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The Arizona State Museum on the western mall of the University of Arizona campus.

The Buzz: Why a 32-year-old federal law has failed to bring Native American remains home

A federal law was supposed to ensure returns of most remains by 1995. So why are thousands of Arizona tribal remains still not back with their people?
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Conservation windfall in Arizona: America the Beautiful Challenge funds key initiatives

Statewide grant recipients develop nature-based solutions
From left, National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory take part in a panel with Native teens as part of the White House Tribal Youth Forum. November 2023.

Arizona teens share passions with others at White House Tribal Youth Forum

scussions at the forum, which was held at the Department of Health and Human Services, ranged from climate change to civic engagement, from the legacy of federal Indian boarding schools to mental health and substance abuse.
This photo distributed by NextEra Energy Resources shows the 100-megwatt Borderlands Wind Project, which entered service in late 2021. Its 34 turbines will provide enough energy for Tucson Electric Power to supply 26,000 average homes.

BLM halts SunZia Transmission Project in Arizona amid concerns over cultural impact

A temporary suspension sparks consultations as the Bureau of Land management responds to cultural concerns, impacting a segment of the transmission project
Sec. Stewart Udall vists Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming with Lady Bird Johnson on Aug. 16, 1964.

"Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How teachers are dealing with AI in classrooms; and a story of survival in plain sight from Children of the Holocaust.

Museum of Northern Arizona

Founded in 1928, the Museum of Northern Arizona protects and preserves the natural and cultural heritage of northern Arizona through research, collections, conservation, and education.
Duane Garvais-Lawrence paints the name of a missing Indigenous woman on his arm before starting a run around the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the final stop in 2021 for the MMIW Bike Run USA to raise awareness of the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

MMIP task forces are given years to solve a problem centuries in the making

Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People face a “big ask” – to “reduce and end violence against Indigenous people” in the state.
Jon Proudstar as Leon in the FX series "Reservation Dogs" on Hulu.

It's "Reservation Dogs" final season, cast member Jon Proudstar shares how it began.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet Robaba, a refugee from Afghanistan with a passion for knowledge and a story to tell; members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness share "Moments to Cope"; and remembering filmmaker William Friedkin.
Tucson City Hall

Tucson eyes solutions to prevent more fraudulent sober homes from coming

Tucson's mayor and council directed staff to examine how the city can incorporate regulations for the future.
President Biden signed an Executive Order designating a new Grand Canyon National Monument. August 8, 2023

Biden creates new national monument near Grand Canyon

Tribes in Arizona have been pushing the president to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the new national monument.
A view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, next to the Kolb Studio, September 2018.

Tribes hope Biden's Arizona visit means long-sought Grand Canyon monument

Representatives of various northern Arizona tribes have been invited to attend the president's remarks.
Clients participate in a smudging ceremony at The Haven, a local substance use treatment center in Tucson, Arizona. The facility offers a Native Ways Program, a treatment plan that incorporates Native American culture and practices.

The Haven strives to become go-to resource for Native American women in recovery

Federal funding has helped expand services and outreach.
File image of equipment in a trauma room at a hospital in Tucson.

COVID-19 pandemic delays rare disease diagnosis on Arizona's Tribal lands, new study finds

Testing delays and the focus on response to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the region may have been factors.
Navajo President Buu Nygren urged the House Natural Resources Committee to reverse a ban on mining and drilling for 10 miles around Chaco Canyon, saying it deprives tribe members from collecting payment on their mineral allotments and violates the tribe’s sovereignty. July 2023

Navajo witnesses clash over government’s Chaco Canyon mining ban

A new 20-year moratorium on drilling and mining within 10 miles of the Chaco Canyon tramples on tribal sovereignty and denies Navajo badly needed royalty payments, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren told lawmakers.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

21st annual Water Resources Research Center brings in international collaborators

The conference focused on water solutions in a changing arid climate.
Harris visited the Gila River Indian Community on July 6, 2023, to address the administration’s plan to support Native communities.

Kamala Harris discusses commitment to Native communities during Arizona visit

The vice president met with Gila River youth leaders prior to her speech.

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