Greetings, relatives:
We start in Alaska where Inupiaq musher Ryan Redington won the popular Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Reporter Richard Arlin Walker documented the race for ICT and explains how Redington won the 998-mile event and became the sixth Alaska Native musher and second Inupiaq to win the race.
In Nevada, President Joe Biden announced Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument, following up on a promise he made in late 2022. It’s considered sacred to the Mojave people and for the nine other Yuman-speaking tribes along the Colorado River. Reporter Kalle Benallie explains.
In Arizona, a historic tribal and education leader was laid to rest. Peterson Zah’s final journey through Navajo was documented by ICT’s Jourdan Bennett-Begaye and Noel Lyn Smith. Mark Trahant, editor-at-large, shared with ICT readers the first time he met Zah.
In Washington, D.C. ICT’s Pauly Denetclaw shares a story where Henrietta Mann and Native America Calling received National Humanities Medals at the White House. Mann is a legendary Native American studies professor and historian and the iconic Native America Calling show airs on over 130 radio stations, 74 are Native-controlled, across the U.S. and Canada.
In Montana, the legacy of Blackfeet Chief Earl Old Person lives on and state lawmakers passed a bill to rename a section of Montana Highway 89 on the Blackfeet reservation after him. ICT’s JoVonne Wagner has the details.
Be sure to watch our daily newscast, “ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavez.” Replays of each show can be found there.
Here are ICT stories you should read up on and share in your network.
NEWS
Jumping across a climate multiverse: The energy and climate transition is not linear – and the dangers of a warming climate are growing more certain unless policies change.
Johnson v. M’Intosh: 200 years of legal misery for Native people: The landmark 1823 Supreme Court case set a precedent that has undermined tribal sovereignty ever since.
Mixed feelings for Vatican rescinding ‘law of colonization’: ‘This is only a first step in correcting some of the wrongs in history.’
Supporters gather to discuss Montana ICWA bill: About 30 people testified in support of the bill, which would solidify ICWA laws in the state.
Agua Caliente Band thrives with new spa and cultural center: Cahuilla tribe set to open new project in the heart of southern California.
New sign tells real Alaskan ‘discovery’ story: Captain James Cook ‘didn’t discover these places, he simply documented them.’
BNSF fuel train derails on Swinomish Reservation: Diesel spill comes as BNSF and tribe head to court in a right-of-way dispute.
Montana Legislature moves to name highway after Blackfeet Chief: The bill, which names a portion of state highway running through the Blackfeet reservation, would honor the late Earl Old Person.
Navajo Nation water rights case heard before Supreme Court: It’s the latest federal Indian law case to reach the high court.
Joe Biden designates Avi Kwa Ame a national monument: ‘It’s a place of reverence, it’s a place of spirituality, it’s a place of healing and now it will be recognized for its significance it holds and be preserved forever,’ Biden said.
Henrietta Mann, Native America Calling receive National Humanities Medals: During a White House ceremony, President Joe Biden presented 11 awards.
Alaska sues Interior over land into trust: At issue is a plot of land in Juneau, about the size of a driveway.
Former Navajo leader Ben Shelly was a ‘humble public servant’: He led the Navajo Nation for four years after being elected in 2011.
Mountain lion P-22 laid to rest in private ceremony: The Hollywood cat became a symbol for endangered mountain lions and conservation efforts.
Memories that start with a pickup truck: Peterson Zah’s leadership style was collaborative. He was patient. And best of all, he told stories.
Intergenerational trauma often hidden in the numbers: Mental health programs often don’t address the effects of Native family traumas.
Peterson Zah, 85, led and inspired several generations: The Navajo Nation lost a political giant in Zah. ‘We have very few leaders on Navajo that could really dissect national and local political issues like Pete did.’
High-profile cases bring new attention to sexual assault: Nathan Chasing Horse, Bunky Echo-Hawk among those facing recent allegations.
First Native woman in space readies for return home: Nicole Mann and NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 return to Earth Saturday.
Peterson Zah’s final journey through Navajo: The historic tribal and education leader was laid to rest Saturday following a 100-mile procession through the reservation.
Peterson Zah remembered as inspirational leader, father: During a memorial event, community leaders from the region remembered the former Navajo Nation president.
British Columbia decriminalizes drug possession: The sweeping move is expected to reduce incarceration of the province’s large Indigenous population.
First Native woman in space is home: ‘That was one heck of a ride,’ said NASA astronaut Nicole Mann after landing into the Gulf of Mexico.
ICT wins journalism award for taxation collaboration: ICT and news partner examined state tax encroachment onto tribal lands.
Emil Notti: Unifying leader of Alaska land claims movement turns 90: ‘He stood up when we had few people who were willing to do that.’
A clash in the North Slope: Young environmental leaders mourn the passage of the Willow Project while other Alaska Native leaders rejoice.
Announcement pending on Avi Kwa Ame becoming a national monument: Biden told a tribal leader his plans to make the site a national monument since his announcement at the Tribal Nations White House Summit last November.
