Coverage of issues facing Native people, here in our region and around the country.
JPR's studios are on the campus of Southern Oregon University (SOU), which is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples. In recognition of this history, SOU has adopted a Land Acknowledgement Statement that honors the sovereignty and rich cultural heritage of indigenous people.
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Used with permision/Photos provided by Chrissy Onientatahse JacobsState officials in New York say the Salmon River district's special education program confined young children with disabilities in wooden boxes. Parents weren't notified. -
Illustration by Adriana Heldiz/CalMattersCal State campuses have mixed records in returning Native remains and artifacts to tribes. Campus officials say they are working diligently to follow legal mandates but the process can be arduous, especially for non-federally recognized tribes.
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The Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington state has been buying land in its traditional territory and removing levees. The goal is to turn farmland into wetlands with the hopes of restoring Chinook salmon. -
The fire scars in Oregon forests tell a story, and it’s a familiar one to Indigenous communities. -
In March, wildlife researchers and members of the Yurok Tribe celebrated a potential milestone in the California condor’s return to Northern California skies. But on Thursday biologists with the Northern California Condor Restoration Program announced this egg may have met an uncertain fate. -
Newsom promised to help a Native tribe restore sacred salmon to their ancestral river. Now California is ending the funding. -
The funding could send more Sacramento River water to farmers in California's Central Valley, but opponents warn the project could harm rivers, fish and sacred sites. -
Commissioners called the transfer of land in Humboldt County to local tribes "environmental justice." -
Celinda Gonzales of the Yurok Tribe worked to prevent suicides among Native Americans after experiencing loss in her family. She “was a friend to many,” the tribe said. -
The California Energy Commission has dealt the final blow to a proposed wind farm in Shasta County. -
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has finally received full federal recognition, which it has sought since 1888. Tribal leaders were moved to tears after President Trump signed the measure. -
During the government shutdown, disruptions in food aid rippled across reservations. Both residents and tribal officials had to make tough choices, and are still feeling the financial impacts. -
Developed with tribal voices and community stories, the curriculum helps teachers connect Native American knowledge beyond history class to science, art and other subjects. -
On October 1, 2025, public radio stations lost all of their federal funding -- and for Black and Native American community stations, the cuts hit hard. Case in point, KYUK in Bethel, Alaska, which was the first Indigenous-led public radio station. They lost 70% of their budget after federal public media cuts, and will be shrinking from 10 full-time staffers, to 4 people. We speak to Esther Green, a Yupik elder, and her co-host Diane McEachern of KYUK's spiritual wellness show, Ikayutet, and station general manager Kristin Hall, about what the future looks like for the station.
