Honor your ‘mother’: Working to keep traditional ways, types of Hopi corn
MAYER – Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a farmer from the Hopi Tribe, is focusing on bringing Hopi corn back to the dining table – not only for the health benefits but also to connect his people to their culture.
Gov. Katie Hobbs establishes missing and murdered Indigenous people task force
PHOENIX – Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order in March establishing an Arizona Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force. Incomplete data and a lack of collaboration among tribal and governmental entities have blocked addressing the issue.
No more silence: Boarding school survivor Anita Yellowhair shares her story, over 60 years later
Anita Yellowhair is a Navajo woman and a boarding school survivor. Yellowhair left her home and family in 1950, stripped of her identity and forced to assimilate into American culture alongside other Indigenous children.
Arizona tribal gaming contributions up 20% over last year, nearing $2 billion mark since 2004
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Gaming announced its contributions to the Arizona community, which are up 20% from last year. Close to $2 billion has been contributed to educational, emergency and other Arizona funds.
Tribal leaders, lawmakers want new 1.1 million acre monument in Arizona
WASHINGTON - Tribal leaders joined state lawmakers Tuesday to call on President Joe Biden to set aside more than 1.1 million acres around the Grand Canyon as a new national monument.
Arizona tribe to get millions in federal payouts for water conservation
The Gila River Indian Community could get up to $233 million in federal funding for water conservation, one of the first to get the money under a program aimed at encouraging water cutbacks in Arizona, California and Nevada.
Ken Koshio marks three years of hiking Piestewa Peak every day
PHOENIX – Every morning, for the past three years, Ken Koshio has hiked Piestewa Peak, the third-highest peak in Phoenix, and played music at the top. The three-year anniversary of his prayer hike was also the 20th anniversary of Lori Piestewa’s death. She is the first Native American woman to die in United States military combat.
Navajo artist’s work featured on skateboard Forever Stamp
GLENDALE – The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the skateboard Forever Stamps to celebrate the community and culture the sport creates. It brought on Indigenous artists to design the stamps, one of whom was Arizona native and Navajo artist Di’Orr Greenwood.
Volunteers throw mud to preserve an ancient artifact at Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park
PHOENIX – The va’aki at Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park in Phoenix is more than 800 years old. Once a month volunteers come out to throw mud at the structure to stabilize it.
Attorneys say Resolution Copper Mine would ‘destroy’ worship at Oak Flat
WASHINGTON - Attorneys for Apache Stronghold told a federal appeals court Tuesday that the proposed Resolution Copper Mine would lead to the "complete physical destruction" of sacred lands at Oak Flat, a clear violation of religious liberty laws.
FBI investigates rehab scams targeting Indigenous community
PHOENIX - The FBI is investigating scams where fake rehab groups target the Indigenous community. Officials said organizers of these "pop-up facilities'' falsely offer addiction recovery, then file documents to rake in government money before disappearing.
Justices grapple over Navajo water rights, government’s duty to tribe
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court justices pressed government attorneys Monday on their argument that the treaties that put the Navajo on reservation lands implied an intent - but not a duty - for the government to provide water to the tribe.
