Undoing a Life Sentence
A judge resentenced Herbert Rice Jr. on Tuesday, undoing a life sentence the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a decade ago. Rice, a citizen of the Colville Tribes, is one of about 2,500 U.S. prisoners held on life sentences without parole imposed when they were minors.
Read the story
Workers in hardhats and high-visablity vests survey site after train derailment.

THE LATEST

Portland Art Museum Changes Policy After Karuk Mother Speaks Out

Offended by multiple employees who told her to remove her traditional woven willow baby carrier, Sophie Weinstein left the Portland Art Museum’s exhibit on Yankton Sioux artist Oscar Howe. The incident caused an uproar.

Inupiaq Musher Ryan Redington Wins Iditarod

Indigenous mushers sweep the top three spots for the first time in 50 years.

NEWS & FEATURES

‘Our Profit Is in the People’

When Bobbie Hill returned home from treatment for addiction, she knew she wanted to do something to help others on their journey to sobriety. So she started a business.

Waiting for answers: Are serial killer’s victims in a Winnipeg landfill?

Indigenous community in Manitoba continues protests over police refusal to search for remains.

Natives Incarcerated at Alarming Rates, Report Shows

Native American people are incarcerated at rates up to seven times higher than white people in the United States.

State Sues Feds over Southeast Alaska Tribe's Land Trust

What was described by a tribal leader as a benchmark achievement in a landback initiative has inspired what could become landmark litigation.

The Future Past: Artists in Conversation

Dakota modernist Oscar Howe redefined Native American art, making space for younger generations. New exhibits at the Portland Art Museum showcase the conversation between Howe's work and contemporary Choctaw and Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson.

Pendletons and Ph.D.s

How one single mom uses her sewing machine to support her family, business and doctoral degree.

SPECIAL SERIES
Sovereign Justice: Data-Driven Reporting Project

Undoing a Life Sentence

A judge resentenced Herbert Rice Jr. on Tuesday, undoing a life sentence the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a decade ago. Rice, a citizen of the Colville Tribes, is one of about 2,500 U.S. prisoners held on life sentences without parole imposed when they were minors.

Experts Say Lawsuits Pose Greatest Threat to Tribes in Decades

Betting and adoption cases take aim at tribal sovereignty.

The Chinook Nation’s Existential Fight for Recognition

Chinook people have fought for federal status for close to two centuries. This portrait shows what federal recognition means for the nation’s land base, healthcare, education and legal protections. But, more than anything, tribal members want to be recognized for who they are, and who they have been for millennia.

SPECIAL REPORT
Indigenous Survivors: Voices of Resilience

Justice Lags for Indigenous Survivors of Violence

For Indigenous families, the struggle to prosecute crimes committed by non-Natives on tribal land has created lasting trauma.

Desireé Coyote's Fight to Empower Survivors of Violence

Coyote's story, told through hours of interviews and documents, reveals how years of trauma and systemic failures drove her to advocate for survivors like her.

Indigenous Survivors: Voices of Resilience

Three Indigenous women in Oregon, all survivors of violence who have become advocates in the footsteps of Desireé Coyote, share their personal stories in an effort to inspire and help other survivors.

donors

Inasmuch FoundationResolve PhillyThomson Reuters FoundationNative Arts and Cultures Foundation

A full list of our donors can be found here.

news partners

ProPublica
REPORTING
All ReportingSpecial Report: Economics in Indian CountryIndigenous Survivors: Voices of ResilienceSovereign Justice: Data-Driven Reporting Project
ABOUT US
Who We AreOur TeamAnnouncementsEventsJoin UsContact Us
DOCUMENTS
Finance ReportsEditorial IndependenceRepublishing PolicyPrivacy PolicyNon-discrimination Policy
Underscore, 2023 © All Rights Reserved
MAILING ADDRESS
1200 NW Naito Parkway, Ste. 490
Portland, OR 97209