• Bringing a River Back to Life As the desert southwest becomes hotter and drier, the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona is showing how it’s possible to both restore rivers and responsibly manage water used for agriculture and businesses.

• Weaving Worldviews In a climate many outsiders find inhospitable, Iḷisaġvik College science instructor Linda Nicholas-Figueroa, a transplant from the American South, has made the Arctic Circle her home. She was recently named an AAAS Fellow for her innovative approaches to teaching and place-based research.

• A “New Era” for Tribes The 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit—the first in five years—highlighted the Biden administration’s commitment to strengthening tribal self determination and supporting the development of Native communities. STEM issues were at the top of the agenda.

• Searching for Equity in Agriculture Federal funding to tribal colleges for agriculture-related programs will grow, but not as much as hoped, according to speakers at the recently concluded First Americans Land-Grant Consortium conference.  

• Revitalizing the Dakota Language Sisseton Wahpeton College, located on the Lake Traverse Reservation of South Dakota, will both study and teach Dakota through an innovative new NSF-funded research center.

• What Omicron Means for Indigenous Communities Omicron is the newest virus to endanger indigenous communities, but it will not be the last, argues Dr. Shazia Tabassum Hakim, a professor of microbiology and biomedical sciences at Diné College.

• Treated Without a Trial Native Americans are almost entirely excluded from cancer clinical trials, according to research conducted by three Dine College students.

• Diné College Professor Receives Patent Associate Professor Oleksandr Makeyev’s patent is probably the first awarded to a tribal college faculty member.

• New Beginnings on Ancestral Land Inspired by South Dakota State University’s Wokini Initiative and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s New Beginnings grant program, mainstream land-grant universities are pledging to do more for Native students.

• NSF-TCUP Releases New Program Solicitation The National Science Foundation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program announced new funding for projects that strengthen cyberinfrastructure, build partnerships, and support professional development for K-12 STEM teachers.

Native Science Report’s 2020-2021 Student Research Showcase is featuring the work of five undergraduate students from tribal and Native-serving colleges.

• Weaving Worldviews In a climate many outsiders find inhospitable, Iḷisaġvik College science instructor Linda Nicholas-Figueroa, a transplant from the American South, has made the Arctic Circle her home. She was recently named an AAAS Fellow for her innovative approaches to teaching and place-based research.

• Gardens That Build Community Little Priest Tribal College student Trey Blackhawk is showing his community that they can grow their own food in a way that benefits the land and themselves.

• Gathering Fuel for the Fire Jasmine Neosh missed the occupation of Standing Rock in 2016, but it inspired her to go to college. Now graduating with a degree in public administration from the College of Menominee Nation, she’s already deep in the fight for environmental justice.