During the White House Tribal Nations Summit in November, President Joe Biden said he intends to make the sacred site Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada a national monument. Friday marks 100 days since that commitment. Last week it seemed as though the designation would finally happen — then the White House rolled back, saying the designation could come at a later time. Timothy Williams is the Chairman of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.

The American bison, or buffalo, is much more than an important historical source of food to Natives of the Northern Plains. For 30 years, the InterTribal Buffalo Council has worked to restore buffalo herds to tribes across the country. Troy Heinert is its executive director.

The percentage of Native Americans in the armed forces is higher than any other ethnic group per capita. These warriors serve the United States and their tribes. Bernie Tyler is among these veterans. She works for the Dine Naazbaa Partnership for the Navajo Nation.

  • Indigenous mushers in the 2023 Iditarod are celebrating big. That’s because the top three finishers in this year’s dog-sled competition were all Alaska Native. The Iditarod is nearly a thousand miles, requiring racers to travel over two different mountain ranges, from the frozen Yukon River to the Bering Sea ice. This is the first time in the Iditarod’s 51-year history that all Alaska Natives finished in the top three.
  • There are new developments in the barricades on Ojibwe lands. Officials from the Lac du Flambeau tribe barricaded four roads on Jan. 21, saying the roads had been built illegally years prior. It stranded non-Native residents on 65 properties beyond the road. Over the weekend, officials from the town offered the tribe $60,000 in exchange for removing the barricades for 90 days.
  • A school focused on Native students is closing its doors soon. We brought you the story on the American Indian Academy of Denver last fall, when school administrators faced the possibility of being shut down in the middle of the school year. Denver Public Schools is now helping students transition to new schools, while also exploring the possibility of implementing a program similar to the academy
  • A tribe in California is bringing on a special investigator to help with new and existing cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The Yurok Tribe recently hired Wyandotte citizen and accomplished law enforcement professional Julia Oliveira. She brings 25 years of experience to her new role with the Nation.
  • There’s a soon-to-be new Native superhero on Disney Plus. Kahhori is a Mohawk woman who will debut on Marvel’s “What If” series. The story is set to take place in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy before colonization. Marvel says it worked closely with Mohawk experts to ensure that the episode is accurate and respectful. The episode will feature the Mohawk language, designs, and music.

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.

Virginia Rigney, Chickasaw, is a Video Production Editor for the ICT newscast. 

Daniel Herrera Carbajal is an intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @daniulherrrera

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