‘What’s old is new again’: Advocates say tribal voting hurdles remain
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."
Sharp: Tribal sovereignty still threatened from ‘every corner’
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.
Blasting for border wall is typical of feds’ neglect of tribes, leaders say
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.
Native American veterans still struggling to get the health care they were promised
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.
Salt River students discover ancestral roots through language, weaving
PHOENIX – Salt River Schools students are learning to speak O’odham and participating in cultural activities founded on traditions.
Native Americans fight historical discrimination to lower diabetes, obesity rates
PHOENIX – Obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect Native Americans, and many communities are taking steps to curb the costly, devastating and sometimes deadly diseases.
Navajo Generating Station, coal mine face years of breakdown, cleanup
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.
Native American leaders determined to prevent repeat of last census undercount
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.
‘We need each other to heal:’ Native Americans help Native Americans overcome domestic violence
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.
Damming the Little Colorado River for power projects is opposed by tribes, environmentalists
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.
‘We can help ourselves:’ Native women come together to confront high rates of maternal mortality
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.
With execution on hold, Navajo inmate presses court on jury bias claim
PHOENIX - A federal appeals court panel grappled Friday with how - or why - convicted Navajo double-murderer Lezmond Mitchell could question jurors from his trial 16 years ago about possible racial bias in their deliberations.
