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June 11, 2008
Cobell plaintiffs defend $58B claim in trust fund trial
The landmark Indian trust fund trial continued on Tuesday as the plaintiffs sought to back up their claim to billions of dollars of restitution. Witness Bradford Cornell testified at length about an economic model he developed to determine how much...

Letter: Nothing good about Cherokee Chief Smith
"This letter is in regard to all the letters I have been reading about the chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith. In several papers – Muskogee, Tulsa, Tahlequah – I have seen stories about this man, nothing good in...

Cheyenne River Sioux community hit by floods
Residents of a remote community on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota were forced to evacuate after heavy rains and floods. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe bused residents to two shelters last week. Residents have since returned to...

Opinion: Lakota Nation owed billions for Black Hills
"Hau! Mitakuipi Ampetu Kile chante ma waste napa chuza. "Greetings, my relatives. Today is a good day, my heart is strong, and I extend my hand in friendship." I have been watching so many events happen in the past 41...

New York to sue over Oneida Nation land-into-trust
The state of New York will be suing the Interior Department over its decision to take 13,000 acres of land into trust for the Oneida Nation. The state's lawsuit is expected to be filed by June 19. According to the...

Rep. Boren won't endorse Obama for president
Rep. Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma), a superdelegate for the Democratic Party, won't endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) for president. Boren called Obama "the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate." He said Obama's voting record doesn't reflect the constituents of Oklahoma's...

Art dealer on trial over stolen Navajo artifacts
A New Mexico art dealer is on trial for allegedly buying Navajo artifacts that were stolen from public land. Robert V. Gallegos said he was going to donate seven pots to a Santa Fe museum. But federal prosecutors said he...

Rep. Watson: Speech at Freedmen conference
Rep. Diane Watson (D-California) spoke at the Descendants of Freedmen Association 5th Annual Conference in Oklahoma on June 7. Watson is sponsoring H.R.2824, a bill to cut federal funds to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma until the tribe restores the...

Canada to deliver Native apology this afternoon
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will deliver an apology on behalf of the Canadian government to former students of Native residential schools. The apology takes place in the House of Commons at 3pm EST. A webcast can be viewed at...

Interview with U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa
The Arizona Daily Star interviews U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe. Humetewa is the first Native women in history to serve as U.S. Attorney. She talked about her background in tribal issues, along with immigration...

Attorney in Abramoff probe a target of lawsuit
An attorney who helped the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana respond to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation of Jack Abramoff is being sued by a rival law firm. The Provost and Umphrey firm of Texas used to represent the tribe....

Poarch Band re-elects chairman and treasurer
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama reported a record turnout at an election on Saturday. Three seats were up for grabs. Voters re-elected chairman Buford L. Rolin and treasurer Arthur Mothershed to the council. Newcomer Garvis Sells was...

Trial seeks to resolve Indian trust fund lawsuit
After 120 years, a federal judge is trying to determine how much money, if any, is owed to Indian beneficiaries for the use of their land. Judge James Robertson inherited the Cobell v. Kempthorne case in December 2006. He...

Yellow Bird: My heart belongs to the Great Plains
"When Bismarck State College gave Charles Bowden, National Geographic writer, his say again Monday evening, I was surprised that he’d returned to the state. After all, Bowden — who spoke at the 2008 Alliance Summer Geography Institute — is...

Arrest warrant issued for Mashantucket chairman
A family court in New York has ordered the arrest of Michael Thomas, the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut. The warrant was issued in a custody dispute between Thomas and Vanessa Hyman. Thomas and Hyman...

Two Lac du Flambeau council members lose seats
Members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa of Wisconsin voted to sustain the removal of two council members who have criticized the tribe's financial situation. Tom Maulson and Jerome "Brooks" Big John were removed late last...

Still no decision on eagle feathers at graduation
An Indian student in North Carolina is weighing litigation in order to wear two eagle feathers to his high school graduation. Corey Bird, 18, is Lumbee and Sisseton-Wahpeton. He was told he could be barred from graduation ceremonies on...

Abramoff associates rewarded DOJ over Choctaw grant
Associates of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff promised to give Department of Justice staffers "anything they want" after securing a $16.9 million grant for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, according to a House report. The tribe, Abramoff's biggest client, sought...

Lumbee man to lead Southern Baptist Convention
Johnny Hunt, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, has been elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Hunt, who is a pastor in Georgia, hopes to unite church members and attract more young people. The SBC...

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