News Archive: May 25, 2007 Archives

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May 25, 2007
Review: 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' lives on
The National Museum of the American Indian was a fitting place to screen "Bury My Wounded Knee," HBO's adaptation of the best-selling book by Dee Brown. The museum and the film both seek to educate the public about Indian people,...

Minnesota tribes to control Indian child welfare
Two Minnesota tribes are preparing to take over Indian child welfare services from the state. Under the American Indian Child Welfare Initiative, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Band of Ojibwe will assume responsibility from local...

Review: Dress exhibit at NMAI comes up short
"Sometimes a dress -- no matter how historically rare, culturally significant or spiritually meaningful -- is just boring. This unfortunate fact has nothing to do with the value of the garment or even its beauty, but rather the circumstances...

Bill protecting Indian mascots passes in Tennessee
A bill protecting Indian mascots from state regulation is headed to the desk of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D). The bill was written after school districts complained that they might have to change their Indian mascots. It claims to allow...

First Nations call for day of protest on June 29
The Assembly of First Nations has called for a national day of peaceful protests on June 29. AFN held a special meeting this week to discuss the "crisis" facing Native people. They agreed to hold marches in cities across Canada...

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe celebrates recognition
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts celebrated its federal recognition on Thursday, The tribe's recognition became final on Wednesday after going through the Bureau of Indian Affairs process. The tribe is the second in the state with federal status....

Internet to the Hogan project starts digital TV station
The "Internet to the Hogan" project on the Navajo Nation broadcast its first digital television program last week. Navajo Nation Council Delegate Leonard Tsosie, a former New Mexico lawmaker, sat down with several Navajo speakers in Ramah to talk about...

Oneida Nation said to owe $248M in taxes
A New York state lawmaker claims the Oneida Nation owes $248 million in property and sales taxes. David Townsend, a Republican, mailed 15,000 fliers to upstate residents to urge them to tell the tribe to pay taxes. "This is costing...

Chippewa Cree Tribe signs Medicaid deal with state
The Chippewa Cree Tribe and the state of Montana signed an agreement to help tribal members through the Medicaid process. The tribe will assign an official to help determine whether tribal members qualify for the program. "We want to simplify...

Lakota man featured in 'Good Meat' documentary
A 35-year-old Lakota man from the Pine Ridge Reservation is the subject of a PBS documentary about healthy eating and traditional foods. The cameras are following Beau LeBeau, an obese, diabetic member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, for 200...

Harjo: The Indian tobacco wars in the Northwest
"Two important events occurred in mid-May in the Northwest Indian tobacco wars. First, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made its largest smokeshop raid in Washington since its record-breaking busts on Northwest reservations in 2003. Second, a...

Opinion: Eastern Band honors warrior tradition
"Our veterans proudly served this country before we were citizens and before we had any rights as citizens. Many returning veterans from World War I and World War II did not have the right to vote. But our community...

Heffelfinger supports probe into 'broken' DOJ
Former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger said Congress is right to investigate the Department of Justice, which he called "fundamentally broken" in light of the firings of several federal prosecutors. Heffelfinger said he was "outraged" to learn that he was...

'Prez on the Rez' could include GOP candidates
Kalyn Free, the organizer of the "Prez on the Rez" forum, said she will invite Republican candidates if the Democratic ones won't commit to the upcoming debate. Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, has had trouble getting...

Seminole Tribe rejects challenge s to election
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has rejected two challenges to its recent election but authorized a recount for one race. The tribe's election board held an emergency meeting to consider the challenge from Moses Osceola, who lost by 100 votes...

Another vote on Cherokee constitution proposed
The council of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will meet June 6 to consider another vote to amend the tribal constitution. The tribe's 1976 constitution requires federal approval for any changes. In 2003, voters approved an amendment to remove the...

Editorial: A step closer to lobbying reform
"With their credibility on the line, House Democrats did the right thing yesterday by mandating disclosure of the lobbying industry’s power to purchase Capitol influence with richly bundled campaign donations to pliable lawmakers. This basic step to ethics reform —...

Review: 'Bury My Heart' doomed from the start
Note: Links to several more reviews below. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. “Setting the Indian on the course to civilization best ensures his survival,” says President Ulysses S. Grant (Fred Thompson!), expositorily, on HBO on Sunday night. Gag. “Bury...

NPS won't treat 'dune dwellers' group like a tribe
The National Park Service won't put a group of "dune dwellers" in Massachusetts in the same category as tribes. The residents of 19 cottages in the Cape Cod National Seashore sought a traditional cultural property designation in the hopes of...

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