Sovereignty is a simple, yet very complex issue for the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States. And the rights of tribes to protect its children are on the line, as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon over who can parent a Native American child. Derrick Beetso is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. He’s the director of the Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

The National Inter-Tribal Energy Council is a new trade association. It is dedicated to advancing tribal energy policies, investment opportunities and business for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages and Corporations. ICT’s Shirley Sneve interviewed its executive director at the Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas. Chris Deschene is a former director of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy. He is a Marine veteran, and a former Arizona congressman.

A small First Nation in Canada is taking on the provincial government over what they are calling a colonial practice of granting mines access without consent. APTN’s Tina House has this report.

  • This is an era of divided government. Republicans control the House of Representatives and the Democrats run the Senate and the White House. On a practical level there are constant debates over priorities ranging from energy and climate change— to how the federal government spends money. ICT’s Mark Trahant reports on how the two parties see the deficit. The outcome could have significant impact on programs that serve Indigenous communities.
  • Police in South Dakota are under scrutiny after a man in their custody died. Robert Dennis Berta Enoch, a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, died while in police custody yet no cause of death has been published. Enoch was detained by the Charles Mix County sheriff’s department for disorderly conduct and parole absconding. He was jailed in Lake Andes and was later discovered unresponsive. His family believes he neglectfully died in jail prior.
  • Land back is a goal. It’s an ideal. It’s a movement. And now, it’s a podcast. The NDN Collective is bringing stories from the front lines to earbuds near you. Its first episode drops today. ICT’s Stewart Huntington has more.
  • A new executive director has been appointed to the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Jamie Schulze, of Northern Cheyenne and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribes, has officially accepted the position. SWAIA hosts prominent events celebrating Indigenous art like New Mexico’s Santa Fe Indian Market, which draws nearly 100,000 people and showcases hundreds of artists representing 250 tribes. 

Today’s newscast was created with work from:

Shirley Sneve, Ponca/Sicangu Lakota, is vice president of broadcasting for the ICT Newscast. Follow her on Twitter @rosebudshirley. She is based in Nebraska and Minnesota

Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, is the anchor of the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @aliyahjchavez.

R. Vincent Moniz, Jr., NuÉta, is the senior producer of the ICT Newscast. Have a great story? Pitch it to vincent@ictnews.org.

McKenzie Allen-Charmley, Dena’ina Athabascan, is a producer of the ICT Newscast. On Instagram: @mallencharmley.

Paris Wise, Zia and Laguna Pueblo, is a producer for the ICT Newscast. Instagram and Twitter: @parisiswise. Email: paris@ictnews.org.

Drea Yazzie, Diné, is a producer and editor for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @quindreayazzie. Yazzie is based in Phoenix.

Virginia Rigney, Chickasaw, is a video editor for the ICT Newscast.

Pacey Smith Garcia, Ute, is a production assistant for the ICT newscast. On Twitter: @paceyjournalist.

RipLey-Simone Kennebrew is an intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @ripleysimoneken

Daniel Herrera Carbajal is an intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @daniulherrrera

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