December 2006

• Native sites could impact subdivsion December 29, 2006
  Attleboro Sun Chronicle - Attleboro,MA,USA
  NORTH ATTLEBORO - An archeological survey has revealed two significant Native American sites on the future home of the Christina Estates subdivision, including

• Former American Indian tribal leader wants in state Hall of Fame December 29, 2006
  KTEN - Denison,TX,USA
  A Seminole woman who says she was the first female elected as a chief of an American Indian tribe in Oklahoma believes she should be added to the state's Hall

• Tribal school struggles with funding December 29, 2006
  Billings Gazette - MT, USA
  ... Stephens Bureau of Indian Affairs school, which school officials say has faced steep decreases in federal funding for three years

• YAN weighs in on delisting bald eagles December 29, 2006
  Camp Verde Bugle - Camp Verde,AZ,USA
  In spite of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' support for removing the desert nesting bald eagle from the endangered species list, the Yavapai-Apache Nation is on

• Kent faced old and new challenges December 29, 2006
  Kent Good Times Dispatch - New Milford,CT,USA
  ... The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation appealed in federal court to reverse the negative Bureau of Indian Affairs finding on its application for federal tribal

• Harjo: Realistic New Year's resolutions for others December 29, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  ... News editors and reporters: Resolved, to cover the anti-Indian hate groups that are organized nationwide to undermine Native American treaties, laws and rights

• Talk of Darmouth, UND hockey game has nothing to do with sports December 29, 2006
  Boston Globe - United States
  ... Recent debate over the treatment of American Indian students at Dartmouth has included the Ivy League college's apology for scheduling a game against North

• Pine Ridge Journal One Determined Heroine and Her Fall From Grace December 28, 2006
  New York Times, NY -
  After Mr. Clinton’s visit, her burst of fame made her a kind of ambassador for the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. She gave interviews in which she spoke of a

• Domestic violence rates down sharply December 28, 2006
  Houston Chronicle - United States
  ... WASHINGTON — Domestic violence rates fell sharply between 1993 and 2004, the Justice Department said Thursday, noting that American Indian women and native

• 300 reasons not to forget lessons of Wounded Knee December 27, 2006
  Fort Worth Star Telegram - Fort Worth,TX,USA
  ... By then the name of the village had been changed to Brennan to honor a Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent, but all of the Lakota knew why the name was

• Outdoors: Nez Perce Natural Resources programs trains "land ...December 27, 2006
  Twin Falls Times-News - Twin Falls,ID,USA
  ... annually. Nez Perce natural resources officials took over management of tribal lands in the mid-1980s from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

• 'Trail of Tears' named 'Best Documentary' December 27, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  ... Legacy,'' the award-winning film by Rich-Heape Films of Dallas, was recently named Best Documentary Feature at the 31st Annual American Indian Film Institute

• Council overrides Shirley's veto December 26, 2006
  Gallup Independent - Gallup,NM,USA
  ... that the Division of Social Services was $1.5 million short in meeting general assistance obligations last year after the Bureau of Indian Affairs said it ran

• Hard-to-find eagle feathers results in black market December 26, 2006
  Napa Valley Register - Napa,CA,USA
  ... When asked what bird the feathers came from, Ball, who is not Native American, cupped a hand around his mouth and whispered as if he were spelling a swear word

• Tribe prospers under financier, but at a price December 26, 2006
  Salt Lake Tribune - United States
  ... Frustrated by a lack of detailed investment information, the pair filed suit in September 2003 against the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is charged

• Tribe must follow campaign rules, court says December 26, 2006
  The Eureka Reporter - Eureka,CA,USA
  A ruling by the California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the legal right of the Fair Political Practices Commission to sue an American Indian tribe for

• Native Americans bless, name rare white buffalo December 26, 2006
  Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
  With beating drums to represent the earth's heartbeat and burning white sage to purify the crowd, Native American groups yesterday blessed and formally named a

• Navajo Dissidents Take Action to Stop Tribe-Backed Power Plant December 22, 2006
  The NewStandard - Syracuse,NY,USA
  ... Since the project has not received final approval from the US Bureau of Indian Affairs, the resisters set up camp and demanded to see documents authorizing the

• Pechanga Violates Civil Rights; Victims head to Sacramento December 22, 2006
  Might the ACLU take another look at how Pechanga violates the civil rights of those they disenrolled? Might you who read this tell all you know to boycott Pechanga and patronize anot...

