Latest news with #Tribal
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Celebrating Pride and Indigenous Voices
This June, we're shining a spotlight on powerful stories that celebrate resilience, innovation, and identity. Kick things off with the new season of Bears' Lair, where Indigenous entrepreneurs pitch their big ideas for a shot at success, and dive into the gripping crime drama Tribal. Explore queer media representation with the eye-opening documentary Bulletproof: A Lesbian's Guide to Surviving the Plot, and laugh along with Tig Notaro in the sharp and heartfelt comedy One Mississippi. Then, take a deep dive into LGBTQ+ history with the compelling documentary Pride. Discover these titles and more in CBC's Top 5 for June, your must-watch list for Pride and National Indigenous History Month. Bears' Lair - New Season Watch Free June 1 on CBC Gem Move over Dragons, you are in the Bears' Lair now. This Indigenous-produced business series blends education, mentorship, and high-stakes entrepreneurship into an inspiring competition. This season features 18 talented Indigenous business owners, each pitching their ventures to "The Bears", a panel of respected Indigenous business leaders. Alongside guest judges, these industry experts provide valuable insights, while a cumulative $160,000 in prize money is awarded each season. Tribal - New Season Watch Free June 1 on CBC Gem In an effort to protect themselves from media backlash, the Justice Department forms a task force to investigate the largest scandal in the city's history, a tomb full of murdered Indigenous bodies. Crime continues to escalate while Sam and Buke try to uncover who's responsible for the tomb. A white poacher is found hanged on a reserve, an Indigenous teen goes missing following a protest at a railroad blockade, and a vigilante group forms to fight back against police violence. The traumatic effects from the discovery of the tomb and the memory of Buke's shooting collide, affecting Sam and Buke's relationship and putting the future of the Tribal partnership in jeopardy. Bulletproof: A Lesbian's Guide To Surviving The Plot - Watch Free June 13 on CBC Gem In Bulletproof: A Lesbian's Guide to Surviving the Plot, filmmaker Regan Latimer takes an insightful, immersive and personal look at queer representation on television and media's power to shape how we see ourselves. Witty, fast-paced and laced with pop culture references, Regan journeys across North America and beyond in her quest to understand the forces that influence the stories we see on our screens. Original animation and personal anecdotes are interwoven with wide ranging conversations with television insiders, LGBTQ+ community advocates and people who just love to watch TV. As Latimer navigates an ever-evolving media landscape, the filmmaker learns first hand that representation done well has the power to transform. One Mississippi - Watch Free June 6 on CBC Gem A dark comedy, loosely inspired by Tig Notaro's life, One Mississippi follows Tig as she deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill. A surprise visit from Tig's girlfriend, Brooke, only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother. Pride - Watch Free June 15 on CBC Gem This powerful six-part documentary series chronicles the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights in America from the 1950s through the 2000s, as seven renowned LGBTQ+ directors explore heroic and heartbreaking stories. The limited series spans the FBI surveillance of homosexuals during the 1950s Lavender Scare to the "Culture Wars" of the 1990s and beyond, exploring the queer legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the battle over marriage equality. Looking for more unforgettable stories and bold entertainment? Dive into the Indigenous Stories Collection and the Pride Collection on CBC Gem, packed with powerful films and must-see documentaries that inform, inspire, and entertain. Craving a soundtrack to match the vibe? Tune into CBC Listen for five incredible Indigenous playlists, featuring everything from traditional beats to hip hop and electric powwow. And if you're in the mood for the ultimate coming out party, the Pride playlist has you covered. Photos courtesy of CBC.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Map Shows One In Four Continental U.S. Tribes Work In Cannabis Or Hemp
The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) released the first-ever map of Tribal cannabis and hemp programs, completed in collaboration with Vicente LLP. The map shops the true extent of involvement that federally recognized Tribes have carved out in the cannabis and hemp industries. According to the announcement, 52 Tribal communities currently run federally approved hemp cultivation operations. Of the 574 federally recognized Indigenous communities nationwide—358 of which are in the continental United States—approximately 26% are involved in cannabis or hemp programs. The first regulated Indigenous cannabis retail operation opened in Washington state in 2010. Rob Pero, otherwise known as Bad River Ojibwe, is founder of Canndigenous, the first independent Indigenous-owned hemp company in Wisconsin, as well as the founder of the ICIA. 