Missing search, pipeline proposals, and grassroots action in Native communities
A community unites to search for a missing man in Standing Rock, a pipeline hearing looms, and the Bismarck Documenters kick off a new year of local activism—don’t miss these important updates.
MMIR: Native community unites in water and ground search for Standing Rock man, last seen on train bridge
It’s been 10 days since Renzo Bullhead disappeared
After the campus cultural leader prayed and then sang a Lakota prayer song, everyone in the command center room on the United Tribes Technical College on Tuesday was asked to face west and say the missing man’s name.
The 20-year-old’s name filled the room: RENZO. RENZO. RENZO. RENZO.
So marked day 10 of search and worry among friends, family, campus leaders, college students, Native leaders, law enforcement and command center volunteers who have been left to grapple with the mysterious disappearance of Renzo Bullhead, a welding student at UTTC in Bismarck. He’s 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds and was last seen walking on the Burlington Northern train bridge wearing a black puffer jacket and pants.
Public hearing set for proposed pipeline in Mountrail and Ward counties
North Dakota residents, including those from Fort Berthold, will have the chance to voice their opinions about a crude oil pipeline set to run through tribal lands.
By Buffalo’s Fire
The North Dakota Public Service Commission has scheduled a public hearing for April 2 regarding a siting permit request for a new pipeline project in Ward and Mountrail counties. Thunder Butte Pipeline is seeking approval to construct a 3.84-mile pipeline and convert 30.8 miles of existing pipeline. The new pipeline would transport crude oil from the Thunder Butte Petroleum Services Crude Storage and Loading Facility located within the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation to the Enbridge Stanley Pump Station in Stanley, North Dakota.
New bill seeks to grant legal rights to water in New York
A groundbreaking bill could provide local communities, including Native nations, the legal tools to protect their waters from pollution and industrial exploitation.
By Buffalo’s Fire Staff
A new bill introduced in the New York State Assembly could significantly change how natural resources are protected, especially for Indigenous communities that have long fought for the safeguarding of their sacred lands and waters. On Wednesday, Assemblyman Patrick Burke unveiled the "Great Lakes and State Waters Bill of Rights" (AO5156A), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at granting legal rights to all waters within the state, including the Great Lakes.
Bismarck Documenters hold first orientation of the year
Bismarck Documenters held its first orientation of the year Thursday, March 20, on the UTTC campus and virtually, March 22. Interested students attended the on-campus event and learned about the program, their rights and responsibilities as Documenters and their future as sources of critical information in their community.
We are happy to welcome Minnow Baker, Selena Silk and Brittany Black Eagle to the Bismarck Documenters, powered by Buffalo's Fire!
Documenters will be on assignment in the upcoming weeks, exercising their right to information and helping to make their communities stronger together.
You can be a Documenter, too. Visit documenters.org, create a profile and be on the lookout for upcoming orientation options. For any questions, please contact Daniela Aki, site manager, at daniela@imfreedomalliance.org.
The Daily Spark – quick, must-read micro stories to start your day
Our Daily Spark feature delivers 8 to 10 news summaries each morning 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: