Dartmouth Review: 'Natives' cover was a mistake (December 7, 2006)

"The recent Dartmouth Review cover depicting a warrior with a scalp was a mistake. It distracted attention from the serious journalism The Dartmouth Review has been publishing, not least in the articles that came after the cover. The result...

Appeals court to rehear land-into-trust dispute (December 7, 2006)

A federal appeals court this week agreed to reconsider a land-into-trust case that tribes nationwide have been closely watching. On Tuesday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals ordered five judges -- the same ones who ruled on a sovereignty case...

Shootout on Walker River Paiute Reservation (December 7, 2006)

The police chief, a police officer and two people were wounded on Wednesday in a shootout on the Walker River Paiute Reservation in Nevada. The shootout began when tribal officers, accompanied by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Drug Enforcement...

Soo Tribe in labor union fight with teachers (December 7, 2006)

National Public Radio ran a story about a labor union dispute affecting the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan. The tribe is trying to stop teachers at a charter school on the reservation from organizing with the...

New Eastern Shawnee chief vows return to Ohio (December 7, 2006)

The new chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma said she will continue pursue the tribe's land claim in Ohio. Glenna J. Wallace, 68, was sworn into office yesterday. She is believed to be the first woman to...

Canada's Supreme Court upholds logging rights (December 7, 2006)

The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday upheld the aboriginal and treaty rights of tribal members who were arrested for logging on government land. In a unanimous decision, the court said Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people have a right to harvest...

Tribes meet in Arizona to discuss global warming (December 7, 2006)

Tribes from Alaska to Arizona met on the Cocopah Reservation for a conference on global warming an its effect on indigenous communities. Attendees said they have noticed dramatic and subtle changes in the environment. The changes affect hunting, fishing, farming...

Massachusetts tribe offers to share BIA road money (December 7, 2006)

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is offering to share its Bureau of Indian Affairs road money with local communities. The tribe, located on the island of Martha's Vineyard, receives money through the Indian Reservation Roads program. "We're looking at...

Salt River tribe to vote on expanded liquor sales (December 7, 2006)

Members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of Arizona go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on an expanded liquor sale initiative. The tribe currently permits the sale of liquor at its golf courses and casinos. The initiative...

Rep. Renzi seeks funds for Navajo-Hopi efforts (December 7, 2006)

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Arizona) plans to introduce a bill to ensure Navajo and Hopi families who live on formerly disputed land can make improvements to their homes. Renzi said the $50 million currently being used by the Office of Navajo...

Court wants Tohono O'odham twins with siblings (December 7, 2006)

In an Indian Child Welfare Act case, the Arkansas Appeals Court ordered twin girls to be placed with their four siblings. The girls are eligible for membership in the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona. The tribe recommended that they be...

Review: 'Apocalypto' an action-packed experience (December 7, 2006)

"Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto tells of a time that is known to us only through ruins and artifacts, but its message could scarcely be more urgent. The first big-budget narrative film set during the waning days of the Mayan empire,...

Court dismisses suit over peyote dispute in Utah (December 7, 2006)

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by two people whose use of peyote sparked a legal dispute in Utah. James "Flaming Eagle" Mooney, a self-proclaimed medicine man, and Linda Mooney, his wife, claimed the state violated their rights by...

BIA hands off for now in Oglala Sioux Tribe dispute (December 7, 2006)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs says it won't decide who leads the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. BIA deputy regional director Bob Ecoffey said it will be up to the tribe to figure out who is in charge. Only...

Review: Mel Gibson's racist act in 'Apocalypto' (December 7, 2006)

"To grasp what a racist act Gibson has committed in the making of his new film, it is necessary to understand the world of the Maya as it exists today. Perhaps realizing what has been done to the Maya...

Investigation finds major problems with royalties (December 7, 2006)

Update: The report is posted at http://www.doioig.gov. An investigation by the Interior Department's Inspector General has found major problems with the collection of royalties by the Minerals Management Service. MMS uses inaccurate and incomplete data, relies too much on energy...

Labor union goes after Saginaw Chippewa Tribe (December 7, 2006)

The Teamsters Union is trying to organize employees of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan amid a legal battle over labor law on reservations. The union stepped in after the tribe announced it would be making layoffs. "What I'm hearing...

Court nominee Myers denies Abramoff contact (December 7, 2006)

Controversial appeals court nominee Bill Myers is being asked to give an "accurate account" any contact with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Myers previously told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he "never had any contact" with Abramoff. But documents show that...

Cobell wins Impact Award from AARP Magazine (December 7, 2006)

Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, made AARP Magazine's list of top 10 people who make a difference in the world. AARP cited Cobell's fight to hold the government accountable for billions of dollars...