Melanie Henshaw - Investigate West
Melanie Henshaw is the Indigenous affairs reporter at InvestigateWest. She covers Indigenous communities in the region, including coverage of tribal sovereignty, health care and the environment.
Northwest Native Nations could lose hundreds of millions in federal funding, report says
About $530 million used to fulfill treaty obligations to Northwest tribal nations is at risk this year due to federal cuts.
Last-minute deal preserves Oregon program for disadvantaged businesses
Following concerns that funding would be cut, a deal in the final days of Oregon's 2025 legislative session preserved funding for a key program supporting Native American-owned businesses.
New Oregon law allows tribes to petition for removal of state control from tribal affairs
A law that passed the Oregon Legislature unanimously would simplify the patchwork of oversight governing jurisdiction on tribal lands.
Oregon bill would allow tribes to formally petition for the removal of state control from tribal affairs
Tribal leaders say a patchwork of laws and jurisdictions harm public safety on tribal lands and interfere with sovereignty.
Oregon bill takes aim at ‘epidemic of violence’ around missing and murdered Indigenous people
Supporters of a bill to provide services and victim outreach to address missing and murdered Indigenous women say it’s an important step that moves beyond studying the problem and allocates staff from within the Oregon Health Authority to address the issue.
4-year-old Oregon report identifies missing Native American women as a ‘emergency’ — but progress has been limited
A state report in 2020 described how officials should respond to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. But key recommendations remain unfinished, the governor has not read the report and critics say Indigenous voices have been left out.