Senators question Bush administration's budget cuts (February 17, 2005)

Members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee said on Wednesday they will lead the charge against the Bush administration's proposed cuts to tribal housing, education, health care and other programs. In his first hearing as chairman of the committee, Sen....

Sherman Alexie on Success: 'I'm almost a rock star' (February 17, 2005)

Author/poet/director/screenwriter/comedian/mullet-admirer Sherman Alexie says he is his biggest critic. "'Smoke Signals' comes on cable all the time and I have to flee," he said recently. But the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene rabble-rouser says he is rather pleased with all of his success....

Disabled Natives find few services on reservation (February 17, 2005)

Living with a disability is difficult enough. Living with a disability on a reservation can be nearly impossible. A car accident left Julia Denetsosie quadriplegic. She says transportation is her most difficult challenge because there are no services on the...

Bush official won't accept claims of trust mismanagement (February 17, 2005)

More than four years after taking over the White House, the Bush administration still has no proposal to resolve the Indian trust debacle, a senior official said on Wednesday. Interior Department officials have repeatedly said trust reform is one of...

Navajo Nation committee pulls aircraft plant deal (February 17, 2005)

The Navajo Nation Council's Economic Development Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to pull a deal to host an aircraft parts plant on the reservation. The committee had previously agreed to invest an initial $1.25 million. But after receiving more information,...

Charges laid in beating death of Choctaw man (February 17, 2005)

The FBI has laid voluntary manslaughter charges in the beating death of a man on the Choctaw Reservation in Mississippi. Lorenzo Kent Wallace, 21, was charged with beating Bennie Wayne Stafford, 24. Both are Choctaw. Stafford's body was found on...

Washington tribes acquire land around sacred rock (February 17, 2005)

Two Washington tribes have acquired land around a sacred rock in hopes of creating a sanctuary and habitat preserve. The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe acquired a total of 100 acres next to Tamanowas Rock. The...

UND asked to study 'Fighting Sioux' name again (February 17, 2005)

The University of North Dakota is being asked again to study its "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo. The request was made by an NCAA panel that is studying the use of Indian imagery. UND and 30 other schools -- including...

Air Force base donating 20 homes to tribes (February 17, 2005)

The Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota is donating 20 used housing units to two tribes. The base will give the four single-family homes and eight duplexes to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Three...

Forest Service seeks better relations with tribes (February 17, 2005)

U.S. Forest Service officials said on Wednesday they wanted to develop a better relationship with tribes who consider the Black Hills sacred. The agency is attending the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Consultation and Listening Session at Crazy Horse Memorial. Tribal...

Compromise on reservation hog farm proposed (February 17, 2005)

The president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is proposing a compromise with the owner of a hog farm on the reservation. President Charles Colombe said he wants the tribal council to allow Sun Prairie to keep operating...

Churchill tells Suzan Shown Harjo: Kiss my --- (February 17, 2005)

Controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill is lashing out at Indian activists who have repeatedly questioned his heritage over the years. In an interview with The Denver Rocky Mountain News, Churchill said Suzan Shown Harjo can "Kiss my ---."...

Navajo Nation officials warns of shortfall, layoffs (February 17, 2005)

Navajo Nation officials are warning of a $15 million shortfall and possible layoffs in the near future. Controller Mark Grant said the tribe's gross revenue will drop to $138.5 million in the coming fiscal year. Emmitt Francis, director of the...

Ojibwe leader sees tribal speech as positive step (February 17, 2005)

The chairman of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe says the first State of the Tribes address is a step towards improved relations with the state of Wisconsin. Ray DePerry, who also serves as president of the Great Lakes Intertribal...

Minnesota governor wants tribes to import drugs (February 17, 2005)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said he has talked with tribes about importing prescription drugs from other countries. Pawlenty testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday about his state's program that helps consumers buy cheaper drugs...

Catawba potter worries about loss of tradition (February 17, 2005)

Catawba Nation potter Florence Wade learned how to make pottery by watching her grandmother. But Wade, 82, fears that tradition is being lost among young tribal members. "I hope this culture never dies," Wade told the Associated Press. "This culture...

Narragansett Tribe discusses school dance incident (February 17, 2005)

Leaders and parents of the Narragansett Tribe met with public school administrators in Chariho, Rhode Island, to discuss a recent incident at a school dance. A group of young members of the tribe were denied entry to Chariho High's Winter...

Impact aid for Native students was $2K in 2003 (February 17, 2005)

The federal government allocated $2,000 in impact aid for every Native public school student enrolled in Churchill County, Nevada. The Department of Education provides public school districts with funds for every Native student who lives on a reservation or trust...

Editorial: Chumash Tribe and county make progress (February 17, 2005)

"Maybe the walls that separate many Santa Ynez Valley residents and members of the Chumash tribe are finally starting to crumble. At least that's the shared hope after tribal and Santa Barbara County officials reached a landmark agreement earlier this...

Native veterans question Bush administration budget (February 17, 2005)

Army specialist Gerald Dupris, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, just returned from Iraq. He says conditions are better there than on his own reservation. Staff Sgt. Julius Tulley, a member of the Navajo Nation,...

Tribal lobbying scandal hurts ex-Abramoff firm (February 17, 2005)

The Jack Abramoff tribal lobbying scandal has hurt the law and lobbying firm of Greenberg Traurig. The firm, which employed Abramoff, was fourth in revenues in 2003. But last year, the firm dropped to 16th, The Hill newspaper reported. Many...