A Lakota surgeon from Cheyenne River in South Dakota has plans to be the first Native to summit Mount Everest. Jacob Weasel has already successfully climbed notable peaks from Mount Rainier to Kilimanjaro.

A roller derby skater is raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.

Melissa Skeet began her career in Victim Assistance and due to her own experience with domestic violence, skating became a savior. In 2021, she skated 192 miles across the Navajo Nation. Last week ICT asked her about the experience.

First Peoples Fund is honoring Tom Pohaku Stone with a Community Spirit Award. These artists embody their People’s cultural assets in their creations and their way of life. Through his nonprofit organization, Kanalu, he is passionate about preserving and sharing traditional Hawaiian values and connection to the ocean. ICT’s Shirley Sneve has this interview.

It’s the 50th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Occupation. ICT’s Stewart Huntington sat down with Indigenous rights advocates who were in South Dakota during the 1973 event.

  • We start in South Dakota, where federal funding will assist a tribe in repairing damages caused by winter storms. President Biden declared a major disaster for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe for destruction caused by severe snow storms that took place in December.
  • The Cherokee Nation’s housing authority broke ground on new affordable housing. Tribal leaders gathered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to kick off the construction of 24 new homes for its citizens. The 23-acre site has room for more Cherokee homes in the future.
  • In Canada, a $.5 million feasibility study is being announced to search landfills for women’s remains in the Winnipeg, Manitoba area. At one site, family members of a missing Indigenous woman have set up camp, and say they aren’t moving until their relative is found. Miles Morrisseau has this report.
  • A change of one word in a song is causing a stir on social media. Jully Black sang the Canadian anthem at the NBA All-Star game in Utah. But the Toronto based singer changed the opening lyrics to highlight what she calls the true history of Indigenous people. That small one-word shift, a nod to Indigenous rights, generated a very big impact.

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 Athabaskan, is a producer of the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @mallencharmley.

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

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

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

Indian Country Today is a nonprofit news organization. Will you support our work? All of our content is free. There are no subscriptions or costs. And we have hired more Native journalists in the past year than any news organization ─ and with your help we will continue to grow and create career paths for our people. Support Indian Country Today for as little as $10.