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The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released its <a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/2025-advisory-committee-report">scientific report</a> in December 2024. The Guidelines influence nutrition program standards and federal recommendations for the next five years. The inclusion of a Tribal-focused pilot study and renowned Tribal nutrition expert Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan (Choctaw Nation) marks a significant change. For the first time since the guidelines’ inception in 1980, a Tribal citizen and nutrition expert served as a member of the committee. 
“Her appointment on 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is a game changer,” said Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation), executive director for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. “Having someone who understands the wide variety of Tribal and Alaska Native communities in this sector is now more fully reflected in the recommendations.” 
Dr. Jernigan joined the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in 2024, bringing with her extensive nutrition and health expertise as the director for the Center for Indigenous Health at Oklahoma State University. 
The guidelines 
“The Dietary Guidelines are not a law but do play a large role in USDA’s determinations of what foods to source and nutrition program offerings,” Griffith Hotvedt said. 
Federal law mandates guidelines be updated every five years, based on a preponderance of scientific evidence. The advisory committee of scientific researchers and professionals compile their recommendations, which are reviewed by an interdepartmental committee consisting of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) staff. If approved, they become final and set the standard for food and nutrition priorities federally. 
“Until Dr. Jernigan, no one on the advisory committee has had a deep familiarity with Indigenous nutrition science or the nutrition-influenced public health-related impacts to Tribal communities,” Griffith Hotvedt said. “Having somebody like Dr. Jernigan on the committee, who is 100 percent involved in that research and understands that landscape as an Indigenous scientist, that cannot be understated.” 
The committee’s scientific report published in December 2024 provides insight into their recommendations and methodologies. However, it is not the final report. The process of finalizing the guidelines includes multiple steps, such as releasing the scientific report and seeking public input. 
Impact on Indian Country 
The nutrition guidelines impact Tribal citizens across the country. Approximately 25% of American Indian and Alaska Natives in the country rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) monthly, and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) also plays a key role in Indian Country’s food security safety net.  
 “The composition of food packages – like those offered through FDPIR or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) – have to comply with the dietary guidelines, which are a policy compromise between the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA,” Griffith Hotvedt said. 
The committee’s December 2024 report dedicates one specific section to a dietary study on foods consumed by Alaska Native and Native American populations. The pilot simulated foods and beverages identified by cultural experts from select Native communities, including Cherokee Nation, Blackfeet Nation, Navajo Nation, and Alaska Natives to examine the impact of culturally-significant foods and beverages. 
The study was, as the authors noted, in response to public comments that included a call for Dietary Guidelines to have greater American Indian and Alaska Native inclusion by considering the traditional foods. 
The pilot study of Alaska Native and Native American diets was, as the committee authors explained, “positive first step,” with more work to be done to tailor recommendations to meet the unique needs of the 500+ Tribal Nations across the country. The report noted that the data on consumption in these communities, especially when factoring in items considered traditional, remains sparse.  
As the committee said, the inclusion “of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the design and methods of food intake measures can address the paucity of research within this topic.” This reflects the calls for more Tribally-specific research opportunities examining the unique nature of food and nutrition in AI/AN communities around the country, something organizations like the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (NAFDPIR), Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC), and the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative have long worked for.  
Next Steps 
“The 2025 Nutrition Guidelines scientific recommendations were more inclusive of Native peoples’ nutrition needs, but it is just the start,” Griffith Hotvedt said. “Forty-four years to get Tribal-specific components included into the guidelines is too long. But every journey begins with one step, and we hope this will eventually translate into procurement opportunities for Native producers and healthier food options for Indian Country.” 
IFAI will host an online webinar at 1 p.m. central on Jan. 9, 2025, diving into the 412-page report’s recommendations and potential implications for Tribal Nations and Tribal citizens. 
On January 16, the two federal departments are hosting a public meeting to hear oral comments from interested parties. The final date to submit written comments regarding the <a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/public-comment-departments">advisory committee’s report is Feb. 10, 2025.</a>  
Register for IFAI’s webinar at bit.ly/NGW2025, and access IFAI’s policy research and resources at indigenousfoodandag.com.

