Federal MMIP audit finds staffing shortages, misallocated funds

Graphic courtesy of AI RAPID CITY—A federal investigation into the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit has exposed serious administrative failures, raising questions about whether millions of dollars appropriated to investigate missing and murdered Indigenous persons have been effectively spent. The September 9 audit by the Department of

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Shared by Native Sun News Today October 2, 2026

Gorsuch’s Indian law record receives limited recognition

Neil Gorsuch is the first justice to put the spotlight on plenary power, by questioning aspects of the 1886 Kagama decision. (Photo courtesy of Newsweek) RAPID CITY—Every few years, Neil Gorsuch’s Indian law record receives another examination. His name is familiar, but much of that record receives limited public attention.

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Shared by Native Sun News Today October 2, 2026

Thunder Valley reintroducing bison

PORCUPINE— September 28th, 2026 – On October 6th 2026, Thunder Valley CDC will be releasing 50 head of bison to a 39,904 acre range unit in the Badlands National Park. This part of the Badlands is called Oonak̄ijiŋ, the Stronghold, in the Lakota language. Reintroducing bison to the land will

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Shared by Native Sun News Today October 2, 2026

Indiana was once full of actual Indians

Statue of fictional ChiefMunsee in town square, Muncie, Indiana. MUNCIE, IN.—High above the White River in Muncie sits an Indian on horseback, arms extended, face turned toward the sky. People have called him Chief Muncie. There was just one problem. There was no Chief Muncie. The bronze statue is a

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Shared by Native Sun News Today September 18, 2026

NDN Collective launches National Advisory Council

NDN Collective Resource Development & Partnerships Manager, Christina Chavez. (Courtesy photo) RAPID CITY – In response to volatile political and economic shifts that continue destabilizing communities across Turtle Island, NDN Collective has assembled an advisory council to strengthen the organization’s infrastructure, network, and reach.  By adding the advisory council to

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Shared by Native Sun News Today September 18, 2026

Indian gaming opposed to CLARITY Act

Graphic courtesy of AI WASHINGTON, D.C.—Indian gaming leaders are urging the U.S. Senate to reject legislation intended to establish a national regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, arguing the measure could unintentionally create a federal avenue for sports betting and casino-style gambling that circumvents tribal and state gaming laws. Indian Gaming Association

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Shared by Native Sun News Today September 18, 2026

Oglala Sioux Tribe challenges Bear Lodge rare earth project

Graphic (Courtesy of AI) PINE RIDGE—More than a century after gold miners first transformed the Black Hills, another mineral buried beneath the Hills has placed the Oglala Sioux Tribe at odds with a proposed mining operation—this time rare earth elements considered critical to modern technology and national defense. Oglala Sioux

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Shared by Native Sun News Today September 14, 2026

Jackley appoints Marlys Big Eagle

PIERRE—South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has named longtime victim advocate Marlys Big Eagle as the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person specialist, bringing a veteran of nearly three decades with the U.S. Department of Justice into a position designed to coordinate investigations involving missing and murdered Native people. Big

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Shared by Native Sun News Today September 14, 2026