Indianz.Com News Archive: June 23, 2006 Archives

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June 23, 2006
Abramoff scandal leaves reforms to tribes, not Congress
Tribes worried about potential restrictions on their political activities found some major concessions in a Senate Indian Affairs Committee report released on Thursday. Since taking control of the committee in 2005, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) has been pushing for lobbying...

Southern Ute Tribe, motorcyle rally at odds over lease
The Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado and the organizers of a motorcycle rally are at odds over this year's event. The tribe and Rally in the Rockies signed a three-year contract to stage the event at the Sky Ute Event...

Keith Harper: Swimmer blind to trust reform failures
"In 1994, Congress was so frustrated by the U.S. Interior Department's inability to fix the long-troubled Indian rust programs that it created an Office of Special Trustee to untangle the mess. The idea was simple enough: Place an executive with...

Harjo: Ann Coulter's failed supermodel career
"No one since P.T. Barnum has been more skilled at drawing a crowd and selling snake oil than writer Ann Coulter. And woe be to any poor soul in the vicinity of a book vendor who gets between Coulter and...

Eastern Band, Keetoowah Band meet for first time
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians are meeting for the first time in a joint council. The meeting is taking place on the Eastern Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina. UKB leaders came from...

Man to fight extradition for murder of Aquash
A Native man from Canada is fighting attempts to extradite him to the United States to face a trial for the murder of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash. John Graham, a Native from the Yukon Territory, is...

Alleged Indian therapist faces action over claims
A Washington man who claims to be Indian faces two investigations for misrepresenting his academic and professional background. The University of Washington says it will take action against Terry Tafoya, whose biography states he is Taos Pueblo and Warm...

Markers at Little Bighorn to honor Lakota warriors
Correction/Clarification: The battle took place on June 25, 1876, not June 24 as previously posted. To commemorate the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn, the National Park Service is dedicating markers to eight Lakota warriors who died on...

Choctaws suffer from high rate of rare disease
Please visit the Choctaw Scleroderma Foundation at http://www.choctawscleroderma.org. Members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma are three times more likely to suffer from scleroderma, a rare disease that affects the skin and tissue, than the rest of the population. No...

Report urges investigation of Norton associate
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Thursday urged "appropriate authorities" to investigate Italia Federici, an associate of former Interior secretary Gale Norton who acted as a conduit between Jack Abramoff and top officials at the Interior Department. Federici is president...

Letters: Support for UND's 'Fighting Sioux' name
Some letters in response to Nick Coleman's column about the University of North Dakota "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo. Matt Noah: "Never mind the overwhelming popularity of the Fighting Sioux name and logo even among Native Americans. Never mind the...

Sandia Pueblo forced to hire Abramoff's partner
Jack Abramoff forced Sandia Pueblo in New Mexico to hire his partner, Michael Scanlon, as a condition of signing the tribe as a lobbying client. Tribal leaders agreed because they were impressed by Abramoff's expertise in Washington. At the time,...

Audit finds problems at safe house for Native teens
A Native teen safe house is plagued with numerous problems, according to a report released by Saskatchewan's provincial auditor on Thursday. The auditor investigated the Oyate Safe House in Regina. News stories questioned whether Native teens were being supervised...

Court asked to prevent First Nations rail blockade
Canada's largest railroad company is asking a court to prevent First Nations in Manitoba from blocking rail lines later this month. Several First Nations plan to stop rail traffic on their reserves for 24 hours on June 29. The Assembly...

Ralph Reed paid more than $5M by Abramoff tribes
Conservative Christian activist Ralph Reed received more than $5 million from Jack Abramoff's wealthy tribal clients even though he says he is opposed to gaming. Reed was paid to oppose gaming in Texas, Alabama and Louisiana. But the payments...

Hopis, Navajos divided over land dispute measure
Indianz.Com Listening Lounge House Resources Committee hearing on S.1003, the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Amendments of 2005, June 21, 2006. • Introduction - 7:55 - 1.8MB Panel I • Testimony - 5:26 - 1.2MB | Q&A - 30:21 - 7.0MB William...

State won't charge Northern Cheyenne men for hunt
The state of Montana won't pursue charges against two members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who participated in the state's bison hunt. Mark Roundstone had received a permit set aside for tribal members. Due to health problems, his brother, David...

Menominee man paid for hooking up Abramoff
A member of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin was paid nearly $300,000 by Jack Abramoff after introducing the disgraced lobbyist to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Michael Chapman set up the initial 2002 meeting that led Abramoff...

Rep. Ney initially denied knowing of Tigua Tribe
Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), one of several members of Congress linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal, initially denied knowing of the Tigua Tribe of Texas despite being heavily involved with efforts to reopen the tribe's casino. In a November 12,...

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