Leaders of the Native American Church of North American convene in Washington, D.C., on September 23, 2023 to advocate for protections of their way of life and the natural habitat of peyote with federal agencies and Congressional leaders. Photo by Darren Thompson By Darren Thompson Madison, Wisconsin—A discrimination case stemming from the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation gained momentum this week after a U.S. District Court denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss. Plaintiff Mashkikii-Boodawaaning Inc., “Medicine Fireplace” in the Ojibwe language, is an affiliated chapter of the Native Am ..read more

By Darren Thompson Cole Brings Plenty, 27, was a 27-year-old actor, student, son, nephew, brother and enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Johnson County, Kansas—On Friday, April 5, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office announced that Cole Brings Plenty was found dead in a wooded area, four days after he was reported missing. Brings Plenty was reported missing in Lawrence on April 1, after he missed a meeting with his agent, and many committed to finding him by sharing his missing person’s report and conducting independent searches. A cause of death has not been m ..read more

Screenshot from video of Sioux Falls police officers arresting Daniel Bettelyoun on March 25, 2024. By Darren Thompson Sioux Falls, SD—Last week, several Sioux Falls police officers were recorded on a cell phone beating a man while making an arrest and communities are demanding justice. The video captures two police officers on top of Daniel Bettelyoun, a 44-year-old Oglala Lakota citizen, punching and tasing while he was laying face down in his mother’s apartment unit. The incident happened at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, 2024 at Daniel Bettelyoun’s mother’s apartment in S ..read more

By Darren Thompson Lily Gladstone receives a stand-up headdress, an honor only esteemed by Blackfeet women, at the Blackfeet Nation’s “Lily Gladstone Day” on Tuesday, March 26. Thousands attended Gladstone’s honoring from many parts of the United States and Canada. Photo courtesy of Pikuni Press Facebook. Browning, MT—On Tuesday March 26, the Blackfeet Nation hosted “Lily Gladstone Day” at its new $9 million, 5,500 capacity multi-culture center in Browning, where Gladstone spent part of her youth. Gladstone is the first American Indian person to win a Golden Globe for best actress and the fi ..read more

By Darren Thompson Lori Piestewa’s son, Brandon, spoke of his mother at the 21st annual Piestewa Fallen Heroes Memorial at Piestewa Peak in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Photo by Darren Thompson Phoenix, AZ—Hundreds gathered for a sunrise ceremony at Piestewa Peak on Saturday, March 23 to pay tribute to Lori Piestewa, and other fallen soldiers in the line of combat, for the 21st annual “Piestewa Fallen Heroes Memorial”.  Piestewa was a 23-year-old Hispanic-Hopi mother of two from Tuba City on the Navajo Nation who was killed in combat in the Iraq War after her convoy took ..read more

Byline: Darren Thompson South Dakota—Last week, while signing two education bills Governor Kristi Noem made comments about wanting to improve Native American students’ achievement, and blamed parents and Tribal leaders for their poor performance. Gov. Noem also said that some Tribal leaders in the state were in partnership with Mexican cartels, and four Tribal Nations have responded demanding an apology. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) issued a statement saying, “Last week while visiting Mitchell and Winner, South Dakota, Governor Noem used those events as an opportunity to spew hatefu ..read more

Byline: Darren Thompson Denver—Youth representing the International Indigenous Youth Council’s (IIYC) Oglala Lakota Chapter were told they would be banned from attending the 48th Annual Denver March Powwow if they demonstrated solidarity with Palestine. It's one of the first documented instances where pro-Palestinian messages were prohibited at a Native American cultural event.  The International Indigenous Youth Council’s (IIYC) Oglala Lakota Chapter published a statement on its Instagram Saturday afternoon: “Denver March tried to shut youth down, we will not be silenced. We came ..read more

By: Darren Thompson  Las Vegas—On Friday, March 8, the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) hosted Robert Kennedy  Jr. to hear of his presidential campaign and to give tribal leaders a chance to question his  commitment to Indian Country. More than 50 tribal leaders heard directly from Mr. Kennedy,  where he shared his upbringing including his family’s relationships with Indigenous people and  aspects of his campaign including his support to strengthen tribal sovereignty. Kennedy  announced his candidacy as an independent for the President of the United States on Octo ..read more

By Darren Thompson Rapid City—Rapid City Police (RCP) are actively investigating a shooting that bystanders said was done “execution-style” and left one woman deceased on Rapid City’s Northside. At 8:30 p.m. Rapid City Police Lieutenant Christian Sigel announced in a video on social media that police responded to report of a shooting near Pine Street and East North Street at approximately 6:54 p.m. and found a woman laying on the ground with critical wounds. Police did not say they had a person in custody, or any leads, and are seeking the public's help in assisting with the investigation. One ..read more

Minnesota—On Valentine’s Day, actions were staged throughout several Minnesota cities and  Indian reservations to memorialize Indigenous people who are missing, or have been  murdered. Minneapolis, Duluth, Bemidji, Fargo-Moorhead, Mahnomen on the White Earth  Indian Reservation and the Red Lake Indian Reservation all organized events including  opportunities for family members to speak of their lost loved ones and the community to show  support.  Nearly 300 braved the cold weather in Bemidji on Wednesday, also recognized as the Day of  Remembrance for Missin ..read more