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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

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

Buffalo’s Fire

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

Indigenous Democracy Reporter

Adrianna Adame

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.”

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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.”

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From the classroom to campus leadership: Brett Williamson named UTTC dean of instruction

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Buffalo’s Fire has been selected as a host newsroom in Report for America’s 2025-2026 cohort, its third award from the program, which helps local newsrooms expand coverage of underreported topics. The award will help support a reporter dedicated to covering the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People.
Report for America announced today several new partnership and program developments designed to bring immediate and long-term solutions to the challenges facing local news.
Over 100 newsrooms will make up the 2025-2026 cohort, with three-quarters partnering with Report for America as traditional host newsrooms for corps members, and a select group taking part in a pilot accelerator program to develop sustainable business models through local philanthropy.
“Today’s news marks an exciting expansion of our proven model,” said Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America. “Not only are we recruiting and placing exceptional journalists in communities that need them most, but we’re significantly increasing our efforts to help newsrooms become more financially stable.”
<h2>New Local Newsroom Partners and Accelerator Program Participants</h2>
The 66 incoming host newsroom partners represent some of the highest need areas for local news. Highlights of this cohort include the following:
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<li>A majority (59%) are small newsrooms, with nine or fewer editorial staffers. The rest are largely midsize newsrooms of 10 to 49 editorial staffers.</li>
<li>Coverage of rural communities, the environment and local government are the most requested beats of this group.</li>
<li>65% are nonprofit newsrooms; 35% are for profit.</li>
<li>More than half (57%) are new newsroom partners with Report for America; the rest have had one or more corps members previously.</li>
</ul>
Find the list of incoming host newsroom partners and available journalist positions <a href="https://images.reportforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-2026-Host-Newsrooms_.pdf">here</a>.
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An additional 35 newsrooms were selected for a pilot accelerator program through which they will receive coaching, training and fiscal sponsorship, if needed, to help diversify revenue streams by tapping into local philanthropic support. This program is built upon Report for America’s support of more than 400 newsrooms that have collectively raised $30 million since 2017.
“Since our program started, we&#8217;ve seen first hand the impact of helping newsrooms tell their story to help their community better understand the roles and benefits of local news. People are stepping up to generate new ways to fund newsrooms across the country,&#8221; shared Morgan Baum, director of local news sustainability at Report for America. &#8220;We&#8217;ve also learned that our newsroom partners could greatly benefit from our support in order to prepare for journalists to join their teams. Our new accelerator program will work with newsroom leaders to generate new revenue to do just that—a springboard to financial stability with the goal of helping newsrooms not just survive but thrive and grow.&#8221;
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Find the list of incoming accelerator newsroom partners <a href="https://images.reportforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-2026-Accelerator-Newsrooms.pdf">here. </a>
<h2>Corps Member Applications Open</h2>
With host newsrooms selected, journalists are invited to <a href="https://reportforamerica.submittable.com/submit">apply for open positions </a>by February 3, 2025. The Report for America model pairs the skills and passion of diverse, next generation reporters, photographers and videographers with local news organizations across the country.
Through their newsroom experience and Report for America training and mentorship, corps members create real impact in the communities they serve, from shedding light on Medicaid fraud targeting Indigenous communities to forcing resignations of accused clergy members to helping fill a long-vacant rural teaching position.
“Report for America invites journalists from diverse backgrounds to weave their unique narratives into the fabric of our host newsrooms. With a dedicated beat as their canvas, these storytellers ensure that every community&#8217;s voice is heard and critical issues are amplified,” said Earl Johnson, vice president of recruitment and alumni engagement at Report for America. “Through Report for America, journalists find not just a job but a calling—a perfect opportunity to make a profound difference where it matters most.”
New corps members will join an elite group of more than 600 Report for America journalists, more than 82 percent of whom continue to work in the field after program completion, demonstrating the power of the program and its local newsroom partners. With nearly half of Report for America journalists identifying as journalists of color, high rates of retention are essential to a transformed news landscape.
Corps members will be selected from a highly competitive national applicant pool. Last year, more than 1,000 applications were received. Those hired become employees of their respective newsrooms and will begin their employment July 7, 2025. Interested journalists are encouraged to attend an information session and explore the benefits of becoming a corps member: <a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/reporters/">reportforamerica.org/apply</a>
Expanded Opportunities for Photojournalists, Education Reporters
In addition to these 66 open positions will be up to 20 beats dedicated to photojournalism as a continued <a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/2024/08/29/catchlight-and-report-for-america-grow-visual-journalism-initiative-with-expanded-partnership-2025-newsroom-applications-now-open/">expansion of our partnership with CatchLight</a>, which began in 2019 to bring critical visual storytelling to underserved communities. These specialty positions and selected newsrooms will be announced in January.
And through a partnership with the <a href="https://azmedia.org">Arizona Media Association</a>, Report for America will be supporting several education beats in Arizona newsrooms, also to be announced in January.
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About Report for America: <a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org">Report for America</a> is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities across the
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United States and its territories. By creating a new, sustainable model for journalism, Report for America provides people with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and restore trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of <a href="https://thegroundtruthproject.org">The GroundTruth Project</a>, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.
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Report for America announces 100+ newsroom partners and the opening of new corps member applications

