Lori Piestewa National Native American Games sees big crowd (July 23, 2012)

The 11th annual Lori Piestewa National Native American Games were held over the weekend in Arizona. The event drew a large number of athletes, organizers said. The basketball tournament alone saw 132 teams, up from 96 last year. The games...

Family still hopeful for Alaska Native woman who went missing (July 23, 2012)

Valerie Sifsof, an Alaska Native woman, went missing from a campground over two weeks ago but her family remains hopeful that she will be found. Sifsof, 43, was camping with her boyfriend when she was last seen on July 7....

Tsuu T'ina Nation in Alberta fixes raw sewage leaking on reserve (July 23, 2012)

The Tsuu T'ina Nation of Alberta says raw sewage is no longer being pumped onto the reserve. The sewage from Redwoods Meadows was being diverted onto a forest area of the reserve. Officials say the problem has been fixed. Redwoods...

Judge grants 60-day stay in Oklahoma tribal water rights case (July 23, 2012)

A federal judge granted another 60-day stay in the water rights lawsuit filed by the Choctaw Nation and the Chickasaw Nation. The tribes and the state of Oklahoma have been negotiating a potential settlement. A status report is due September...

BIA to testify at House Indian and Alaska Native Affairs hearing (July 23, 2012)

It looks like the Bureau of Indian Affairs is breaking its unofficial boycott of the House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs. The BIA hasn't sent a representative to the subcommittee since a March 20 hearing. But the agency's...

Law Article: Notice on $1.8B tribal economic development bonds (July 23, 2012)

"On July 16, 2012, the Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) and the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) released Notice 2012-48 (the “Notice”), establishing new guidelines for allocating approximately $1.8 billion dollars in issuance authority for tribal economic development bonds (“TEDBs”). As...

Alaska villages request clemency for fishermen who were cited (July 23, 2012)

The Association of Village Council Presidents is asking Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell (R) to grant clemency for Alaska Native fishermen who were cited by state police. The AVCP says the fishermen were only trying to provide food their families. They...

Yakama Nation sees salmon return to river in almost a century (July 23, 2012)

The removal of a dam is bringing salmon back to the Yakama Nation of Washington. The Condit Dam was removed from the White Salmon River last year. The tribe now says salmon have returned to the upper reaches of the...

Opinion: California tribes working toward economic development (July 23, 2012)

"In the past 15+ years, Northern California Tribes have emerged as significant political powers and economic contributors to the region. Several, including the Smith River Rancheria, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Tribe are self-governance Tribes. They provide direct...

Column: How the Cherokee Nation was removed from homeland (July 23, 2012)

"This week I finished reading “Toward the Setting Sun: John Ross, The Cherokees, and the Trail of Tears.” Told through the personal journey of their leader for four decades, the book tells the story of a people with common ancestral...

NPR: Late Lumbee singer Willie Lowery became a cult rock hero (July 23, 2012)

"In the 1960s, the late Lumbee Indian singer, composer and activist Willie Lowery led a band called Plant and See — as in, plant the seed in the ground and see what comes up. The band recorded only one album,...

Thomas Jefferson was called a son of 'half-breed Indian squaw' (July 23, 2012)

Thomas Jefferson, who was the first president to argue for the removal of Indian nations, was the target of race-related rumors during the 1800 election, The New York Times reports. Jefferson was called the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw,...

Shirt worn by Chief Joseph sold for $877,500 at Nevada auction (July 23, 2012)

Photos from Coeur d’Alene Art Auction A shirt worn by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe was sold for $877,500 at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction in Nevada. Chief Joseph wore the shirt in 1877, in the earliest...

Native Sun News: Foreigner reworking Cheyenne River watershed (July 23, 2012)

The following story was written and reported by Talli Nauman, Native Sun News Health & Environment Editor. All content © Native Sun News. Candace Ducheneaux Michal Kravcik Foreigner reworking Cheyenne River’s watershed By Talli Nauman Native Sun News Health &...

Opinion: Senate version of VAWA helps American Indian women (July 23, 2012)

"While efforts to improve public safety may seem like a no-brainer, VAWA’s future is anything but assured. Currently, two versions of a VAWA reauthorization bill are under consideration. Senate Bill 1925 passed in April. This version maintains the fundamental pieces...

Editorial: Alaska Natives offer solutions to trim health care costs (July 23, 2012)

"No matter what happens to President Obama’s health care reforms after the November elections, the disjointed, costly American health care system must find ways to slow the rate of spending while delivering quality care. There is widespread pessimism that anything...

Alma Ransom: Tekakwitha Conference hosted in Mohawk territory (July 23, 2012)

"Today, with Kateri’s success I am proud to be a Mohawk. Our people have responded to the pleas for donations that will be used to host the 73rd Annual Tekakwitha Conference. Food Sales, garage sales, auctions, football and hockey pools,...

Johnny Flynn: Why a so-called 'rain dance' won't end the drought (July 23, 2012)

"As of the middle of July, more than half the country is in the grips of one of the worst droughts in decades. 1300 counties across the United States are already declared disaster areas and water rationing of some kind...

Tim Giago: Kennedy family remains truly loved in Indian Country (July 23, 2012)

Notes from Indian Country By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © Unitysodak1@knology.net The first thing that came to my mind when I read about the arrest of Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, was; this is not true. It...