A dead budget, no budgets, and a coming catastrophe: The federal budget process makes no sense, especially because political divisions put the larger United States economy at risk.
Montana bill would strengthen law requiring Indigenous education: The bill comes amid concerns that schools have not properly implemented the curriculum requirement, which is embedded in the state’s constitution.
National Congress of American Indians looks to year ahead: The organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
Judge orders gun testing in 1978 murder case: Test results could open the door to freedom for a Monache man in San Quentin.
Montana Native American tuition waiver could loosen requirements: The Legislature is considering expanding eligibility for the waiver to include descendants of Montana tribes.
ICT’s Mark Trahant named to Native hall of fame: Six change makers were announced as this year’s National Native American Hall of Fame inductees.
Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut to return home after decades of captivity: The Dolphin Company and Friends of Lolita announced a formal agreement and promise to return the orca from Florida to her home waters in the Salish Sea.
Indigenous participation vital to successful Arctic decision-making: ‘Nothing about us without us.’
Blackfeet council member resigns under controversy: A special election has been scheduled for April 25 to fill the vacated position.
This ain’t your family’s bingo game: Class II gaming is high-stakes bingo that offers users a slot machine experience but more importantly it strengthens tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
Monache man’s case gets boost from forensics testing: New review raises questions about whether gun was planted in 1978 homicide.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Fancy Dance’ film moves to a new rhythm: Indigenous director Erica Tremblay works to find the ‘humanity’ in her films.
Cooking with Indigenous love: An Indigenous chef in Rhode Island has been nominated for a very prestigious award.
‘Frybread Face and Me’ draws from childhood memories: Writer/director Billy Luther examines Rez life and family dynamics in acclaimed new film.
INDIGENOUS A&E: Contemporary Seminole art, weaving stories in fiber, and sisterhood on stage.
Film festival puts spotlight on Native women directors: ‘Extraordinary’ lineup presents films ‘from a Native perspective.’
INDIGENOUS A&E: Art, alligators and music.
‘Navajoland Monopoly’ big winner at Heard Indian Market: The Phoenix art market welcomed more than 600 Indigenous artists from throughout the country over the weekend.
DESERT X: Indigenous artist creates giant basket maze: Cahuilla artist Gerald Clarke teaches history along with his artwork.
Skateboard postal stamps have Indigenous design: ‘The importance of skateboarding goes far beyond the sport itself and into the cultural impact that it has had on the country.’
Actress Lily Gladstone on verge of stardom: New film for PBS features Gladstone as an emerging ‘American Master.’
INDIGENOUS A&E: A milestone art retrospective, mascots in film and Cherokee voices.
SPORTS
‘Hockey Night in Cree’ scores big in Canada: Television program promotes Cree language along with Canada’s national pastime.
Inupiaq musher Ryan Redington wins Iditarod: Indigenous mushers sweep the top three spots for the first time in 50 years.
Native players in March Madness: Montana guard RaeQuan Battle hopes to lead the Bobcats to NCAA tournament victory.
Indigenous mushers take on Iditarod sled dog race: The world’s most famous sled dog race is here and it includes the smallest field ever.
Filmmaker scores big with Choctaw stickball: Mark D. Williams returns to the big screen with a new documentary about a women’s stickball team.
Iditarod Notebook: News from the Trail: Inupiaq musher Ryan Redington – grandson of the Iditarod co-founder – closes in on the finish line with fewer than 75 miles to go.
iSanti Ozuyapi makes prep basketball history: The boys basketball team qualified for the Nebraska state tournament and hopes it’s a start of a new tradition.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS NEWS
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Refugees, reindeer and recognition.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Traditional knowledge, depleted resources and well-deserved recognition.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Climate, forests and women in charge.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Indigenous Russians, children and high fashion.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: International condemnation, new voices and once-banned body art in Japan.
WATCH: ICT NEWSCASTS
Fifty years after Wounded Knee: The week marks the 50th anniversary of the Wounded Knee occupation by the American Indian Movement. Writer and director Tazbah Chavez tells us about her latest work coming soon to a TV near you. A surfing professor makes it his life’s work to care for the coral reefs.
Indigenous skateboards featured on stamp: Skateboards get a new platform on a postage stamp. Restoring bison to tribal nations for healing and economic development. We meet the leader of Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe. And it’s time for Denver March.
Leaders pave the way: We look back on the life of the late Navajo leader and elder, Peterson Zah. Meet the women warriors of the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation. A policy director from NIEA recounts this year’s Hill Week. Plus, check out what happened at IndigiPop X.
Cultural pride through generations: On the weekend edition of the ICT Newscast, traditional knowledge passed down through the generations. Meet a Native Hawaiian net-maker, a young man committed to forest fire management, and art in the desert. Plus, tribal college students test their knowledge.
Celebrating Indigenous winners: Celebrating winners in the humanities and dog sledding. Inupiaq musher Ryan Redington and Cheyenne scholar Henrietta Mann share their experiences. Students choose STEM fields.
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