South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was banned from nine tribal reservations, will oversee policies uniquely important to Indigenous people.
Anna V. Smith
Anna V. Smith is an associate editor of High Country News. She writes and edits stories on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice for the Indigenous Affairs desk from Oregon.
Posted inIssues
‘Esto se trata de poder’: Los inmigrantes indígenas se enfrentan a una segunda administración de Trump
La gobernadora de Dakota del Sur, Kristi Noem, a quien se le prohibió la entrada a nueve reservas tribales, supervisará las políticas de importancia única para los pueblos indígenas.
Posted inArticles
How did Native people vote this election cycle?
Accurate data is hard to come by, but one poll suggests many supported progressive priorities and liberal candidates.
Posted inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted
What Project 2025 has to say about Native communities
The initiative focuses heavily on resource extraction of tribal lands but lacks detail on other key issues.
Posted inOctober 2024: Latino Vote
States own lands on reservations. To use them, tribes must pay.
How schools, hospitals, prisons and other institutions in 15 states profit from land and resources on 79 tribal nations.
Posted inArticles
5 takeaways from our investigation into state trust lands on reservations
An investigation by High Country News and Grist reveals how public institutions benefit from extractive industries on Indian reservations.
Posted inArticles
What a Kamala Harris presidency could mean for the West
Harris has prioritized protecting public lands and pursued accountability for polluters, but her track record on tribal affairs is mixed.
Posted inArticles
What does the BLM Public Land Rule mean for tribal stewardship of public lands?
The rule offers further pathways for tribes to proactively protect certain public lands.
Posted inArticles
As national monuments multiply, Bears Ears forges forward
Tribal co-management takes shape on the ground.
Posted inArticles
At UN, Interior says it’s starting to include consent in tribal policy
The Indigenous-led department is a ’shining star’ when it comes to tribal consultation, but it still has a long ways to go.
Posted inApril 2024: Epic Journeys
How states make money off tribal lands
Ten states own 1.6 million acres of land within 83 tribal nations’ reservations. How did they get there?
Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024
How 3 Indigenous women are leading the way on climate change
These experts bring knowledge and justice to the climate conversation.
Posted inArticles
2023 in Native environmental news
The beat’s biggest news that you might have missed.
Posted inArticles
Lower Snake River dams closer to coming down with new agreement
After decades of litigation, the historic initiative among states, tribes and the federal government signals a dramatic change for the region.
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
The Endangered Species Act’s complicated legacy in Indian Country
The landmark law has served as both sword and shield.
Posted inArticles
States opposed tribes’ access to the Colorado River 70 years ago. History is repeating itself.
Records shed new light on states’ vocal opposition in the 1950s to tribes claiming their share of the river.
Posted inArticles
The state of tribal co-management of public lands
As National Public Lands Day approaches, Indigenous leaders discuss working with agencies to manage dispossessed lands.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements
When power players like mining and agriculture are involved, tribal nations, usually the senior-most water-rights holders, often must fight obstruction.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
Decades after the Colorado River flooded the Chemehuevi’s land, the tribe still doesn’t have its share
Nearly all of the tribe’s water remains in the river and ends up being used by Southern California cities.
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court keeps the Navajo Nation waiting for water
The court case was the Nation’s bid to accelerate decades of fruitless negotiations and secure water for its reservation.