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Two big rulings awaited from Supreme Court (June 24, 2008)

Update: Both rulings were issued on Wednesday. • Supreme Court reverses tribal jurisdiction ruling (6/25) • Supreme Court cuts down Exxon oil spill damages (6/25) As the U.S. Supreme Court winds down its current term, Indian Country awaits two big...

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe holds special election (June 24, 2008)

Voters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe rejected a name change but approved a new membership standard in special election on June 11. A proposal to rename the tribe as the Standing Rock Oyate was rejected by 337-225. Oyate means...

Alaska Native corporation working on mega-mall (June 24, 2008)

Cook Inlet Region Inc., an Alaska Native regional corporation, continues work on a large mall in Anchorage. CIRI has been developing the 95-acre Tikahtnu Commons Mall. When complete, it will feature a Target, Kohl's, Best Buy, Sports Authority and Lowe's....

Blackfeet fire crews battle blazes in California (June 24, 2008)

Fire crews from the Blackfeet Nation of Montana are off to work in California. The 40 men and women left the reservation on Sunday. Fire fighters said they were ready for the challenge. "It's in your blood. It gets...

County sheriff faces charges in Crow tribal court (June 24, 2008)

The sheriff in Big Horn County, Montana, faces domestic violence and other charges in Crow tribal court. Lawrence "Pete" Big Hair, a member of the Crow Tribe, is accused of three charges of partner assault. His estranged wife, Caroline...

Ex-BIA official cites need for law enforcement (June 24, 2008)

Steve Juneau, a former special agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, says Indian Country is in desperate need of law enforcement. Juneau, who now works for Lamar Associates, says federal funding only meets 44 percent of the staffing needs...

New Mexico tribe to co-manage Army Corps lake (June 24, 2008)

Cochiti Pueblo is the first tribe in New Mexico to sign a cooperative management agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The tribe will co-manage the Cochiti Lake Recreation Area. The Army Corps build a dam and lake entirely...

Judge orders evidence search in Aquash murder case (June 24, 2008)

A magistrate judge has ordered federal prosecutors to search for more evidence in the murder of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash. Magistrate Veronica Duffy wants the government to locate underwear and a sanitary napkin found on Aquash...

Cherokee Nation loses tobacco arbitration ruling (June 24, 2008)

An arbitration panel has ruled against the Cherokee Nation in a tobacco tax dispute with the state of Oklahoma. The tribe sought a lower tobacco tax rate under the "Most Favored Nations" clause of its compact with the state. The...

Navajo Nation Council targets tribe's top lawyer (June 24, 2008)

A measure making its way through the Navajo Nation Council seeks to remove the Navajo Nation's top lawyer. Louis Denetsosie has served as attorney general since 2003. Council delegates have tried to remove him twice in the past. The latest...

Twins put together Native women's calendar (June 24, 2008)

Identical twins Shannon and Shauna Baker want the world to know that Native women are beautiful and talented. The Baker Twins put together the BT Girls calendar to represent Native women in Canada and the U.S. The calendar features...

Troubled tribal college given another deadline (June 24, 2008)

D-Q University in California could be in danger of losing its land if it doesn't start functioning as an educational institution by September 27. A letter from the General Services Administration states that the land has to be used for...

Seneca Nation to release economic impact study (June 24, 2008)

The Seneca Nation of New York will be releasing an economic impact study today, The Dunkirk Evening Observer reports. The title of the study is "The Seneca Nation Economy: Its Foundations, Size and Impact On New York State and the...

Blog: Author of opinion in tribal jurisdiction case (June 24, 2008)

The SCOTUS Blog offers "wild" speculation on the author of the opinion in Plains Commerce Bank v. Long, one of few remaining cases the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to decide. Based on the month the case was heard (April)...

Supreme Court won't hear border fence lawsuit (June 24, 2008)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a lawsuit over the construction of a border fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club sued the Department of Homeland Security for waiving dozens...

California county sheriff appoints tribal liaison (June 24, 2008)

Alex Tortes, a member of the Torres-Martinez Band of Desert Cahuilla Indians, will serve as interim tribal liaison for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in California. Tortes worked for the department for 33 years before he retired in 2006. He...

Chad Smith: Responding to Cherokee issues (June 24, 2008)

"Thank you for allowing me to respond to some issues with the Cherokee Nation that have recently been of concern to letter writers who have made assertions based on error or lack of facts. First, the name of Sequoyah Schools...