Traveling the World with Kiliii Yuyan - Underscore Native News The National Geographic photojournalist debuted his book “Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet.”

National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan joined Underscore Native News + RFA reporter Lyric Aquino for a talk about his new book "Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet.”

www.underscore.news/culture/arts...

Siletz Valley School to Remain Open - Underscore Native News At the April 14 Lincoln County School Board meeting, a motion to end Siletz Valley School’s current charter agreement failed.

At the Lincoln County school board meeting at Oceanlake Elementary School in Lincoln City, Oregon on April 14, Siletz Valley School community learned that their lease agreement will continue in its current form and the school will remain open.

www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

Community Calls for Siletz Valley School to Remain Open Amid Compliance Concerns - Underscore Native News The fate of Siletz Valley School, serving over 65 percent Indigenous students, now rests in the hands of the Lincoln County School Board, who will vote on whether or not to remove the school’s charter...

This afternoon the Lincoln County School Board in Newport, Oregon, will decide whether or not to remove Siletz Valley School’s charter agreement which could result in the school closing at the end of this school year.

www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

Coeur d'Alene Tribe Launches Coyote Stories App as Part of Language Revitalization Efforts - Underscore Native News The app was created by and for Coeur d'Alene Tribal members that features a user-friendly interface to make learning easy for everyone, from children to elders.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe launched a new language app as part of tribal language revitalization efforts. The app aims to bring youth and new Snchitsu’umshtsn language learners an opportunity to hold their lessons in their hands.
www.underscore.news/culture/lang...

Readjusting Traditional Plant Knowledge - Underscore Native News How the Suquamish Tribe is finding ways to harvest, educate and prepare for ongoing plant cycle alternations due to climate change.

Azure’s Apothecary is full of free medicinal resources for Suquamish tribal members — but climate change may be putting it at risk.

www.underscore.news/land/readjus...

Lincoln County School Board Draws Community Criticism Over Threat of Siletz Valley School Closure - Underscore Native News At a public hearing requested by Siletz Valley School acting superintendent, Lincoln County School Board members heard about how the school is addressing 12 compliance issues that could lead to closur...

The Siletz Valley School is facing closure due to compliance concerns. At the public hearing on Tuesday, teachers, students, parents, & community members shared why the school is vital for students, particularly the over 65% Indigenous students the school serves.
www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

Dozens Gathered for Missing Siletz Tribal Citizen Manuel Bayya - Underscore Native News On March 27, community members from Siletz and beyond marched to the Lane County Sheriff’s Department, in honor of Bayya, who has been missing for four years.

Manuel Bayya, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, went missing on March 7, 2022. His family, friends and community members came together on March 27 at Skinner Butte Park to share Bayya’s name four years after he first went missing.
www.underscore.news/justice/mmir...

The Next Chapter for Nike N7 Founder - Underscore Native News Sam McCracken launches Oregon based youth program to help advance wellness for Native youth across Indian Country.

“After over 28 years of service in Nike, in creating the line that changed the trajectory of Native people, Nike N7, Sam McCracken realized he is not done. He is just getting started,” Nikki Santos, Chief Executive Officer, Sam McCracken Youth said.

www.underscore.news/culture/the-...

Building Homes, Building Wealth: A Federal Pathway to Indigenous Homeownership - Underscore Native News Historically, lenders have refused to lend money on Native trust lands for housing, making the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit’s ownership option a rare path to housing equity and intergenerational secu...

For many Native nations, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program was meant to open the door to homeownership—not just rental housing. But years after eligibility, hundreds of homes remain untransferred.

www.underscore.news/justice/buil...

A Washington Housing Investor Reform Bill Died in Committee This Legislative Session - Underscore Native News After legislators learned that more than 300 Native homes eligible for ownership through the state-managed federal housing program had not been transferred to ownership, a bipartisan supported housing...

300+ Native homes eligible for ownership weren't transferred under state-run federal housing program, legislators say. A bipartisan fix was introduced, but didn't advance after confusion and “misleading” information from the Washington Housing Finance Commission. www.underscore.news/justice/a-wa...

