More rule-making in store for Indian Country (May 17, 2005)

Dozens of new rules and regulations covering everything from trust funds to background checks of tribal casino employees are being considered by the Bush administration, according to documents published on Monday. In their semiannual reports, the Interior Department and the...

Commentary: Acoma Pueblo survived holocaust (May 17, 2005)

"How does a tribe survive an attempted annihilation? How does a nation of people survive a holocaust? Oñate burned and destroyed the village of Acoma. The place where the colonizer's church, San Estevan del Rey, stands today is the...

Atlas details heart disease, stroke in Indian Country (May 17, 2005)

• PDF: Heart Disease Death Rates • PDF: Stroke Death RatesSource: Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Among American Indians and Alaska Natives Heart disease is now the leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives, federal health...

Shirley cites major opposition to gay marriage ban (May 17, 2005)

An "unprecedented" number of people supported his veto of a bill to ban same-sex marriage, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said on Monday. On the other hand, Shirley said no one has called or e-mailed his office in favor...

Editorial: Reform of recognition process needed (May 17, 2005)

"Last week's decision reversing the recognitions of the Eastern Pequot and the Schaghticoke tribes is an encouraging sign that some legally defined standards have returned to the often-contentious process. But the rules governing recognition, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs...

Few Natives in college or professional basketball (May 17, 2005)

Native girls and boys teams win basketball championships in many Western states but very few are seen on the college court and even fewer on the professional circuit. According to The Denver Post, fewer than 0.5 percent of male and...

Editorial: Indian entrepreneurs headed on right path (May 17, 2005)

"Economic development long has been seen as an important building block for Indian reservations. Only in the past several years, though, has the focus turned to home-grown businesses - Native American entrepreneurs. And now, we're at the logical extension of...

Churchill claims membership in United Keetowah Band (May 17, 2005)

Controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill is Indian, his lawyer says in 50-page response delivered to a school committee on Monday. Lawyer David Lane said Churchill meets three standards for being Indian: self-identification, community acceptance and tribal enrollment. A...

Critics call recent Cayuga Nation election a fraud (May 17, 2005)

The Cayuga Nation's recent election of a pro-gaming slate of leaders is rife with fraud, critics say. Assemblyman Jim Brennan (D) is investigating Empire Resorts' involvement in the election. "It's shameful they should be involved in intervening in the internal...

Crow Tribe signs oil and gas development deal (May 17, 2005)

The Crow Tribe of Montana signed a deal with an independent energy exploration company look for oil and gas on the reservation. The lease with Golden Arrow Energy covers 7,680 acres in an area known as Squaw Creek. The tribe...

Men hope to preserve Sitting Bull's burial site (May 17, 2005)

Two South Dakota men hope to preserve the site where the famous Sioux leader Sitting Bull is buried. Bryan Defender and Rhett Albers bought the 40-acre site in Mobridge last month. They plan to provide 24-hour security and clean up...

Native students upset over handling of artifacts (May 17, 2005)

Native students at Kansas University are leading an effort to improve the handling and care of more than 5,000 tribal artifacts at the school. Carla Feathers, Pawnee/Cherokee, told The Lawrence Journal-World that state of the collection is "really saddening." She...

White Earth man fatally shot by sheriff's deputies (May 17, 2005)

Two sheriff's deputies in Clearwater County, Minnesota, are on administrative leave after fatally shooting a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in an incident on the reservation. Franklin Brown, 21, died at the scene. He is said to...

Cahuilla man blends Catholic and tribal traditions (May 17, 2005)

Being and Indian and a Catholic can be a challenge but Mike Madrigal, member of the Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians, finds a way to blend both traditions. Madrigal is the lay minister at St. Joseph's Soboba Mission Catholic Church...

Cabazon Band not planning to liquidate some assets (May 17, 2005)

The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians is not planning to liquidate some of its assets, leaders of the financially-strapped California tribe tell Indian Country Today. On May 7, The Palm Springs Desert Sun reported that the tribe was planning to...

FSU defends use of 'Seminole' mascot in NCAA letter (May 17, 2005)

Florida State University has submitted a three-page letter to the NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee that defends the school's "Seminole" name and Chief Osceola and Renegade mascots. The letter says the Seminole Tribe endorses the name and mascots....

Factions of San Pasqual Band dispute recall of leaders (May 17, 2005)

Two factions of the San Pasqual Band Of Mission Indians are disputing the result of a recall election on Sunday in which three top leaders were ousted. One faction claims they recalled Chairman Allen Lawson Secretary-Treasurer Angela Martinez-McNeal and Councilman...

Former Catawba Nation official given probation (May 17, 2005)

Wanda George-Warren, the former executive director of the Catawba Nation was sentenced to two years probation on Monday for stealing more than $24,000 from the South Carolina tribe. George-Warren, a tribal member, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of embezzlement....

Lobbyists 'integral' to GOP operation in House (May 17, 2005)

Lobbyists are an "integral part" of the Republican operation in the House, The Washington Post reports in a profile of House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Missouri). Blunt has organized a coalition of lawmakers and lobbyists who count votes on...

Senate showdown on Bush judicial nominees nears (May 17, 2005)

The Senate is nearing a showdown over President Bush's controversial judicial nominees after talks between Republican and Democrat leaders ended on Monday. Republicans want to force a vote on several nominees, including Bill Myers for a spot on the 9th...

Tribe in Brazil said to be under attack by loggers (May 17, 2005)

A remote tribe in the Amazon is in danger of being wiped out by loggers in Brazil, the rights group Survival International said on Monday. The tribe in the Rio Pardo area has been forced to flee because loggers are...

Yellow Bird: 'Fighting Sioux' doesn't honor Indians (May 17, 2005)

"Sometimes at work or in the greater Grand Forks community, I am amazed at the limited knowledge local people have of tribes in our region. So I wasn't surprised at how little Don Barcome Jr. [Opinion] seemed to know about...

Tim Giago: Many 'wannabe' tribes seek recognition (May 17, 2005)

"With untold millions of dollars waiting in the wings it should go without saying that many groups of people identifying themselves as “Indian” are filing for federal recognition as Indian tribes. It’s getting kind of scary out there. There is...

Complaint drafted for Ney's role in Tigua scam (May 17, 2005)

A watchdog group that prepared the ethics complaint against House Majority DeLay (R-Texas) and is suing the National Indian Gaming Commission for information about the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal has prepared another complaint against Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) for his...