For Native Tribes in Central Louisiana, the Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow is part of their tradition. In its 18th year, the tribes come together as family.

"When you plant a seed, for a plant and you watch that just grow, to what it is today, we have a lot of relationships that have been built through that time, new relationships that are made and we nurture those and we enjoy that." Said Bert Polchies, a Tunica Biloxi Tribe Member.

But it goes beyond just the Tunica-Biloxi, a Pow Wow is an opportunity to extend compassion to other tribes. For Choctaw-Apache Princess Erica Samples the Pow Wow means carrying on in her ancestors footsteps.

"It's a young voice saying, the people are still here, the younger generations going to come in and be like, we're going to take control as soon as the older generation has gone, we're still here, we're going to be here with our culture." Said Samples.

For Heather Wilkerson of the Mowa Choctaw Tribe, it means passing down her heritage to her 5-year-old daughter Annslee.

"Our culture is actually a dying culture, and if we don't pass it along from generation to generation, it's very important to me that she learns the way of not only our personal tribal culture but the pow wow culture as well." Said Wilkerson.


A native culture that is as important to the tribes as it is misunderstood outside of the family.

"There's a lot of omissions in the true history of this continent, of this country. So we take the time, whenever we get the chance to educate the people about who we really are, not the stereotypes, but who we really are." Said Polchies.
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On Monday, Devil Ark, Australia's largest conservation breeding program for Tasmanian marsupials, posted this video of two furry devil babies sleepily drinking from bottles, play fighting, and snuggling -- and within days they've become the Internet's new favorite distraction..

Tasmanian devils are at risk of extinction because of a highly contagious disease that results in devil facial tumors. .

The video's YouTube caption states, "Genetic diversity is rapidly diminishing in Tasmania.. There are currently more than 120 devils at the Ark and the goal is to have 360 devils at Devil Ark by 2016." .

Learn more about these adorable creatures and find out how you can help preserve the species at Devil Ark's website. .

High in the hills of the Barrington Tops is a critical project working to save an endangered Australian animal. Devil Ark is the largest conservation breeding program for the Tasmanian devil on mainland Australia.
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Up until recently, little was known about the private lives of bears living in and around Anchorage, Alaska. Sure, the urban-dwelling animals could occasionally be seen strolling through town or rummaging through trash, but now biologists are beginning to get a better idea of what bears are up to when they think no one is watching.

Last summer, officers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game fitted four black bears and two brown bears with collar-mounted 'critter cams' to gain insight into their daily routines. The durable devices, set to film 10 second video clips every 20 minutes for a month, are equipped with a self-releasing mechanism along with GPS to help researchers track their movements and to recover them later.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, around 60 hours of up-close and personal bear's-eye-view footage has been captured on the critter cams so far -- which biologists say will help them better manage the animals' city-going tendencies.

Anchorage residents have long had to deal with bears scouring through their trash for food, worrying biologists that they had grown too dependent on our uneaten leftovers. As it turns out from critter cam footage, however, the bears were found to still fill their stomachs mainly from natural food sources in the wild -- though they happily foraged through unsecured garbage most days anyways.

"That's one of the questions we want to ask: If we could magically get rid of all the garbage, would we still have bears in town?" says researcher Sean Farley. "My guess is we would."

Interestingly, bears appeared to recognize trash cans with bear-locks, suggesting them to be an effective deterrent. In other words, with an estimated 300 or so bears living in the Anchorage area, interactions in urban spaces will be inevitable, though they needn't necessarily be messy.
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The bald eagle turned over in mid-flight making it look like he is falling out of the sky.

But he’s actually flipped himself upside down 200ft above the ground in a mid-air stunt that legendary daredevil Evel Knievel would have been proud of.

Eagles can flip as part of a mating ritual but also use it to make a sudden dive down once they spot food lurking beneath the surface of water.

The extraordinary spectacle was captured on camera by Pam Mullins close to her home in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.

Pam, 49, had been trying to get the perfect snap of the flipping eagles for years.

She said: “What you see in that photo happens in a split second.

“It’s not an accident but an acrobatic manoeuvre used by eagles for different reasons.


“Sometimes it’s used when the bird spots a fish or other food - it will do this mid-air flip and nose dive towards it. mpu

“Another reason is a mating ritual. Every year eagles do a dating dance where they clasp talons and free fall towards the ground.


“They also do this as a defence manoeuvre. If they are being attacked they will flip and this allows them to use their talons on their attacker.

“It is very hard to capture because it happens so fast.”

Bald eagles can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour while gliding and up to 99 miles per hour when diving.
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AHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation agreed Monday to partner with Chicago-based PNE Wind USA Inc. to develop the largest tribal wind farm in the United States.

“The Cherokee Nation is playing a significant role in creating new green jobs and expects to play a key role in Oklahoma’s emerging wind energy industry,” said Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “The Cherokee Nation is committed to growing the Oklahoma economy, helping reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and creating sustainable jobs for our people in the renewable energy sector.”

The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council voted 14-2 to enter into the project that is estimated to generate $16 million over the next 20 years. Development of the 90-turbine wind farm will start immediately on 3,000 acres of the tribe’s Chilocco property in Kay County, site of a former Indian boarding school.

“The Cherokee Nation has an opportunity to be a leader among Indian nations in renewable energy,” said Deputy Speaker Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The tribe will be able to utilize an underutilized resource. We talk a lot about protecting our environment and conserving our resources, so this is a prime opportunity to put words into action.”

The wind farm would provide 153 megawatts of power to the southwest grid region for homes, businesses and farms.

“This is the largest wind farm on tribal land in the U.S.,” said Ellen Wesley, director of PNE Wind USA Inc. “The Cherokee Nation will own half of the project, which is significant because usually they are private owners. We’re thrilled to have the Cherokees as a partner in this endeavor. It’s a win for the land and the people.”


Chilocco was ideal because of its wind resources, and environmental studies show it will not curtail the migratory bird population. The entire Chilocco wind farm will encompass 6,000 acres, with four other tribes jointly overseeing 45 turbines on their 3,000-acre half.

In other business, the Tribal Council took action on the following items:

• Passed an act that will allow citizens to receive 90-day prescriptions.

• Passed a resolution to apply for a $4.5 million grant for health center infrastructure from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.


• Recognized Jeff Stancil for his work and dedication to preserve Cherokee history and culture at New Echota, Ga., and Vann House.

• Approved Amber Lynn George, of Tahlequah, to the Cherokee Nation Foundation board. George received a Master of Arts from University of Tulsa in speech language pathology, has served on several boards and has extensive experience in fundraising for nonprofit organizations.

• Approved Glendon Kay Watkins, of Tahlequah, to the Economic Development Trust Authority Board of Directors. Watkins has more than 30 years of experience in the financial sector, most recently serving as senior vice president at BancFirst in Tahlequah before retiring in 2011.

• Approved Steven Wilson, of Tahlequah, as commissioner on the Cherokee Nation Tax Commission. Wilson graduated from Northeastern State University with a Bachelor of Science in education and has served on the Cherokee Nation Tax Commission.

The next Tribal Council meeting is scheduled for June 10 at 6 p.m.
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