Even the threat of a federal government shutdown at the end of FY2023 is causing the U.S. Department of the Interior to make precautionary postponements of previously planned events. On Friday afternoon, the Interior Department postponement of "The Road to Healing" listenins session scheduled for Sunday, October 1, 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Indian Affairs made the announcement on late Friday afternoon in a press release.
"Due to uncertainty in the congressional schedule, the previously advised event below has been postponed. We will advise when we are able to reschedule" reads the press release.
Last year, Secretary Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to shed light on the troubled history of Federal Indian boarding school policies and their legacy for Indigenous Peoples. In May 2022, the Department released Volume 1 of an investigative report as part of the Initiative, which calls for connecting communities with trauma-informed support and facilitating the collection of a permanent oral history.
The Interior Department also postponed a trip Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning planned in California to highlight President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and efforts to make Western communities more resilient to drought and wildfire in the wake of the climate crisis. They had planned to meet with local, state, Tribal and federal leaders, and other stakeholders.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Photographs of the Homecoming of the Three Fires Powwow
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
