Race, Religion & Social Justice

A new report commissioned by the Interior Department provides a window into the fatal mistreatment of inmates in its tribal jails. The review comes on the heels of a Mountain West News Bureau and NPR investigation that found a pattern of neglect and misconduct contributing to at least 19 deaths at tribal detention centers overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs since 2016.

The Wyoming Senate has given final approval to a bill that puts limitations on teaching critical race theory in schools.

The Wyoming Senate has started working on a bill that originally attempted to limit any teaching that resembled Critical Race Theory.

This Saturday marks the 80th anniversary of the executive order that allowed all Japanese-Americans living on the West coast to be removed and incarcerated in camps like Heart Mountain between Powell and Cody.

A bill banning the teaching of critical race theory had different results in the Wyoming House and Senate. A bill fell five votes short of the necessary two-thirds required for introduction in the House, but easily gained approval in the Senate.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced reforms to its criminal justice system Monday, including more training on how to perform death investigations. That follows a Mountain West News Bureau and NPR investigation into more than a dozen deaths in tribal jails. There are also ongoing questions about the firm hired to review the deaths for BIA. Some Congressmen have been critical of the BIA’s choice because the firm was led by a former agency official.

Ignoring Black and brown communities impedes durable climate policy, BIPOC leaders tell federal lawmakers.

Four drug companies settle with federally recognized tribes on opioid case. The Eastern Shoshone tribe weighs in.

Carl Hart is a nationally renowned psychologist and neuroscientist who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming. Last year, he published the book Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear. In it, he advocates for drug legalization and an end to the War on Drugs. He also comes out of the closet as an avid drug user himself, writing that drug use can be a rational, positive and safe part of one's pursuit of happiness. Wyoming Public Radio's Jeff Victor asked him why most Americans tend not to see it that way.

Nearly half of Native Americans and Alaska Natives have struggled with food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published by several Native-led groups.