Massachusetts tribe drops appeal in sovereignty case (July 8, 2005)

A Massachusetts tribe who lost a major sovereignty case in state court announced this week it will not appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe was planning to challenge a negative decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial...

Harjo: O'Connor trampled on Native religious rights (July 8, 2005)

"As politicians stake out ground for the fight over Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement on the Supreme Court, the right is condemning her and the left is praising her for being a moderate, by which they mean a swing vote....

Omaha Tribe near law enforcement agreement (July 8, 2005)

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska is near a cross-deputization agreement with law enforcement in Thurston County. The agreement would resolve outstanding questions about jurisdiction within reservation boundaries. Currently, some crimes go unpunished. The tribe welcomes the agreement but some non-Indians...

Alaska Native village still in danger of faling into sea (July 8, 2005)

An Alaska Native village remains in danger of falling into the sea after recent storms caused extensive erosion damage. Teachers in Shishmaref, a village of about 600 people, almost lost their housing to the Chukchi Sea. The U.S. Army Corps...

Shareholders want ANWR oil shared with all Natives (July 8, 2005)

Three shareholders of Cook Inlet Region Inc. are lobbying Congress to ensure that every Alaska Native shares in the revenues oil produced from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Native corporations are required to...

Land claim deal for Wisconsin tribes in the works (July 8, 2005)

The state of New York and two Wisconsin tribes are negotiating a land claim settlement in light of two recent court decisions. But the parties disagree about the status of the negotiations, The Syracuse Post-Standard reports. A tribal lawyer said...

Blackeet member named president of tribal college (July 8, 2005)

John E. Salois, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, was named president of the tribe's Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana. Salois, who grew up on the reservation, was selected out of four candidates who sought the job. He most...

Haskell wins $100K grant to study grasslands (July 8, 2005)

Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Defense to study the grasslands at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Soldiers have been tearing up the grass in preparation for going to Iraq. So...

Reservation meth dealer given life prison sentence (July 8, 2005)

A man who sold methamphetamine on reservations in Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska was sentenced to life in prison. Jesus Martin Sagaste-Cruz was convicted of distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy. Authorities said he exploited Native Americans by selling the drug...

Four groups seek recognition in South Carolina (July 8, 2005)

Four tribes are planning to seek recognition from the state of South Carolina. The Chicora Indian Tribe of South Carolina, Natchez-Pee Dee Tribe, Beaver Creek Indians and Piedmont American Indian Association Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation have to apply by September...

Editorial: GOP leader out of touch for remarks (July 8, 2005)

"Whenever a public apology starts with a phrase such as "If my remarks offended anyone," the person speaking probably failed to grasp the problem. Clearly that's true for state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, whose apology for making insensitive...

Store on Navajo Nation robbed twice within 48 hours (July 8, 2005)

A convenience store on the Navajo Nation was robbed twice within 48 hours this past week. The Thriftway convenience in Shiprock, New Mexico, was first robbed at 3:15 a.m. on Monday, July 4. Navajo Nation police are looking for...

Massachusetts man files suit over reservation (July 8, 2005)

A Massachusetts man has filed a $10 million lawsuit in hopes of resolving the status of the Watuppa Reservation. Albert H. Corliss, a member of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe, filed the suit against the city of Fall River. He wants...

Fired faculty question Oglala Lakota College (July 8, 2005)

Two former faculty members of the Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Reservation are warning that the college could lose its accreditation. Mark St. Pierre and Lamoine Pulliam worked with the Veterans Upward Bound program. They accused OLC President...

Editorial: Address tribe's concerns about drilling (July 8, 2005)

"The stakes in the coalbed methane development litigation have come into sharper focus this summer with a series of court rulings. Several lawsuits have challenged the development of natural gas wells in the coal seams of Montana's Powder River Basin....

Fired cops can't remember looking for Native teen (July 8, 2005)

Two former police officers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, are denying that they held a Native teen in custody shortly before was found dead in 1990. Brad Senger and Larry Hartwig were fired after being linked to the death of Neil...

Native leader to lose Order of Canada membership (July 8, 2005)

A Native leader who praised Adolf Hitler for the Holocaust and accused Jewish people of controlling the media will lose his membership in the prestigious Order of Canada. Ahenakew was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1978 [Article]....

Hopi Tribe joins lawsuit over snowmaking in peaks (July 8, 2005)

Leaders of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona passed a resolution on Tuesday authorizing the tribe to join the lawsuit over the expansion of a ski area in the sacred San Francisco Peaks. The tribe opposes the expansion because the...

NCAI's Hall responds to terror strikes in London (July 8, 2005)

National Congress of American Indians President Tex Hall responded to the terrorist attacks in London on Thursday, offering Indian Country's condolences. “Today the thoughts and prayers of all of Indian Country are with the people of London. We remember that...

Colville Tribes receive $13.5M for flooded lands (July 8, 2005)

The Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington received $13.5 million under a settlement with the Douglas County Public Utility District. The payment is compensation for land the tribe lost to the utility's Wells Dam. The tribe has agreed to support relicensing...

Republicans prepare for Rehnquist resignation (July 8, 2005)

The White House and Republican strategists are preparing for the possible resignation of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, The Washington Post reports. The White House is already moving to nominate someone to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who resigned last...

Narragansett chief reflects on raid of smoke shop (July 8, 2005)

With the two-year anniversary approaching, the chief sachem of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island reflected on the state's raid of the tribe's smoke shop. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas was among those arrested On July 14, 2005, by state troopers...

Reservation store closes over tax dispute with tribe (July 8, 2005)

The owner of a grocery store on the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana has closed shop over a tax dispute with the Chippewa Cree Tribe. Debbie St. Pierre was ordered to shut down the store for failing to pay the...