Tribal Natural Resources News

Native American tribes around the West are making critical decisions regarding the management of their resources — land, water, fossil fuels and renewable resources. The Tribal Natural Resources Desk aims to produce objective reporting to tell stories of tribes empowering themselves through stewardship and decision-making around their resources.
Learning lessons from one Hopi dry farmer on his last day in the cornfield
Gary Tso reflects on three decades of Hopi dry farming his mother's corn and the spiritual lessons that come with living his faith on a single-acre field at the bottom of Second Mesa.
Hand-roasting Pima 60-Day Corn is hard and expensive, but essential to preserve heirloom products
Biden canceled the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but an Indigenous protester is still on trial
It’s been almost a year since President Joe Biden officially ended his predecessor’s wall project along the U.S.-Mexico border. But a trial continues for one Indigenous protester facing federal charges for blocking construction machinery at a wall site in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Indigenous land acknowledgments are growing. Do they go far enough?
Indigenous land acknowledgments are becoming more popular today. The statements recognize the Indigenous people who lived on this land long before the rest of us — and their knowledge systems and connection to it. And Arizona State University is just one of many organizations that's adopting them.
Indigenous protester stands trial over 2020 border wall demonstration
Hia C-ed O'odham activist Amber Ortega was one of two Indigenous protesters arrested in September 2020 for physically blocking machinery at a border wall construction site near Quitobaquito Springs in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. She testified her religious and cultural beliefs compelled her actions.
Mexican gray wolves recovering despite I-40 boundary
Mexican gray wolves recovery efforts are becoming a success despite the Interstate 40 boundary cutting through northern Arizona.
8,500 Navajo have left the reservation since 2010
According to the National Congress of American Indians, more than 8,500 people have left the Navajo Nation reservation since the 2010 census due to the lack of jobs and economic opportunities.
Decision delayed to compensate Navajo Nation for coal plant closures
The Corporation Commission may have made a big move to cut Arizona Public Service's profitability Oct. 6, but it delayed another big decision to provide more than $100 million in financial help to tribal communities hurt by the recent closures of coal-fired power plants.
APS increase could mean compensation for tribes
Coal plant closures have resulted in lost jobs, depleted revenue for the tribes, and lasting environmental concerns on tribal lands. Under its proposed rate increase plan, APS would agree to pay the Navajo Nation more than $100 million over 10 years to compensate for losses.
Art Remains A Priority For The Roosevelt Row Community
Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation Tuesday night unveiled the results of its community survey at a fundraising event tying into the fall equinox. The final draft provides insights into the next stage of growth for the area.
Judge Tosses Trump Rollback Of Clean Water Safeguards
A federal judge has thrown out a Trump-era rule that ended federal protections for hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways and left them vulnerable to pollution from nearby development.
For Native Americans, Protecting Sacred Sites Is An Issue Of Religious Freedom
Most religions hold certain places sacred. For Christians, it's churches and basilicas. For Jews, synagogues. For Muslims, mosques. For Native American people, those sacred places look a little different.
Akimel Oodham Artist Unveils Exhibit In UNCONTAINED Series
Zachary Justin drew from his outdoor environs in the Gila River Indian Community for the Roosevelt Row mural that features saguaros, birds, mountains and Indigenous symbols with a color palette that is heavy on blues, purples and magentas.
Years After Coal Mines Close On Navajo And Hopi Land, Some Are Concerned About Cleanup
For half a century, Navajo and Hopi tribal lands were the site of one of the largest coal mining operations in the Western U.S. Years after the mines closed, some Navajo and Hopi citizens have concerns about what’s been left behind.
Sonora Community Faces COVID-19 Outbreak Amid Water Shortage
A town of the Indigenous Comcaac Nation in neighboring Sonora, Mexico, is experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the midst of a water shortage.
The Long History Of Uranium Mining On The Arizona Strip
During the Cold War, the U.S. government purchased tons of uranium from prospectors in Arizona and other Southwestern states. Then uranium became a global commodity, traded on the open market. Since then companies operating in the U.S. have struggled to compete.
Drought Continues To Impact Navajo Nation
The largest Native American reservation in the U.S. is continuing to struggle with drought conditions. The majority of the Navajo Nation is in extreme or exceptional drought.
Comcaac Community In Sonora Seeks Urgent Help With Water
Members of an Indigenous community in neighboring Sonora, Mexico, say they are experiencing a critical water shortage after weeks without reliable access.
How An Indigenous Healing Practice Survived The Pandemic
Almost every week for the past year, a group of about 10 ASU students, most of them Indigenous, have gathered on Zoom to participate in a traditional healing practice adapted for the digital age and for a pandemic that pushed most personal interactions online.
IndigiData: Navajo geneticist trains new generation of Indigenous data scientists
Krystal Tsosie is a geneticist and bioethicist at Vanderbilt University and the Native BioData Consortium and a member of the Navajo Nation. She helped to organize the first IndigiData consortium, which met in June, focused on training a new generation of Indigenous data scientists.
Lithium Mining Threatens Hualapai Sacred Sites
A push for more electric vehicles is bumping up against a western Arizona tribe’s sacred sites and land. A mining company is looking to extract lithium on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, but that land surrounds Hualapai land on three sides.
Roosevelt Row: Future Of Arts District Survey Garners Key Takeaways
Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation offers key takeaways from recent survey.

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