Collaboration and exclusion
Tribal leaders sign historic agreement with U.S. Forest Service as South Dakota passes data center legislation without consulting tribes. Plus, a story about hand games
U.S. Forest Service and 11 tribes sign historic agreement to co-manage sacred area in South Dakota
The agreement concerns the Black Elk Wilderness, a ‘place of profound spiritual, cultural, and historical importance’
By Brian Bull
On Saturday, March 21, U.S. Forest Service officials and Great Sioux Nation tribal leaders spent the morning hiking up Black Elk Peak. After remarks and a song by a drum group, they added their signatures to a Memorandum of Understanding that allows collaborative stewardship of more than 13,000 acres of forest land in western South Dakota.
South Dakota passes ‘Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens,’ fails to consult with tribes
While new legislation aims to protect local customers from rising electricity rates, an Indigenous land conservation group is calling for a moratorium on data centers
Last week, South Dakota lawmakers rejected a one-year moratorium on the building or expanding of data centers but passed two bills placing limits on the industry.
Rattle shaking, singing and bluffing: Hand game matches draw crowds at AIHEC conference
Diné College team wins two-day tournament
Tribal college students prepare for months to compete in academic, cultural and creative events at the annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium conference. At this year’s gathering, a hand guessing game with pre-European traditions remained a highlight, involving hundreds of participants.
Buffalo’s Fire launches paid internship for Native students
The internship is open to high school and tribal college students. The application deadline is May 15
Buffalo’s Fire is launching a paid monthlong internship program beginning June 1 for students in tribal communities who are interested in independent media. This is a remote or hybrid position, depending on the successful candidates’ circumstances. Buffalo’s Fire is based in Bismarck.
The 20-hour-per-week internship provides a rare opportunity to learn about and participate in nearly every aspect of running a non-profit media organization. Interns will move between departments at Buffalo’s Fire, spending a week at a time shadowing a specific team member. They will gain experience in social media, audience development, community engagement, fundraising and editorial tasks related to local news and our coverage of the 150th commemoration of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. They will also have the opportunity to produce an article on the commemoration.
The internship is available to one high school student, who will earn $14 per hour, and one tribal college student, who will earn $18 per hour.
To apply, please send a 500-700 word essay describing your interest in the opportunity to Managing Editor Tori Marlan, tori@imfreedomalliance.org, by May 15. Please include any relevant experience you’ve had in journalism or non-profit organizations.
Buffalo’s Fire launches Flyers Board for community notices and events
New page organizes local flyers around the newest postings, creating a digital bulletin board for gatherings, workshops, fundraisers and public notices
Buffalo’s Fire has launched the Flyers Board, a new community page designed to bring local notices, event promotions and public-interest announcements into one shared digital space. The page presents flyers as a living bulletin board, with the newest postings placed at the center and older ones arranged around them. This layout echoes the feel of a community center wall or grocery store notice board while remaining easy to browse on desktop and mobile devices.
The new feature is intended to help readers quickly find workshops, powwows, meetings, fundraisers, hearings and other community events in a format that feels immediate and familiar.
The newest flyer is located at the center of the page; scroll in all directions to see the rest. Tap or click on any flyer to view it in full screen and read a brief summary of its content. Share flyers on social media and use our submission form to send us flyers for your events — both local and from afar — and we’ll post them for all to see. We’re creating a community of engaged citizens, gathering like-minded allies and chasing change together.
Heading to the Greasy Grass anniversary gathering this June? Make sure your group is counted.
From June 25–27 near Hardin, Montana, tribal nations, families and riding groups will come together for camps, ceremonies, youth activities and the 1,000-horse memorial ride.
Read more about the gathering, then take the survey below or scan the QR code.
The Daily Spark – quick, must-read micro stories to start your day
Our Daily Spark feature delivers news summaries each day to give you a quick overview of current events in Indian Country. The format prioritizes brevity, providing key updates in short, digestible summaries. This makes it a valuable resource for quickly grasping important developments on a broad range of issues affecting Indigenous communities.
Here are some of the stories you may have missed this week: