News Archive: April 9, 2007 Archives

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April 9, 2007
Indian diabetes program up for reauthorization
With Indian health care back on the agenda in Congress, tribal leaders are setting their sights on the reauthorization of an important diabetes initiative. The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) was created in 1997 to combat an epidemic of...

Alaska Native man writes of capture by Japanese
Nick Golodoff, an Aleut from Alaska, is writing a book about a little-known part of U.S. history. Golodoff ,72, grew up on Attu Island, the westernmost point of the United States. When he was 6, Japanese soldiers invaded his...

Coyote Valley Band on new track with new chairman
At age 28, John Feliz Jr. is one of the youngest tribal leaders in California. Feliz was elected chairman of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians in 2004. He took control after ousting his cousin, Priscilla Hunter, the...

Editorial: Pine Ridge drug dealer in denial
"It’s been said that prisons are full of innocent people — if you ask the inmates. That appears to be the case in the sad but incredible story of Geraldine Blue Bird. She is a woman who was once...

Groups claim to represent Cherokees in Georgia
Four groups are vying to be called the "official" Cherokee tribe of Georgia. They all have similar names. There's the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee Indians Inc., the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, Echota Fire Inc., the Georgia Tribe...

Menominee Nation College brings hope to tribe
The College of Menominee Nation is restoring hope to members of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin. Founded in 1993 by Verna Fowler, a tribal member, the college sees about 500 students a year and has a budget of $10...

Indians in Southwest see high rates of diabetes
More than a quarter of Native Americans in the Southwest suffer from diabetes, according to the National Indian Health Board. The board says Native Americans are 2.6 times more likely to suffer from the disease than any other racial...

Editorial: Hanford cleanup good for Yakama Nation
"The Yakama Nation has reason to be pleased. Certainly, the announcement last week that the federal government will begin assessing possible damage to natural resources caused by plutonium production at the Hanford nuclear reservation couldn't have come at a better...

Stephen Mistaken Chief, WWII veteran, dies at 84
Stephen Mistaken Chief, a veteran of World War II who fought for equal benefits for Native soldiers, died last Wednesday. He was 84. Mistaken Chief was a member of the Blood Tribe of Alberta. He enlisted in the Canadian...

Inouye told lobbyist to cut ties with Abramoff
A top Washington lobbyist cut his ties to Jack Abramoff at the request of Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), The Washington Post reports. Jack Cassidy hired Abramoff as a consultant in March 2004, soon after the scandal broke. "There was no...

Griles' seat on federal commission goes unfilled
The Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission won't appoint someone to replace former deputy Interior secretary J. Steven Griles, who pleaded guilty for his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Griles, a resident of Virginia, was helping plan events for the 400th...

Quinault teen faces involuntary manslaughter charge
A 19-year-old member of the Quinault Nation of Washington faces involuntary manslaughter for a fatal accident that killedtwo teenagers. Sela Anne Kalama allegedly drove a car into the Elwha River on the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation. Two teens -- Vanna...

Upcoming Senate and House committee hearings
There are two hearings of interest in the coming weeks. This Thursday, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding a business meeting to consider pending legislation. It will be followed by an oversight hearing on tribal colleges and universities. Next...

Tim Giago: Kill the Indian and save the child
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, speaking about the religious convictions of President George W. Bush said, “I worked for two presidents who were men of faith and they did not make their religious views part of American policy.” She...

Review: Native teen time travels in Alexie's 'Flight'
"Sherman Alexie never allows readers to wade timidly into the turbulent waters of his novels or stories. Instead, he simply hurls folks into the deep and seems to say, swim if you can — or dare. However, in the...

Mark Trahant: America's cycles of boom and bust
"What if housing prices decline by 20 percent? That would solve Seattle's affordability problem, right? Most folks would say this is impossible. The data from last week show that house prices keep increasing no matter what. Our boom continues, just...

Yellow Bird: The Red River Valley Flood of 1997
"Ten years ago this month, I stood with my bare hands on the rail of Sorlie Bridge and looked down into the icy, tumultuous waters running underneath. Fear grew in the pit of my stomach. The Red River was...

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