Harris has prioritized protecting public lands and pursued accountability for polluters, but her track record on tribal affairs is mixed.
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 inArticles
What does the BLM Public Land Rule mean for tribal stewardship of public lands?
The rule offers further pathways for tribes to proactively protect certain public lands.
Posted inArticles
As national monuments multiply, Bears Ears forges forward
Tribal co-management takes shape on the ground.
Posted inArticles
At UN, Interior says it’s starting to include consent in tribal policy
The Indigenous-led department is a ’shining star’ when it comes to tribal consultation, but it still has a long ways to go.
Posted inApril 2024: Epic Journeys
How states make money off tribal lands
Ten states own 1.6 million acres of land within 83 tribal nations’ reservations. How did they get there?
Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024
How 3 Indigenous women are leading the way on climate change
These experts bring knowledge and justice to the climate conversation.
Posted inArticles
2023 in Native environmental news
The beat’s biggest news that you might have missed.
Posted inArticles
Lower Snake River dams closer to coming down with new agreement
After decades of litigation, the historic initiative among states, tribes and the federal government signals a dramatic change for the region.
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
The Endangered Species Act’s complicated legacy in Indian Country
The landmark law has served as both sword and shield.
Posted inArticles
States opposed tribes’ access to the Colorado River 70 years ago. History is repeating itself.
Records shed new light on states’ vocal opposition in the 1950s to tribes claiming their share of the river.
Posted inArticles
The state of tribal co-management of public lands
As National Public Lands Day approaches, Indigenous leaders discuss working with agencies to manage dispossessed lands.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements
When power players like mining and agriculture are involved, tribal nations, usually the senior-most water-rights holders, often must fight obstruction.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
Decades after the Colorado River flooded the Chemehuevi’s land, the tribe still doesn’t have its share
Nearly all of the tribe’s water remains in the river and ends up being used by Southern California cities.
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court keeps the Navajo Nation waiting for water
The court case was the Nation’s bid to accelerate decades of fruitless negotiations and secure water for its reservation.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How Arizona squeezes tribes for water
A High Country News/ProPublica investigation shows that Arizona goes to unusual lengths in water negotiations to extract restrictive concessions from tribes.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
Is Harriet Hageman an ally of Indian Country?
The rookie congresswoman says she wants to advance tribal autonomy.
Posted inApril 1, 2023: The Path Forward
Tribal nations’ lasting victory in the Mojave Desert
Before Avi Kwa Ame became a national monument, there was the fight for Ward Valley.
Posted inArticles
Avi Kwa Ame is now a national monument
Biden’s proclamation protects parts of the Mojave Desert in southern Nevada and includes tribal co-stewardship.
Posted inArticles
Q&A: The Diné worldviews in the SCOTUS water rights case Arizona v. Navajo Nation
What would it look like to interpret the treaties as tribes understood them?
Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal
What does the nation’s commitment to tribal co-stewardship mean for public lands?
The Biden administration’s policies signal a shift in lands management, but a sea change is yet to come.