The ICT Newscast for Friday, April 24, 2026, covers the Food Network’s Chopped Top Chef, new mobile gaming laws in Wisconsin, the ongoing story of two Missing Murdered Indigenous Women’s families seeking justice, navigating Freedmen ancestry and a talented World Champion Hoop Dancer! Check out the ICT Newscast on YouTube for this episode and more.
Indigenous Chef Justin Pioche brought his community together for a watch party and celebration to reveal his victory on the Food Network’s hit series chef competition “Chopped”. Find out why Pioche previously turned down other offers before saying yes. Watch here
Wisconsin’s landmark legislation makes online sports betting legal but only through tribal gaming, with servers operating only on tribal lands. Potawatomi Casino CEO Dominic Ortiz calls it a major victory, noting that past revenue agreements failed to return funds to the state and its tribes.Watch here
Family, friends, and advocates gathered outside Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota demanding answers in the case of Sahela Sangrait, an MMIP victim. Protesters are calling out the Air Force for failing to report the suspected airman’s history of violence and urging greater institutional accountability.Watch here
Loved ones gathered in Winnipeg, Manitoba after Leah Keeper’s body was identified in an alley, bringing heartbreak but few answers. Her family is pressing the police on why it took so long to find and identify Leah Keeper, and is calling on the department to collaborate more closely with tribes to ensure missing and murdered Native women are never forgotten.Watch here
Professor Alaina Roberts of the University of Pittsburgh and Freedmen community liaison Melissa Payne break down how to research and confirm Freedmen descent from Native American tribes and why that identity and history matters today.Watch here
Hoop dance world champion ShanDien Sonwai LaRance reflects on nearly a decade performing with Cirque du Soleil, how the experience deepened her love for her culture, and the powerful message she’s carrying forward for the next generation.Watch here
View previous ICT broadcasts here every week for the latest news from around Indian Country.Keywords: Native American news 2026, Indigenous news, Native American news today, Tribal news, First Nations news, Native American athletes, Native American representation.
