North Dakota
Tribes underscore how economic development, social programs are helping members
Leaders of tribal nations highlighted efforts to bolster their communities and strengthen their sovereignty at an annual summit this week.
Frank Jamerson, vice chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said the tribe has made progress building relationships with other government agencies.
“We’re now able to take those steps forward so we can start showing the United States government that we as Native Americans can start taking care of ourselves,” Jamerson said.
Mary Steurer / North Dakota Monitor
During the event, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bismarck Event Center, the five tribes that share geography with North Dakota were invited to provide updates on projects and programs and to speak to accomplishments and challenges in their communities.
Standing Rock, for instance, will soon start construction on several new greenhouses. The goal of the program is to help the tribe produce more of its own food.
Standing Rock is planning a new records building, as well. The facility will store the tribe’s historical documents, Jamerson said.
“It will be like a teaching tool for our younger generation — that they can see the history,” said Jamerson, who spoke at the conference on behalf of Chair Janet Alkire.
The vice chair also highlighted a successful housing program for employees of the Prairie Knights Casino and a program that provides free meals for elders.
Spirit Lake Nation Chair Lonna Jackson-Street said her tribe is working to administer more public programs without assistance from the federal government.
“We believe that tribal government is the best-situated to provide for public welfare and law and order on the reservation,” Jackson-Street said at the conference.
Spirit Lake leaders are considering assuming responsibility for law enforcement services currently provided through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Jackson-Street said.
The tribe has already signed an agreement with the bureau to employ three of its own law enforcement officers. She said the agreement allows the tribe to bypass the agency’s background check process, which in the past has significantly lengthened the hiring process.
She noted that the tribe already manages programs formerly administered by the Indian Health Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa recently opened a food distribution center and this fall will welcome a new addiction treatment center, Chair Jamie Azure said.
Turtle Mountain also is adding new recreational facilities, he added.
A new water park recently opened on the reservation, and a trampoline park is slated to open within the next few weeks.
“We started hearing that the kids wanted a safe haven to go to — somewhere fun in the community that was safe, where they felt safe,” Azure said.
Mary Steurer / North Dakota Monitor
Azure said the tribe has formed a drug task force to combat drug trafficking.
The task force and state are “working together to stop the drugs from coming into our communities,” he said.
MHA Nation Chair Mark Fox shared a long list of new developments on the Fort Berthold Reservation, including public schools, medical facilities, government buildings and community centers. Like Standing Rock, the MHA Nation is also planning to build a greenhouse.
Fox also noted that the 4 Bears Casino has taken a significant revenue hit due to the explosion of electronic pull tabs in North Dakota.
In order to help its tourism industry bounce back, the MHA Nation is also planning updates to the 4 Bears Casino, as well as to build a new casino near White Shield, Fox said.
“Our strategy is not to retreat,” Fox said. “Our strategy, given our resources and everything else we do, is to reinvest.”
In the future, the MHA Nation hopes to open a regenerative treatment center for diabetes and other illnesses.
Fox said the MHA Nation is also investing its wealth outside the reservation. It has purchased land for development in Las Vegas, for example.
Mary Steurer / North Dakota Monitor
“Real estate development makes money,” Fox said.
Leadership from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe was unable to attend the conference.
Many tribal leaders also took the opportunity to bid farewell to Gov. Doug Burgum, who started the conference six years ago. Burgum is not seeking reelection to the office of governor. His term ends in December.
During the conference, Burgum urged a continued focus on state-tribal relations.
“My first challenge for all of you is to say, ‘Hey, this is just the beginning. … We’re keeping this thing going, we’re moving forward,’ ” Burgum said. “One of the advantages we have as a state is that we’re nimble, we’ve got all these abundant resources, and we can tackle even the biggest challenges.”
This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com
______________________________________________________
This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here.
