National Native News

Grassroots leaders are celebrating historic victories for Native candidates in Tuesday’s election. They hope Lt. Gov. and U.S. Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), D-Minnesota, will bring her state and the nation a specific type of leadership allies say is sorely needed.

Mike Moen reports.

Flanagan, and Mary Peltola (Yup-ik) if she wins her race in Alaska, will be the first Native women to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary and Gov.-elect Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), D-New Mexico, will be the first Na...

Unofficial results show the Navajo Nation has elected its first woman to the tribe’s top seat.

KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more.

Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley now has another title: president-elect.

“And to the little girls that are out there, shíyázhí, anything is possible.”

Curley and her running mate, former state Rep. Chris Deschene, D-Arizona, won by little more than 1,000 votes, but the opposing ticket, led by New Mexico attorney Justin Jones, is not giving up.

“We are not conceding… The fight has just begun.”

...

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) has become the first Native female governor in a historic victory in New Mexico.

KUNM’s Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) reports.

Hundreds gathered at Route 66 Casino to witness history being made as Haaland gave her victory speech.

Haaland pointed to the significance of holding the celebration on Pueblo land.

“I remember carrying water from the community spigot and playing outside from sunrise to sunset, spending time in my grandfather’s cornfield, helping him irrigate. And just off this road, my grandmo...

Today is Election Day, with many voters across Indian Country turning out at the ballot box in many states.

Brian Bull recently talked to Underscore Native News colleague Nika Bartoo-Smith (Osage & Oneida Nation), who is a joint reporter with Underscore and ICT, and asked her what the nationwide midterm ballot looks like in terms of Indigenous candidates.

“County seats, city council seats, school boards, um, auditor, city auditor, those kinds of things. And what we’ve seen is across 17 states, there’s over 117 Indigenous candidates that are running, and that doesn’t include some of the high...

The national chief of Canada’s Assembly of First Nations is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney not to abuse his majority government to pass new legislation on major projects.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the proposed new law could affect the rights of the country’s First Nations.

Nepinak first issued the warning in September and again more recently as the issue is before the Canadian parliament.

The new law would speed up the construction of new so-called nation-building projects such as pipelines, energy projects, and critical mineral mines.

It...

Volunteer observers are heading to several states including South Dakota polling places to help protect Native voting rights.

Four Directions Native Vote is sending at least 75 lawyers and law students to more than 40 polling locations statewide.

Laura Hatch has details.

The nonpartisan effort will cover all nine of the state’s reservations and Rapid City, which has a large Lakota population.

Greg Lembrich is the nonprofit’s legal director.

“In a midterm, we’re going to have our largest group ever really speaks to the recognition around the country and in S...

Indigenous high school students in Nebraska are getting a head start in a challenging job market. Chrystal Blair has more.

For many young people, landing that first job can be difficult without prior work experience.

A Nebraska program is helping Indigenous students overcome that hurdle by providing hands-on training, career exploration, and mentorship while they are still in high school.

The latest federal jobs report shows teen unemployment at 14.5% nationally, compared with 4.2% overall.

A Winnebago-based apprenticeship program operated by Ho-Chunk Inc. is helping students earn academic credit while gaining hands-on work...

Native allies are deploying observers to polling sites in states like North Dakota in an effort to overcome potential barriers at the ballot box as voters prepare for the November 3 midterm election.

Judith Ruiz-Branch reports.

Native American Rights Fund volunteers in its first midterm election protection program aim to help voters overcome potential barriers at the polls and document recurring problems for future prevention.

NARF Senior Staff Attorney Samantha Blencke says attorneys, law students, and faculty volunteers will try to address issues like voter intimidation and misinformation about documentation requirements on the spot...

First Nations leaders met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and provincial and territorial leaders in Ottawa Monday, in a historic gathering focused on Indigenous rights and economic development.

The meeting marked the first dedicated gathering of its kind in more than two decades.

Leaders agreed to explore creating a First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund, allowing Indigenous communities to share in the profits of major infrastructure projects.

Carney also announced 260 million Canadian dollars – roughly $185 million – over four years to help Indigenous workers access employment opportunities.

The federal government pledged billions more towa...

Sales of handmade Native American crafts and jewelry are estimated to generate $1 billion annually.

A Navajo-owned shop in Old Town Scottsdale has opened a second location in a Southwest city also known for its art scene.

KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more.

Santa Fe, New Mexico is widely considered the nation’s third-largest art market behind New York City and Los Angeles. Hence why owners of the original Native Art Market in Scottsdale decided to open another brick-and-mortar there in New Mexico.

Co-founder Heather Tracy says her Diné family-run business has been...

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