Native America
Facing rising COVID-19 case numbers, the Navajo Nation issues new tribal public health orders
Since the start of the year, the Navajo Nation has reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases, with as many as 525 cases on Friday. In response, the tribe is updating public health orders aimed at curbing the spread of the illness. It also means that schools in Navajo country are once again at “red […]
‘This is your police department’: Daryl Noon sworn in as new Navajo Nation chief of police
Becoming the Navajo Nation chief of police was not on Daryl Noon’s radar when he started at the Navajo Nation Police Department in 2019 as the deputy chief. He already liked what he was doing and was recruited directly by former Navajo Chief of Police Phillip Francisco after Francisco took charge of the department in […]
Churches starting to face facts on boarding schools
Red Cloud Indian School is taking the lead among Christian-run schools in coming to terms with its assimilationist past. The Jesuits have given Red Cloud a $20,000 grant to help in the work, including conducting searches with ground-penetrating radar for unmarked graves, and have allocated $50,000 to hire an archivist for one year to examine […]
City meeting on boarding school gravesite highlights the need for respect
The time to listen is now. Albuquerque city officials hosted the first of several public forums Tuesday, Jan. 11, for people connected to the Albuquerque Indian School to share experiences and offer feedback about what to do with the gravesite at 4-H Park. Nearly 80 people were split into two group sessions moderated by a […]
Gallup Indian Medical Center adopts crisis standards
The Gallup Indian Medical Center implemented its Crisis Standards of Care in late December due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. That was two weeks before the first case of omicron had even surfaced on Navajo Nation. Within the Gallup Service Unit health care facilities, the Tohatchi Health Center reported it is also receiving an […]
Navajo energy company’s CEO steps down
The CEO of the Navajo Transitional Energy Company will be resigning from his post on Jan. 31. Source New Mexico obtained CEO Clark Moseley’s Jan. 7 letter to Navajo President Jonathan Nez and Council Speaker Seth Damon referencing his resignation at the end of the month and listing accomplishments achieved by NTEC during Moseley’s time […]
Artist envisions LANDBACK murals in all four directions in Albuquerque
High school Indigenous skateboarders that like painting walls, your opportunity is now. Several walls along grind ledges and the outside of the bowl full pipe at Alamosa Skate Park need some art, and most importantly, young artists to work on the project and share cultural experiences. See, this project is more than just beautification of […]
City seeking information from anyone connected to Albuquerque Indian School
The Albuquerque Indian School era lasted nearly 100 years and it’s going to take a community effort to truly understand the scope of the effects it had on the city. Next week, Albuquerque officials will host a series of public conversations, inviting people who have any connection to the school to speak up and give […]
Navajo Nation will send $2,000 to adults and $600 to kids in COVID-19 hardship aid
The Navajo people are getting some much needed help from their Tribal government as another round of COVID-19 hardship assistance checks are expected to roll out soon. Enrolled citizens of the Navajo Nation can expect funds in the coming weeks with $2000 for every adult and $600 for minors, after Navajo Nation Tribal leaders signed […]
Pueblos demand input on LANL power line development through sacred site
Pueblo leaders are asking the federal government for an extension to evaluate plans to develop a power line through a sacred cultural site in the Santa Fe National Forest. The All Pueblo Council of Governors wrote to the Department of Energy saying tribes were not fully consulted on the plans to build a 12.5 mile, […]
Federal law still treats marijuana as an illegal drug, creating headaches for states
Most states in the U.S. are in violation of a major federal drug statute. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act lists marijuana in the most dangerous category defined in the law, on par with cocaine and heroin because of its supposed potential for abuse and lack of medical applications. But 36 states plus the District of […]
Hope and resilience in action: Navajo Nation continues battle against COVID
TUBA CITY – It’s a familiar sight to anyone who knows the Navajo Nation: red sandstone, yellow-tinged sagebrush, a blue sky canopy that meets a protective ring of mountain peaks, with sheep and cattle dotting the fields. A newer addition to the timeless landscape is a series of hand-lettered turquoise signs along southbound U.S. 89 […]