Cayuga Nation, county reach deal on inspections (May 12, 2005)

The Cayuga Nation and Seneca County, New York, have reached an agreement to allow inspections of the tribe's gas stations. The agreement allows testing of the gas pumps at the LakeSide Trading gas station. It preserves the tribe's sovereignty claim...

Zinc mine near Native villages is major polluter (May 12, 2005)

The Red Dog Mine near two Alaska Native villages released 487 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency reported on Wednesday. The world's largest zinc mine contributed to Alaska's overall toxic release inventory, or TRI, of...

Connecticut governor asked for recognition hearing (May 12, 2005)

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) scheduled the hearing on federal recognition at the request of Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R), The New London Day reports. Rell said she hopes McCain takes action to fix the process. "I told him I...

Familiar problems aired at recognition hearing (May 12, 2005)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee opened hearings into the federal recognition process on Wednesday although debate centered more on the $18.5 billion tribal gaming industry than anything else. Critics from Connecticut came armed with familiar charges of corruption and cronyism...

Jury convicts reservation man of sexual abuse (May 12, 2005)

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a man from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation of sexual abuse. Merlin John Littlesun, 38, assaulted a 20-year-old woman during a party on the reservation. The woman was severely intoxicated and could not remember details...

Burial ground in Wisconsin larger than expected (May 12, 2005)

A burial ground at the site of a construction project in Neenah, Wisconsin, is larger than expected. A total of 15 graves have been discovered so far. Additional graves are believed to be located exactly where the city plans to...

Remains in Nebraska believed to be 2,000 years old (May 12, 2005)

The Nebraska Historical Society has excavated the remains of American Indian believed to be at least 2,000 years old. Two hunters came across the bones about three weeks ago. It was located in an area where other tribal artifacts have...

Marquette University to restart search for nickname (May 12, 2005)

Faced with intense opposition among students and alumni, Marquette University of Wisconsin announced on Wednesday it will restart the search for a new nickname. The quest started when a board of trustees member suggesting bringing back the old "Warriors" name....

Teens arrested for North Dakota reservation fires (May 12, 2005)

Four juveniles have been arrested for starting fires on the Turtle Mountain Ojibwe Reservation in North Dakota. The arrests came after a tribal-state-federal task force looked into 150 grass fires that had been set from January to April of this...

First Nations want private meeting with Queen (May 12, 2005)

Native leaders in Alberta are seeking a private meeting with the Queen of England during her royal visit to Canada. The Queen and Prince Philip will be in Alberta and Saskatchewan this month. They will pay tribute to Native veterans...

Nebraska to celebrate Ponca Chief Standing Bear (May 12, 2005)

The first annual Chief Standing Bear Commemoration Celebration will be held on Friday at the Nebraska State Capitol. Sponsored by the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs and other state agencies, the event will pay tribute to Standing Bear, the Ponca...

Probe launched into alleged slaughter of sled dogs (May 12, 2005)

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is probing allegations that officers slaughtered sled dogs in the 1950s and 1960s as part of a secret policy to make Inuits more reliant on the government. Inuit leaders in northern Quebec and the...

Abenaki Nation recognition bill advances in Vermont (May 12, 2005)

A bill to grant state recognition to the Abenaki Nation of Vermont was approved by a Senate committee on Wednesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill after a legislative lawyer said state recognition would not...

Column: Tribe opens children's learning center (May 12, 2005)

"There is something about a kid's smile that makes you feel good. In this case, the smile belonged to one of nine little guys and gals who were eating their lunch at the O-Gah-Pah Learning Center in Quapaw, Okla. Well,...

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe awarded cleanup grant (May 12, 2005)

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has been awarded a $385,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clean up unauthorized dump sites on the reservation. The tribe will use the money to clean ditches, clear abandoned...

Whitebird, last full-blooded Quapaw, passes at 92 (May 12, 2005)

Funeral services were held on Monday for Robert Whitebird, the last full-blooded male member of the Quapaw Tribe. Whitebird died at a nursing home in Oklahoma. He was 92. Whitebird served as spiritual leader of the tribe for many years....

Senate approves $295B transportation measure (May 12, 2005)

The Senate voted 76-22 on Wednesday to approve a $295 billion transportation bill that exceeds the White House's proposed spending level by $11 billion. President Bush has threatened to veto any package that went over $284 billion. In March, the...