Funeral service for Carmen Tweeten, 90, of Albuquerque, NM, formerly of Dickinson, will be 10:00 am, July 23, 2026 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson with Pastor Konrad Tweeten officiating. Burial will follow to Dickinson Cemetery. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Carmen passed away July 8, 2026. Carmen Wayne Tweeten was born on February 4, 1936, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the son of Tillman and Minerva (Dahl) Tweeten. He grew up in Grand Forks and Dickinson, North Dakota, graduating from Central High School in Dickinson in 1954. He married Henrietta Oukrop on June 13, 1954, in Dickinson. They celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary this year. In February of 1955, they welcomed their only child, a boy whom they named Konrad (Kon). Carmen graduated from Dickinson State College and then taught Junior High Science in Glendive, Montana. He graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago, Illinois, with the highest grade point average in the school’s history (as of 2012 it was still not surpassed). Carmen worked at Silvernale Funeral Home in Glendive until moving to Echo, Minnesota in 1960 where he managed Sunset Funeral Home until 1978. In 1974, Carmen gave his life to Jesus Christ and began to teach Bible studies in the Echo area. He filled many pulpits for vacationing pastors and churches who were in between pastors. He also held revival meetings in western North Dakota. In 1978, he and his wife, Henrietta, moved to Dickinson, North Dakota, where they owned and operated Tweeten Funeral Homes in Dickinson and Bowman, North Dakota. In November of 1984, Carmen and Henrietta relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they lived for the past 42 years. Carmen worked at French Mortuary as both a funeral director and then as a pre-need funeral planner. He also worked for Monumental Life Insurance Company in Baltimore, Maryland, as a trainer and conference speaker. He retired in 1998 in Albuquerque where he and Henrietta continued to enjoy each other until his death at home on July 8, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Henrietta; his son, Kon (Connie) Tweeten of Albuquerque; three granddaughters, LaChae Webster of Oklahoma City OK, Kristy (Brian) Sterling of Wylie, Texas, and Yvette (Joshua) Smith of Dayton OH; fourteen great grandchildren, and nine great, great grandchildren; one brother, Dennis of The Villages Fl; one brother-in-law, Daniel (Kathy) Oukrop of Bismarck ND and many nieces, nephews, cousins and a multitude of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tillman and Minerva Tweeten and Harry and Amy Oukrop, two brothers, two sisters, and one grandson. Remembrances and condolences can be shared at www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.
Wrestling: Yates, Raper excel in North Dakota
Published 2:07 am Monday, July 13, 2026
Carson Raper. Rhett Hoy photo.
Staff report
FARGO, N.D. – Carson Raper, a rising sophomore at South Rowan, and Braylen Yates, a rising sophomore at East Rowan, did very well on a national stage in the 16U Junior Nationals held over the weekend in the Fargodome.
Yates wrestled at 175, while Raper wrestled at 113.
Yates finished fourth (out of a field of 128 wrestlers) to earn All-America honors.
Yates dominated his first three matches before winning a close quarterfinal. He lost a 4-0 decision to a Minnesota wrestler in the semifinals and a 6-2 decision to an Illinois wrestler in the third-place match.
Raper won his first two matches by technical fall before losing to a Missouri wrestler in the Round of 32.
Raper bounced back in the consolation bracket to win two more matches. He lost a 12-10 decision to a Florida wrestler to end his run in the tournament. Raper was the youngest in his weight class.
Raper won a 4A NCHSAA championship last winter, while Yates was a state runner-up in 5A.
They have big futures.
FARGO, N.D. — Farmers, crop advisers, agribusiness professionals and community members are invited to a field day hosted by North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center on July 15. The annual event will provide the latest research-based information on crop production, livestock, soil health, pest management and agricultural markets from NDSU Extension specialists and researchers.
The annual field day highlights current research addressing the challenges and opportunities facing North Dakota agriculture.
“The NCREC field day is the opportunity to see how the research and Extension efforts at NCREC directly benefit producers,” says James Rogers, interim assistant director of NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center. “It is a great opportunity to interact with researchers and Extension specialists.”
Registration and the morning program begin at 8:30 a.m. with a pest clinic, educational display booths, and coffee and donuts. The official program starts at 9 with welcoming remarks and presentation of the NDSU Partnership Award. The morning continues with a market outlook presented by Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crops economist and professor, offering attendees insights into current agricultural market trends and economic conditions.
Participants will then travel by trailer to a series of field stops featuring the latest NDSU Extension and research recommendations:
- Forage and livestock management updates – Rogers and Lacey Quail, NDSU Extension livestock management specialist
- Weed control strategies – Brian Jenks, weed scientist at the North Central Research Extension Center
- Corn weed management updates – Joe Ikley, NDSU Extension weed specialist
- Soil health trailer demonstration – Carlos Pires, NDSU Extension soil health specialist
- Soybean and canola production updates – Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension broadleaf crops agronomist
- Hard red spring wheat variety research – Andrew Green, associate professor in NDSU’s Department of Plant Sciences
- Small grains disease management – Andrew Friskop, NDSU Extension plant pathologist
- Insect management updates – Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension entomologist
The field sessions conclude at noon with lunch, providing attendees an opportunity to visit with NDSU specialists and fellow producers.
For registration and additional information about the field day, visit ndsu.ag/NCREC-fieldday26 or contact the center at 701-857-7677.
— NDSU Extension
-
Ohio2 minutes ago9 indicted for allegedly being part of human trafficking ring in Ohio
-
Oklahoma8 minutes agoOklahoma senator renews push for new agency that focuses on child welfare services
-
Oregon14 minutes agoOregon Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of Multnomah County’s Flavored Tobacco Vape Ban
-
Pennsylvania20 minutes agoHere’s what’s in — and not in — Pennsylvania’s $50.8 billion state budget
-
Rhode Island26 minutes agoMA Woman Charged In Rhode Island With Stealing More Than $10K: Cops
-
South-Carolina32 minutes agoSouth Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 13, 2026
-
South Dakota38 minutes ago
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for July 13, 2026
-
Tennessee44 minutes ago
TN Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for July 13, 2026
