News Archive: March 23, 2007 Archives

ph: 202 630 8439 fax: 202 318 2182

March 23, 2007
Urban clinics and tribal colleges see good news in budget
Urban clinics across the nation and two tribal colleges celebrated on Thursday after learning they will receive full funding for the current year. The clinics and the colleges were in danger of losing money after the Republican-controlled 109th Congress adjourned...

Ceremony marks anniversary of Lori Piestewa's death
A ceremony was being held this morning to honor Lori Piestewa, the Hopi woman who died in action in Iraq. Piestewa died when her unit came under attack on March 23, 2003. Some of her fellow soldiers, including Jessica Lynch,...

Man pulls deal over Old Chief Joseph gravesite
An Oregon man has backed out of a deal to sell 60 acres near the grave of Old Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe. Steve Krieger says he is angry over the way he has been treated. He is...

Court allows state offender registry on reservations
Minnesota's sex offender registry can be enforced in Indian Country, the state Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. By a vote of 5-2, the court said tribal members who live on reservations must register with the state. The move overturned a...

J. Steven Griles pleads guilty for lying about Abramoff
J. Steven Griles, the former deputy secretary at the Interior Department, plead guilty this morning to lying about his relationship with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Griles admitted to lying to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee at a November 2, 2005,...

Judge allows testimony over Schaghticoke recognition
A federal judge has allowed the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation of Connecticut to take testimony from top Interior Department officials. Interior Solicitor David Bernhardt and Lee Fleming, the director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgement at the Bureau of Indian Affairs,...

Billy Frank: Tree falls but treaties stand tall
"For thousands of years, tribal members had come to gather food, grasses and medicine near this place called Medicine Creek, known today as McAllister Creek. They dug clams and harvested salmon, waterfowl and other natural treasures while the Treaty...

Opinion: Tribes and national sex offender registry
"In the wake of a new federal law aimed at tracking sex offenders, tribal leaders and victim advocates are discussing the best course of action. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (PL 109-248), passed by the...

Opinion: Base your vote on character, not color
"We come from different backgrounds and have different views, but we have similar goals. As Indian people, we come together to understand each other to address and solve the terrible conditions on some of our reservations. We seek consensus on...

Questionable tribe claims custody of Arizona girl
"Steve Bison of Alabama's Cherokee River Indian Community says the war over 4-year-old Raven Laws may be traced back to the legendary Battle of Horseshoe Bend. "It's a long story," he says. Fought during the War of 1812, it pitted...

Opinion: Ouster of Freedmen is Cherokee business
"My name is Gayle Ross and I am an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. I want to respond to the remarks made by Marilyn Vann, but first I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak and to...

Fred Lane, longtime Lummi Nation leader, passes
Fred Lane Sr., a longtime leader of the Lummi Nation of Washington, died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. He was 71. Lane, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, served several terms on the council, including a stint...

Native artist creates poster for Oklahoma Centennial
Ben Harjo, an award-winning Seminole/Shawnee artist, has created a poster for the Oklahoma Centennial Commission. "A Returning of Nations" is dedicated to the tribes who call Oklahoma home. All of the tribe's names are listed on the poster, which features...

State officials to 'host' Cherokee fundraiser
Top officials in Oklahoma, including Gov. Brad Henry (D), are hosting a fundraiser for Cherokee Nation Chief Chad Smith. Henry doesn't plan to attend the event next Tuesday but he is among several Democrats in the state to sign on...

David Cuch, first Ute at Utah law school, dies at 28
David Cuch, a member of the Ute Tribe of Utah, died unexpectedly this week. He was 28. Cuch was one of two Indian students at the University of Utah law school. He was believed to be the first Ute...

Dump on Torres Martinez Reservation fined $46M
The Environmental Protection Agency has slapped the operators of an illegal dump on the Torres Martinez Reservation in California with a $46 million fine. Kim Lawson, Lawson Enterprises and Torlaw Realty Inc. were ordered by a federal judge to pay...

Mayor blames budget shortfalls on Yakama Nation
The mayor of Toppenish, Washington, apologized for blaming the city's budget shortfalls on the tax-free status of the Yakama Nation. Bill Rogers was complaining to KIMA-TV about the station's coverage of crime in the city. "The Indians don't pay taxes,...

Local Links:

Federal Register | Indian Gaming | Jobs & Notices | In The Hoop | Message Board