Environmental group Greenpeace has asked a judge for permission to collect evidence related to a conservative-leaning, pro-fossil fuel mailer it believes could taint the jury pool in its legal battle with Energy Transfer, the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
In October, some residents of Morton County received a 12-page direct mailer titled “Central ND News” that contains positive coverage of Energy Transfer while also drawing attention to criminal behavior by anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protesters.
“I would say the purpose of that publication is, quite clearly, to remind people about what was happening eight years ago,” Everett Jack, an attorney representing Greenpeace, said during a Monday afternoon hearing. “We should be entitled to find out who made that decision.”
Greenpeace is one of many activist groups that supported the protests, which took place in rural south-central North Dakota near the Standing Rock Reservation in 2016 and 2017. The demonstrations were in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which opposes the pipeline out of pollution and sovereignty concerns.
In the aftermath of the protests, Energy Transfer filed suit against Greenpeace in Morton County District Court, accusing the environmental group of engaging in criminal behavior during the demonstrations and of waging a misinformation campaign against the company.
Energy Transfer alleges tens of millions of dollars in damages. Greenpeace, meanwhile, argues there is no evidence it ever took part in or endorsed criminal activity during the protests, or that it sought to defame Energy Transfer. The case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
Greenpeace seeks permission from Southwest Judicial District Court Judge James Gion to conduct discovery into the Texas-based company that printed and distributed the Central ND News. It wants to find out who hired the company to send the mailers, what their motivation was and whether the Central ND News was targeted explicitly at Morton County residents, according to court records.
“We should have the right to figure out who sent it when they did and why,” Jack said during the hearing.
Trey Cox, representing Energy Transfer, said the Central ND news is simply a local news publication and it existed long before the mailer was sent out. He pointed out that Greenpeace is not mentioned anywhere in the 12-page mailer.
“I do not believe that this motion has any basis in law or in fact,” Cox said during the hearing. He called Greenpeace’s request a “thinly veiled attempt” to push back the trial date and to transfer the case to a different court.
The direct mailer resembles a print newspaper. It’s unclear how many people received a copy. So far, Greenpeace has not found any evidence that the mailers were sent to anyone outside Morton County.
Its distribution to Morton County residents in October was first reported in a joint article <a href="https://www.newscoopnd.org/weird-newspaper-calls-out-dapl-pipeline-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the North Dakota News Cooperative and climate news publication Floodlight.</a> Central ND News does not appear to be based in North Dakota, the publications reported. Their article identifies the owner of the publication as Metric Media, which in recent years has propped up <a href="https://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/metric-media-lobbyists-funding.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of conservative local news outlets</a> with little original content.
Much of the material in the October mailer is old news. One article describes a $5 million donation Energy Transfer made to the University of Mary in 2018. Two others focus on events from the DAPL protests that took place in 2016.
Even if Central ND News is not a new publication, to Greenpeace’s knowledge, this fall was the first time it ever published anything about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, Jack said. He added that as far as he could tell, the October mailer was also the only time the Central ND News had ever sent a physical paper to Morton County residents.
Several pages of the mailer aren’t related to the protests or to Energy Transfer. Some include content that is favorable toward President-elect Donald Trump, Gov. Doug Burgum and North Dakota’s congressional delegation, as well as information about gas prices around the state and local events.
The Central ND News also has a website, centralndnews.com. The outlet has published roughly a dozen stories critical of anti-DAPL protesters since early August, each of them relying heavily on reporting from other news outlets, a review by the North Dakota Monitor found. Most of the stories end with several paragraphs about Energy Transfer’s lawsuit against Greenpeace.
Jack raised questions about possible ties between Metric Media and Energy Transfer founder and board chair Kelcy Warren. In early September, Warren made a contribution to a political action committee that days later paid Metric Media for “media services,” he said. He said the mailer started appearing in Morton County mailboxes a few weeks later.
Cox said there’s no proof that Warren’s donation had anything to do with Metric Media.
Greenpeace has published content highly critical of Energy Transfer, he added, so it has no right to worry about the Central ND News prejudicing the jury.
Moreover, Greenpeace’s request for discovery is unnecessary because the jury selection process will filter out biased jurors, Cox said. 
“Let’s assume that everyone in Morton County got this newspaper,” he said. “So what?”
Jack said Greenpeace is not asking for the trial to be rescheduled. However, he said if its request for discovery is granted, Greenpeace could request the case to be moved to a different court depending on what information it uncovers.
Gion said he will take the matter under advisement.

Mary Steurer

Greenpeace seeks court permission to research mailer critical of DAPL protests

As the longest night of the year approaches, Dakota Wind Goodhouse invites you to join him in exploring the cultural significance of the winter solstice through Lakota eyes.
The nonprofit Indigenous-led community organization <a href="https://www.ndnadc.org/">Native Inc.</a> will feature him at its winter solstice event on Monday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Goodhouse is a historian and citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He plans to share his expertise on Lakota heritage, through storytelling and a presentation about the holiday on the Northern Plains. This year the date of the official winter solstice is Dec. 21.
Goodhouse plans to recount the myth of Fallen Star, a hero who guided his people along the Spirit Road. 
“When you see this constellation at night, this figure points to the North Star,” he said. “In the narrative, that&#8217;s his father, and so he&#8217;s reaching towards his father while at the same time sending rays of light and hope to his people below.”
Goodhouse explained the contemporary significance of the Fallen Star story for survivors of generational trauma and suicide.
“The Fallen Star narrative is important because it includes the relatives who have passed on because of a huge emotional burden, so they may take their own lives,” he said. “And in Christianity, those who take their own lives, there&#8217;s a place called Hell for them, and those who embrace this Fallen Star narrative –– there&#8217;s redemption even after.”
Goodhouse, an educator with 11 years of experience, is currently a professor at United Tribes Technical College. Outside of teaching and conducting research, he regularly presents to the community. In November, he participated in a series of talks for Native American Heritage Month at Native Inc., where he discussed topics such as the solar eclipse, Oceti Sakowin geography, moon counting and the winter count tradition.
Even if people can&#8217;t attend the presentation, Goodhouse emphasized, they can find other ways to participate in the holiday. He shared that an elder once advised him to create a medicine wheel, which he then built in his own backyard.
“I went out and measured and paced out an area to put down a stone circle, and then within the stone circle, I demarcated the summer solstice, the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox,” he said. “When it came time for winter solstice, I walked out and put a stone down in the circle. I could see for myself how traditional ancestors would have marked the occasion.”
Goodhouse also suggested cleansing oneself by smudging or going to sweat. “Just get yourself physically, emotionally clean and smudge things down that are sacred to you,” he said.
To attend the winter solstice event, participants must pre-register by emailing <a href="mailto:bisevents@ndnadc.org">bisevents@ndnadc.org</a>. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be available to view on YouTube, to those pre-registered. Transportation is also available. Native Inc. asks interested parties to call (701) 595-5181 by 4 p.m. on the day of the event to arrange a ride.

Native Inc. set to host evening of Lakota storytelling, winter solstice teachings