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Scientific Report Provides Historic Inclusion of Indigenous Nutritional Needs

Indigenous Democracy Reporter

Adrianna Adame

Nick Asbury, a website content specialist at the Department of Public Instruction, has been promoting the updated North Dakota Tribal History &amp; Culture guides for the past year and a half. Originally scheduled for release this fall, DPI decided to delay the release to give Tribal leaders and educators more time to review and contribute to the content. Asbury said this additional time ensures the guidebooks are factually accurate and reflect modern-day perspectives, with the final deadline for input set for Jan. 1.
The <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/department-of-public-instruction-to-release-updated-tribal-curriculum-guides-by-fall-2024">updated guidebooks</a>, release set for fall 2025-2026, will now include more contemporary information and insights. <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/state-educator-serves-north-dakotas-largest-minority-student-population">Lucy Fredericks</a>, the director of Indian and Multicultural Education in North Dakota, has advocated for guidebook updates since joining the department in 2012. However, due to funding shortages and timing challenges, the project was delayed until 2023. 
The new guidebooks aim to provide a more accurate, comprehensive portrayal of North Dakota’s Tribal history and culture. With input from Tribal nations, the text will help educators offer a more inclusive and up-to-date curriculum for students across the state. 
“It is important to have the updated North Dakota Tribal History and Culture books in every school to guide the learning of both Native and Non-native students and to have authentic history and cultural content about the Indigenous Tribes in the state,” Fredericks said. “The books will increase learning, understanding and well-being among all North Dakota students, educators and communities. 
<blockquote>“We&#8217;re really excited about this, because this isn&#8217;t coming from the Department of Public Instruction –– the content is coming from the tribal nations themselves.&#8221; 
Sashay Schettler, the assistant director for the Office of Indian and Multicultural Education</blockquote>
The updated version will add 30 pages to the books with more contemporary information. The guides will examine the oil development in the MHA Nation, Standing Rock’s role in the <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/dakota-access-pipeline-public-hearings-lead-to-opposition-from-cheyenne-river-sioux-citizens">Dakota Access Pipeline Protests</a> in 2016 and other current affairs. The books will also feature new covers created by artists across North Dakota’s Tribal nations. 
When the DPI published the guides, a set of four books, from 1995 to 2002, the agency sent out the first edition to all the North Dakota Tribal colleges and all middle and high schools in the state. The set covers the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Spirit Lake Tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. The books contain timelines, pictures, demographics and the history of each Tribe. The original version ran from 80 to 180 pages each.
Each new guidebook is limited to 200 pages, primarily designed for eighth-grade students, under <a href="https://legiscan.com/ND/text/SB2304/id/2257476">North Dakota Senate Bill 2304</a>. The bill mandates that fourth and eighth graders receive Indigenous studies lessons focused on four of the state’s five federally recognized Tribes (The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Department of Education is currently developing its entry in the series). 
According to DPI, approximately 70,000 eighth-grade students in North Dakota will use the books every year.
Asbury and Sashay Schettler, the assistant director for the Office of Indian and Multicultural Education, who used the original guidebooks when they were in school, wanted to ensure the new materials were written at an appropriate reading level for eighth graders.
“We need to take [into account] the non-college attention span involved,” Asbury said. “I use them in eighth grade, and so I&#8217;m trying to see how long I will be paying attention to them.”
DPI staff first digitalized the original guidebooks. The digital versions of the revised text will be available for free to the public on Amazon Kindle, Barnes &amp; Noble Nook, Google Books, Apple Books and other major ebook services. It will also be free on scholarly databases, such as the Digital Commons, via the University of North Dakota’s Scholarly Commons. The previous edition can be viewed on the UND’s <a href="https://commons.und.edu/nd-tribal-history-series/">North Dakota Tribal History and Culture Series</a>.
After scanning, the department sent the manuscript of the new guides to the Indigenous Education Coalition, which distributed it across North Dakota’s Tribal nations to identify sections that needed updating.
“This isn&#8217;t coming from the Department of Public Instruction. The content is coming from the tribal nations themselves,” said Schettler, a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes.
DPI recently completed the guidebooks’ latest revisions and is now in a review period. Asbury said DPI is seeking additional feedback from Tribal college leaders and Tribal government education offices to confirm the content is finalized and ready for release.
Asbury also encourages those who want to be involved in the revision process to email DPI. “We will happily send you the whole collection of the manuscripts,” he said.
Once the revision process is complete, DPI will send the text to the University of North Dakota for print and digital distribution. The final version of the new guidebooks will be revealed at an event on April 10, 2025, where copies will be displayed at United Tribes Technical College. 
All paper copies will be printed on Tribal land, at UTTC and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Publishing, the latter a part of the SWO Dakotah Language Institute. The books will be sold to the public on an ongoing basis. All proceeds will go to the involved colleges and language programs.

