Si Tanka University assures students of financial aid (March 9, 2005)

Students at Si Tanka University are not in danger of losing federal financial aid, officials in South Dakota said. About 20 students complained that their checks bounced. But the school and the Education Assistance Corp., which oversees federal loans in...

NAGPRA change up for Senate consideration again (March 9, 2005)

A controversial two-word change to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that would make it easier for tribes to reclaim ancient remains will be considered by a Senate committee today. On Monday, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) resurrected...

Buyout offer in the works for controversial Churchill (March 9, 2005)

A buyout offer is in the works for controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, The Denver Post reports. A CU committee reviewing Churchill's academic record has delayed its work yet again while attorneys draft a proposal, the paper said....

GOP to include ANWR drilling in budget measure (March 9, 2005)

Senate Republicans are unveiling a new tactic in their bid to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to development. Drilling will be authorized in a budget resolution being offered today. Since the resolution only requires approval by a majority of...

Senate Indian Affairs hearing on trust reform (March 9, 2005)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding a hearing on trust reform this morning. The witness list is as follows: Jim Cason, Interior Department, accompanied by Special Trustee Ross Swimmer Tex Hall, National Congress of American Indians President Jim Gray,...

Mayor says Washington tribe can't be trusted (March 9, 2005)

The mayor of Port Angeles, Washington, says the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe can't be trusted, citing the recent controversy over a tribal village that halted a state construction project. Mayor Richard Headrick said the tribe knew in advance that a...

UNC-Pembroke stands by its 'Braves' nickname (March 9, 2005)

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has formed a committee to justify the continued use of its "Braves' nickname and logo. The university was founded exclusively for Indians and about 20 percent of the student body is Native. The...

LaDuke leads effort against genetically modified rice (March 9, 2005)

Native environmental activist Winona LaDuke is leading an effort to ban the production or importation of genetically modified wild rice in Minnesota. LaDuke, a member of the White Earth Ojibwe Band, says rice should not be altered because it's a...

Tribal chair is named Assembly woman of the year (March 9, 2005)

Cheryl Seidner, the chairwoman of the Wiyot Tribe of California, has been named the 1st Assembly District’s 2005 Woman of the Year. Seidner is being recognized for her achievements affecting the Native and non-Native communities. She was instrumental in the...

Oneida Nation to testify at land claim hearing (March 9, 2005)

The Oneida Nation of New York will voice its opposition to Gov. George Pataki's land claim settlements at a public hearing on Friday. The tribe criticizes Pataki, a Republican, for making deals with out-of-state tribes, like the Oneidas of Wisconsin....

Means loses lawsuit against Oglala Sioux election (March 9, 2005)

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by activist / actor Russell Means that challenged the Oglala Sioux Tribe's recent election. Means was defeated by Cecilia Fire Thunder last November. But he claimed that Fire Thunder wasn't eligible for...

Pechanga Band avoids dedication of city park (March 9, 2005)

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians did not make a formal appearance at the dedication of a park for a Pechanga leader whose ancestry has been disputed by the tribe. The city of Temecula named the 2.6-acre park in honor...

Nevada installs statue of Indian woman at U.S. Capitol (March 9, 2005)

The state of Nevada is installing a statue of Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute woman who lived in the 1800s and advocated for peace and equal rights, at the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall today. The statue depicts Winnemucca with a book...

Cubin bill blocks recognition of monument as sacred site (March 9, 2005)

Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyoming) introduced a bill to block the National Park Service from recognizing Devils Tower National Monument as a sacred site. Cubin says the proposal to designate Devils Tower as the "Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark" is really...

Powwow cancellation blamed on lack of support (March 9, 2005)

Students and professors say lack of support and funding is to blame for the cancellation of the 16th annual University of Iowa Powwow. Quanah Walker, 25, a graduate student and co-chairman of the American Indian Student Association, said there aren't...

Wisconsin tribal leader seeks end to Indian mascots (March 9, 2005)

Raymond DePerry, the chairman of the Red Cliff Chippewa Tribe and the president of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, called on the Wisconsin Legislature to ban the use of Indians as mascots and logos in public schools. DePerry said the...

Two tribes oppose Nez Perce Tribe's water settlement (March 9, 2005)

Two Idaho tribes say they will file lawsuits if the state approves the Nez Perce Tribe's water settlement. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Lemhi-Shoshone Tribe say their rights will be adversely affected by the $193 million deal. Representatives of both...

Tribes blast approval of snowmaking in sacred peaks (March 9, 2005)

The Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe criticized the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday for approving a plan to make snow using wastewater in the sacred San Francisco Peaks. The tribe say the use of reclaimed wastewater desecrates the peaks....

Lumbee Tribe creates new office for veterans (March 9, 2005)

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has set up an office to help veterans obtain military services. The Lumbee Office of Veterans Affairs will help veterans apply for housing, health care and education aid, disability and pensions for widows. The...

Two more Republicans went on Abramoff overseas trips (March 9, 2005)

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) isn't the only Republican to have gone on overseas trips linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, The Los Angeles Times reports. Reps. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and Tom Feeney (R-Florida) went on separate junkets...