The National Indian Education Association held its annual Hill Week in Washington, D.C. last week. It’s an opportunity for Indigenous leaders to advocate for educational priorities. The NIEA policy director is Julia Wakeford.

Navajo elder and leader Peterson Zah died last week at age 85. He led the nation as chairman in the 1980s, and was elected Navajo’s first president after its government reorganized in the 1990s. To many, he was a role model and mentor, including to Jaynie Parrish. She interviewed him in January 2022, after he had just been honored by the Grand Canyon Trust for his service. She asked what stood out for him in his career.

(Related: Peterson Zah’s final journey through Navajo)

This actor who knows what it’s like to be in front of the camera, as well as behind it. Robert I. Mesa has played Dr. Chee on “Grey’s Anatomy” and recently appeared on the hit Fox drama “Accused.”

A slice of our Indigenous world

  • NASA astronaut Nicole Mann is celebrating a mission complete. She and Crew-5 splashed down on Saturday evening after more than 150 days in space. The four astronauts of the Crew-5 mission included the first Native woman in space as well as American Josh Cassada, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Japan’s Koichi Wakata.
  • In Colorado, the name change for Mount Evans will have to wait. Last week, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was set to rename the iconic peak to Mount Blue Sky. That was after the state’s governor and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe endorsed the move, but Northern Cheyenne leaders say they were not consulted and that they prefer a different name.
  • You name it and it was there. The annual IndigiPop X event took place in Oklahoma City over the weekend. Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche has the latest.
  • The only federally recognized tribe in Alabama just went into business with NASA. A media production company owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians has been selected to manage a contract valued at $217 million. PCI Productions will manage communication services for all of NASA’s divisions, including its headquarters.

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