Independent News from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Local News

Northern Plains

Covering news relevant to Native peoples from across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, including state politics, legislation, the economy, and major events.

School software provider is the latest target of major hack of personal data

As more American companies are targeted in cyber crimes, there are a few things individuals can do to improve their “cyber hygiene,” cybersecurity experts say.

Paige Gross / North Dakota Monitor

Dearth of women in top higher ed leadership in North Dakota causes concern

Currently only one woman in a position of leadership among 11 institutions

Michael Standaert / North Dakota News Cooperative

Democrats, women clean up in all-Native candidate match for North Dakota District 9

‘Minority of minority’ emerges from new voter map to challenge conservative trend at statehouse

Interior Secretary nominee draws praise from tribal leaders

Leaders from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate expressed joy regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior

Amelia Schafer / Rapid City Journal & ICT

Bismarck Juneteenth celebration calls for liberation, acknowledgment of Black history

Organizers push for North Dakota to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday

North Dakota

State looks to boost access for youth with severe mental health challenges

Two programs piloted to address gaps, break down silos

Michael Standaert / North Dakota News Cooperative

North Dakota election observers report more education needed on set-aside ballots

Jeff Beach / North Dakota Monitor

North Dakotans re-elect Public Service Commission Chair Randy Christmann over Native candidate

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa citizen Tracey Wilkie takes 30% of vote for state’s top utility regulator

North Dakota sees strong early voting numbers, signaling ‘enthusiasm’

Michael Achterling / North Dakota Monitor

‘Weird’ newspaper calls out DAPL pipeline protests eight years later

Publication appears in Morton County as Greenpeace trial looms

Michael Standaert & Miranda Green / North Dakota News Cooperative + Floodlite

South Dakota

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations unite generations

Rapid City celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day with a march and several concerts downtown

Amelia Schafer / Rapid City Journal + ICT

South Dakota governor seeks audits of tribes

Days after Justice Department boosted resources for tribe, Kristi Noem called for more public funds for tribes, as well as audits of federal funding to tribes

Joshua Haiar / South Dakota Searchlight VIA ICT

Indigenous content creator represents his people

Chante’ Reddest has been educating his social media followers on Dakota history for the last few years and recently done so on one of the largest stages

Kalle Benallie / ICT

School superintendent fired after racist comments

A South Dakota Superintendent has been fired over racist comments aimed at Native American students made in an Office of Civil Rights Report

Amelia Schafer / Rapid City Journal + ICT

Relatives mourn fatal shooting of man who intervened in clash during iconic Oglala Nation powwow

Montana

Catholic boarding school documents staying in Montana

Instead of transferring them to Boston Jesuits, the Catholic nuns want to ‘take steps in truth-telling’ and ‘bring some healing’ to descendants

Renata Birkenbuel / ICT

Schools receive third — and potentially final — round of federal funding for homeless students

A pandemic-era program that has pumped $2 million into Montana schools to support students experiencing homelessness is nearing its end date.

Alex Sakariassen / Montana Free Press

Pollution knows no borders

A long-awaited agreement will address Canadian mine waste flowing downriver into Montana and Idaho.

Kylie Mohr / High Country News

Governor supports limited financial help for Flathead law enforcement

Governor supports limited financial help for Flathead law enforcement Lake County formally withdrew from Public Law 280, but said it is still managing law enforcement on the reservation in Montana

Nicole Girten / Daily Montanan VIA ICT

Health department shares Medicaid disenrollment numbers for children, seniors, Native Americans

The response to a public records request filed by Democratic lawmakers sheds more light on the impact of Medicaid unwinding

Mara Silvers / Montana Free Press