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Back in 2004, Facebook started as a social media platform. People were making more friends than they could ever have imagined. I was getting into the swing of connecting with people. My self-esteem seemed to go up a notch when I reached 450 friends. Then, as time went on it felt exhausting trying to read other people's timelines and faithfully read the posts that came scrolling in. Since then many other social media platforms have arisen that people use to connect with...
I have been writing for Indian Life, now Intertribal Life, for over 21 years. I recently read the March/April 2026 issue and felt humbled to be a part of such gifted leaders, reporters, columnists and staff who develop this uniquely meaningful newspaper. I appreciate the editor, and I marvel at how Todd and Krystal and Kene not only contribute to and manage a newspaper and the publishing business but also share God's truth and encouragement through youth and community events...
I'm hoping that the title of this article has gotten your attention! Fortunately, the word "arrested" has more than one meaning. Arrested can mean, "taken into custody by officials" or it can also mean, "to capture and hold someone's attention." I'm happy to report that law enforcement agents at the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, Canada did not arrest me. But I was caught off guard during a day trip. I had left during the late morning to visit First Nation communities...
As a professional humor guy, who has made a living on laughter since way back in the 1900s, I get emails or actually-written-with-a-pen letters from listeners who are interested in knowing more about what I do. Here's one from Zach in Manitoba: "Why would you tell a joke about staying in a nice hotel where the only complaint you had was that the towels were so fluffy you couldn't get your suitcase closed? What's next, funny jokes about robbing banks?" Good question, Zach. The...
Washington, DC-Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Native Services hosted a ceremonial signing to commemorate the refreshed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BGCA and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The gathering reaffirmed the shared commitment of both organizations to strengthen academic success and education opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native youth. Carla Knapp, National Vice President of Native Services at B...
We had a wonderful farm. It had green pastures, two ponds, lots of big shade trees, and a huge barn. Although we had some animals-we had several ponies and thirty goats and assorted cats and dogs-we discovered several of our neighbors had animals they didn't want anymore. We decided to start a "retirement home" for unwanted animals. We put a big sign on our front gate that read, "Free retirement home for unwanted animals. Animals will be loved, fed, well cared for, given...
Meet Ryan and Kristen O'Leary. Ryan, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota, currently leads the First Peoples Initiative and is president of the National Association of Native Evangelicals. He holds undergraduate and masters' degrees in business management, a masters' of divinity, a doctor of ministry degree and a PhD in global leadership. Raised in a Christian home and coming to Christ at age six, before his current ministries, Ryan served as a...
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 (NKJV) I have had to come to God many times to help me forgive someone who has hurt me or wronged me in some way-not so much physically, but certainly emotionally. For instance, when I was quite young, I had a special cat I loved. At that time, living on the reserve, we had a day-school teacher who was boarding in our home. He decided one Sunday...
ADA, Okla.-Sisterhood can take many forms. Gamma Delta Pi, a new sorority at East Central University (ECU) in Ada, Oklahoma, aims to strengthen the bonds of sisterhood, specifically for First American women. Nicole Schultz, the older sister of ECU freshman Gabrielle Nucosee, had been a member of Gamma Delta Pi at the University of Oklahoma (OU). Nucosee was very interested in establishing the sorority on the ECU campus. Schultz contacted Emily Black, the chair of the...
First year medical student, Mateo Perez, attributes must of his success to programs built for Native youth to connect with Indigenous health practitioner mentors PORTLAND, Ore.-For 23-year-old Mateo Perez, Picuris Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and Cochiti Pueblo, school has always been a main focus of his life. That love for learning came from his family, particularly his paternal grandma, Ellen Perez, who was an educator in Santa Fe, New Mexico for decades, while also raising a...
Question: "My life and my community have faced a lot of loss. At times, it feels like the grief is overwhelming. Does God give us any tools in His Word to deal with deep grief?" Answer: I'm sorry to hear about the grief you and your community are enduring. That's the exact way to describe it-enduring! Enduring signifies that strength still prevails, that there is much hope and that God's Word still commands your thoughts! James' epistle says, "My brethren, count it all joy...
I was born and raised on the Cheyenne River Reservation, where I still live. My idea of who I was led me into so many dangerous areas of prejudice, and I grew up having a heart full of hate for those that lived in our community that weren't Native American. When I was living on the reservation, people came to share the gospel. I was very ignorant in so many things. I took care of my brother and the only reason I went to this church was for this VBS program because I had heard...
"God bless you all for the hard work all over the world; you all do an excellent job! I have learned lots of inspiring stories. . . . I will be praying for you all every night, every day."-Rosemary S. "I met a sweet little Cree granny in the hospital in Regina and gave her some [Intertribal Life] papers. She seemed grateful and I promised her some more. Could you please send a year's subscription to her?" -Patricia G....