• Shirley talks to resisters Sithe presents drill permits December 21, 2006
  Gallup Independent - Gallup,NM,USA
  ... 11 letter to Allen Downer of the Navajo Historic Preservation Department, URS Corp., which reviewed the documents for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, found there

• Navajo elderly threatened with arrest at power plant barricade December 21, 2006
  Infoshop News -
  The Navajo Nation government is threatening to arrest Navajo elderly at a power plant site barricade, including elderly Alice Gilmore who holds the grazing

• Power plant partnership studies proposed plant site, despite protests December 21, 2006
  KOB-TV, NM -
  The group alleges tribal officials and Sithe Global Power, which is working with the Navajo Nation to build the plant, have not listened to their concerns

• Navajo Council holds special session this week December 21, 2006
  Farmington Daily Times - Farmington,NM,USA
  ... says, has long opposed "no strings attached" spending that could possibly deplete the fund, which works as a back-up if the Bureau of Indian Affairs does not

• New report summarizes state, tribal relationship December 21, 2006
  The Missoulian, MT - 9 hours ago
  It also detailed money divvied out through the Indian Country Economic Development Program, which gets $500000 a year from the Department of Commerce for

• Governor: Training young workers key to lowering Indian unemployment December 21, 2006
  Great Falls Tribune, MT - 16 hours ago
  Indian country has the potential to become the United States’ equivalent of the so-called “Irish miracle,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer said today in presenting

• Christmas reminds the Lakota of their traditions December 21, 2006
  Huffington Post, NY - 2 hours ago
  Giago was also the founder and former editor and publisher of the Lakota Times and Indian Country Today newspapers and the founder and first president of

• Federal Court Sides With Freedmen December 21, 2006
  KOTV, OK -
  (AP) A US District Court denied a motion by the Cherokee Nation to dismiss a lawsuit filed be freedmen, who are descendants of slaves who were adopted into

• 170-year-old brick dwelling of Cherokee leader repaired December 21, 2006
  Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise, OK -
  (AP) - Repairs on a 170-year-old brick house that was home to a prominent Cherokee leader who led hundreds of tribe members in the forced removal known as

• Bill seeks to better Indian schooling December 21, 2006
  Aberdeen American News - Aberdeen,SD,USA
  AP. RAPID CITY - A state Indian Education Act would guarantee a long-term commitment to American Indian students, according to state Secretary of Education Rick ...

• BIA recognizes Steele as president December 21, 2006
  Rapid City Journal - Rapid City,SD,USA
  The Bureau of Indian Affairs is recognizing President John Yellow Bird Steele as the official president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, according to a letter sent

• Tribe seeks access to more water December 21, 2006
  Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA
  ... Besides state and tribal officials, officials with the US Bureau of Indian Affairs, which holds the tribe's water rights in trust, sat in on the meeting

• Lawsuit over Kitsap County landfill leak settled December 21, 2006
  KNDO/KNDU - Yakima,WA,USA
  ... tribal officials to clean up the land. The agreement still must be approved by Waste Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs

• Students find joy in giving December 21, 2006
  Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA
  ... Arapahoe County - Students at Arapahoe High School have rounded up hundreds of toys for American Indian children in recent months as part of a tradition of

• Navajos continue protest over proposed power plant December 20, 2006
  KOB-TV, NM -
  ... The group alleges tribal officials and Site Global Power— which is working with the Navajo Nation to build the plant—have not listened to their concerns

• Spain, Makah heal 300-year-old rift December 20, 2006
  Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News, WA -
  by DONNA BARR. NEAH BAY -- Makah tribal members Wednesday blessed ground where they had fought Spanish explorers more than 300 years ago

• Awareness campaign plans to suppliment anti-drug efforts December 20, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  ... methamphetamine addiction have proved effective against the meth scourge elsewhere, and Lankford said the posters are making a difference in Indian country too

• NM to help tribes fight DWI December 20, 2006
  Santa Fe New Mexican - Santa Fe,NM,USA
  ... The initiatives were announced in advance of a US Bureau of Indian Affairs DWI super blitz, which takes place Friday through Jan

• ACROSS the BIG SKY December 20, 2006
  Great Falls Tribune, MT -
  ... area. "This is the first major step in our bank's long-range plans of establishing bank branches across Indian country," he said

• Native tourney seeks NCAA's OK December 20, 2006
  Billings Gazette - MT, USA
  ... But Native American Basketball Invitational co-founders aim to change those figures by bringing NCAA recruiters to the fifth annual NABI high school basketball

• Shirley visits protesters December 19, 2006
  Farmington Daily Times, NM -
  By Lisa Meerts The Daily Times. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. responds ... afternoon. BURNHAM — Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr

• Cone: Open files FOI request filed on Desert Rock December 19, 2006
  Gallup Independent, NM -
  Cone submitted a formal FOIA request to BIA Dec. 16 regarding documentation of certain activities related to the Desert Rock Energy Facility by Sithe Global

• Historians monitor site of Indian burial ground December 19, 2006
  Eagle Tribune - North Andover,MA,USA
  ... police. If a medical examiner determines that the bones could be American Indian, the state archaeologist must be notified. The

• NCI 'Committed to Addressing' Lung Cancer Among American Indians ...December 19, 2006
  Kaiser network.org - Washington,DC,USA
  ... a medical officer with NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention with the lung, head and neck cancer research group -- writes in an Indian Country Today opinion piece

• Members of Mashpee Wampanoag tribe file complaint against leaders December 19, 2006
  Boston Globe - United States
  ... comes as the tribe awaits word on whether it will get federal recognition, after receiving preliminary approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in March.

• The parallels between 'Indian Country' and abuse December 17, 2006
  Blue Springs Examiner - MO, USA
  ... I guess this is why I am drawn to and relate to the sufferings of "Indian Country" and why I experience despair when prayed-for help to end the "abuse" fails

• Feds intervene in Indian voting case  December 17, 2006
  The Casper Star Tribune - Casper,WY,USA
  ... They claim the county's system of holding at-large elections violates Voting Rights Act by impermissibly diluting the American Indian vote.

• Former Cherokee chief foresees Indian governor  December 17, 2006
  KTEN - Denison,TX,USA
  OKLAHOMA CITY The former chief of the Cherokee Nation believes the time will come when an American Indian serves as governor of Oklahoma.

• Tribe, company announce Internet service in rural areas  December 17, 2006
  KSWO - Lawton,OK,USA
  OKMULGEE, Okla. An American Indian tribe is teaming up with a telephone company to provide Internet access to rural areas of eastern Oklahoma

• Counties offer alternative to Oneida land trust plan  December 17, 2006
  WSTM-TV - Syracuse,NY,USA
  Officials from Madison and Oneida counties offered the proposal to the US Bureau of Indian Affairs during a public hearing on the tribe's application to put

• CARBON NEUTRALITY: A SHOPPER's GUIDE  December 17, 2006
  Boston Globe - United States
  ... Native Energy (nativeenergy.com), for example, which funds only Native American-owned renewable energy projects, allows customers to offset the emissions of a

• Reporter's Notebook: Indian Country rides wave of wellness and ... December 17, 2006
  Billings Gazette - MT, USA
  By Jodi Rave. RAPID CITY, SD - Marcus Red Thunder is part of a wave of wellness that's sweeping across Indian Country. "I believe

• Apocalypto' a distorted view of Maya history  December 17, 2006
  Chicago Tribune - United States
  ... for Mel Gibson's new film, "Apocalypto," points out all of its realistic touches: It was shot on location in Mexico, it stars Native American actors and its

• Tobacco use snuffing out dreams of Native communities December 15, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  Lung cancer leaves a devastating imprint on the many communities and reservations that make up Indian country. It is the leading

• Rahall holds onto top spot in House Resources Committee December 15, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  WASHINGTON - The rising opposition to methamphetamine trafficking in Indian country now includes a study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy that

• John Mohawk dies at age 61 December 15, 2006
  Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Rochester,NY,USA
  ... Jose Barreiro, a former editor of Indian Country Today, described Mohawk as "the major intellectual and strategic force behind the surge of Haudenosaunee

• Emotions run deep December 15, 2006
  Utica Observer Dispatch - Utica,NY,USA
  ... found work at the Nation. They asked Bureau of Indian Affairs officials to approve the application. But residents opposing the plan

• Sacred gift: Bois Forte Chippewa delight in return of scrolls December 13, 2006
  LaCrosse Tribune - LaCrosse,WI,USA
  ... Berens says that even she has not seen them, and won’t until she is initiated into the order next spring in a ceremony on the Red Lake reservation.

• US Congressman-elect John Hall and Native American Activist Buffy ...December 13, 2006
  PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
  ... convention of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance) will present US Congressman-elect John Hall and Native American songwriter Buffy

• Federal government joins tribal lawsuit against state December 13, 2006
  The Bay City Times - Bay City,MI,USA
  ... The tribe sued in 2005, asking a federal judge to declare that all or part of seven townships in Isabella County are Indian country as defined by federal law

• Appellants disenrolled for speaking out December 13, 2006
  Enterprise-Record - Chico,CA,USA
  ... which was sold and terminated by an Act of Congress (HR11562) in 1964, when the Oroville Dam was built, were allowed in by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1994

• FBI files about '75 shootout sought December 13, 2006
  Pioneer Press - St. Paul,MN,USA
  ... The attorneys for Leonard Peltier argued last week for the release of all FBI files stemming from the three-decade-old case. Appearing

• Tulalips to offer experimental meth treatment December 11, 2006
  HeraldNet - Everett,WA,USA
  ... organization. Leaders of the organization say the drug is a problem throughout the country, but it has uniquely affected Indian country.

