Wednesday, July 30, 2025

It’s been an up and down week for former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo). On the up side, Sec. Haaland has been deemed the 2025 recipient of the Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage. The Nebraska Examiner reports that Haaland – the first Native person to serve as a cabinet secretary who addressed the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis and the oppressive legacy of federal boarding schools – will receive the honor on October 13 in Lincoln, Neb. The non-profit Chief Standing Bear Project recognizes those people who embody the spirit of the famed Ponca chief, whose legal fight with the U.S. government led to Native Americans being recognized as “persons” under the law. On the down side, Axios reports that Haaland did not get endorsed for her bid for New Mexico governor in the Democratic primary by the Sandia Pueblo. The tribe instead endorsed her challenger, Sam Bregman. While a small tribe, the Sandia Pueblo operates one of the state’s largest casinos and is seen as influential in the commerce and entertainment sectors. Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, who was Interior Secretary with the Biden Administration. The Hughes family hold a portrait of Sheila Hughes, who is featured in “Who She Is” and was murdered in 1996. (Photo: Zoe Friday/ Courtesy Caldera Productions) The documentary “Who She Is” humanizes the MMIP Crisis on the Wind River Reservation. As Wyoming Public Radio’s Hannah Habermann reports, it just won a regional Emmy award. “Who She Is” uses animation to tell the story of four women: Sheila, Jocelyn, Lela, and Abbi. It’s not just about how they died – it’s about how they lived, who they were, and what they loved. The film took home the Heartland Emmy award for best cultural documentary and was co-produced by Jordan Dresser (Northern Arapaho) … “  To win this award is such a big honor. And also it gets their stories and their awareness across bigger platforms.” … and co-producer Sophie Barksdale. “ Thank you to the families. We worked so closely with them and we wouldn’t have done it in any other way.” “Who She Is” came out in 2022, with showings at national and international film festivals. There’s a screening planned for September at Central Wyoming College. One of the biggest all-Indigenous high school basketball competitions in North America wrapped up this past Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, two rivalries heated up on center court in the tourney finals at PHX Arena. “Good afternoon and welcome to the 22nd annual Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI).” NABI began with 24 teams, but now it has grown to a record 204 teams with 3,100 athletes representing more than 160 federally recognized tribes – from Phoenix to Anchorage, Alaska. 508 games in all – ending with Arizona’s Rezbombers having both boys and girls teams in the finals. The boys squad dropped to Phoenix’s Young Gunz, while the defending girls champs took on Oklahoma’s Legendary Elite in a rematch from last year. Winning their third title in four years, the final score was Rezbombers 58 and Legendary Elite 47. “Rezbombers on three: One, two, three, Rezbombers!” Then Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, left, and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland in 2023. And it was one year ago today when the Department of the Interior released the second and final volume of its investigative report on federal boarding schools. Building on an initiative launched by Haaland and led by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Ojibwe), the report expanded the number of deaths of Native students, as well as the number of burial sites and the participation of religious institutions and organizations. The report concluded a three-year probe that saw the federal government accepting responsibility for its role in creating the system, which included over 400 boarding schools in roughly three dozen states. Nearly 1,000 children died while attending these schools.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.