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Tribes take content lead in updated Tribal curriculum guides for North Dakota schools, debut around corner

Founder-Director

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Dear Buffalo’s Fire Community,
As we close the chapter on this year and look toward 2025, we’re reflecting not only on the stories we’ve told but on the stories waiting to be shared. Your voices – your experiences, questions, and concerns – are the heartbeat of Buffalo’s Fire.
Our commitment to independent Native journalism is rooted in serving our communities with reporting that matters. In 2025, we will be covering pressing issues like Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and data sovereignty, but we know there is so much more to be said, and no one knows your community’s needs better than you do.
What stories do you want to see covered in 2025?
As we plan for the year ahead, we invite you to share your thoughts. What topics deserve more attention? Whose voices should we amplify? Your input will help shape our coverage and keep Buffalo’s Fire focused on the stories that matter most.
And if you believe in the work we’re doing, we ask for your support. Every donation helps us stay independent and focused on the stories that matter most.
💬 Share your story ideas – and if you can, make a gift to keep this fire burning. 
[ <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/donate">Donate Now</a> ]
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your voice and support are the foundation of everything we do.
With gratitude, 
Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, Founder &amp; Executive Director 
Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance &amp; Buffalo’s Fire

Merry Christmas from Buffalo’s Fire

Todd Hall

Leading up to the Winter Solstice, we’ve been living through long nights and cold days here in Dakota Country. In the days of my ancestors – and today for my family – it is a good time to gather, visit, and tell stories. Come, gather around the Buffalo’s Fire, I got a story to tell. It is the truth as I saw it.  
I don’t believe in UFOs. I believe my own two eyes. In light of the recent <a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6f565f5d51d9d47ad140e7e7d131842">mysterious drone sightings</a> on the East Coast, I’ve decided to share stories of what I’ve seen lately in North Dakota and South Dakota. The New Jersey photos look eerily similar to my own. 
My first sightings began on July 4, 2023. I was on my front porch at Wolf’s Point, which overlooks Bismarck, North Dakota, facing west. It was dusk and the fireworks were starting to bang, pop and explode over the city. The Mandan Rodeo fireworks show looked like it had proceeded. 
At least, that is what I figured. I had grown up watching the rodeo’s fireworks display. The rodeo grounds are about 20 miles away from where I was sitting, but I could see the explosions and light show just above the horizon to the west. It’s not the first time I watched the fireworks from there. 
As I was watching the show, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, an image appeared in the sky. At first, it looked like a tracer-based display traveling from west to east straight over and above the fireworks going off below it. If you have ever seen tracers being fired out of a machine gun, you can imagine what it looked like. It was orbs of light but held together by some translucent means surrounding the orbs.  
It was shaped like a cigar and arched as it traveled, so I could see the length of it, even though it traveled straight at me, east of the Missouri River. I thought it was a part of the fireworks show. It was new and different from any display I had ever seen before. I sat and stared at it for about 4 or 5 seconds, and then poof, it disappeared. I did not have my phone or a camera to snap pictures. The thought never even crossed my mind. I just sat and stared at it while it was visible.  
My first and only thought was, “Holy shit, that was cool, I wonder what it was.”  Something told me it was not part of “the show.” I wondered if anyone else saw it in the Bismarck/Mandan area. I wondered if it was a drone or a UFO.  I wondered if it was our military, the Chinese, or the Russians. I highly doubted it was from Canada.  
I watched the fireworks for a while longer then went in the house, thinking I would never see the anomaly again. I was wrong.  
On June 8 this year, I made a trip down to Rapid City, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and I was on my way home. It was pretty late. There were three of us traveling east on the South Dakota side. We took another route home, through Pierre, where we crossed the Missouri River just before we shot north. 
We took this way instead of going through Reva, South Dakota as usual. Plus, I like to travel different routes in the Dakotas, just to look at the country. There are still areas in the Dakotas where a person can see for miles across the Plains.  It is cool. People still wave when you pass them if you drive by anyone at all.  
It had gotten quite late in our travels. Boredom had set in, and apparently, my fellow travelers and I had our fill of music, so we began listening to 550 KFYR on the AM radio dial. One of those paranormal shows was on—the kind where people call up and describe their run-ins with Sasquatch or UFOs. 
We were laughing and enjoying the program because some callers were obviously BS’ing, but enjoying their 15 seconds of fame. While listening, we all started to eyeball the skies, looking at the stars.
Like I said earlier, we were east of the Missouri River. We were headed north between Herried, South Dakota and Linton, North Dakota. It was 1:41 am. The night was clear, stars were easily visible in the sky.  Then, out of nowhere, bang, there it was, the same cigar-shaped object I had seen during the fireworks show. 
We all saw it. Its orbs of light inside a translucent capsule traveling to the north of us. I wasn’t driving, so I immediately grabbed my phone, stuck my head and the camera out the window, and started snapping pictures.
I have an older phone. The images that showed up did not represent the craft&#8217;s appearance to the naked eye. In the pictures, it was cigar-shaped all alright, but the picture didn’t show the orbs inside the translucent object. This is one of the images:
I was quite disappointed with the resolution of my camera. The image showed no detail and looked different on camera than the naked eye. I was excited, however, that I caught the image at all.  
Similar to the July 4 sighting, this object traveled west to east. Although it looked slow, it covered a lot of ground in a very short time. Just as before, it was visible for mere seconds, then vanished.  I surmised it turned slightly northeast, towards Grand Forks Air Force Base, before it quickly disappeared. 
After it ghosted, two fighter jets followed the same flight pattern. We could make them out in the skyline at a high speed and low altitude.  
We sat silently the rest of the way home, listening to Bigfoot stories on the radio.  I could not believe I had seen it twice. The other two passengers and I were very excited. They probably got sick of me saying, “Now do you believe me” about the July 4 sighting? The boredom was gone, and we were awake the rest of the way home. This would not be the last time I saw it – until this fall.
On Oct. 26, my wife, Patti, and I camped in our hayfield in Mandaree, North Dakota. We were getting ready to ride the following day to gather cow-calf pairs to wean, market, and ship later in the week. We were camping in the southwest corner of my field, where I have some working corrals built. 
An old Hidatsa encampment called Night Walker is just over the hill. My grandpa’s and grandma’s used to live there. The Sneffles oil pad is on my property just east of where we were. At times, the gas flare roars like a jet engine and the flame illuminates quite a large area.  
At  6:57 p.m., it was dark out, and the sky was clear. I was sitting in my chair outside the trailer, drinking coffee, wrapped in a buffalo robe, facing north and imagining being an old Hidatsa from way back. I sat looking at the stars while I listened to the coyotes’ yip and howl in the distance. 
It was chilly out. The cold made me think about some of the world’s great inventions since the days of my ancestors, such as indoor plumbing. It is pretty remarkable when you think about it. It sure beats squatting out on the prairie on a sub-zero day. 
I walked to the trailer to check in with Patti and grab a chocolate chip cookie. When I turned to get out, I walked over to check the horses in the corral. As I was walking, I looked up, and it was directly overhead. The same cigar-shaped flying object, orbs lighting the sky. It appeared very close.  
I did not have my phone on me. It was in the horse trailer. I ran back to the trailer and hollered to Patti to grab her phone. “The UFO is back,” I told her.  Patti had just gotten one of those new phones that takes way better pictures than mine. I remembered how horrible my pictures looked in June, so I did not even bother grabbing mine.  
I knew from the two prior run-ins that the object would soon disappear at some point, so our time was precious, and we had to act fast. Patti was successful in capturing the image. As before, the image looked different on film as opposed to seeing it with the naked eye.  On camera, it illuminated a bluish color.  
Here is what we saw: 
Here is the video:  
<iframe loading="lazy" title="UFO-Drone Sightings from Todd Hall" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_g2Ie2vMWF8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I do not know what it is or what to call it. Obviously, the technology is very high level. The only things I keep wondering are, “Are we the only ones seeing this?” and “What the hell is it?” and “What does it mean, if anything?”  
Gowitz