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced this week that it has awarded a total of $849 million to repair and improve water infrastructure projects across 11 Western states.
The funding includes more than $32 million toward water projects for four North Dakota tribes:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Five awards totaling over $28 million for the replacement of water mains and other infrastructure on the Turtle Mountain Reservation</li>
<li aria-level="1">Two awards totaling $2.5 million for water metering systems on the Fort Berthold Reservation</li>
<li aria-level="1">Three awards totaling more than $1.1 million for additional pipe infrastructure and to replace equipment at a water treatment plant on the Spirit Lake Reservation</li>
<li aria-level="1">An award for $500,000 to replace water metering systems on the Standing Rock Reservation, which includes land in North Dakota and South Dakota</li>
</ul>
“North Dakota’s tribal nations need updated water infrastructure to meet the vital needs of their communities,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said in a statement. “These awards will modernize aging systems and protect the delivery of clean, reliable water across the state.”
The funding also includes $118.3 million for 14 projects located in the Colorado River Basin, where federal officials and state negotiators are weighing high-stakes decisions about the future management of the river ahead of the 2026 expiration of current operating guidelines.
The funding comes from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Aging Infrastructure Account, which received a $3 billion boost from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program funds repairs and upgrades to existing water storage infrastructure, hydropower generation and treatment plants.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda provides transformational resources to safeguard clean, reliable water for families, farmers and Tribes,” Laura Daniel-Davis, the Interior Department’s acting deputy secretary, said in a statement. “As we work to address record drought and changing climate conditions in the Colorado River Basin and throughout the West, these investments in our aging water infrastructure will conserve community water supplies and revitalize water delivery systems.”
The Colorado River provides water supplies to more than 40 million people across the Southwest, and irrigates about 15% of U.S. agricultural land. A climate change-fueled megadrought — the region’s worst dry spell in<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/climate-driven-colorado-river-megadrought-worst/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> at least 1,200 years</a> — has affected the basin since 2000, substantially decreasing flows below the historical averages on which the century-old Colorado River Compact’s state-by-state water allocations are based.
A series of<a href="https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies/RecordofDecision.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> interim guidelines</a> for managing the basin’s water amid continuing shortages were enacted by the Bureau of Reclamation in 2007, but they will expire in 2026. Citing “ongoing conversations and collaborations with all Basin stakeholders,” the agency last month released a set five<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-11/narrative-updated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> alternative proposals</a>that will be analyzed and could form the basis of a post-2026 plan — but finalizing new guidelines will now fall to the incoming Trump administration.
The funding announced by the Biden administration this week includes $34 million for several projects relating to the Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County, including a $32 million award for the replacement and refurbishing of equipment in the Blue Mesa Dam’s small hydropower plant. 
Projects in other Western states awarded funding include:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">$204 million for correcting subsidence impacts caused by the Delta–Mendota Canal in California’s Central Valley</li>
<li aria-level="1">$143 million for reconfiguring water infrastructure in the San Acacia Reach, a 60-mile stretch of the Rio Grande downstream from the San Acacia Diversion Dam south of Albuquerque, New Mexico</li>
<li aria-level="1">Two awards totaling $28.3 million to replace and refurbish equipment in the hydropower station within the Glen Canyon Dam, which forms Lake Powell in northern Arizona</li>
<li aria-level="1">$37.2 million to replace the St. Mary and Halls Coulee siphons in northern Montana, critical canal infrastructure that suffered a catastrophic failure earlier this year</li>
</ul>
A full list of the 77 newly funded projects is available on the Bureau of Reclamation’s<a href="https://www.usbr.gov/bil/docs/infrastructure/FY-2025-Aging-Infrastucture-Projects.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> website</a>.
“Reclamation is committed to utilizing these historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revitalize our infrastructure for continued reliability and sustainability for the next generation,” said Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Roque Sánchez. “These facilities are essential to the West as they provide water for families, farms and Tribal communities, while … also producing hydropower and recreation opportunities for communities throughout the Basin.”
The North Dakota Monitor contributed to this report.

