Native Americans

Anna Whiting Sorrell, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in northwest Montana, had hernia surgery a couple of years ago. The Indian Health Service picked up a part of the tab for the surgery but denied coverage for follow-up appointme

Health & Safety

Native Americans Feel Invisible In U.S. Health Care System

2:44pm December 12, 2017

by Eric Whitney

About a quarter of Native Americans report experiencing discrimination in health care, according to a poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Join us for a webcast of the poll results on discrimination against Native Amercians hosted by The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Health & Safety

Forum: Examining Discrimination Against Native Americans

1:14pm December 12, 2017

by Joe Neel

How do Native Americans experience discrimination in daily life? Experts in Native American issues discuss the results of an NPR poll showing widespread discrimination across the nation.

A fallen leaf reflects in a puddle in a park.

For Many Native Americans, Fall Is The Least Wonderful Time Of The Year

12:24pm November 23, 2017

by Savannah Maher

"Fall is the annual middle finger this country gives Native Americans," says one member of the Oglala Lakota nation.

Mohawk Club adviser Robin Logan (in back) watches as club members Amanda Rourke (from left), Keely Thompson-Cook, Landon Laffin and Mallory Sunday discuss their high school's Native American Day celebration.

Native American Students Fight Discrimination By Celebrating Their Heritage

10:33am November 16, 2017

by David Sommerstein

A new survey found that nationwide, three-quarters of Native Americans believe there is discrimination against their group today.

Many people who live in the Blue Gap-Tachee Chapter in northeastern Arizona remember when mining companies blasted uranium out of the Claim 28 site near their homes. Dust from mine explosions coated everything.

Health & Safety

For Some Native Americans, Uranium Contamination Feels Like Discrimination

4:44pm November 14, 2017

by Laurel Morales

In the Navajo Nation, waste from old uranium mines has proved to be an insidious health hazard. Even spring water has become radioactive.

The village of Igiugig performed a traditional Yupik blessing dance following the reburial of 24 ancestors.

National

After 87 Years At The Smithsonian, Bones Of Alaska Natives Returned And Reburied

5:55pm October 21, 2017

by Avery Lill

About half of the village of Igiugig welcomed the return of 24 men, women and children for burial in their land. It took about two years for the repatriation of the remains to be approved.

Goodbye, For Now, To A Vital Source For Native American News

6:01am September 24, 2017

by Leah Donnella

Indian Country Today Media Network announced it would "cease active operations." That leaves a big hole in news coverage by, and about, Native Americans.

A freshly brewed cup of Navajo tea. This beverage is caffeine-free and tastes earthy and grassy.

Health & Safety

For Navajos, Desert 'Tea' Fosters Kinship With Heritage And Nature

3:40pm August 29, 2017

by Lela Nargi

Some Navajo are trying to bring back their traditional food culture, including drinking Navajo "tea." It's brewed with a plant called greenthread that thrives in the mid-summer heat of the Southwest.

Liquor stores in the town of Whiteclay, Neb., are now officially closed. But even Oglala Sioux tribal members say that more will have to be done in order to reduce rampant alcoholism rates on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation.

With Alcoholism Rampant On Nearby Reservation, Nebraska Shuts Town's Liquor Stores

3:52am May 12, 2017

by Jim Kent

The state shuttered stores in Whiteclay, Neb., which borders the dry Pine Ridge reservation, where half the adults struggle with alcohol abuse. But critics say the move infringes upon business rights.

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An ancient petroglyph panel is pocked with bullet holes. Some say increased federal protection is needed to prevent further damage and vandalism to areas like this one, which is now included in Bears Ears National Monument.

With National Monuments Under Review, Bears Ears Is Focus Of Fierce Debate

8:13pm May 05, 2017

by Kirk Siegler

Bears Ears in Utah is on land considered sacred to Native Americans. But some local residents say the 1.35-million-acre national monument is being pushed by extreme out-of-state environmentalists.

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