News Archive: February 5, 2007 Archives

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February 5, 2007
Harvard forum on federal-tribal relationship online
The Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government is hosting a forum this evening called "The Future of the Federal/Tribal Relationship." Scheduled to speak are Ron Allen (President, Jamestown S'Klallam), Mark Chino (President, Mescalero Apache),...

Interior Secretary Kempthorne to unveil new budget
Update:The Bureau of Indian Affairs proposed budget is $2.2 billion, about the same as current levels. The Office of Special Trustee budget is $196 million, an increase of $15 million from current levels. The budget includes an Safe Indian Communities...

New York still debating tobacco tax on reservations
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) said he plans to start collecting state taxes on the sale of tobacco to non-Indians. The state passed a law requiring tribal retailers to remit state taxes. But former governor George Pataki (R), citing...

Small California tribe on path to brighter future
Facing near extinction, the La Posta Band of Kumeyaay Indians is hoping to make a comeback amid its more prosperous and successful tribal relatives in southern California. The La Posta Band was nearly wiped off the books in the...

Candidate for Cherokee Nation chief campaigns
Kansas University law professor Stacy Leeds plans to travel the country as part of her campaign to lead the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Leeds, the first woman to serve on the Cherokee Nation's highest court, is basing her campaign...

Freedmen ask federal court to halt Cherokee election
The Cherokee Nation descendants of former African slaves are asking a federal court to halt the tribe's effort to revoke their citizenship. The Cherokee Freedmen are entitled to citizenship because their ancestors appeared on the Dawes Roll. But the tribe...

New Mexico tribes lobby lawmakers on Indian Day
Leaders of New Mexico's 22 tribes celebrated the 20th annual American Indian Day at the Legislature on Friday. The theme of the event was "Water: Sustaining Life, Traditions and Culture." State lawmakers are considering a budget to fund water...

Giago discusses 'dark legacy' of boarding schools
Improvements at Indian boarding schools won't erase their "dark legacy," author and publisher Tim Giago says. Giago attended the Red Cloud Indian School in South Dakota. He experienced abuse first-hand, as did his family. His sister, Shirley, was assaulted by...

Indian Affairs Committee sets hearing on diabetes
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold an oversight hearing this Thursday on diabetes in Indian Country. Among other issues, the hearing will take a look at the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. Congress created the program to provide $150...

Editorial: Burning on Coeur d'Alene Reservation
"Supporters of bluegrass-field burning in Idaho called it exploration of a legal loophole. Opponents of the summer ritual had a different take on last week's federal appeals court ruling. The two distinctly different interpretations of the 9th Circuit Court of...

Hoop Dance contest draws thousands to Heard
More than 10,000 people attended the 17th-annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest at the Heard Museum in Phoenix this weekend. Competitors from tribes in the United States and Canada took part in the event. Dallas M. Arcand won first...

Sen. Tester busy meeting with tribes, Cobell
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) defeated former Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) with the help of Indian voters. Now he's making sure he represents tribal interests in Washington, D.C. By checking online, constituents can find out how. His daily schedule -- posted...

Opinion: Tide may be turning for West Coast salmon
"As the little hand on the extinction clock for salmon on the West Coast ticks toward zero hour -- 2017, according to fisheries biologists -- battle-weary parties in the almost 20-year-old dispute over how to rescue the fish now agree...

Time: Adam Beach on Native roles in Hollywood
Time magazine interviews Native actor Adam Beach, whose portrayal of Pima soldier Ira Hayes in the Clint Eastwood film, "Flags of Our Fathers," earned him accolades. As the only Native male actor in prominent Hollywood roles, Beach said the...

Mark Trahant: Americans unsettled over economy
"America's economic report card appears almost perfect. 'As we begin this new year, America's businesses and entrepreneurs are creating new jobs every day. Workers are making more money -- their paychecks are going further. Consumers are confident, investors are optimistic,"...

Jodi Rave: Sharing the dance and harvest in Alaska
"The Emmonak villagers call themselves Kuigpagmuit or 'people from the Yukon River.' This winter, the people are meeting at the community hall four nights each week in preparation for an annual potlach celebration, which takes place in February. The potlach...

Yellow Bird: Braving the cold North Dakota winter
"I told my sister an excursion across the state Thursday could be risky because of the winter weather. She ignored me and continued to load up the old green Toyota with thick blankets, heavy overalls, boots, a 'mad bomber'...

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