Lawmaker accuses GOP of trying to 'oppress' Indians in Montana (January 31, 2011)

An Indian lawmaker in Montana apologized after accusing Republicans of "hatred" and of trying to "oppress" American Indians. Rep. Carolyn Pease-Lopez (D) was upset that Republicans stripped a vote-by-mail bill of provisions to address Indian voters. "I feel so much...

Morongo Band woman receives presidential award for mentoring (January 31, 2011)

Marigold Linton, a member of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in California, received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring during a ceremony at the White House last Thursday. Linton was the first Native...

Mark Trahant: Protecting the budget for Indian Country programs (January 31, 2011)

The National Congress of American Indians proposed a fiscal year 2012 budget last week. It called for modest increases in a variety of federal programs, making the case that more money is required for American Indian and Alaska Native programs...

School district offers its first Navajo language immersion program (January 31, 2011)

A public school district in New Mexico is offering its first Navajo language immersion program. The Central Consolidated School District started the effort at the start of the current school year. It's currently limited to one kindergarten class but it's...

Opinion: Cutting red tape to boost green energy in Indian Country (January 31, 2011)

"President Obama's second State of the Union address set forward a bipartisan framework aimed at unleashing a clean energy revolution in America. Touching on everything from solar and wind power (hooray!), to nuclear power, to "clean" coal (sigh), the president...

Citizen Potawatomi Nation loses restaurant and clubhouse to fire (January 31, 2011)

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma lost a restaurant and clubhouse at its golf course to a fire on Sunday. The fire started inside the San Remo's restaurant, a spokesperson said. It destroyed the entire building. “It's a big...

Opinion: Quechan Nation faces media criticism for energy lawsuit (January 31, 2011)

"Recently, Native American tribes’ opposition to solar projects has been well – although inaccurately – documented. The media coverage is the result of a San Diego Federal District Court’s decision[1] where the Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation...

Native Sun News: Navajo Nation gets $14.5M for uranium cleanup (January 31, 2011)

The following story was written and reported by Kate Saltzstein. All content © Native Sun News. WINDOW ROCK, ARIZONA — The Navajo Nation is expected to receive $14.5 million from a settlement with Tronox, a Delaware corporation, to help clean...

Turtle Talk: Commentary on DC Circuit decision on land-into-trust (January 31, 2011)

"On January 21, 2011, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit disagreed with three other federal circuits and held that sovereign immunity is waived for a challenge to a Department of the Interior decision to...

Opinion: 1991 was notable year for Natives in Alaska and Canada (January 31, 2011)

"Alaska and Canada, as we now know them, were born within a day of each other. The Treaty of Cession, by which Russia sold Alaska to America, was concluded on March 30, 1867. One day earlier, Queen Victoria gave Royal...

Authorities step up investigation into death of Cowichan teenager (January 31, 2011)

More than 50 investigators are looking into the death of Tyeshia Jones, an 18-year-old member of the Cowichan Tribes of British Columbia. Jones went missing in the early morning hours of January 22. Her body was found in a...

KUOW: Tribal Law and Order Act expands authority of tribal courts (January 31, 2011)

"Last July, Native American leaders gathered in Washington, DC, to celebrate the passage of a new law: the Tribal Law and Order Act. As President Obama noted that day, it's intended to address the crime rate on Indian reservations. Obama:...

Yankton Sioux Tribe Tribe mourns loss of mother and two children (January 31, 2011)

Three members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota were found dead in North Dakota on Friday. Jolene Zephier, 38, and two of her children, Dylan Zephier, 13, and Sabrina Zephier, 19, were shot to death. Also killed was...

Column: Indians in North Carolina locked in a hunting rights battle (January 31, 2011)

"Kendall Locklear believes his status as a Tuscarora Indian gives him unlimited rights to hunt and fish on the tribe's land north of Maxton. Some state wildlife officers believe otherwise. Their legal tussle began in 1998, after Locklear killed a...

Opinion: Seneca Nation struggling to overcome history of tragedy (January 31, 2011)

"The Seneca Nation of Indians has embarked on a campaign to tell its side of the story over taxation, casinos, sovereignty and treaty rights and obligations. The nation’s new president, Rob Porter, has even set out on a goodwill tour...

Jay Tavare: Indigenous Americans among the poorest in the world (January 31, 2011)

"The year is 2011. The place is the United States of America. The people are the American Indians. Their plight... they are dying from lack of heat, food and even water. They are dying from despair. All of this happens...

J.D. Colbert: Walter Echo-Hawk truly a modern day Indian warrior (January 31, 2011)

J.D. Colbert is a member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma. Walter R. Echo-Hawk eloquently addressed a large crowded gathered at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on January 26 to talk about decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court. “As...

Vi Waln: Women form the backbone of Lakota society and culture (January 31, 2011)

The poet D.H. Lawrence wrote “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” This poem is cited in the movie G.I. Jane...

Charles Trimble: Technology can play a role in preserving culture (January 31, 2011)

I’m not the person who should be writing about technology and advising on its application to our traditional society. I’m a technological klutz. When I suggested to my daughter Kaiti that I am technologically challenged, she responded, “Dad, the phrase...

Tim Giago: Native journalists owe a big debt to USA Today founder (January 31, 2011)

There have been so many people assuming to be co-founders of the Native American Journalists Association that I will tell you how it started and let you determine who is a co-founder or not. In 1983, after sending letters to...