Native American Coverage

AGT's Brooke Simpson performs in Raleigh
Brooke Simpson was in the Triangle on Friday to perform at the American Inidan Heritage Celebration. She hopes that her presence in the entertainment industry can inspire other young Native American girls to pursue their dreams.

'Indigenous pop star' Brooke Simpson performs at Raleigh American Indian Heritage Celebration
America's Got Talent star and North Carolina native Brooke Simpson performed Friday at the North Carolina Museum of History's annual American Indian Heritage Celebration.

Brooke Simpson, Haliwa-Saponi tribe featured in Nike commercial
North Carolina's own Brooke Simpson is now being featured on billboards in Times Square and in Los Angeles. She partnered with Nike to advertise the N-7 collection honoring and supporting Indigenous communities.

NC delegation trying again to pass bill for recognition of Lumbee Tribe
North Carolina members of Congress are trying again to get the federal government to recognize the Lumbee Tribe.

November is Native American Heritage month. Here's what you should know
Nov. 1 marks the first day of Native American Heritage month, signed into declaration by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The month honors Indigenous peoples who have suffered at the hands of the U.S. government for several years. While there are 8 state recognized tribes in North Carolina, only one tribe is recognized by the federal government.

Tribes across North Carolina come together for powow at Dix Park
The rumbles of drums and powerful voices of the Haliwa-Saponi could be heard all across Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday as the Stoney Creek Drum Line's beats led the dance competitions.

Raleigh's first intertribal powwow honors those driven off Dix Park land by settlers
The rumbles of drums and powerful voices of the Haliwa-Saponi could be heard all across Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday as the Stoney Creek Drum Line's beats led the dance competitions.

Dorothea Dix Park hosts Raleigh's first intertribal powwow
On Saturday, Oct. 30, the city of Raleigh held its first ever intertribal powwow. While powwows happen all across North Carolina each year, this is the first one to be held in Raleigh on land that was once inhabited by Native Americans.

NC's Native American tribes struggling to get shots in arms
Due to distrust in the federal government, tribes in North Carolina are struggling to get shots in everyone's arms. While Native Americans have a high rate of coronavirus infection and death, they are reluctant to get vaccinated.

'We've been forgotten': NC tribe says Native Americans have been left behind during the pandemic
Leaders of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe say they're caught between a rock and a hard place: having to fight to get the COVID-19 support their tribe needs, while at the same time convincing them it's safe to take.

US tribes demand emergency protection for wolves
Dozens of American Indian tribes asked the Biden administration to immediately enact emergency protections for gray wolves.

NC advisory council: Expand educational opportunities for Native American students, change offensive mascot names
Nearly three dozen North Carolina K-12 schools use American Indians as mascots, one of several things a state American Indian education committee wants to change.

NASA using Navajo language to name rocks and soil on Mars
Members of the Navajo Nation have collaborated with NASA's Perseverance rover team to integrate the Navajo language into the Mars mission.

Quietly, negotiations ongoing over new North Carolina casino plans
Gov. Roy Cooper's administration says it doesn't have to release gaming compact proposal under state open records law.

California ski resort changing name, citing slur
California's popular Squaw Valley Ski Resort will change its name because the word "squaw" is a derogatory term for Native American women, officials announced Tuesday. The site was the scene of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Vigil held for UNC student murdered nearly 8 years ago
Faith Hedgepeth's body was found at her apartment in September of 2012.

Land O'Lakes removes Native American woman from logo
The "butter maiden" has been on the Minnesota-based company's products since 1928. That's all about to change.

Native healing dance offers comfort during crisis
Skye Yannabah Poola has watched native jingle dress dancers her whole life, learning the traditional healing dance by watching others. Now that the world is facing a pandemic she decided to share her talent.

American Indian Heritage Celebration draws large crowd despite rain
Saturday was the 24th annual American Indian Heritage Celebration at the NC Museum of History. Members of all eight state-recognized tribes shared their history and culture during the festival.