The North American Indian Tennis Association hosted its championship tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma over the holiday weekend. The event brings more than 100 Native American players to the courts. Jessica Redcorn is the tournament director.

Alyssa London wears many hats, including being the founder of “Culture Story,” a media company promoting cross-cultural awareness and showcases Indigenous culture. Last year, she became the first Native contributor for NBC News and MSNBC. Her most recent project is hosting an upcoming special on MSNBC called “The Culture Is: Indigenous Women.” ICT’s Paris Wise has this interview.

A peak in western Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest has a new name. On April 13, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the change to Mount Halo from its previous name Swastika Mountain. The new title pays tribute to a Yoncalla Kalapuya tribal leader. Brian Bull is a reporter with KLCC News in Eugene, Oregon. 

  • A new state law that better protects Native American children in the state. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act into law last week. The act gives Native parents and families preference when it comes to fostering, or adopting, a Native child. The federal Indian Child Welfare Act is currently under review by the Supreme Court and a decision is expected any day now.
  • ICT and Underscore News are reporting new details in the domestic violence case against a former WNBA star in Oregon. According to a source familiar with the matter, Shoni Schimmel will plead guilty, and be sentenced in the case stemming from her arrest in 2021. The Umatilla citizen is charged with felony assault and assault by strangulation.
  • George Washington University has changed the name of its athletic teams from the Colonials to the Revolutionaries. The previous name was criticized for celebrating colonization, which still has present day effects on Native Americans. GWU is the latest stakeholder to change its name, following others like the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians.
  • In the Black Hills, a gold mine wants to expand its operations in the area. The Couer Wharf Mine in South Dakota has requested permission from the state board to begin extractions on an additional 48 acres of land owned by the company. The project has been repeatedly met with negative reactions from people in the area because it occupies land promised to area tribes by the 1868 Fort Laramie treaty.
  • Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation announced it had reached a deal to become the partial owner of San Diego’s new Major League Soccer team. The team, whose name hasn’t been released, will start playing at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025. It was part of an estimated $500 million agreement, according to Yahoo Sports. The Mohegan Tribe became the first tribal nation to own a professional sports team when it purchased the WNBA team the Connecticut Sun in 2003.

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

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

Virginia Rigney, Chickasaw, is a video editor for the ICT Newscast.

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

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