The Daily Spark
Quick Stories, Must Reads

As federal government shutdown continues, Native education takes a hit in Idaho

Small sparks from Indian Country, built to catch fire | Concise summaries of the most important news
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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
Powwow
Traditional Practices
What is a memorial at a powwow?
Powwow Eats
Powwow food vendors essential to savoring the experience
Video Etiquette
Powwow dos and don’ts
In the circle
For powwow vendors, art runs deeper than business
Chemistry
Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public Radio link for live coverage at UTTC powwow
In the circle
Thousands gather for start of 55th annual UTTC International Powwow
Northern Plains
Sport
United Tribes Legends Softball Hall of Fame welcomes three players and two teams
Drums & Dreams
UTTC International Powwow flexes its cultural and economic muscle
Eagle Butte
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe elder accused of threatening lives of federal officers
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
Native Issues
Youth Action
Making cough syrup, building houses: Standing Rock students learn through community engagement
Government to government relations
Oglala Sioux Tribe denounces Defense Department’s refusal to revoke soldiers’ Wounded Knee medals
Justice Denied
Native community calls for return of MMIP report
Missing and Murdered
Red Dress Special honors MMIP
Leadership
White Earth tribal administrator gets boost from Bush Fellowship
Fund Control
MHA citizens seek accountability in a suit against their Tribal Business Council
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
Opinion
Youth Pride
Twin Buttes Powwow celebrates every child as a champion
Arts, Culture & Sports
Heritage Remembered
Lost in the flood: MHA Interpretive Center honors Elbowoods in new exhibit
Final Step
Look in the mirror: Powwow community reflects on ‘the Last Dance’ for Gathering of Nations
Live Coverage
Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public partnering at UTTC International Powwow
Explainer
Powwow etiquette: A respectful visitor’s guide
Interview
Catching up with Gary Farmer on Route 66
Creative Wealth
Bush fellow to explore culturally attuned investment strategies for fellow creatives
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
Stories you might have missed
Campus Culture
UTTC food sovereignty coordinator restores campus medicine wheel
Tradition Restored
Dentalium artisan Russell McCloud revitalizes Native tradition and trade
Justice Delayed
Grassroots organizations work to fill gap in MMIP data
Education
North Dakota tribes Indigenize latest school textbooks
MMIP
Amber Alert Initiative advances across Indian Country
MMIP
Loved ones urge community to remember Renzo Bullhead as relatives flock to Bismarck for International Powwow
Education
Couple with Bismarck roots seeds endowment for UTTC students with $100,000 donation
Podcast
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