Native America
How NV tribes are saving Lahontan cutthroat trout from extinction
Thousands of captive-raised specimens of the largest cutthroat trout species in North America are released into Pyramid Lake every year, but despite the trout’s size and might, they are also one of the most threatened. Decades of overfishing, dam building, water diversion, and other human actions have set the Lahontan cutthroat trout up for unrelenting […]
Biden makes it official, designates sacred site in Nevada a national monument
After decades of work by Native American tribes in the Southwest, a culturally significant and sacred swath of land in Nevada finally gained permanent protections Tuesday. During a White House summit on conservation, President Joe Biden will announce the establishment of Nevada’s fourth national monument: Avi Kwa Ame, fulfilling a commitment he made last year. […]
Construction at Thacker Pass starts after judge rejects attempt to halt it
Construction of a mine over the largest known source of lithium in the United States started Thursday, after a federal court rejected an emergency request to halt work on the mine. The Thacker Pass mine — which has been wrapped up in a legal battle for two years — made its way to 9th U.S. […]
Three tribes file new lawsuit challenging Thacker Pass lithium mine
A week after a federal judge closed a lawsuit against federal land managers and a mining developer, three Native American tribes have filed a new lawsuit centered on the largest known source of lithium in the United States. The new lawsuit comes after U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ruled largely in favor of Canada-based Lithium […]
Cortez Masto introduces bill to strengthen Tribal law enforcement
Across the United States Native women and girls are taken or murdered at rates far greater than other demographics, and thousands of cases remain unsolved. On Thursday, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The bill, introduced along with Republican Sen. John Hoeven […]
Proposed bills designed to protect tribal sovereignty, sharpen investigations of missing persons
In recent years, lawmakers in Nevada have bolstered their efforts to address issues faced by Native Americans in the state, a historically overlooked community. This year, lawmakers are looking to introduce several bills focused on the needs of tribes in the state. Draft legislation introduced by state lawmakers for the 2023 Nevada Legislative Session includes […]
Thacker Pass lithium mine clears most legal challenges, minus a judge ordered waste rock review
A federal judge on Monday ordered regulators to reexamine a state permit allowing Lithium Americas Corp.’s Thacker Pass mine to produce and store mining waste on more than a thousand acres of public land. Chief Judge Miranda M. Du, however, rejected opponents’ claims that the project would cause “unnecessary and undue degradation” to the environment […]
PLAN outlines what it wants from Joe Lombardo and Nevada lawmakers
On the eve of the 2023 Nevada legislative session, progressive activists are calling on Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo to increase teacher pay, preserve public money for public schools, abandon his plans to wipe out recently-enacted criminal justice reforms, and represent all Nevadans as they struggle with inflation and the high cost of housing. “The so-called […]
Ruling on fate of Thacker Pass expected ‘in next couple months’
A lawsuit over whether federal land managers erred when they approved plans for the largest lithium mine in the nation could be settled “in the next couple months,” said a federal judge in Nevada on Thursday. The case reflects the growing conflicts between conservationists, tribes, ranchers and mining companies looking to profit from the booming […]
Students, schools agree NV tuition waiver program for Native Americans is off to a promising start
Brian Melendez can trace his family history back to an encampment on the land where the Reynolds School of Journalism now stands, before they were forcibly removed to make room for the old Mackey Stadium. “Not too long ago, my great-great-grandmother gave birth where the University of Nevada, Reno football statue is currently located. That […]
Three Nevada tribes awarded more than $11M for high-speed internet
Three Nevada tribes will receive $11.6 million for high-speed internet in the latest round of “internet for all” grants, federal officials announced Wednesday. The funding will directly connect more than 800 homes on tribal lands in Nevada to high-speed internet, improving access to education, jobs, and healthcare on tribal lands. During the White House Tribal […]
Biden moves Avi Kwa Ame a step closer to monument status
President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to designate Avi Kwa Ame in southern Nevada as the state’s fourth national monument. The move was part of a series of commitments made by the Biden administration to strengthen relationships and consultation between the federal government and First Nations. “There’s so much more that we’re going to do […]