Lobbying Report: Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (June 27, 2005)

Thanks to Indian gaming, tribes have emerged as major players in Washington, D.C. In the past two election cycles alone, tribes poured $13.8 million into Republican and Democrat interests, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But this figure doesn't...

Studies lacking on mental health among Natives (June 27, 2005)

Native Americans suffer from the highest rates of suicide but finding out why is a difficult task due to lack of studies on the mental health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Likewise, Native Americans are all but excluded from...

Tribal labor law rider killed by wide margin in House (June 27, 2005)

A last-minute attempt to shield tribes from the effects of a controversial labor law decision was rejected by a wide margin on Friday. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona), the Republican co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, sponsored an appropriations rider...

House Debate on Tribal Labor Law Amendment (June 27, 2005)

The following is the official Congressional record on the debate of the tribal labor law amendment. It was defeated by a 256 to 146 vote on Friday, June 24, 2005 [Roll Call]. Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2...

Native astronaut stresses need for education (June 27, 2005)

John Herrington, the first Native American to go into space, was the keynote speaker for the Oglala Lakota College's graduation on Sunday. Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, said graduating is a major achievement. But he told students...

Pombo supports settlement of Cobell trust fund case (June 27, 2005)

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the chairman of the House Resources Committee, supports a settlement of the Cobell v. Norton trust fund case, a spokesperson said. Pombo has held hearings to address potential resolution of the case. In 2004, his committee...

Gay Native Americans take top spots in pride parades (June 27, 2005)

Two gay Native Americans served as grand marshals for some of the largest gay pride parades in the country. Richard LaFortune, a Yupik from Alaska, served as grand marshal of the Twin Cities GLBT Pride Parade in Minneapolis. Randy Burns,...

Schaghticoke tribe wants to submit new evidence (June 27, 2005)

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation of Connecticut is asking a federal judge to delay a final decision on its federal recognition in order to allow the submission of additional evidence. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is refusing to accept new evidence...

Harvard denies posthumous diploma to Native (June 27, 2005)

Harvard University is refusing to grant a posthumous diploma to one of its very first Native students. Joel Iacoomes, a Wampanoag, studied at Harvard's Indian College, which was founded in 1655 to educate Native students. He would have graduated with...

Cherokee Nation offers deal to Delaware Tribe (June 27, 2005)

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma says it will recognize the sovereignty of the Delaware Tribe if the Delaware Tribe drops its U.S. Supreme Court appeal. The Delawares were kicked off the list of federally recognized tribes by the 10th Circuit...

Goshute chairman to be sentenced for tax fraud (June 27, 2005)

The chairman of the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe of Utah will be sentenced today for pleading guilty to a single count of tax fraud. Leon Bear, 49, faces up to the three years in jail and a $100,000 fine....

Shinnecock claim influenced by Oneida Nation decision (June 27, 2005)

Although in the works for decades, the Shinnecock Nation of New York filed its land claim earlier this month in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in the Oneida Nation case. The court said the Oneidas couldn't "unilaterally"...

Opinion: Congress should put a halt to land claims (June 27, 2005)

"For centuries, our legal system recognized, through statutes of limitation and related concepts, that it is unfair and economically destructive to hold the door open for the revival of long-dormant grievances. But in a profoundly misguided 5-to-4 decision in a...

Tullis still has work to do for Poarch Creek Band (June 27, 2005)

Eddie Tullis, the longtime leader of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, says he still has a lot of work to do even though he is no longer chairman of the Alabama tribe. Tullis was re-elected to council by...

Utah 'medicine man' and wife called drug dealers (June 27, 2005)

A self-proclaimed "medicine man" and his wife pleaded guilty on Friday to a host of drug charges after being arrested for possession and distribution of peyote. James "Flaming Eagle" Mooney, 61, and his wife Linda, 51, claim to belong...

Choctaws hire three ex-Abramoff lobbyists (June 27, 2005)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has rehired not one but three former associates of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whom the tribe has accused of fraud. The tribe hired Kevin A. Ring [Bio], Neil G. Volz [Bio] and Edward...

Opinion: Ralph Reed helps launder tribal money (June 27, 2005)

"Ralph Reed has said repeatedly that he had no direct knowledge of who financed his consulting work against gambling in Alabama, Texas and elsewhere, and that he would never knowingly take money from gambling interests. But the truth is...

Bit player takes center stage in Abramoff scandal (June 27, 2005)

After the Senate Indian Affairs Committee concluded its June 22 hearing into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, the media rushed to talk to the one person who knew the least about it: David Grosh. Grosh was the former director...

Column: E-mail trail shows how to scam tribes (June 27, 2005)

"Even by the most cynical Washington standards, the tale of the Indian tribes and the fat-cat lobbyists is a doozie. Imagine: Interested in protecting their lucrative casino gambling interests, the tribes hire top-drawer Washington influence peddlers. Nothing unusual there. In...

Investigation links Reed, Norquist to Abramoff (June 27, 2005)

Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist are the latest Republicans to be drawn into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, as reveled by documents released by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The friendships between Reed, Norquist and Abramoff go back to the...

Political Play of the Week: Senate lifeguard (June 27, 2005)

"Diogenes the Cynic is said to have wandered the streets of Athens, searching in vain for an honest man. Well, we found one -- 2,400 years later. In Washington, of all places. That's rare enough to qualify for the...

New Coushatta leaders already making changes (June 27, 2005)

Days after taking office, the new leadership of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana fired a tribal court judge and five attorneys and is moving to regain control of its law enforcement department. The tribal council fired Judge T.J. Davis for...

Yellow Bird: Driving while talking a new hazard (June 27, 2005)

"The most obvious cell phone offense is "driving while talking" or "inattention blindness." You take your eyes off the road to dial or to look up a number and find yourself in the ditch or rear-ending the car ahead. Also,...