Alaska Natives use data to guide future (January 14, 2005)

A report released last Friday seeks to help Alaska Natives understand their social and economic status and prepare for a better tomorrow. Our Choices, Our Future is the first publication of the Alaska Native Policy Center, a project of the...

First Nations seek approval for own smoking laws (January 14, 2005)

Canada's Indian and northern affairs minister plans to meet with First Nation leaders from Saskatchewan to discuss the province's new smoking ban. The ban went into effect on January 1 and applies to virtually all public places. But the Federation...

Indian Eddie: Let New Mexico tribe go off reservation (January 14, 2005)

"Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1998, tribes can operate casinos off their reservation on other land they own, under certain conditions. Two of those include the Interior Department and a state's governor determining that a casino would be...

Oneida Nation to share success with employees (January 14, 2005)

The Oneida Nation of New York is launching a unique program to share its financial success with tribal employees. Under the Equity Participation Program, employees will be assigned a percentage of the tribe's net worth based on their position and...

Bush administration won't back Pueblo water deal (January 14, 2005)

The Bush administration has dropped its support for a water rights settlement involving four Pueblo tribes in northern New Mexico. The Department of Justice said this week it wouldn't back the $280 million deal. The department put the federal government's...

Burial site delays construction of road in Texas (January 14, 2005)

Construction of a road in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area has been delayed because it is located on a burial site. The state transportation department knew of the burial ground's existence back in 2000, The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported. But...

McCain won't block Hawaiian recognition bill (January 14, 2005)

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the new chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, won't hold back a bill to recognize a Native Hawaiian government. Last week, McCain said he is opposed to the measure because he said Native Hawaiians were...

Dorgan is vice-chair of Indian Affairs Committee (January 14, 2005)

Spirit Lake Tribal Chairman Valetino White congratulated Sen. Byron Dorgan on his new leadership position and said, "without his support, it would be a long journey on the hill in Washington for Spirit Lake and other tribes." Seated are...

Reservation bottling plant blamed for water drop (January 14, 2005)

A water bottling plan on the Morongo Reservation in California is being blamed for a drop in well levels. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians bought water rights to two natural springs for $2.9 million. The tribe then welcomed the...

North Dakota tribes want to regulate hunting (January 14, 2005)

The North Dakota Senate Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Thursday on a bill to clarify regulation of hunting on tribal land. Tribes currently issue hunting licenses to members and non-members. But the state isn't recognizing the tribes' right...

Discussions continue on indigenous rights draft (January 14, 2005)

Indigenous leaders from the United States and other countries met on the Navajo Nation this week to discuss the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people. Participants discussed a wide range of issues, from self-determination to land. They are...

County investigates shooting on Pechanga land (January 14, 2005)

Sheriff's deputies in Riverside County, California, are investigating a shooting on the Pechanga Reservation that could be linked to the tribe's disenrollment campaign. One shot was fired into the home of Ron and Bobbi LaMere on January 6. Ron LaMere...

Chitimacha Tribe revives long-dormant language (January 14, 2005)

The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana is reviving a language whose last fluent speaker died in 1940. Students are learning to speak Chitimacha at school. Classes are also offered for adults and elders, many of whom rarely heard the language growing...

Miccosukee man back in court for death of sons (January 14, 2005)

Jury selection began on Thursday for the retrial of a Miccosukee man accused of murdering his two young sons. Potential jurors said they were already aware of the main facts in the case against Kirk Douglas Billie. He admits driving...

Family asks police to pay for Native teen's death (January 14, 2005)

The family of a Native teen who died after last being seen in police custody is asking for compensation. Neil Stonechild, 17, was found frozen to death on the outskirts of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1990. An official inquiry linked his...

Tribal member on international indigenous health panel (January 14, 2005)

A South Dakota doctor who is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe will chair a panel on indigenous health issues. Dr. Jeffrey A. Henderson will serve as chairman of the International Collaborative Indigenous Health Research Partnership on Resilience...

Oglala Sioux Tribe lays off temporary workers (January 14, 2005)

The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has laid off 17 temporary employees due to a budget shortfall. Vice President Alex White Plume Sr. said the tribe wouldn't have been able to make payroll unless it got rid of the...

Eastern Cherokees spend $20K on state reception (January 14, 2005)

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians has spent $20,000 for two tables at an inaugural event for North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley (D). The tables were $10,000 each, the Associated Press reports. That makes the tribe one of the...

Passamaquoddy Tribe wants to build aviation plant (January 14, 2005)

The Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine announced on Thursday its intent to build an aviation and aerospace maintenance and manufacturing plant. The tribe has formed a partnership with Aviation and Aerospace Management, a Florida company, to develop a business plan and...

Bush administration to cut major HUD program (January 14, 2005)

The Bush administration plans to cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development's $8 billion Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program by as much as 50 percent, The Washington Post reports. The CDBG program supports economic development projects and is...

FBI abandons $170M computer case file system (January 14, 2005)

The FBI is abandoning a $170 million computer system due to technical and planning problems but will try to salvage parts of the costly software program. The Virtual Case File, an electronic database of the FBI's case files meant to...