Indigenous nations in the basin are making a stand for their water — and upsetting the river’s power structure.
Tribes
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The true stakes of the Indian Child Welfare Act
Allie Maldonado’s family was torn apart by removal. It was reunited by community — and ICWA.
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The Amah Mutsun tribe rallies to save sacred sites
A proposed sand and gravel mine threatens the heritage of the central California tribe.
Posted inNovember 1, 2022: The Futures of Conservation
Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
Experts suggest needed upgrades in the face of modern crises.
Posted inNovember 1, 2022: The Futures of Conservation
Carving a future for the Tongass National Forest
In Southeast Alaska, youth help manage a forest and protect an ancient art.
Posted inNovember 1, 2022: The Futures of Conservation
The future of large landscape conservation begins with Indigenous communities
In the Yellowstone to Yukon region, Indigenous peoples manage more than a quarter of protected lands.
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Treaty-less tribes struggle to have their rights recognized
A five-year fight over a few dozen clams in Washington highlights the inconsistent rights of Indigenous tribes.
Posted inOctober 1, 2022: Making Refuge
Pacific lamprey’s ancient agreement with tribes is the future of conservation
Despite dams, drowned waterfalls and industrial degradation, the practice of eeling persists.
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Salmon are nosing at the riverbanks trying to escape the Klamath River
As dam removal inches into view, fish have to survive increasingly compounding calamities.
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Yak Titʸu Titʸu Yak Tiłhini say it’s time to return Diablo Canyon lands to Indigenous hands
The tribe, also known as the Northern Chumash, are requesting the return of their coastal home, currently occupied by PG&E’s nuclear power plant.
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
The night the Greyhounds came
In northern Arizona and southern Utah, shared experiences of the boarding school round-ups live with survivors to this day.
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What the Inflation Reduction Act means for Indian Country
$720 million goes directly to tribal nations, but compromises raise questions.
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A Q&A with Mary Peltola, Alaska’s new House Rep
HCN caught up with the Democrat and first Alaska Native person in Congress to talk about balancing development and environmental protection.
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Colorado River Basin tribes work to protect their water rights
Amid historic drought and federal calls for cuts, tribes along the river face difficult choices.
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A community sacrificed to uranium mine pollution
A mining company and government agencies repeatedly said they’d clean up waste in Homestake, New Mexico. Instead, they’re buying out homeowners.
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Wildfire kills Klamath fish: ‘Everything that’s in there is dead.’
Landslides of ash have poisoned tens of thousands of fish in the already-imperiled river.
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Honoring Blackfeet author James Welch: A Q&A with Lois Welch
The former director of the University of Montana’s creative writing program reflects on life with her late husband and the upcoming James Welch Native Lit Festival.
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At Oak Flat, courts and politicians fail tribes
Chi’chil Biłdagoteel exemplifies the larger struggle tribes face over protecting off-reservation, culturally important lands.
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What Indigenous leaders think about co-managing Bears Ears with the feds
Native advocates share their hopes and relief after decades of fighting for their ancestral lands.
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As waters warm, Alaska experiences salmon booms and busts
Chaotic salmon returns leave some Alaskans with an abundance of salmon, and others with none.