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May 27, 2008
Skibine to assume duties of assistant secretary
George Skibine, a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, is assuming the duties of assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Interior Department. Rather than name Skibine in an acting capacity, the department chose to delegate the duties to...

Artman takes stab at streamlining recognition process
In one of his final actions as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, former assistant secretary Carl Artman approved changes to the controversial federal recognition process. But rather than consult tribes or put the issue up for public comment,...

Yakama Nation targets high rate of diabetes
More than 1,000 people on the Yakama Nation in Washington suffer from diabetes, The Yakima Herald-Republic reports. One in five tribal members over the age of 50 is affected by the disease. Nationally, Native Americans are nearly three times...

First powwow in combat zone scared away Iraqis
The first powwow in a combat zone brought together Indian soldiers but it also had an interesting effect on Iraqi citizens. Jon Ketcher, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, said the Iraqis at first were interested in the...

Sen. Clinton to campaign on Pine Ridge Reservation
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) will be campaigning on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota tomorrow. Clinton is speaking at a “Solutions for South Dakota's Future” at the Little Wound School in Kyle. The event is open to the...

Eastern Shoshone teen endorses Sen. Obama
Layha Spoonhunter, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming, will be voting for the first time this November and his presidential candidate of choice is Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois). Spoonhunter, 18, says Obama has paid a lot of...

Letter: Alaska Natives selling off their heritage
"Why are my Native people selling their allotments? Only for a pile of cash they’re going to blow in a month? Your allotments are the only things you have to offer your children and grandchildren. It’s the only thing you...

Saginaw Chippewa mother puts life back together
Christina Keschick, a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan, didn't expect that being a victim of domestic violence would lead to her eight children being taken away from her. Keschick was regularly beaten by the father of her...

After six-plus years, BIA website finally online
After more than six years, the Bureau of Indian Affairs website is back online. The BIA lost Internet connectivity in December 2001 after a court investigator found vulnerabilities that put billions of dollars of Indian trust funds at risk. Most...

Sen. McCain touts Indian experience over Obama
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said he has more experience with Indian and other Western issues than Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois). McCain has served two terms as chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Besides...

Sen. McCain meets with tribal leaders in New Mexico
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the presumptive Republican nominee for president, met with tribal leaders during a campaign stop in New Mexico on Monday, the National Congress of American Indians said. McCain met with the All Indian Pueblo Council, which represents...

Opinion: California tribes 'trash' state candidate
"On May 14, a new political committee, "Education Leaders for High Standards," suddenly appeared in state records. The next day, it reported its first expenditure: $47,900. Two days after that, voters throughout the East Bay's Ninth Senate District opened their...

Review: Tulalip hip-hop artist delivers rez reality
"Bouncing around the whole stage with mic in hand, the rapper appeared joyful. His chant went like this: "I'm from Tu-LAY-lip! And I'm proud of it! Very few, very few get out of it!" Sure, his music sounds like...

DOJ's Native subcommittee to meet in South Dakota
The Department of Justice's Native American Issues Subcommittee will meet June 3-5 in Rapid City, South Dakota. The subcommittee consists of U.S. Attorneys from states with significant Indian populations. Five of them were fired by the Bush administration in December...

Oneida Nation pressed insurer on universal health
As a shareholder in a national health insurance company, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin pressed UnitedHealth Group to adopt a universal coverage policy. The tribe owns 800 shares in the company, The New York Times reported. But UnitedHealth objected to...

Kickapoo Tribe donates $10K to school district
The Kickapoo Tribe has donated $10,000 to the Jones School District in Oklahoma. The money will be used to help the Jones High School, which was destroyed by fire last December. A new facility is under construction. Everett Suke, a...

Navajo Nation settles voter ID lawsuit in Arizona
The Navajo Nation has settled its voter identification lawsuit against the state of Arizona. In 20004, voters approved Proposition 200 to require photo IDs at polling places. First-time voters must also prove their U.S. citizenship status. The Navajo Nation, along...

Senate Indian Affairs hearing on predatory lending
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will be holding a hearing on predatory lending in Indian Country on Thursday, June 5. The hearing takes place at 9:30am in Room 562 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. A witness list hasn't been...

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