Minn. tribe wins another round in reservation dispute (March 10, 2004)

A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected a Minnesota county's attempt to wipe most of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Reservation off the map. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the contentious...

Commentary: Racist trial for Aquash murder (March 10, 2004)

"What we have here is failure to communicate. More accurately, we have a total unwillingness to communicate. The real family of Arlo Looking Cloud were quite surprised to learn that Arlo’s request for a new attorney was turned down by...

Witness list for BIA reorganization hearing (March 10, 2004)

The witnesses for today's Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on the ongoing reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs are as follows:Panel I Dave Anderson, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ross Swimmer, Special Trustee Panel II Tex Hall, President, National...

Key Norton aide nominated for top legal spot (March 10, 2004)

NOMINEE: Sue Ellen Wooldridge, aide to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, to go before Senate Energy Committee for confirmation hearing. File Photo © The Daily Triplicate. A Department of Interior aide who has played a key role in crafting some...

Mark Udall to seek Campbell's open Senate seat (March 10, 2004)

Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) announced on Tuesday plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) while Gov. Bill Owens (R) said he would not run. Udall comes from a family known for...

Non-Indians opposing deal to end water rights case (March 10, 2004)

Non-Indians in northern New Mexico voiced their opposition to a settlement in a long-running water rights case involving four tribes. Non-Indian water users are objecting to provisions that call for them to give up their wells. The settlement would create...

Navajo Nation $500M in bonds touted as New Deal (March 10, 2004)

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. is seeking approval for a $500 million bond initiative that supporters compare to the New Deal. The initiative has six components. They would fund capital improvement projects; seven one-stop shop governmental complexes for public...

Tribe's former judge sentenced for embezzling (March 10, 2004)

A former judge for the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe in North Dakota was sentenced to one month in jail for embezzling tribal funds. Former judge Sharon Malaterre pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge. She will be on five months of...

County official won't resign for calling tribe uneducated (March 10, 2004)

The supervisor for Santa Barbara County, California, rejected calls for her to resign in response to published remarks in which she labeled the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians "not real sophisticated" and "uneducated." Supervisor Gail Marshall instead blamed tribal...

N.D. tribe to avoid burial sites in quest for oil (March 10, 2004)

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota plans to avoid numerous burial grounds and sacred sites as it moves forward with plans to drill for oil on the reservation. The tribe conducted a survey of potential oil sites...

Reservation residents oppose proposed oil refinery (March 10, 2004)

Residents of the Fort Berthold Reservation have formed a committee to oppose a proposed oil refinery. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has partnered with Triad Project of Utah to build an $81 million refinery. The tribe will comply with...

Child welfare contract subjects tribes to state court (March 10, 2004)

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) has proposed to subject tribes to state court jurisdiction in Indian child welfare disputes. Freudenthal said a contract to provide child-protective services on the Wind River Reservation has to treat tribal members just like other...

Two tribes in Nebraska raising political awareness (March 10, 2004)

Two tribes in Nebraska have launched a campaign to get more tribal members involved in local, state and national elections, The Sioux City Journal reports. The Winnebago Tribe and the Omaha Tribe plan to register hundreds of tribal members. So...

Rincon Tribe offers $25K reward for fire arrest (March 10, 2004)

The Rincon Luiseno Band of California is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the recent Paradise Fire. Investigators have determined the fire was deliberately set. The fire started on the reservation October...

Embattled tribal lobbyist gave to Conn. Congressman (March 10, 2004)

A Republican lobbyist under fire for his work on behalf of tribes gave money to a Connecticut Congressman who has criticized tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Records from the Federal Elections Commission (http://www.fec.gov) show that lobbyist Jack Abramoff...

Wis. school board votes to change Indian head logo (March 10, 2004)

The Osseo-Fairchild school board in Wisconsin voted 4-1 on Monday to change its Indian head logo. The logo of a Plains Indian will be changed to an image of a Ho-Chunk Indian. Despite the revamp, the logos look alike, the...

First grocery store on Mille Lacs Reservation opens (March 10, 2004)

Residents of the Mille Lacs Reservation in Minnesota now have their own grocery store. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe owns and operates the store, whose layout reflects tribal culture. The store is an effort to diversity the tribe's holdings,...

Editorial: Tribes should disclose political donations (March 10, 2004)

California tribes "must report their contributions to political campaigns just like anyone else," The North County Times says in an editorial. The paper says a court ruling waiving tribal immunity in a political donations lawsuit is "a good decision, particularly...

Police set up team to dispute Native teen's death (March 10, 2004)

Police in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, set up an "issue team" to address a federal probe into the death of a Native teenager in 1990, CBC News reports. Police admitted the existence of the team this week as part of an ongoing...