Opinion: Life is good on this reservation but it's in Mexico (April 15, 2011)

"When you're on a Native American reservation in the U.S., you usually know it. Gambling and cigarettes are common, often dominant: subsistence and nomadic cultures that once had little use for money now find it near the center of their...

Quileute Tribe cites tsunami threat in bid for land transfer (April 15, 2011)

The leader of the Quileute Tribe of Washington told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that her people live in constant fear of a tsunami. Tribal members deal with flooding every winter. With only one road in and out of the...

Lawmaker seeks to cut provision for Oneida Nation liquor (April 15, 2011)

A Wisconsin lawmaker is seeking to revoke a provision in the state budget that allowed the Oneida Nation to bypass the village of Hobart for a liquor license. Rep. Jim Steineke (R) said the tribe should have to go through...

Yakama Nation couple punished for selling eagle feathers (April 15, 2011)

Two members of the Yakama Nation of Washington were sentenced for conspiring to sell bald and golden eagle parts. Ricky Wahchumwah, 39, and his wife, Victoria Jim, 40, were found guilty by a jury last fall. During a search of...

Opinion: European descendants are the real Indian givers (April 15, 2011)

"I was disturbed by the article and the accompanying editorial Oops again, but for a different reason than those of your readers who found the use of the expression offensive. My wife tells me I am probably the only person...

Tex Hall: US helped tribes with broken treaties, promises (April 15, 2011)

"Recently on the Fox News Channel, contributor John Stossel offered up this gem of ignorance: “Why is there a Bureau of Indian Affairs?” he said. “There is no Bureau of Puerto Rican Affairs or Black Affairs or Irish Affairs. And...

Man sentenced for removing petroglyph from federal land (April 15, 2011)

A man has been sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release for removing a petroglyph from the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada. Michael Cook, 58, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the...

Interview: Melinda Gopher weighs bid for Senate or House (April 15, 2011)

"Chronicle: I was impressed by your performance during the 2010 primary election for the U.S. House, and how you gained such high voter support with very little campaign expenses. In the four-person primary, you spent virtually no money and...

Chairman and attorney general for Umatilla Tribes resign (April 15, 2011)

The chairman and attorney general for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon have resigned their posts. Chairman Elwood Patawa unexpectedly announced his resignation last week. His last day is today. “It took a lot of people...

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Tribe negotiates for outlet center (April 15, 2011)

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona is in negotiations to host an outlet center. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. operates 33 outlet centers in 22 states. The Salt River location would be near the tribe's casino and its...

No more Best Native American Album for Grammy Awards (April 15, 2011)

The Recording Academy has eliminated the Best Native American Album category in the Grammy Awards. The category was created in 2001 to honor Native artists and musicians. But it was eliminated as part of an overhaul that saw the Grammys...

Former Sokaogon chairman sentenced on fifth DUI charge (April 15, 2011)

Arlyn Ackley, the former chairman of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community in Wisconsin, was sentenced to four years for his fifth drunken driving offense. Ackley, 58, claimed that he wasn't operating a tribal vehicle when he was arrested. Police say his...

Obama administration won't fight a federal recognition bill (April 15, 2011)

In a shift from nearly every prior administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs won't oppose a bill to recognize the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, a top official said on Thursday. The tribe was denied recognition through...

United Keetoowah Band warns members about dual issue (April 15, 2011)

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians is warning members that they will lose services and benefits if they are enrolled in another tribe. Anyone who enrolled in the UKB after September 15, 1990, can't be a citizen of another...

Cherokee Nation shares $2.7M from car tags with schools (April 15, 2011)

The Cherokee Nation shared $2.7 million in car tag revenue with schools in northeastern Oklahoma. The money went to 94 schools in the tribe's 14-county area. "Obviously, the funding is really important now with all the budget-tightening," Charlene Carter, the...

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe still working on police agreement (April 15, 2011)

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe is still working on its part of a land claim settlement reached with the state of Michigan and the federal government. The deal settles the boundaries of the Isabella Reservation. It cross-deputizes state and local officers...

Two tribes seek role in litigation over Montana megaloads (April 15, 2011)

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Nez Perce Tribe are seeking to have their voices heard in a lawsuit over the transport of large equipment in Montana. The tribes are worried that the megaloads will affect off-reservation treaty...

Yurok Tribe doubles land base with purchase of 22K acres (April 15, 2011)

The Yurok Tribe of California announced the purchase of 22,237 acres. The tribe bought the 34 square-mile property from Green Diamond Resource Company. It more than doubles the tribe's land base. ”The Tribe has long sought the return of ancestral...