Kerry campaign promises Indian health care boost (September 29, 2004)

Charging that the Bush administration has ignored Indian Country, presidential candidate John Kerry unveiled a health care policy on Tuesday that aides said would pour billions into programs for Native Americans. The plan is part of a broad minority health...

Alaska Native woman recipient of 'Genius' award (September 29, 2004)

An Alaska Native woman has been awarded a five-year, $500,000 "Genius" grant for her work in improving the health care of Alaska Natives. Katherine Gottlieb, president of Southcentral Foundation, is one of 23 winners of the MacArthur Fellowship. She is...

Pine Ridge absentee voter plan up for consideration (September 29, 2004)

Voters on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota would be able to cast absentee ballots without having to leave the reservation under a plan up for consideration today. Shannon County commissioners will decide whether to allow two satellite auditors'...

Editorial: Send lobbyist hogs to the slaughterhouse (September 29, 2004)

"Hire me and I will solve your problem -- after I get somebody in Congress to make it worse for you. This is not what James Madison had in mind when he penned the First Amendment right to petition the...

Government contracts help Indian business expand (September 29, 2004)

Thanks to federal contracting programs for minority-owned companies, John Gilbert has seen been able to expand his small, family-run business. Gilbert, a member of the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe of Montana, owns Silver Wolf Enterprises. Revenue has grown from $200,000...

Editorial: Dialogue needed between tribes, officials (September 29, 2004)

"Last Saturday's summit meeting between South Dakota tribal leaders and the state's congressional delegation is a good start on opening a dialogue among the state's federal and tribal representatives. So much of tribal government and programs are linked with the...

Morongo Band negotiates law enforcement compact (September 29, 2004)

The Morongo Band of Missions Indians is negotiating a police services agreement with Riverside County, California. The compact is considered a first in the Public Law 280 state. It would authorize the county to provide two deputies to patrol the...

Bank providing tribal services to open third branch (September 29, 2004)

A bank partially owned by a California tribe is expanding with a third branch. Canyon National Bank provides services to tribes and tribal members. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has a 45 percent stake in the federally-chartered institution....

Teen charged with murdering father on First Nation (September 29, 2004)

A 15-year-old girl from the Garden Hill First Nation in Manitoba has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing her father. Authorities won't release the name of the victim or the teen. They say alcohol was a factor in...

Agua Caliente Band charges premium for health care (September 29, 2004)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of California says the rising cost of health care is forcing the tribe, for the first time, to assess a premium on tribal employees. The tribe will charge $25 every other week per...

Tim Giago: I'm not a racist and I haven't seen NMAI yet (September 29, 2004)

"An email to me by a member of the Oneida Indian Nation of New York State conveyed a sense of pride and an admonishment to me for questioning the tribe I referred to as "Johnny-come-lately. The email proudly stated that...

North Dakota high court won't enforce tribal order (September 29, 2004)

A tribal court order against a disgraced developer accused of defrauding the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has been rejected by the North Dakota Supreme Court. A tribal judge ordered developer Gary Minard to be arrested as part of a million-dollar...

Search continues for Crow man missing on reservation (September 29, 2004)

A member of the Crow Tribe of Montana who went on a hunting expedition on the reservation has been missing for more than a week. Robert "Bugsy" Springfield, 49, was hunting with one of his sons and a friend on...

Opinion: Indian museum shows us 'who we destroyed' (September 29, 2004)

"There are those who will say that the new museum—with its pavilions full of vendors, and a copy of [Allan] Houser’s “Reflections” available on the first floor for $55,000—is the ultimate marketing scheme: a guilt trip down memory lane. But...

Tribes host fundraising events for favored candidates (September 29, 2004)

The opening week of the National Museum of the American Indian saw tribes and tribal organizations host fundraisers for several candidates. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut hosted a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota). Daschle is...

Editorial: Indian museum needed in the West too (September 29, 2004)

"Native Americans have waited a long time to see a museum dedicated to their culture, so it's great to see members of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe attend the opening of the new Smithsonian facility in Washington, D.C., and meet indigenous...

NARF lawyer assured of victory in trust fund case (September 29, 2004)

Keith Harper, a Native American Rights Fund lawyer, spoke to Individual Indian Money (IIM) beneficiaries in Oklahoma on Monday. Harper said he was confident the plaintiffs will prevail in the eight-year-old case. "We have the facts and the law on...

Comanche chairman charged with obstructing justice (September 29, 2004)

Wallace Coffey, chairman of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, has been charged with one felony count of obstruction of justice. According to authorities, Coffey admitted to intervening in a child abuse case. Coffey and two tribal officials ignored an FBI...

Highway, appropriations bills may be delayed (September 29, 2004)

Legislation to reauthorize the national transportation program and to fund government agencies may be delayed until next year, The Washington Post reports. Congressional Republicans are considering delaying the $300 billion transportation bill and other appropriations bills because they have run...

Washington lobbyists called before Senate panel (September 29, 2004)

Two Washington lobbyists who took at least $50 million from tribes have been called to testify before a Senate committee today. But news reports suggest the Senate Indian Affairs Committee may not get anything out of lobbyist Jack Abramoff or...