9th Circuit tosses Bush's Klamath River plan (October 19, 2005)

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous decision on Tuesday invalidating the Bush administration's Klamath River plan. A three-judge panel held that the plan fails to protect the coho salmon. The court ordered the administration to come...

Miers tells Senate of experience with tribal issues (October 19, 2005)

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet E. Miers told a Senate committee on Tuesday that she gained knowledge of Indian law through her work in Texas, whose officials have repeatedly challenged tribal sovereignty. In a 57-page questionnaire delivered to the Senate...

Northern Cheyenne Tribe has stake in coal plans (October 19, 2005)

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana has a stake in plans to mine coal near the reservation, a tribal official said at Gov. Brian Schweitzer's energy summit. William Walks About, a former council member and current executive administrator, said the...

Editorial: Tribes gave to 'illegal' GOP operation (October 19, 2005)

"Why would the Choctaw tribe of Mississippi contribute money to help John Sununu get elected to the U.S. Senate from New Hampshire in 2002? Probably for the same reason that the Agua Caliente tribe of California did. Because Washington superlobbyist...

Lawsuit challenges Crow Tribe's jurisdiction (October 19, 2005)

A non-profit group that is trying to preserve the Little Bighorn battle site is challenging the jurisdiction of the Crow Tribe of Montana. The Custer Battlefield Preservation Committee is buying up land around the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument....

Chinook Nation challenges Cowlitz claim to site (October 19, 2005)

The Chinook Nation of Washington is disputing another tribe's claim to a burial site known as Mount Coffin. The Chinooks say the site lies within their territory. But the Cowlitz Tribe says its ancestors are buried there and held a...

Chitimacha Tribe deals with hurricane aftermath (October 19, 2005)

The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana has welcomed tribal members affected by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita back to the reservation. Before the hurricanes, only 300 people lived on the reservation. Now, at least 75 have come back home because they...

BIA called a hindrance to tribal development (October 19, 2005)

Bureau of Indian Affairs rules and regulations hinder economic development on Indian lands, speakers at an Urban Land Institute symposium said. Ernest Noia, a developer and attorney in Palm Springs, said the BIA's rent policies put tribal lands out of...

Firm donates mobile homes to Oglala Sioux Tribe (October 19, 2005)

A Colorado home building firm has donated more than 20 old mobile homes to the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. The homes would normally be sent to a landfill. But Noel West Lane, the founder of Lane III Group...

Editorial: No easy answers in Indian mascot debate (October 19, 2005)

"Not everyone, though, thinks American Indian mascots in any form are OK. The issue has been a controversial one for many years. It came to the fore again this summer when the NCAA decided "hostile and abusive" nicknames and mascots...

Pala Band to receive Anti-Defamation award (October 19, 2005)

The Pala Band of Mission Indians in California will be the first tribe in the nation to receive the Anti-Defamation League's American Heritage Award. The tribe is being recognized for its work with other tribes, local governments and civic groups....

Witness dispute in tribal member's murder trial (October 19, 2005)

A member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe who is on trial for abusing and murdering his 22-month- old daughter is questioning the key witness against him -- the mother of the child. Andrew Yellowbear says the mother Macalia Blackburn is...

Pombo introduces pro-Makah whaling resolution (October 19, 2005)

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the chairman of the House Resources Committee, has introduced a resolution in support of the Makah Nation's whale hunt. The measure, H.CON.RES.267, cites the tribe's 1855 treaty with the United States. It is the only treaty...

Ohio fights Eastern Shawnee Tribe's land claim (October 19, 2005)

The state of Ohio is seeking to end a land claim filed by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. The tribe is claiming 146 square miles of western Ohio. The tribe also claims hunting, fishing and gathering in parts of...

Pequot chairman in custody fight over daughter (October 19, 2005)

The chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut is in a custody battle over his 2-year-old daughter. Michael J. Thomas, 37, wants his daughter, Rain, back on the reservation. But his ex-girlfriend, 31-year-old Vanessa Hyman, who previously lived...

National Park Service proposes management policies (October 19, 2005)

The National Park Service issued a new draft of its management policies on Tuesday. The update defines "unacceptable impacts" to park resources and defines "appropriate uses" in the park system. It encourages parks to work with businesses, foundations and state...

INDN's List draws top Democrats to camp (October 19, 2005)

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and comedian / radio host Al Franken were among the top draws at the Indigenous Democratic Network List's first ever "boot camp" for Indian candidates. The camp was hosted by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux...

Column: Ralph Reed in same league as Abramoff (October 19, 2005)

"Poor Ralph Reed. For a man of such obvious accomplishment — of such vision, political savvy and mastery of detail — he has remarkably little knowledge of what goes on in his own consulting company, Century Strategies. Reed contends...

Psychologists label Indian mascots harmful (October 19, 2005)

The American Psychological Association on Tuesday called for the elimination of Indian mascots, saying they are harmful to Indian youth. "The use of American Indian mascots as symbols in school and university athletic programs is particularly troubling,” APA President Ronald...