'Industries like cannabis and hemp offer unique advantages for tribes, including regulatory sovereignty, geographic benefits, and cultural expertise,' Pero told Forbes last February. In 2022, Canndigenous, operating under the 2018 Farm Bill, became the first Indigenous-owned entity to receive a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grant, worth $15 million. "By collaborating on cultivation, processing, distribution, and market access, tribes can create a self-reinforcing economic network that benefits all Indigenous nations, regardless of where they are in their cannabis or hemp development," Pero said. "Those who have already established successful operations can mentor and support those just beginning, ensuring that no tribe is left behind as these industries grow. This is not just about individual success—it's about collective economic sovereignty and reinforcing tribal self-determination for generations to come.' The ICIA and Vicente LLP's new map indicates the ongoing progress across Indigenous communities in the U.S. According to the map, locations of Indigenous cannabis programs are in blue and hemp programs in red. Federally approved Native American reservations are in green. Clusters of programs on the map indicate Indigenous-led enterprises that are developing successful supply chains and distribution networks. The goal of the new map is to indicate the size of their economic opportunities. 'Indigenous cannabis programs are a vital piece of America's cannabis movement,' said Andrew Livingston, Director of Economics and Market Analysis at Vicente LLP. 'And these businesses deserve recognition. The goal of our study is to provide information on how different Indigenous communities have established their regulated cannabis programs, the size of the economic opportunity, and the ways that regulating cannabis can be structured in the future to further the goals of each community.' Denver-based Vicente LLP was formerly called Vicente Sederberg, representing clients in the cannabis and psychedelics industries. The team works tirelessly on state and local cannabis policy reform. Tribal communities in the U.S. possess a form of sovereignty, providing ways to establish their own cannabis laws. In some cases, they operate in conflict with state law in surrounding areas, such as in North Carolina or South Dakota. 'This research project will highlight the thoughtful work that has gone into these sovereign regulatory programs as well as how these businesses affect local employment and revenue for community services,' Pero said in the press release. 'Together, we hope to inform, inspire and empower other Indigenous communities considering cannabis as well as policy makers around the world.' The ICIA recently wrapped up its 1st annual fundraising golf tournament at the Red Wolf Golf Club in Clarkston, Washington. Tribes across the continent are getting involved in hemp and cannabis, possessing the unique opportunity to establish their own regulations.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Many on Navajo Nation blindsided by hydrogen pipeline change
An abandoned oil well sits on a hillside on Tribal land near Farmington, New Mexico. (Photo: Jerry Redfern) The company at the center of a controversial green energy project connecting New Mexico and Arizona has changed plans for a key component: A much-debated pipeline that would have carried climate-friendly hydrogen will instead carry natural gas, and possibly a natural gas-hydrogen blend at a future date. Unlike hydrogen, natural gas, blended or not, contributes to climate warming both in its production and when it is burned for energy. The pipeline is part of a much larger project by Tallgrass Energy Partners LP that would create a hydrogen economy centered in Farmington in the northwest corner of New Mexico. Plans include hydrogen production, a massive hub to inject carbon deep underground, repurposing a mothballed coal-fired power plant as a hydrogen-fired power plant, and pipelines connecting the various parts. The plans also included one pipeline to carry hydrogen across the Navajo Nation to markets in Arizona and farther afield. Tallgrass decided to change what would be delivered in the pipeline earlier this year, and the news surprised many. Starting in 2021, the company, working through its subsidiary GreenView, carried out a public relations campaign along the proposed pipeline route through the Navajo Nation, hyping the green benefits of hydrogen. Switching to natural gas or a gas-hydrogen blend would dramatically reduce or eliminate those benefits. This story originally appeared on Capital & Main and is republished with permission. Tallgrass and GreenView also negotiated directly with the top level of the Navajo government about the project, most recently Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. But when asked about the change to natural gas, Bidtah Becker, chief legal counsel for the president's office, said, 'It clearly was a decision that had been made long before we were informed.' Many embraced the project in a region that has seen declining oil and gas production and associated revenues from the surrounding San Juan Basin, as well as the closure of a large coal-fired power plant and its mine. The project also drew sharp skepticism on and off the Navajo Nation, where more than a century of industrial mineral extraction and production has failed to produce widespread economic benefits to residents. Unlike fossil fuels, many see hydrogen as a miracle fuel. It produces only water vapor as a byproduct when run through an electrolyzer to make electricity and it produces no climate-warming carbon dioxide when burned, though it does emit other noxious air pollutants. However, common methods of producing hydrogen use natural gas as a feedstock, creating large quantities of climate-warming carbon dioxide that need to be permanently buried underground — which is difficult, expensive and often unsuccessful — if the fuel is to be considered climate friendly. Steven Davidson, vice president of government and public affairs at Tallgrass, said the change 'does not indicate a departure from our commitment to clean hydrogen production and [carbon dioxide] sequestration. Instead, we are strategically positioning the project to meet both current and future energy demands.' The change would make a pipeline capable of carrying natural gas and a blend of natural gas and hydrogen in the future, Davidson said: 'In short, definitely no deviation from our focus on clean hydrogen as a decarbonization solution.' That solution includes working with the Navajo Nation, he added. 'We have invested four years of our time and resources in true partnerships to invest with the Navajo people,' he said. 'We are a group of one in that respect.' Joe Romm, a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media and a former acting assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, is doubtful about the project's overall prospects. 'In the real world, you don't see [projects] like this happen a lot, something so complicated,' he said. So big hydrogen projects are the result of 'powerful backers. And the most powerful is the oil and gas industry.' The complication starts with transporting blended gas. 'Blending doesn't make a lot of sense. You can't blend a lot' because the chemical nature of hydrogen 'will basically tunnel through and destroy normal steel and a lot of other things,' Romm said. By comparison, long-distance natural gas pipelines have been around for decades (though they aren't risk-free). ''You – Don't forget to add author ''You – Don't forget to add author .' ' author='Joe Romm, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media'/] Then there is the basic math of the most common method of making hydrogen from natural gas: steam methane reformation. According to researchers at Texas A&M University, it requires 3.16 kilograms of natural gas and another 9.74 kilograms of water to make a single kilogram of hydrogen. That process also creates 8.47 kilograms of climate-warming carbon dioxide. The formula doesn't include the fuel needed to power the process or the energy needed to sequester the carbon dioxide to keep the hydrogen's green credentials. That carbon sequestration hub would be another sticking point because carbon capture projects are hard. 'You can't find a successful major carbon capture and storage [project],' Romm said. Furthermore, natural gas production itself is an inherently leaky process, and the methane in the gas is 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. With all of these complications inherent in hydrogen production and transport, Romm said, 'Just pipe the natural gas.' The pipeline change came at roughly the same time that a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission asked the commission to study building more natural gas pipelines and storage facilities for the state. Among other duties, the commission oversees pipeline safety and power utilities. Nick Myers, the Arizona commission vice chair, said he hadn't heard of the GreenView pipeline project when he asked the commission to study such projects. 'To the extent I may have been informed, but don't remember, it was only in passing,' he said. 'I would love to talk to someone just to be in the loop.' Tallgrass' Davidson said, 'We were not involved in the [commission's] decision.' But, he added, 'It's not surprising,' considering that AI data centers alone are projected to consume up to 16.5% of the state's power grid by 2030. 'None of the [other] pipelines that are proposed to be built into Arizona, to the best of our knowledge, provide any value to the Navajo Nation,' Davidson added. So far, Myers' February memo to the commission has prompted 17 letters on possible new natural gas infrastructure in Arizona. All but two were in favor, and six specifically mentioned the GreenView natural gas pipeline. One of those letters was co-authored by New Mexico state Rep. Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque), who promoted and regularly voted in favor of fossil-fuel-friendly legislation during the state's two-month legislative session earlier this year. She also cosponsored legislation that set up a framework for the state to manage carbon sequestration projects such as the planned CarbonSAFE hub in northwest New Mexico that's part of Tallgrass' overarching hydrogen project. (Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law on April 7.) Dixon's co-author of both the letter and the legislation was state Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington), the Senate minority floor leader and a longtime champion of oil and natural gas production. His district covers a large portion of the San Juan Basin in northwest New Mexico. Among the perceived benefits, the legislators championed the natural gas pipeline as 'a unique opportunity to uplift the Navajo Nation,' despite the fact that oil and gas have been produced for more than 100 years on the economically challenged reservation. The letter doesn't note them talking with anyone from the Nation, either. In an email, Dixon said, 'Even as [Sharer] and I disagree on some principles, we agree on the important role of carbon storage.' Dixon didn't say how she heard about the GreenView pipeline change, apparently before many on the Navajo Nation did. But she did offer reasons for supporting it: the argument of natural gas as a so-called 'bridge fuel' (which is often–debunked); national and international security risks in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (which are debatable); and the real lack of other readily available power sources for energy-intensive manufacturing processes and transport. Groups ranging from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to the Rocky Mountain Institute support using hydrogen in energy-intensive industrial processes and heavy transport — but not elsewhere. That's because for the past few years, grid-scale solar and wind energy have been cheaper to install than any fossil fuel. In fact, solar projects are growing across the Navajo Nation as part of a federal program to electrify Native lands. And the Environment America Research & Policy Center ranked New Mexico fourth in its top 10 list of states for renewable energy. 'My letter is intended to highlight potential opportunities created by this project,' Dixon said. 'I fully expect Tallgrass to engage with all affected tribal and non-tribal communities.' Three more letters that share similar structure and language and came from businesses on or near the Mexican border may be the work of LS2group, which calls itself 'a bipartisan public relations, government affairs, public affairs, and marketing firm.' Josh Rubin, the vice president of a cross-border manufacturing facilitator in Nogales, Arizona, 300 miles from the pipeline, told Capital & Main that a friend at LS2group asked him to send the letter, though he wasn't overly familiar with the project. A second letter, signed by a Holly Jensen claiming to own a Groovy Hues painting franchise in Tucson, couldn't be verified. Neither name is affiliated with a registered business in Tucson, though there is a Groovy Hues 113 miles away in Phoenix, registered to a different person. And a call center operator for Groovy Hues said the company doesn't do business in Tucson. A third letter writer, Michael Sene, who runs a truck repair shop on the border, didn't respond to a call and message from Capital & Main. LS2group also did not return calls from Capital & Main. Jessica Keetso (Diné) is deeply familiar with the GreenView project. For three years as an outreach coordinator for the Native group Tó Nizhóní Ání, or Sacred Water Speaks, she led an educational campaign opposing the hydrogen pipeline. (She recently left the group to attend law school.) Even so, she first heard about the change from hydrogen to natural gas from Capital & Main, though she suspected something was in the works. 'We knew something was happening because of how little presence Tallgrass had in the community' in recent months, she said. 'I think the Nation was always uncertain about the market for hydrogen,' she added. As for the pipeline change, 'I think it's really going to push the Navajo Nation for more benefits.' Keetso said tribal agencies had already devoted a lot of time and energy working on the initial GreenView proposal, and changing the fuel could restart the whole process. She said that when she asked regulatory agencies on the Navajo Nation what would be required for changing the long-debated hydrogen pipeline to natural gas, they hadn't heard of it. 'People freaked out,' she said.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Clean energy, costly future: Rajasthan's forest communities fight to save ancestral land
