Bush to nominate Rice as Secretary of State (November 16, 2004)

President Bush plans to nominate National security adviser Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State as early as today, according to news reports. Rice would replace Colin Powell, who announced his resignation on Monday after a meeting with Bush on Friday....

Religious group wins case tied to peyote use (November 16, 2004)

A religious group that drew criticism for comparing itself to the Native American Church won a key court decision on Friday allowing its practitioners the use of a hallucinogenic tea deemed illegal by federal authorities. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao...

Yellow Bird: The most terrifying snowstorm ever (November 16, 2004)

"'The weather is absolutely perfect,' I told my sister, as we drove east on U.S. Highway 2 last weekend. We nearly swooned: What a beautiful place Minnesota can be in the fall, with the trees and vegetation a symphony of...

Northern Cheyenne Tribe inducts new president (November 16, 2004)

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana inaugurated Eugene Little Coyote as president on Monday. At age 32, Little Coyote is said to be one of youngest to serve in the position. His grandfather was elected president at age 31. Little...

Crow Creek Sioux Tribe's schools falling apart (November 16, 2004)

Students on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation in South Dakota attend schools that have been rated as a threat to life. The high school on the reservation is considered one of the worst. The gym has been condemned, the walls...

Mankiller promotes new book of indigenous women (November 16, 2004)

Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected as chief of the Cherokee Nation, is promoting a new book on indigenous women. For "Every Day is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women," Mankiller compiled the thoughts of 19 Native...

Request for Whiteclay liquor license delayed (November 16, 2004)

A decision on a man's second request for a liquor license in Whiteclay, Nebraska, near the Pine Ridge Reservation, has been delayed for at least a week. Nebraskans for Peace and other community members testified against the license before the...

Eastern tribes weigh creation of own college (November 16, 2004)

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $32,000 grant to the New England Board of Higher Education to study the creation of a college that will serve Eastern tribes. The grant will be carried out in part...

Yakama Nation drops plans for destination resort (November 16, 2004)

The Yakama Nation of Washington has dropped plans to develop a destination resort, citing a potential negative impact on the environment. The tribe considered building a ski area, three golf courses, a casino, a restaurant and 2,500 lodging units. The...

Canada slashes Native anti-smoking funds (November 16, 2004)

Canada's health department has reduced funds for First Nation anti-smoking programs in Manitoba, where an estimated 65 percent of Natives smoke. Health Canada was set to distribute more than $500,000 for tobacco cessation programs. But the department will only give...

Reid to succeed Daschle as Senate minority leader (November 16, 2004)

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, will be named the Senate minority leader by the Democrats today. Reid, 64, has drawn controversy for pushing a bill to distribute a $130 million trust fund to...

Pataki cites sovereignty in veto of Indian tax bill (November 16, 2004)

New York Gov. George Pataki (R) vetoed a bill on Monday that would have forced Indian businesses to collect taxes on cigarettes, gas and other goods sold to non-Indians. Pataki rejected the bill as an "assault on tribal sovereignty." But...

Pine Ridge Reservation awaits water system hookup (November 16, 2004)

The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota will be hooked up to the rural Mni Wiconi water project next year if Congress provides enough money, an Oglala Sioux Tribe official said. The project is designed to serve 55,000 people in...

Morongo Band donates 6,000 turkeys to charities (November 16, 2004)

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is donating 6,000 turkeys to charities, twice the number the California tribe donated last year. The turkeys will go to 43 charities, providing an estimated 30,000 people with Thanksgiving meals. The donation is possible...

Blackfeet Nation seeks return of sacred area (November 16, 2004)

The Blackfeet Nation of Montana is seeking the return of a sacred area that tribal elders say was never ceded to the federal government. The Badger-Two Medicine area of the Lewis and Clark National Forest was part of an agreement...

Tigua Tribe to testify at Senate lobbying hearing (November 16, 2004)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding its second hearing into the lobbying activities of two Washington insiders who received more than $66 million from six tribes. One of those clients was the Tigua Tribe of Texas, whose leaders will...