Obama takes blame for failed Daschle nomination (February 4, 2009)
President Barack Obama took responsibility for the failed nomination of former Sen. Tom Daschle to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Obama said he "screwed up" by supporting Daschle despite the nominee's tax issues. He...
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Two former MMS officials sentenced to probation (February 4, 2009)
Two former officials from the scandal-ridden Minerals Management Service were sentenced to probation this week in separate cases. Donald Howard, 59, a former supervisor, pleaded guilty for failing to report a $2,500 hunting trip he received from an oil industry...
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Yurok Tribe works to improve emergency response (February 4, 2009)
The Yurok Tribe of California is working with federal and local agencies to improve its emergency response plan. The reservation was hit by a major flood in late December 2005. It affected the water supply, caused mudslides and damaged fish-monitoring...
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Turtle Talk: Major Crimes Act challenge rejected (February 4, 2009)
"Here is the unpublished Ninth Circuit opinion. An excerpt: Section 2241(c), as applied to Sandcrane, does not violate the Equal Protection Clause, as it does not discriminatorily classify Native Americans on its face. See City of Cleburne, Tex. v. Cleburne...
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Alaska accused of failing to provide Yup'ik voter help (February 4, 2009)
The Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union say the state of Alaska has failed to live up to a court order to provide assistance to Yup'ik speaking voters. The state agreed to make changes to its...
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Indian lawmakers in Montana discuss priorities (February 4, 2009)
Montana's nine Indian lawmakers said economic recovery and job creation are their top priorities, The Great Falls Tribune reported. The lawmakers represent all of the state's reservations. "We represent the communities of Montana with the highest unemployment rates, the poorest...
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Indian Affairs Committee agenda and witness list (February 4, 2009)
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee holds a business meeting and oversight hearing tomorrow. Three items are on the agenda for the business meeting. They are: 1. Selection of the Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Committee 2. Adoption of...
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Nine-year-old girl dies in fire on Manitoba reserve (February 4, 2009)
The Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba is mourning the death of a nine-year-old girl, whose overcrowded home was destroyed by a fire on Monday night. Chief Russell Beaulieu said 15 people lived in the old wood-frame home. He...
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Former Mille Lacs executive charged in tribal court (February 4, 2009)
Melanie Benjamin, the former chief executive of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota, says charges against her in tribal court are frivolous. Benjamin was ousted last year amid allegations of improper use of tribal funds for work done at...
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Conference focuses on family violence and trauma (February 4, 2009)
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut is hosting its first conference on family violence and child trauma. Charlene Jones, a tribal council member, said violence is common in Indian Country. She said high rates of alcoholism and poverty contribute...
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Absentee Shawnee Tribe to build $20M health center (February 4, 2009)
The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will break ground on a $20 million health care center. The tribe is jointly funding the 70,000-square-foot with the Indian Health Service. it will provide diagnostic, pharmacy, dental, eye care, diabetes, health education,...
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Retaliation case against Viejas Band dismissed (February 4, 2009)
A former employee for the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians won't be able to pursue claims that he was fired after he complained about a tribal elder. Jamal Kanj filed a retaliation claim with the Department of Labor. A review...
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Cherokee Nation seeks to end Freedmen dispute (February 4, 2009)
The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma filed suit in federal court on Tuesday, seeking to end a dispute over the status of the Freedmen. The tribe changed its constitution to deny citizenship to the Freedmen, who are the descendants of...
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Column: Lobbyists scorned in Obama administration (February 4, 2009)
"Lobbyists are the Hester Prynnes of Barack Obama's Washington, scorned for the sins of a complicit city. One member of this reviled class, Heather Podesta, went so far as to distribute brocade patches embroidered with a scarlet "L" to her...
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Column: Daschle a symbol of what's wrong with DC (February 4, 2009)
"Tom Daschle still doesn't get it. John Thain never did. Barack Obama gets it sometimes, Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner not so much. Corporate executives think they get it but aren't even close. College presidents, governors and union leaders, for...
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Yellow Bird: Honest leadership in Washington (February 4, 2009)
"I was saddened to hear that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle won’t have a say in health care issues. On Tuesday, Daschle withdrew his name from consideration to be secretary of health and human services. The former South...
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