Mary Hudetz
I cover tribes and federal agencies that serve Native Americans. I live in New Mexico.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in hearing from past and present staffers at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service and other agencies serving Native people. I also want to hear from people who receive care or services through these agencies.
What I Cover
I report on issues and policies that affect Native Americans. My beat includes tribal governments and the vast array of federal agencies that administer health care, public safety, housing and cultural resource protection programs on reservations.
My Background
My reporting on Indigenous issues spans nearly two decades. Previously, I reported for The Seattle Times, where I was part of the investigative team. At The Associated Press, my 2018 reporting with two colleagues on cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women won several awards, including a Dori J. Maynard Award for Justice in Journalism from the News Leaders Association.
I joined ProPublica’s Southwest unit in 2021. My recent reporting, as part of the team that produced “The Repatriation Project,” received the Indigenous Journalists Association’s Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism. Our work was also followed by policy changes, as well as the return of thousands of Native American ancestors’ remains and belongings back to tribes.
Dozens of People Died in Arizona Sober Living Homes as State Officials Fumbled Medicaid Fraud Response
Arizona officials acknowledged that a fraud scheme targeting Indigenous people with addictions cost taxpayers $2.5 billion. But they haven’t accounted publicly for the number of deaths tied to the scheme.
ProPublica Updates Its Database of Museums’ and Universities’ Compliance With Federal Repatriation Law
Institutions across the U.S. returned more than 10,300 Native American ancestors to tribes in 2024, making it the third-biggest year for repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Right-Wing Activists Pushed False Claims About Election Fraud. Now They’re Recruiting Poll Workers in Swing States.
Experts say these poll workers could sow distrust in democracy and bolster court cases challenging the election. ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch reviewed dozens of hours of trainings and presentations in which activists discussed their plans.
Local Reporting Network
Arizona Cracked Down on Medicaid Fraud That Targeted Native Americans. It Left Patients Without Care.
Arizona suspended scores of behavioral health providers as authorities investigated them for defrauding the American Indian Health Program. The state’s actions left patients homeless and without treatment.
Some Museums Scrambled to Remove Native American Items From Display. These Museums Didn’t Need to.
When new federal repatriation rules went into effect last month, some museums quickly removed Native American items from display. But others were prepared to meet the moment.
Senator Urges Museums to Return Native Remains and Objects: “Give the Items Back. Comply With Federal Law. Hurry.”
In a Senate floor speech that centered America’s colonial history, Brian Schatz said institutions have a moral obligation to comply with federal repatriation law. He demanded urgent action.
The American Museum of Natural History to Close Exhibits Displaying Native American Belongings
The change is in response to new federal regulations that went into effect this month following reporting by ProPublica on institutional failures to return Native American remains and sacred objects to tribes.
The Remains of Thousands of Native Americans Were Returned to Tribes This Year
Following decades of Indigenous activism and the 2023 publication of ProPublica’s “Repatriation Project,” federal officials have seen more activity leading to the return of ancestral remains to tribal nations than any other year since 1990.
New Federal Rules Aim to Speed Repatriations of Native Remains and Burial Items
The new Interior Department regulations address long-criticized loopholes and issues identified by ProPublica’s reporting. They will go into effect in 2024.
Tribes in Maine Spent Decades Fighting to Rebury Ancestral Remains. Harvard Resisted Them at Nearly Every Turn.
The university’s Peabody Museum exploited loopholes to prevent repatriation to the Wabanaki people while still staying in compliance with NAGPRA. The tribes didn’t give up.
UC Berkeley Takes Significant Step to Repatriate 4,400 Native American Human Remains
It would be the largest repatriation by far at an institution that holds more than 9,000 ancestral remains and has lagged behind in returning its holdings under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.