Sakya Calsoyas
Reporter-
The US Department of Justice will allocate nearly 5 million dollars to several community policing initiatives in Arizona. The goal is to support collaborative approaches to law enforcement in tribal and rural communities in the state’s first congressional district.
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The Nalgene company has released its second limited-edition water bottle designed by 22-year-old Stanford University grad student and artist Jaden Redhair. The Navajo Nation tribal member is originally from Window Rock, and his work with the Nalgene Water Fund has so far raised 80,000 dollars for two nonprofits that work to bring running water to reservation communities. It’s estimated that about a third of residents on the Navajo Nation lack water in their homes. KNAU’s Sakya Calsoyas spoke with Redhair about his work with the program and how his designs were influenced by Navajo culture.
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Northern Arizona University’s School of Forestry has received a federal grant of nearly $270,000 to train Hispanic students who forestry professionals say are underrepresented in the workforce. Department leaders hope it’ll create more diverse leadership in the field.
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Communities across the country are celebrating Indigenous People's Day today. The City of Flagstaff is hosting a virtual and in-person event at City Hall.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration this week announced they’ve taken the equivalent of more than 36 million fatal doses of Fentanyl off the streets through the agency’s One Pill Can Kill initiative. Fentanyl remains the nation’s deadliest drug threat.
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Wildlife managers at Grand Canyon National Park say nearly 60 bison have been relocated from the north rim to Oklahoma and South Dakota through the InterTribal Buffalo Council. It’s part of a larger plan to reduce herd size as well as the animals’ environmental impact on the park.
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The Hopi Tribe was under strict safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, with nightly curfews and stay-at-home orders. That left little to do for young people on the remote Reservation in northeastern Arizona. So…they started skateboarding. Anywhere they could. It was something to do outside, together, that was relatively safe. It became therapeutic. In the village of Tewa, two friends decided to create a skateboarding collective and build the Hopi Tribe’s first skate park. KNAU’s Sakya Calsoyas spent a recent sunny day at the half pipe.
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The Navajo Nation Fair is underway this week after a 2-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in its 74th year, it’s become the largest Native American fair and rodeo in the United States. The week-long celebration includes traditional songs and dances, food vendors, carnival rides, a pro-rodeo and the famed Miss Navajo Nation Pageant. KNAU’s Sakya Calsoyas visited the fairgrounds as crews set-up the event. He spoke with Navajo Nation Fair manager Leonard Francisco Jr. about the fair’s return.
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The spread of Monkeypox remains a public health emergency in the U.S. with more than 11,000 cases confirmed nationwide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Confirmed cases in Arizona so far have been minimal and no infections have yet been detected in Coconino County.
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Tre James, the suspect in the murder of a Navajo woman whose remains were found on the Hopi reservation last year was ordered to remain in custody by a magistrate judge in Flagstaff Tuesday. The victim’s family traveled from across Arizona and New Mexico to show support at the hearing.