Editorial: It's that time of the year (Columbus Day) (October 8, 2004)

" Yes. It's that time of year. Once again, there are threats to block Denver's Columbus Day Parade. Opponents have the right to protest, of course, so long as they don't interfere with others' right to assemble. The usual opponents...

White Lady Column: But what about the children? (October 8, 2004)

"For years our region has begged the state for a bigger slice of the slot-machine revenues Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun pay to keep their monopoly on gambling, arguing that casino neighbors are the ones paying the cost for added public...

Remains discovered at North Dakota worksite (October 8, 2004)

Archaeologists are studying remains uncovered at a worksite in North Dakota in preparation for repatriation to the tribes. A construction crew for Xcel Energy found the remains on Wednesday. Archaeologists and the Spirit Lake Nation were called in to examine...

Athabascan Chief Nagita to be reburied at home (October 8, 2004)

The remains of an Athabascan chief killed more than 90 years ago will finally be coming home. Chief Nagita was shot to death by a German count on November 15, 1910. A jury acquitted the count but Nagita's wife, and...

Washington tribe wants work stopped at bridge site (October 8, 2004)

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of Washington is calling on the state to stop construction temporarily at a site where ancestral remains have been found. A major tribal village has already been uncovered at the Hood Canal Bridge site. But...

Study looks at reducing heart disease among Indians (October 8, 2004)

More than 500 Indians are taking part in a national study aimed at reducing or preventing heart disease. Participants from South Dakota, Arizona and Oklahoma, many with diabetes, are divided in two study groups. One group receives medications following national...

Haskell students worry about proposed fee increase (October 8, 2004)

Students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas say they shouldn't pay increased fees because they aren't getting adequate services. On-campus students pay $105 a semester while off-campus students pay $70. The board of regents is considering an increase to...

Catawba election draws field of hopefuls and a lawsuit (October 8, 2004)

The Catawba Nation of South Carolina will vote tomorrow on a new tribal council and a new constitution. Tribal members have fought over the vote for several years. Some say Chief Gilbert Blue is not the rightful leader and have...

Tribes could issue tax-free bonds for jails under bill (October 8, 2004)

Tribes could offer tax-free bonds to pay for detention facilities under a bill introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana). Tribes could pay for new jails or make improvements using the interest on the bonds. Investors would receive tax credits at...

Citizen Potawatomi Nation hosts wellness camp (October 8, 2004)

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma held its first Healing to Wellness Camp to show how traditional methods can help treatment and recovery of substance abuse. The keynote speaker was Don Coyhis, founder of White Bison Inc. Coyhis is an...

House Resources asked to investigate lobbyists (October 8, 2004)

The House Resources Committee is being asked to investigate Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon but a spokesperson said a probe is unlikely given the attention the pair is already receiving. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) and...

Indictment of ex-tribal official started with DOI (October 8, 2004)

The indictment of the former executive director for the Catawba Nation of South Carolina started with an audit of the tribe's finances by the Department of Interior, The Charlotte Observer reports. DOI's Inspector General began looking into the issue last...

AIM leader, nurse face off in Pine Ridge election (October 8, 2004)

American Indian Movement activist Russell Means will face Cecilia Fire Thunder, a nurse, on November 2 for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Means says he is running to stop corruption and misspending within the tribe....

Thune campaign under probe for absentee ballots (October 8, 2004)

A county prosecutor has begun a criminal investigation to determine whether a staffer for Republican John Thune violated the law in securing absentee ballots. Jeff Thune, who is John Thune's nephew, allegedly processed absentee ballot applications at a university. But...

Pala Band's battle against landfill a costly one (October 8, 2004)

Spending on a ballot initiative to block a landfill opposed by the Pala Band of Mission Indians in California has hit $2.8 million, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. That is "unprecedented" for a local initiative, said one consultant. The reason?...

Indian teen could face death penalty for murder (October 8, 2004)

A 19-year-old Indian man from California could face the death penalty for allegedly murdering an 18-year-old woman and leaving her body on the Morongo Reservation. Gary Lyons was charged with murder and special circumstances that make him eligiblefor death row....

DeLay faces questions over leadership position (October 8, 2004)

Democrats say House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) should step down, Republicans say he shouldn't, but members of both parties say his leadership role may be jeopardized as a result of ethical worries. DeLay has been rebuked three times for...

Editorial: DeLay's shady ethics catching up to him (October 8, 2004)

"It's taken too long, but House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's shady ethics may finally be catching up to him. For the second time in less than a week, the previously somnolent House ethics committee has rebuked the Texas Republican. This...

South Dakota tribal court rules man not Indian (October 8, 2004)

A judge from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has ruled that a man claiming Native ancestry is a fraud. Charlie Smoke was deported from Canada for not having documentation of his status. He said he didn't have papers...