- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Happy Native American Heritage Month! Each November, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States. While many Native Americans like to say we celebrate being Native Americans year round, it the month present opportunies to reflect on our ancestors, history, and culture.
Here are some stories you may have missed this past weekend:
Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley on Friday introduced legislation seeking the removal of President Buu Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya, citing alleged malfeasance, misfeasance, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
The legislation follows a formal ethics complaint filed Friday by Special Prosecutor Kyle T. Nayback in Navajo Nation District Court, accusing President Nygren of multiple violations of the Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Law. The complaint alleges misuse of government purchase cards, nepotism, falsification of documents, and directing staff to perform personal duties including childcare, cooking, cleaning, and managing personal bills.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren on Saturday accused Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley of attempting to seize the presidency through a series of legal and legislative actions, including a newly filed removal bill and an ethics complaint lodged by the tribe’s special prosecutor. On Friday, Curley introduced legislation seeking the removal of Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya, citing alleged malfeasance, misfeasance, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
In a statement addressed to “My Navajo People,” Nygren said Curley’s actions — along with an ongoing lawsuit she filed against him — are part of “a deliberate effort by the Speaker to take for herself the Navajo Presidency.”
What the Seismic Shift in Indian Education Could Mean
Sadly, the 2018 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ “Broken Promises” report shows that the same proportional disparity remains for Native young men and women today. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is insanity.
Ninety-three percent of Native students attend public schools. Only seven percent attend Bureau of Indian Education or Tribal Grant Schools. While I do not support ending public education, tribal nations must consider that we have waited long enough for systems outside our control to succeed.
Make A Donation Here
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Navajo Nation President Nygren Defends Record, Says Speaker’s Actions ‘Disgraceful’ and Politically Driven
Native News Weekly (November 23, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
