Opinion: Chief Illiniwek will take his last dance soon (September 15, 2004)

"It pains me to say this, but I think the Chief’s days are numbered.There are just too many storm clouds on the horizon for Chief Illiniwek to last much longer. It looks like one of the most honored traditions in...

Tim Giago: Eastern tribes are African-American (September 15, 2004)

"Oftentimes when one is raised on an Indian reservation in a remote state such as South Dakota as I was there is a tendency to be a bit naïve when it comes to what is happening in the Indian world...

Appeals court blocks release of contempt reports (September 15, 2004)

A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to take the federal judge overseeing the Indian trust fund off a contentious contempt proceeding involving dozens of government officials and attorneys. In a unanimous opinion, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said...

City narrowly backs tribe's bid for recognition (September 15, 2004)

City commissioners in Muskegon, Michigan, voted 4-3 on Tuesday to support federal recognition of the Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians. Some commissioners were worried about an endorsement due to the possibility of the tribe opening a casino. The tribe...

Cobell: Bush and Norton not serious about justice (September 15, 2004)

"At the urging of our Democratic and Republican friends in Congress - including Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican who represents part of the Navajo Reservation - we have been in mediation with the Bush administration for more than seven...

Crow woman manages Chief Plenty Coups Park (September 15, 2004)

Susan Stewart Medicine Horse is the first Crow tribal member to manage the Chief Plenty Coups State Park in Montana. Medicine Horse began working only three days before the opening last spring. But already she has made some big changes...

Agua Caliente Band among largest donors to NMAI (September 15, 2004)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians from California donated $500,000 to the new National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Chairman Richard Milanovich said the tribe made the donation because the museum will tell the story of...

Lawyer: Tribe lacks authority 'over white people' (September 15, 2004)

An attorney for a disgraced developer facing sanctions by tribal and state authorities says the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's court has no authority over "over white people." The tribal court held businessman Gary Minard in contempt and ordered him arrested...

BIA police chief accepts position at central office (September 15, 2004)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs police on the Crow Reservation in Montana is taking a new position at central office in Washington, D.C. Darren Cruzan will be the manager of the 350-member Uniformed Division within the BIA's Office of Law...

First Nations want oil and gas sites cleaned up (September 15, 2004)

First Nations in British Columbia say a study detailing environmental problems from oil and gas development requires action from the provincial government. The study shows that moose, deer and other wildlife have been contaminated with chemicals and metals. First Nations...

Health care funding boost called inadequate (September 15, 2004)

Native leaders and health experts in Canada say a proposed $700 million increase in federal funding is not enough to cover the rising cost of health care or launch new programs. Prime Minister Paul Martin announced the boost at the...

Study: Pregnant Native women have higher HIV rates (September 15, 2004)

A three-year study of pregnant Native women in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows that they are seven times more likely to be HIV-positive than pregnant non-Native women. The high rate was attributed to higher rates of intravenous drug use and higher...

NMAI curators seek to translate culture for visitors (September 15, 2004)

Visitors to the new National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., will be seeing, or maybe not seeing, Native culture in a different light. Curators and staff are intent on ensuring artifacts, items and other objects are displayed...

Project seeks to restore Colorado River habitat (September 15, 2004)

The Interior Department on Tuesday signed a 50-year, $620 million project aimed at restoring habitat and protecting endangered species on the drought-plagued lower Colorado River. Four tribes that depend on the river were involved in the planning of the Lower...

Panel seeks stronger warning on antidepressant use (September 15, 2004)

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted 15-8 on Tuesday to encourage stronger warnings on the use of antidepressants by children and teenagers. The panel said the so-called "black box" warning should inform physicians that children who...

California tribe won't pay Choctaw man for loan (September 15, 2004)

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Choctaw man seeking to recoup at least $870,000 from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Wayne Queen, 78, loaned the tribe $500,000 to start the "Crystal Mountain Casino." He was...

Senate candidate Coburn denies malpractice (September 15, 2004)

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Coburn denied on Tuesday that he committed fraud or medical malpractice for an incident in which he sterilized a woman more than a decade ago. The woman, then 20, accused Coburn of removing one of...