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Gay Mine contamination affects salamanders, according to study
FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Environmental Waste Management Program (EWMP), the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the US Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated to study the effects of trace-metal contamination left at the Gay Mine on local ecosystems.
Biologists collected samples from wetlands and pit lakes to measure metal concentrations in soil, water, and amphibian blood and tissues. Phosphate mining has contaminated many sites in Southeastern Idaho, including the Gay Mine on the Fort Hall Reservation, where mining occurred from 1946 to 1993. Waste rock piles, ore piles, and open pits remain, leaking metals into the environment and harming wildlife, including birds, amphibians, and fish. (cont.)
In other news...
By YVONNE WARJACK
Sho-Ban News
POCATELLO — Native American graduates were among thousands of Idaho State University students May 9 during the 2026 Spring Commencement ceremonies at the ICCU Dome.
Randy’L Teton, commencement speaker and ISU President Robert Wagner highlighted perseverance, community, leadership, and the importance of carrying culture and identity into the future.
Native American graduates represented tribal nations from across the region, including the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Oglala Lakota, Eastern Shoshone, Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Miwok communities. (cont.)
By LIZZIE BOYD
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Adult Protection Services program is hosting the 14th Annual Taking a Stand Against Elder Abuse Conference May 13 and 14, at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel.
It features numerous presenters and events throughout the conference. There are over 330 pre-registrants, not including those who register at the door including 43 tribes in attendance. (cont.)
By LIZZIE BOYD
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — McKinley Miller is an 18-year-old senior at Marsh Valley High School in McCammon and a Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member.
She has a 4.0 GPA, is graduating with honors and is one of the Marsh Valley High School’s Class of 2026 Valedictorians on May 20.
McKinley is the daughter of Danielle and Cody Miller; she resides in the Ross Fork District. Miller is a member of the National Honors Society and played on the school’s soccer team and rodeos in District 4.
In her free time, she enjoys working cows with her parents, and has shown market animals in 4-H for the past ten years at the Bannock County Fair and Eastern Idaho State Fair. McKinley also enjoys spending time with her friends. (cont.)
