Indian Country

WASHINGTON - Tribal officials this week raised issues ranging from polluted water to underfunded police but there was one message they all had for House lawmakers - the government needs to be a more reliable partner on critical projects

WASHINGTON - Voting barriers for Native Americans have always existed, but polling cutbacks, discriminatory voter ID laws and lack of funding are making things worse, advocates told a House panel Tuesday - the same day a federal court reinstated an Arizona law against "ballot harvesting."

WASHINGTON - Despite some "encouraging developments," threats to tribal sovereignty still come "from every branch and every corner of federal and state governments," the president of the National Congress of American Indians said Monday.

WASHINGTON - Tohono O'odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris said the "controlled blasting" in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, for a border wall that will ultimately cut through his reservation, is just the latest example of the federal government ignoring its duty to consult with tribes.

KYKOTSMOVI – Access to VA health care has been a challenge for Native Americans for decades, and they suffer some of the worst health outcomes. Now, advocates are hoping a new law could expand health care for Native American veterans.

PHOENIX – Salt River Schools students are learning to speak O’odham and participating in cultural activities founded on traditions.

PHOENIX – Obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect Native Americans, and many communities are taking steps to curb the costly, devastating and sometimes deadly diseases.

WASHINGTON - They may have turned out the lights, but the party's not over at the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta coal mine. The facilities' owners face years of decommissioning and cleanup and possible decades of environmental monitoring of the sites, which closed for good this fall.

PHOENIX – National and local organizations, including the Phoenix Indian Center, are working to ensure a more accurate count for Native Americans in the 2020 census.

LAS VEGAS – Domestic violence affects 4 out of 5 Native American women – more than triple the national average. But some have found healing through what’s known as “Gathering of Native Americans” programs. These culture-based education sessions seek to foster healing through embracing community and tradition.

PHOENIX – Two hydroelectric storage projects are being proposed for the Little Colorado River and environmental activists as well as the Hopi Tribe, and the Navajo Nation, are opposed.

WINDOW ROCK – Death due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth should be preventable with the right intervention and care. Recent investigations have put a national spotlight on the issue, but Native Americans are often left out of the conversation. Now, they’re changing that narrative.