Arizona tribal leaders ask for more funding, less meddling for water projects

Arizona tribal officials told a Senate committee that the federal government can help address a crisis with water infrastructure on their lands through more funding, and less meddling. It’s not just lack of money that’s holding tribes back, but federal laws that hamstring their ability to make decisions for themselves.... Read more»

Senate confirms Haaland as first-ever Native American to serve in the Cabinet

U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland made history on Monday when she became the first Native American to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold a position in a president's Cabinet. ... Read more»

Tribal gaming issues could derail Arizona bill to allow 'historic horse racing' gambling

Tribal opposition could sink a bill to allow wagering on old horse races, which comes as Gov. Doug Ducey is hoping to push through a new gaming compact and legislation to legalize sports betting in Arizona. Under the state’s gaming compact, tribes are limited in operation in exchange for the state limiting gambling outside of reservations to things like the lottery and pari-mutuel horse racing that predate the compact and were grandfathered in.... Read more»

GOP senators from the West grill Haaland for a second day

In a bitter and at times high-decibel round of questioning at her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Interior nominee Rep. Deb Haaland again fielded questions from Senate Republicans from oil and gas-producing states about the Biden administration’s energy policies. If confirmed by the Senate, Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, would run the $21 billion agency that oversees more than 450 million acres of public land. ... Read more»

Pause on leasing public land for oil and gas extraction draws mixed reaction

The Biden administration ordered a 60-day pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters after environmental activists sent a letter urging the administration to issue a permanent ban rather than a temporary one. The decision has drawn praise and criticism from both sides, but is just the beginning of potential federal action. The administration has promised to protect 30% of public lands and waters by 2030.... Read more»

Critics grill Haaland; backers point to historic nature of nomination

While Senate Republicans used the Interior confirmation hearing for Rep. Debra Haaland to air their grievances about the Biden administration’s energy policies, supporters at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing focused mostly on the historic nature of the nomination. ... Read more»

Federal judge rejects Apache Stronghold request to block Oak Flat mine

U.S. District Judge Steven Logan rejected a request by the group Apache Stronghold for a preliminary injunction against the proposed Resolution Copper Mine on Oak Flat, saying the group did not have standing to challenge the project and questioning the merits and likelihood of success of the claim.... Read more»

Climate change fueling more intense megadroughts in U.S. West

Climate change is pushing the western United States and northern Mexico toward an extreme long-term drought that could be worse than any in recorded history, scientists revealed in a new study published in the journal Science Thursday. ... Read more»1

With stay-at-home orders and fundraising, Indian Country combats COVID-19

Native Americans are seeking more help from the federal government to fight COVID-19, even as the Navajo Nation and other tribes take steps to combat the disease themselves – including raising money to help vulnerable citizens and issuing shelter-in-place orders. ... Read more»

Native American tribes expect little help in fighting coronavirus spread

As tribes across the country take steps to fight the spread of the coronavirus, they’re doing so mindful that the virus has proven especially dangerous to the elderly, a venerated group in many Native communities.... Read more»

Senate panel takes up plan to settle Bill Williams River water dispute

Tribal and state lawmakers urged a Senate panel to pass a water-rights deal between the Hualapai and Freeport Minerals Corp., saying time is fast running out. The deal for tribal water rights in the Bill Williams River watershed is backed by the state's congressional delegation. ... Read more»

For many Navajos, it’s been a long wait in the dark

For more than 80 years of his life, William Yazzie didn't know what it was like to flick a switch in his own home and have light flood the room. The lines finally reached him in 2008. Still, more than 18,000 households on the reservation are waiting for electricity.... Read more»1

Comic: Immigration

This land is your land, this land is my land

There are two sides to every issue. Or are there three?... Read more»