Environmental changes are affecting the migration patterns of the ancient Pacific lamprey. Read more to learn why. www.underscore.news/land/climate...

Today is your LAST CHANCE to contribute to our summer fundraiser, which raises critical funds for our Indigenous-centered journalism. We’re 90% of the way to our goal of $3,000 — so close! Donation link: underscore-native-news.fundjournalism.org/community-su...

The 2026 Point-In-Time Count in King County by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority sparked concern for Native-led organizations in Seattle who fear that the number is a significant undercount and could lead to a loss of funding. www.underscore.news/justice/hous...

The Indigenous Media Awards were announced this week, and Underscore is proud to have garnered seven first-place awards, including for General Excellence among small outlets in the print/online division. Underscore also won four second-place awards for 11 total.

We’re thrilled to announce that Brian Bull, a veteran reporter with deep experience covering Native communities in the Pacific Northwest, has joined our team as senior reporter.

Glendon Smith, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, is the first person to hold the role of tribal liaison for the Oregon State Police. Last month, he was presented with a public service ambassador award for his work by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek. www.underscore.news/justice/oreg...

Aimed at providing an educational community rooted in tribal leadership and Indigenous knowledge, Wileety Native American College at Sacramento State opened last fall with a starting cohort of 34 students. ✍️: Nika Bartoo-Smith, UNN + ICT www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

Underscore is the only regionwide outlet dedicated solely to Native news — and we take that role seriously. Led by our talented team of Indigenous journalists, we exist to tell the stories that others overlook. 🔗: underscore-native-news.fundjournalism.org/community-su...

Underscore is the only regionwide outlet dedicated solely to Native news — and we take that role seriously. Please consider contributing to our summer fundraising campaign, which ends July 14. You can also support us by sharing our work with a friend and subscribing to our newsletter.

The powwow punk genre pioneers, 1876, hosted a benefit concert with an all-Indigenous lineup to support the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation. ✍🏼📸: Kenzie Olivo, UNN

Every Tuesday through July 21, “First Stories of the Salish Sea,” created by Taproot Travel Co. and the FRS Clipper, are offering a whale watching tour of Elliot Bay that highlights Coast Salish culture, both present and historic. ✍️: @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social, UNN + ICT

Earlier this month, the University of Washington School of Medicine Student Education Program announced the largest scholarship gift the school has received. ✍️ : @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social UNN + ICT

In one of the most competitive Indian Relay Races of the year, the Muckleshoot Gold Cup, where 21 teams competed for an overall $85,000. Take a look at some of the people that made this space one some look forward to year-round. ✍️ : Mackenzie Olivo, UNN www.underscore.news/culture/spor...

At the end of May, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a proclamation to accept the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s request to return sole legal jurisdiction on civil matters on tribal lands to the tribe. ✍️: Nika Bartoo-Smith UNN+ICT

The Montana Two Spirit Society gears up for its 30th annual Montana Two-Spirit gathering this August, while also preparing for its second annual Two-Spirit powwow that will take place on June 19. ✍️: @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social

The Yakama Nation, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Commission (CRITFC), and scientists held a naming ceremony for a newly discovered spider that is only found in the Columbia River Gorge. www.underscore.news/land/environ... ✍️: Lyric Aquino UNN + @reportforamerica.bsky.social

Through a hastily-coordinated effort between government agencies and tribal members, the experience to relive a time-honored Native practice lay sprawled on the sand, coiled in crab pot line but free of red tape. www.underscore.news/culture/a-wh...

@jarrette-werk.bsky.social , an amazing reporter and photojournalist for Underscore Native News, departs on his next journey after 4 years with our news organization.

A totem pole now stands outside the Cedar Creek Corrections Center, carved by Albert ‘Al’ Smith, Suquamish, Shoshonne-Bannock and Pima Nation, who helped start the carving program at Cedar Creek. Smith has been incarcerated at the facility since 2024. ✍️: @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social

Underscore receives five awards from the Society of Professional Journalists' 2025 Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards.

Last week, Oregon conservationists and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians saw a 15-year-old dream realized when a levee was broken, allowing the salty waters of the Siuslaw River back into a space it hadn't touched for more than a century.

An incarcerated elder at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center, Albert Smith, leads a groundbreaking totem pole carving program aimed at healing through traditional practices.

The Yakama Nation is continuing to protest the advancement of a proposed hydropower storage facility that will decimate their sacred mountain, Pushpum. www.underscore.news/land/yakama-...

At this year’s annual Queer Prom hosted by NAYA’s Two-Spirit Program, over 300 high school students from across the Portland Metro area showed up ready to dance while dressed in comic book inspired outfits for the theme “Superheros vs. Villains Edition.” www.underscore.news/justice/lgbt...

Amanda Page, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, is running for Deschutes County Commissioner, Seat 3. If elected, she plans to prioritize affordable housing, environmental protections and supporting tribal sovereignty. www.underscore.news/justice/legi...

