Thelma Rios, who pleaded guilty for role in Aquash murder, dies (February 11, 2011)

Thelma Rios, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, who admitted her role in the 1975 murder of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, died on Wednesday. She was 65. Rios pleaded guilty to being an accessory in...

Cheyenne River Sioux man named Secretary of Tribal Relations (February 11, 2011)

Leroy "J.R." LaPlante, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, has been named the first Secretary of Tribal Relations in South Dakota. LaPlante is an attorney who serves as the chief judge and court administrator for the Crow Creek...

Review: Frank Big Bear paintings inaugurate new Indian gallery (February 11, 2011)

"For more than a decade Frank Big Bear was the artist/poet of E. Franklin Avenue, the guy with the amazing colored pencils whose intricate drawings captured the shabby street's decay, the drink and drugs and hard times that so...

Tulalip Tribes donate $1.26M to fill school district's budget hole (February 11, 2011)

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington donated $1.26 million to the Marysville School District to cover statewide budget cuts. The tribe originally planned to donate $400,000 but tripled the amount when they heard the district lost $2 million in the current...

Chief of First Nations organization faces call to resign from post (February 11, 2011)

Guy Lonechild is facing pressure to step down as chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations after pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge. Lonechild was elected chief in October 2009. He said he disclosed the charges but...

Pueblo leader suggests gas failure behind elder woman's death (February 11, 2011)

An elderly woman from Ohkay Owingeh in northern New Mexico died on the reservation during a massive gas outage that left many residents fuming. Joe Garcia, a tribal council member and former president of the National Congress of American Indians,...

Sen. Schumer calls for radar system along border with Canada (February 11, 2011)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) doesn't think his proposal to install a radar system along the U.S.-Canada border will infringe on the rights of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Schumer said the radar will be used to detect low-flying aircraft...

Secretary Salazar to present Interior Department's new budget (February 11, 2011)

The Obama administration will release the proposed fiscal year 2012 budget for the Interior Department on Monday. The budget will be available online at 2pm on Monday at www.doi.gov/budget and at www.doi.gov/budget/2012/12Hilites/toc.html. Secretary Ken Salazar will discuss the budget on...

Opinion: Few Gabrielinos received land despite post-war pledge (February 11, 2011)

"The Spanish originally planned to turn the missions over to Indian leaders and non-missionary clergy after ten years. That didn't exactly happen. Mexico's fight for independence from Spain affected California's missions very little. But after the war, ownership of the...

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe heads to polls for two council seats (February 11, 2011)

Members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts will vote on Sunday to fill two council seats. Five candidates are in the running, The Cape Cod Times reported. They are: Patricia "Trish" Keliinui, an incumbent; Martin "Bruzzy" Hendricks, a former...

Wyoming bill appears to overturn victory in Indian voting case (February 11, 2011)

A bill moving quickly through the Wyoming Legislature appears to go against members of two tribes who won an Indian voting rights case. The bill allows counties to create a combination of single-member and at-large districts. That goes against a...

Sen. Kyl helped pass largest Indian water rights deal in history (February 11, 2011)

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), who announced his retirement on Thursday, played a major role in Indian water rights settlements, including the largest in U.S. history. Kyl negotiated the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004. It settled the water rights of...

Yakama Nation launches its motor vehicle registration program (February 11, 2011)

The Yakama Nation of Washington has launched a pilot program for motor vehicle registrations. The tribe will maintain a registration that is open to all local jurisdictions. Information will be shared with top law enforcement agencies in the U.S, Canada...

Agua Caliente Band shoots down rumors of Hard Rock Hotel bid (February 11, 2011)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is in negotiations to lease some of its land for a hotel, but rumors of a Hard Rock Hotel are inaccurate, a spokesperson told The Palm Springs Desert Sun. During his State of...

Figure in Abramoff scandal faces sentencing in Washington, DC (February 11, 2011)

Michael Scanlon, one of the major figures in the Jack Abramoff scandal, will be sentenced for his crimes in Washington, D.C., today. Scanlon pleaded guilty for stealing millions of dollars from tribes. He has agreed to pay $19.6 million in...

Chairman of Southern Ute Tribe confirms resignation from post (February 11, 2011)

Matthew Box has resigned as chairman of the Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado, The Durango Herald reports. Box told The Pine River News on Thursday that he was staying in office. But sometime later, he decided to step down, and...