Appeals court leaves trust accounting to Interior (November 16, 2005)

A federal appeals court blocked a broad historical accounting of the Indian trust on Tuesday, citing the failure of Congress to spell out the federal government's fiduciary obligations. In a unanimous decision, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out...

Judicial activism raised on Oneida Nation case (November 16, 2005)

A lawyer for the Oneida Nation of New York questioned whether the U.S. Supreme Court engaged in judicial activism with its recent decision that went against the tribe. William Taylor said the court in 1985 ruled 5-4 that the tribe...

Leech Lake residents worried about violence (November 16, 2005)

Residents of the Leech Lake Ojibwe Reservation met in Cass Lake, Minnesota, on Tuesday to discuss recent incidents of violence. In recent weeks, three young men have been killed. Residents blamed drugs, gangs and a lack of law enforcement. Leech...

FBI still looking for suspect in Navajo homicides (November 16, 2005)

The FBI is still looking for a fourth suspect in a triple homicide on the Navajo Nation. The FBI says Michael Johnson, 26, may be in a 2005 maroon Mitsubishi Galant with the New Mexico license plate HGY157. Leads...

Court rejects suit against reservation police (November 16, 2005)

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit that accused a police officer for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of negligence. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel said Marques Good Low shared the blame for injuries...

Native Harvest brings Native foods to the table (November 16, 2005)

Native Harvest, the website and marketing arm of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, gives people a "non-European" taste of the world, Dara Moskowitz, the food writer for The Minneapolis City Pages says. Founded by activist Winona LaDuke, Native Harvest...

South Dakota county to redraw voting districts (November 16, 2005)

The Charles Mix County Commission has started the process of redrawing its voting districts after a federal judge said Native voting rights were being violated. The county is home to the Yankton Sioux Tribe. But no Native American has even...

Election fails to resolve Esselen Nation dispute (November 16, 2005)

The Ohlone/Costanoan Esselen Nation of California has a new chairwoman but not everyone is ready to recognize her. Under a court-supervised process, the tribe elected Cari Herthel, a massage therapist, back in August. But former treasurer Phil Greene said he...

Bill to add land to Pechanga Reservation passes (November 16, 2005)

By a voice vote on Tuesday, the House passed a bill to add 991 acres to the Pechanga Reservation in California. H.R.3507 will transfer two parcels from the Bureau of Land Management to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. The...

White House cites cooperation with Abramoff probe (November 16, 2005)

The White House is cooperating with the federal probe into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, two officials told The Washington Post. The White House is involved because a former official, David Safavian, has been indicted for lying to the Senate Indian...

EPA grant to help tribe address lead paint hazards (November 16, 2005)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Colorado River Indian Tribes. CRIT will use the money to address the hazards of lead-based paint. The tribe needs to determine whether children are being exposed to lead at...

Opinion: Something creepy about Federici's CREA (November 16, 2005)

Italia Federici, the president of CREA, will be testifying before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee tomorrow [Witness List]. "There always was something weird about the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA). In fact, this industry front group founded by...

Appreciation: Deloria an influential American (November 16, 2005)

"Some of you may not have heard of Vine Deloria Jr., Sioux, historian, attorney, theologian, best-selling author and Indian rights activist. Or maybe you remember his 1992 suit, along with six other prominent Indians, against the Washington Redskins, just...

Editorial: Deloria contributed to all Americans (November 16, 2005)

"Vine Deloria Jr. was a witty, sometimes acerbic man who reshaped the way Americans think of the First Americans. When he died Sunday in Golden, Colo., at 72, he left a legacy of insight and advocacy that had firmly established...

Art Coulson: Safe journey for Vine Deloria Jr. (November 16, 2005)

"A warrior of the people has walked on to meet his Creator. Vine Deloria Jr., a visionary Lakota scholar who passed away in Colorado on Sunday at age 72, was equal parts prod and hero to my generation of American...

Editorial: Deloria changed how America views Indians (November 16, 2005)

"When asked "Didn't you used to be Vine Deloria Jr.?" Deloria, the noted Native American scholar, once quipped, "I say I gave that up because it didn't pay." It was vintage Deloria, using humor to make a point. The writer...

Indian Country: In memoriam Vine Deloria Jr. (November 16, 2005)

"Burn tobacco today for the wonderful spirit of Vine Deloria Jr., who passed into the world of the ancestors Nov. 13. Our sincerest condolences and warmest embrace reach out to his family and dear friends, and a great commiseration is...

Rick Williams: On the passing of Vine DeLoria Jr. (November 16, 2005)

Richard B. Williams, Oglala Lakota, is the president of the American Indian College Fund in Denver, Colorado. Vine Deloria was a wonderfully gifted Lakota man who quite possibly saved Indian people from extinction. His writings advanced a strong positive argument...