UFO-drone sightings in Indian Country began long before East Coast buzz

External

The owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline last week became the latest party to join the defense in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s new lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The lawsuit, <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/10/14/standing-rock-sioux-tribe-files-new-lawsuit-over-dapl/">filed in October</a>, accuses the Army Corps of illegally allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to operate without an easement, an environmental impact study or robust emergency spill response plans. The tribe wants a federal court to order that the pipeline be shut down.
Dakota Access LLC asked to join the lawsuit to protect its private business interests in the pipeline’s  operation. Dakota Access spent billions developing the pipeline and has standing contracts requiring DAPL to continue transporting oil, the company wrote in a brief filed in court.
Since 2017, the more than 1,000-mile pipeline — also known as DAPL —  has safely transported more than 1.4 billion barrels of oil, the company wrote.
“Dakota Access remains willing to consider other mitigation measures that the Corps or this Court believe would be appropriate,” the company said.
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg approved Dakota Access’ request to join the suit.
In the brief, the company also accuses the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s legal challenge of “rehashing old ground.” The tribe previously sued the Army Corps over the pipeline in 2016, seeking to stop DAPL before it finished construction.
That case was also assigned to Boasberg. Boasberg in a 2020 concluded that the Army Corps had erred in granting the pipeline an easement to pass underneath Lake Oahe without a full environmental impact study, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. He revoked the easement and instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct the study, which is still in the works. 
Boasberg ordered the pipeline to be drained of oil until the environmental review was completed, though that demand was ultimately overturned by an appellate court.
The higher court found that shutting down the pipeline was not warranted because the tribe at the time did not have enough evidence that DAPL posed an immediate threat of irreparable harm.
In its latest suit, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeks to present new evidence raising questions about the pipeline’s construction under Lake Oahe.
Standing Rock has long opposed the pipeline, saying it violates the tribe’s sovereignty, has damaged sacred cultural sites and poses a pollution threat to the tribe’s water supply.  
The Army Corps of Engineers regulates a section of the pipeline that passes underneath Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the Missouri River, less than a half-mile upstream from the Standing Rock Reservation. 
“The Corps has failed to act and failed to protect the tribe,” Standing Rock Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in an October press conference announcing the lawsuit.
The pipeline carries oil from northwest North Dakota to southwest Illinois. Its path includes unceded land recognized as belonging to the Sioux Nation under an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government.
North Dakota and 13 other states have also intervened in the case on the side of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The 13 states that joined the lawsuit are Iowa, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia.
The states have argued shutting down DAPL would disrupt the regional economy, violate state sovereignty, and make road and rail transit more dangerous.
The pipeline has provided tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue to North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.

Mary Steurer

Pipeline owner joins lawsuit over Dakota Access Pipeline

A federal judge this week allowed 13 more Republican-led states, including South Dakota, to intervene as co-defendants in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s new lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The lawsuit, <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/10/14/standing-rock-sioux-tribe-files-new-lawsuit-over-dapl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed in October,</a> accuses the Army Corps of unlawfully allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to operate without an easement, a complete environmental assessment or sufficient emergency spill response plans. The tribe ultimately wants a federal judge to shut the pipeline down.
Standing Rock has opposed the pipeline for years, saying it infringes upon the tribe’s sovereignty, has damaged sacred cultural sites and jeopardizes the tribe’s water supply.
The Army Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction over a part of the pipeline that passes below the Missouri River less than a half-mile upstream from the Standing Rock Reservation.
“The Corps has failed to act and failed to protect the tribe,” Standing Rock Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in an October press conference announcing the lawsuit.
The more than 1,000-mile pipeline, often referred to as DAPL, passes through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. Its pathway includes unceded land recognized as belonging to the Sioux Nation under an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government.
North Dakota <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/12/06/judge-oks-north-dakota-request-to-intervene-in-dakota-access-pipeline-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined the case</a> on the side of the Army Corps earlier this month, arguing that closing DAPL would cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, put thousands of jobs at risk, hamper regional supply chains and harm the environment. State attorneys also argue that a federal court order shuttering DAPL would violate North Dakota’s right to regulate its own land and resources.
In a brief filed Monday, the 13 additional co-defendant states made similar arguments. The group, led by Iowa, said DAPL is integral to the health of regional energy and agriculture markets.
“DAPL plays a vital role in ensuring the nation’s crops can come to market — not because DAPL itself transports agricultural products, but because every barrel of oil that DAPL transports is a barrel that does not take space in a truck or a train,” the states wrote.
This also makes highways and railways safer and reduces pollution, they added.
The 13 states that joined the lawsuit this week are Iowa, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia.
According to the states’ brief, the pipeline has paid over $100 million in property taxes to Iowa counties and over $33 million in property taxes to South Dakota counties since it began operating in 2017.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not yet filed an answer to the tribe’s lawsuit.
Energy Transfer, the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, has not requested to intervene in the suit.
The case is before U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who oversaw the tribe’s 2016 lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers opposing the pipeline.
North Dakota in 2021 sought to join that lawsuit as well, but Boasberg denied the request as the case was in the process of wrapping up.
That case concluded with Boasberg instructing the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2023/12/14/north-dakota-defends-dapl-standing-rock-fears-for-its-water/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmental impact study</a> of the pipeline, which is still in the works. Boasberg also ordered the pipeline to stop operating pending the completion of the study, though that demand was ultimately overturned by an appellate court.
In a separate federal court case, North Dakota seeks $38 million from the United States government for costs the state says it incurred responding to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

 Mary Steurer

13 more GOP states sign on to oppose Standing Rock Sioux in new lawsuit over DAPL

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks is urging the U.S. Senate to reject the Lumbee Fairness Act (H.R. 1101), which passed the House on Tuesday. The bill, if enacted, would grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina, extending federal services and benefits to its members.
Chief Hicks criticized the bill for bypassing debate and scrutiny, stating it undermines the rigorous standards required for tribal recognition. “This bill, if enacted, would establish a dangerous precedent for federal recognition, abandoning the requirement of historical, genealogical, and cultural evidence,” Hicks said.
The legislation, introduced by Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), passed the House with bipartisan support, 311-96. It marks the seventh attempt since 1988 to secure recognition for the Lumbee Tribe, but prior efforts have stalled in the Senate.
Hicks and organizations like the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, the Coalition of Large Tribes, and others argue the Lumbee should seek recognition through the Office of Federal Acknowledgment, which evaluates claims thoroughly. Hicks cited studies exposing inconsistencies in the Lumbee&#8217;s historical claims, warning of risks to tribal sovereignty.
The Lumbee Tribe, recognized by North Carolina in 1885 and Congress in 1956 without federal benefits, has long sought federal recognition. Chairman John L. Lowery countered criticism in a recent statement, accusing the Eastern Band of prioritizing casino profits over the welfare of the Lumbee people.
The Senate’s decision remains pending.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Push Back Against  Lumbee Fairness Act