• Indian Tribe to Take Over Hard Rock Cafe Business December 11, 2006
  TheCelebrityCafe.com - Valley Stream,NY,USA
  The Seminoles considered closing the deal a milestone and said they believe that it was the first time an American Indian tribe has purchased a major

• Fuel assistance December 11, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  officials in Akwesasne to celebrate the relationship that will help heat the homes of thousands of tribal members throughout Indian country this winter.

• Feds join Tribe in suit December 11, 2006
  The Morning Sun - Mt. Pleasant,MI,USA
  ... Chippewa Indian Tribe against the state of Michigan that demands the state recognize the traditional boundaries of the Isabella Reservation as Indian Country.

• Montana's Indian Caucus the largest ever December 11, 2006
  Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA
  ... Windy Boy and other Indian lawmakers said they're looking forward to using the Indian Caucus to advance legislation that benefits Indian country in particular

• Diversifying tribes take a global view December 11, 2006
  Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
  ... for business, though many lack the commercial skills to do complex global deals, said Bob Middleton, the US Bureau of Indian Affairs director responsible for

• Zuni candidates lay out platforms December 11, 2006
  Gallup Independent - Gallup,NM,USA
  ... Simplicio said that communication needs to be opened on a state and national level, as well with entities like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health

• Congress approves American Indian land use incentives December 11, 2006
  KSWO - Lawton,OK,USA
  ... approves a sweeping tax bill that includes renewals of expired tax breaks -- including some for businesses located on former American Indian land -- that

• Blackfeet say Glacier County's law enforcement jurisdiction ends ...December 11, 2006
  Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA
  ... deputies had spotted a reported stolen car while on routine patrol and attempted to detain the vehicle and driver, as requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

• NYC court reserves decision documents in decades-old murders December 8, 2006
  Newsday, NY -
  ... The judges reserved decision on whether to overturn a Buffalo federal court's ruling last February and order the release of the 15 withheld documents and grant

• OST staff doesn’t know which president to follow December 8, 2006
  Rapid City Journal - Rapid City,SD,USA
  ... on the topic this morning. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has so far declined to get involved in the dispute (see related story).

• Indian tribal leaders speak of dire threat in global warming December 8, 2006
  Tucson Citizen - Tucson,AZ,USA
  PHOENIX - On American Indian reservations throughout Arizona and the rest of the country, tribal officials say global warming is changing lives and solutions

• Final chapter for Paugussetts? December 8, 2006
  Westport Minuteman - Westport,CT,USA
  ... For a while, a few years back, Bridgeport political and civic leaders seemed to be pushing for the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to recognize the

• Native Affairs Commission unveils website December 8, 2006
  Franklin County Courier, VT -
  ... Chairman of the Governor's Advisory Com-mission on Native American Affairs for 16 ... Commission members can also be contacted directly at vcnaa@earthlink

• Column Insensitive to Native American Community December 8, 2006
  Harvard Crimson - Cambridge,MA,USA
  ... While Native Americans at Harvard College (NAHC), the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP), and several individual native Harvard students have

• Indian tribe buys Hard Rock cafes December 8, 2006
  El Paso Times - El Paso,TX,USA
  ... The deal with London-based Rank Group PLC is thought to be an American Indian tribe's first purchase of a major international corporation of its size, the

• Federal Court Sides with Native American Voters in South Dakota December 7, 2006
  ACLU (press release), NY - 16 hours ago
  ... Since 1999, the ACLU has brought seven voting rights lawsuits in federal court on behalf of Native American voters in South Dakota.

