Thursday, October 23, 2025

Photo: Spirit Lake Nation. (Courtesy Spirit Lake Nation-Mni Wakan Oyate / Facebook) The Spirit Lake Tribal Council in North Dakota has declared a state of emergency as the federal government shutdown continues. The council declared the emergency this week in response to potential impacts on essential federal programs, including food and heating assistance. If the shutdown continues past October 31, benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may be paused starting November 1. According to a press release, the Spirit Lake Tribe’s food distribution program has already seen an increase in families seeking assistance since the start of the fiscal year. The tribe is also concerned about the uncertainty of other programs, including Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The tribe is preparing and is encouraging residents to stay up-to-date on the latest information and contact local resources. Residents of Kipnuk, Alaska were evacuated in a C-17 military transport plane on October 16, 2025. The village was one of the worst hit by the remnants of the typhoon. (Photo: Eric Stone / Alaska Public Media) President Donald Trump Wednesday approved a request for a federal disaster declaration for the recent devastation caused by the remnants of a typhoon in Western Alaska. It wreaked havoc on some of Alaska’s most remote communities in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta. According to Alaska’s congressional delegation, President Trump also announced an initial $25 million in disaster relief funding to cover initial recovery expenses as the state conducts damage and cost assessments, which will result in further federal relief funds. The declaration enables agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, to deploy additional resources to support recovery and rebuilding efforts. An Arizona tribe is starting to poll its community members about a name change that could shorten or lengthen its name. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is giving its 11,000 members at least seven options to choose from. “Write-in option, do you have a name you would like to see, that is not an option listed?” The tribe has posted audio recordings with explanations – both for and against – each proposed option on a new website, but no action is supposed to be taken by the tribal council until next year. The new names under consideration are meant to help preserve O’odham and Piipaash languages. One option is to leave the name as is. Other alternatives seek to replace the phrase “community” with “nation” to reflect the tribe’s sovereignty. “Option 3, Salt River O’odham Piipaash Nation.” While another variation adds “jeveḍ” – the O’odham word for land. “Onk Akimel O’odham c Xalychidom Piipaash Jeveḍ. “ One of its sister Four Southern Tribes, Tohono O’odham Nation, was once called the Papagos, a derogatory Spanish word linked to tepary beans. The tribe officially changed its name in 1986. (Courtesy Ho-Chunk, Inc.) Ho-Chunk, Inc. is addressing a labor shortage among young Winnebago tribal members in Nebraska, training them for jobs intended to help close a continuing housing shortage. Mark Moran has more. It is part of the Legacy Learning program, which passes on skills from one generation to the next. According to program officials, there is a lack of qualified young men in the Winnebago Tribe to take the jobs that are needed most. Ho-Chunk, Inc.’s Janelle Decora says the shortage is especially dire in the construction, carpentry, maintenance, and repair sectors, and adds that the students are learning more than hands on skills. “Our Legacy Learning instructors aren’t just teaching those entry-level workforce development skills, such as flooring, framing, those types of things, but also teaching life skills, as well.” Decora says the program has trained three cohorts of young men and 60% have found jobs in the construction sector.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.   Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Thursday, October 23, 2025 – Domestic violence prevention limps along without federal support