Opinion: Media issues on anniversary of Red Lake (March 21, 2006)

"March 21 will mark the one-year anniversary of the Red Lake Reservation high school shootings that left ten people dead, including the gunman, sixteen-year-old Jeff Weise. Bemidji State University, where I teach journalism, is in a small resort town of...

Ex-Leader: Passamaquoddy Tribe almost bankrupt (March 21, 2006)

A former leader of the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine says the tribe is teetering on the "edge" of bankruptcy. Former Lt. Gov. Eddie Bassett said money the tribe received as part of an $80 million land claims settlement over 20...

Tribal issues put Kempthorne in hot seat at Interior (March 21, 2006)

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R) has yet to go before the Senate for his confirmation hearings but he faces some pretty hot debates as the nation's next Interior Secretary. Off-reservation gaming, land-into-trust, federal recognition, tribal lobbying and the Cobell lawsuit...

Man charged for reservation drug trafficking (March 21, 2006)

A man from Canada has been charged in federal court for using the Colville Reservation in Washington to transport large quantities of marijuana and pills. Kevin Haughton, 41, was arrested by tribal police last week. He is believed to be...

Border tribes face threats from migrants, drug trade (March 21, 2006)

Undocumented immigrants and drug trafficking pose major threats to sacred areas and cultural sites along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a new report from a federal environmental board. In its ninth annual report, the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, a panel...

Tragedy at Red Lake: One year after deadly shootings (March 21, 2006)

Today is the first anniversary of the March 21, 2005, shootings on the Red Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. Nine people were killed by shooter Jeff Weise, 16, before he turned the gun on himself. His first victims were his...

Another Pechanga family faces removal from tribe (March 21, 2006)

Another large family faces removal from the wealthy Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in southern California. The Hunters, a family of more than 90 adults, were informed last week of their pending disenrollment. They have 60 days to appeal the...

Creek Freedmen see opening in citizenship dispute (March 21, 2006)

Freedmen of the Muscogee Creek Nation say a recent tribal court ruling could bolster their claims for citizenship. Two Creek Freedmen sued the tribe when their citizenship applications were denied after 20 years of waiting. They say they qualify...

Democrats, Republicans at odds over tobacco tax (March 21, 2006)

Democrats and Republicans in New York are at odds over the collection of state taxes on the reservation. Outgoing Gov. George Pataki (R) delayed the tax in hopes of coming to agreements with the state's tribes. But attorney general Eliot...

Yellow Bird: Farewell to Pearl, my aunt and mother (March 21, 2006)

"As I write this, I can see the season changing. Soon, green and warmth will cover the prairie. There is change in my personal world, too. Marion Pearl Howard, my aunt and mother - that is, my traditional Indian mother...

Editorial: If Indians won't pay tobacco tax, get rid of it (March 21, 2006)

"Gristedes makes a good point in a lawsuit it filed yesterday, nudging Albany to make vendors on Indian reservations pay cigarette taxes: Giving the Indians a free ride on the taxes is not only unfair to other retailers - it's...

Indian law subject of at South Dakota symposium (March 21, 2006)

The University of South Dakota School of Law is hosting the ninth Biennial Indian Law Symposium on March 30-31. The theme of the symposium is "Brightening the Outlook of Indian Youth." Panels will focus on juvenile justice, education in Indian...

Woman in custody fight claims Chippewa heritage (March 21, 2006)

A Texas physician on trial for breaking child custody orders is claiming to be a part of the Pembina Little Shell Band of Chippewa, an unrecognized group that has landed in legal trouble throughout the nation. Elizabeth Rohr fired her...

Chippewa leader seeks broader enrollment criteria (March 21, 2006)

Kevin Leecy, the chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, wants the Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota to expand its membership requirements. The Chippewa Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with six distinct bands that each have their own recognition....

Agua Caliente leader joins Palm Springs Walk of Stars (March 21, 2006)

Ray Leonard Patencio, a longtime leader and elder from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, joined the Palm Springs Walk of Stars last week. At a March 15 ceremony, Patencio, 60, was honored with the 267th star on...

San Manuel Band reaches deal with county over road (March 21, 2006)

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has reached a deal with San Bernardino County over access to a county road. The tribe agrees to use the road only for residential access. The road leads to a new 40-unit tribal...

Tribes to lose 760 officers due to loss of COPS grants (March 21, 2006)

Tribes nationwide will lose nearly 760 police officers due to the loss of their Community Orientated Policing Services (COPS) grants. The COPS program is handled by the Department of Justice. Typically, the grants only run for three years. After the...

Oneida Nation signs property tax agreement with city (March 21, 2006)

The Oneida Nation and the city of Oneida, New York, signed an agreement to settle the tribe's property tax bill. The tribe was refusing to pay property taxes on ancestral properties. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in March...

Thousands expected for Indian protest in Ecuador (March 21, 2006)

As many as 7,000 Indians are expected to march on Quito, the capitol of Ecuador, to protest free trade talks with the United States. The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador staged major blockades across the country last week....

Rumsey Band swears in new chairman, tribal council (March 21, 2006)

The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians in California swore in a new chairman and four council members this past Saturday. Marshall McKay was elected in January. He replaces longtime chairwoman Paula Lorenzo. He said he isn't planning on making...

Thlopthlocco Tribal Town accused of padding rolls (March 21, 2006)

The Thlopthlocco Tribal Town in Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe, is being accused of padding its rolls in order to obtain more federal funds. David Yargee, a tribal member and former enrollment commission official, said the tribe's membership has doubled...

Kempthorne offered DOI post on day of nomination (March 21, 2006)

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R) was offered the Interior Secretary job on the morning of Thursday, March 16, Bloomberg News reports. He went to the White House in the afternoon for the announcement. "I did not wake up this morning...

Giago: Oglala Sioux president on state abortion law (March 21, 2006)

"When Governor Mike Rounds signed HB 1215 into law it effectively banned all abortions in the state with the exception that it did allow saving the mother’s life. There were, however, no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. His...