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February 20, 2008
IHS resolves another self-determination dispute
After years of battles in the courtroom, the Indian Health Service has finally settled a long-running self-determination dispute. Last week, the agency paid $41.2 million to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation for an underfunded contract. The money will be used to...

Nisqually Tribe pays tribute to Chief Leschi
Hundreds of members of the Nisqually Tribe of Washington paid tribute to Chief Leschi and his half-brother Quiemuth. Chief Leschi led a rebellion in the late 1800s to protest the tribe's treatment under the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty. He...

Abourezk: A presidential apology to Indians
"The Indian apology is part of a Senate resolution introduced by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and is attached as an amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The Senate is expected to take up debate on the act again...

Yellow Bird: Chokecherries, the wonder fruit
"Despite today's Arctic temperatures, I feel winter beginning to ease her grip. I'm looking forward to the spring thaw, rushing water leaping and dancing down the prairie hills and coulees. I'll soon be searching for the tiny buds of...

Contest seeks the next 'Powwow Idols'
Two drum groups are competing for the chance to Indian Country's next "Powwow Idols." Standing Horse from South Dakota and Wind Eagle Singers of Wisconsin are the final two competitors. They were among 14 drum groups that entered the...

New Mexico tribes in line for $1.4M in state funding
Tribes in northern New Mexico will receive $1.4 million in state funds once Gov. Bill Richardson (D) signs a spending bill. Tribes were previously barred from receiving grants under a 1983 legal opinion. But the state reversed course in 1999...

Fort Berthold oil refinery said to be near permit
The designer of an oil refinery on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota said the permitting process for the $250 million project is nearly complete. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has been working on the refinery for several...

Pomo man arrested for murder on Big Valley Rancheria
A member of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians was charged with a murder on the reservation. Morgan M. Jack is accused of killing Paul Joseph Womachka in June 2007. Jack hired Womachka's taxi to take him from the...

Law Article: Off-reservation cultural resources
"Recent tribal challenges to development projects have highlighted the need for developers to be vigilant about the role that Indian law can play in their projects. In Arizona, six tribes representing twenty-two Indian Nations have banded together to challenge federally...

Judge reduces charges in Makah whaling case
A federal judge reduced charges against five members of the Makah Nation of Washington who took part in an unauthorized whale hunt. Judge J. Kelley Arnold said the men couldn't be prosecuted under the Whaling Convention Act. He left intact...

Lawsuit over ICWA placement settled for $1M
The federal government has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit over the placement of three children under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Jose and Emilio Rodriguez were beaten and tortured by their maternal grandmother Charlissa Sireech....

Editorial: Get behind Tohono O'odham college
"The Tohono O'odham Nation has embarked on an ambitious campaign to construct a community college about 50 miles southwest of Tucson. The college would be a welcome addition to Arizona's educational landscape and would help alleviate social problems within the...

North Dakota board to hear about 'Sioux' talks
The North Dakota Board of Higher Education meets on Thursday to hear about efforts to keep the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo alive. The board authorized North Dakota University System Chancellor Bill Goetz to meet...

Non-Indians question Omaha jurisdiction bill
Non-Indians in Thurston County, Nebraska, are questioning a bill that would restore the Omaha Tribe's jurisdiction. The state was granted criminal and civil jurisdiction on the reservation under Public Law 280 in 1953. The state retroceded its jurisdiction in 1969...

City loses bid for Shoshone-Bannock water rights
The Idaho Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the city of Pocatello's claim to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes' water rights. The city claimed water rights under an 1888 act of Congress. But in a unanimous decision, the court said the city was...

Obama and McCain win primaries in Wisconsin
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) racked up more victories in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Obama won his ninth primary in a row. He had 58 percent of the vote, compared to 41 percent for Sen. Hillary...

Column: Indian mascots don't belong in schools
"Warriors, Braves, Indians, Redmen, Redskins — naming sports teams after American Indians is one of our nation’s more peculiar preoccupations. While the names, and the icons and mascots used to represent those names, have ranged from respectful to racist, many...

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