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- By Native News Online Staff
It's a good day to be Indigenous!
Here are some of the recent articles from Native News Online you may have missed this past weekend:
As the Federal Government Shutdown Continues, the Food Stamp Program Is Running Out of Funds
If the federal government shutdown extends into November, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which oversees the food stamp program—will exhaust its funding, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This would affect approximately 42 million low-income individuals nationwide. Within Native communities, as many as 500,000 tribal citizens could lose access to food assistance.
Green Corn Celebration Reconnects Ho-Chunk Nation to Ancestral Foods and Lands
The smell of corn, venison, and wood smoke circled the air as the Ho-Chunk Nation gathered behind the Tribal Office Building for its annual Green Corn Celebration on October 9.
The celebration featured a community potluck, cooking and craft demonstrations, social and green corn dances, and cultural presentations focused on reconnecting with ancestral food and land practices.
“The green corn to me was often a dance that was held in the fall at each of our powwows,” Jon Greendeer, president of the Ho-Chunk Nation, told Native News Online. “I never really understood exactly where that derived from, because it wasn’t simply a dance.”
Native News Weekly (October 19, 2025): D.C. Briefs
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) strongly condemns the large-scale reductions in force (RIFs) purportedly resulting from the ongoing government shutdown, which disproportionately impact Tribal programs — particularly those supporting health care, housing, economic development, and education in Native communities.
"Targeting people who manage and support programs that are the backbone of Tribal communities — our health, our homes, our economic futures, and our children's education — is not just short-sighted, it's an abdication of the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations," said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. "Our communities are not expendable. These actions are a betrayal of the promises made to Tribal Nations, and we will not remain silent as the very infrastructure of our future is dismantled."
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Native News Weekly (October 19, 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.
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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.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
