2nd Circuit lifts injunction in New York tribal tobacco dispute (May 9, 2011)

The state of New York won a key ruling today in its effort to impose a tobacco tax in Indian Country. Under a new law and new regulations, wholesalers who do business with tribes must pay the state's tobacco tax...

Mark Trahant: Tribes should prepare for the worst on budgets (May 9, 2011)

Nobel winning economist Joseph Stiglitz is trying to change the national debate about the deficit, the role of government and the impact of those policies on the day-to-day economy. “There are principled ways of cutting the deficit ... putting Americans...

10th Circuit sides with tribes on self-determination contracts (May 9, 2011)

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals today sided with tribes in an important self-determination case. The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act authorizes tribes to enter into contacts to manage federal programs. The law requires the government to pay for...

Kevin Abourezk: Justice Clarence Thomas talks to graduates (May 9, 2011)

"In a speech peppered with references to war movies and historic war speeches, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told the University of Nebraska College of Law class of 2011 they must earn the sacrifices that others have made for...

Column: Army general supported Ponca Chief Standing Bear (May 9, 2011)

"George R. Crook was born in Ohio in 1825 and graduated near the bottom of his class from West Point in 1852. Sent to California as a 2nd lieutenant after graduation, he served a number of postings and entered the...

Paper running five-part series about Navajo Nation markets (May 9, 2011)

The Farmington Daily Times is running a five-part series on the Navajo Nation and its role in the global economy. The first article looked at Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, a tribal enterprise based in New Mexico. The business has contracts...

Cherokee Nation celebrates opening of another dental clinic (May 9, 2011)

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is making it easier for members to obtain dental services. The tribe opened a new dental clinic at the AMO Health Center in Salina. Previously, residents had to drive an hour to the W.W. Hastings...

Absentee Shawnee Tribe set to open health clinic next year (May 9, 2011)

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is building a 76,000-square-foot health clinic. The $26 million facility will serve members of federally recognized tribes. It's scheduled to open in March 2012. “The need for this is tremendous,” Tim Tall Chief, the...

Senate Indian Affairs Committee roundtable on transportation (May 9, 2011)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a roundtable this Thursday on tribal transportation. The session takes place from 1pm to 4pm in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. Those who wish to attend can RSVP to roundtable@indian.senate.gov....

Native Sun News: Bankruptcy leaves few funds for tribal sites (May 9, 2011)

The following story was written and reported by Talli Nauman. All content © Native Sun News. A bankruptcy accord allots the federal government less than $7.4 million for disposal of massive amounts of abandoned radioactive uranium tailings and toxic waste...

Travel: Tribes in Wisconsin welcome tourists to reservations (May 9, 2011)

"Gambling may be what comes to mind when considering a visit to American Indian reservations. And casinos do play a key role, generating money for schools, health clinics, day care and other social services. But there is so much more...

Rosebud Sioux woman chosen as Fulbright Program scholar (May 9, 2011)

Brittni Badger, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, has been selected as a Fulbright scholar. Badger is a senior at the University of South Dakota. She will travel to Spain as part of her scholarship....

Jury clears man of most counts in branding of Navajo victim (May 9, 2011)

A jury in Farmington, New Mexico, acquitted a man who was accused of branding a Navajo Nation man with a swastika. William Hatch, 29, was found not guilty on charges of first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony conspiracy to commit kidnapping,...

Pawnee Nation posts unofficial results from council election (May 9, 2011)

Members of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma elected a new president on Saturday. Marshall Gover defeated incumbent George Howell by a vote of 220 to 159. Since Gover sits on the council, a special election will be held to fill...

Ruth Hopkins: Geronimo and the myth of Indians as savages (May 9, 2011)

"The anger in Indian country over the association of Osama Bin Laden with Geronimo is palpable, and rightly so. Aligning the Apache leader Geronimo—who fought valiantly for his tribal homeland and people against incredible odds—with the cowardly mass murderer Osama...

Opinion: Use of 'Geronimo' a tribute to famed Apache warrior (May 9, 2011)

"Native American leaders are upset that Geronimo's name was used as code for Osama bin Laden. I respect their concern, but I don't think this particular reference is the insult tribal leaders think it is. Quite the opposite, it sounds...

Opinion: The truth about Geronimo and Osama bin Laden too (May 9, 2011)

"“Geronimo!” That was the call that went over the command net on May 1, indicating that Navy SEALs had found their man. And that code name for Osama bin Laden has angered some Native Americans, who have demanded a formal...

Jay Tavare: Names perpetuate false image of Indian people (May 9, 2011)

"Most American Indian tribal names are not the real names of the Indian nations. They were names given to them by their enemies or more correctly, the Indians who worked with the United States Cavalry to fight the Indians who...

Opinion: Alaska Natives play big role in shaping state history (May 9, 2011)

"Six years before our country gave women suffrage, Alaska granted women the right to vote. In 1922, a Tlingit chief, Charlie Jones, was jailed for voting. His protest led to Native Alaskans getting the right to vote two years before...

Editorial: Addressing bigotry against the Coeur d'Alene Tribe (May 9, 2011)

"The cultural tensions in Benewah County, Idaho, are long-standing and problematic. The western portion of the rural county is dominated by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, where economic opportunities are expanding, thanks largely to the successful tribal casino. But the...

Gyasi Ross: Celebrating accomplishments of Indian mothers (May 9, 2011)

"I’ve watched a whole lot of Native moms get healthy and take control of things in the past year. In fact, Indian moms showed their super powers in many ways—both great and small—in 2010 and early 2011. Now, I don’t...

Depree Shadowwalker: Use of codename an insult to Apaches (May 9, 2011)

For the record, I am not a descendant of Geronimo, but my great grandmother, Gertrude, and great grandfather, Oswald Smith, who begat my grandfather Hopkins Smith, were all born prisoners of war after our great nation revoked a treaty between...

Charles Trimble: Snagriculture, skinship and other new words (May 9, 2011)

Certain words come into vogue and quickly become cliches, and I’m always glad to see them disappear. In the early 1960s, for example, everybody was using the word copacetic, meaning good, cool, or however a person wanted to describe something...

Vi Waln: Indian people have been terrorized for centuries in US (May 9, 2011)

There was major hoopla across this country surrounding the death of Osama bin Laden. America sure is proud to show her bloodthirsty colors. I was appalled to see people cheering in public at the death of a human being. In...