The 2026 Underscore Indigenous Journalism Fellowship application is open until March 27, 2016!

Apply to be a fellow today and join us this summer in Portland, Oregon for an immersive paid 10-week internship.

Apply here: airtable.com/app3YkXUuvp0...

Supreme Court Denies Chinook Petition for Federal Recognition - Underscore Native News Though the U.S. Supreme Court denied to review the Chinook Indian Nation’s case seeking federal recognition, the nation vows to continue the over a century-long fight, looking toward Congress for next...

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court denied a petition from the Chinook Indian Nation to review a case from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that dismissed their case for federal recognition.

www.underscore.news/justice/supr...

Rally For Missing Siletz Tribal Citizen to Be Held - Underscore Native News Family and community members to hold a rally in Eugene on March 27 for Manuel Bayya, a Siletz tribal member who has been missing for four years.

In honor of Manuel Bayya, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians who went missing four years ago, family and community members are holding a rally and March in Eugene, Oregon on March 27.
www.underscore.news/justice/mmir...

Washington School District Holds Celebration in Honor of Billy Frank Jr. - Underscore Native News The annual celebration brings together the Nisqually tribe and community members for a night of dancing, food and education.

The legacy of Billy Frank Jr. is strong in tribal communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Indian country as a whole. An integral part in the historic Boldt case, Frank Jr. is a local hero, and each year the community comes together to celebrate.
www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

State Senate Honors Chinook Indian Nation with Resolution - Underscore Native News The Washington State Senate passed a resolution this session recognizing the Chinook Indian Nation’s history and contributions to the Pacific Northwest.

On March 9, the Washington State Senate passed a bipartisan resolution formally recognizing the Chinook Indian Nation’s contributions along the Lower Columbia River.

www.underscore.news/justice/legi...

Federal Funding to Explore Fish Passage Solutions at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam - Underscore Native News The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will use a $1 million federal investment to determine how to create fish passage at the McKay ...

Federal funding will support a new effort to explore fish passage at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam in Eastern Oregon. Tribal and state leaders say the work could eventually reopen more than 100 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat blocked since 1927.
www.underscore.news/land/federal...

Nesting Condors Spark Hope of an Egg in Northern California - Underscore Native News Two condors from the Northern California Condor Restoration Program, run by the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks, are believed to have laid an egg in February. If it hatches, it will b...

Wildlife biologists are hopeful that a pair of free-flying condors are tending to a newly laid egg in Northern California. If the egg hatches, it would be the first wild born condor chick in Northern California in approximately 130 years.

www.underscore.news/land/nesting...

Native Golfer Gabby Barker Records First Professional Win - Underscore Native News The Shoshone-Paiute player takes the trophy in Florida but is already looking ahead to the next one.

After two decades in competitive golf, Gabby Barker has her first professional title. Barker, Shoshone-Paiute, won the NXXT Women’s Championship in Florida, finishing one-under par and four shots ahead of the field. Read more about her professional golf journey.

www.underscore.news/culture/nati...

Bill to Establish Statewide Oversight of Jails in Washington Dies in Legislature - Underscore Native News Washington is one of 12 states without enforceable state standards or oversight — that won’t change in 2026.

Washington remains one of 12 states without enforceable statewide jail standards. A bill to create an independent oversight body died in committee after opposition from law enforcement & local officials. Supporters say the measure was already heavily scaled back.
www.underscore.news/justice/bill...

Mullin Nominated for Homeland Security Secretary - Underscore Native News The Cherokee citizen will be the first Native American person to lead the Homeland Security Department if confirmed by the Senate.

If confirmed by the Senate, Sen. Markwayne Mullin , a Cherokee Nation citizen, will be the second Native American man to be in the president’s cabinet, the first Native person to be Homeland Security secretary, and the second Native person to run an agency.

www.underscore.news/justice/mull...

From a Life Sentence to Law School - Underscore Native News Benjamin Brockie, Aaniiih of the Fork Belknap Reservation, served over 22 years of a 67 year sentence for two robberies. As a college student right out of prison, in October 2024, he learned first han...

