Indian ranchers worried about hike in grazing fees (July 6, 2004)

Indian ranchers on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana fear an increase in grazing fees will drive them out of business. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee increased the fees by 51 percent. The decision...

Jodi Rave Lee: Warrior spirit gives Natives hope (July 6, 2004)

"June marked the completion of a yearlong journalism fellowship at Harvard University, leaving me some time to visit relatives on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. July marks my re-entry with Lee Enterprises. Instead of reporting from the Lincoln...

Indian Democrats plan big showing at convention (July 6, 2004)

Indian Democrats are expecting the largest turnout ever at the national party's convention later this month. Gwen Carr, head of the Indian Democratic Caucus, told The Native American Times the goal is to get Indian issues heard at the convention....

University breaks ground on longhouse for students (July 6, 2004)

The University of Oregon has broken ground on the Many Nations Longhouse, the campus home for Native students. The $1.2 million project has been 10 years in the making, The Oregon Daily Emerald reported. Almost all of the funds were...

Lakota teen passed over for Pocahontas role (July 6, 2004)

A teenage member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of South Dakota was passed over for the role of Pocahontas in a new film. Kyla Bearheels, 17, auditioned for the role in "The New World." Directors chose Q'Orianka Kilcher, 14,...

Choctaw Nation helping man in child custody battle (July 6, 2004)

A 23-year-old member of the Choctaw Nation is trying to gain custody of his newborn twins, a situation tribal lawyers and child welfare advocates say is all too common in Oklahoma. The tribe is using the Indian Child Welfare Act...

Rates of two STDS highest among Natives in Alaska (July 6, 2004)

Alaska Natives and American Indians in Alaska have the highest rates of two sexually-transmitted diseases. Natives were for 46 percent of chlamydia cases and 52 percent of the gonorrhea cases in the state. Natives make up 18 percent of the...

Controversial totem pole finds home at Seattle museum (July 6, 2004)

A Salish totem pole that was rejected by the Port of Olympia has finally found a home at a Seattle museum. Douglas Tobin, a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe, and others carved the pole. But Tobin's criminal record --...

Lumbee recognition bill stalled in House and Senate (July 6, 2004)

Time is running out on a bill to recognize the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the tribe's lawyer said. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing and approved the bill. But it has not been set for a floor...

Oklahoma tribe patches holes in state's road budget (July 6, 2004)

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has seen its budget drop 6.8 percent over the last decade but the Sac and Fox Nation has come to the rescue. The tribe has contributed $31.5 million in Indian Reservation Road (IRR) funds to...

Climbing group backs voluntary ban at sacred rock (July 6, 2004)

A climbers group is supporting for a voluntary ban on climbing at Cave Rock in Nevada while its lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service is resolved in the courts. The Access Fund sued because the Forest Service approved a mandatory...

Women tribal leaders making history in Arizona (July 6, 2004)

Women are in charge of nine of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes. Two of the largest tribes made history recently by electing their first female leaders. Herminia Frias was elected chair of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe last month. Vivian Juan-Saunders...

Mark Trahant: Raising the next peace generation (July 6, 2004)

"I have a poster on my office wall. Ten boys posed in two lines, brandishing make-believe weapons. They all appear young, a range of about age 6 to 12. The toys aren't sophisticated: Most are play rifles made out of...

California tribe seeks protection of sacred site (July 6, 2004)

The Nor-Rel-Muk Tribe of California is trying to protect one of its most sacred sites from further damage. Kok-Chee-Chup-Chee is a natural rock formation where tribal ancestors went for spiritual guidance. But it became a mass burial ground in 1852,...

Anishinabe Academy turns over a new leaf (July 6, 2004)

Students at the new Indian school Minneapolis say they appreciate the school's focus on accountability as well as academics. The Anishinabe Academy has more rules than the old Four Winds American Indian Magnet School, which closed last year amid dropping...

Passamaquoddy Tribe signs deal for gas terminal (July 6, 2004)

The Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine has signed an agreement to host a $300 million natural gas terminal that seven other communities in the state rejected. The deal is expected to generate jobs and revenue for the tribe and tribal members....

Kerry announces Edwards as pick for vice president (July 6, 2004)

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Massachusetts) has chosen Sen. John Edwards (North Carolina) as his running mate. Kerry made the announcement at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh. The two will make an appearance later today. Edwards has received generally...

Yellow Bird: Are mourning doves on the Atkins diet? (July 6, 2004)

"During my travels and places I have lived, I always have tried to at least taste what I am offered at a meal. This is because I told my children when they were little that they at least should try...