Indian Country, Interior far apart on trust bill (August 1, 2005)

Indianz.Com Listening Lounge, Senate Indian Affairs Committee oversight hearing on legislation to resolve Cobell v. Norton, July 26, 2005. Note: All files in MP3 format. Intro - 16:03 - 2.75MB Panel I - 14:13 - 2.44MB | Q&A -...

Native-owned businesses generate billions (August 1, 2005)

Native businesses took in $26.4 billion in 2002, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. American Indians and Alaska Natives own more than 206,000 businesses across the country, the U.S. Census Bureau said on Thursday. This was...

Editorial: Settlement of trust fund case at hand (August 1, 2005)

"The federal government has botched royalty payments to Native Americans for more than a century. It has spent tens of millions of dollars in a futile attempt to unravel the accounts. And it's pouring money into fighting a 9-year-old class-action...

Editorial: State shouldn't fight tribal sovereignty (August 1, 2005)

"As long as tribal governments carry out the registrations with due diligence, there's no need for Minnesota to push the 'sovereignty' issue. If tribal members who've served time for predatory offenses such as murder and rape move to a reservation...

Taos Pueblo celebrates historic return of Blue Lake (August 1, 2005)

Taos Pueblo of New Mexico celebrated the historic return of the sacred Blue Lake on Saturday night. The tribe's dedication in seeing the return of the lake was recognized by Americans for Indian Opportunity. The group presented the tribe with...

Navajo Nation peyote bill signed into law (August 1, 2005)

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. signed into a law a bill clarifying the legal use of peyote, a sacrament of the Native American Church. The new law legalizes peyote for ceremonial uses only. It authorizes Navajo Nation police to...

Ironworking a tradition in Indian communities (August 1, 2005)

From the fallen towers at the World Trade Center to the tallest buildings in the U.S., Indian men have been walking the irons for decades. Mohawks from Canada and New York were hired to build the first skyscrapers in New...

Weeklong celebration set for Tribal Canoe Journey (August 1, 2005)

Dozens of tribes from Washington, Alaska and Canada will be celebrating all week as the 005 Tribal Canoe Journey kicks off on the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation in Washington. An estimated 70 canoes representing the tribes make their formal landing...

Supreme Court arguments in tribal tax case set (August 1, 2005)

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Kansas v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, on October 3, the first day of the court's October 2005-2006 term. The state of Kansas is arguing that it has the authority to impose...

IAIA to open site on Eastern Cherokee Reservation (August 1, 2005)

The Institute of American Indian Arts will open its first satellite site on the Eastern Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina. The Eastern Band of Cherokees is supporting the site. The tribe spent $80,000 in startup money and has pledged $150,000...

Shinnecock Nation wants lawsuit dismissed (August 1, 2005)

The Shinnecock Nation of New York is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the state of New York. In court papers, the tribe says it is recognized as a sovereign by the state. Therefore, it can't...

Oneidas divided over return to homelands in New York (August 1, 2005)

Indianz.Com Listening Lounge, House Resources Committee hearing on New York tribal land claims, July 14, 2005:Note: All files in MP3 format. Intro - 3:36 - 636k Mike Olsen - 5:44 - 0.98MB | Q&A - 24:15 - 4.16MBPanel II...

Lakota soldier assigned to Army's 7th Regiment (August 1, 2005)

Lisa Whiteface, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said she chuckled after being assigned to the 7th Regiment of the U.S. Army. The unit is associated with the 7th Cavalry, which was defeated by Lakota and other Indian warriors...

Linguist, tribe working to preserve Kaw language (August 1, 2005)

A retired linguistics professor and the Kaw Nation of Oklahoma are working to preserve the Kaw, or Kanza, language. The last three fluent speakers of the language died in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before they passed away, former...

Editorial: Decision needed on fate of Chief Illiniwek (August 1, 2005)

"The longer the decision on the future of the Chief Illiniwek remains in limbo, the more this issue will generate ill will among those on both sides, and toward the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The decision should...

Stillaguamish Tribe reburies ancestors in ceremony (August 1, 2005)

The Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington led a ceremony on Friday to rebury 15 ancestors that were uncovered at a state work site. The tribe was joined by other Pacific Northwest tribes in marking the return of the remains to the...

Same-sex marriage before Cherokee Nation court (August 1, 2005)

The Cherokee Nation's top court is holding a hearing tomorrow to determine the legality of the first, and only, same-sex marriage within the tribe. Kathy Reynolds, 28, and Dawn McKinley, 33, obtained a marriage license last year when Dawn...

Oglala Nation Gathering set for Aug. 4-7 at Pine Ridge (August 1, 2005)

The 20th annual Oglala Nation Gathering will be held August 4-7 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The Oglala Sioux Tribe is hosting the event, which includes a powoww at the Pine Ridge Powwow Grounds, a parade to...

Bill limits treatment as state for Oklahoma tribes (August 1, 2005)

Oklahoma tribes will have to get the approval of the state if they want to administer their own environmental regulation programs under a rider tucked into the $286.5 billion highway transportation bill that passed the House and Senate on Friday....

Rider restricts land acquisition for Oklahoma tribe (August 1, 2005)

The $286.5 billion highway transportation bill that passed the House and Senate on Friday includes a rider that makes it harder for the Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma to acquire trust land. In 2000, Congress passed an omnibus bill that granted...

Goshute member ordered to repay funds in theft case (August 1, 2005)

A member of the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians was ordered to pay $17,300 to a Utah bank as part of his punishment in a tribal theft case. Sammy Blackbear took the money from Zions Bank after claiming victory...

Mark Trahant: Congress focuses on real issues (August 1, 2005)

"Symbols are important in Congress. Appropriating money for defense wasn't symbolic enough (not like there's a war to worry about), so the leadership of the Senate put that on hold so members could talk about something really important, the protection...

Old reservation bombing range being cleaned up (August 1, 2005)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cleaning up an old bombing range on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. The military used a 534-square-mile site on the reservation as a bombing range from 1942 to about 1963....

Confirmation hearings on Roberts to start Sept. 6 (August 1, 2005)

The Senate will begin holding confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. on September 6. The hearings will last six days, according to The New York Times. The Senate Judiciary Committee will then vote on...