Arizona tribal communities face inequalities every day, but a recent Arizona State University graduate said she wants to shape public policy to help change it. Ty Lesha Yellowhair argued changing public policy which guides social services would not only ensure tribal members receive the care they need, but also help to change the public perception of Native communities, which hold lots of strength and resiliency, despite challenges. Yellowhair is from the Navajo Nation, originally from Kayenta, Arizona, and currently works in the Office of Health Programs for the Phoenix Area Indian Health Services as a social service assistant. .
Indigenous activists in the Commonwealth are calling on state lawmakers to pass legislation to strengthen protections for Native American remains. The outcry follows an announcement from Harvard s Peabody Museum that it has hair samples from indigenous people around the world, including clippings from some 700 Native American children, many of whom attended U.S. Indian boarding schools. .
Native American tribal communities and conservation groups got a big win Wednesday as President Joe Biden announced he intends to create a new national monument in Southern Nevada. Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain, sprawls across 450,000 acres near Laughlin. Ashley Hemmers, administrator for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, said the area is the Yuman-speaking tribes holiest site. .
The Center for Rural Affairs is launching collaborative work spaces on Nebraska Indian Community College campuses in Macy and Santee for making, learning, exploring and sharing. The "Makerspaces" will include traditional, low-tech tools, and also significant investments in cutting-edge technologies. Kristine Flyinghawk, native communities manager at the Center for Rural Affairs, said among other tools available to students and tribal members, the program is especially excited to install a Glowforge. .