How we kept the fire burning: A year of growth and resilience
From tracking the MMIP crisis to Indigenizing our dinner tables, Buffalo’s Fire reporters reflect on the stories that shaped 2025.
Reporters’ Notebook: The year that was
Buffalo’s Fire reporters reflect on their biggest stories of 2025
Buffalo’s Fire has grown significantly in the last year. Three reporters and a managing editor joined our team, allowing us to strengthen our accountability coverage and expand our explanatory and cultural storytelling. Here, our reporters reflect on the work they did in 2025.
Runaway children in the Dakotas account for majority of missing Indigenous persons reports
In September, at least 73 Native people were reported missing in North and South Dakota — 65 are children
By Jolan Kruse
Natalie Stites Means has family members and friends who have been lost to the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis. “We all do,” said Stites Means, an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and the executive director of Community Organizing for Unified Power Council.
Q & A: Kimberly Lining on what it takes to be a volunteer for an MMIP organization
MMIW Search & Hope Alliance coordinator discusses upcoming volunteer training and misconceptions about the role
By Brian Bull
For roughly a year and a half, a group dedicated to tackling the MMIP crisis in Portland, Oregon, has held special events and outreach programs. Its founder, Kimberly Lining, often relied on volunteers to help with many different activities, including search teams.
Why you should Indigenize your holiday meals — and recipes to help you do it
Chef Nephi and UTTC students celebrate food as medicine
It's the holiday season, time to gather with loved ones, celebrate traditions and eat food. Many staple holiday foods, like cornbread, squash, cranberries and roasted game, are native to North America and are rooted in Indigenous food culture. Yet, they aren’t often seen and celebrated as Native.
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: