Green & indigenous News

Some lobster mothers produce offspring that are far more likely to survive—in findings that could help safeguard lobster diversity. University of Exeter researchers, working in partnership with the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) in Cornwall, studied European lobsters that survived the first few weeks of life. The paper, published in the journal Aquaculture, is titled "Hatchery lobster releases risk genetic bottlenecking via survival skews with maternal effects."

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Gray wolves adapt their diets as a result of climate change, eating harder foods such as bones to extract nutrition during warmer climates, new research has found. The study, led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, and published in Ecology Letters, has implications for wolf conservation across Europe and beyond.

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With extreme weather events, fires and floods growing increasingly common, general warnings are no longer adequate. Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and others, now call for change—from mass mailings to personalized warnings that actually persuade people to act.

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A study led by Francisco Vallés Morán, a researcher at the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de València, has analyzed in detail the flooding caused by the DANA on 29 October 2024 in l'Horta Sud (Valencia) using advanced two-dimensional hydraulic modeling techniques. The study (in Spanish), published in Cuadernos de Geografía of the University of Valencia, accurately reproduces the dynamics of the event, the extent of the flooding and the overflowing flows that caused serious material and human damage.

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On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de València highlights the importance of these ecosystems as key tools for improving water quality, protecting soil and mitigating diffuse pollution, as well as the role of scientific research in developing sustainable, nature-based solutions.

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Researchers at University of Tsukuba have uncovered a master transcriptional regulator that controls rhizobial symbiosis between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By identifying an amino acid motif that emerged before the appearance of rhizobial symbiosis, they show that stabilization of DNA binding enabled this regulator to control a wide array of genes involved in nodule formation, bacterial infection, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

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To lower agricultural emissions, policymakers and communities first need to pinpoint the sources—not just by country but crop by crop, field by field. In a study published in Nature Climate Change, researchers have synthesized data from multiple ground sources and models to map global cropland emissions at high resolution—down to about 10 kilometers—while breaking down emissions by crop and source and identifying regions for more precise mitigation.

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As semiconductor manufacturing rapidly expands to meet growing global demand for generative AI and advanced electronics, a new review published in Environmental Science & Technology assesses the current state of science, technology, and policy around managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) waste in the industry and outlines recommendations for a path forward.

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One of the greatest mysteries of our planet is how a soup of lifeless chemicals transformed into the first living cell. There are several competing theories about where this happened, from frozen polar ice to superheated hydrothermal vents. But one thing that most scientists agree on is that life could not begin until a molecule appeared that could spontaneously copy itself.

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For decades, a dominant argument for protecting forests has focused on carbon. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, store it in wood and soils, and slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases. A new scientific review suggests this emphasis overlooks other ways forests shape climate and human well-being. Forests, it argues, are not only a mitigation tool for the future climate. They also help people adapt to climate change today, shaping temperature, water and human well-being in ways that are felt locally. The paper, “More than mitigation: The role of forests in climate adaptation,” synthesizes research on how forests regulate climate through physical processes as much as chemical ones. At local scales, trees act as thermal buffers. Canopies shade the ground and drive evapotranspiration, a process that converts heat into water vapor. Across nearly one hundred field sites, daytime temperatures inside forests were on average about 4°C lower than in nearby open areas, while nighttime temperatures were slightly higher. The result is a narrowing of extremes: cooler afternoons, milder nights. These effects intensify in hotter climates. Tropical forests show the strongest cooling, often exceeding 6°C relative to cleared land. Even urban trees produce measurable relief, lowering air temperatures by roughly 1.5–1.7°C on sunny days. For people exposed to heat stress, the difference between forest shade and bare ground is not marginal. Apparent temperatures during heat events have been recorded as 6–14.5°C lower inside forests than outside. Mist over the rainforest in Borneo. Photo by Rhett Ayers Butler Deforestation therefore alters not just landscapes…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Federal fisheries regulators recently approved some limits on Western Alaska chum bycatch in the Bering Sea. Celebrating the legacy of an Alaska Native civil rights leader who led with love.

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The ICT Newscast for Friday, February 13, 2026 covers Indian Country change makers, tribes suffer funding climate change funding reduction and ICE recedes in Minnesota.  Check out the ICT Newscast on YouTube for this episode and more.

• “Sinners” breaks Oscar nomination records and features Choctaw Nation actors.
• The Colorado River is the lifeblood of 30 tribes, who want a bigger seat at the table.
• The Native Governance Center reaches a milestone of 250 Rebuilders.
• Big Beautiful Bill puts tribal infrastructure projects in jeopardy.
• Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor speaks out on the fallout of federal immigration policy.
• Keith Secola serenades lovers for Valentine’s Day.

View previous ICT broadcasts here every week for the latest news from around Indian Country.

The post ICT NEWSCAST: Choctaw representation at the Oscars, Colorado River rights and more appeared first on ICT.

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Last Updated on February 13, 2026 New raids and aerial strikes by Indonesian security forces in the central highlands of West Papua have once again forced Indigenous civilians to flee their homes and makeshift refugee camps into surrounding forests. Residents of Puncak Regency, already displaced by earlier clashes, were among those uprooted in the latest […]

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African swine fever has been detected outside a containment zone in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region for the first time since its outbreak in November, officials said on Friday.

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Back in 2021, Pierre Stallforth and his team at the Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) showed that bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas and Paenibacillus join forces to protect themselves from their predator, an amoeba. Now, a team led by Pierre Stallforth, Ute Hellmich, and Markus Lakemeyer has been able to show exactly how this defense mechanism works. The study was conducted by the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse at the University of Jena and has just been published in the journal Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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Miles Morrisseau
ICT

Valentine’s Day hits during the coldest time of year, so here is a selection of Indigenous songs that can help warm your heart during the middle of winter.

Some on the list are brand new tracks, one is a jazz classic, one is in the Cherokee language, and one is about the unconditional love that a mother has for her child. The songs — traditional, contemporary or a combination of both — express the evolution of Indigenous music.

And then, of course, some are all-time classics.

‘Body to Body’
Siibii and Aysanabee
This is a gorgeous collaboration between two artists who have just been nominated for Juno Awards – the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys. Aysanabee, Sandy Lake Cree Nation, is a past award winner and is up for two awards this year. Siibii is an emerging artist from Mistissini Cree Nation, and she is up for her first award. This soulful, sexy song expresses a deep longing that is as much spiritual as it is physical.
Your love is like medicine.

‘I Hope You Know’
Supaman featuring Ashley Hall
Supaman is an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy war dancer who grew up in Crow Agency, Montana. Mixing techno dance beats with traditional round dance singing to create a heartfelt mélange of past and present, the video of the song expresses the unwavering love of a mother for her child. The song is available on Supaman’s 2021 release, “Medicine Bundle.”
I hope you know, I never want to see you go.

‘Lovesick Blues’
Derek Miller
Derek Miller, Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, wields his guitar with fire on many of the bluesy and rocking tracks from his extensive repertoire. This song has him using that six string as a percussion instrument, bringing an electric drum beat to this track.
Whenever I’m away from you, I always get these Lovesick Blues.

‘Lover come back to me’
Mildred Bailey
Mildred Bailey, Coeur d’Alene Reservation, was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time, earning the nickname, “The Queen of Swing.” She recorded with Paul Whiteman and the Dorsey Brothers, and her beautiful soprano and innovative phrasing was an influence to jazz icons like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and others.
This eager heart of mine was singing, Lover come back to me

‘You made me feel so good’
Big River Cree
Speaking of spiritual and soulful, it is hard to match the resonance of the broken heart expressed by this round dance by Big River Cree. Round-dance songs are able to blend the traditional with the contemporary to create a one-of-a-kind musical experience. This song is sung with a sadness mixed with that unstoppable drum that lifts you up and will get your feet and your heart moving on.
You made me feel so good. You made me feel like I could do anything

‘Sage my Soul’
Tia Wood
Tia Wood, Saddle Lake Cree Nation, is part of one of the most celebrated and successful Indigenous families in Canada. Her father, Earl Wood, is a founding member of the Northern Cree, a hugely popular powwow group that is also known for its collaborations with contemporary Indigenous music makers like Halluci-Nation and Blue Moon Marquee. Her sister, Fawn Wood, is also an established singer and won a Juno Award for traditional artist of the year in 2022. Tia Wood blends contemporary sounds and soulful lyrics with that heavy big drum keeping the beat in the background of her latest single, “Sage my Soul.”
Burn it to the bottom, because I’m missing every part of you. Sage my Soul.

‘Ginliyosv (Together)’
Agalasiga
This Cherokee singer/songwriter is using his talent to help to revive and celebrate his Indigenous language. Agalasiga works at the Cherokee Immersion Charter School as a language and culture educator, teaching children the language using both traditional and contemporary songs. You don’t need to understand the language in order for the emotion, honesty and love to translate in this song.
I want us to grow old together, like the trees growing on the hill (Translation)

‘Hey Baby’
Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers
Actor, producer and harmonica-blowing front man for his band the Troublemakers, Gary Farmer, Cayuga from Six Nations of the Grand River, continues to tour and record music when isn’t performing in movies and television. This song from his 2022 release, “Road Songs,” is a slow roll about missing the one you love when you are somewhere on the road in the middle of nowhere.
Hey Baby, my baby, I miss you tonight

‘Stardreamer Woman’
John Trudell/Jesse Ed Davis
The album, “AKA Grafitti Man,” was famously called the best album of 1986 by Bob Dylan in Rolling Stone magazine. Trudell, Santee Dakota, rose to fame as the national spokesperson for the American Indian Movement and later became acknowledged as poet, songwriter and performer. Davis, a citizen of the Kiowa Tribe Of Oklahoma, was widely heralded as a session guitarist who played with everyone from Taj Mahal and George Harrison to Rod Stewart. In addition to songs that spoke to Indigenous resistance, oppression and the power of the natural world, there was this honest song about seduction and desire.
Sweetest heart I am ever going to see. Won’t you share your blanket with me

‘The Spark’
William Prince and Serena Ryder
This collaboration between William, Peguis First Nation, and Serena Ryder was recorded live as part of the Juno Awards celebration in 2021. The song is about holding on to your love when you are afraid that you are going to be hurt. Originally recorded by Prince for his 2019 album, “Reliever,” this duo performance elevates the track to another level.
Don’t be afraid of the fire babe, I’ll never let you burn

And don’t forget the classics for Valentine’s Day.

‘Come and Get Your Love’
Redbone with Pat and Lolly Vegas
This song by the iconic band, Redbone, is an undeniable banger that continues to connect with listeners across generations. It is even a hit across the universe, as proven in the Marvel movie, “Guardians of the Galaxy.” This classic by the brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas, of Yaqui/Shoshone descent, is as straightforward as it gets and deserves to be considered the ultimate snagging tune.
Hey (hey) it’s your business if you want some, take some
Get it together, baby
Come and get your love

‘Indian Love Song’
Joanne Shenandoah and A. Paul Ortega
These two Indigenous artists — Joanne Shenandoah, Oneida Nation, and A. Paul Ortega, Mescalero Apache — came together on an album about love that is perfect any time of year. In addition to their unique vocal styles, they accompany each other with their own style of picking, strumming or beating notes of percussion.
“This album is dedicated to all those who are in love, out of love, wanna be in love and dream about love, ” states the album’s liner notes.
There are no other artists listed and what you hear is a live performance of two amazingly talented performers. The songs are spiritual, contemporary, humorous and heartfelt. The opening track sets the stage for the nine tracks to follow. Their guitars and voices are having fun singing a song about two lovers singing by the riverside.
Oh my darling, were you the one by the riverside. Oh my darling, I am sorry that I ran. But my father had other plans

‘Broken Arrow’
Robbie Robertson
In this aching gem from his star-studded debut album, Robbie Robertson,, Mohawk, the founding member and lead songwriter for The Band, burns with desire. The album was produced by Daniel Lanois and had contributions from Bono, Peter Gabriel, The Bodeans, and more. The broken arrow is one of the few uses of Indigenous imagery in his work until then, but these few drops hinted at the storm that would follow in his albums, including “Music for Native Americans” and “Contact from the Underworld of Redboy.”
I want to breathe when you breathe. When you whisper like that hot summer breeze, count the beads of sweat that cover me. Then you show me a sign, this time. Who else is going to give you a broken arrow? Who else is going to give you a bottle of rain?

The post ICT’s Annual Indigenous Valentine’s Day Playlist appeared first on ICT.

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Pharmaceuticals that people globally rely on for daily health — including antibiotics, antidepressants and painkillers — are entering ecosystems via wastewater, posing poorly understood risks. Once there, aquatic insects can accumulate these chemical contaminants, with their predators transporting them back onto land, raising concern among scientists. A recent paper found that a host of pharmaceuticals can accumulate in winged species such as caddisflies and mayflies at different life stages, with the quantity varying among species. The paper’s first author, Marek Let, from the University of South Bohemia, says pharmaceutical pollution might not be as concerning as pesticide contaminants because medical drugs are generally found in low concentrations. But he adds that some pharmaceutical compounds can be incredibly toxic. These include sertraline (the active ingredient of the commonly prescribed antidepressant Zoloft), which his study found can bioamplify in caddisflies, increasing in concentration as the insect passes through its life cycle. Other antidepressants, including norsertraline and venlafaxine (the active ingredient in the popular prescription drug Effexor), as well as theophylline (prescribed to treat asthma symptoms) also bioamplify in caddisflies. A wastewater discharge pipe. Even when wastewater is treated it can still contain pollutants, including pharmaceuticals. So building more wastewater treatment plants is not the optimal solution, Previšić says. “Our input needs to be reduced.” Image by U.S. Department of Agriculture via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). “This study also proves that the pharmaceuticals do not stay in the water, and they can be emitted into the terrestrial environment and contaminate some terrestrial predators,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In December 2024, Turkish customs officers were flummoxed when they discovered a malnourished baby gorilla in the cargo hold of an airplane flying from Nigeria to Bangkok, transiting via Istanbul. Wearing a soiled T-shirt, the 5-month-old infant was shoved inside a wooden crate falsely declared to contain 50 rabbits. After a social media campaign, he was named Zeytin, which means “olive” in Turkish. This critically endangered western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) was being smuggled to an animal farm in Bangkok without any export permits or paperwork. All great apes, including gorillas, are afforded the highest protection under CITES, an international treaty regulating wildlife trade, making commercial transnational trade illegal. They can be transferred between zoos or exported for scientific research but require official paperwork. After the seizure made global headlines, Turkish authorities sent Zeytin to Polonezköy Zoo in Istanbul. Meanwhile, they said they were working to imminently dispatch him to a sanctuary in Africa, where he could possibly be released into the wild. But one year on, those plans seem to have bitten the dust. As of September 2025, Zeytin was seen languishing in the same zoo, living a lonely life in a cage — the very life many thought he had escaped. “At present, Türkiye does not have adequate facilities to meet the long-term physical, social and psychological needs of a gorilla,” said primate expert Aslıhan Niksarlı at the Jane Goodall Institute who directs Roots & Shoots Türkiye. “There are also no other gorillas in the country, which…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The voluntary carbon market and the business of carbon offsetting have faced increasing criticism in recent years, not only for the systematic overestimation of emission reductions, but also because projects have frequently had adverse effects on local livelihoods, particularly in the Global South, where many land-intensive projects are located. From the perspective of the Land Matrix Initiative (LMI), a recent commentary usefully highlights the growing scale and complexity of a certain type of land-based carbon offset projects and underscores the urgent need for critical scrutiny. We welcome this debate. Our analytical report documents approximately 9 million hectares (more than 22 million acres) of land globally affected by carbon offset-related land deals, with a deliberate focus on large-scale transactions that entail direct changes in land control. This focus reflects the Land Matrix’s long-standing mandate to monitor land acquisitions that contribute to land concentration, shifts in control, and power asymmetries at scale. We argue that this massive scale of land acquisitions occurring under the auspices of voluntary carbon markets, and often within countries with weak land governance systems, has profound implications for land access for affected communities as well as for broader debates on climate justice. Blackwater oxbow lake in the Peruvian Amazon. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. Further, we highlight that community- or farmer-based carbon projects that do not entail land acquisitions can have serious risks, including long-term restrictions on land use, inequitable contracts, lack of informed consent, and uncertain benefits for participating communities. The claim in the commentary that we…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Purrs of contentment. Soulful eyes locked on yours over dinner. Valentine's Day? Not for pet owners. For those of us who share our lives with animals, this is a daily—if not exactly romantic—experience. So are the various barks, meows, whines, and other, sometimes adorable, often insistent, methods of communication our four-legged friends use to express what they want. Or how they feel when we don't get it.

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A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that overweight and obese dogs have significantly higher eye pressure than lean dogs, with pressure increasing by 1.9 mmHg for every one-unit rise in body condition score. The research suggests that excess body fat and related metabolic changes may interfere with fluid drainage in the eye, potentially serving as a modifiable risk factor for dogs predisposed to glaucoma.

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I grew up on the beaches of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales. Visits to Tenby were my family's summer ritual: sand between our toes, paddling in rockpools, strawberry syrup on ice cream.

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The Trump administration took a major step in its efforts to unravel America's climate policies on Feb. 12, 2026, when it moved to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding—a formal determination that six greenhouse gases that drive climate change, including carbon dioxide and methane from burning fossil fuels, endanger public health and welfare.

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Sandra Hale Schulman
ICT

The latest: Children’s book shines with art and teachings, musicians earn award nods, film screenings in Florida

ART: Ojibwe wisdom and a NYC museum show

Nanibah “Nani” Chacon, Diné and Chicana, is having a big art moment with a new children’s book she illustrated, and she will be among three Indigenous artists included in the prestigious Whitney Biennial opening in March in New York City.

The book, Aaniin: I See Your Light, by acclaimed Ojibwe author Dawn Quigley, uses the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings of love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility and wisdom.

A new children’s book, Aaniin: I See Your Light, by Ojibwe author Dawn Quigley, uses the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings of love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility and wisdom to help recognize a child’s inner goodness.The book is illustrated by artist Nanibah “Nani” Chacon, Diné and Chicana. Credit: Photo courtesy of Nanibah Chacon

Aaniin (ah-NEEN) is an Ojibwe greeting for hello and can also be translated as “I see your light.” The story introduces universal values for recognizing a child’s inner goodness.

The book includes 15 of Chacon’s lush illustrations, each a work of art in itself.

“I had the unique honor to illustrate a children’s book,” Chacon said. “A lifelong dream… is a beautiful book centering the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings. …

“It was a lot of hard work over two years,” she said. “I really appreciate the process that goes into making children’s books now that I’ve been a part of it because so much of my process is very analog — no digital tools used. All of them are hand-painted pages and all of the edits were hand-painted and sometimes completely redone.”

The original paintings are about 20×30 inches on board and may be shown alongside the book at signing events.

Chacon is most recognized as a painter and muralist. Her most notable works include large-scale paintings, murals, and installations in the public arts sector. She focuses on sociopolitical issues affecting women and Indigenous people and her personal philosophy that art should be a meaningful catalyst for social change. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Three Indigenous artists will be included in the prestigious Whitney Biennial opening in March 2026 in New York City. They include, from left, Nanibah “Nani” Chacon, Diné and Chicana; Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, Hawaiian; and Anna Tsouhlarakis, Navajo and Muscogee. Credit: Courtesy photo

Chacon will be included in the Whitney show along with two other indigenous artists, Anna Tsouhlarakis, Navajo and Muscogee, and Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, Hawaiian.

Tsouhlarakis creates installation, video, and performance art, while Broderick is an artist, independent curator, and community educator from Mōkapu, Kailua, Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu.

Chacon learned of her inclusion a year ago and had to keep it secret. “I’m excited of course but I couldn’t say anything for a year,” she said.

Quigley is an award-winning author. The first three books in her “Jo Jo Makoons” series, and her debut Young Adult novel, “Apple in the Middle,” were awarded American Indian Youth Literature Honors. She is a university faculty member and a former teacher, as well as an Indian Education program co-director.

“Aaniin” received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.

“An empowering read that both honors children’s behavioral strengths and offers guidance on orienting around values,” it said.

MUSIC: Native musician nominations

Native musicians are catching some attention in this year’s music awards.

Award-winning powerhouse Crystal Shawanda has a 2026 Juno Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year,  “Sing Pretty Blues.” The record takes listeners on a soulful journey and pays homage to the classic sounds of Stax, Chess, and Motown Records. United by themes of resilience, self-worth, and independence, the songs reflect Shawanda’s refusal to settle in love, life, or business.

First Nation musician Crystal Shawanda is nominated for a 2026 Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year with her new release, “Sing Pretty Blues.” The awards will be handed out on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Ontario, Canada. Credit: Courtesy photo

The winners will be announced in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Juno Awards Gala presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 28, and the Juno Awards broadcast at TD Coliseum on Sunday, March 29.

“It’s been three years since my last album, and so much has happened, so there’s a lot of life in this music,”Shawanda said. “The good, the bad, the redemption and healing can be messy, and life is not always pretty. That’s the ‘Sing Pretty Blues.’”

Produced by her husband Dewayne Strobel, “Sing Pretty Blues” has the original songs, “Stop Funking Me Around” and the sultry “Waiting For My Lover to Call,” alongside Tom Petty’s “Honey Bee,” Son House’s “Preaching Blues” and Black Sabbath’s “Changes.”

Born and raised in Wikwemikong First Nation, on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario, Shawanda was introduced to the blues by her eldest brother and to old-time country by her parents.

Musician Keith Secola has been nominated for a 2026 Guild of Music Supervisors award for Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television, for “NDN Kars” from the Season 3 finale of “Dark Winds.” Credit: courtesy photo

And musician Keith Secola has been nominated for a 2026 Guild of Music Supervisors award for Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television for “NDN Kars” (Dark Winds Version) from the Season 3 finale of “Dark Winds” (AMC). It is one of several major accolades for the artist, who is also a seven-time Native American Music Award winner and Hall of Fame inductee.

He played a recent acoustic tribute to the late actor, Graham Greene, along with violinist Genevieve Gros-Louis, at the Native Reel Festival, which included the score from “Thunderheart” and “Dances with Wolves.”

His label also released a funny Frybread rant video that finds Secola juggling frybread and riding a wild frybread puppet buffalo.

FILM: Upcoming films center buffalo in person and animal

Last year, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa gifted five white buffalo calves to five tribes in North Dakota and Minnesota. Justin Deegan, an Arikara, Oglala and Hunkpapa filmmaker from the Fort Berthold Reservation, traveled to attend the ceremony in Belcourt, North Dakota, after a friend who lives on the reservation invited him to film it.

Deegan said he was surprised “how strong the community was up in Turtle Mountain in their spiritual ways. Everyone came out for that day, like so much support. And that was really amazing to witness.”

Deegan recorded the day, talked to tribal representatives and community members, and then edited the film with a colleague.

“A lot of people feel like this is a spiritual prophecy that’s come to light,” said Deegan. “And it’s happening in real time.”

The 15-minute film, “Waabishki (White) Mashkode-bizhiki (Bison),” premiered in Los Angeles at the Native film festival LA Skins Fest on Friday, Nov. 21. It won the festival’s short documentary award.

He screened it to a rapt audience at the Native Reel Festival in late January and will continue on to other festivals.

Another buffalo film, the short film, “Becoming Buffalo,” got a preview screening at Native Reel that was so popular they had to do two screenings to accommodate the overflow crowd of hundreds who waited in the hallway.

The short film, “Becoming Buffalo,” drew crowds to preview screenings at the Native Reel Festival on Jan. 31, 2026. Here, Native Reel Director Everett Osceola, Seminole, left, interviews writer and star Montana Cypress, Miccosukee, and producer Jhane Myers (“Prey”), Comanche. Credit: Sandra Hale Schulman/Special to ICT

The film excels with lush cinematography and deeply authentic storytelling by members of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribe as well as relatives of the real Chief Buffalo Tiger who played the U.S. against Cuba and Fidel Castro for federal recognition of the Miccosukee in the 1960s.

Writer and star Montana Cypress, Miccosukee, introduced the film and sat for a Q&A with producer Jhane Myers, Comanche, (“Prey”, “Free Leonard Peltier”) by Native Reel Director Everett Osceola, Seminole, who also appears in the film. The film is now being made into a full feature.
At the screening were current Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress with former Miss Indian World Cheyenne Kippenberger, who appears on the cover of Native Max magazine this month. Cast members Daniel Tommie, Doc Native, and Anna Mayo were there, too, as well as makeup artist Petra Battiest @paintedbypetra,  who showed some behind-the-scenes pics of how she developed Castro’s scraggly beard on patient family members.

The post INDIGENOUS A&E: Artist book illustrations, nominated music, future feature films appeared first on ICT.

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The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, with average temperatures increasing by about 4°C in the last four decades. A new study, led by the University of Exeter, shows peatlands have expanded since 1950, with some peatland edges moving by more than a meter a year. The work has been published in Global Change Biology.

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