South Dakota GOP claims 2002 Senate election stolen (September 10, 2004)

The chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party is coming under fire for suggesting that the 2002 U.S. Senate election in which Indian voters played a critical role was stolen. In a letter to Republicans in the state, chairman Randy...

Lamberth finds evidence of more record destruction (September 10, 2004)

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth on Wednesday ordered the Bush administration to start filing, under penalty of perjury, reports on the state of trust records at the Interior Department. Lamberth said new allegations of document destruction were enough to warrant...

Tribal-backed labor amendment fails on party line vote (September 10, 2004)

An attempt to exempt tribes from the effects of a controversial labor law decision failed on Thursday as Democrats accused Republicans of playing election-year politics. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona) introduced an appropriations rider that would have put a hold on...

Warm Springs Tribes criticize shift on dam breaching (September 10, 2004)

The Confederated Warm Springs Tribes joined environmentalists in criticizing a new biological opinion that concludes salmon aren't threatened by four federal dams in the Pacific Northwest. Tribal chairman Ron Suppah said the government's plan to restore salmon was "absurd. He...

Evidence of Pueblo Revolt found in New Mexico dig (September 10, 2004)

The state of New Mexico has found evidence of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in the capital of Santa Fe. During the revolt, Spanish colonists took refuge in Santa Fe. After some battles, their water supply was cut off by Pueblo...

Editorial: Tribes' claim to Colorado was 'erased' (September 10, 2004)

"Gambling opponents in Colorado - we're among them - are probably comforted by knowing that the federal government's 1965 settlement of land claims with two Oklahoma-based Indian tribes seems to have erased their claim to 27 million acres of real...

Navajo Nation council approves $528.8M budget (September 10, 2004)

The Navajo Nation Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a $528.8 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to the Associated Press, most of the money goes to the executive branch. The 18 divisions will receive $505.6 million....

Manitoba won't recognize Metis Nation hunting cards (September 10, 2004)

The government of Manitoba will not recognize hunting cards issued to Metis hunters and will arrest anyone who attempts to hunt under Metis rules. The Manitoba Métis Federation began issuing the cards last week. Hunters are asked to abide by...

Court rules against Seneca Nation's land claims (September 10, 2004)

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected the Seneca Nation's land claims involving Grand Island. The tribe claimed the state took the land without federal approval. At issue was the sale of Grand Island in 1815 and an...

San Carlos Apache Tribe hosts rally for candidates (September 10, 2004)

The San Carlos Apache of Arizona held a rally last month for a number of candidates for local, state and federal political office. Among those who attended the August 26 was Rep. Rick Renzi (R), a newcomer to Congress who...

Report cites crisis facing First Nations languages (September 10, 2004)

Native languages in the Yukon Territory of Canada are in danger of dying out, according to a new report from the Aboriginal Language Services. At least two First Nations languages, Han and Tagish, are on the verge of extinction, the...

Police hope to link arrest to missing Native girl (September 10, 2004)

A man from a First Nations Reserve in Saskatchewan has been charged with stealing a van that police are hoping to link to Tamra Keepness, the five-year-old Native girl who has been missing for more than a month. The van...

Column: Native vote looms large in close election (September 10, 2004)

"For decades after they were condescendingly deemed citizens, the nation's Indians were ignored by politicians and left in neglected and isolated communities without power or representation. As late as 1985, the small Dakota Indian tribe at Prior Lake had to...

Lumbee budget includes salary hikes and bonuses (September 10, 2004)

The new budget proposed for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina recommends 11 new positions, $100,000 in bonuses, a 3 to 4 percent pay increase for employees and more than $1.9 million for salaries. The budget was discussed at a...

'Sioux Summit' set between tribal and state leaders (September 10, 2004)

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is organizing a meeting between tribal and state leaders on September 25. Dubbed the "Sioux Summit" by former newspaper publisher Tim Giago, leaders of all nine tribes will discuss concerns with Sen. Tom...

Some still question tribal role at National Bison Range (September 10, 2004)

The second of two informational meetings on a funding agreement between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took place Thursday night. Under self-determination and self-governance laws, the tribe is going to handle certain...

Tuolumne Band agrees to land swap with park district (September 10, 2004)

The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians has agreed to a land swap with the Tuolumne Park and Recreation District in California. The tribe will acquire a 6.2-mile former railroad easement from the district. In exchange, the tribe will give the...