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Navajo Nation to receive $220M for water infrastructure in Utah water rights settlement
For years, Navajo people living on the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation have gone without running water or adequate sanitation facilities. But, that’s about to change after the historic signing of the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act, which will provide the Navajo Nation government with Utah water rights access and federal funding for […]
Gila River Indian Community receives funding to upgrade traffic safety signs
The Gila River Indian Community will get nearly $1 million to replace old and damaged traffic signs through the community, which tribal leaders say will improve safety for community members who drive the roads every day and those who visit tribal lands. The funding will be used to replace traffic signs in four districts on […]
Native education programs win grants from AZ education department
Some people go through life without ever having a mentor, but the Native SOAR program is working to change that for Indigenous students — whether they’re in kindergarten or doctoral students. “It’s a recruitment, mentoring and professional development hub that serves our Indigenous students, all the way from kindergarten to graduate students, as well as […]
Gila River Indian Community awarded a $4.4 million dollar grant to expand broadband
The Gila River Indian Community received a $4.4 million dollar grant to help improve access to and use of broadband internet service among tribal citizens. The network expansion will assist in telehealth, distance learning, affordable internet service, economic growth and digital inclusion efforts, according to the grant application. “This $4.4 million in funding is vital […]
Light Up Navajo initiative helps Navajo with ‘life-changing’ access to the electrical grid
Melisha Beyal grew up on the Navajo Nation and always wanted to put a home on her family’s homesite in Klagetoh. It’s where her family is from and where she grew up — but it’s also in an area that doesn’t have access to electricity or running water. In fact, her mother moved away from […]
Historic report on Federal Indian Boarding Schools finds 47 in Arizona, 400 nationwide
For the first time in history, the Department of Interior investigated the federal Indian boarding school system across the United States, identifying more than 400 schools and over 50 burial sites. Arizona was home to 47 of those schools, which were attended by Indigenous children who were taken away from their families and attempted to […]
Ending the ‘life of violence’: Raising awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). In 2017, the U.S. Senate signed a resolution that designated May 5 as the “National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, introduced the resolution in response to the disappearance […]
Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act signed into law, expanding program
A new federal law aims to improve recruitment and expand operations for the Shadow Wolves, the country’s only Native American tracking unit based on the Tohono O’odham Nation. The Shadow Wolves are an elite unit within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that operates on the Tohono O’odham Nation, which shares 62-miles of the Mexican border. […]
Tunnel Fire northeast of Flagstaff 0% contained, Ducey declares state of emergency
Gov. Doug Ducey has declared a state of emergency in response to the Tunnel Fire in Coconino County that has currently burned more than 20,000 acres and has 0% containment. “Our team is on the ground working with first responders to monitor the Tunnel Fire in Coconino County,” Ducey said in a press release. “As […]
Department of Interior announces funding opportunity for tribal communities to address climate change
Tribal nations across the country have the opportunity to receive funding to address the unique impacts climate change has within their communities. “As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, Indigenous communities are facing unique climate-related challenges that pose existential threats to Tribal economies, infrastructure, lives, and livelihoods,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in […]
White House report highlights voting barriers for Native American voters
Native Americans face recurring and unnecessary barriers when it comes to exercising their right to vote, according to a report released by the White House. “Many of the voting barriers faced by Native American communities are persistent and longstanding, with deep historical roots,” the report states. The report identified a wide range of barriers that […]
‘Light Up Navajo’ initiative aims to connect 300 families to the electrical grid
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is working with utility crews from across the U.S. to extend power lines and bring electricity to families on the Navajo Nation as part of the Light Up Navajo III initiative. Light Up Navajo III (LUN III) is a mutual aid project that extends service to Navajo homes without […]