Oklahoma tribes split over tribal status of former slaves’ descendants
WASHINGTON – Oklahoma’s five largest tribes split Wednesday on the terms of treaties signed more than 150 years ago regarding their treatment of descendants of their former slaves, and on what those treaties require.
Hualapai leader urges Senate to OK water plan, as wells fail in drought
WASHINGTON – Hualapai Chairman Damon Clarke told a Senate committee Wednesday that getting access to Colorado River water is "the only feasible solution" for his tribe, whose wells are failing under the stress of the continuing drought.
More than a hotline: 988 meant to ease access to mental health services
PHOENIX – The 988 mental health hotline goes live July 16, providing an easy-to-remember and faster way to get help during a crisis. But some advocates worry the hotline needs more funding and staff.
Court says states can try some tribal crimes; critics call it a ‘disaster’
WASHINGTON - A divided Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states can prosecute non-Natives for crimes against Native people on tribal lands, a ruling that critics called a "disaster" for tribal sovereignty and an "act of conquest."
Heard Museum celebrates Pride Month with all-Native drag show
PHOENIX – The Heard Museum in Phoenix hosted a Native Drag Show featuring Indigenous drag queens and LGBTQ+ poets for First Friday in June, starring host Pyraddiction.
Bill advances for ‘truth and healing’ panel for Indian boarding schools
WASHINGTON – A House committee gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would create a commission to investigate Indian boarding schools, despite Republican concerns over the scope and power of the commission.
‘Helpless but not hopeless’: Arizona officials join surgeon general to address burnout in health workers
PHOENIX – Health care workers have reached crisis levels of burnout, prompting the U.S. surgeon general to issue an advisory spotlighting the problem. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy visited Phoenix recently to meet with health workers and find solutions.
Subpoena authority could jeopardize boarding school truth and healing commission
Granting of subpoena authority could jeopardize the establishment of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools. The top Republican on key House subcommittee said the bill could lose bipartisan support.
Access to clean water, rights to Colorado River are high priorities for tribes
Access to clean water is a chronic issue for tribal communities in the Colorado River Basin, who also have been denied their rights to water from the river for a century. Two recent moves intend to address those inequities.
Tribal police agencies struggle to attract, maintain officers, panel told
WASHINGTON - A Navajo Nation official told a Senate panel this week that the tribe’s police department lacks the resources to attract and retain officers, a problem that experts say is faced by tribal police departments across the country.
‘We are still here’: Tribes reclaiming out-of-state ancestral homelands
Tribes that were forcibly resettled to Oklahoma are increasingly buying back or being gifted back property in their ancestral homelands - from Alabama to Michigan to Kansas - either to build economic sustainability or manage cultural preservation sites.
Oklahoma, tribal tempers flare as Supreme Court hears sovereignty case
WASHINGTON – An attorney for the state of Oklahoma told Supreme Court justices Wednesday that "thousands of crimes" have gone unprosecuted in the two years since the court removed state jurisdiction over many crimes in a large part of eastern Oklahoma.
