What is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990?

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act empowered Indigenous people to reclaim ancestors and artifacts from American museums. The 1990 law is regarded as one of the most significant Indigenous civil rights laws of the 20th century.

A special exhibit at the S’edav Va’aki Museum in Phoenix that closed in May told the story of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, or NAGPRA. (Photo courtesy of the S’edav Va’aki Museum)

Community, healing and justice: Indigenous journalists share what reporting on repatriation meant to them

PHOENIX – Three Indigenous Cronkite reporters describe how reporting on the repatriation of Native American remains deepened their appreciation for returning ancestors home.

Cronkite News and Howard Center reporters, from left, Christopher Lomahquahu, Aspen Ford and Chad Bradley reported on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and wrote about the experience as Indigenous journalists. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Cronkite News and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at ASU)

How Cronkite News and the Howard Center reported on NAGPRA

PHOENIX – Journalists at Cronkite News and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism reported on how Arizona public universities have complied with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. Here’s how they did it.

Eight graduate students reported on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act as part of a project on the compliance records of Arizona’s flagship public universities in returning Indigenous remains and artifacts. (Photo by Madison Perales/Cronkite News and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at ASU)

Congress gave citizenship to Native Americans a century ago, but voting rights would come decades later

WASHINGTON – It’s been 100 years since Native Americans gained U.S. citizenship, but voting rights came much later. Arizona was the last state with an outright ban on voting for Native Americans.

Calvin Coolidge, center in a white suit, poses with a group of Native Americans outside the White House in 1927. (Photo courtesy of Library of Congress)

Supreme Court rules in favor of two Native American tribes in dispute with federal government over insurance billing fees

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Native American tribes in Arizona and Wyoming that sought millions in federal reimbursement for health care insurance billing fees.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Native American tribes in Arizona and Wyoming that sought millions in federal reimbursement for health care insurance billing fees. (File photo by Stephanie Snyder/Cronkite News)

Thousands of college-bound Arizona students still in financial aid ‘limbo’ in wake of FAFSA snafus

WASHINGTON – Five months after the Department of Education rolled out a long-delayed new FAFSA, thousands of students still haven’t completed the form and many still await word on their college aid awards. College administrators are optimistic the problems will unwind through the summer, but Arizona rates remain far below the national average and the same time last year.

Brielle Giesemann, a high school coordinator for the Be A Leader Foundation, helps a student navigate the FAFSA during a FAFSA drive in 2018. (File photo by Stephanie Morse/Cronkite News)

Rapid rise in syphilis hits Native Americans in the Southwest hardest

Syphilis infections nationwide reached a 70-year high in 2022, and no group has been hit harder than Native Americans, CDC data shows. Rates of congenital syphilis were three times higher for Indigenous than for Black babies, and 12 times higher than for whites.


Indigenous advocates work to combat fake sober living homes in Arizona

PHOENIX – After Arizona legislation targeting fake sober living homes failed, tribal advocates across the state are working to combat the $2.8 billion Medicaid scheme that targets vulnerable Indigenous individuals.


New Sage Memorial Hospital transforms Navajo health care

GANADO – A new $177 million state-of-the-art medical facility in the Navajo Nation is nearing completion. Before the new hospital opens, staff must keep caring for patients in cramped spaces and with outdated equipment. All of that will change this fall when the new facility opens. Here’s a look at how radically different the new hospital will be.

Sage Memorial Hospital’s new $177 million medical facility is set to open in October. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

Mobile units and nutrition assistance extend Sage Memorial’s reach

GANADO – Sage Memorial Hospital is tackling access to health care beyond its main facility in Ganado, with two mobile units.

One of Sage Memorial’s mobile health care units displays its mission statement. “We’re hoping to provide comprehensive health care services,” said Kathryn Barron, nurse practitioner and director of outpatient services and community health at Sage Memorial. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

Salton Sea immigrant community experiences high rates of asthma from inhaling dust from the drying sea bed

NORTH SHORE, California – Childhood asthma rates are disproportionately high for immigrant families who live and work near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Scientists say the alarming rate of respiratory problems comes from inhaling dust of decayed fish that ingested toxic materials flowing into the sea from nearby agricultural sites.

The Salton Sea in Southern California used to be a popular tourist destination, but the environment has been decimated through agricultural runoff and natural disasters as the water recedes. Photo taken on April 6. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)

Navajo psychiatrist bridges gaps between Native American culture and behavioral health care

GANADO – Dr. Richard Laughter, a Navajo psychiatrist practicing in the heart of the Navajo Nation, incorporates Native American cultural practices into the behavioral health program at Sage Memorial Hospital in Ganado.

Dr. Richard Laughter incorporates traditional Native methods into his psychiatric practice. “You can only do so much for their mental health if you’re just using meds and short therapy sessions,” he said. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)