2025 Native Lands & Sacred Places News Stories (Land Back, Treaty Rights, Tribal Homelands, Historic Protections) News Stories
Tule River Indian Tribe of California reclaims 17,030 acres and reintroduces tule elk on ancestral land (Elk Grove Citizen - California) 10/29/2025
‘The Rushmore story is hard to tell’: how an Indigenous park leader revealed the monument’s dark side (The Guardian) 10/26/2025
A sacred lake, a Columbus statue, and an Indigenous People’s long struggle for land (Syracuse.com) 10/19/2025
Five Tribes announce the formation of a New Chuckwalla National Monument Intertribal Commission (Native News Online) 10/16/2025
The case for Wabanaki land return in Maine outlined in new report (Portland Press Herald - Maine) 10/15/2025
The quest to restore what was lost for Indigenous People in Colorado [podcast] (Colorado Public Radio) 10/13/2025
Indigenous Peoples Day comes amid reckoning over colonialism & calls for return of Native land (Tucson Sentinel) 10/13/2025
A true American tale: Indigenous rights vs. corporate greed: The fight by the Western Apache people to save Oak Flat once again highlights the limits of religious freedom for non-Christians (Truthdig) 10/13/2025
Supreme Court declines to hear Native American fight to save sacred site threatened by copper mine (CNN) 10/6/2025
Ojibwe have been trying to regain land taken in mid-1800s. Slowly, they've had success. (Green Bay Press Gazette) 9/29/2025
New Mexico Tribal leaders push to protect Chaco (Source New Mexico) 9/15/2025
How a profit-sharing agreement could be a new model for mining on Indigenous land (Grist) 9/15/2025
Nez Perce Tribe lawsuit to halt Central Idaho gold mine clouds federal approval (Idaho Statesman) 9/12/2025
New York settles decades-long land dispute with Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, restoring land to group (My NBC 5 Vermont) 9/8/2025
Supreme Court must not abandon Native Americans (The Hill) 9/2/2025
Tribes call on Trump to ‘do right for Indian Country,’ return federal land within Wind River Reservation’s bounds (WyoFile) 8/27/2025
‘A land that our ancestors walked’: L.A. County Tribe wins land back for the first time (Los Angeles Times) 8/19/2025
Appeals court blocks Oak Flat land swap, giving copper mine opponents a late reprieve (Arizona Republic) 8/18/2025
Tribes, NARF join legal fight to protect Chuckwalla National Monument (ICT) 8/11/2025
With their largest land acquisition, the Rappahannock Indian Tribe is returning to its river (Radio IQ - Virginia Public Radio) 8/7/2025
'It's insulting': Feds decline to review approval of drilling at planned copper mine (Arizona Republic) 8/6/2025
Denver plans $20M American Indian Cultural Embassy near sacred bison herds (Denverite) 7/31/2025
'So much has been taken': Apache women sue to halt land swap for Oak Flat copper mine (AZ Central) 7/29/2025
On the Lake Superior shoreline, Tribal national park holds special meaning (Wisconsin Public Radio) 7/23/2025
Interior finalizes major Alaskan land transfer to NANA Regional Corporation (Native News Online) 7/17/2025
The Miccosukee Tribe is eyeing a legal challenge over Alligator Alcatraz (WFSU Public Media Florida) 7/16/2025
Unearthed bones, land swap, expedited review: Enbridge Line 5 tunnel review leaves Tribes behind (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) 7/3/2025
Native American Church members continue fight to save Yanaguana (ICT) 6/29/2025
Tribal Nations band together to denounce 'Alligator Alcatraz' on Florida ancestral homelands (Tallahassee Democat) 6/26/2025
Apache Stronghold files another petition asking U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its case (KJZZ Public Radio Arizona) 6/23/2025
Feds release final environmental impact statement on Oak Flat mine (Native News Online) 6/17/2025
Ban on state seizure of Wabanaki land passes Legislature, but likely to be vetoed (Maine Morning Star) 6/13/2025
Court decision on Vallejo tribal land still undecided (Daily Republic) 6/11/2025
US Justice Department says Trump can cancel national monuments that protect landscapes (ABC News) 6/10/2025
Federal courts left (not) to protect sacred sites (Native News Online) 6/9/2025
San Carlos Tribe celebrates temporary victory in federal court to save Oak Flat (Native News Online) 6/9/2025
California's Yurok Tribe gets back ancestral lands that were taken over 120 years ago (ABC News) 6/5/2025
Federal court rules in favor of Tribes against SunZia (Gila Herald) 5/30/2025
How the Trump administration is putting hundreds of sacred sites at risk (Grist) 5/29/2025
