Native American Affairs

Virtual reality field trips from one organization are seeking to give underprivileged students more access to art education. With more than 18,000 students served so far, their newest experience focuses on some of Arizona’s Indigenous artists.

Native recipes have been passed down by word of mouth for generations. But what happens when the oral tradition stops? One Queen Creek-based author is trying to keep that flavorful heritage alive with a new cookbook.

A new report by the nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust has revealed that the 300-mile haul route from the Pinyon Plain Mine to a uranium processing mill in Utah is statistically more deadly than most roads nationwide.

Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation inked three historic water conservation agreements in Santa Fe with the Gila River Indian Community, which thinks it can step up to help take some strain off Lake Mead and stabilize the Colorado River Basin. Less than a week later, they’re already breaking ground on two of these projects.

All over the world, the Hopi people have come to symbolize a deep spirituality. The problem is that this version of the Hopi religion was largely popularized by non-Hopi people.

The Arizona Native Vote Forum is wrapping up Wednesday after a three-day-long event hosted by various organizations, including Four Directions Native Vote. The goal of the event is to encourage Native Americans to vote in the upcoming election.

Negotiations are continuing between leaders of the Navajo Nation and Energy Fuels Resources, the company that has restarted uranium mining operations near the Grand Canyon. But the Navajo Nation is taking steps to strengthen their position on their own.

As a critical swing state, Arizona has already hosted many high-profile campaign events in the lead-up to November. The latest visitor was former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

Members from Arizona’s congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden last month, urging him to issue a major disaster declaration on the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s behalf. But that request is still under review.

The Interior Department announced Thursday that it has allocated another $71 million to help electrify 13 communities across Indian Country, and two Arizona tribal utility companies are closer to bridging the power gap.