As the clock winds down to midnight, families from Bismarck’s Indigenous community will gather at the Radisson Inn to ring in the New Year. That’s how Sacred Pipe Resource Center envisions their 2025 kickoff. The local non-profit is promising games, prizes and a safe, celebratory space on Dec. 31. However, organizers say, this will be more than just a party: It&#8217;s a chance for community members to connect, share joy and step into the future together.
Plans are for tables to feature games and puzzles for all ages to enjoy. One of the activities scheduled is &#8220;Get to Know You Bingo,&#8221; in which participants can win prizes by connecting with others in the crowd. Additionally, a crafting contest and door prizes are on the agenda.
Planners expect the highlight of the New Year&#8217;s Eve celebration to be the “Lip-Sync Battle.” Several teams have already registered, but Sacred Pipe is still looking for more participants. In this friendly competition, teams choose names, select songs and take the stage to match lip movements with their chosen tunes’ vocals. The contest is inspired by the popular TV show Lip Sync Battle, where stars compete in such challenges.
Prizes include $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third. Teams must have at least two members and no more than five. To sign up, participants must register by noon on Dec. 20 by emailing <a href="mailto:native@sacredpipe.net">native@sacredpipe.net</a>.
The event offers a safe, sober space to celebrate the New Year. Launched in 2024, it established itself as an alcohol- and drug-free venue. Registration is not required to take part. Sacred Pipe staff encourages everybody to come by and join the fun.
Cheryl Kary, executive director of Sacred Pipe, a nonprofit serving the Bismarck-Mandan area, said Sacred Pipe organizes these events to foster connection within the local Indigenous community.
“During Covid, one of the things we learned is that the urban tribal population has a feeling of isolation,” she said. “And so we&#8217;ve kind of been cognizant of that since. We want to have events where people can socialize and see other Native people that live in this community.”
Sacred Pipe has hosted several holiday events throughout the year, including an Easter celebration in the spring, a Halloween costume contest in October, and a winter solstice event on Saturday. “It was kind of a no-brainer to add a New Year&#8217;s Eve celebration,” Kary said. 
Last year, the center held its first New Year’s Eve celebration at the Radisson, featuring an Elvis impersonator who performed and interacted with a crowd of 80 people. “It was such a success, everybody just had such a good time,” Kary said.
This year was an election year, and as 2025 approaches, some community members are uncertain about what the future holds, especially with a new presidency. Kary explained that the community needs an opportunity to relax and have fun before the year ahead.
“Given the election and that this new year is going to bring in a president that has been detrimental to Indian Country, I think we want to celebrate the start of the year in a good way and let people know that we&#8217;re part of a community,” she said. “We&#8217;re not alone in any hardships that are coming –– we can get through it together.”

Sacred Pipe Resource Center invites community to kick off 2025 with family activities, prizes