• BIA neutral in tribal fight December 7, 2006
  Rapid City Journal, SD - 10 hours ago
  PINE RIDGE — A Bureau of Indian Affairs official said the agency will not take a position on which Oglala Sioux Tribe administration is in charge unless the

• USDA PARTNERS SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH BUREAU OF ...December 7, 2006
  USDA.gov (press release), DC - 19 hours ago
  ... Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today at the ... the coordination, planning and implementation of USDA conservation programs

• Juvenile detention center sits empty, unused at Red Lake December 7, 2006
  Minnesota Public Radio - Saint Paul,MN,USA
  ... over money. Tribal officials say the Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for the cost of running the detention program. The

• BIA neutral in tribal fight December 7, 2006
  Rapid City Journal - Rapid City,SD,USA
  PINE RIDGE — A Bureau of Indian Affairs official said the agency will not take a position on which Oglala Sioux Tribe administration is in charge unless the

• 'Conservative Indian' is not an oxymoron December 7, 2006
  Alamogordo Daily News - Alamogordo,NM,USA
  ... Native people. After 40 years of trying, Indian country finally has a National American Indian Training Center. The determination

• Native American high school students' art wanted for exhibit December 7, 2006
  Spooner Advocate - Spooner,WI,USA
  The exhibit showcases outstanding art created by Native American 9th- through 12th-grade students from Wisconsin and Minnesota.

• New homes arrive for rancheria December 7, 2006
  Lake County Record-Bee - Lake County,CA,USA
  ... Another two-house project is planned for the area, and awaits approved funding through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to clear "environmental red tape

• American Indian Tribe To Bar Church Protesters From Soldier's ...December 7, 2006
  WCSH-TV - Portland,ME,USA
  American Indian tribal officials are telling a Kansas church group to stay off their North Dakota reservation. The group planned

• Firecrow files discrimination complaint with United Airlines December 7, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  ... name. She looked at him and said, 'Oh, I doubt he's going to get on this flight,''' Moore-Firecrow told Indian Country Today. Firecrow

• Combatting Suicide on American Indian Reservations December 1, 2006
  KFYR-TV - Bismarck,ND,USA
  Last night we introduced you to a Mandan father who lost his teenage son to suicide. North Dakota teens and young adults historically

• Kempthorne launches campaign to combat meth abuse in Indian ...December 1, 2006
  KTVB - Boise,ID,USA
  The rates of meth abuse in Indian country are still higher than any other ethnic group. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne today

• Fighting Meth in Indian Country December 1, 2006
  KFYR-TV - Bismarck,ND,USA
  ... About $300,000 from national departments and agencies is going into the public awareness campaign, targeting meth abuse in Indian Country.

• Crow meth foes make views known December 1, 2006
  Billings Gazette - MT, USA
  ... with.". Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Chief Ed Eastman said, "We know it's in our community, and we're not going to put up with it."

• Report: Sacred Sites Need More Protection  December 1, 2006
  The NewStandard - Syracuse,NY,USA
  ... The Sacred Land Film Project this week released an 82-page report detailing ... Only a handful of federal laws – the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act....

• Native American Skull Found on Long Island, New York December 1, 2006
  FOX News - USA
  The skull, which was determined to be that of a Native American, was found on property being considered for a housing development.

• Department of Justice Announces New Tribal Justice and Safety Web ...December 1, 2006
  U.S. Newswire (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
  ... I made to provide a 'one stop shop' that will enhance the prevention of and response to crime and the administration of justice in Indian country," said Regina

• Donations cover cost of stolen American Indian Center gifts December 1, 2006
  Green Bay Press Gazette - Green Bay,WI,USA
  ... provide more than enough money to cover the replacement cost of holiday gifts for needy families that disappeared last week from the American Indian Center of ...

• Housing council commits to bipartisanship under Democrats December 1, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  ... the US Commission on Civil Rights and a Rutgers University study, the council claims an immediate need for 200,000 housing units in Indian country and notes in ...

• Continuing Vine Deloria Jr.'s legacy through education December 1, 2006
  Indian Country Today - Canastota,NY,USA
  SYRACUSE, NY - Although it's been one year since Indian country said goodbye to scholar, activist and author Vine Deloria Jr., his work is still alive and

• Oneidas reap $400 million December 1, 2006
  Buffalo News - NY, United States
  ... Stone Resort and Casino accounted for more than $300 million of the tribe's revenue, according to a report compiled by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs as part

• BIA study lists 7 land trust options December 1, 2006
  Oneida Dispatch - Oneida,NY,USA
  The Bureau of Indian Affairs has released an Economic Impact Statement that lists seven possible responses to the land trust application submitted by the

• EPA awards $300K to Montana Indian Country Environmental ...December 1, 2006
  NewsBlaze - Folsom,CA,USA
  ... the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $299,974 Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant to the Montana Indian Country CARE Project

• Native American? The tribe says no December 1, 2006
  USA Today - USA
  ... Americans have been taken off the rolls of their tribes since 1999, says Laura Wass, executive director of the Many Lightnings American Indian Legacy Center

• Accusations of Racism & Greed Hurled at Native American Tribes December 1, 2006
  DigitalJournal.com - Canada
  Native American tribes are considered sovereign nations and as such have the right in determining who can or cannot join their ranks.