SPIRIT LAKE TRIBE

Human remains found during search for man missing since March 2024 on Spirit Lake Reservation

Isaac HuntFORT TOTTEN, N.D. (KVRR) — Unidentified human remains were found during a family organized search for Isaac Hunt on Spirit Lake Reservation on Saturday. Law enforcement was called to the area around 3 p.m. to begin the investigation which has now been taken over by the FBI. The exact location of the discovery is not being released. Bureau of…

Search for missing woman on Spirit Lake Reservation ends

FORT TOTTEN, N.D. (KVRR) — A sad update in the search for 20-year-old Danica “Tynee” White on Spirit Lake Reservation. Family members confirming on social media that her body has been found, writing “Tynee is on her journey now”. Spirit Lake Tribe says White’s body was found and recovered from the water shortly before 3 p.m. following an extensive search….

Ruling in North Dakota Case Erases Path for People in 7 States to Sue Under Voting Rights Act

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court that already has said private individuals and groups cannot sue under a key part of the federal Voting Rights Act went even further Wednesday toward blocking lawsuits over alleged racial bias in voting in seven Midwest states. But its decisions may not be the last word, because another appeals court has ruled…

Spirit Lake Tribe Takes New Steps To Fill Police Officer Positions

Officers had to respond to nearly 200 calls in just one week

SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (KVRR) — Spirit Lake Tribe is taking steps to fill a shortage of police officers on the reservation. Chairwoman Lonna Street says the tribe has established a Memo of Agreement with Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs. They control the police force. It will allow the tribe to recruit officers directly under tribal authority while ensuring…

Spirt Lake And Menominee Tribes Sue Social Media Companies Over “Dangerous Features”

Two tribal nations are accusing social media companies of contributing to the disproportionately high rates of suicide among Native American youth. Their lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles county court names Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms; Snapchat’s Snap Inc.; TikTok parent company ByteDance; and Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google, as defendants. Virtually all U.S. teenagers use social media,…

Judge rejects delay of ruling backing North Dakota tribes’ effort to change legislative boundaries

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request to delay his decision supporting two Native American tribes that sought changes to North Dakota’s legislative boundaries to give the tribes more influence in the Legislature. U.S. District Chief Judge Peter Welte denied Republican Secretary of State Michael Howe’s motion to stay his ruling, pending an expected appeal to the…

Closing arguments heard in Voting Rights Act case brought by N.D. tribes

FARGO (KFGO/AP) — Closing arguments were heard Thursday in the federal case brought by two tribes challenging North Dakota’s redrawn legislative district lines, claiming the new map diluted Native American voters’ strength on their reservations. The federal lawsuit was brought last year by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe, as well as individual Native American voters,…

Spirit Lake Tribe and North Dakota Highway Patrol sign mutual aid agreement

The agreement was signed during the Strengthening Government to Government Partnerships and Relationships Conference.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — A mutual aid agreement is signed between the Spirit Lake Tribe and the North Dakota Highway Patrol. The agreement will allow North Dakota Highway Patrol to help on the reservation when needed. However, it does not give the highway patrol the authority to arrest anyone. Officers can intervene regardless of tribal status until local law enforcement…

Two tribes challenging North Dakota redistricting plan

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) A lawsuit was filed in federal court by two North Dakota Indian tribes, challenging the legislative map drawn in last year’s redistricting plan. The Spirit Lake Tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians say that the new boundaries dilute the voting rights of Native Americans which would be a violation of the Voting Rights Act…