Book Club might be a misnomer, because the NDN Girls Book Club involves more than talking about books. This upstart literary nonprofit — run by Native women under the age of 25 who are also juggling school and work and their own burgeoning literary careers — focuses on getting books to kids on reservations, highlighting Indigenous authors, and giving young Native storytellers the tools and pathways for getting their work out into the world.
High Country News talked to Book Club founder Kinsale Drake (Diné), a poet whose book The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket won the National Poetry Series, about the need for literary community, elevating Native writers, and what happens when you drive into a small town with a big pink truck full of free books.
High Country News: Where did the idea for NDN Girls Book Club come from?
Kinsale Drake: My college thesis was about retention rates of Native students in higher ed. We have the lowest retention rates, and there are systemic gaps that gave rise to those disparities — everything from lack of access to literature and mentors on reservation, to financial obstacles, to lack of Native representation in everything from curriculum to professors. I looked at what programs could be implemented to bridge the gaps and where Native students could become more prepared. There was a lack of community and a lack of canon. That was the start of the idea that became Book Club. I wanted to marry that with workshops and interacting with authors to build the connection and resources that I wish I’d had when I was a kid. The Indian girl we talk about in NDN Girl Book Club, it’s me: I’m the little Indian girl.
HCN: It’s called Book Club, but it seems like it’s about much more than getting together to talk about books.
KD: Overall, there’s an umbrella dedication to uplifting Native storytelling, because it feels like that addresses a lot of needs that are interconnected in our communities. We do youth mentorship, writing workshops and author talks. We offer free workshops every month where people can come in and connect with each other over literature or writing. There’s not a lot of programs that offer that specifically for Native community. We talk about the authors we love and the canon of works we desire, along with things like tokenization, what it felt like to be the only Native person in a room. That sense of community vital to our art: It nourishes us and allows us to keep creating. We work with publishers and presses to get books by Native authors donated to tribal libraries, schools and reading groups, because part of our work is showing publishers that there’s a need and desire for Native writers. We send out “book care packages” for free to any Native people who sign up. Just straight up sending out Native books to Native people feels like radical work.
HCN: Last summer you gave away 10,000 books at five book drops across the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation. That seems radical.
KD: We wanted to get Native literature out to Navajo and Hopi communities with no strings attached, and we estimated that 10,000 books was one Native book per household. In a lot of ways, the idea came out of working in mutual aid during the pandemic. Our communities were some of the most heavily impacted, and the ways they mobilized during COVID laid the foundations to get other things out to the communities.
We’d show up in a big pink truck, which was decorated with work by Native artists, and we’d set up like a bookstore where people could come in and take whatever books they wanted. We brought in local artists and artisans, we fed people. There were diapers and shoes alongside the books. We had 1,500 people showing up at some of the stops, and at every stop every book was gone by the end of the day.
A lot of the reaction was shock; people would come in, get really excited. They were like, “Really? We can take as many as we want?”
We’d see people sitting down and starting to read. There’d be recognition with the stories and immediate reactions to what was in the books. We hoped people would have intergenerational conversations, and it felt like we were seeing the beginnings of a number of beautiful conversations.
HCN: What have been some of your favorite books to share?
KD: I love Mavasta Honyouti’s Coming Home. He’s a Hopi master woodcarver — it’s something that’s been passed through his family — and the book is about his grandfather’s experience in residential school, then coming home to learn working with wood, working on the land. It’s a story that a lot of us can really relate to our family history, and the illustrations are all wood carvings. We just gave out a couple hundred copies of Rez Ball by Byron Graves (Ojibwe), and there’s a lot about healthy masculinity in that, which I think can be healing, especially for Native boys.
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<div class="wp-block-column">NDN Girls Book Club merchandise.</div>
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HCN: Why do books feel so necessary?
KD: For one, I think storytelling in our communities has been important since the beginning of time.
Speaking as a Navajo, stories are what brought us into the world; they tell us where we come from; they have enabled our survival. Books are stories, but at the same time, the English language has been weaponized against us. A lot of elders have contentious relationships with books. Boarding schools forced them to speak and read English and made us ashamed of our languages. So much of the narrative has been written about us instead of by us. Sharing literature by and for Native people feels like an act to combat those wounds. Creating accurate representation has a beneficial impact on our communities’ mental health, and building new, sustainable relationships with literature feels like a first step in a lot of healing that needs to be done.
This <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-radical-act-of-sharing-native-literature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.hcn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Country News</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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Heather Hansman

