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I'm from Isleta Pueblo, just south of Albuquerque, and one of the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. I lived in Isleta all my life. I was born, raised, and grew up there. My parents raised us, loved us, and cared for us. I was raised by a wonderful mom named Prudence. She was such a beautiful lady-tiny, always singing, always happy, and always cooking for us, making us fresh tortillas, fried potatoes, beans, and chili, red or green. Those were good times. I had two brothers and three...
The worldview of an Indigenous people comes from all aspects of life being connected physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Today, I want to look at the title of this column through spiritual eyes. How can we realize that a certain amount of healing is possible on this side of the grave? Even when harsh and unimaginable things happen to us? Even when we feel like our hearts have been broken? As someone who has lived for 57 years, I can testify to the fact that...
What are some of your favorite experiences of feeling our Creator's presence and knowing for certain that He is there and that He cares about you personally? It is a powerful feeling! At this point it is extremely important to know our Creator's name. So how can we know who our Creator really is? What are His ways? How does He want us to worship Him? If He truly created the stars and our planet, the earth, then He probably has His own thoughts. I've had many encounters with ou...
In May 2013, Harrison Okene's boat of 12 crew members capsized off the coast of Nigeria and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Harrison, who was the cook on the boat, spent 72 hours in a watery grave 100 feet underwater, in complete darkness and isolation from the outside world. He was the only survivor who managed to find a small air pocket in a bathroom. Because he saw some movement and light in the water from a recovery diver who was looking for bodies, he reached out to the...
You don't meet many musicians who would sooner play to a handful of people than to a thousand, but my friend Mark is one. He's been my friend since the day I spoke at a church where he pressed a business card into my hand and said those three magic words, "Let's golf sometime." And so, we did. Together with our sons, we hacked and duffed and mulliganed our way around a golf course; it was the thing of which friendships are made. Recently, Mark and his wife, Cori, took my wife...
Many people believe in "luck" but don't really believe they are "lucky." I've survived fires, floods, and car accidents and almost drowned twice. When I was a teenager, I walked into a store and saw a man using a knife to rob the owner. I turned and ran and was stabbed in the back. The police arrived, arrested the thief and drove me to the hospital, where I was "stitched up." I'm a survivor, even though I could have died a dozen times. Moku was a rabbit. He would have been an...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Department of the Interior recently released a new Strategic Direction for the Bureau of Indian Education, establishing a performance-driven roadmap to improve student outcomes, strengthen Native language and culture and enhance operational effectiveness across Bureau-funded schools. The Strategic Direction reinforces tribal sovereignty and local control by prioritizing flexible, community-driven approaches rather than one-size-fits-all p...
OKMULGEE, Okla.—The College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) and Southern Nazarene University (SNU) are forming a partnership to help CMN graduates who earn their associate's degree move ahead to earn their bachelor's degree. Discussions for the partnership began through both colleges being part of the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium. "This articulation agreement is to benefit the graduates. It gives them an opportunity and ability to move into that bachelor's degree program. W...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced a new partnership between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education to prepare Native students for careers in wildland firefighting, strengthening the workforce while creating clear school-to-career pathways for tribal youth. Through the Native Youth Firefighter Training Program, high school and post-secondary students receive hands-on instruction, mentorship and technical training that p...
ADA, Okla.—Fitness trainers will tell you motivation is one of the hardest hurdles to overcome in a workout regime. To provide inspiration and get people walking, the Chickasaw Nation developed the AYA Walk application. As users reach walking milestones, 15 virtual Chickasaw walking partners drawn from both history and fiction share stories of the tribe's history, culture and language. "History, culture and storytelling are embedded in the app in various ways. The main c...
In late October 2022, Angela Houle competed against five other women to earn the top spot at the Strongman Corporation of Canada's National Championship. She competed in an axle press, a circus dumbbell and sandbag carry, and other events. But that wasn't all. This competitor from Whitefish Lake First Nation #128 was also awarded her pro card status in the sport-the first Indigenous woman to be awarded with the honor. Having a pro card means a person is considered a profession...
GLENDALE, Ariz.—The dirt moves before the crowd stirs. A low tremor rolls beneath the chutes as a 1,500-pound bull slams its shoulder into steel, dust lifting in thin sheets under the desert lights. Cowboys lean quietly along the arena rails. Leather creaks. Rosin snaps. One rider bows his head in prayer. Another tests the flex in his glove. Eight seconds at a time, a sport once rooted in ranch work now unfolds beneath LED scoreboards, national TV cameras and sold-out c...
