Tribes speak out against McCain's gaming bill (March 23, 2006)

Tribal leaders plan to send a letter to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to formalize their opposition to a proposed overhaul of the $20 billion tribal casino industry. At a meeting organized by the National Indian Gaming Association and the...

Paper examines Indian race relations, civil rights (March 23, 2006)

The Farmington Daily Times continues its five-part series on Indian race relations and civil rights issues in Farmington, New Mexico. The second installment looks into disparities in the justice system. According to data from 2003, Native Americans are only 17...

Jury sees mother confessing to daughter's murder (March 23, 2006)

A jury in Wyoming saw a videotaped confession of Macalia Blackburn admitting to being the killer of her 22-month-old daughter, Marcela Hope Yellowbear. The video was shown by attorneys for Andrew Yellowbear Jr., an Arapaho man accused of murdering Yellowbear....

Man says he stole petroglyphs to protect them (March 23, 2006)

A non-Indian man whose government theft conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court says he removed petroglyphs from federal land in Nevada to protect them. "We didn't do this because we wanted to put them on e-Bay," Carroll Mizell...

Meskwaki Tribe swears in chief for new police force (March 23, 2006)

The Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa swore in its first police chief to head up a new police department. Retired Des Moines Police Lt. Roger Sanders, 56, was hired to oversee five officers being hired with the help of a...

HUD to look into Lumbee housing complaints (March 23, 2006)

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General is meeting with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina next week to discuss complaints about the tribal housing program. Tribal Speaker Lawrence Locklear didn't know the nature of...

Soboba Band sues to protect ancient village (March 23, 2006)

The Soboba Band of Luiseńo Indians filed suit against the city of San Jacinto, California, over a housing development being build on top of an ancient tribal village. The tribe says the city hasn't done enough to protect the 240-acre...

First Nation rescues 99 people from sinking ferry (March 23, 2006)

Members of the Gitk'a'ata First Nation rescued 101 people who were aboard a large ferry that struck a rock and sank early Wednesday morning in Hartley Bay, British Columbia. In the middle of the night, residents of the Native...

Ex-Seminole chief barred from being 'disloyal' to tribe (March 23, 2006)

A settlement between the Seminole Tribe and former chief Jim Billie bars Billie from being "disloyal" to the tribe in exchange for $600,000 and a public apology. The deal means Billie and a non-Indian associate who used to work...

Native protest at construction site continues (March 23, 2006)

Native protesters from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario continued their occupation of a construction site on land they say was stolen from them 200 years ago. The protesters have occupied the site near Caledonia since February 28. They...

Indians in Ecuador march to oppose free-trade deal (March 23, 2006)

About 1,500 Indians marched in Ecuador's capital city of Quito to protest a free-trade deal with the U.S. as the government cracked down on protests elsewhere in the country. A state of emergency in four provinces and two towns...

Tribal business enterprises protected from lawsuit (March 23, 2006)

The Arizona Court of Appeals issued a ruling last month that protects tribal enterprises from lawsuits. A non-Indian family sued the Tohono O'odham Nation's casino for serving alcohol to a man who later caused a fatal accident. The tribe has...

Bad Eagle: Ethnic arrogance in media coverage (March 23, 2006)

"The issue of beliefs has seen an interesting twist recently. A small killer whale wandered off the watery path, and was living alone in the harbor of the small town of Gold River, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Instead of “hunting”...

Supreme Court restricts police search powers (March 23, 2006)

In a 5-3 decision on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the power of police to search the home of a couple without the agreement of both partners. Justice David H. Souter's majority opinion said a search of a couple's...

San Manuel Band to start construction on hotel (March 23, 2006)

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians plans to break ground on a new hotel in Highland, California, this year. The 110-room Hampton Inn & Suites is considered to be the first hotel in Highland. The city has some motels....

Northern Cheyenne Tribe buys land near Bear Butte (March 23, 2006)

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana purchased 36 acres on the west side of sacred Bear Butte in South Dakota. Bear Butte is the birthplace of the Cheyenne people. Tribal members go there to pray, fast and hold ceremonies....

Urban Navajos urged to create Albuquerque chapter (March 23, 2006)

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said Navajos living in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, should form their own chapter. Shirley said a chapter in Albuquerque will alllow urban Navajos to obtain a share of the tribe's funds...

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe awaits recognition (March 23, 2006)

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is awaiting a decision on its 30-year-old petition for federal recognition. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is set to issue a preliminary determination by March 31. A final ruling will be issued in March...

Letter: Mississippi Choctaws not asked about mascot (March 23, 2006)

"The NCAA recently dropped its sanction against Mississippi College’s use of the ‘Choctaws’ name. Many of us were not even aware the Tribal Council passed a resolution to support MC’s use of the name. According to MC’s press release, President...