Today On NAC Archives » Native America Calling

Rising consumer costs and cuts to subsidized food programs are increasing the pressure on organizations that deliver food assistance. Native American food pantries are trying to forge new partnerships and develop additional tribal resources — like farms and meat processors — to meet the demand, all while reducing the stigma for those seeking help putting food on their tables. We’ll hear about how...

A mining company unleashes an evil entity as the Arctic village of Chukchi falls into polar night in “ It Looks Like You in the Dark ", the debut horror novel from Mathilda Zeller. It’s among several new books by Native writers that are especially fitting during the annual spooky season. We’ll hear from horror rock star Steven Graham Jones, who takes readers on another horrifying adventure through...

The Alaska Federation of Natives was formed by tribal leaders in 1966 to protect land and preserve tribal governance. Now, at the 60 th convention, tribal leaders and members from across the state gather to discuss current issues of politics, sovereignty, and culture. This year’s central issues include subsistence fishing and hunting, the rising cost of living, climate change, and voting rights an...

In 1966, as Alaska Native leaders worked to secure their lands, Emil Notti (Koyukon Athabascan) helped form the Alaska Federation of Natives. Notti became its first president and later served as a key negotiator of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which was passed nearly 55 years ago. He also held various roles in government and business. At AFN’s 60th anniversary, we’ll speak with Notti,...

The Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe failed to stop the federal government from rounding up hundreds of wild horses this summer from public land next to their reservation at the California-Nevada border. It's part of the government's larger plan to remove about 14,000 wild horses from public lands in several western states in 2026. Wild horse roundups are a controversial issue that has tribes weighing...

Before Indian self-determination became federal law, a cohort of angry and disillusioned Native college students, including a young Ponca student named Clyde Warrior, helped lay the foundation for the Red Power movement and inspire the American Indian Movement. Warrior became a pivotal co-founder of the National Indian Youth Council (NIYC), an activist group that protested federal termination poli...

Across the country, tribes are coming up against resistance to having their voices heard on issues involving water. In California, tribes say they feel betrayed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vetoes of legislation that would have given the tribes more say in access to the state’s dwindling surface water supply. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians were instrumental in drafting the...

A handful of tribes just finalized an agreement with the National Park Service , clearing the way for foraging in the Yosemite National Park. Tribal members will collect acorns, yarrow, wild onions, and numerous other plants for food and medicine on land their tribes have always been connected to. It’s the latest agreement since a 2016 law cleared the way for more traditional plant collections by...

The rape allegations by a former Cornell University student that administrators and law enforcement officials failed to follow up on shine a new light on college campus safety. Sexual assault prevention advocates have long faulted colleges and universities with poor protocols and inconsistent reporting. The organization End Rape on Campus finds that Native college students and students of color ex...

The number of books dropped from school reading lists and public library shelves is the highest since the organization, PEN America, started keeping track . Fueled mainly by conservative pressure groups and elected leaders at the school board and state legislative levels , the challenges to books target what opponents consider obscenity and themes that are too mature for younger readers. But books...

Composer, singer, and ethnomusicologist Jeremy Dutcher (Wolastoqiyik) is taking his music on an international tour that includes performing in Taiwan and Japan with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Dutcher’s music continues to draws fans around the world following the release of two acclaimed albums in his Native language, featuring his distinctive tenor voice. His latest album, " Motewolonuwok ", won t...

The Trump administration’s proposal to remove questions about a person’s race for the U.S. Census is sparking alarm among tribal leaders, voting rights advocates, and social service providers . They say it will significantly impede tribes’ political representation at the state and federal levels and reduce access to federal resources, adding up to a serious erosion of tribal sovereignty. Counting...

From the original Cherokee syllabary to banners waved by Native American demonstrators, graphic works by Native people carry a thread through the centuries that operate within their own design framework. A new book and accompanying gallery exhibition, " Designed to be Red" , documents and celebrates that thread of visual works by Native designers that exert agency and authority over their own stor...

"The Blue Corn Kitchen " by Alana Yazzie (Diné) gives young reader’s a glimpse of the traditional corn-based Navajo foods many Navajo grandmothers have stocked in their kitchens. It's the latest project from the self-made, Navajo lifestyle and food blogger who also goes by The Fancy Navajo. Howdy Cakes is a new pastry and cake business by Diné culinarian, Liz McKenzie. It's in partnership with a s...

A new report by the New Mexico Department of Justice says Native students are disciplined more harshly and miss more school days from suspensions than other students at Gallup-McKinley County Schools. The school district has a majority Navajo student population and was the focus of a 2023 news investigation that prompted calls for further investigations. In South Dakota, education leaders are look...