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These signs are brand new at the S’edav Va’aki Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. When this institution first opened in 1929, it was called the Pueblo Grande Museum. ICT’s Aliyah Chavez has this report.

Lucille EchoHawk serves on the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs and has been a leader on many fronts, including in philanthropy and child welfare. She says she is always driven by an optimism that came from her parents. ICT’s Stewart Huntington caught up with EchoHawk recently.

The Owens Valley Indian Water Commission is still fighting for their rights to their ancestral land and water ways in California. A battle with the government and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power continues on after decades. ICT’s Paris Wise has this story. 

A slice of our Indigenous world

  • President Joe Biden wants the Indigenous nation that invented lacrosse to play the game under its own flag in the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee added lacrosse to the 2028 games, but IOC rules state that athletes must be part of an official national Olympic committee team. Biden is now throwing his weight behind the effort to change the rules and allowing the New York and Ontario-based tribe to field its own squad. The Haudenosaunee Nationals men’s team is currently ranked third in the world.
  • The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will transfer over 40 acres to the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians. This is the department’s first-ever land return to a California tribe. Tribal Chairman Carl Dahlberg said these lands have always been sacred to their people and they hope to bring back history and knowledge to the community.
  • A Nevada tribe has decided not to challenge a lawsuit that allows lithium mining on sacred lands. The Reno Sparks Indian Colony has been speaking out about the cultural importance of Thacker Pass. Currently, private company Lithium Americas is mining, which some say is critical to develop batteries for electric cars. In a press conference Tuesday, tribal Chairman Arlan Melendez said he was disappointed about the dismissal.
  • Indigenous communities are often the hardest hit by climate change disruptions. At the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, known as COP-28, advocates are working to make sure Indigenous voices are heard and heeded. The NDN Collective and the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus are hosting what’s called the Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion” at the conference.
  • For some, the fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline ended when the pipeline was built. For the people of Standing Rock, that fight never ended. ICT’s Amelia Schafer visited with tribal leaders contesting a new Environmental Impact Statement process, and vowing to never surrender.

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.

Paris Wise, Zia and Laguna Pueblo, 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.

Nick Parks is a Production Assistant for the ICT Newscast.On Twitter: @NickParks2002

Jack Orleans is an Intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter @JackOrleans5

Demi Dupavillon is an Intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter @DemiDupavillon

Mark Trahant, Shoshone-Bannock, is ICT editor-at-large and Executive Producer of the ICT Newscast Email: marktrahant@ictnews.org

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