A conflict over alcohol is escalating in the tiny town of Whiteclay, Neb., which sells millions of cans of beer annually to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation. While protesters are trying to block beer deliveries to the town, some tribal leaders are considering legalizing alcohol at Pine Ridge.

The Oglala Sioux tribe has accused Anheuser-Busch and Pabst, among others, of illegally selling millions of cans of beer a year to the residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is officially dry. Some argue beer makers aren't to blame and that addiction issues run deep.

The environmental agency has proposed permits that would allow oil companies to continue releasing contaminated wastewater onto the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming. NPR found last year that the EPA has been allowing oil companies to send so much wastewater onto dry land that it was creating raging streams.

The Navajo Nation is one of the most violent reservations in the country. The U.S. attorney's office tries to take on the most violent crimes, but it often lacks enough evidence to prosecute. And because of antiquated tribal codes, the maximum Navajo court sentence is one year.