Native News Online

BREAKING: President Trump signed an executive order today directing the dismantling of the Department of Education, raising serious concerns for Native American education. Sen. Brian Schatz calls it "a betrayal of a sacred federal promise," as the federal government—not states—holds treaty obligations to provide education to Indigenous communities. 92% of Native students attend public schools overseen by the Department of Education, not Bureau of Indian Education schools. What will happen to programs like Impact Aid and Title VI grants that support Native education? Read more about this developing story. https://lnkd.in/ey3pVEuF

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has renewed the public health emergency declaration for the opioid crisis, extending it for another 90 days. The opioid epidemic has evolved from overprescription to the deadly rise of fentanyl, driving overdose rates to devastating levels. While recent data shows a decline in overdoses nationwide, Native communities continue to see increasing rates of opioid-related deaths—a stark reminder of systemic inequities in public health. Dr. Melissa Walls (Couchiching First Nation/Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe) put it plainly: “The systems designed to fix these issues are the same ones that created them.” With this emergency declaration, the administration says it will treat the crisis as a national security emergency, prioritizing resources for response, treatment, and prevention.

Did you miss the discussion on how government cutbacks impact veterans? We sat down with Dean Dauphinais to shed light on the recent dismissals in the VA and the continued push for better veteran care. Be part of the change! Watch now ???? https://bit.ly/41ZGNUn

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has renewed the public health emergency declaration for the opioid crisis, extending it for another 90 days. The opioid epidemic has evolved from overprescription to the deadly rise of fentanyl, driving overdose rates to devastating levels. While recent data shows a decline in overdoses nationwide, Native communities continue to see increasing rates of opioid-related deaths—a stark reminder of systemic inequities in public health. Dr. Melissa Walls (Couchiching First Nation/Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe) put it plainly: “The systems designed to fix these issues are the same ones that created them.” With this emergency declaration, the administration says it will treat the crisis as a national security emergency, prioritizing resources for response, treatment, and prevention.

BREAKING: A federal judge has temporarily blocked the EPA from canceling $20 billion in climate grants, including $1.5 billion committed for tribal energy projects, Tribal Business News reports. Judge Tanya Chutkan's restraining order prevents the EPA from redirecting funds while the case proceeds. The grants would fund solar arrays and other energy efficiency projects across Native communities, supporting tribal energy sovereignty efforts. This ruling marks one of the first major legal challenges to the Trump administration's climate policy reversals since taking office in January.

The EPA failed to provide any concrete evidence of fraud or wrongdoing in a court filing Monday defending its cancellation of $20 billion in climate grants. Judge Tanya Chutkan had specifically asked for proof after questioning the agency's reasoning, but the EPA only referenced unidentified media reports and a disputed Project Veritas video. The cancellations jeopardize $1.5 billion pledged to Native American communities for clean energy projects, with Climate United already having approved 22 awards to tribes across 18 states. Tribal Business News has this report on the ongoing litigation. #EnergySovereignty #TribalCleanEnergy #NativeAmerican #IndianCountry #TribalEconomy #AlaskaNative #NativeHawaiian #AmericanIndian

An Evening with Bryan Newland

Blue Lake Rancheria has acquired the 240-acre Leavey Ranch in Humboldt County, Calif., Tribal Business News reports. The tribe will maintain the property as cattle range while integrating it into their food sovereignty initiatives. Their plans include continuing ecological research with Cal Poly Humboldt and launching educational programs focused on traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable land management. #LandBack #FoodSovereignty #TribalEconomy

The Department of the Interior is offering buyouts to employees as part of ongoing federal workforce reductions, Tribal Business News reports. Staff have until March 26 to accept early retirement or separation with payments up to $25,000. Already, the National Park Service has cleared about 1,700 positions through buyouts and firings—approximately 9% of its workforce. #InteriorDepartment #FederalJobs #TribalNews #IndianCountry

BREAKING: HUD Secretary Scott Turner and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed an agreement Monday creating a Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing, with a special focus on tribal and rural communities, Tribal Business News reports. "Overlooked rural and tribal communities will be a focus of this joint agreement," the secretaries wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, while noting the initiative aims to identify underutilized federal property that could be developed for affordable housing. #NativeHousing #IndianCountry #DOI #HUD #AffordableHousing