Editorial: Mississippi Hiding (June 23, 2005)

"You have to be ruthless. You can't be nice to these people." -- C. Bryant Rogers, outside counsel for Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. June 22, 2005. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are an American success story. After...

Land returned to Seneca Nation under settlement (June 23, 2005)

The Seneca Nation won the return of 51.3 acres under a land claim settlement with the state of New York The tribe went to court 20 years ago for the return of land on Cuba Island. U.S. District Judge John...

Committee report on horizon in tribal lobbying scandal (June 23, 2005)

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) at Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing. June 22, 2005. Photo © NSM. Indianz.Com Listening Lounge: Note: All files are in MP3 format. Intro - 28:06 - 11.2MBIntroductory Statements Panel...

Column: Wasichus testify on lobbying scandal (June 23, 2005)

"In three hours yesterday, [Sen. Byron] Dorgan and John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, quizzed witnesses on what the lawmakers described as an elaborate web of fraud and greed -- 'even by Washington standards,' as Dorgan...

Mississippi Choctaws focus of Senate lobbying hearing (June 23, 2005)

Indianz.Com Listening Lounge: Note: All files are in MP3 format. Intro - 28:06 - 11.2MBIntroductory Statements Panel I - 24:51 - 9:95MBPanel I Testimony Q&A - 34:05 - 13.6MBPanel I Questions and Answers Panel II - 11:08 - 4.46MBPanel...

Graves uncovered at work site in Rhode Island (June 23, 2005)

The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island met with state and local officials on Tuesday to discuss the discovery of two historic graves at a $6.5 million sewer-construction site. The talks led the Warwick Sewer Authority to seek a state permit...

Former residential school to be turned into museum (June 23, 2005)

A former residential school building in Manitoba will be turned into a museum by the Long Plains First Nation. Chief Dennis Meeches said a museum is needed to document the boarding school experience and begin the healing process. The museum's...

Pala Band claims small victory in landfill fight (June 23, 2005)

The Pala Band of Mission Indians claimed victory on Wednesday when an air-quality permit application for a controversial landfill was canceled. The tribe has been fighting the proposed Gregory Canyon dump for several years. The landfill would be located be...

Blackfeet Nation council removes chairman (June 23, 2005)

For the second time in the past two years, William "Allen" Talks About has been removed as chairman of the Blackfeet Nation council. Talks About was accused of mismanaging tribal funds, interfering with tribal court proceedings, ignoring tribal council directives,...

Editorial: Shinnecock Nation right to file claim (June 23, 2005)

"In 1703, the Town of Southampton leased 3,600 acres to the Shinnecocks for 1,000 years. But, in keeping with the perfidy of governments in dealing with indigenous people, that didn't even last 200 years. In 1859, to make way for...

All-Native basketball tournament kicks off (June 23, 2005)

The third annual Native American Basketball Invitational, the largest all-Native tournament of its kind, kicked off in Arizona this week. More than 60 teams are registered to compete. Early games are being held by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community...

Wildfire prompts evacuation of Soboba Reservation (June 23, 2005)

A brush fire that burned more than 2,000 acres as of late Wednesday forced a voluntary evacuation of the Soboba Reservation in southern California. The Soboba Fire spread quickly after igniting yesterday afternoon. It came within several thousand yards...

Seminole Nation opposes FSU's 'Seminoles' mascot (June 23, 2005)

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma opposes the use of Florida State University''s use of "Seminoles" as a nickname and mascot, council member David Narcomey said. Narcomey said the Seminole Nation's council plans to pass a resolution opposing the mascot....

Editorial: Deadline needed for deal on trust land (June 23, 2005)

"The measure of just how frustrating government-to-government negotiations can be is when the first side blinks. In the case of talks between the Chumash tribe and county government about development of land near the tribe's casino, it would seem the...

Tulalip Tribes want work at state park halted (June 23, 2005)

The Tulalip Tribes asked the state of Washington on Wednesday to halt work at the new Cama Beach State Park so the tribe can buy the land and preserve it. The tribe says the park was a Tulalip village occupied...

Police still looking into Native girl's disappearance (June 23, 2005)

Police in Regina, Saskatchewan, have assigned six new investigators to look into the disappearance of Tamra Keepness, who went missing nearly a year ago. Keepness was five years old when she last seen at her home on July 5,...

Column: Bill creates 'tribe' of Native Hawaiians (June 23, 2005)

"Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) has introduced a bill called the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, S.147. Akaka wants to extend the government's policy of self-governance and self-determination to Native Hawaiians. He, and fellow Hawaiian Senator Inouye intend to...

Kosher meat plant taps into Pine Ridge workforce (June 23, 2005)

A kosher meat plant in Nebraska hopes to draw 40 to 50 workers from the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The Local Pride firm is working with the Oglala Oyate Woitancan Empowerment Zone and the Oglala Sioux Tribe's...

House ethics chairman said to consider stepping down (June 23, 2005)

The chairman of the House ethics committee might quit his post over the Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) controversy, The New York Times reports. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Washington) is said to have grown tired of the stalemate with Democrats over...

Wampanoag Tribe wants sacred site protected (June 23, 2005)

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is hoping it can work out an agreement to protect a sacred site threatened by a housing development. The tribe doesn't think the development can be halted but wants to preserve the site, located...

Oneida Nation in talks with Pataki over land claim (June 23, 2005)

The Oneida Nation is in talks with New York Gov. George Pataki (R) to settle the tribe's 250,000-acre land claim, representative Ray Halbritter said on Wednesday. A date for the first meeting hasn't been set, a tribal spokesperson said....

Klamath Tribes hold out for restored reservation (June 23, 2005)

After being terminated in 1954, the Klamath Tribes of Oregon won restoration as a federally recognized tribe on August 27, 1986. Termination had created deep divisions with the tribe, led to high poverty and unemployment and contributed to a higher...