Regalia vs. Costume: The Correct Words and Why They Matter
Learn why Native regalia should not be called a costume, which terms to use and how to behave respectfully at powwows and cultural events.
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Cherokee Nation: History, Government, Culture and Life Today
Learn how Cherokee Nation’s history, reservation, government, citizenship and language programs shape life today, and how it differs from the other Cherokee governments.
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Native American Reservations Explained: Land, Government and Common Myths
The word “reservation” is often used as if it describes one uniform kind of place. In reality, reservations vary enormously in size, history, population, land ownership and government. Some include cities and heavily traveled highways; others are rural or remote. Some retain a large trust-land base, while others have a checkerboard of Tribal, individual and…
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Armed Federal Agents Accompany Border-Wall Crews onto Tohono O’odham Nation
Armed federal agents accompanied border-wall contractors onto the Tohono O’odham Nation this week, escalating a dispute over the federal government’s plan to construct 62 miles of barrier along the Nation’s southern boundary. The Tohono O’odham Nation said approximately 20 armed and masked Customs and Border Protection officers entered before dawn on August 25. Contractors brought…
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Cherokee Nation Opens $30M Immersion School in Tahlequah
The Cherokee Nation dedicated a $30 million, purpose-built Cherokee-language immersion middle school on August 17, 2026, marking a major expansion of its effort to create new generations of Cherokee speakers. The more than 66,000-square-foot School of the Seven Directions is scheduled to begin classes on August 27. Its 16 classrooms will serve students in fourth…
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Navajo Code Talker Museum Plan Draws Questions Over Consultation and Control
New Mexico’s plan to build a nearly $20 million Navajo Code Talker museum is moving forward amid questions from descendants about whether the project was developed with sufficient community consultation. The state announced August 14 that the museum would be constructed at Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington. Funding will cover construction and exhibits about the…
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Native Forward Places $40 Million Into Permanent Fund for Native Students
Native Forward Scholars Fund will place $40 million into a permanent endowment and use another $10 million to expand scholarships for Native students during the next five years. The Albuquerque-based nonprofit announced the allocation August 5, providing its first detailed public account of how it will use a $50 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie…
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Interior Reverses Scotts Valley Band’s Vallejo Gaming Approval
The U.S. Department of the Interior has reversed its earlier approval of gaming by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in Vallejo, California, prompting the Tribe to suspend a preview casino only one week after it opened. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William H. Kirkland III issued the 39-page determination July 31. He concluded…
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Senate Confirms Klamath Citizen Mark Cruz to Lead Indian Health Service
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to lead the Indian Health Service during a period of severe workforce, infrastructure and funding challenges. Cruz was confirmed August 7 as part of an en bloc package containing 74 presidential nominees. The package passed 51–47 shortly before the Senate began its…
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California Funds Return of Nearly 40,000 Acres to Quartz Valley Tribe
California has approved financing that will allow the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation to reclaim nearly 40,000 acres of ancestral land in the Klamath River Basin—almost 200 times the size of the Tribe’s present reservation. The State Water Resources Control Board announced the decision July 24 after adopting a resolution authorizing a $25 million, zero-interest loan…
