Native Americans

Census Prompts Push for More Indigenous School Lessons

The number of people listing Indigenous heritage increased by almost 4.5 million.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

A Plan to Offer In-State Tuition to Native Americans

The legislation, signed into law in Colorado, grants in-state tuition at public universities to students who are members of tribes with “historical ties” to the state.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Survey: 22% of Americans Have Experienced a Hate Crime

Although Americans of all races report experiencing hate crimes, Black and multiracial people experienced the most and white respondents the least, according to a new report.

  • By Brent Woodie

Survey: White Parents Less Optimistic Than Others About Outlook for Kids in U.S.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation poll also found that relatively few parents of any race or ethnicity believe all kids have equal opportunities to succeed and thrive as adults.

  • By Brent Woodie

Growing Number of Cities Weigh Tribal ‘Land Acknowledgements’

In Arizona and other states, some local governments are formally recognizing Native American connections to lands.

  • By Caitlin Dewey, Stateline

Republicans Grill Interior Nominee Over Potential Energy Job Losses

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland sought to downplay her previous statements against fracking and drilling, while also reiterating that the Biden administration is committed to shifting toward clean energy.

  • By Andrea Noble

Health Officials Fear Pandemic-Related Suicide Spike Among Native Youth

Native American young people die by suicide at almost twice the rate of their white peers. Mental health experts are worried the pandemic could make that disparity even worse.

  • By Sara Reardon, Kaiser Health News

The Government Promised to Return Ancestral Hawaiian Land, Then Never Finished the Job

Native Hawaiians are still waiting for state and federal officials to fulfill the promises of land legislation that was signed into law 25 years ago. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” said one former governor.

  • By Agnel Philip and Rob Perez, ProPublica

Once-Ignored Promises to Tribes Could Change the Environmental Landscape

The U.S. has largely ignored nearly 400 treaties with Native tribes.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

States Join Pilot to Investigate Cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

Federal, state, and tribal agencies will create guidelines for investigations into missing persons and murder cases where Native American or Alaska Native people are involved.

  • By Emma Coleman

Shortened Census Led to an Incomplete Count in Some Areas

Parts of Louisiana and the Navajo Nation face the biggest gaps.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Push to Remove Racist Names Draws Support—And Backlash

"We need to have this conversation."

  • By Marsha Mercer, Stateline
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How One Tribe Is Fighting to Vote Early

The fight over a single early voting site serving a small reservation in Arizona illustrates a continuing struggle by Indigenous communities across the country to have equal access to the ballot.

  • By Matt Vasilogambros and Carrie Levine, Stateline

The Federal Government Promised Native American Students Computers and Internet. Many Are Still Waiting.

Native American students in BIE operated schools were forced to start the school year without adequate technology, sometimes sharing a single computer among siblings, because the agency disbursed funding late and failed to purchase equipment in time.

  • By Alden Woods, ProPublica

California May Need More Fire to Fix its Wildfire Problem

The longstanding default position of suppressing every fire has created problems throughout the West.

  • By Sophie Quinton and Alex Brown, Stateline

Trump Census Plan Might Leave Out Some Legal Residents

Many U.S. citizens who live in rural or tribal areas lack a paper trail.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Feds Will Reopen Schools on Native American Reservations

Despite the outsize toll the pandemic has taken on Native American communities, the federal government said that schools on reservations should reopen in September.

  • By Emma Coleman

Four Perspectives on the Christopher Columbus Statues

When Chicago removed two statues last week, it did so in the middle of the night without public announcement. What does that mean for communities invested in the decision making process?

  • By Logan Jaffe, ProPublica

Supreme Court Rules Nearly Half of Oklahoma is Native American Land

The full implications of the ruling on criminal justice—and maybe other areas of the law—are not yet known as Oklahoma negotiates with tribes in wake of the verdict.

  • By Emma Coleman

Montana’s Tribal Nations Preserve COVID Restrictions To Preserve Their Cultures

Tribal leaders across the state say reservation shutdowns and stay-at-home orders will continue for now, as widespread, proactive testing for the virus on reservations gets underway.

  • By Kathleen McLaughlin, Kaiser Health News

Two States Could Discourage Getting Rid of Native Mascots

Lawmakers in Utah and Idaho will consider measures that express support for Native mascots, urging schools to keep them.

  • By Emma Coleman