‘Native Americans just face really unreasonable obstacles when it comes to voting.’
Anna V. Smith
Anna V. Smith is an associate editor of High Country News. She writes and edits stories on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice for the Indigenous Affairs desk from Oregon.
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Tribal leaders oppose online consultations with the U.S. during the pandemic
‘It is not possible to meaningfully convene and internally develop comments at this time when we are at capacity, focused on critical and life-threatening measures.’
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Western states lead the way in vote-by-mail elections
As COVID-19 closes most in-person polling locations, will states be able to scale up in time?
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In their words: How Westerners are weathering the pandemic
From feeling hopeful to anxious to resilient, people across the West offer a look into their communities.
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Casino closures in Indian Country hit core tribal services
Tribal government gaming is at a standstill, amounting to $4.4 billion in lost economic activity.
Posted inApril 1, 2020: Land-Grab Universities
Tribal nations demand response to climate relocation
Five Indigenous communities have asked the U.N. to investigate the United States’ failure to live up to legal obligations.
Posted inApril 1, 2020: Land-Grab Universities
‘This system cannot be sustained’
This year, tribal nations enter negotiations over Colorado River water.
Posted inOctober 28, 2019: Where Hunting Still Has Meaning
How an Arrow Lakes elk hunt became a case of tribal recognition
Rick Desautel shot an elk to prove the Sinixt descendants are not legally ‘extinct.’ Now the Supreme Court of Canada will decide.
Posted inOctober 28, 2019: Where Hunting Still Has Meaning
The Klamath River now has the legal rights of a person
A Yurok Tribe resolution allows cases to be brought on behalf of the river as a person in tribal court.
Posted inAugust 19, 2019: 2068: The Speculative Journalism Issue
Q & A: Why a whistleblower went AWOL from the Fire Service
In 2068, the U.S. faces year-round wildfires across the West with drafting wildland firefighters.
Posted inSeptember 2, 2019: In Bad Faith
When public lands become tribal lands again
A story of fire, stolen lands, and how hard it is to get the U.S. to follow its own laws.
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The Bureau of Indian Affairs steps up its harassment policy
Timeframes for responding to allegations and more show improvements from ‘zero tolerance’ rhetoric.
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How do tribal nations’ treaties figure into climate change?
U.S. courts rarely favor environmental protections as a right — except when it comes to tribes expressing their treaty rights.
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Former Bureau of Indian Affairs director engaged in abusive behavior, no action taken
Bryan Rice’s behavior at the BIA highlights a culture of harassment and inaction.
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Denver cop with tattoo resembling militia group logo killed tribal citizen in 2015
Officer Michael Traudt says he is not a member of the Three Percenters.
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Senate hears stories of Indian Country’s missing and murdered
Data gaps, understaffing and lax investigations have deepened the crisis.
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Arizona’s long road to make elections accessible
In Coconino County, relocating five polling places caused confusion this election cycle. By 2020, it must fix 46 to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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How the Americans with Disabilities Act could affect Native American voters
The relocation of polling sites near the Navajo Nation months before midterm elections raises concerns of future voter suppression.
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5 obstacles for Native voters in the November midterms
Native Americans have low participation rates in federal and state elections, but the problem doesn’t lay with political passivism.
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Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s impact on Indian Country
The recently confirmed justice was heavily opposed by Indigenous leaders.