Appeals court hearing Cobell disqualification dispute (March 15, 2004)

A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments today on a motion to disqualify U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth and special master Alan Balaran from a contempt-related proceeding in the Indian trust fund case. Lamberth assigned Balaran to look into...

N.E. tribes basis for Mohegan historian's new book (March 15, 2004)

New England tribal culture inspired Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, the Mohegan Tribe's historian, to write a book. Oracles is a fictional account of a young medicine woman who is a member of the invented Yantuck Tribe. Tantaquidgeon Zobel incorporated elements of...

Fairbanks hosting three Alaska Native meetings (March 15, 2004)

Three Fairbanks-based Alaska Native organizations are holding meetings this week. Tanana Chiefs Conference kicks off Tuesday and runs through Sunday. Delegates will select a new traditional Athabascan chief, elect new officers and hear from Gov. Frank Murkowski (R). TCC represents...

Anchorage fears loss of Alaska Native convention (March 15, 2004)

Tourism officials in Anchorage are trying hard to prevent the Alaska Federation of Natives from moving its annual convention. The meeting, held every October, draws 4,000 to 6,000 people to the city. It has an economic impact of $4.1 million....

Keetoowah Band survives despite CNO opposition (March 15, 2004)

The United Keetoowah Band and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma share a common language, culture and history. But that's about where the similarities end. The UKB was considered part of the larger CNO until it gained separate federal recognition in...

Virginia tribes seeks support for recognition bill (March 15, 2004)

Leaders of six Virginia tribes said they hope to gain federal recognition in time for the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement in 2007. The Nansemond, Rappahannock, Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy and Upper Mattaponi tribes are among the oldest state-recognized in...

Woman mulls fate of former reservation in Calif. (March 15, 2004)

A 320-acre ranch that was once a reservation for a member of the Kwaaymii Tribe was recently hit by wildfire. Thomas Lucas was born on the Laguna Reservation in 1903. In the 1950s, he successfully petitioned to have the federal...

Tribal member spearheads reservation cleanup (March 15, 2004)

Frank Rides At The Door got so tired of seeing trash on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana that he decided to do something about it. He developed a plan to pick up the trash, then convinced the tribe to fund...

Pokagon Tribe finishing work on elder housing complex (March 15, 2004)

Elderly members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan will be able to move in a new $4 housing complex soon. The tribe is finishing work on 12 homes this month. The remaining five will be complete by...

Blackfeet Nation seeks to reclaim police powers (March 15, 2004)

Blackfeet Nation leaders say they will try to resume law enforcement duties on their Montana reservation. The BIA took over the police force in February 2003 in response to numerous complaints. But tribal leaders say the BIA has failed to...

Non-Indians complain about bill that took year to pass (March 15, 2004)

Non-Indians in California say they were snookered by a bill that took a year to pass Congress. The Native American Technical Corrections Act was signed into law earlier this month. It includes several provisions benefiting California tribes, allowing them to...

Descendants of Calusa Tribe may be in Cuba (March 15, 2004)

Researchers say there is a "fairly slim" chance that descendants of the Calusa Tribe might be in Cuba. The tribe occupied southern Florida before being overran by Europeans and other tribes in the early 1700s. Anthropologist John Worth says several...

Osage Nation tells story of Lewis and Clark (March 15, 2004)

The Osage Nation of Oklahoma took part in a Lewis and Clark/Louisiana territory commemoration event in St. Louis, Missouri. A treaty signed between France, Spain and the United States turned over the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. The tribe was...

Yellow Bird: Human rights in North Dakota (March 15, 2004)

"North Dakota is lucky to have two groups that are interested in the human rights of our citizens. In Fargo, the Human Rights Coalition - a private organization founded in 2001 - seems to have its wings clipped because of...