Underscore Native News

Court-Ordered Change to Dam Operations Throughout Columbia River Basin to Protect Salmon - Underscore Native News On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon ordered federal defendants to change Columbia Basin hydropower operations to protect endangered salmon and steelhead populations.

On February 26, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon issued a decision that ordered federal agencies to increase spill over eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake Rivers.
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Thomas Yeahpau On His New Novel, “Native Love: An X-Indian Chronicle” - Underscore Native News The Kiowa and Apache author, filmmaker and music producer discusses the inspiration and healing journey behind his latest novel and accompanying soundtrack.

Thomas Yeahpau from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma on his dad's side and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma on his mom's side, is an author, filmmaker and music producer. In January, he celebrated the release of his third novel, “Native Love: An X-Indian Chronicle.”

www.underscore.news/culture/thom...

‘Is this real?’: 366 Days of Fresh Air for Leonard Peltier - Underscore Native News The Chippewa activist and two of the people who helped gain his release talked to ICT recently about what life beyond prison has been like for Peltier.

After 49 years and two months behind bars, 81-year-old Leonard Peltier says the past year has brought steady healing and hard-earned peace.

www.underscore.news/culture/is-t...

Jesse Jackson Was a ‘Powerful Ally’ to Indigenous People - Underscore Native News Civil Rights activist Jesse Jackson often connected Black issues in the United States with Indigenous issues equating to a decades-long commitment of fighting for Indian Country.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died Feb. 17, is being remembered not only for his close work with Martin Luther King Jr., but also for being "A strong and powerful ally between the Black community and the Indigenous people."

www.underscore.news/culture/jess...

Idaho Council on Indian Affairs Votes to Draft Letter Urging State Lawmakers to Protect Medicaid  - Underscore Native News Policy analyst for Shoshone-Bannock Tribes notes federal government reimburses 100% of Medicaid service costs for tribal members.

The Idaho Council on Indian Affairs voted Wednesday to draft a letter urging state budget writers to protect Medicaid, including Medicaid expansion and more. Tribal leaders noted the federal government covers 100% of Medicaid costs for tribal members.

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Feds Greenlight $2 Billion Renewable Project on Yakama Nation Sacred Site Along Columbia - Underscore Native News Opponents still have a chance to stop the project before it breaks ground next year.

Regulators approved the $2B Goldendale Energy Storage Project, a pumped-storage facility above the Columbia River. The Yakama Nation says the project would damage a site used for ceremonies, fishing and root gathering since time immemorial.
www.underscore.news/justice/feds...

Former National Park Service Director Reflects on Layoffs, Deep Cuts - Underscore Native News The first Native American director of the park service spoke on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” about the impacts of the Trump administration on the country’s national parks.

In January 2025, former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams stepped down and returned home to Oregon. He left as the agency’s first Native American director, and as 1,000 NPS employees were losing their jobs.

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Kristi Noem: ‘ICE Does Not Target, and Will Not Target, Native Americans’ - Underscore Native News Homeland Security Secretary denies claims that immigration personnel have detained tribal members.

In a Feb. 12 letter, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denied accounts that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained enrolled tribal citizens or conducted operations on tribal lands, calling such claims “false.”

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Tribal IDs for Descendants in the Age of Trump’s ICE - Underscore Native News Legal experts weigh in on how Native nations can support their citizens and descendants in the face of increasingly violent encounters with immigration agents.

In the face of escalating immigration enforcement interactions, some Native people have asked what this means for Native descendants, and some tribal ID pop-ups are also offering descendancy letters.

www.underscore.news/justice/trib...

The Strong Hearts Native Helpline is a national hotline that provides resources for Native Americans and Alaska Natives who have experienced sexual and domestic violence.

strongheartshelpline.org

The 988 Lifeline is a national suicide and crisis lifeline, and can be reached by dialing 988 — Indigenous residents in Washington state can press 4 and be connected with an Indigenous counselor.

988lifeline.org

Redwolf Pope Survivors Reclaim Power in Courtroom - Underscore Native News Survivors described years of sexual violence, manipulation, and surveillance carried out by a man who posed as an Indigenous activist to gain access to Native communities. While his sentence brings re...

