BROWNING, Mont.—The Blackfoot Nation recently became home to the first Native American equine air scent detection Search and Rescue (SAR) team. An equine search and rescue team uses trained riders and their horses to locate, rescue, and transport people in areas often inaccessible to vehicles. These teams excel in rough terrain, providing an elevated viewpoint and extended search area capabilities for finding lost, injured, or deceased individuals in wilderness,...
NEW YORK—The Church of the Mediator in Kyle, South Dakota, has long been a fixture in the life of its community on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The small congregation's Sunday services typically draw about 20 worshippers, and it also is a place where Episcopalians and other residents gather for personal and social milestones, from baptisms, wakes and funerals, to the church's large celebrations on Easter Sunday. Those gatherings, however, have always been limited by what the...
ADA, Okla.-This summer, almost 2,500 campers of all ages attended the 78th annual Indian Falls Creek camp in the hills of southern Oklahoma from July 27–31, 2025. Dr. Todd Fisher served as camp pastor, inaugurating the three-year theme "Come Before the Lord" by focusing on the first precept of Micah 6:8, Do Justice with powerful messages. Many people committed their lives to Christ, sought rededication, and responded to calls for special ministry. Since 1947, campers from...
MONTREAL, Que.—Thanks to students from Concordia University and the Cree Nation, in mid-August, Canada experienced the first space launch in more than 25 years. The mission, with the rocket launching from a base camp about 250 kilometres north of Mistissini, in northern Quebec, was a collaborative effort between the Space Concordia Rocketry Division and members of the local Cree community. The rocket, named Starsailor, broke records as the first of its size to be launched...
SANTA FE, N.M.—In August, the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts hosted the Santa Fe Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Advertised as the largest and most prestigious Indigenous art market in the world, the event celebrated it's 103rd year. The event annually brings together more than 1,000 Native artists representing more than 200 tribal nations from across the U.S. and Canada. The three-day event features not only vendor booths, but other activities. A...
WASHINGTON. D.C.—The White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) has announced that the group has now enhanced the Access to Capital Clearinghouse. This is a searchable database of federal funding opportunities, including grants, loans, and tax credits, available for tribal Nations, individuals, and businesses. Site enhancements include incorporating data automation and artificial intelligence. With input from tribal leaders, WHCNAA has upgraded the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) Oral History Project has been traveling across the United States recording the stories of survivors who attended federally supported Indian boarding schools before 1970. The project is a key element of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative-a landmark effort to uncover, acknowledge, and address the history and legacy of the federal Indian boarding...
WINNIPEG, Man.—Intertribal Life Ministries has announced plans to host a Dessert Night fundraiser on November 1 at The Meeting Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This Dessert Night replaces the annual fall fundraising banquet and will offer a plethora of desserts, music, fellowship, and testimonies. The event will feature the music of the Elias Family. Kevin and Kim Elias and their four sons travel extensively, sharing the love and grace of God through energetic,...
CALGARY, Alb.-The city of Calgary has announced a first-time endeavor to provide affordable housing for Indigenous citizens to the tune of $30 million to make it happen. Maa'too'maa'taapii Aoko'iyii'piaya, the Blackfoot name for the program, which means "Indigenous First Nation Housing" in Blackfoot, aims to create between 150 and 350 units in what the city calls a "historic investment." Currently, while the Indigenous population is only three percent of Calgary's demographic...
YORKTON, Sask.—The Canadian federal government recently announced that the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) will receive $335,000 to train 35 more wildland firefighters to join their existing crew of 60. Some of the funding will also go for equipment. The council represents six First Nations in the Yorkton area-the Key, Cote, Keeseekoose, Ocean Man, Zagime, and Kahkawistahaw nations' territory spans roughly 52,000 hectares. The program is designed to blend modern firefighting...
After eight years of marriage, we had bad problems. A lot of drinking and parties had destroyed our trust in each other. Our marriage was at the point of breaking up. It was so bad, Liz was thinking about ending her life. I kind of thought about it, too, but I was scared. There did not seem to be any way out for us. Then something happened to Liz that gave us both hope. I was born and raised in Cormorant, a small Native community along the railroad in northern Manitoba. The...
