Five from Pine Ridge Reservation face bootlegging charges (March 16, 2012)

Five people from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota pleaded not guilty to federal bootlegging charges. Marnie Water, Darrell Spotted Elk Sr., Florine Chipps, Merle Leighton Sr. and Julia Marie Lamont were charged with possessing and selling alcohol on...

9th Circuit reinstates lawsuit over Navajo court jurisdiction (March 16, 2012)

Two non-Indian entities that do business on the Navajo Nation can challenge the tribe's jurisdiction, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday. The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District and Headwaters Resources own and operate a...

Tribute: Richard Milanovich was a powerful voice for tribe (March 16, 2012)

"Our community and the country have lost a courageous lion-hearted leader. A powerful voice for an entire culture will continue to be heard through the mystical whispers of time. Once in a generation comes a leader who demonstrates the character...

Native Sun News: Inquiry shines a spotlight on BIA school (March 16, 2012)

The following story was written and reported by Talli Nauman Native Sun, News Health & Environment Editor. All content © Native Sun News. Part 2 | Part 1 Complaints about Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (CEB) Schools Supervisor Nadine Eastman have sparked the...

WSJ: Unrecognized tribe's bankruptcy stirs legal questions (March 16, 2012)

"The Western Mohegan Tribe & Nation of New York has filed for bankruptcy protection. Against the Native American community’s grip of sovereign rights, the request for protection from a federal court would be a jarring development—that is, if only the...

Julianne Jennings: Hearing loss too common in Indian kids (March 16, 2012)

"From the earliest documented times in American history, there were reports of deafness among indigenous people. In 1618, the Jesuits in America wrote to church officials inquiring whether a “deaf-mute Indian” could be admitted to the church. In seeking clarification...

Tex Hall: Take advantage of tax credits for Indian Country (March 16, 2012)

"Late last month the U.S. Treasury announced $3.6 billion in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations. Now the dust has settled and project sponsors—cities, counties, private developers, non-profits and others—are positioning their projects to take advantage of NMTC financing. Now...

Column: Tracking down the 'real' Indians who played Tonto (March 16, 2012)

Photo from Jerry Bruckheimer on Twitter "First, there was the photo released by the film’s producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, last Thursday morning. If you’ve been curious about how Johnny Depp is going to play the Lone Ranger’s friend and faithful...

Ray Cook: Don't take this Hollywood business too seriously (March 16, 2012)

Photo from Jerry Bruckheimer on Twitter "Do you think Wes Studi would make a good Tonto? He made a good Apache. Hell, as Magua he made a good Huron/Mohawk, I never was clear what tribe he was supposed to...

WaPo: Jim Thorpe's sons battle to rebury him in Oklahoma (March 16, 2012)

"Funerals, like weddings, can be messy family affairs. Not everything goes according to plan. Emotions run high. Even pleasant people can be tense. Few people who met Patsy Thorpe — third and most difficult spouse of Jim Thorpe, that primordial...