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Supreme Court delivers expensive victory for tribal health care

Jul 11, 2024
The decision is a win for tribal self-governance, but puts new pressure on the Indian Health Service's already stretched federal budget.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision will open the door for more tribes to assume control of Indian Health Service clinics and hospitals, says Ron Allen of the Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium. Above, a Navajo elder, right, and his family early in the pandemic.
Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

Gathering data on Native people is tricky. New federal rules won't help.

Jul 5, 2024
The changes will impact the way American Indians and Alaska Natives show up in federal data, and could further obscure our understanding of economic conditions for Native people in this country. 
Changes to how data on race and ethnicity is collected in federal forms  will impact the way American Indians and Alaska Natives show up in federal data.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

How the Dawes Act cratered Native American wealth for generations

Under the Dawes Act of 1887, Native Americans lost more than 90 million acres of tribal land, which were sold to non-Native citizens.
Above, a 1911 advertisement for lands sold by the United States Department of the Interior.
Courtesy Library of Congress

New research finds Native households are more financially stressed

May 21, 2024
The Fed's annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking doesn't include breakout data on American Indian and Alaska Native households. New research aims to fill that data gap.
The SHED survey does capture responses from Native people, but they make up just about 1% of the total sample.
Wasan Tita/Getty Images

Federal government shutdowns cause economic distress for tribes

Sep 28, 2023
The U.S. government is obligated by treaty to provide certain services to tribal nations. Shutdowns force tribes to take on those costs.
The headquarters of the Yurok Tribe in Northern California in 2021. During the government shutdown in 2013, the tribe had to furlough about 70 employees.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Less than 1% of therapists are Native American. One Texas center is working to fill the gap

Jul 20, 2023
Indigenous communities in the United States experience higher rates of mental health issues, but have a harder time accessing care. One Texas group is working to expand services and train staff to address mental health issues before they become a crisis.
Dr. Iftekhar Amin with the University of North Texas at Dallas instructs during a mental health first aid training course on June 9 at Texas Native Health in Dallas.
Yfat Yossifor for Marketplace

The economic impact of SCOTUS upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act

Jun 16, 2023
The challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act was also seen as a challenge to tribes’ political sovereignty.
The Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Al Drago/Getty Images

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Indigenous creatives are blazing trails in the gaming industry

Apr 21, 2023
Native game creators are building alternate realities where their cultures are centered and respected. But the projects still need funding.
A screenshot from Achimostawinan Games' website in April. Studios like Achimostawinan are creating interactive narratives in which Native characters aren’t defined by their relationship to colonization or genocide. 
Achimostawinan Games

Why federal government data under-represent Native Americans

Apr 7, 2023
One of the reasons revolves around issues of racial classification on official documents like the Census.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Alaskan siblings challenge Native knockoffs with their own Indigenous designs

Jan 16, 2023
In Juneau, Rico and Crystal Worl draw from their Tlingit and Athabascan heritage to create designs for everyday items like playing cards.
Trickster Co. incorporates Native design into everything from apparel and jewelry to basketballs and playing cards.
Donovan Johnson