Wassana talks Fort Reno with Trump administration (El Reno Tribune - Oklahoma) 5/27/2025
Supreme Court turns down Apaches' bid to block copper mine on sacred site (CBS News) 5/27/2025
What will happen to Bears Ears monument under Trump? Tribes fear loss of sacred spaces (AZ Central) 5/25/2025
In the name of efficiency, Navajo president calls on Trump administration to preserve Bears Ears (Utah News Dispatch) 5/14/2025
Actions by Wyoming and the feds could have opposing effects on Indigenous rock art (Wyoming Public Media) 5/13/2025
Federal judge pauses Oak Flat land swap until a SCOTUS decision (Arizona Public Media) 5/9/2025
Exploratory drilling projects threaten important Black Hills cultural sites, activists say (South Dakota Searchlight) 5/2/2025
Supreme Court declines to hear Sault Tribe's casino land case (Native News Online) 4/29/2025
Arizona federal judge will consider Apache Stronghold’s petition to delay pending Oak Flat land swap (KJZZ Phoenix) 4/29/2025
Feds to move ahead on Oak Flat copper mine swap in Arizona, despite pending Supreme Court case (AZ Central) 4/17/2025
Will Native Tribes secure Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument? (LA Times) 4/15/2025
Maine governor opposes plan to protect tribal lands (ICT) 4/15/2025
Explainer: how the University of Minnesota system endowment, mining industry benefit from seized Indigenous land (Minnesota Public Radio News) 4/14/2025
All Pueblo Council of Governors applauds reintroduction of legislation to protect Chaco Canyon (Native News Online) 4/10/2025
NCAI stands with Tribal Nations on threats to national monuments and sacred tribal lands (Native News Online) 4/10/2025
Tribal Nations send letter defending creation of Chuckwalla Monument (KESQ News Channel 3 Palm Springs CA) 4/10/2025
A Jemez Pueblo victory (New Mexico Magazine) 4/2/2025
Public lands did not come free: what Trump’s actions may cost Tribal Nations (National Parks Conservation Association) 4/2/2025
LAND BACK: Illinois Governor signs law allowing Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to reclaim its stolen land (Native News Online) 3/25/2025
A $250M investment will help this lithium mine get up and running. That’s bad news for these Tribes. (Grist) 3/13/2025
Federal legislation would compensate U.P. Native American Tribe for seized land (Michigan Public NPR) 3/10/2025
The case for returning U.S. public lands to Indigenous People (Time) 3/6/2025
LANDBACK: Spirit Lake Nation regains land from Fish and Wildlife Service (ICT) 3/1/2025
New bill would transfer ownership of Shawnee Indian Mission to Shawnee Tribe (Johnson County Post Kansas) 2/24/2025
Layoffs at National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service raise concern over sacred lands (Native News Online) 2/18/2025
US: lithium mine permit violates Indigenous Peoples’ rights (Human Rights Watch) 2/6/2025
Arizona Republicans lose bid to block Grand Canyon monument protections (Arizona Mirror) 2/5/2025
Interior Secretary Burgum signs order requiring 15-day review of public lands for development (Native News Online) 2/4/2025
Opinion: return of land to Penobscot Nation will make history (Portland Press Herald) 2/2/2025
#LandBack offers common ground for Native Tribes, Trump Administration | opinion (Newsweek) 1/31/2025
10 states fund prisons using stolen Indigenous lands (Grist) 1/28/2025
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 – Is the Antiquities Act an antique? [podcast] (Native America Calling) 1/22/2025
Tohono O’odham Nation signs co-stewardship with BLM over sacred lands (AZ Mirror) 1/22/2025
Burgum pledges tribal consultation, pushes energy policy at Interior hearing (Native News Online) 1/18/2025
Victory: Parks group celebrates new era of public lands management with Bears Ears Collaborative Tribal Management Plan (National Parks Conservation Association) 1/15/2025
Tribal members protest so-called 'land grab' by the government [audio] (WBUR NPR Boston) 1/15/2025
In Wyoming, tribal protests prevent land transfer — for now (Grist) 1/15/2025
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Shabbona residents react to state park land transfer (Daily Chronicle Dekalb County Illinois) 1/9/2025
Minnesota regulators require studies along possible routes before pipeline construction near sacred site (Minnesota Public Radio) 1/8/2025
Biden designates two national monuments on tribal ancestral lands in California (Native News Online) 1/7/2025
Black Hills gold mining ban protects land, water, Sioux Nation ‘church’ (Buffalo's Fire) 1/1/2025
