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.
Screenings of the new film focused on Grand Canyon National Park’s tribal communities are scheduled for Wednesday at the Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Center.
Apr. 24, 2024
As sage has ballooned in popularity, journalists and activists are uncovering a dirty truth about the sacred desert plant: Sage is being poached in massive quantities.
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→ Hear more interviews from The Show
Sept. 1, 2022
During the Cold War, the uranium industry dug hundreds of mines on the Navajo Nation. Officials with the tribe met recently to discuss the impacts of uranium exposure to tribal members.
Aug. 30, 2022
The Bureau of Reclamation recently opened an Environmental Impact Statement on the Miner Flat Dam at Fort Apache to public comments.
Aug. 24, 2022
Navajo President Jonathan Nez and tribal officials met with Arizona Congressman Tom O’Halleran and others recently to visit abandoned uranium mines near Cameron.
Aug. 22, 2022
For thousands of years, tribes living in what is now the Southwestern United States gathered at the Gila River. They left a legacy that conservationists would like to preserve, and Congressman Raul Grijalva has introduced legislation that could make that a reality.
Aug. 22, 2022
Historically, tribes along the Colorado River have been left out of decision-making about it, despite being senior water rights holders. But that's starting to change.
Aug. 9, 2022
Sponsored by Democratic Reps. Raul Grijalva and Greg Stanton, the bill authorizes the Colorado River Indian Tribes to lease water gained through conservation.
Aug. 1, 2022
A change in policy by the Biden administration to give tribal voices more of a seat at the table has led to a controversy about proposed changes at Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff.
July 1, 2022
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed on tribal land when the victim is Native American.
June 30, 2022
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Friday ruled that Canadian-based Resolute Mining Company can build a copper mine on sacred Native American land east of Phoenix.
June 25, 2022
The Havasupai Tribal Council sent a letter of opposition to ADEQ Friday, citing concerns over a proposed uranium mine.
May 31, 2022
A growing global debate over an energy source with a deadly past is playing out amidst the sweet sage and pine trees of the forests right by the Grand Canyon. More than a decade since the disastrous Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, interest in uranium is on the rise again. And Arizona has cleared the way for a once stagnant mine to resume operations.
May 19, 2022
Quitobaquito a natural water source near the U.S.-Mexico border in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It’s a sacred site and historic homestead to a southern Arizona tribe and it houses some of the state’s most endangered species. But the site is now in peril.
May 9, 2022
The Department of the Interior announced this week that nearly $10 million will be allocated for irrigation projects and power utilities owned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
May 6, 2022
On Tuesday, the Bureau of Reclamation announced two drought mitigation measures to ensure the water level at Lake Powell doesn’t dip below what’s required to generate electricity. It’s a significant move one tribe in Arizona hopes will push other water legislation forward.
May 5, 2022
"Dancing With The Universe | Native Style” is a new Indigenous theatrical work debuting this weekend at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The themes present in the songs and dances are centered on connecting to nature.
May 3, 2022
Arizona granted an aquifer protection permit to a mining firm recently that enables the company to prepare to start extracting uranium ore near Grand Canyon National Park.
May 2, 2022
Renewal construction will soon be underway at Quitobaquito Springs, a cherished natural water source along the border at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
April 13, 2022
A judge approved an agreement to pause oil and gas drilling near Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.
April 8, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused ripple effects across the globe, including one that could be felt strongest in the Southwest. And it involves an element found underground.
March 31, 2022