Senate considers Native Hawaiian reorganization act (June 8, 2006)

Update 1:30PM - The motion failed by a vote of 56 to 41. It needed 60 votes. The bill will not be debated further. Update 12:55PM - The roll is being called on the motion to clear the bill for...

Editorial: Crow woman's appointment positive (June 8, 2006)

"Monday, [Janine] Pease was appointed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer to the Montana Board of Regents. The move is a home run for higher education in Montana. Pease, who most recently has served as vice president for American Indian Affairs at...

Three Blackfeet incumbents ousted in primary (June 8, 2006)

Members of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana went to the polls on Tuesday, ousting three tribal council incumbents. A total of 73 candidates campaigned for five seats on the nine-member council. Only two incumbents -- Jimmy St. Goddard and Jay...

Federal murder charges laid in death of Navy SEAL (June 8, 2006)

Federal authorities laid murder charges against a Montana man accused of killing a Navy SEAL who was about to leave for duty in Iraq. Gerald Lee Littlehead, 22, allegedly stabbed Michael Bell, 22, at a bar on the Fort Peck...

Oglala Lakota College to open at Cheyenne River (June 8, 2006)

Oglala Lakota College, a tribal college based on the Pine Ridge Reservation, will open a satellite campus on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. OLC was given approval by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Higher...

Videotape of police incident at Little Earth released (June 8, 2006)

The head of the Little Earth of United Tribes released a videotape of a police incident at an Indian housing complex in Minneapolis. The videotape shows some form of physical contact between two police lieutenants and a man who had...

Fire consumes more than 600 acres on Navajo Nation (June 8, 2006)

Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal crews are fighting a fire that has consumed more than 600 acres on the Navajo Nation. The fire burned two abandoned hogans in Kinlichee, near Window Rock, Arizona, area. No other buildings are...

Idaho lawmaker says tribal tax not worth the effort (June 8, 2006)

A key Idaho lawmaker says it's not worth the effort to try and resolve a gasoline tax dispute with the state's tribes. Republican Senator Mike Jorgenson, who sits on the Idaho Council on Indian Affairs, said the money involved is...

North Dakota Indian students being left behind (June 8, 2006)

Indian students in North Dakota don't perform as well on standardized tests as their counterparts, according to recent studies. The National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that Indian students in the state score below average on math and reading tests....

Nebraska schools urged to discuss Indian mascots (June 8, 2006)

The Nebraska Board of Education voted 7-0 to send a letter to public schools, urging them to discuss their use of Indian mascots. Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said he opposes Indian mascots. But the board hasn't decided whether to take...

Eastern Cherokees debut new 'Unto These Hills' (June 8, 2006)

After a major rewrite, "Unto These Hills ... A Retelling," a play about the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, makes its official debut tonight. The play was originally written by a non-Indian. But...

Tribes worried about fair planned at county park (June 8, 2006)

Tribes in Southern California are worried that an upcoming fair will damage a park that is home to ancient sites and plants used for basket weaving. The first annual Midsummer Renaissance Faire will be held over two weekends at...

Nevada tribe sponsors child abuse conference (June 8, 2006)

The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of Nevada sponsored a conference on child abuse in Indian Country. The conference provided training and education on child abuse. It was organized by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute of Anchorage, Alaska. Alvin Moyle, the...

Editorial: Help welcome for Indian radio stations (June 8, 2006)

"Finally, some good news for struggling Native American radio stations. A $1.5 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has established the Center for Native American Radio as a resource for the roughly three dozen stations around the country....

Buffalo Art Voice: Greed of the Seneca Nation (June 8, 2006)

"Barry Snyder and his Seneca gambling operation made two huge PR moves in Buffalo last week, both of them designed to shore up the Seneca Gaming Corporation’s claim that a Buffalo casino is a done deal and that all...

Oneida Nation challenges county smoking law (June 8, 2006)

The Oneida Nation refused to participate in a hearing called to address the tribe's alleged violation of a county smoking law. A lawyer for the tribe said the Oneida County has no authority to enforce the law against the tribe....

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Tribe hosts film festival (June 8, 2006)

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is hosting a film festival today and tomorrow on its reservation in Arizona. The festival is part of a Tribal Touring Program organized by the American Indian Film Institute. They include Trudell, a documentary...

Kempthorne sworn-in as Interior secretary (June 8, 2006)

Former Idaho governor Dirk Kempthorne (R) was sworn in as the 49th Secretary of the Department of the Interior on Wednesday. Kempthorne began work last week. His swearing-in was a ceremonial affair with President Bush at the White House....

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe revises drug test policy (June 8, 2006)

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan has revised its drug testing policy for council members. The tribe requires a urine test for all council candidates. But the recent addition of a hair test prompted complaints from at least one candidate,...

Opinion: Mashpee Wampanoags paid for recognition (June 8, 2006)

"The Mashpee Wampanoag, a Massachusetts tribe recently recognized by the federal government, didn’t earn that status It was purchased. Fifteen million dollars, Jack Abramoff’s old lobbying firm, and a future casino deal guaranteed their approval through the Bureau of Indian...