BIA programs barely survive White House test (February 10, 2004)

When Dave Anderson, the new head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, spoke to tribal leaders last week, he urged them not to be so rough on an agency that employs thousands of Native Americans. "We can't be beating up...

Editorial: Tribes should protect whistleblowers (February 10, 2004)

Tribes in Montana should enact laws to prevent retaliation against whistleblowers, The Great Falls Tribune says in an editorial. The paper cites the case of Joe McKay, an attorney who publicized alleged misuse of federal funds by the Blackfeet Nation....

BIA seeking comments on lease regulations (February 10, 2004)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is taking comments on revisions to its regulations affecting residential leases and business leases on trust and restricted land. The proposed rule will take the place of "Subpart C, Residential Leases, and Subpart D, Business...

Ariz. priest takes stand in hit and run trial (February 10, 2004)

A Catholic priest accused of leaving the scene of a crime took the stand in his own defense on Monday. Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien of Phoenix, Arizona, contradicted earlier statements he made to police about the hit and run accident...

Yellow Bird: Big-city ballet in a Northern Plains town (February 10, 2004)

"Ballet, I believed at one time, was the art of big cities such as New York. We're more of a rodeo-wrangling, bird-watching, sports- and outdoor-loving, lefse- and fried-bread-eating people. We don't do much ballet around here, I could just hear...

Neb. lawmaker continues fight over Whiteclay liquor (February 10, 2004)

The Nebraska Legislature's General Affairs Committee held a hearing on Monday for a bill that would ban new liquor licenses in a town that caters mostly to Indian consumers. Sen. Don Preister is critical of beer establishments in Whiteclay, which...

GRAMMY performance registers many complaints (February 10, 2004)

OFFENSIVE? Andre 3000 of OutKast peforms hit song "Hey Ya" to Indian theme at 46th annual Grammy awards ceremony. February 8, 2004. Photo © AP. An Indian organization from California is calling for a boycott of the CBS network...

CBS offers apology for group's GRAMMY peformance (February 10, 2004)

A spokesperson for CBS said the network is "very sorry if anyone was offended" by Sunday night's performance by the hip-hop group OutKast. OutKast was the last performer on the 46th annual GRAMMY awards ceremony. Frontman Andre 3000 sang the...

Tribal foes in Conn. want to stop flow of money (February 10, 2004)

Opponents of Indian gaming and tribes seeking recognition met at a forum in Danbury, Connecticut, on Monday. Attorney general Richard Blumenthal and Jeff Benedict, president of the Connecticut Alliance Against Casino Expansion, organized the meeting. Both want Congress to pass...

Coushatta Tribe locks out chairman who resigned (February 10, 2004)

Lovelin Poncho may have been joking when he said he resigned as chairman of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. But tribal members are taking his departure seriously. The locks were changed on Poncho's office and his secretary was sent home,...

Oneida Nation obtains 123 natural gas leases (February 10, 2004)

Some residents of Madison County, New York, say they are surprised to learn they sold their natural gas rights to the Oneida Nation. One critic of the tribe said he wouldn't have signed the lease had he known the tribe...

Native doctoral student in middle of dinosaur mess (February 10, 2004)

Lawrence Bradley, a doctoral student in geography at the University of Nebraska, has found himself at the center of a dispute over the ownership of a 70-billion-year-old dinosaur fossil. Bradley, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota,...

Man says bar's dress code applies only to Natives (February 10, 2004)

A man in Saskatchewan is calling for a boycott of a bar that he says discriminates against Native people. Ryan McDonald said he and his friends were turned away from the bar because they were wearing sports jerseys. But he...

Man admits lying in bid to gain federal recognition (February 10, 2004)

The former leader of a group called the Western Mohegan Tribe and Nation of New York pleaded guilty on Friday to falsifying documents in connection with his bid to gain federal recognition. Ronald Roberts, 56, also known as Sachem Golden...

Tribal judge dismisses libel complaint against critic (February 10, 2004)

A judge for the Walker River Paiute Tribe of Nevada dismissed a defamation complaint filed against a tribal member. As part of a recall effort against two council members, Patty Hicks, 60, criticized a tribal employee in an e-mail. The...

New Lumbee official promises positive changes (February 10, 2004)

The new administrator for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina said he will address problems with the tribe's housing program and try to improve the relationship with the tribal council. Leon Jacobs once served as director for Native American Programs...

Alaska consolidating village law enforcement funding (February 10, 2004)

The state of Alaska is consolidating funding for the village public safety officers (VPSO) program. Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) last June cut money for 15 officers. An agreement with the Kodiak Area Native Association has resulted in restored funding for...

Dean changes mind about possible loss in Wis. (February 10, 2004)

Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said on Monday he was persuaded by supporters not to drop out of the race even if he loses the Wisconsin primary on February 17. The former governor of Vermont sent an e-mail last Thursday...

Landmark Boldt fishing rights decision turns 30 (February 10, 2004)

Thirty years ago this week, a federal judge in Washington handed down a decision affirming the treaty rights of Washington tribes. The ruling by U.S. District Judge George H. Boldt declared that the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 reserved half...

Entrepreneur leaves funds for Utah Indian programs (February 10, 2004)

An endowment set aside by the late Bill Daniels, a cable entrepreneur, will be used to increase educational opportunities for Indian students in Utah. This year alone, the Daniels Fund will provide $1 million for a day-care center for college...

Goshute members want NRC to review leader's actions (February 10, 2004)

Members of the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe of Utah want federal regulators to take another look at the actions of their chairman, who has been indicted on criminal charges of theft and fraud. Chairman Leon Bear has been pushing a...

Natives feel threatened at Alaska high school (February 10, 2004)

Native students at Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska say they feel threatened by other students. A student was recently suspended, for 10 days, after displaying a derogatory sign about Natives from a school bus. Native students report being harassed and...

First Indian bishop elected by N.D. Episcopal Church (February 10, 2004)

A Potawatomi tribal member is the first Indian bishop to head the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota. The Rev. Canon Michael Smith was elected by church members on Saturday. He has served on the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota,...

Nev. tribes work with EPA to create Indian liaison (February 10, 2004)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $95,267 to create an Indian liaison to work with tribes in Nevada. Tribal leaders pressed EPA to create the position, which will be housed in the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. Tansey Smith,...