House restores funds to critical Indian programs (May 22, 2006)

Republicans and Democrats in the House rebelled against the Bush administration's budget proposal last week and restored funds to critical Indian programs. By a 293-128 vote, the House passed Interior's fiscal year 2007 budget bill on Thursday. The measure funds...

Jodi Rave: Trendsetters at UM Indian journalism (May 22, 2006)

"If an editor asked Adam Sings In The Timber to take photographs of a powwow, the Crow called “Boone” would likely not deliver pictures of anyone dancing. “I refuse to shoot dancers,” he said. That's because he knows there's more...

Column: Lack of grace on winning side of claims (May 22, 2006)

"The Iroquois land claims were essentially knocked out of court last week. It was a pivotal moment in Upstate history. It cried out for thoughtful, gracious words from the winners. Instead, the most memorable quote came from William Dorr, lawyer...

Marc Simmons: The history of Acoma Pueblo village (May 22, 2006)

"One of the most spectacular landmarks in the Southwest is the Indian pueblo of Acoma. Situated on a high mesa in west central New Mexico, it is nicknamed "Sky City." The Indians were already living there when Coronado passed...

First Lady to visit Mesa Verde National Park (May 22, 2006)

First Lady Laura Bush is making a surprise visit to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado on Tuesday. Bush will speak in honor of Mesa Verde's centennial year. The park, home to Pueblo ancestors, turns 100 on June 29. About...

Mark Trahant: Border fence a bad idea for U.S. (May 22, 2006)

"On a nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico, the Senate voted to build some 370 miles of triple-layered, high-tech fencing. The message is clear: If we spend enough money on the fence -- and it could be a couple of billion...

Lakota high school students start drum group (May 22, 2006)

Lakota students at Stevens High School in Rapid City, South Dakota, have formed a drum group. The leader of the Star Nation Drum Group is senior Landon Lupi, 17. School administrators were so impressed with his efforts that they bought...

Fake Indian art often made in foreign countries (May 22, 2006)

Indian artists say their economic and cultural livelihood is being undermined by fake goods being made in other countries. The Indian arts and crafts market was worth an estimated $1.2 billion in 2000. But a recent Interior Department Inspector General...

Senate Finance Committee hearing on economies (May 22, 2006)

The Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing tomorrow on economic self-determination in Indian Country. The hearing is being called by the Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction, whose chairman is Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), a member of the...

Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing (May 22, 2006)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding a hearing this Thursday on Indian education. The hearing will be the committee's second on education during the 109th Congress. The first was held June 16, 2005, when the Bush administration came under...

Pipe bomb found by Comanche Nation complex (May 22, 2006)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs detonated a pipe bomb that was reportedly found near the Comanche Nation complex in Lawton, Oklahoma. The origins of the pipe bomb are unknown, The Oklahoma reported. But it was found after the tribe's recent...

Red Lake Nation wants state to fire conservation officer (May 22, 2006)

The Red Lake Nation wants the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to fire a conservation officer who said he was going to trespass on the reservation in order to start a court fight. Greg Spaulding wrote a letter to chairman...

KILI-FM, Pine Ridge radio station, still off the air (May 22, 2006)

KILI-FM, the award winning radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, has been off the air for more than a month. The station's tower and transmission line were struck by lightning during a major storm on...

Ex-Bush official, an Abramoff associate, set for trial (May 22, 2006)

A federal judge today will start the trial of David Safavian, a former Bush administration official charged with lying about his dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Safavian and Abramoff worked together as lobbyists and represented the same tribal...

Rep. Jefferson target of major corruption probe (May 22, 2006)

Federal prosecutors are laying the groundwork for a major corruption case against Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-Louisiana), one of many lawmakers to face scrutiny for their dealings in Washington. The FBI raided Jefferson's U.S. Capitol office on Saturday. Previously,...

Muscogee Nation negotiating tobacco compact (May 22, 2006)

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is negotiating a tobacco compact with the state of Oklahoma, The Tulsa World reports. The tribe doesn't have a compact with the state. Stores run by the tribe and licensed by the tribe sell cigarettes with...

FEMA rejects Sen. Johnson's request to help tribes (May 22, 2006)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rejected a request by Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) to send unused homes to Indian Country. In a March 24 letter, Johnson noted that upwards of 20,000 trailer homes set aside for hurricane relief...

Native protesters postpone removal of blockade (May 22, 2006)

Native protesters from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario have postponed plans to remove a road blockade in Caledonia, Ontario. The protesters were going to remove the blockade today. But a spokesperson for the group said some local non-Natives have...