News Archive: June 1, 2007 Archives

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June 1, 2007
Washoe youth to put survival skills to the test
Youth of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California will put their survival skills to work during a four-day trip in the woods. Since February, about 40 young tribal members have been participating in Project Venture. The program teaches...

Probe sought into Indian voting and Heffelfinger
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) wants the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate why former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger was targeted by the Bush administration. Klobuchar cited a Los Angeles Times story that indicated Heffelfinger was targeted for supporting Indian voting rights....

Health care discussed at conference in Montana
The state of Indian health care in Montana was discussed at a conference in Missoula on Thursday. Indians in Montana have high rates of disease, death and infant mortality. But Katherine Gottlieb, president and CEO of the Southcentral Foundation, said...

House holds law enforcement hearing in South Dakota
The House Natural Resources Committee is holding a field hearing today on law enforcement in Indian Country. The hearing takes place on the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The witness list follows: Panel 1 Pat Ragsdale, Director, Bureau...

Editorial: Hundreds of years of neglect on land claims
"Aboriginal leaders stated if governments are serious about adopting recommendations in the report, they should work to improve the daily life in their communities, particularly for youth. While supporting the creation of a dedicated minister and a provincial treaty commission,...

Inquiry blames government for death of Native activist
The inquiry into the death of Native activist Dudley George was released on Thursday. The report blames the government of former Ontario premier Mike Harris, the Canadian government and the Ontario Park Police for events that led to Dudley's...

Opinion: Blogger harmed Turtle Mountain Band
An open letter to Tony Bender, president of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, from Andy Laverdure, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. "Your most recent article decrying the banishment action taken by the Turtle Mountain Tribe...

Cherokee Nation wants election to go forward
The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma wants a federal judge to reject an attempt to halt an upcoming election. The tribe will be going to the polls on June 23 to choose a new chief. But the Cherokee Freedmen, the descendants...

Arapaho man lives in underground bunker
An Arapaho man has built himself an underground bunker in Buffalo, New York. Clarence Rounds, 47, used to live on Squaw Island but had to leave when it was cleaned up and turned into a park. So he decided...

Editorial: Yakama Nation negotiates power deal
"The Grant County Public Utility District commissioners are discussing a proposed settlement with the Yakama Nation to trade power at cost for an alliance. Nearly four years ago the Yakama Nation began an electricity utility. The newly formed Yakama Power...

More drama as ousted Hopi chairman retains post
The ousted chairman of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona will keep his job for another three weeks as legal and political battles continue. Ben Nuvamsa was removed in March after less than a month on the job. After taking the...

Blackfeet family can't bury homicide victim
A family from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana is upset they can't bury LaMarr Windham, who was the victim of homicide. Windham, 45, was killed last July. Michael Max Miller is awaiting trial on a deliberate homicide charge in county...

Rumsey Band donates $1.5M to diversity center
The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians donated $1.5 million to the Capital Unity Center in Sacramento, California. The tribe's donation puts the center closer to its $20 million goal. The Sacramento Unity Council has raised $8 million so far. The...

Review: 'Ten Canoes' an all-Aboriginal tale
"“I came from a water hole,” declares the wise, slyly humorous Storyteller, who narrates “Ten Canoes,” Rolf de Heer’s mesmerizing film of Australian Aboriginal life many centuries ago. As he muses on birth, death and reincarnation in tribal mythology,...

Interior Department comes up with new 'creed'
The Interior Department has developed a "creed" to describe its mission and principles. It's "Stewardship for America with Integrity and Excellence." That's a lot shorter than the one Secretary Dirk Kempthorne was initially presented. That one had 79 words:...

Opinion: Sovereign immunity under full frontal attack
"Tribal sovereign immunity - the legal principle that Indian tribal governments, like other sovereigns, may not be sued without their own consent - is under a full frontal attack. Consider these passages from recent federal and state court opinions: Tribal...

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