Ravi Sahariya (26) sits silently among a group of villagers at a small temple in Moondiyar, a village bordering the ecologically-rich Shahbad forest in Rajasthan 's Baran district. The forest, vital to the lives of tribal families like his, is now under threat as 408 hectares of it are proposed to be diverted for a massive renewable energy project. More than 1.19 lakh trees are to be felled. #Operation Sindoor India responds to Pak's ceasefire violation; All that happened India-Pakistan ceasefire reactions: Who said what Punjab's hopes for normalcy dimmed by fresh violations The meeting at the temple has been called to oppose the 1,800-megawatt pumped storage project being built by Greenko Energies Private Limited. A pumped storage project acts as a giant water battery. It stores extra renewable energy by pumping water uphill and releasing it later to generate electricity when demand is high or supply drops. While only three villages -- Kaloni, Mungawali and Baint -- are officially listed for land acquisition, the project's shadow looms much larger, affecting at least seven nearby villages that are home to hundreds of forest-dependent tribal and Dalit families. Moondiyar has about 2,500 residents, including around 400 Sahariyas -- a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) characterised by extreme poverty and a low level of literacy. For generations, families like Ravi's have survived by collecting forest produce such as mahua and amla and grazing cattle in the Shahbad forest. Live Events "I earn about Rs 50,000 a year," Ravi says. "Of that, Rs 40,000 comes from selling forest produce. The rest comes from harvesting chickpea during the season. We spend Rs 15,000 alone on our children's school fees." Ravi's wife Krishna is the village sarpanch. Until recently, his family of seven lived in a mud hut. Now, they have a small two-room house built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Their only electronic possession is a mobile phone. "If the forest goes, we go," Ravi says. "I will have to go to the city to find daily-wage work." Dalits and Sahariyas make up nearly half of Moondiyar's population. Most survive on forest produce -- mahua, tendu patta, chironji, khair and gond, among others. Losing the forest means losing food, income and identity. Ravi owns five bighas of land next to the forest. "My land is now surrounded by plots bought by brokers. We used to grow enough wheat just for the family. Now, I have no access. No one will let me pass. I will be forced to sell," he says. Greenko Energies claims no land is being acquired in Moondiyar. But villagers say brokers, sensing an opportunity, are buying tribal land for cheap to sell at higher prices later. "Non-tribal agents bought land from tribals in distress," says Jitendra (28) from the nearby Kaloni village. Legally, companies cannot buy land directly from tribals. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, requires the government to act as an intermediary. Additionally, the Rajasthan Tenancy Act bars the sale of tribal land to non-tribals without the district collector's prior approval. Baran Collector Rohitashva Singh Tomar says he has not received any land-acquisition proposal from the company or granted permission for transfer of any tribal land. Greenko Energies' forest-diversion application to the Union environment ministry claims forest rights have been settled in the affected villages -- a prerequisite for using forest land. But villagers are unaware. "I do not know, sir," Ravi says, when asked if his forest rights have been officially recognised. The collector says forest rights recognition is a "dynamic process" and that he will check whether any claims from the affected villages are still pending. Loss of forest also threatens to worsen malnutrition, already rampant among Sahariya children. Last September, more than 170 malnourished children were found in Baran's Shahbad-Kishanganj area. Many belonged to villages like Moondiyar and Kaloni. "No forest means no income, no food. Malnutrition will rise. People will be forced to migrate," warns Laxman Singh Mehta, a farmer from Kaloni. Researcher Bhargavi S Rao draws a parallel with the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka. "People lost land and left for cities to become construction workers. Women, children and the elderly stayed behind, with worsening nutrition. Anaemia rose. This is a public health issue but no one is paying attention," she says. This is the dark side of the clean-energy push, she adds. "We are pushing people off the land that feeds them, without giving them new skills or support." India's renewable energy ambitions are massive. The country aims for 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030. Rajasthan, with the highest renewable energy potential, plans to add 90 gigawatts by then. The rapid expansion of renewable energy is critical for India to meet climate goals and achieve energy independence. But it has brought conflict too. A 2024 report prepared by research group Land Conflict Watch found 31 land conflicts linked to renewable energy projects across 10 states, affecting nearly 44,000 people. Eight of these were in Rajasthan alone. In Shahbad, the forest is not just land. It shields the villages from Rajasthan's punishing heat, nourishes groundwater and provides food, shade and grazing land for both people and wildlife. Brijesh Kumar, a gram panchayat member from Kaloni, says Shahbad will turn into another Jaisalmer -- where summer temperatures easily reach 47-48 degrees Celsius -- without the forest. "It keeps us alive." Greenko Energies plans to cut more than 1.19 lakh trees, some over 100 years old, for the project. It has received the environment ministry's Stage-1 clearance and is awaiting final approval. Villagers claim trees are already being cut. This PTI correspondent saw several uprooted trees at the site. It was not clear who was responsible. Water conservationist Rajendra Singh visited