Progress 2025: Colonialism and Sovereignty Archives

Political Violence Is Not Violence Against Politicians

Indigenous communities have long resisted the false narratives of imperialist nations and are experts at countering the political violence of white supremacy.

Janene Yazzie | Jul 18, 2024

Cultivating Dragon Fruit’s Political Power in Ecuador

Amid ongoing colonization, the Indigenous Shuar people are taking back control of their economic and political futures.

Sebastian Vacas-Oleas | Jul 16, 2024

Access to Past Tribal Constitutions Can Help Tribes Shape Their Futures

A new database of tribal constitutions tells a more nuanced history of self-governance than the one explained in textbooks.

Susan Cosier | Jun 17, 2024

Sacred Sustenance

Fifty years ago, the Boldt decision reaffirmed Indigenous fishing rights and recognized tribes as equal partners in resource management.

Valerie Segrest | May 23, 2024

Gen Z’s Political Paradox

Zoomers are connected to political issues but disconnected to voting. A young reporter explores the reasons why this is true and what it will take to boost youth voter turnout.

Lajward Zahra | May 2, 2024

Ending Water Apartheid in Palestine

Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank fighting for the right to a homeland, and for their basic right to water—which Israel continues to deny.

Marianne Dhenin | Apr 8, 2024

Surprising Solidarity in the Fight for Clean Water and Justice on O’ahu

After a 2021 leak at the U.S. military’s Red Hill fuel storage facility poisoned thousands, activists, Native Hawaiians, and affected military families have become unlikely allies in the fight for accountability.

Libby Leonard | Feb 19, 2024

Welcoming Relatives Home: The Return of the Lynx

On the Colville Reservation, tribal members are restoring wildlife populations—and with them, abundance, resilience, and reciprocity.

Photos by David Moskowitz, Rico Moore | Dec 15, 2023

Indigenous Gardens Cultivate Healing

To decolonize college campuses, BIPOC students, allies, alumni, and faculty are reintroducing Indigenous growing practices.

Andy Stec, Grace Maria Eberhardt, Rosalyn LaPier | Nov 9, 2023

Jason Tartt photographed in an orchard on his sustainable farm in Vallscreek, West Virginia.

A People’s Prosperity

Capitalism’s endless economic growth prioritizes the individual over community and creates extreme inequality. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Anoa Changa, Ericka Taylor | Aug 31, 2023

Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Native Sovereignty—For Now

The decision shows that Native nations can win—even against the odds—by uniting in a collective effort.

Chase Iron Eyes | Jul 7, 2023

Visions of Indigenous Futures

The project began with a number: 562. It was the number of federally recognized tribes in the United States when photographer Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) quit her job, packed

Breanna Draxler | Apr 28, 2023

A Blueprint for Decolonization in Berlin

Dekoloniale and other groups are confronting Germany’s colonial past and advocating for a more equitable future.

Charlotte Ming | Mar 9, 2023

The Sleeping Bear Dunes overlooking Lake Michigan take their name from the Anishinaabe people native to this dramatically glaciated landscape.

Ending National Parks

Returning national parks to tribal sovereignty could help remedy what is often called America’s “best idea.”

Amanda Gokee | Feb 27, 2023

Restoring First Foods by Removing Dams

Tribes are using grassroots actions and intense lobbying to restore their river and their culture.

Heather Wiedenhoft | Feb 17, 2023

Illustration of woman on flower with earth in the background

Opinion | colonialism | kinship | environmentalism | Progress 2025

Overcoming Colonial Thinking to Connect With Life

The pull of solving problems is nearly irresistible, but we should prioritize relationships with our environment.

Madelaine Ley | Dec 12, 2022

Analysis | colonialism | Land Back | community | Indigenous rights

Indigenous and Black Communities Find Common Cause for Land Justice

Historically, Indigenous and Black folks have been turned against each other by colonizers and enslavers. Now, communities are learning from one another and finding solidarity in efforts to reclaim stolen lands.

PennElys Droz | Nov 22, 2022

Stolen Lands: A Black and Indigenous History of Land Exploitation

Colonization, through genocide, land theft, and the imposition of private property, has dispossessed Indigenous and Black peoples of their homelands across the continents for generations.

PennElys Droz | Nov 16, 2022