Native nations with scarce internet are building their own broadband networks

Native nations have historically lagged in high-speed internet access, which became even more apparent in the COVID-19 pandemic. So some tribes, such as the Hopi, have taken the matter into their own hands by building their own high-speed networks.


Navajo president calls for new VA medical, benefits centers at House hearing

WASHINGTON - Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called on lawmakers Thursday to put Veterans Affairs medical and benefits centers on the reservation to help deliver services that he said Indigenous veterans have earned but often cannot access.


‘We are survivors:’ National, Arizona projects aim to uncover, preserve histories of Native American boarding schools

PHOENIX – The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative launched an oral history project documenting the traumatic experiences of Indigenous children in the federal boarding school system. Local preservation efforts have already delved into Arizona’s history of boarding schools and resulting generational trauma.

Trophies, a letterman jacket and images of early Native American history in the visitor center of Phoenix Indian School at what is now Steele Indian School Park. (Photo by Ellie Willard/Cronkite News)

New and upgraded health care facilities for Native Americans open in Arizona

PHOENIX – Several new and upgraded health facilities for Native Americans opened in Arizona this year and the Navajo Nation is working to improve the nursing shortage in rural communities.


‘Pumped’ hydropower plans proliferate; one in particular stirs opposition

WASHNGTON - Plans for pumped storage hydropower projects - which recirculate water on a loop to generate power - are proliferating in Arizona, but one in particular, at Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation, has drawn opposition from local groups.


A Flagstaff nonprofit helps its Indigenous community combat high rates of diabetes using holistic approaches

FLAGSTAFF – Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) combats diabetes within Flagstaff's Indigenous community using a holistic approach. It focuses on reconnecting with traditional cultural practices to manage and prevent diabetes.

Morgan Farley, a Navajo diabetes health coach at NACA, outside NACA’s wellness center, where community members get diabetes management and prevention services. Many studies show that obesity puts people at a higher risk for having diabetes. The NACA program focuses on increasing patients’ physical activity and encouraging healthy eating habits, while also emphasizing the importance of traditional and cultural wellness practices. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 89.8% of adults aged 18 and older diagnosed with diabetes between 2017 and 2020 were classified as overweight or obese. (Photo by Oakley Seiter/Cronkite News)

Biden kicks off Tribal Nations Summit with order streamlining funding access

WASHINGTON - More than 100 Indigenous leaders gathered this week for the Biden administration's third Tribal Nations Summit, where President Joe Biden vowed to strengthen relationships with tribes and signed an executive order to improve their access to capital.


Supreme Court agrees to hear San Carlos Apache appeal on health care funding

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider a claim by the San Carlos Apache tribe that the federal government is shortchanging it on funds it needs to operate tribal health services.


Arizona teens share passions with others at White House Tribal Youth Forum

WASHINGTON - Gabriella Nakai has tackled challenges facing Indigenous communities on her own, but said being surrounded by others who share her passion helps lighten the load. Nakai was one of two Arizona youths at the third annual White House Tribal Youth Forum.


Hopi leader tells panel that red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Hopi tribe told a Senate panel Wednesday that promises of federal funding remain just that - promises - for smaller tribes for whom the money is inaccessible because of bureaucratic and financial hurdles.


Tohono O’odham official says immigration is a problem – but so is the wall

WASHINGTON - Tohono O'odham Chairman Verlon Jose told a House panel Wednesday that while migrants crossing his reservation are causing problems, those are overshadowed by problems from the construction of the border wall meant to stop migration.


Senators urged to step up after Supreme Court ruling on Navajo water rights

WASHINGTON - Witnesses told a Senate hearing the federal government has both a a legal and an ethical obligation to ensure water access for tribes. The Supreme Court this summer rejected a Navajo claim that the government needed to take steps to protect its water rights.