Survivors described years of sexual violence, manipulation, and surveillance carried out by a man who posed as an Indigenous activist to gain access to Native communities. While his sentence brings relief, many say justice came far too late.
www.underscore.news/justice/redw...

NCAI President Mark Macarro: Tribes “Will Never Back Down” - Underscore Native News 2026 State of Indian Nations address sets priorities for National Congress of American Indians, including full funding for healthcare, infrastructure and more.

As American politics grows more unpredictable, NCAI President Mark Macarro says tribes must remember their power. “We are sovereign tribal nations, and we will never back down,” he said during the 2026 State of Indian Nations address.

www.underscore.news/justice/ncai...

Lawsuit alleges Bureau of Indian Affairs Officers “Executed” Unarmed Shoshone-Paiute Man in Idaho - Underscore Native News The lawsuit claims Bureau of Indian Affairs officers lacked jurisdiction when they pursued, killed Cody Whiterock.

The lawsuit accuses two unnamed BIA police officers of chasing Whiterock outside of their jurisdiction, before shooting him multiple times in the face, back and chest. The officers then “falsified or withheld evidence to escape accountability,” the lawsuit says.

www.underscore.news/justice/laws...

Legal Battle Over Columbia Basin Dams Returns to Court - Underscore Native News Following President Donald Trump’s abandonment of the Resilient Columbia River Basin Agreement in June, Native nations, Oregon, Washington and conservation groups returned to court on Friday, renewing...

After the abandonment of the Resilient Columbia River Basin Agreement by the Trump Admin, Tribal Nations, Oregon, Washington, and conservation groups are again demanding changes to Snake and Columbia River dam operations to prevent salmon and steelhead extinction.
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YouTube video by Underscore Native News AMPKWA: munk łush nsayka shawash tilixam

An art exhibition at Chemeketa Community College is asking viewers to slow down and remember and to honor those who are still missing in Amanda Freeman’s exhibition "AMPKWA: munk łush nsayka shawash tilixam."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfAs...

City of Portland Announces Gerald Skelton Jr. as the New Tribal Government Relations Manager - Underscore Native News The main priority for the position will be to focus on government-to-government relationships with the nine federally recognized Native nations in Oregon.

BREAKING NEWS: On February 3, 2026, the City of Portland announced that Gerald D. Skelton Jr., a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, has stepped in as the new tribal government relations manager.

www.underscore.news/justice/city...

Trump Administration Targets Office on Violence Against Women With ‘Consolidation’ - Underscore Native News Tribal leaders say the federal cutbacks will impact grants for programs on domestic violence, trafficking, tribal courts and more.

The Trump administration slashes the federal Office on Violence Against Women, consolidating the once-independent office and proposing budget cuts.

✍️: Mary Annette Pember, ICT
📷: Jarrette Werk, UNN

www.underscore.news/justice/trum...

“Geology with a Soul:” New OMSI Exhibit Highlights Indigenous Storytelling and Geology - Underscore Native News Ethnogeologists use Indigenous legends to analyze ancient geological events.

The Heads & Hearts: Seeing the Landscape through Nez Perce Eyes exhibit at The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry uses Indigenous oral histories to provide insights into what it was like to live during ancient geological events in the Pacific Northwest.

www.underscore.news/culture/geol...

Bridging Worlds Through Film and Community - Underscore Native News Balancing motherhood, art and activism, Tracy Rector has empowered Indigenous artists to view storytelling as an act of community care. Her path shows how nurturing family and community can transform ...

From food banks to film festivals, Tracy Rector has turned community care, motherhood, and activism into a filmmaking legacy that’s changing who gets to tell their own stories. Her work has uplifted hundreds of Indigenous films, and she’s just getting started.
www.underscore.news/culture/brid...

Bateman Island Causeway Removal to Restore Fish Passage - Underscore Native News With the deconstruction of the Bateman Island causeway, federal, local and state agencies, including the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Yakama Nation, hope to see an overall increase i...

After more than 80 years, the Bateman Island causeway is coming down. Deconstruction began Jan. 5 as part of a major effort to restore the Yakima River Delta. Here’s what the project means for salmon, water flow and the future of the river. www.underscore.news/land/bateman...

