California tribes honor 106 high school graduates (May 26, 2005)

The Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association honored 106 high school graduates at a ceremony on Tuesday night. The number of graduates was the most in the 11 years the tribes have been holding the ceremony. The 108 students represent 18...

Editorial: Congress should look at all lobbyist cash (May 26, 2005)

"Power corrupts, and Washington has never been short of proof for that adage, no matter which side of the political aisle has been in power. But the money-for-influence scandals now bubbling inside the Beltway may prove to be in a...

Gaming leads to new concerns about lobbyists (May 26, 2005)

Lobbyists who try to sway decisions at the Interior Department are under heightened scrutiny due to the expansion of the $18.5 billion and growing Indian gaming industry. The stakes are high as tribes and their backers lobby for favorable decisions...

Cherokee Nation threatens county over UKB trust (May 26, 2005)

Commissioners in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, are refusing to pull their support for the United Keetoowah Band despite a threat from the Cherokee Nation. On May 16, the commissioners passed a resolution in favor of the UKB's land-into-trust application. The action...

Senate committee debates U.S. apology resolution (May 26, 2005)

Indianz.Com Listening Lounge: Note: These are all MP3 files. Introduction - 2:10 - 889kOpening Statement by Sen. John McCain Sen. Sam Brownback - 9:17 - 3.71MBTestimony by sponsor of resolution Panel I - 33:30 - 13.4MB Testimony by Tex...

Red Lake Nation joins in opening of family center (May 26, 2005)

The Red Lake Nation of Minnesota will dedicate a new center to provide treatment to victims of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. The Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota is a joint project of the tribe, North Country...

Search continues for three missing Cree teens (May 26, 2005)

Three young members of the Sapotaweyak (Shoal River) Cree Nation are still missing after they failed to return from a canoe trip on Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba. Cousins Curtis, Elijah and Rodney Brass haven't been seen since last Friday....

Native man found guilty of 13-year-old murder (May 26, 2005)

A Canadian Native man was found guilty on Wednesday in a 13-year-old murder case that attracted international attention. Clifford Sleigh was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping in the 1992 death of Corrine Gustavson. Corrine, who...

Native gang linked to attempted murder case (May 26, 2005)

Four men who are said to have ties with a Native gang in Saskatchewan are awaiting a verdict on attempt murder charges. The men accused of shooting 30-year-old Garnet Ponace last September are said to be linked to the Native...

Repeal of Boston's anti-Indian law a lengthy effort (May 26, 2005)

The effort to repeal a 330-year-old law that bars Native Americans from entering the city of Boston unless accompanied by "musketeers" was a long time in the making, said John Sam Sapiel, a member of the Penobscot Nation. Sapiel, a...

Wampanoag woman dedicates life to reviving language (May 26, 2005)

Jessie "Little Doe" Baird, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, is leading the effort to revive the long-dormant language of her people. When she started out a dozen years ago, Baird didn't know anything about Wampanoag, which...

Reservation water project seeks more funds (May 26, 2005)

A water project that will benefit three reservations and nine counties in rural South Dakota needs more funds, a water manager says. The House has passed a bill to provide $22 million for the Mni Wiconi "Water is Life" project....

Santee Sioux students start their own business (May 26, 2005)

Students on the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska have started their own business, selling Indian-made products to other schools, tribes and even on eBay. Warriorz.Biz is an ongoing project at the Santee Community School. It started in 2001 as a...

Boys captured by Indians in 1850s learned a lot (May 26, 2005)

Two Spanish boys in south Texas who were kidnapped by Indians in the late 1850s returned home four years later with a lot of knowledge, their descendants say. Claudio Canales was about 14 years old and Esteban Ramos was about...

Crow Tribe walks 166 miles to combat diabetes (May 26, 2005)

Members of the Crow Tribe of Montana walked a total of 166 miles in an effort to combat diabetes and encourage healthy lifestyles. Young and old participated in the Spirit of the Four Winds Walk. It began on Monday...

Tulalip Tribes new outlet mall draws a lot of traffic (May 26, 2005)

Consumers are flocking to the Tulalip Tribes' new outlet mall but they are also contributing to traffic headaches along a major interstate highway in Washington. The Seattle Premium Outlets opened earlier this month, just days after the state removed an...

Indian youth in Bolivian city embrace hip-hop (May 26, 2005)

Indian youth in the Bolivian city of El Alto have turned to hip-hop to express their pride, speak out against discrimination and vent about their treatment by the government. Rapping in Aymara, their traditional language, and Spanish, the youth take...

State to look for more remains at construction site (May 26, 2005)

The state of Washington will take at least two weeks to excavate a construction site to determine if any more tribal ancestors are buried there. The dig will occur under an agreement reached with the Stillaguamish Tribe. At least three...

Editorial: More communication needed with tribes (May 26, 2005)

"For almost 3,000 years, the Klallam people have inhabited the northern Washington coast, and it took a $60 million decision to halt a state construction project for anyone to notice. One of the marvels of Seattle Times reporter Lynda...

Miccosukee Tribe still fighting state on Everglades (May 26, 2005)

The Miccosukee Tribe is still fighting the state of Florida on the $8.4 billion cleanup of the Everglades despite winning numerous court rulings. The tribe is asking a federal judge to find that the state is continuing to pollute the...

Key Civil Rights Commission office being closed (May 26, 2005)

The U.S. Civil Rights Commission will close its Denver, Colorado, office in October amid a budget crisis. The Denver office oversees 60 reservations in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. It has been responsible for...

Narragansett Tribe denies deal on smoke shop (May 26, 2005)

The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island has not reached any sort of agreement regarding its shuttered smoke shop, a lawyer said. The tribe plans to reopen the smoke shop as soon as the state exhausts its legal appeals, attorney Jack...

Brazilian tribe said to be threatened by loggers (May 26, 2005)

Another Brazilian tribe is said to be in danger due to encroachment on its territory by loggers. The Jururei Tribe is believed to have as few as 8 members. The government considers them "uncontacted" because they have not been studied...

BLM imposes new rules on sales of wild horses (May 26, 2005)

The Bureau of Land Management will resume sales of wild horses and burros after issuing new rules that require buyers not to "knowingly sell or transfer ownership" to anyone who plans to slaughter the animals. The rules were drafted...

Senate confirms first nominee under compromise (May 26, 2005)

The Senate voted 55 to 43 on Wednesday to confirm Texas judge Priscilla R. Owen to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Owen is the first judge to receive an up-or-down vote under a compromise reached by a bipartisan...