Earlier this month Mary Smith, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, was sworn-in as the president of the American Bar Association at its House of Delegates meeting in Denver. John Echohawk, the historic leader of the Native American Rights Fund was also honored for his contributions to Indian law. ICT’s Mark Trahant was there.

In Bismarck, North Dakota, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara citizen Garrett Vegan is connecting addiction resources with those that need it. Here is a profile of Garrett’s work on the Recovery Connection conference. ICT’s Vincent Moniz reports.

This has been a particularly dangerous summer for fires across the globe. More than 370 wildfires are burning across Canada and smoke from those fires has impacted tribal nations in Washington, Idaho and Montana. Some communities have canceled their events and others are utilizing emergency response funding to get air purifiers. ICT’s JoVonne Wagner is in Missoula, Montana with this update. 

  • The Farm Bill is once again up for renewal. The deadline to pass one of the largest and most important appropriation bills for federally-recognized tribes is Sept. 30. It is one of the most important omnibus bills that funds everything from rural development to federal food programs and broadband access. With Congress recessed until Sept. 5, timing is crucial.
  • Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner have officially been sworn into office, along with other leaders. More than 1,500 people filled the Chota Conference Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to watch the historic moment. Hoskin was first elected to the position in 2019. This is his second term in office, after winning nearly 63 percent of the vote against three opponents.
  • Hundreds of motorcyclists gathered recently in South Dakota to support and celebrate Indigenous military veterans. The third annual Veteran Warriors Ride took place earlier this month during the second weekend of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The event aimed to provide resources to veterans while raising awareness of the group’s homelessness crisis.
  • The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde can now issue hunting and fishing licenses to its tribal citizens for the first time. However those licenses will only count toward subsistence and ceremonial harvests. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife held a seven-hour meeting to hear testimony from the public.
  • Toptana Technologies, an infrastructure and technology company owned by the Quinault Indian Nation, plans to increase the quality of life for tribes and rural communities along the Pacific Northwest through digital equality. The idea is to connect isolated regions, by installing undersea infrastructure for rural communities that currently have little, or no Internet access. The project will run along I-5, offering efficient interconnection from the Olympic Peninsula to Seattle and Hillsboro, Oregon.

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.

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

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

Stewart Huntington is a producer for the ICT Newscast.

Quindrea Yazzie, Diné, is a video production editor for the ICT Newscast. Email: qyazzie@ictnews.org . Yazzie is based in Phoenix.

Daniel Herrera Carbajal is a video editor for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @daniulherrrera

Pauly Denetclaw, Diné, is a political correspondent for ICT. Email her at pauly@ictnews.org

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

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