Mark Trahant: Country's problems can't be solved with a tweet (July 11, 2011)

Last week President Barack Obama held his first town hall on Twitter. A really great idea and I plunged in with this question: "#AskObama Indian Cntry's unemployment rate is unacceptable. Cutting govt jobs will make this situation far worse. What...

Charlie Galbraith: Obama announces a Native youth challenge (July 11, 2011)

"On Sunday, the White House Office of Public Engagement launched the Native American Youth Challenge program. In a video message, President Obama announced the challenge at the 2011 UNITY Youth Conference, calling for young American Indian and Alaska Native...

Kevin Abourezk: Basketball coach connects to his Ponca roots (July 11, 2011)

"Fred LeRoy handed the star blanket to Jai Steadman and reminded his nephew of his tribal roots. Back when buffalo still roamed the Great Plains, the Ponca people would bless their marriages by placing buffalo hides on the shoulders of...

Census offers details of Alaska Native population in Anchorage (July 11, 2011)

Anchorage is home to 23,130 Alaska Natives, according to the 2010 Census, making it the the largest Native community in the state. The 2010 count offered Natives a chance to list their tribal affiliation. Inupiats were the largest group, with...

Company pulls 'Eskan Warriors' ad campaign due to complaints (July 11, 2011)

A Canadian company has pulled its "Eskan Warriors" campaign after Native leaders and activists complained that it was racist. The television and print spots featured three men dressed as a "tribe" and holding spears. Native leaders called for a...

Witness List: House subcommittee hearing on land-into-trust (July 11, 2011)

The House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs is holding a hearing tomorrow on three bills. The subcommittee will take testimony H.R.1291 and H.R.1234. The two bills provide a fix the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar...

Opinion: Indigenous activists in Ecuador treated like terrorists (July 11, 2011)

"If you thought there was anything romantic about environmental activism or indigenous rights, think twice. Socialist ideas about nature - such as keeping water a public good - can get you facing charges of sabotage by a leftist government. In...

History: Civilized Cocopah Tribe welcomes hundreds to festival (July 11, 2011)

"July 11, 1912 YUMA - Word comes from Somerton that for the past five days Indians of all colors, sizes and kinds, from all over the Southwest, have been in attendance at the big Indian Festival which concluded last night...

Editorial: Bill an important step in Native Hawaiian sovereignty (July 11, 2011)

"The enactment of a law that essentially begins the process of reestablishing Native Hawaiian self-governance on the local level is an important move, solidifying the state's stance of reconciliation toward its native people in the hope that federal recognition may...

Opinion: Refocusing shared values and ideals in Indian Country (July 11, 2011)

"Diversity is a prime feature of Native America. This is evident in the impressive assemblage of Native nations that continue to exist, the many languages we speak, the stunning geographical variety that is North America, and the rich cultural mosaic...

House Appropriations Committee to mark up BIA, IHS budget (July 11, 2011)

The House Appropriations Committee will mark up the fiscal year 2012 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill tomorrow. The bill contains the budgets for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians and...

Mississippi Choctaw council orders new election for chief's post (July 11, 2011)

Members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will vote again for chief on September 6. Phyliss J. Anderson was declared the winner of the July 5 election. Incumbent Beasley Denson conceded the race to the first woman to lead...

Appeals court allows federal prosecution in Indian status case (July 11, 2011)

A man with 19.25 percent Assiniboine and Sioux blood is an "Indian" under federal law, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week. Ronnie Lynn Smith is not an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes of Montana. At...

Michele Bachmann handled tax case against Leech Lake man (July 11, 2011)

As an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), a 2012 Republican candidate for president, was assigned to collect taxes from Marvin Manypenny, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. Manypenny, 64, lives on the...

BBC: Indian identity influenced by debate over blood quantum (July 11, 2011)

"Blood quantum might sound like an action movie, but to the country's Native Americans it's all about identity. First introduced in colonial Virginia in the early 18th Century as a means of restricting the rights of anyone deemed to be...

Joseph Quesnel: Free markets can work even for First Nations (July 11, 2011)

"Is it necessarily ‘right wing’ to recognize the role of the free market in elevating populations out of poverty? That was the charge made against me after I delivered a presentation in early May at the Debating Aboriginal Policy conference...

Editorial: Hoopa Valley paper serves a vital role for community (July 11, 2011)

"The inherent problems of having elected officials involved in the newspaper business was on full display in Hoopa recently when Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Leonard Masten sent a memo to the Two Rivers Tribune editor informing her that the newspaper...

Ask the Burke: Results of Kennewick Man studies not yet known (July 11, 2011)

"Q. “Has there been any new information gained from human remains known as Kennewick Man or the Ancient One?” The Burke: Prior to any court rulings, a thorough examination of the skeletal remains was conducted by independent scientists contracted by...

Native Sun News: Pine Ridge youth collaborate on new project (July 11, 2011)

The following story was written and reported by Mark St. Pierre. All content © Native Sun News. Youth participants include, Dustin Red Cloud, Mathew Yellow Bull, Daniel Pawnee Leggins, Bradley Hussman, Phillip Bissonette, Alfonso Pawnee Leggins, Anthony Black Elk, Kendra...

Vi Waln: A messenger for reality on Rosebud Sioux Reservation (July 11, 2011)

It is up to us to make our lives into something. I cannot depend on fate, luck or coincidence. I have to depend on myself. All my choices are mine. I only have this one short life. It will only...