tribe demands release of tribal members in ICE custody

4 min readDarren Thompson

Police Misconduct

Chief deputy charged with unlawful arrests of Spirit Lake citizens to make court appearance Jan. 16

2 min readJolan Kruse

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe distances itself from former chair’s endorsement of Kristi Noem

3 min readBrian Bull

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.
Get the Buffalo's Fire Newsletter.

The Daily Spark

Quick stories, must reads

Murdered & Missing Indigenous Peoples

Reporters’ Notebook: The year that was

5 min readBuffalo’s Fire

Runaway children in the Dakotas account for majority of missing Indigenous persons reports

Q&A: Kimberly Lining on what it takes to be a volunteer for an MMIP organization

MMIP Christmas tree shines brightly at North Dakota State Capitol

D’Angelo Hunt pleads not guilty to murdering his older brother Isaac Hunt

D’Angelo Hunt indicted for voluntary manslaughter of ‘J.M.P.’ — initials match missing partner Jemini Posey

Six year anniversary of Standing Rock unsolved murder

Powwow

Letting the silence speak: Behind the reporting on the Gathering of Nations Powwow

3 min readGabrielle Nelson

related stories

Look in the mirror: Powwow community reflects on ‘the Last Dance’ for Gathering of Nations

Traditional Practices

What is a memorial at a powwow?

Powwow food vendors essential to savoring the experience

Video Etiquette

Powwow dos and don’ts

For powwow vendors, art runs deeper than business

Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public Radio link for live coverage at UTTC powwow

Thousands gather for start of 55th annual UTTC International Powwow

Land & Water

What a Southern Arizona tribe can teach others about tribal water rights

5 min readGabrielle Nelson

Food sovereignty

UTTC student raises $12k in food drive for North Dakota and Montana

‘We need involvement’: Indigenous leaders demand change at COP30

Environmental Stewardship

‘Good fire’ at Chaa-lamali: Young Natives practice cultural burn

UTTC Tribal Summit: Cody Two Bears urges tribal nations to unite for sovereignty

Safety & Justice

Native leaders in North Dakota urge use of tribal IDs, denounce ICE tactics

3 min readMary SteurerNorth Dakota Monitor

Minneapolis Native community gathers in prayer after intense week of ICE activity

FBI investigating two weekend murders on North Dakota reservations

Community Organizing

Minneapolis Indigenous community organizes around ICE activity

He Spent Funds Meant for Native Hawaiians on Polo and Porsches. The Federal Government Failed to Stop Him.

‘How do I have an ICE hold, when I’m Native American?’

Stolen Children

Nearly forgotten: The Puyallup boy buried 2,700 miles from home

Northern Plains

Historic Preservation

Legislation signed to protect Wounded Knee memorial site

5 min readDarren Thompson

Crow tribe considers enrollment reset

‘BlueJay’s Canoe’ tackles Native life during pandemic and wildfires

Indigenous voices speak loudly at Bismarck ‘No Kings’ rally

Montana billboards demand justice for MMIP cases

Criminal Justice

South Dakota legislators to consider prison proposal

United Tribes Legends Softball Hall of Fame welcomes three players and two teams

Native Issues

Whale’s tragic demise brings two worlds together

9 min readBrian Bull

Beyond the red suit: How Native Santas are reclaiming holiday representation

Sesquicentennial

Tribes plan to ‘rock’ the Little Bighorn Battlefield during 150th commemoration

Federal Recognition

Lumbee Tribe to receive federal recognition after 70 years of state distinction

Cultural Fashion

Recent Native gatherings in Alaska brim with ‘big auntie’ energy

Two boys missing from residential facility

Cultural Revival

MHA Nation filmmaker wins award for short documentary

Native Nations

As Thanksgiving nears, educators work to avoid serving baloney

2 min readBrian Bull

Standing Rock woman’s personal history inspires her to help others

North Dakota counties most harmed by SNAP cuts are those on reservations

Spirit Lake’s Incident Command Team is a model for tribal emergency response

Tribal leadership

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe swears in new leaders

Making cough syrup, building houses: Standing Rock students learn through community engagement

MHA citizens seek accountability in a suit against their Tribal Business Council

Arts, Culture & Sports

Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2026 begins her reign as traveling ambassador

4 min readBrian Bull

30 years after ‘Northern Exposure,’ Elaine Miles adopts a new role: community advocate

Audio Interview

Reflections on Graham Greene

Community Voices

Why is Native American Heritage Month important?

Cultural Revival

‘I’m bringing my heritage out onto the runway’

Little people, ghost cars, vengeful spirits: the Indigenous supernatural crosses past and present

Tipi of Terror: Buffalo’s Fire staff share spooky Native stories

Opinion

Indigenous Innovation

AISES conference showcases ‘enormous commitment’ to build STEM community

2 min readJodi Rave Spotted Bear

Tribal citizens stuck with an act, an IRA constitution they didn’t support

Stories you might have missed

Traditional foods

Why you should Indigenize your holiday meals — and recipes to help you do it

Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council calls for repeal of 1872 Mining Act, protection of He Sápa

Services restored after crypto-mining attempt

Implementation of North Dakota’s Feather Alert system causes confusion

Remains found during search for Isaac Hunt

North Dakota MMIP Task Force holds first meeting

Community Vision

North Dakota Native-led nonprofit eyes massive cultural center project in Bismarck

Pandleton image