The now-dead proposal to ‘investigate’ reservations was neither the beginning or the end of combative attitudes towards tribal nations in the state.
Anna V. Smith
Anna V. Smith is an associate editor of High Country News. She writes and edits stories on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice for the Indigenous Affairs desk from Colorado. Follow her @annavtoriasmth.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
Can dam removal save the Snake River?
See the river as the climate changes, development continues and consequences grow with inaction.
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
Tribal nations fight for influence on the Colorado River
Indigenous nations in the basin are making a stand for their water — and upsetting the river’s power structure.
Posted inOctober 1, 2022: Making Refuge
In a post-Roe West, abortion is on the ballot
Reproductive rights are in the hands of the states — and their voters.
Posted inArticles
What new national monuments are likely under Biden?
New designations could help meet conservation goals set by the administration.
Posted inArticles
What the Inflation Reduction Act means for Indian Country
$720 million goes directly to tribal nations, but compromises raise questions.
Posted inArticles
At Oak Flat, courts and politicians fail tribes
Chi’chil Biłdagoteel exemplifies the larger struggle tribes face over protecting off-reservation, culturally important lands.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
The effort to save Upper Klamath Lake’s endangered fish before they disappear
Another dry year pushes tribal nations, federal agencies and irrigators to find long-lasting solutions.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Interior looks into the legacy of Native boarding schools
The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative aims to shed light on the grim history of residential Indian boarding schools in the U.S.
Posted inArticles
Will history repeat in a dry Klamath Basin this summer?
This year’s drought is worse than in 2001, when political and environmental tensions exploded into the national spotlight.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
Ongoing fish kill on the Klamath River is an ‘absolute worst-case scenario’
Unprecedented drought in the Klamath Basin leaves communities wondering how they will make it through the summer.
Posted inArticles
How the West has changed since the last census
Population growth has slowed overall, but the West continues at a fast pace, adding three congressional seats.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Supreme Court of Canada affirms trans-boundary Indigenous rights
The Arrow Lakes Band is one of many Indigenous communities bisected and disrupted by a border about which they were never consulted.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
The ‘slow-motion genocide’ of the Chinook Indian Nation
Federal recognition provides tribes with critical healthcare and education. What happens to the tribal nations that the U.S. refuses to recognize?
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
The Biden administration’s critical role in Indian Country
Four important decisions will impact the forests, lands and waters of tribal nations.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Across generations, Dakota women grow resilience
Diane Wilson’s new novel explores the relationship between seeds and humans, and how our survival and abundance are intertwined.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
Reclaiming the National Bison Range
After decades of battling misinformation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes recover their lands and the herd.
Posted inArticles
Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
From legal decisions to on-the-ground policies, Indigenous lawyers describe the administration’s tactics as an “onslaught” removing federal protections of land and wildlife.
Posted inArticles
Tribal leaders respond to the idea of an Indigenous Interior secretary
Representation is important, and so are policy decisions impacting tribes on the ground.
Posted inDecember 1, 2020: A Community Divided
A helpline connects Indigenous immigrants to crucial COVID-19 information
For communities who speak Indigenous Mayan languages like Mam, the Oregon program is a vital resource.