Judge orders DOI to consider status of desert eagles in Arizona (December 5, 2011)

A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to consider placing the desert-nesting bald eagle back on the list of endangered species. The San Carlos Apache Tribe and other tribes in Arizona said they weren't consulted or notified before...

Editor: Grand Forks Herald will stop using 'Fighting Sioux' name (December 5, 2011)

"Beginning this week, the Herald will phase out use of the terms Sioux and Fighting Sioux to describe UND’s athletic teams. We’ll also stop using the logo that accompanies these names. Our intent is to end these usages immediately, but...

Editorial: Tribes in Montana should get bison from Yellowstone (December 5, 2011)

"Montana has been wasting a tremendous natural resource by barring wild bison from our state. On Friday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is scheduled to consider a modest proposal to start making productive use of 68 bison from...

OPB: Makah Nation concerned about oil tanker traffic in waters (December 5, 2011)

"The Department of Ecology’s budget cuts have left shortcomings in cleanup equipment quality and capacity to store oil from spills, said Chad Bowechop, manager of the Makah Tribal Council’s Office of Marine Affairs. He said the tribe is deeply concerned...

Kevin Abourezk: Smoking cessation program geared to Natives (December 5, 2011)

"Dale Leach II started smoking 21 years ago, when he was 15. He quit twice -- once for a year in 1989 and then for two years in 2005. But being around smokers always led him back. "You smell the...

Senate Indian Affairs Committee schedules hearing on taxation (December 5, 2011)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold an oversight hearing this week on state and federal tax policy. The hearing takes place on Thursday at 2:15pm in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. A witness list hasn't been...

Hearing scheduled in Osage Nation's lawsuit against wind farm (December 5, 2011)

The Osage Nation of Oklahoma is due in federal court on December 14 in its lawsuit against a proposed wind farm. The tribe is trying to block the 8,300-acre Wind Capital Group. The lawsuit claims the project interferes with the...

Turtle Talk: Grading the Obama administration on Indian issues (December 5, 2011)

Turtle Talk is asking readers to grade the Obama administration on Indian issues. The best grades are "A: Nixonian" (very good) and "B: Clinton" (good). So far "B" has garnered 65 percent of the vote. The average to bad grades...

Tim Giago: 75th birthday of IRA met with silence among tribes (December 5, 2011)

Notes from Indian Country By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © 2011 Unity South Dakota This is a story that deserves to be repeated again and again. It was 75 years ago on June 18, 1934, when the Indian Reorganization Act...

Fronteras: Proposal aims to speed Indian Country development (December 5, 2011)

"The federal government has changed land leasing rules to make it easier for tribes to build housing and businesses. The move came after President Barack Obama met with Native American leaders in Washington D.C. the first week of December. Tribal...

Ron Volesky pleads guilty to charge under new elder abuse law (December 5, 2011)

Ron Volesky, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who's known for his political campaigns in South Dakota, pleaded guilty to assaulting an elderly woman. Volesky was charged under a new state law that requires medical professionals to report...

Opinion: Fraternity invites women to show 'inner pocahotness' (December 5, 2011)

"On Nov. 19, I was looking forward to attending a party that Pi Kappa Phi was hosting that night on Central Campus. That is, until my friend nonchalantly texted me that the event’s theme was “Pilgrims and Indians.” The following...

Opinion: Obama administration turning inward on Indian issues (December 5, 2011)

"President Barack Obama meets with American Indian leaders this afternoon in Washington but, on the law front, it's already been a tough year for the tribes. In February, the president nominated Arvo Mikkanen, an Ivy-educated Native American, to a spot...

CNN interview with Chester Nez, an original Navajo Code Talker (December 5, 2011)

"CNN: Why was it important for you to tell your own story instead of someone writing it for you? Nez: I told my story at length to Judith Avila, and she recorded it and then wrote it down. It...

CNET: Indian Country opens door to renewable energy projects (December 5, 2011)

"American Indian tribes see renewable energy as a way to capitalize on their natural resources. The Department of Energy last week proposed a rule that would speed up decisions regarding land used for renewable energy projects, many of which have...

Editorial: Keystone XL Pipeline battle all comes down to politics (December 5, 2011)

"Regardless of where you stand on building the Keystone XL pipeline, the issue says a lot about the current state of politics in Washington, D.C. and the constant, hardened impasse our country finds itself in. Instead of dealing with the...

Rep. Rangel: Making good on our promises to Native Americans (December 5, 2011)

"Today, Native Americans are forced to confront a long list of their own issues. Now more than ever, our government should uphold the federal trust responsibility and moral obligations to Native Americans. We owe this funding through exchange agreements in...

William Anderson: Moapa Band deals with power plant pollution (December 5, 2011)

"I think it’s fair to say that most of the Washington, D.C., politicians attacking clean-air safeguards don’t have the same view out their front windows as the families in my small community of 300 people. We look out on four...

Lise Balk King: Obama remains silent on an apology for Natives (December 5, 2011)

"On Wednesday June 11, 2008, all of Canada was asked to take pause to participate in an unprecedented national event. Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked his 30 million Canadian citizens to tune in to Parliament for a live nationally broadcast...

Native Sun News: Tragedies shaped Crow Creek man's comedy (December 5, 2011)

The following story was written and reported by Karin Eagle. All content © Native Sun News. RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA -- Who says Indians don’t have a sense of humor? Humor has been utilized throughout the generations, from gentle teasing...

Mark Trahant: How can president have Indian Country's back? (December 5, 2011)

Politicians are required to be optimistic. It’s the first tool in their bag. And a president of the United States is even more optimistic than most politicians. It’s what we expect from our leader. President Barack Obama beamed that...