"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." Proverbs 8:17 My mosoom (grandfather), Thomas Jackson, was a future-focused individual. Back in 1939, he was the first one on our reservation to own a radio. As near as I can figure, it would have been a 1939 Zenith 9S367. My dad talks about that time, remembering how people would come over to their place to listen and marvel at this box that talked-with no "real" person speaking! Some would check carefully behind the...
If you're attending these events, come by and meet us at the events that are starred below! If you would like ILM to participate in your event, contact Todd at director@intertriballife.org. May 14–17: Native Youth Conference, Busby, Alb.* May 22-24: Indigenous Ladies Retreat, Busby Alb.* May 22–24: Waymaker Native Youth Gathering, Enderby, B.C. May 29–31: Kelliher Gospel Outreach, Kelliher, Sask.* June 6: Operation Christmas Child Indigenous Shoebox Packing Party, Samar...
On June 6, Intertribal Life Ministries will host, for the first time, an Operation Christmas Child First Nations Shoebox Packing Party. It will be held from 2 to 6 (MTN) at 20 Hopewell Way NE, in Calgary Alb. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international relief organization that has been providing shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching children with the Good News of Jesus Christ for thirty...
This season has been a full one. With travelling to Sioux Lookout for a testimony conference, planning two dessert night fundraisers (one for a mission trip and one for Intertribal Life Ministries), regular Native Youth Conference planning meetings, and planning for the Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child First Nations Shoebox Packing Party, our time has been rather full. This, in addition to being parents, spouses, friends, active church members and loving children to...
STURGEON LAKE, Sask.-Recently, members of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation celebrated the grand opening of the Shirley Bighead Nihtāwiki and Ohpikihāwasowin Birthing and Child-rearing Lodge. This is the first Indigenous-led birthing lodge on a First Nation in Saskatchewan. Before the birthing lodge came to be, pregnant women had to travel to larger cities, such as Prince Albert or Saskatoon to give birth. Not only will the birthing lodge be available to First Nations' women, b...
In Oklahoma, an average of two to three people die by suicide every day. This rate is more than 1.5 times the national average and has increased by almost 150 percent since 2000. Overall, as reported by the Oklahoma Voice last year, the state's soaring suicide rates place them in the top ten nationally. For Native Americans in Oklahoma, these rates had long been even more concerning. As recently as 2021, Indigenous Americans suicide rates were more than twice the national...
BROOKLYN, N.Y.-A new ruling by Etsy has distressed Native American and First Nation sellers. In an email sent by Etsy to sellers in April, the company announced that it will ban the sale of all animal fur products, including raw pelts, finished garments, and accessories starting in August 11, 2026, claiming the move is part of "ongoing biodiversity efforts." Etsy has long held an animal product policy, which prohibited the sale of products made from animals designated as...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy (IE) has announced a $50 million notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) aimed at fostering affordable, reliable, and secure energy solutions in Indian Country. This investment will support Tribal-led community-scale energy project planning and development and large-scale energy project planning. Through the Unleashing Tribal Energy Development NOFO, the Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications...
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont.-Neoen, one of the world's leading renewable energy companies, has been awarded two 20-year contracts by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) through its second Long-Term Energy Supply procurement process, for two new solar farms with a total capacity of 318 MWp / 250 MWac. These contracts cover 100 percent of the output of the future power plants, which are both located in Ontario. The first solar farm, sized at 253 MWp / 200 MWac,...
REGINA, Sask.-May marks 50 years that the First Nations University of Canada has been welcoming students. Begun in May 1976 as Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, the goal for the school was to have a culturally safe institution that taught Indigenous values, customs and languages, as well as teaching Canadian history from a First Nations' perspective. The 50-year celebrations began with an annual spring event on April 18–19, 2026, which brought together hundreds of d...
RAPID CITY, S.D.-New data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations released on May 5 showcases declining rates of missing American Indian and Alaska Native people in 2025. The data's release fell on the National Day of Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. According to the new data, 9,687 American Indian and Alaska Native individuals were reported missing in 2025 alone. Nationwide, 498,038 individuals were reported missing, meaning just under 2 percent of...
LANGDON, Alb.-Intertribal Life Ministries hosted a Dessert Night Fundraiser on May 2, 2026 at the Abundant Life Church in Calgary, Alb. "The Dessert Night Fundraiser is about so much more than raising funds," said Todd Wawrzyniak of the ILM director team. "It's an awareness raiser, a prayer raiser, a volunteer raiser and a financial raiser. It was encouraging to see the diversity in those who attended, those who came locally and those who travelled a great distance to come to...
