Calif. tribes confront 'dangers' facing gaming (January 15, 2004)

California tribal leaders need to stay united as they confront challenges facing their people in the coming year, the head of the state's largest Indian organization said on Wednesday. Anthony Miranda, chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA),...

Kucinich gains endorsement of Navajo coalition (January 15, 2004)

A Navajo grassroots coalition is endorsing Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) for president. Diné Bidziil (Navajo Strength) organizer Norman Brown said Navajos back Kucinich's call to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. They also cite Kucinich's support for tribal sovereignty. Kucinich...

Ex-tribal college administrator guilty of fraud (January 15, 2004)

A federal jury in Wisconsin found the former administrator of the La Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College guilty of mail fraud. Authorities said Thomas Flaschberger, 53, inflated the number of students eligible for federal student service grants. He faces up...

First Nations leaders meet with new Indian minister (January 15, 2004)

First Nations leaders in Manitoba met with Canada's new Indian Affairs Minister Andy Mitchell on Tuesday. Tribal leaders discussed housing, economic development and treaty rights. Mitchell said he is reviewing the First Nations Governance Act, a proposed overhaul of the...

Wash. study shows high rate of toxins in salmon (January 15, 2004)

A year-long study by the Washington Health Department has confirmed high levels of cancer-causing PCBs in salmon in Puget Sound. The state plans to work with tribes and other governments to disseminate information about the study. Officials, however, don't plan...

Mohawk chief says Que. deal rewarded violent acts (January 15, 2004)

The chief of the Kanesatake Mohawk First Nation who was forced to flee his community says Quebec's public security minister rewarded the protesters who torched his home on Monday. Grand Chief James Gabriel said Quebec's intervention in the dispute doesn't...

USDA suspends support for Indian loan program (January 15, 2004)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency has launched a preliminary review into alleged financial irregularities with an Indian loan program, The Billings Gazette reports. The FSA told the National Tribal Development Association, based in Montana, to stop working...

Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes cite support for Colo. casino (January 15, 2004)

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma are willing to settle treaty claims to 27 million acres of land in Colorado for 500 acres and a casino. The tribes have partnered with the Native American Lands Group, a consortium of...

Drug problem said to be behind reservation drive-bys (January 15, 2004)

A joint tribal-state-federal crackdown on a worsening drug problem is said to have fueled a series of drive-bys on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota. Shots were fired at the homes of tribal police officers, police headquarters and the jail...

Minn. reservation school sees increased enrollment (January 15, 2004)

The Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota will get a new middle school under a bonding proposal announced by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Red Lake superintendent Stuart Desjarlait welcomed the $22.1 million project. More and more families are moving back to the...

Nev. asks court to bury national nuclear waste dump (January 15, 2004)

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard a series of arguments against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada. The state of Nevada asked the court to invalidate federal approval of the facility, which is designed to store...

Wife of tribal foe charged in eco-terror case (January 15, 2004)

The wife of a major opponent of the Makah Nation's whale hunt was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury. Allison Lance Watson faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making...

Braun to end presidential bid and support Dean (January 15, 2004)

Democratic presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun will end her campaign and throw her support behind Howard Dean, The New York Times reports. According to the paper, Braun, a former senator and ambassador, approached Dean after this past Sunday's debate, in...

Adopted man protests exclusion Pechanga Tribe (January 15, 2004)

A man who was adopted as an infant is protesting his temporary exclusion from membership in the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians of California. The tribe has adopted a moratorium on new members in order to ensure the rolls are...

Suquamish Tribe's beachfront damaged by oil spill (January 15, 2004)

The Suquamish Tribe of Washington estimates that it lost several thousand dollars worth of shellfish and has spent more than $1 million for an oil spill. On December 30, 4,800 gallons of heavy fuel oil overflowed from a barge in...

Miccosukee Tribe's case tests Supreme Court justices (January 15, 2004)

Several Supreme Court justices seemed to question on Wednesday whether they should force a water district in Florida to stop pumping dirty water into the Miccosukee Tribe's homelands. According to news reports, a majority were worried about the national implications....

City seeks tribal grant to fund Indian exhibit (January 15, 2004)

The city of Phoenix is applying for a grant from the Gila River Indian Community in hopes of funding a museum exhibit on Indian people. The tribe created a fund using gaming revenues. The city wants to use $1 million...