Chase WoodRuff

$849 million for Western water projects announced by Biden administration

Native American children remain overrepresented in the South Dakota foster care system, accounting for 72.5% of the foster care population at the end of fiscal year 2024, according to new data.
That’s down slightly from 74% at the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The state’s fiscal years run from July to June. 
The percentage is still about seven times greater than Indigenous children’s <a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/children-by-raceethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">representation</a> in the state’s general population. 
The state Department of Social Services recently released its <a href="https://dss.sd.gov/docs/statistics/Child_Protection_Data/2024_Annual_Data.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual Child Protection Services report</a>, detailing the number of children in foster care, how they’re cared for and where they’re discharged.
Of the state’s 1,710 foster care children at the end of fiscal year 2024, 1,239 were Native American, the report says.
<div class="newsroomSidebarContainer ">
<div class="newsroomSidebar">
<h4>The Lost Children</h4>
South Dakota Searchlight, in collaboration with the Argus Leader, investigated the overrepresentation of Native American children in the state’s foster care system — its causes, effects and potential solutions — in the 2023 series <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/tag/the-lost-children/page/2/">The Lost Children.</a>
</div>
</div>
Nearly 30% of children, regardless of their race, were placed in kinship care with relatives or close family friends, while 85% were placed in a “family setting” with a foster family.
The department added the “kinship care placement” detail in the latest report as it works to increase the number of family members or relatives caring for a child instead of placing a child in a foster home. Of the state’s 824 foster homes, 89 — or 11% — are Native American.
The department plans to start a Kinship Licensing Program next year to increase <a href="https://stateline.org/2024/05/24/states-shift-toward-kin-first-foster-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kinship caregiver</a> numbers. Currently, kinship caregivers <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/11/12/foster-families-get-paid-but-not-kinship-relatives-caring-for-native-children/">don’t receive the same amount of resources and financial support</a> as foster parents, unless they become licensed foster parents themselves. That training is intensive, time consuming and potentially unrelated to the kin’s situation since they’re already familiar with the child.
When children have to be removed from their homes, <a href="https://www.childtrends.org/publications/kinship-care-supports-the-academic-performance-of-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prioritizing kinship care</a> can improve academic, behavioral and mental health outcomes, and allow the child to stay within their culture and community, according to Child Trends, a research organization focused on child welfare.
The next step in creating the Kinship Licensing Program is to get approval from the Legislative Rules Review Committee.
The representation of Native American children in the South Dakota foster care system has increased in recent years to over 70% of all children in the system. As of June 30, 2024, 1,710 children were in the child welfare system, and 1,239 were Native American.
Native American children remain overrepresented in the South Dakota foster care system, accounting for 72.5% of the foster care population at the end of fiscal year 2024, according to new data.
That’s down slightly from 74% at the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The state’s fiscal years run from July to June. 
The percentage is still about seven times greater than Indigenous children’s <a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/children-by-raceethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">representation</a> in the state’s general population. 
The state Department of Social Services recently released its <a href="https://dss.sd.gov/docs/statistics/Child_Protection_Data/2024_Annual_Data.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual Child Protection Services report</a>, detailing the number of children in foster care, how they’re cared for and where they’re discharged.
Of the state’s 1,710 foster care children at the end of fiscal year 2024, 1,239 were Native American, the report says.
<div class="newsroomSidebarContainer ">
<div class="newsroomSidebar">
<h4>The Lost Children</h4>
South Dakota Searchlight, in collaboration with the Argus Leader, investigated the overrepresentation of Native American children in the state’s foster care system — its causes, effects and potential solutions — in the 2023 series <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/tag/the-lost-children/page/2/">The Lost Children.</a>
</div>
</div>
Nearly 30% of children, regardless of their race, were placed in kinship care with relatives or close family friends, while 85% were placed in a “family setting” with a foster family.
The department added the “kinship care placement” detail in the latest report as it works to increase the number of family members or relatives caring for a child instead of placing a child in a foster home. Of the state’s 824 foster homes, 89 — or 11% — are Native American.
The department plans to start a Kinship Licensing Program next year to increase <a href="https://stateline.org/2024/05/24/states-shift-toward-kin-first-foster-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kinship caregiver</a> numbers. Currently, kinship caregivers <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/11/12/foster-families-get-paid-but-not-kinship-relatives-caring-for-native-children/">don’t receive the same amount of resources and financial support</a> as foster parents, unless they become licensed foster parents themselves. That training is intensive, time consuming and potentially unrelated to the kin’s situation since they’re already familiar with the child.
When children have to be removed from their homes, <a href="https://www.childtrends.org/publications/kinship-care-supports-the-academic-performance-of-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prioritizing kinship care</a> can improve academic, behavioral and mental health outcomes, and allow the child to stay within their culture and community, according to Child Trends, a research organization focused on child welfare.
The next step in creating the Kinship Licensing Program is to get approval from the Legislative Rules Review Committee.
According to the 2024 fiscal year report, Child Protection Services worked with over 700 children without removing them from their home. That can be through a “safety plan,” which is a strategy created by a social worker to address safety concerns of at-risk families while a case is being investigated.
“What we know is when parents and children can be together and both go through those changes and processes and see that behavior change at the same time, we tend to see better outcomes,” said Pamela Bennett, the division director of South Dakota Child Protection Services, during an Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council meeting earlier this year.
South Dakota is developing its federally mandated, three-year <a href="https://dss.sd.gov/childprotection/prevention/familyfirst.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family First Prevention Plan</a>, which would use federal funds to pay for prevention services without removing children from at-risk homes. South Dakota is one of the last four states in the nation to create its plan.
Of the 1,006 children who left the child welfare system during the 2024 fiscal year, 493 were reunited with their families, 233 were adopted (58% by a foster parent and 37% by a relative), 63 children were transferred to a tribal program, 65 children aged out of the system, 88 were placed into a formal guardianship agreement, 50 were placed with a relative without guardianship, four were transferred to the Department of Corrections, and six were transferred to another agency. 
Two children ran away and two children died in state care. The report did not include further information about the deaths or runaways. A request for more information from South Dakota Searchlight is pending with the Department of Social Services.
The department also reported the placement of 241 children in adoptive homes.
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