The radical act of sharing Native literature

In the 1980s, Brett Williamson&#8217;s parents sat in United Tribes Technical College classrooms as students. This January, he&#8217;ll walk the same halls as the college&#8217;s new dean of instruction, marking a full-circle journey that began when he took his first steps on campus as a toddler.
As chair of the General Education Department and a psychology instructor, he’s now preparing for a new chapter. On Jan. 6, he&#8217;ll step into his role as dean of instruction and move to a new office on campus. The dean of instruction ensures courses meet United Tribes’ standards. 
His first priority as dean is preparing for the Higher Learning Commission’s visit. They will want to see evidence that UTTC is meeting the required standards. 
The 40-year-old, who has held various jobs, has long had a passion for teaching and mentoring others. As a child, the Turtle Mountain citizen spent much of his time with his grandmother, an elementary school teacher in Belcourt. Throughout his life, he often taught others, sometimes without realizing it.
When Williamson was in the Marine Corps, he taught people how to use weapon systems and the basics of being a young adult. “You&#8217;re kind of a mentor for those young kids when they first leave home,” he said.  
<blockquote>A lot of complex things come with instruction manuals, like your car and your TV –– but humans don&#8217;t.&#8221;
&#8211; Brett Williamson, dean of instruction at UTTC</blockquote>
Later, when he joined the drilling company his father was managing, he worked with centrifuges, dewatering equipment and water reclamation for drilling rigs. His father taught him nearly everything he knew about drilling and machine operation. However, his favorite part of the job was interacting with others and teaching them how to operate the equipment.
“I&#8217;ve always thought, even when I was in college, the most exciting thing about learning something was telling somebody else about it,” Williamson said.
After leaving the drilling company, Williamson pursued higher education. He earned an associate of arts and an associate of science degree from Bismarck State College. He then graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and addiction studies, along with a minor in sociology at Minot State University. Finally, he earned a master of science in psychology from Arizona State University. While taking psychology classes at Bismarck State College, he learned more about himself, which he found beneficial. 
“Psychology is probably one of the most interesting subjects because humans are complex,” he said. “A lot of complex things come with instruction manuals, like your car and your TV –– but humans don&#8217;t.”
Before becoming a research psychologist, Williamson was a journalist. He started writing for BSC’s student newspaper, The Mystician, and later worked as a features reporter for The Bismarck Tribune for two years. He eventually left journalism to pursue a career in psychology.
He saw parallels between psychology and journalism. “I like to observe, collect data and test,” he said. “So when you&#8217;re a journalist, you&#8217;re kind of doing that on your own.”
Katie Winbauer Paulson, an attorney in Bismarck, first met Williamson 10 years ago while they were students at BSC. Both worked as reporters at The Mystician. Williamson was studying psychology at the time, while Winbauer Paulson, a mass communications major, served as the editor-in-chief. 
<blockquote>I think one of the things I appreciate about his leadership style and personality is he does not sit behind his desk. He&#8217;s very visible on campus. He&#8217;s always dropping in to check on different people and see what&#8217;s going on.&#8221;
&#8211; Lisa Cantlon, the chair of the general studies program at UTTC</blockquote>
She remembers Williamson had a particular passion for arts and entertainment. One of his regular contributions was a monthly video game review column called Master Sword Review.
“We started as reporters on a campus newspaper, and then I watched him get his bachelor&#8217;s degree, pursue higher education and get his first job teaching,” she said. “I watched him get an outstanding teacher&#8217;s award and get promoted to department chair, and now to get promoted to dean out at the college. It&#8217;s just been exciting to see the success that he&#8217;s had in a relatively short amount of time.”
In 2019, a psychology instructor position opened up at UTTC. Although Williamson had just graduated, he was eager to work in the Bismarck area. He was particularly drawn to United Tribes because his parents attended the school years prior, and he spent part of his childhood there.
Colleagues and educators supported him, helping him secure the role. Becoming an instructor at UTTC is “probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
Since joining the faculty at UTTC, Williamson has taught approximately 150 students each year in courses like developmental psychology, child psychology, abnormal psychology and an introduction to addiction studies. He enjoys interacting with and supporting students on a daily basis.
“Brett’s got two sides to him, which I think is what makes him so successful,” she said. “He has standards for his students and for himself, but he&#8217;s also not so serious that someone wouldn&#8217;t like him. He&#8217;s a very likable, relatable and fun person to know.”
Lisa Cantlon, the chair of the general studies program at UTTC, has known Williamson for the last five and a half years. In addition to being colleagues, they have co-advised the psychology and human and social services club on campus and have been on the assessment of the student learning committee together. She describes his personality as very outgoing and people-oriented, with a good sense of humor.
“I think one of the things I appreciate about his leadership style and personality is he does not sit behind his desk,” Cantlon said. “He&#8217;s very visible on campus. He&#8217;s always dropping in to check on different people and see what&#8217;s going on.”
<blockquote>I&#8217;ve always thought, even when I was in college, the most exciting thing about learning something was telling somebody else about it.&#8221;
&#8211; Brett Williamson, dean of instruction at UTTC</blockquote>
When the dean of instruction position became available, Williamson decided to apply. He wanted to continue his work in higher education and leadership to support students better. Williamson said he felt overjoyed when he was selected.
His friends and colleagues are excited for this next stage in his career, but they&#8217;re not surprised he got the job, given his dedication to supporting students.
“I&#8217;m very proud of him because he started out as just a young instructor with not a lot of experience,” Cantlon said. “And he&#8217;s really grown as a leader on campus, taking on additional responsibilities, such as the assessment committee. He has a great relationship with students –– they have a lot of respect for him.”
“I think he&#8217;ll do well as dean and just continue to grow from there,” Winbauer Paulson said. “It&#8217;s been my observation that he&#8217;s really liked out at the United Tribes. If I&#8217;m out with Brett and we run into students, it&#8217;s always a positive experience.”
Williamson is excited to begin his new role as dean of instruction. He encourages students to reach out if they&#8217;d like to discuss anything or if he can assist them with their educational journey at UTTC.
“One of the big reasons I&#8217;m here is because I enjoy students,” he said. “I see where you&#8217;re going because I&#8217;ve done it before. So as a student, I would encourage you to make sure you do communicate with me and come visit from time to time because you&#8217;re the reason I&#8217;m here.”