Tribal elder sentenced, new internship and community tools launched
Cheyenne River Sioux elder receives probation, and Buffalo's Fire offers a Native student internship. Plus, a new Flyers Board, Greasy Grass updates and a World Press Freedom Day donation call
Tribal elder convicted of threatening federal employee receives probation
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe citizen Joseph Lafferty must agree to community service, other conditions
By Brian Bull
After a three-day jury trial in January, 68-year-old Joseph Lafferty was convicted of threatening a federal official. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, on July 21, 2025, Lafferty threatened to “get his gun and kill” an employee of the Indian Health Service.
A message from our director and founder, Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. It’s a day to celebrate the principles of press freedom, defend the Fourth Estate and honor journalists who have fallen in the course of practicing their profession. You can honor World Press Freedom Day in Indian Country with a donation to Buffalo’s Fire. Thank you!
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: