INDIAN COUNTRY

A 2019 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirmed off-reservation hunting treaty rights for the Crow Tribe. Wyoming officials have been resisting that decision ever since, despite recent losses in state courts.

After a successful start to the partnership, the Coquille Indian Tribe wants to be named a co-manager of the river, a proposal backed by local governments, watershed associations and business groups. The effort comes amid a broader push by Oregon tribes to gain more authority in natural resource management and water policy decisions.

The NHL's newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken, is leading the way with art and youth programs to build Native American ties to a sport that traces much of its history to Indigenous peoples of North America.

In a sit-down conversation with Underscore.news, Chuck Sams, the country’s first Native American parks director, discusses the role his agency can play in better representing Indigenous people and their stories.

Federal government is investigating tribe's planned evictions of more than 60 disenrolled citizens.

More than 60 former tribal citizens in Washington are set to be kicked out of their homes in a years-long saga over disenrollment.

Oregon's Charles "Chuck" Sams III has a long list of challenges, while tribal leaders hope he will incorporate more Indigenous culture and history into the National Park Service's operations.

Aja DeCoteau becomes the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s leader at a pivotal time for the future of the river and salmon.

Three tribal leaders who started the case want the federal government to restore an important religious site they say the government unnecessarily destroyed for a highway-widening project in 2008 near Oregon’s Mt. Hood.

Canadian-based airline Iskwew Air launches inaugural scheduled flight after pandemic delay.

Critics say newly drawn state legislative maps in Oregon will make it more difficult for Native American voters to elect candidates who best represent their interests. In Washington, initial maps led to worries that the only Indigenous lawmaker in the state Legislature could lose her seat.

The summit will give tribal leaders a chance to hear about the Biden administration’s work in Indian Country and to tell the White House what they’d like to see happen.

Charles “Chuck” F. Sams III, who would become the first Indigenous person to lead the National Park Service, told senators that he would prioritize hiring more staff, addressing maintenance backlogs and consultation with tribal nations

City leaders in Oregon are partnering with nonprofits and tribes to promote first foods, which may hold clues to climate change resilience while connecting urban Native Americans to important ancestral knowledge and practices.

New federal-tribal partnership will deepen the Corps of Discovery journey with stories from the many tribes who helped the explorers find their way.

Several tribes announced vaccine requirements for tribal employees weeks before President Joe Biden’s announcement in early October.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation tried early and often to protect its members from COVID-19, but in this case, to no avail.

Chuck Sams’ nomination to lead the National Park Service is a source of pride for Umatilla Tribes.

In the aftermath of the Bootleg Fire, Klamath tribal leaders vow to persevere on the land where they have lived for millennia.

For the Klamath Tribes, the damage wrought by the Bootleg Fire is deeply personal.

The Klamath River flows through two states and the lands of several tribal nations. It’s home to First Foods and provides irrigation. And there’s not enough water to meet everyone’s needs.

Decades after saber-toothed cat bones were discovered in Oregon, two scientists realized they belonged to a previously unidentified species. Cayuse scholars helped name the feline, which they say shows their language persists.

Tribal nations in the Pacific Northwest leverage sovereignty and experience to fight the pandemic.

The Constitution of the Choctaw Nation bars enrollment for the descendants of enslaved Black people. Chief Gary Batton says enrollment is based on ‘a federal construct that has fueled division and racism.’

COVID-19 created a need for more internet access. On reservations, barriers remain to high-speed broadband.

Earlier this year, 17 members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation went on trial for violating COVID-19 restrictions. In court, they argued that they had a right to practice their traditions. Pandemic restrictions have made it harder for many Native Americans to maintain contact with their culture, some leaders say.

The COVID-19 pandemic and mismatched databases confound efforts to address failures investigating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Wednesday is a national day of action.

Oregon tribes are reintroducing a species that creates important habitat for First Foods. But the Beaver State’s laws don’t work in the animal’s favor.

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has hit Indian Country particularly hard. Entrepreneurs are turning to small, local lending institutions in a region that’s often outside the reach of traditional banks.

Once leery of federal health initiatives, Native Americans embrace COVID-19 vaccines as a way to protect communities and families.

Members of Congress are threatening to hold up housing funds for tribes. To the chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, it’s infringing on tribal sovereignty. For those seeking citizenship, it’s a chance to change a ‘system of hidden anti-Black racism.’

If Rep. Deb Haaland is appointed by Congress, she will oversee the Department of Interior, managing “the earth, mountains, forests, rivers—and Indians”, a federal agency that has upended life for Native Americans for decades.

The novel coronavirus outbreak is making it harder for Native Americans to fish along the Columbia River. Depleted salmon runs and the federal government’s failure to improve fishing sites had already impacted culturally and economically important harvests.

Relief money provided by the CARES Act must be spent by Dec. 30. With Congress fighting over additional stimulus, Oregon tribal governments are left wondering how they’ll provide services next year.

The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered facilities at Portland’s Native American Youth and Family Center. Now the organization is finding ways to offer services remotely, including getting food to families who are at a high risk of going hungry.

And why I'm lucky

A look at events that led up to the Columbus Day proclamation that arose from racist attitudes and how Native Americans face similar racist demons. 

For Native American high school graduates, COVID-19 has derailed plans—but not resolve.

The Census has long failed to accurately tally populations in Indian Country. COVID-19 is hampering attempts to fix that.

On the Warm Springs Reservation, residents have been without clean drinking water for three summers in a row. Where is the fix?

The Native American experience with COVID-19 is only the latest chapter in a centuries-long tragedy.

In the midst of a pandemic, tribes adapt in their preparation for fire season.

Pandemic has forced the cancellation of events everywhere. But in Indian Country, not congregating comes with added cost—and risk.

Casino closings affect thousands of Oregon jobs.

Native American dancing celebrates life at a distance

Coronavirus numbers for Native Americans begin to climb.

Collaboration and multiple partnerships built “Our Place” to change the financial bottom line.