Mark Trahant

OPINION: The battle over allowing Alaska Native-owned lands to be placed into federal trust will have long reach, but it got little media attention during President Obama's visit.

OPINION: The Affordable Care Act continues to evolve and improve, but more important, as more states expand Medicaid, they add real dollars to health care service across Indian Country.

OPINION: Alaska's gubernatorial election result is the beginning of a new partnership. Alaska Natives will have a voice in the management and future of the state, and Indian Country will be watching closely.

OPINION: You can't take polls to the bank, but politicians bank on them for the bandwagon effect when the numbers go their way.

OPINION: The state of Washington is considering a program -- similar to a successful one in Alaska -- to train young people in mid-level dentistry, something that would especially benefit that state's Native American tribes. But the state's dental association is pushing back.

OPINION: Low voter turnouts led the National Congress of American Indians in 2012 to declare a “civic emergency” on voter registration. If turnout improves, Native voters could help the campaign of Byron Mallott of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe vs. Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell.

OPINION: When it comes to regulating hunting and fishing, Alaska says its sovereignty trumps federal Alaska Native subsistence rights. But when it comes to funding Alaska Native health care, the state says responsibility lies squarely with the feds.