A look at how the department has changed its relationships with tribes, and at legal battles on the horizon.
Tribes
Posted inMay 15, 2017: Prison Town
A tribe wins rights to contested groundwater in court
A major federal court decision acknowledges that tribes have priority rights to groundwater — and could limit how much other users can take.
Posted inArticles
Oil expected in Dakota Access Pipeline this week
What ongoing legal battles tell us about protections for religious freedoms and government consultation with tribes.
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
‘Look for something white’
Discovering the North through its most iconic birds.
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
What the Navajo Generating Station will leave behind
Cleaner air, wounded economies.
Posted inArticles
Standing Rock is history repeating itself
We need to come to terms with our past and present treatment of tribes.
Posted inArticles
What will a Zinke-led Interior Department look like?
His priorities so far: energy, sportsmen access, park repairs & restoring public trust.
Posted inArticles
Indian Country cannot afford to close the door to Republicans
Tribal issues cut across party lines.
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
Latest: Oil equipment shipments won’t hit scenic Idaho road
New size restrictions will keep “megaloads” off the road.
Posted inArticles
7 things you need to know about Navajo Generating Station’s 2019 closure
The West’s coal giant is going down.
Posted inArticles
Army Corps drops further DAPL environmental review
The reversal was expected following Trump’s executive order.
Posted inArticles
Journalist arrested amid Dakota Access protests
Jenni Monet’s jailing raises concerns about press freedom and the First Amendment.
Posted inArticles
DAPL moves forward
The Acting Secretary of the Army has granted the easement necessary to finish the billion-dollar project.
Posted inArticles
Five ways Indian Country can challenge Trump’s policies
Practical pointers for resistance.
Posted inArticles
The BLM leases lands near Chaco Canyon for $3 million
The controversial parcels are the first auctioned online in New Mexico.
Posted inArticles
Breaking down Trump’s Dakota Access decision
The lawyerly memo sends a strong message to green light the pipeline.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
How Standing Rock blew up
In a short time, a tribal concern became a massive movement.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
Standing Rock’s men at war
By challenging our myths of the West and its warriors, Native men find their voice.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
Was the Bears Ears designation a victory?
Despite compromise, the controversial monument’s opposition is riled up.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
What Standing Rock meant for those who took part
Protesters from afar didn’t just take a stand in North Dakota — they brought the movement back home.