DENVER, Colo.—If you're flying through Denver any time soon, you have a new food option in the airport: Tocabe: A Native American Eatery, located near gate 38 in concourse A. Ben Jacobs, Osage, and co-owner Matt Chandra opened the first Tocabe: A Native American Eatery restaurant in 2008 in northern Denver. Now they've expanded their reach in the busy Denver International Airport. Not only is Tocabe the only Native American-owned and operated restaurant in Metro Denver...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Department of the Interior's Victim Assistance Program has partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice's National Indian Country Training Initiative, U.S. Indian Police Academy, FBI, DEA and ATF to curb violent crime in Indian Country. Through this partnership, several federal agencies have joined forces to offer a comprehensive training series aimed at improving how law enforcement and service providers respond to violent crime and enhance support for...
If you're attending these events, come by and meet us! If you would like ILM to participate in your event, contact Todd at director@intertriballife.org. Sept. 26–28: THUNDER BAY GOSPEL JAMBOREE, Thunder Bay, Ont., www.nefc.ca Oct. 3–4: STEER CONFERENCE, Bismarck, N.D., www.steerinc.org. Stop by and meet ILM staff! Nov. 1: ILM CELEBRATION, Winnipeg, Man, www.intertriballife.org. Hosted by ILM staff! Oct. 2: CHIEF hosts CELEBRATE CHICAGO, Midwest Bible Church,...
WINNIPEG, Man.—The Brokenhead Ojibway Nation welcomed a new herd of buffalo this year, acquired from Sakimay First Nation in Saskatchewan. This summer, they were pleased to see a brand new generation of buffalo born for the first time in more than two decades. This year, the herd of 22 birthed 11 healthy calves. The reserve's lands, 75 kilometres north of Winnipeg along the Brokenhead River, fall within traditional buffalo territory. Brokenhead had a herd in the 1990s that...
MISSOULA, Mont.—The University of Montana has begun a program, The Indigenous First-Year Experience, that has helped increase retention among Native American students at UM by nearly 20 percent in just two years. The goal of the program is to address challenges faced by indigenous students, including culture shock and homesickness or other challenges that might tempt students to leave their academic goals behind. Program Director Cody Munson emphasizes the importance of...
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—Can architecture be a realistic career path for Indigenous students? Sam Olbekson and Mike Laverdue think it can, though Olbekson estimates that he may be one of less than two dozen licensed Indigenous architects in the U.S. To introduce the subject to Native youth, the two men began the Indigenous Design Camp, which has now finished its second year. Throughout the week of camp, students tour indigenous architecture projects, learn about design concepts...
Dreaming. That is perhaps how I would describe the summer of 2025. Dreaming about what the Lord could be inviting us in to, and what He may be encouraging us to set aside. We spent much time in reflective prayer, whilst remaining diligent in ensuring we continued to produce a top-quality newspaper such as Intertribal Life, for you, our dear readers. As we kick off the next four months, the last four months of 2025, we are delighted to report that we will be heading down to...
"... a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!" Galatian's 6:7 TLB I remember as a 19-year-old, working on reservation housing renovations and how nearly every morning, I would cut it close in getting to work on time. My boss, Pitcheech, would be standing by his truck, looking at his watch as I pulled up in my rusty, "less than trusty" 1966 Ford van. If I was more than three minutes late, he'd be shaking his head and demanding a reason! "I had a flat tire." "My...
Thank you for sending me your newspaper. It is a great way for me to stay in touch with my people, as there aren't a lot where I live. The stories are inspirational and add to my strength. Thank you for sending it to me. -R. Barkley Thank you for sharing about the Native Youth Conference. It is so wonderful to see how many youth are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and that 256 youth received Bibles. It is encouraging to read that our youth are volunteering and encouraging...
Six talented Native youth leaders from Dream of Wild Health created this salad using ingredients important to their Native American cultures, as well as vegetables grown at their Hugo, Minnesota, farm. The youth promoted this salad at Minnesota Twins baseball games as part of a healthy food initiative that encourages local youth groups with entrepreneurial projects. Cherry tomatoes are delicious in this salad, but if you can find ground cherries at a farmers' market or grow...