PHOENIX, Ariz.—Hosava Kretzmann, from the Hotevilla village on the Hopi Reservation, is the first Native American runner to qualify for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials. Kretzmann, a citizen of the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation, ran a personal best 2:15:50 at The Marathon Project in December 2025, finishing more than three minutes faster than his previous best and under the qualifying standard. This will allow him to join an elite group of distance runners nationwide and places him to become one of a growing number of I...
TORONTO, Ont.—The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Regulatory Coordination that strengthens collaboration and alignment in their respective regulatory roles in the Northwest Territories, in partnership with Indigenous governments and organizations. Under the agreement, the two departments reaffirm their commitment to working together and wi...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Department of the Interior today affirmed its commitment to tribal sovereignty by adding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to the official list of federally recognized tribes, formalizing the tribe's government-to-government relationship with the United States and carrying out federal recognition enacted into law in December 2025. "Federal recognition is about respect, accountability and self-determination," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. "...
Rilla Unger, a member of the Intertribal Life Ministries team, was a picture of faithfulness-writing letters to her treasured, incarcerated friends until she could hold a pen no more, shortly before her death in February. She may have been 97 years old, but she was still committed to the outreach she started so many years earlier. Rilla served as a volunteer for ILM since the late 1980s, when founder George McPeek couldn't keep up with the onslaught of correspondence, many of...
January 1, 2026 marked the launch of the Council Fire podcast. With 1638 downloads in the past 60 days, we have been hearing story after story coming in from listeners, letting us know how they have been encouraged by it. Read what a few have to say: Peter writes, “I have lived as a Christian all my life. Always read or heard devotionals. Council Fire is special! Simple, inspiring and addictive! Thank you, Council Fire creators.” Gary called us to say, “I was on my way to th...
DARTMOUTH, N.S.—Chief Bob Gloade of Millbrook First Nation and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty recently announced the addition of over 7 hectares (17.35 acres) to Millbrook First Nation through the Addition to Reserve process. This addition will open new opportunities for Millbrook First Nation: opportunities to plan, to grow, and to invest in the future. "This is a momentous occasion for our community. We have been working for a number of years on m...
WASHINGTON, D.C—The Department of the Interior recently announced that the Bureau of Indian Education reached its highest graduation rate in its history, reflecting sustained reforms and accountability measures. Student graduation rates at Bureau of Indian Education-funded high schools increased from 51 percent in 2015 to 79 percent in 2025. These gains surpass pre-pandemic levels and continue despite national declines in student outcomes following the COVID–19 pandemic. “Th...
Washington, D.C.-The U.S. Marshals Service will be permitted to partner with tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing indigenous children under legislation proposed by two senators who represent states with numerous tribes. The efforts of Senators Markwayne Mullin (R, Oklahoma) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D, Nevada) were applauded by LaRenda Morgan, who helped lead the effort that led to passage in Oklahoma of "Ida's Law," named for her cousin Ida Beard, who went...
Washington, D. C.-In mid-December, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced at the meeting of the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee (TTAC) two final pro-growth and deregulatory tax regulations that support the prosperity of Tribal businesses and families and recognize the sovereignty of Tribal governments. The first rule implements the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014, which confirms that Tribes may provide assistance...
Wounded Knee, S.D.—In mid-December, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, was signed into law. "It has been almost 135 years to the day of the tragedy that unfolded at Wounded Knee and [now], the president signed my bill into law to preserve the land where hundreds of lives were lost," said U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), who sponsored the bill. "I am grateful the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes will be able to hold this land in p...
Swanton, Vt.-The Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs has announced that an American Abenaki curriculum is now available for Vermont educators. This curriculum has been designed by the four Abenaki communities in Vermont. Commission Vice Chair Jeff Benay, who also chairs the American Abenaki Curriculum Planning Committee, told reporter Pat Bradley and WAMC Northeast Public Radio that the idea of creating a curriculum focused on the state-recognized tribe has taken yea...
Langdon, Alb.—Intertribal Life Ministries is thrilled to announce that Council Fire devotionals are now available in podcast form, and www.councilfire365.org went live on January 1, 2026. A new podcast is published daily, not only online, but also on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and anywhere podcasts are presented. You will find links on www.councilfire365.org. Over the past two years, more than 30,000 printed copies of Council Fire daily devotionals, written exclusively by I...
