1. News
  2. Indigenous Affairs
  3. Native American

Native American

Sec. Stewart Udall vists Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming with Lady Bird Johnson on Aug. 16, 1964.

"Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty"

Nov 8, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: How teachers are dealing with AI in classrooms; and a story of survival in plain sight from Children of the Holocaust.
The Pinyon Plain Mine shaft in Coconino County, on Wednesday, Aug. 30. In 2016, the mine shaft punctured a perched aquifer that contained natural levels of uranium, requiring the mining company Energy Fuels to pump water to the surface to an impoundment for treatment.

Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives

Nov 3, 2023 In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the intersection of preserving tribal heritage, defending precious resources and reforming mining laws.
Hopi Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma testifies to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, with committee chairman Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, shown on the screen behind him.

Hopi leader tells panel that red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach

Oct 29, 2023 The remarks by Hopi Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma were part of a Senate Indian Affairs Committee roundtable on challenges tribes are facing.
Red Butte in Coconino County, Wednesday, Aug. 30. Known as "Wii'i Gdwiisa," in Havasupai, the sacred grounds are protected under President Joe Biden's Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni- Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

A generational battle: How a tribe’s concern over uranium mining on ancestral homelands brought Biden to AZ

Oct 27, 2023 In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the history of the Havasupai people's fight to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.

The Buzz: Increasing broadband access in rural Arizona

Sep 15, 2023 As billions in grant dollars roll in, how is internet access growing around the state?
Duane Garvais-Lawrence paints the name of a missing Indigenous woman on his arm before starting a run around the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the final stop in 2021 for the MMIW Bike Run USA to raise awareness of the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

MMIP task forces are given years to solve a problem centuries in the making

Aug 19, 2023 Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People face a “big ask” – to “reduce and end violence against Indigenous people” in the state.
Jon Proudstar as Leon in the FX series "Reservation Dogs" on Hulu.

It's "Reservation Dogs" final season, cast member Jon Proudstar shares how it began.

Aug 9, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet Robaba, a refugee from Afghanistan with a passion for knowledge and a story to tell; members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness share "Moments to Cope"; and remembering filmmaker William Friedkin.
Tucson City Hall

Tucson eyes solutions to prevent more fraudulent sober homes from coming

Aug 8, 2023 Tucson's mayor and council directed staff to examine how the city can incorporate regulations for the future.
President Biden signed an Executive Order designating a new Grand Canyon National Monument. August 8, 2023

Biden creates new national monument near Grand Canyon

Aug 8, 2023 Tribes in Arizona have been pushing the president to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the new national monument.
A view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, next to the Kolb Studio, September 2018.

Tribes hope Biden's Arizona visit means long-sought Grand Canyon monument

Aug 7, 2023 Representatives of various northern Arizona tribes have been invited to attend the president's remarks.
Clients participate in a smudging ceremony at The Haven, a local substance use treatment center in Tucson, Arizona. The facility offers a Native Ways Program, a treatment plan that incorporates Native American culture and practices.

The Haven strives to become go-to resource for Native American women in recovery

Aug 3, 2023 Federal funding has helped expand services and outreach.
File image of equipment in a trauma room at a hospital in Tucson.

COVID-19 pandemic delays rare disease diagnosis on Arizona's Tribal lands, new study finds

Jul 17, 2023 Testing delays and the focus on response to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the region may have been factors.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

Navajo president presses Congress for more time, money, for water project

Jul 16, 2023 The project would deliver 37,767 acre-feet of water annually from the San Juan River basin through 300 miles of pipeline to 43 Navajo chapters, the city of Gallup, New Mexico, as well as the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Navajo President Buu Nygren urged the House Natural Resources Committee to reverse a ban on mining and drilling for 10 miles around Chaco Canyon, saying it deprives tribe members from collecting payment on their mineral allotments and violates the tribe’s sovereignty. July 2023

Navajo witnesses clash over government’s Chaco Canyon mining ban

Jul 14, 2023 A new 20-year moratorium on drilling and mining within 10 miles of the Chaco Canyon tramples on tribal sovereignty and denies Navajo badly needed royalty payments, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren told lawmakers.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

21st annual Water Resources Research Center brings in international collaborators

Jul 13, 2023 The conference focused on water solutions in a changing arid climate.
Harris visited the Gila River Indian Community on July 6, 2023, to address the administration’s plan to support Native communities.

Kamala Harris discusses commitment to Native communities during Arizona visit

Jul 7, 2023 The vice president met with Gila River youth leaders prior to her speech.

Selected Archive Filters

Indigenous Affairs
Back to Top
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona