Native American News

09/06/2026

09/06/2026

A star blanket gifted to Ice Cube by Kayla Morin. 💙🦅

09/06/2026

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09/06/2026

We need a big Aho!

09/05/2026

The Klamath River has welcomed its first salmon in over a century, thanks to the largest dam removal project in the history of the United States.

09/05/2026

Today, August 9, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples around the world and honor the cultures, languages, knowledge, traditions and communities carried forward across generations.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples has been observed annually since 1995, following its establishment by the United Nations General Assembly.
This year’s theme is “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being,” recognizing the knowledge, care and traditions Indigenous midwives continue to carry within their communities.
From generation to generation, Indigenous Peoples continue to preserve languages, strengthen cultures, care for their communities and pass knowledge to those who come next.
Today, we celebrate that strength, knowledge and cultural continuity. ❤️🪶
To our Indigenous relatives around the world: what Nation, community or people are you representing today? 🌎

09/05/2026

Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, has won Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary for U.S. Senate, advancing to the November general election.
Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, defeated U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in the August 11 primary for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith.
The victory marks another significant milestone for Indigenous political representation. Flanagan is already the highest-ranking Native American woman serving in statewide executive office in the United States.
She will now face Republican nominee Michele Tafoya in the November 3 general election.
If elected in November, Flanagan could make history as the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
The general election will determine who succeeds Smith, meaning the historic milestone has not yet been reached — but Flanagan is now one election away from potentially achieving it.
What are your thoughts on Peggy Flanagan’s primary victory and this milestone for Indigenous political representation? 🪶

09/05/2026

Madison Hammond, the first Native American player in NWSL history, is bringing Indigenous representation to professional soccer as one of the athletes featured in Nike’s 2026 N7 Collection.
Hammond, who is San Felipe Pueblo (Katishtya), Navajo (Diné) and Black, made NWSL history on September 26, 2020, when she made her professional league debut. Today, she plays midfield for Utah Royals FC.
Nike’s Summer 2026 N7 campaign connects soccer with Indigenous communities and Southwest influences. For Hammond, the campaign also connects to her own journey growing up around Native athletes and playing soccer through the NB3 Foundation, founded by her uncle, professional golfer Notah Begay III.
Hammond has spoken about the importance of representation and helping Indigenous youth see that reaching the professional level is possible while remaining connected to their communities.
Nike says its N7 Fund has provided $625,000 annually since 2022 to nonprofits serving Indigenous communities, continuing broader support that has totaled $15.2 million across 324 organizations since 2009.
From becoming the NWSL’s first Native American player to representing Indigenous communities through N7, Hammond continues to expand Native visibility in professional soccer.
What does seeing Indigenous athletes represented at the highest levels of professional sports mean for future generations? 🪶⚽

09/05/2026

Two Native women are pursuing U.S. Senate seats in 2026, with each having the potential to make American political history.
Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, won Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senate primary on August 11 and will advance to the November general election. She currently serves as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor.
In Alaska, former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who is Yup’ik, is running for the Senate and will appear in Alaska’s August 18 top-four primary. Peltola previously made history in 2022 as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Alaska’s election authority confirms her candidacy and the August 18 primary date.
The historical significance reaches beyond either campaign.
According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, no Native American, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate. Its historical records currently count zero.
That means a victory by either Flanagan or Peltola would establish a new milestone for Indigenous women’s representation in the Senate. Both campaigns still face remaining electoral steps before that could happen.
What are your thoughts on Native women having the opportunity to reach a level of representation never before achieved in the U.S. Senate? 🪶

09/05/2026

Dark Winds actor Jessica Matten is helping create new pathways into film and television for emerging Indigenous creators.
The New Mexico Film Office announced August 17 that Matten’s Indigenous Film Academy partnered with AMC Networks on Check In Check Out, a new production filmed in Santa Fe with students from the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Matten, who is Red River Métis and Cree, produced and starred in the project while students gained hands-on experience working alongside industry professionals. IAIA’s summer academy was designed to move beyond classroom learning by giving emerging filmmakers direct experience in television production.
The initiative also looks beyond a single production, with plans to develop training and apprenticeship opportunities connecting emerging Indigenous talent across the U.S. and Canada.
For Matten, the goal is not simply greater representation on screen, but creating real pathways for Indigenous creators to build careers behind the camera as well.
What are your thoughts on Indigenous actors using their success to open doors for the next generation of Native filmmakers? 🪶🎬