the site and estimates the number of trees to be felled as four times higher. Greenko Energies denies this. A company representative claims no trees have been cut yet. Only a minimum number of trees will be removed after the final forest clearance, he says. Range Forest Officer Rajendra Prasad Meghwal says he is not aware of the tree felling but promises an investigation if a complaint is filed. The Shahbad forest is also home to many endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, including leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, vultures, wolves, jackals, porcupines and pythons. Locals say they have even seen a cheetah that possibly strayed from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, just 48 kilometres away. India declared cheetahs extinct in 1952. The government recently brought some African cheetahs to Kuno National Park as part of a globally-watched reintroduction effort. Social activist Jitendra Sharma, part of the Save Shahbad Forest campaign, warns of increasing human-animal conflict. "Where will leopards and cheetahs go? They will enter our homes," he says. Even the Environmental Impact Assessment report says the project will fragment the landscape, disturb biodiversity and likely increase conflict between animals and humans. Yet, not everyone is against it. Bhup Singh (45), whose land falls within the project area, says, "We need jobs. Our forest is already degraded. Trees were cut, no one cared. Maybe the project will help our children survive." However, others remain sceptical. Manak Chand (65) from Moondiyar says, "A company set up a crusher plant in a nearby village and promised people employment. Not a single person got a job; they brought people from outside." Neeraj Kashyap grazes his 125 goats along the banks of the Kuno river, from which the project will lift water. The forest feeds them. "If it goes, what will our children eat?" he asks. "We have only our animals. If the company cuts the forest and does not help us, we will starve." The forest has long protected Shahbad. Now, villagers wonder who will protect the forest.
Washington Post
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Wildfires burn thousands of acres on tribal lands in North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. — Crews have been fighting at least 16 wildfires throughout North Dakota in the last several days, including several large fires still burning Tuesday across wooded areas and grasslands on the Turtle Mountain Reservation near the Canadian border. Dry and breezy conditions before the spring green-up haven't helped the situation. Much of the state is in some level of drought, including a swath of western North Dakota in severe or extreme drought, according to a recent map by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Numerous agencies including the North Dakota Forest Service and fire departments have responded to the fires. National Guard Black Hawk helicopters have dropped water, saving homes. Officials requested fire engines from as far as Montana and South Dakota. Tribal members with buckets and hoses sprang into action to fight the flames. 'It's inspiring that our people can rise up and help each other out like that,' Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribal Chair Jamie Azure said Tuesday. Three distinct fires that have been joining and separating have burned about 6.5 square miles (16.8 square kilometers) in the Turtle Mountain area, according to the state Department of Emergency Services. Most of the fires have been north of Belcourt, in the northern part of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, said Jenna Parisien, recruitment and retention coordinator and spokesperson for the Belcourt Rural Fire Department. 'We have several locations where areas have burned, so places were lit up all at once, and with the unfavorable weather conditions that we have had, areas keep relighting, embers are causing spread to surrounding areas as well,' Parisien said. The fires steadily kicked off on Friday, she said. It wasn't clear how much of the fires were contained. Three firefighters were treated for exhaustion, dehydration and smoke inhalation, but were doing well, Azure said. One vacant mobile home was believed to be lost, but there were no other injuries or homes lost despite fires in people's yards, he said. About 10 families evacuated from their homes, he said. Crews were battling high winds with the fires on Monday, but rain overnight, moderate winds and firefighters' great efforts have improved the situation, Azure said Tuesday. Seventy-five to 100 firefighters responded on Sunday, the busiest day, Parisien said. Local businesses and tribal members have helped, Azure said. Advertisement Causes of the fires are thought to be accidental, potentially sparks escaping from residents' trash-burning barrels, Parisien said. Advertisement But some people have been taken into custody in connection with intentionally starting a fire, she said. She declined to elaborate. The Associated Press emailed the Bureau of Indian Affairs for comment. Nearly all of the 16 fires around the state are 100% contained. A fire in Rolla on Sunday led to evacuations.