At 20, Benjamin Brockie received a 67-year sentence. After 22 years and 7 years working with the Clemency Project, he came home. Now he’s fighting for prison reform, supporting incarcerated friends, excelling in college, and preparing for law school.
www.underscore.news/people-profi...

Court-Ordered Change to Dam Operations Throughout Columbia River Basin to Protect Salmon - Underscore Native News On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon ordered federal defendants to change Columbia Basin hydropower operations to protect endangered salmon and steelhead populations.

On February 26, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon issued a decision that ordered federal agencies to increase spill over eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake Rivers.
www.underscore.news/justice/cour...

Thomas Yeahpau On His New Novel, “Native Love: An X-Indian Chronicle” - Underscore Native News The Kiowa and Apache author, filmmaker and music producer discusses the inspiration and healing journey behind his latest novel and accompanying soundtrack.

Thomas Yeahpau from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma on his dad's side and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma on his mom's side, is an author, filmmaker and music producer. In January, he celebrated the release of his third novel, “Native Love: An X-Indian Chronicle.”

www.underscore.news/culture/thom...

‘Is this real?’: 366 Days of Fresh Air for Leonard Peltier - Underscore Native News The Chippewa activist and two of the people who helped gain his release talked to ICT recently about what life beyond prison has been like for Peltier.

After 49 years and two months behind bars, 81-year-old Leonard Peltier says the past year has brought steady healing and hard-earned peace.

www.underscore.news/culture/is-t...

Jesse Jackson Was a ‘Powerful Ally’ to Indigenous People - Underscore Native News Civil Rights activist Jesse Jackson often connected Black issues in the United States with Indigenous issues equating to a decades-long commitment of fighting for Indian Country.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died Feb. 17, is being remembered not only for his close work with Martin Luther King Jr., but also for being "A strong and powerful ally between the Black community and the Indigenous people."

www.underscore.news/culture/jess...

Idaho Council on Indian Affairs Votes to Draft Letter Urging State Lawmakers to Protect Medicaid  - Underscore Native News Policy analyst for Shoshone-Bannock Tribes notes federal government reimburses 100% of Medicaid service costs for tribal members.

The Idaho Council on Indian Affairs voted Wednesday to draft a letter urging state budget writers to protect Medicaid, including Medicaid expansion and more. Tribal leaders noted the federal government covers 100% of Medicaid costs for tribal members.

www.underscore.news/justice/heal...

Feds Greenlight $2 Billion Renewable Project on Yakama Nation Sacred Site Along Columbia - Underscore Native News Opponents still have a chance to stop the project before it breaks ground next year.

Regulators approved the $2B Goldendale Energy Storage Project, a pumped-storage facility above the Columbia River. The Yakama Nation says the project would damage a site used for ceremonies, fishing and root gathering since time immemorial.
www.underscore.news/justice/feds...

Former National Park Service Director Reflects on Layoffs, Deep Cuts - Underscore Native News The first Native American director of the park service spoke on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” about the impacts of the Trump administration on the country’s national parks.

In January 2025, former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams stepped down and returned home to Oregon. He left as the agency’s first Native American director, and as 1,000 NPS employees were losing their jobs.

www.underscore.news/land/former-...

Kristi Noem: ‘ICE Does Not Target, and Will Not Target, Native Americans’ - Underscore Native News Homeland Security Secretary denies claims that immigration personnel have detained tribal members.

In a Feb. 12 letter, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denied accounts that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained enrolled tribal citizens or conducted operations on tribal lands, calling such claims “false.”

www.underscore.news/justice/kris...

Tribal IDs for Descendants in the Age of Trump’s ICE - Underscore Native News Legal experts weigh in on how Native nations can support their citizens and descendants in the face of increasingly violent encounters with immigration agents.

In the face of escalating immigration enforcement interactions, some Native people have asked what this means for Native descendants, and some tribal ID pop-ups are also offering descendancy letters.

www.underscore.news/justice/trib...