News Archive: August 6, 2007 Archives

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August 6, 2007
DOI investigator completes two Abramoff probes
With some members of Congress still under scrutiny, the Jack Abramoff probe appears far from over. But a federal investigator from the Interior Department has wrapped up work in the ongoing saga. In his latest report to Congress, Earl E....

Winnebago woman killed in bridge collapse buried
Julia Blackhawk, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska who died in the Minnesota bridge collapse, was laid to rest on Sunday on the reservation. Blackhawk, 32, was remembered by family and friends as "nicest person you could...

Senate field hearing on health care on August 15
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding a field hearing on Indian health on August 15. The hearing takes place in Crow Agency on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It will be held from 12:30pm to 2:30pm at the Crow...

Opinion: Doctrine of Discovery alive in modern times
"Planting a flag or burying brandy isn't enough these days to guarantee possession -- international treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea are invoked. But historically, staking a physical claim is the first rule...

Tohono O'odham Nation swears in new chairman
Ned Norris Jr. was inaugurated as chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona on Friday. Norris, 52, was elected in May. He defeated incumbent chairwoman Vivian Juan-Saunders, who was his running mate when the two ran for office...

Collision kills one after Rocky Boy's powwow
One man was killed and four were injured in a head-on collision on the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana. Travis Sutherland, 36, was allegedly driving erratically near the powwow grounds, where he reportedly struck a security officer. He then drove...

Haskell student injured in second accident
Willow Jack, a 26-year-old student at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas, is recovering from her second accident in as many years. In August 2005, Jack and her family were involved in a car accident in Montana. Her husband,...

Catholic church mum on bishop's injuries
The Catholic Church in Gallup, New Mexico, has restricted media access after The Gallup Independent reported doubts about the cause of injuries suffered by Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, the first Native bishop. The Diocese of Gallup only plans to...

Ex-Prairie Band chairwoman explains resignation
Tracy Stanhoff, the former chairwoman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas, resigned last month after 18 months on the job. Stanhoff said she left because she accomplished her goals. During her tenure, the tribe completed its takeover...

Pechanga Band generous to state lawmakers
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians spent $32,000 to lobby state lawmakers in the first six months of 2007, The Sacramento Bee reports. The tribe treated lawmakers and aides to concerts, meals and other gifts. "This has been a...

Chickasaw Nation spent $14K on watches
The Chickasaw Nation spent $13,596 on watches that were given to state lawmakers and some state officials, The Oklahoman reports. The watch, which features the official state centennial emblem, was a show of goodwill, a tribal spokesperson said. The Chickasaws...

Rhode Island governor must testify about raid
Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) must testify about his role in the state's raid of the Narragansett Reservation, a state judge ruled on Friday. Questions will be limited to Carcieri's orders to state troopers for the July 14, 2003,...

Maryland tribes tired of waiting for recognition
Maryland tribes are "invisible" until the state needs them for an event, the chairwoman of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe said on Sunday. Chairwoman Mervin Savoy and other tribal leaders welcomed the crew of a boat that has been recreating Capt....

Column: Oklahoma powwows doused with rain
"Indian powwows have to dance around the demands of storms and soggy venues. Buckets of rain turned into barrels of rain earlier this summer. Some old-timers were saying they couldn't remember when it rained so much. The rain was a...

Tim Giago: Hollywood dashes hopes of 'Wounded Knee'
The HBO Special, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” based on the Dee Brown book, has been nominated for 16 Emmy Awards. I wanted to wait a short time before writing about the television special because I needed time to...

Mark Trahant: Bush tax cuts come with a price
"The White House proclaims the miracle of tax cuts. Rob Portman, now the former director of the Office of Management and Budget, followed the script last week when he said, "As we look ahead, we are going to be promoting...

Jodi Rave: WOMAN challenge proves enlightening
"In May, a group of friends and I enrolled in a national exercise program called the WOMAN Challenge, where we were encouraged to walk 10,000 steps a day for eight weeks. Actually, any amount of steps would do. The...

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