Heard Museum hosts 22nd annual Hoop Dance competition (February 13, 2012)

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted the 22nd annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest over the weekend. After staying out of the competition for a few years, Dallas Arcand, pictured above, returned to the ring. The Cree man...

Eastern Pequot leaders face recall in battle over recognition (February 13, 2012)

The entire council of the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut is facing a recall over a disputed federal recognition lawsuit. In a letter to a federal judge, Chairman Jim Cunha said the tribe didn't authorize the lawsuit. But Ashbow...

WUWM: Bad River Band traditions threatened by mining bid (February 13, 2012)

"Controversy continues churning in Wisconsin over a potential mining operation in the far north. Advocates say the venture promises much-needed jobs; opponents fear irreparable damage to pristine waterways and wetlands. Last month, Republican lawmakers pushed a strongly debated bill through...

Navajo Nation man to be honored as a Champion of Change (February 13, 2012)

Paulson Chaco, the director of the Navajo Division of Transportation, will be honored at the White House on Wednesday as a "Champion of Change." Chaco, a member of the Navajo Nation, was selected for his work to improve infrastructure on...

Charles Trimble: Putting aside old boarding school memories (February 13, 2012)

Since we’re in an era in which fact, truth and accuracy are of little importance, let me use conjecture to tell about something that happened at a recent reading by the author of a new book that relates personal stories...

Tulalip brothers file lawsuit over BIA's handling of allotment (February 13, 2012)

Two members of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington are suing the Bureau of Indian Affairs to overturn the sale of their allotment. John T. Campbell and his brother Walt Campbell say the tribe and the BIA colluded to devalue the...

ACLU: South Dakota trying to suppress Indian voter turnout (February 13, 2012)

"What’s new in voter suppression land today? South Dakota is trying to prevent Eileen Janis — and hundreds of other citizens — from voting. Eileen grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and does suicide prevention work. She registered...

OST continues a downward trend with latest budget request (February 13, 2012)

The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians is once again slated for a cut under the fiscal year 2013 budget proposal that President Barack Obama released today. The Bush administration rapidly expanded OST while slowly paring back the...

Obama proposes another increase for IHS budget in FY2013 (February 13, 2012)

The Indian Health Service will see another boost in its budget under the fiscal year 2013 budget proposal that President Barack Obama released today. According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the IHS will be funded at...

BIA budget mostly staying the same under FY2013 proposal (February 13, 2012)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs budget is mostly staying the same under the fiscal year 2013 budget proposal that President Barack Obama released today. According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the BIA will be funded at...

Cetan Wanbli Williams: Native Grammy wins not that Native (February 13, 2012)

"In 2011, the Grammys terminated the “Native American Music Album” award. QUESTION: How many Grammy-winning projects did Native Americans produce? SOLUTION: 1.5 XIT + 1/2 MIL + 1/3 MAT = ? (This must be the same math the BIA uses.)...

Jerry Hill: Menominee girl was brave to speak her language (February 13, 2012)

"On January 19 a Menominee 7th grader was benched and suspended from a Catholic School in Shawano, Wisconsin, for speaking Menominee with two other girls from the Menominee Indian Reservation. Shawano is a small town several miles south of the...

Editorial: Trust voters to put 'Fighting Sioux' imagery to rest (February 13, 2012)

"At the end of a chaotic week, the question is, What’s next for UND’s nickname and logo? The answer ought to be: An election. The Board of Higher Education is exploring a different answer: asking the state Supreme Court to...

Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee sets hearing (February 13, 2012)

The House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs will hold a hearing this Wednesday on H.R.3973, the Native American Energy Act. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the chairman of the subcommittee, introduced the bill on February 7. It seeks to...

Merle St. Claire: Economic development is the only solution (February 13, 2012)

"“An Indian Reservation in Crime’s Deadly Grip” correctly draws attention to the problems of Indian reservations in the United States. Especially striking was the statistic that more than 80 percent of the residents of Wind River Indian Reservation (Wyo.) are...

Kevin Abourezk: Legal doubts in Oglala Sioux Whiteclay suit (February 13, 2012)

"The Oglala Sioux Tribe filed a civil suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Nebraska seeking $500 million from more than a dozen defendants, ranging from dusty beer shacks in Whiteclay to the nation's biggest breweries. The lawsuit alleges the...

Stew Magnuson: Remember Raymond Yellow Thunder's life (February 13, 2012)

The 40th anniversary of the day Raymond Yellow Thunder died in Gordon, Nebraska, is sometime in the middle of February.

Tim Giago: Indians as mascots for America's fun and games (February 13, 2012)

Notes from Indian Country By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © 2012 Unity South Dakota “The dogs may bark, but the caravan moves on,” is an old Arab proverb. I quoted this old saying more than 25 years ago when I...