Close Senate vote supports development in ANWR (March 17, 2005)

Republicans claimed victory on Wednesday after the Senate narrowly rejected a Democrat effort to block drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Several members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee played key roles in the debate and vote on the...

Recognition bills surface yet again in Congress (March 17, 2005)

Lawmakers from Connecticut have introduced three bills aimed at reforming the federal recognition process, The New London Day reports. Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D) and Joseph I. Lieberman (D) introduced the Tribal Recognition and Indian Bureau Enhancement Act. It would...

Indian murals at EPA building to undergo review (March 17, 2005)

EPA MURAL: "Dangers of the Mail" considered offensive by Indian employees.• Additional Photos A handful of government murals that depict Indian people in an unfavorable light will undergo a review to determine whether they are appropriate to display, a federal...

Vitter won't say why he OKed Abramoff fundraiser (March 17, 2005)

Sen. David Vitter (R-Louisiana) won't say why he agreed to have disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff host a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Vitter, however, admits he knew at the time of the September 9, 2003, event that Abramoff represented gaming...

Tohono O'odham Nation opens Head Start centers (March 17, 2005)

The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona dedicated two new Head Start centers on Wednesday with a third one on the way. The state-of-the-art centers will provide early education to rural parts of the reservation, said chairwoman Vivian Juan-Saunders. The 10,000-square-foot...

Blackfeet man says homosexuals unnatural (March 17, 2005)

American Indians do not believe people are born homosexual, a former council member for the Blackfeet Nation told Montana lawmakers on Wednesday. Titus Upham testified against a bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. He said doing so...

Hearing planned on tribe's bison range agreement (March 17, 2005)

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) plans to hold a hearing later this year on the federal government's bison range agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana. Burns said he has heard "concerns" about the agreement for the tribes...

Idaho Legislature ratifies Nez Perce water deal (March 17, 2005)

The Idaho Legislature gave approval on Wednesday to a $193 million water right settlement for the Nez Perce Tribe. The state Senate voted 27-7 to pass the deal, with opponents questioning whether the tribe has rights on the Snake River....

Quechan Nation blasts Myers for Senate testimony (March 17, 2005)

The Quechan Nation accused judicial nominee Bill Myers of blaming his failure to consult with the tribe on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The tribe referred to Myers' recent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. When asked why he...

Mississippi Choctaws enter into medical tech deal (March 17, 2005)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has entered into a partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center to produce and sell high-tech medical equipment. The tribe will manufacture, use, and sell a newly patented mobile medical gas utility stand....

Native man can't get help for asbestos in home (March 17, 2005)

A man from the Grand Rapid First Nation in northern Manitoba lives in one of 11 homes identified as high risk for asbestos exposure but he can't get any help to address the problem. Ken Cook says he has asked...

BIA puts off decision on Si Tanka University (March 17, 2005)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs needs more information before deciding whether to release federal funds to Si Tanka University in South Dakota. The BIA has denied funds to the school because Native enrollment dropped below 50 percent. Si Tanka officials...

Obesity among Americans affecting longevity (March 17, 2005)

Obesity will cut the average life span of Americans by at least two to five years if the problem is not addressed within 50 years, according to a study in today's New England Journal of Medicine. American Indians and Alaska...

Editorial: Reject Myers for appeals court on merits (March 17, 2005)

"President Bush's regrettable move to renominate the most controversial of his judicial nominees means the Senate soon will have to deal with several troubling cases. The first three appeals court candidates examined by the Senate Judiciary Committee this year all...

Blackfeet Nation works on cross-deputization (March 17, 2005)

The Blackfeet Nation is negotiating an agreement to cross-deputize Glacier County police officers to patrol the Montana reservation. The tribe wants more police presence on the reservation, said Chairman William "Allen" Talks About. A series of public meetings will be...

Witness list for hearing on off-reservation gaming (March 17, 2005)

The House Resources Committee is holding a hearing this afternoon on off-reservation gaming. A variety of witnesses, almost entirely tribal, will testify. The witness list is as follows: Panel I Richard Forster Chairman Amador County Board of Supervisors Lori Jaimes...

Senate committee approves Interior deputy pick (March 17, 2005)

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved, by unanimous consent, the nomination of P. Lynn Scarlett as Deputy Interior Secretary. Scarlett joined the Bush administration in July 2001. As Interior's deputy assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, she...

House Appropriations holds hearing on BIA budget (March 17, 2005)

The House Interior Appropriations subcommittee holds a hearing this morning on the Bureau of Indian Affairs fiscal year 2006 budget request. Jim Cason, assistant deputy secretary and acting assistant secretary for Indian affairs, is scheduled to testify about the BIA's...

Senate Finance Committee investigates Abramoff (March 17, 2005)

The Senate Finance Committee opened an investigation into disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff to determine whether non-profit organizations were used to finance trips for lawmakers. The committee asked for records of Abramoff's Capital Athletic Foundation. Abramoff solicited tribes to donate...