Descendants of those enslaved by Native tribes are gaining political momentum. Here’s a primer on the issues surrounding Freedmen and tribal recognition.
Indigenous Affairs
Posted inDecember 1, 2021: Visions of Wildness
Bears Ears is back — but don’t celebrate just yet
Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk unpacks the deeper implications — and limitations — of Biden’s monuments proclamation.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
Collecting seeds to restore prairie grasslands
‘These youth are going to be able to take ownership of healing the land at Fort Belknap.’
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
The time of the Indigenous critic has arrived
Now that the industry is finally greenlighting Indigenous films and TV, Indigenous critics ought to lead the conversation.
Posted inArticles
Marilyn Vann becomes the first person of Freedmen status in Cherokee Nation government
A retired engineer and Freedmen activist, Vann joins the tribe’s Environmental Protection Commission.
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along
Once again, the media has excluded Indigenous peoples from our own story.
Posted inArticles
Indigenous college faculty and students lead the removal of racist panels in Colorado
A former Native boarding school turned liberal arts college in Durango reckons with its ugly history.
Posted inArticles
After the Palisades Tahoe name change, where is the Washoe Tribe looking next?
‘This whole thing, it’s decent. It’s a decent thing to do.’
Posted inArticles
6 things you should know about the 2021 Native American Voting Rights Act
Indigenous communities face disproportionate barriers to voting, but the act would help protect this important right.
Posted inArticles
Federal judge allows excavation work on Native massacre site
The decision could shape the way electric vehicles are powered.
Posted inArticles
Wild rice sues to stop oil pipeline
The White Earth Band of Ojibwe exercised the Rights of Manoomin in a legal effort to halt the Line 3 pipeline.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
The familial bond between the Klamath River and the Yurok people
How a tribal community’s health is intimately connected to the health of the river.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
The effort to save Upper Klamath Lake’s endangered fish before they disappear
Another dry year pushes tribal nations, federal agencies and irrigators to find long-lasting solutions.
Posted inArticles
The Apache community running to rescue its holy mountain
Indigenous spiritual leaders say the Vatican’s observatory is searching for something it doesn’t understand.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Reviving traditional Apsáalooke water sources
Tribal scientists and community members are testing wells, solving plumbing problems and delivering clean water to their neighbors.
Posted inArticles
Living Water: Three generations of Apsáalooke revive a river
On the Crow Nation, scientists, students and community members come together to study and protect the Little Bighorn River.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
The new Indigenous TV series coming your way
‘Reservation Dogs’ is the latest product of an exciting new era of Native self-representation.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe calls on Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam
The tribe is pushing to protect their way of life.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
Supreme Court ruling fails to protect Indigenous voters
In Brnovich v. DNC, the court has made it harder for people of color — especially Indigenous populations — to vote.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Can Puget Sound’s orca and salmon survive Seattle’s dams?
Federal regulators are reassessing the ecological impacts of the Skagit River dams.