Native family still wondering about son's death (October 27, 2005)

The family of Russell Turcotte, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, is still wondering about his death more than two years later. Turcotte, 19, disappeared in North Dakota in July 2002. His body was found near...

Senate committee takes up slate of Indian bills (October 27, 2005)

Update 10:42am: After considerable debate, the committee approved S.1057, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments. The committee narrowly rejected an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) to limit a program in Alaska that allows non-dentists to perform irreversible dental...

Sentence deal in Blackfeet murder case rejected (October 27, 2005)

A judge in Montana rejected a sentencing agreement for a man accused of murdering the grandson of a late Blackfeet spiritual leader. As part of a plea deal, Shannon Bullplume, 29, would have served a 28-year sentence with 13 years...

Student's death at BIA dorm ruled a suicide (October 27, 2005)

A 17-year-old student at Navajo Preparatory School in New Mexico committed suicide, The Gallup Independent reports. The male hung himself in his dorm room with a belt, the paper said. A local police lieutenant said the death was being treated...

Louis Jourdain's trial to start November 14 (October 27, 2005)

Louis Jourdain, the son of Red Lake Nation Chairman Floyd Jourdain, will go to trial November 14 for his alleged role in the March 21, 2005, shootings on the reservation. The case is sealed because Jourdain, 17, is charged as...

NCAI ready to descend on Tulsa for annual meet (October 27, 2005)

The National Congress of American Indians is getting ready to hold its 62nd annual conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The conference runs from October 30 through November 4. Nearly 3,000 tribal leaders and tribal members are expected to attend NCAI's first...

NCAA rejects appeal of Newberry 'Indians' (October 27, 2005)

The NCAA refused to take the Newberry College "Indians" off its list of hostile and abusive mascots. The South Carolina college appealed its placement on NCAA's mascot list. Despite being rejected, president Mitchell Zais said the school has no...

Columns: Response to First Nation water crisis (October 27, 2005)

"A couple of ancient chartered airplanes took off from the shores of James Bay yesterday evening, filled with 75 sick and bedraggled passengers who have learned, once again, about Canada's indifference to its native people. The Cree people who left...

Airlift of Cree community in Ontario ordered (October 27, 2005)

The Ontario government declared a state of emergency on the Kashechewan First Nation, a Cree community whose water supply has been contaminated by E. coli, a dangerous bacteria. The province ordered an airlift of over 1,000 residents of the...

Opinion: Changes needed so Natives can succeed (October 27, 2005)

"Canadian taxpayers spend about $10-billion each year for federal and provincial programs aimed at natives. But there is little to show for all that spending: Many reserves continue to exhibit high levels of unemployment, substance abuse and poverty. In some...

Editorial: Native communities still being neglected (October 27, 2005)

"Deplorable. That is what Premier Dalton McGuinty called conditions on the remote Kashechewan Reserve near James Bay as he ordered an emergency airlift of 1,100 of the community's 1,900 native residents to ensure they get the medical treatment they need...

Don't get sick after June, IHS employee warns (October 27, 2005)

GAO Report Excerpt: Comparison of Aberdeen, Oklahoma City and Portland Areas (September 30, 2005) GAO Report: Health Care Services Are Not Always Available to Native Americans (September 30, 2005) Related Story: GAO report finds IHS care subject to limits,...

Two tribes see slow progress after devastating fire (October 27, 2005)

Two tribes who were hit by the devastating Paradise Fire two years ago this month have seen little progress in rebuilding homes, The North County Times reports. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians was the hardest hit. The tribe...

Police shoot, kill man on Hopland Reservation (October 27, 2005)

Sheriff's deputies in Mendocino County, California, shot and killed a man on the Hopland Pomo Reservation on Sunday night. The deputies were attempting to arrest Godfrey Luke John, 41, on a felony domestic violence charge. He was shot and killed...

Proposed highway route runs through sacred site (October 27, 2005)

Parts of a proposed highway in Arizona run through a sacred mountain, The Arizona Republic reports. The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking to build a highway in the Phoenix area. The state is hoping to use land owned by...

White House aide caught in CIA, Abramoff probes (October 27, 2005)

A White House aide is caught at the center of two of Washington's most high-profile investigations: the CIA leak and the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Susan B. Ralston worked for Abramoff at two different firms. She has been interviewed about...

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe to sue state over boundaries (October 27, 2005)

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan plans to sue the state of Michigan to determine the boundaries of the reservation. The tribe claims the state is refusing to recognize all of its land base. A dispute has arisen over who...

Innu Nation finances questioned again (October 27, 2005)

The Innu Nation of Labrador is coming under fire over the way some band leaders are spending money. An accountant hired by the Natuashish band council found numerous problems. Council members took blank checks for travel, took money directly...

Miers withdraws Supreme Court nomination (October 27, 2005)

White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination as U.S. Supreme Court justice this morning. Miers sent a letter to President Bush that outlined objections to her nomination. She said she was concerned that Senate requests for White House documents,...