The legislation comes amid growing reports of Native Americans being questioned, delayed, or detained after federal officers failed to recognize valid tribal IDs and documentation as proof of citizenship. www.underscore.news/justice/lawm...

Summer Wildbill is in the process of helping to develop a financial literacy app called NativeCents that she hopes will help youth in her community learn how to manage their own money and approach it with a “security and growth” mindset. www.underscore.news/people-profi...

Patrick DePoe, a citizen of Makah Tribe, is running for Washington State Representative for the 24th legislative district. His top three priorities are natural resources, healthcare and education. www.underscore.news/justice/legi...

Since its creation in 2021, the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force has helped create a state wide MMIWP alert system, a cold case unit and a toolkit for families and friends with loved ones that go missing. www.underscore.news/justice/wash...

At this year’s annual Northwest Native Economic Development Summit, topics of discussion included using federal dollars to fund programing across Indian Country, energy sovereignty and the use of artificial intelligence.

At a public forum for the Democratic party for Oregon's 4th Congressional District held at WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon on April 17, two candidates discussed their platforms while the incumbent did not attend. www.underscore.news/justice/demo...

“Even if the egg failed, this is still a major milestone in the condor restoration effort,” Tiana Williams-Claussen, a citizen of the Yurok Tribe and the Yurok Wildlife Department director, told UNN + ICT. www.underscore.news/land/nesting...

Lyric Aquino, Underscore Native News + Report for America corps member, takes readers to Chicago, where she attended this year’s Society of Environmental Journalists conference and spoke on a panel about solutions journalism and climate health equity. www.underscore.news/land/environ...

National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan joined Underscore Native News + RFA reporter Lyric Aquino for a talk about his new book "Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet.” www.underscore.news/culture/arts...

At the Lincoln County school board meeting at Oceanlake Elementary School in Lincoln City, Oregon on April 14, Siletz Valley School community learned that their lease agreement will continue in its current form and the school will remain open. www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

This afternoon the Lincoln County School Board in Newport, Oregon, will decide whether or not to remove Siletz Valley School’s charter agreement which could result in the school closing at the end of this school year. www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe launched a new language app as part of tribal language revitalization efforts. The app aims to bring youth and new Snchitsu’umshtsn language learners an opportunity to hold their lessons in their hands. www.underscore.news/culture/lang...

Azure’s Apothecary is full of free medicinal resources for Suquamish tribal members — but climate change may be putting it at risk. www.underscore.news/land/readjus...

The Siletz Valley School is facing closure due to compliance concerns. At the public hearing on Tuesday, teachers, students, parents, & community members shared why the school is vital for students, particularly the over 65% Indigenous students the school serves. www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

Manuel Bayya, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, went missing on March 7, 2022. His family, friends and community members came together on March 27 at Skinner Butte Park to share Bayya’s name four years after he first went missing. www.underscore.news/justice/mmir...

“After over 28 years of service in Nike, in creating the line that changed the trajectory of Native people, Nike N7, Sam McCracken realized he is not done. He is just getting started,” Nikki Santos, Chief Executive Officer, Sam McCracken Youth said. www.underscore.news/culture/the-...

For many Native nations, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program was meant to open the door to homeownership—not just rental housing. But years after eligibility, hundreds of homes remain untransferred. www.underscore.news/justice/buil...

300+ Native homes eligible for ownership weren't transferred under state-run federal housing program, legislators say. A bipartisan fix was introduced, but didn't advance after confusion and “misleading” information from the Washington Housing Finance Commission. www.underscore.news/justice/a-wa...

The 2026 Underscore Indigenous Journalism Fellowship application is open until March 27, 2016! Apply to be a fellow today and join us this summer in Portland, Oregon for an immersive paid 10-week internship. Apply here: airtable.com/app3YkXUuvp0...

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court denied a petition from the Chinook Indian Nation to review a case from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that dismissed their case for federal recognition. www.underscore.news/justice/supr...

In honor of Manuel Bayya, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians who went missing four years ago, family and community members are holding a rally and March in Eugene, Oregon on March 27. www.underscore.news/justice/mmir...

The legacy of Billy Frank Jr. is strong in tribal communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Indian country as a whole. An integral part in the historic Boldt case, Frank Jr. is a local hero, and each year the community comes together to celebrate. www.underscore.news/justice/educ...

On March 9, the Washington State Senate passed a bipartisan resolution formally recognizing the Chinook Indian Nation’s contributions along the Lower Columbia River. www.underscore.news/justice/legi...

Federal funding will support a new effort to explore fish passage at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam in Eastern Oregon. Tribal and state leaders say the work could eventually reopen more than 100 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat blocked since 1927. www.underscore.news/land/federal...

Wildlife biologists are hopeful that a pair of free-flying condors are tending to a newly laid egg in Northern California. If the egg hatches, it would be the first wild born condor chick in Northern California in approximately 130 years. www.underscore.news/land/nesting...