Supreme Court hears tribal powers case (January 22, 2004)

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case testing the relationship between the federal government and tribal nations. During an hour of debate, the justices posed difficult questions to both parties in the pivotal dispute. They...

NCAI president uses speech to lobby for funding (January 22, 2004)

The head of the nation's largest inter-tribal organization is calling for dramatic increases in federal funds to combat the "quiet crisis" in Indian Country. National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Tex Hall delivered the second annual State of Indians...

Abuse case settlement process called inadequate (January 22, 2004)

Canadian Natives who suffered abuse at n residential schools say they aren't satisfied with a settlement process set up by the government. A lawyer representing a large number of clients says they would rather go through the court system. The...

Hopi boy undergoes successful surgery for new ear (January 22, 2004)

A 6-year-old Hopi boy from Arizona emerged from surgery with a new ear. Edmund Hobbs underwent special reconstructive surgery in New York. A doctor offered his services free of charge to the boy, who was born with microtia, a birth...

Shinnecock leaders compare opposition to genocide (January 22, 2004)

Shinnecock Nation leaders say opposition to their proposed casino amounts to economic genocide. The tribe has state recognition and a reservation on Long Island, where unemployment is high and housing is substandard. The situation contrasts with non-Indians who live next...

Tribes protest desecration of burial site in N.Y. (January 22, 2004)

Representatives of tribes in New York and Rhode Island are protesting the construction on a burial site on Long Island that dates to 1410 A.D. Last October, a family discovered the remains of 10 individuals on their land. At the...

Air Force Base returns remains to Shoshone Nation (January 22, 2004)

The Hill Air Force Base in Utah returned the remains of a 2,000-year-old woman to the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. The remains came to be known as "Homestead Lady." She was found at the Utah Test and Training...

Racist statements by police prompt criticism (January 22, 2004)

A newly surfaced videotape that captured two Ontario Provincial Police making racist statements about Natives is making waves. The Assembly of First Nations and Amnesty International say the comments show pervasive racism within the justice system. The OPP has apologized...

Pataki calls for delay in state taxation plan (January 22, 2004)

New York Gov. George Pataki (R) is calling on a one-year delay in the collection of state taxes on reservations. Pataki said he will use the time to work out so-called "price parity" agreements with tribes. Indian businesses would basically...

Lummi Nation imposes temporary ban on alcohol (January 22, 2004)

The Lummi Nation of Washington is banning alcohol for two days this week during the tribal election. Tribal leaders say the temporary ban is an experiment. They say too many people have died from alcohol-related incidents. Earlier this month, a...

Drinking said rampant at BIA boarding school in Ore. (January 22, 2004)

Alcohol use among teens at the Chemawa Indian School in Oregon is rampant, The Oregonian reports. Students say it is easy to drink on campus without being questioned. They say they are almost never stopped by security guards. Some students...

Calif. tribe proposes own gaming initiative (January 22, 2004)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians jumped into the battle over the future of gaming in the state of California with a new voter initiative. The tribe's proposition would allow tribe to keep their hold on Class III gaming...

Professor dispels myths about Indian Code Talkers (January 22, 2004)

Not all Code Talkers were Navajo, says Walter Fleming, a member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas and Native American studies professor at Montana State University. Choctaw, Comanche, Sioux and Crow soldiers who used their languages to help U.S. forces,...

Vote delayed on water project for Kickapoo Tribe (January 22, 2004)

A small Kansas water board put off a vote on a project for the Kickapoo Tribe after two members said they would vote despite being affected by the proposed reservoir. The Kickapoo Tribe is asking the Nemaha-Brown Watershed Joint District...

Tenn. commission asserting control over recognition (January 22, 2004)

The Tennessee Commission on Indian Affairs says it is the final decision-maker for groups seeking state recognition as an Indian tribe. The commission is asserting control because a group called the Cherokee Wolf Clan went directly to counties to seek...

Supreme Court affirms EPA role in Alaska mine (January 22, 2004)

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld federal regulation of a mine an Alaska Native village says is polluting the environment. Writing for the majority, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the Environmental Protection Agency has the...

Rival factions of Meskwaki Tribe still feuding (January 22, 2004)

The leadership dispute within the Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa is over but there are still simmering problems, the Associated Press reports. Critics of chairman Homer Bear Jr. say he is offering to pay off the state in order to prevent...