Special Trustee Ross Swimmer: I am not a crook (May 4, 2005)

"Regarding Eloise Cobell's 'Indians not being told truth' (Opinion, April 22), of Indian trust accounting and reform efforts at the U.S. Department of Interior: Staff members at Interior have made major strides in trust reform efforts since the passage of...

Native corp credits success to government contracts (May 4, 2005)

Government contracting preferences for minority-owned businesses rescued Chugach Alaska Corp., an Alaska Native regional corporation, from bankruptcy, said chief executive Barney Uhart. Just a few years ago, Chugach was in bankruptcy proceedings. Now the firm is bringing in $700 million...

Homeland Security Secretary skips Tohono O'odham (May 4, 2005)

New Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is making his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border but he won't be stopping at the Tohono O'odham Nation, whose resources have been drained as a result of dealing with drug smuggling, migrants and...

Computer expert hacked into Interior systems (May 4, 2005)

Internet Vulnerability Documents: OIG Memo 1 | OIG Memo 2 | OIG Findings | Internet Security Systems (ISS) Report An Internet security expert testified on Tuesday that he was able to hack into computer systems housing Indian trust fund...

NCAI and ITMA hold second trust reform meeting (May 4, 2005)

The National Congress of American Indians and the Intertribal Monitoring Association concluded their second meeting on trust reform in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday. The meeting was co-chaired by NCAI President Tex Hall and ITMA Chairman Jim Gray and hosted...

Navajo president explains view on gay marriage ban (May 4, 2005)

In an interview with The Farmington Daily Times, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said his decision to veto a bill banning same-sex marriage on the reservation was "almost all" based on his personal views. Shirley told the paper the...

Opinion: Schools should get rid of offensive mascots (May 4, 2005)

"There are some that claim that such team names are meant to honor American Indians and serve as a way to remember them and their culture. How is a caricature respectful? Depicting all Natives with big teeth, big noses, covered...

Ill Native boy to receive medication for now (May 4, 2005)

A gravely ill Native boy will receive the life-saving medication he needs to treat a rare genetic disorder. Calgary Health Region, a hospital in Alberta, has agreed to pay for the $17,000 a week medication needed by Mackenzie Olsen, a...

Grant awarded for Indian legal services in South Dakota (May 4, 2005)

The Dakota Plains Legal Services has been awarded a $50,000 grant to help Indians in South Dakota obtain free legal services. The grant from the American College of Trial Lawyers will enable Indians who need legal aid to find information...

Tulalip Tribes to celebrate opening of outlet mall (May 4, 2005)

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington will mark the grand opening of an outlet mall on the reservation tomorrow. The Seattle Premium Outlets features 100 prominent outlet stores. Located at the tribe's Quil Ceda Village, the 500,000-square-foot mall created 500 new...

Thune calls Crow Creek Tribe school fire a 'disaster' (May 4, 2005)

Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) visited the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation on Tuesday, calling a recent fire at the tribal school a "disaster." "I think even a casual observer would come in and say, 'This is a disaster,' " Thune...

Tulalip Tribes to start food inspection program (May 4, 2005)

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington will start a food inspection program to judge the quality of food establishments on the reservation. The Indian Health Service already inspects food establishments on the reservation, including three restaurants at the tribal casino. But...

Students choose Sequoyah for name of new school (May 4, 2005)

Students at a new middle school in Washington overwhelmingly choose to name their school after Sequoyah, the Cherokee citizen who developed a written syllabary for the Cherokee language. The name Sequoyah was picked over other names more representative of Pacific...

First Miami dictionary being published this month (May 4, 2005)

The first ever dictionary of the Miami-Peoria language is being published this month by the Myaamia Project at Miami University. Daryl Baldwin, a linguist and member of the Miami Nation, helped develop the dictionary. He hopes it will lead to...

Fort Mojave chairwoman given notification of recall (May 4, 2005)

Nora McDowell, the chairwoman of the Fort Mojave Tribe in Arizona and Nevada, has been given notification that she will face a recall election on June 18. No information about the complaint against McDowell has been publicly released. Recall organizers...

Lawmakers urged to fund for Zuni water settlement (May 4, 2005)

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) directed state lawmakers to find $1.6 million in state funds a water settlement for the Zuni Tribe. Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have drawn the money from the state's Heritage Fund. She said the...

Surgeon General testifies in U.S. tobacco case (May 4, 2005)

• Surgeon General puts emphasis on prevention U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona testified in the federal government's billion-dollar tobacco case on Tuesday. According to news reports, Dr. Carmona said tobacco plans must be tailored to fit different communities....

Unions turn on each other in tribal sovereignty clash (May 4, 2005)

A labor union that is challenging the sovereignty of tribes in California has filed suit against another union for trying to organize tribal casino workers. Unite Here, a hotel workers' union, accuses the Communications Workers of America of violating an...

Chippewa Cree Tribe pulls store license over tobacco tax (May 4, 2005)

The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana has revoked the business license of a store owner who refused to pay a new tribal tobacco tax. Debbie St. Pierre, owner of Village Grocery, was told to suspend her operation by today. But...

Sen. Tim Johnson: The fight for BIA school funding (May 4, 2005)

Ed. Note: The following is a column submitted by Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) in response to a recent newspaper editorial about Bureau of Indian Affairs school funding. Johnson will be on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation on Thursday, May...

Abramoff based political activities on Jewish faith (May 4, 2005)

Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's political activities and life were "informed" by his Jewish faith, a Jewish news service reports. But Abramoff didn't always live up to those beliefs, a spokesperson told JTA Today. “While he did not always meet the...

Column: Will rich gaming tribes help the poor ones? (May 4, 2005)

"While many tribes are starting to change their economic circumstances in dramatic ways, mostly through the operation of casinos, almost 30 percent of American Indians in the United States live below the poverty line -- nearly three times the national...

Travel paid by Abramoff said to violate ethics rules (May 4, 2005)

Several members of Congress, including Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and two Democrats, violated ethics rules by taking trips that were funded or partially funded by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, observers say. DeLay, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-South Carolina) and Rep....

New legislation seeks overhaul of lobbying regulations (May 4, 2005)

Citing the Jack Abramoff scandal, Democrats are introducing a bill today aimed at overhauling regulations that cover the lobbying of Congress. The bill would ban Congressional trips paid by foreign agents and require organizations that pay for such travel to...

In the Loop Contest: Name that Washington scandal (May 4, 2005)

Win a t-shirt! The In the Loop column of The Washington Post is accepting entries to name the Washington, D.C., scandal that has engulfed disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). "Names ending in -gate, while...