By JEREMY SHAY
Sho-Ban News
POCATELLO — At the annual Idaho State University Indigenous Peoples’ Day event a student research “lightning talks” competitive presentation showcase was conducted, hosted by Shoshone-Bannock tribal member Dr. Laticia Herkshan, on Monday, October 13.

With two categories — graduate and undergraduate students — each had an opportunity to speak for three minutes about their research and studies, and the winner in each division received $500. The research talk prize money was sponsored by the Idaho Community-engaged Resilience for Energy-Water Systems (I-CREWS), which is a $24 million NSF EPSCoR research project that aims to address the consequences of meteorological, population, and technological change on energy-water (E-W) systems, according to their official website. (cont.)

By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Office of Public Affairs
FORT HALL — As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are prioritizing essential services to the membership by implementing changes to Tribal processes.

The changes were approved in anticipation of a funding interruption in early 2025, ensuring that critical operations continue with as little disruption as possible in the event of a shutdown.

The Tribes’ Executive Director, Daniel Stone, explained the Tribe’s plan during a meeting with Tribal managers and directors on October 20 to discuss the changes to the workforce in the next pay-period. The plan focuses on protecting essential services first, which include: Fort Hall Police Department, Fort Hall Fire & EMS Department, Corrections Department, Tribal Courts, Fish & Game Department, Tribal HRSA Clinic, THHS Administration, Social Services Program, Victims Assistance Program, Behavioral Health Programs, Public Health, Community Health Services, Purchased and Referred Care, Community Access Program, Post Office, and Tribal Utilities.

While other programs may face reductions in hours or services the longer the shutdown lasts. (cont.)

By YVONNE WARJACK
Sho-Ban News
GIBSON — The Sage Hill Casino, off I-15 Exit 89 near Blackfoot, came alive with celebration on October 15, as the Shoshone Bannock Casino Hotel hosted a grand reopening and ribbon-cutting ceremony from noon to 2 p.m.

Guests enjoyed free hot dogs and drinks, and an afternoon filled with music and a sense of renewal. Balloons framed the entryway as visitors entered. The reopening symbolized a new chapter for tribal enterprise. “We started small, but with big purpose,” said Colista Matsaw, CEO of the Shoshone Bannock Hotel and Casino. “This isn’t just about new paint or carpet. It’s about creating spaces that reflect who are as a people-our beauty, our hospitality, and our strength.” (cont.)

By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Aly McKnight, Shoshone-Bannock, did the illustrations for “The Sacred Stone Camp” book that Rae Rose wrote and was published by Dial Books and Penguin Random House.

The storybook talks about how the Sacred Stone Camp got its name and is a tribute to the late activist and historian LaDonna BraveBull Allard, tribal historian for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and founder of the Sacred Stone Camp. 

Aly explained the story highlights LaDonna and her husband, Miles, as they organize the camp and rally Indigenous resistance against the pipeline. The camp, set up along the Cannonball River in North Dakota and named for large stones created by the confluence of two rivers in the area, signified the start of a resistance movement against Energy Transfer’s Dakota Access Pipeline by opponents of the project, also known as water protectors, in the area, and later from around the world. (cont.)