Feds issue Line 5 tunnel permit, call it ‘not contrary to the public interest’

By LAURA HERBERG, JUSTIN A. HINKLEY and KELLY HOUSE/Bridge Michigan Bridge Michigan (NATIONAL) The US Army Corps of Engineers has permitted construction of the controversial Line 5 tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac. The project, which would divert a section of the Line 5 petroleum pipeline from the

WEWIN 2026 brings Native women leaders together in Tulsa

(TULSA, Okla.) For more than 20 years, Native women have gathered at Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations (WEWIN) to connect, inspire and empower one another.  This year, hundreds gathered July 26-29 at River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa for the 2026 WEWIN conference. The theme for 2026 was

Watchdog for $46 billion tribal gambling industry can't enforce the law without a chairperson

By SAVANNAH PETERS Associated Press CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) — On opening day at the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma's new Harrah’s-branded casino, the tribe's chairman watched customers pack the gambling floor while a queue of cars spilled out of the parking lot. “We couldn’t let

Tribal relations, sovereignty emerge as priorities in Tulsa police chief search

(TVLSE, Okla.) Tulsa residents gathered at Edison Preparatory School on Tuesday, August 4, to offer input on one of the city’s most important hiring decisions: the search for the next police chief. While the city’s charter authorizes the mayor to select the chief of police, Mayor Monroe Nichols

Mark Cruz to lead Indian Health Service amid staffing and infrastructure challenges

By SAVANNAH PETERS Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Senate voted Friday to confirm Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to lead the federal agency that provides healthcare for some 2.8 million Native American and Alaska Native patients. Cruz was confirmed to serve a

Native community centers helped preserve culture and connection during urban relocation

(TULSA, Okla.) While many Americans picture tribal members living on rural reservation land, more than 70% of Native people now live in urban areas. That demographic shift accelerated in the 1950s, when federal relocation policies uprooted Native families, disrupted communities and, in many cases, contributed to the development of Native

ALBUM: 74th Annual Tulsa Powwow 2026

The 74th Annual Tulsa Powwow 2026 Album is now available on Flickr! July 25-26, 2026 Head Singer: George Valliere Emcees: Warren Queton, Marshal Williamson Arena Directors: Daniel Roberts, Chuck Bread Host Northern Drum: Host Southern Drum: Head Man: AJ Leading Fox Head Woman: Chalene Toehay-Tartsah Head Gourd: Hinglu

Turtle Island Travels: July at Crosswinds

Happy July, Crosswinds Community! We hope your summer has included time with family and friends and perhaps a few of the many gatherings happening across northeast Oklahoma. July carried the Crosswinds team from Tulsa to Massachusetts, Mi’kma’ki and Portland. Along the way, we continued reporting on issues affecting

Exploring Turtle Island Through the Centuries-Long Connections of Indigenous Nations

Written By Rachael Schuit and Troy Littledeer (TURTLE ISLAND) The United States recently marked the 250th anniversary of its founding. But long before the United States or Canada existed, Indigenous Nations across North America, known by many Indigenous people as Turtle Island, maintained their own governments, trade networks, cultures and

Tulsa’s Native community shapes plans for intertribal center

(TULSA, Okla.) Native American community members in Tulsa are another step closer to seeing an intertribal community center become a reality after years of conversations. In late June, Crosswinds News, in partnership with representatives from the Tulsa Indian Club, the City of Tulsa Office of Tribal Policy and Partnerships and

What to expect at a powwow: A first-time visitor’s guide

(TVLSE, Okla.) For someone who has never attended a powwow, the experience may feel overwhelming at first.  The steady, loud beat of a drum echoes across the arena. Dancers wearing brightly colored regalia move in rhythm as attendees greet and visit with one another. For a first-time visitor, it

Multilingual bookstore celebrating Hispanic and Indigenous cultures opens in Tulsa

(TULSA, Okla.) Tulsa is now home to a new multilingual bookstore. Palomino Books and Music celebrated its grand opening in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood on July 1. Paloma Lopez, the Mexican American author of the illustrated children’s book Popo the Xolo, designed the space with her husband Agalisiga Mackey,