1200 pen pals from Six Nations and surrounding communities in Ontario, Canada gather to meet each other for the first time and form a gigantic white pine tree -- the legendary "Tree of Peace" of the Iroquois Confederacy -- with roots wrapping around the Earth. During the gathering the children planted the Pen Pal Friendship Forest at the Tim Horton Onondaga Farm celebrating the important role forests play in our lives. June, 2011

The modest studio, a second-story flat just off the plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was a riot of color, images and media. Paintings and assemblages on paper perched in helter-­skelter rows against the walls, a multipanel wooden piece rested in the middle of the floor, and easels stood in streaming shafts of morning light.

The artist responsible for all this scarcely stood still. Clad in a knit cap, plaid shirt and worn jeans, he looked like a young 20-something, still flush with the excitement of artistic experimentation and living a creative life.

Lok'a'a' Neez Coolie (formerly Shelden Phillips), age 18, a senior at Tuba City High School and son of Rose Coolie, earned a Naval Academy Preparatory School Scholarship in Newport, RI for the fall.

Coolie, of the Lok'a'a' Dine clan, has been one of the top 10 students at Tuba City High school since his freshman year. He is a full time member of National Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars member.

This year, six Sequoyah High School seniors have been named as Gates Millennium Scholars resulting in the school to have the second highest number of Native American scholars in the country.

“It is very rewarding to see Sequoyah students succeed in being selected for the Gates Millennium Scholarship,” said Leroy Qualls, SHS superintendent. “Our students are not just great kids, but great role models for Sequoyah. We’re very proud of our scholars.”

Jared Yazzie started out his college career with the intent of becoming an engineer. In fact, he received several scholarships to help him along the way at the University of Arizona.

After two-and-a-half years of working toward his degree, Yazzie, 24, made a drastic change: he switched his major to graphic design.

In the fall of 2009 Yazzie started designing his own T-shirts.

Simply Outdoor Experiences sponsored an event at the Wing 'n Fin Resort on Lake Traverse May 16-19 to "give back to our veterans who have made sacrifices for our freedom. It was an enjoyable weekend of free lodging, meals, and all the fishing they could handle."

Simply Outdoor Experiences provides all the essential tools to be successful in the great outdoors, which leads to being successful in life. "Through our mentoring and teaching, we strive to give all families a meaningful outdoor experience that will last a lifetime!' said Joanne Zacharias, Event Coordinator.

They built them in the early 70s, they were there to pick up the pieces when terrorists knocked them down, and they were there last Friday to top off the newest tower. Once again, Kahnawà:ke ironworkers put the finishing touch, an antenna piece, on top of the new World Trade Center in New York City. Third generation ironworker, John McGowan, was there to help build the 1,776 foot "Freedom Tower, the tallest building in the western hemisphere. McGowan helped set up cameras on the cranes that sit on top of the building for the media to capture the event.

Jeffrey Veregge, a Port Gamble S'Klallam tribal member, has been creating art for most of his life. A few years ago, after exploring different art techniques, Jeffrey decided to mix two art forms he admires most, Salish form line with comic book super heroes and Sci-Fi.

Chickasaw Leader Opens Thorpe Games for 61 Tribes

Dozens of Chickasaw athletes will be among athletes from across sixty other tribal nations competing this week in Oklahoma City during the second annual Jim Thorpe Native American Games.

Athletes will compete in activities such as basketball, golf, martial arts, wrestling, and softball at several sports venues in the state’s capital and also in Shawnee for the chance to win big.

The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe's chairman and casino are boycotting suppliers of goods and services in Chamberlain, South Dakota, following the refusal of the local high school to allow a Sioux honor song at the recent graduation ceremonies. See "Crow Creek Sioux Boycott Border-town Businesses Over Banned Honor Song," for more on how the embargo got underway. The boycott has thrown a spotlight on the economic relationship of South Dakota tribes, their border towns and the state as a whole.

The Lac Courte Oreilles tribe is trying a unique way to help stop the proposed iron ore mine in the Penokees: gathering wild onions and mushrooms.

The new LCO Harvest Camp is set in the backwoods of Iron County, right in the middle of the proposed mine.

Connor Beaulieu of LCO says he's almost 13 years old and proud to show off this new camp.

The goal of the 2013 Navajo Food and Wellness Policy Summit is to develop a comprehensive food policy that will ensure the Navajo people survive 5,000 years and beyond into the future.

That's the major reason why Larry Curley, executive director for the Navajo Nation Division of Health, and tribal health officials sponsored the summit – to make certain the Navajo people never become an extinct tribe due to health disparities in their diet.

Johnny Depp may have been elusive last year while filming "The Lone Ranger" on the rez, but another big Hollywood name got into the act this past week with Native kids honing their dramatic skills.

Martin Sheen was on hand at the Native Vision drama workshop in Shiprock, and took the stage with the participants in their series of skits titled "The Navajo News," performed Monday night at The Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center.

In recent weeks, the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has announced several exciting developments in its sustainable agriculture department.

Thanks to a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation and a major grassroots fundraising effort, the youth project is now advertising for a sustainable agriculture coordinator, has hired a summertime garden coordinator, is launching garden centric youth programming for children and teens, and has purchased much needed supplies for the two acre, naturally grown, pesticide free Winyan Toka Win garden.

But there's more.

Teiotiokwaonháston/ Deyodyogwaoháhs:doh (Encircles Everything) is a large cornhusk doll diorama of the 50 chiefs and clanmothers made by Elizabeth “Betts” Doxtator, Mohawk from Ohsweken. It will be on display at the Akwesasne Museum for the summer, and the artist will be at the museum on Thursday June 20th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for an opening reception with light refreshments.

The museum has rented out its two traveling exhibits to Parks Canada from May until September, so there is plenty of room to house the cornhusk doll diorama for the next few months. Betts is talented in many media, including beadwork, painting, and cornhusk doll making. Each clanmother has a feast basket – some of the feast baskets in the diorama were made by Lenora David, Micmac of Akwesasne.