What To Do If ICE Approaches You - Underscore Native News The Native American Rights Fund released a fact sheet for those who are approached and detained by ICE, depending on the situation

What happens if ICE comes to your home, workplace, or community space?

Tribal leaders and Native legal advocates are sharing critical information on rights, identification, and detention, especially for Indigenous people.

www.underscore.news/justice/what...

#ICE #ICT #IndianCountryToday

Building a Community of n̓səl̓xčin̓ Speakers - Underscore Native News At Salish School of Spokane, students from 1 to 13 are immersed in n̓səl̓xčin̓, known as the Colville-Okanagan Salish language, learning alongside their teachers and families.

At Salish School of Spokane, children are growing up speaking n̓səl̓xčin̓ — a language once nearly lost. An immersion model rooted in family, community and care is helping rebuild intergenerational Salish-speaking households.

www.underscore.news/culture/lang...

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Move Toward Energy Sovereignty with New Microgrids - Underscore Native News Colville Tribes hope microgrid infrastructure will establish the building blocks to add more renewable energy generation sources down the line, to eventually have the option to only use power generate...

From winter storms to summer heat waves, outages hit the Colville Reservation hard. Tribal leaders say new microgrids are a first step toward energy sovereignty, resilience and long-term economic opportunity.

READ MORE HERE

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Photojournalism That Defined 2025 - Underscore Native News A look back at this past year's coverage in images from Native Nations and Indigenous communities across the Pacific Northwest.

As 2025 comes to a close, Underscore Native News marks five years on the ground—from elders fighting eviction and a historic 310-mile Klamath journey to ICE detainments and canoe landings at Elwha. Here's a look at Underscore's photojournalism that defined 2025!

www.underscore.news/culture/phot...

A Look Back at 2025, in Stories - Underscore Native News Underscore Native News staff compiled a list of favorite stories from each season this past year.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re grateful to everyone who trusted Underscore Native News with their stories—from Mt. Hood to the Klamath River, from city halls to canoe landings. Thank you for supporting Indigenous-centered community journalism.

www.underscore.news/reporting/a-...

Opening the Door to Speculative Fiction, in the Spirit of Tlingit Culture - Underscore Native News Fantasy writer Caskey Russell discusses the inspiration and writing process for his debut novel “The Door on The Sea,” the first book in a trilogy.

Inspired by Tlingit shapeshifter legends and his grandmother’s village, Caskey Russell’s debut novel, "The Door on the Sea," reimagines epic fantasy through an Indigenous lens. The book launched this fall, with two sequels planned through 2027.

www.underscore.news/culture/open...

“We Need Our Own People to Protect Us:” NCAI Restarts Two-Spirit Task Force - Underscore Native News A Q&A with Elton Naswood on increasing attacks on trans rights across the country under the Trump administration.

At NCAI’s annual conference in November, the Two-Spirit task force returned for the first time in nearly five years, highlighting growing concerns around safety and care for Two-Spirit people in Indian Country.

#TwoSpirit #NCAI #2SLGBTQ #AntiTrans

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Here’s What We Know About What’s at Stake for 2SLGBTQ+ Rights Across Indian Country - Underscore Native News As the first year of Trump’s second turn comes to a close and 2SLGBTQ+ rights remain under attack, Native leaders urge communities to support their trans and Two-Spirit relatives.

In less than a year, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policy shifts are already reshaping access to safety and care for Two-Spirit and trans people. Advocates say the impacts are being felt now in Indian Country.

www.underscore.news/justice/here...

“Reclaiming That Power of Our Own Food:” Sean Sherman On Decolonizing American Cuisine - Underscore Native News | Underscore Native News Chef Sean Sherman’s latest cookbook, “Turtle Island,” is redefining Indigenous cuisine. The book highlights 13 regional sections of Turtle Island and celebrates Indigenous creativity, experimentation...

Chef Sean Sherman’s latest cookbook, “Turtle Island,” is redefining Indigenous cuisine. The book highlights 13 regional sections of Turtle Island, celebrates Indigenous creativity, experimentation, and evolution in food.

“I just see such a vibrant future for us with Indigenous foods,” Sherman said.