Witnesses: Senate Indian Affairs Committee NAGPRA hearing (June 14, 2011)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold an oversight hearing this Thursday on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The hearing takes place at 2:15pm in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. The witness list follows:...

Chris McNeil: Bill fulfills promise to Alaska Native corporation (June 14, 2011)

"Today the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people share the Tongass National Forest with everyone. But only a few generations ago our people owned and governed this vast rainforest according to our time-honored laws and traditions. The Tongass -- what we...

Editorial: UND faces sanctions for use of 'Fighting Sioux' nick (June 14, 2011)

"There is one chance left. It’s a long shot at this point, with somewhat worse odds than are offered by pulling the goalie in the last minutes of a hockey game. That chance will unfold when North Dakota and UND...

Osage Nation raising objections about proposed wind farms (June 14, 2011)

The Osage Nation of Oklahoma is opposing wind farm developments in Osage County. Chief John D. Red Eagle said the tribe is worried about the impact on oil and gas development. The tribe owns the mineral estate in the county....

Authorities conduct big drug raid on Kanesatake First Nation (June 14, 2011)

Authorities in Canada have launched a major drug raid on the Kanesatake First Nation in Quebec. Upwards of 500 officers raided the reserve and a community near the reserve, according to news reports. The goal targets a marijuana smuggling ring....

Turtle Talk: Indian law success rate in Kansas Supreme Court (June 14, 2011)

"And now we turn to another state with an intermediate appellate court, Kansas. In Kansas, tribal interests have a 42 percent win rate." Get the Story: State Supreme Court Outcomes: Kansas (Turtle Talk 6/14) $P Related Stories:Turtle Talk: Indian law...

Native Americans comprise 1.8 percent of federal workforce (June 14, 2011)

American Indians and Alaska Natives make up 1.8 percent of the federal government workforce, according to the Office of Personnel Management. In a new report, the OPM said the percentage of Native American federal employees stayed the same from fiscal...

Robert Voakes, Keweenaw Bay soldier, killed in Afghanistan (June 14, 2011)

Robert Voakes Jr., a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan, was laid to rest on Monday. Voakes, 21, was killed during an insurgent attack in Afghanistan on June 4. He was three months into a 15-month...

Gasoline tax on Yakama Nation generates more controversy (June 14, 2011)

Gasoline taxes on the Yakama Nation in Washington appear to be generating more controversy. The tribe signed a 1994 agreement to pay the state tax on about 25 percent of fuel sold at Indian-owned stations. But the state says it's...

BIA investigating cause of fire on Shivwits Band Reservation (June 14, 2011)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating a fire that burned nearly 1,400 acres on the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Reservation in Utah. The Barn Wildfire started Friday afternoon. No homes were damaged and...

Snoqualmie Tribe hires genealogist to audit membership roll (June 14, 2011)

The Snoqualmie Tribe of Washington has hired a genealogist to review its membership records. The audit is supposed to be complete in July, The Snoqualmie Valley Star reported. The ongoing review prompted the tribal council to postpone its election, something...

Tonya Carroll: An update on activities of Miss Cherokee 2010 (June 14, 2011)

"Siyo, since you last heard from me I have been very busy fulfilling my duties as your Miss Cherokee 2010. On Tuesday April 12, I had the opportunity to visit the Fourth Grade class at Swain East Elementary School. Little...

Ex-Seneca Nation legislative specialist calls leader 'dictator' (June 14, 2011)

Susan P. Abrams was fired from her job as legislative specialist for the Seneca Nation of New York, The Buffalo News reports. Abrams was terminated last week. She says she stood up to President Robert Odawi Porter in council meetings....

NCAI president inducted into Military Museum's Hall of Honor (June 14, 2011)

National Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel was inducted into the Military Memorial Museum Hall of Fame in Oklahoma on Monday. Keel, the Lt. Gov. of the Chickasaw Nation, began his military service in the Oklahoma National Guard at...

DOI consultation meetings on land consolidation start in July (June 14, 2011)

The Interior Department will hold the first consultation meeting for the land consolidation portion of the Indian trust fund settlement in Billings, Montana, on July 15. The meeting takes place from 9am to 4pm at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana...

Wambli Sina Win: Tribes should protect their Indian bloodline (June 14, 2011)

Since the beginning of time, many species of the Great Mystery’s creation, the two legged and four legged, naturally and aggressively protected their bloodline to ensure that their species would not become extinct. Have you ever seen a wild buffalo...

Mark Trahant: More than 10 million US jobs lost in last decade (June 14, 2011)

How bad is this economy? Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers wrote in The Financial Times this week that the United States is now halfway to a lost economic decade (similar to Japan’s) and that the number of working Americans has...

Opinion: Supreme Court tells tribes they can't verify the trust (June 14, 2011)

"The United States Supreme Court Monday once again stuck it to Native American litigants. In a 7-1 opinion (Justice Elena Kagan recused), the Court sided with the U.S. government and against the Jicarilla Apache Nation in a fiduciary-duties case brought...

Turtle Talk: Report card on Indian law and the Supreme Court (June 14, 2011)

"Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito continue their “perfect” 0% streak, having not found in favor of tribal interests once during their time on the bench - 7 and 6 cases, respectively. The percentages for Justices Scalia (16.9% ~ 9/53),...