Opinion and Views: Reaction to NCAA mascot policy (August 8, 2005)

Reaction to the NCAA's new policy on the use of "hostile and abusive" mascots was swift after the announcement on Friday. Opinions fall on both side of the issue although most appear to oppose the policy rather than support...

NCAA won't allow Indian mascots at playoff games (August 8, 2005)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced its new mascot policy on Friday, limiting the use of imagery deemed "hostile and abusive" to Native Americans. Starting February 1, 2006, 18 schools with Indian-themed mascots, nicknames or symbols will not be allowed...

Interview with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. (August 8, 2005)

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. says its been "nothing but good" since taking office as the leader of the largest tribe in the U.S. Shirley shared his thoughts on a number of issues in an interview with The Farmington...

First Nations University announces new budget (August 8, 2005)

The financially troubled First Nations University of Canada plans to have a balanced budget in time for classes in the fall. The $16.9-million budget will put the school on "solid ground," the vice-president of administration said. "There will be...

Free press in Indian Country a focus of NAJA meet (August 8, 2005)

The Native American Journalists Association is holding its 21st annual convention in Lincoln, Nebraska, from August 11-14. The theme of the conference is "A Free Press; A Free People." Native journalists, tribal leaders and other attendees will discuss freedom of...

Editorial: Chumash Tribe doesn't need more land (August 8, 2005)

"In a remarkable new development, Chumash tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta has unintentionally added his voice to the growing number of informed people making the case against additional land annexations by the tribe. In a recent newspaper editorial, Armenta wrote: "The...

Letter: Native Hawaiians are indigenous too (August 8, 2005)

"The Akaka bill sets up a process for affording Native Hawaiians the same type of limited self-government America has afforded for hundreds of years to Native Americans and for decades to Native Alaskans. There is no possible reason why in...

Police mix-up worsens heartache of two families (August 8, 2005)

Two Native families are searching for answers after police mixed up the identities of two young girls who were involved in a fatal car accident. The family of Misty Medicine Crane, 17, began preparing for her funeral after police on...

Teens on Red Lake Reservation meet for REZiliency (August 8, 2005)

Teens on the Red Lake Reservation attended the first-ever "REZiliency" festival last week. The festival, organized by the Red Lake Nation Youth Council, was years in the planning. But the March 21, 2005, shootings on the reservation added urgency to...

Suicide called epidemic on Red Lake Reservation (August 8, 2005)

In 2004, 69 teenagers on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota attempted suicide, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Three of those attempts were successful, a mental health technician at the Indian Health Service hospital on the reservation said. In the...

Monument to Lenape tribe planned in Pennsylvania (August 8, 2005)

A monument to the Lenape tribe will be built in Easton, Pennsylvania, the traditional territory of the Lenape, or Delaware, people. The bronze monument will feature a turtle as its base. A 12-foot-high circle will be placed on top of...

HUD expands home loan program in Oregon (August 8, 2005)

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has expanded an Indian home loan program to cover the entire state of Oregon. Tribal members who live off reservations and trust lands can now apply for loans under the Section 184 program....

Life on Red Lake Reservation frustrating for youth (August 8, 2005)

The Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota is one of the most difficult places to grow up, according to the online magazine Salon. Teens have little to do on the reservation. Jobs are scarce. Most don't end up graduating from high...

Cobell Letter: Ross Swimmer can't tell the truth (August 8, 2005)

"So, Ross Swimmer, the Special Trustee for American Indians, is once again telling Native Americans not to worry. The Bush administration is making marvelous improvements to the long-troubled Indian trust system run by the Interior Department, he says. Any improvements...

Grand jury probe of Abramoff cut short by Bush (August 8, 2005)

A previously undisclosed grand jury investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was cut short when President Bush demoted the federal prosecutor who was in charge of the probe, The Los Angeles Times reports. Frederick A. Black, the U.S. Attorney for...

Citizen Potawatomi man cleared of defamation (August 8, 2005)

A member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoman was found not guilty of defamation in a politically-charged case. John Bruno told police that John "Rocky" Barrett, the tribe's longtime chairman, made a veiled threat to him in a phone...

Opinion: It's time to bench the 'Redskins' mascot (August 8, 2005)

"I'm neither a Native American activist nor a politically correct scold; I'm just a mom raising three kids, trying to teach them basic values. I grew up rooting for the team, oblivious to the possibility that the Redskins name might...

Mark Trahant: Tribal stories don't matter to science (August 8, 2005)

"It's important to remember that the record of science is awful. I remember interviewing a Northern Cheyenne historian some years ago who told me about walking into a museum warehouse looking for a sacred object from his clan. He described...

Yellow Bird: Summer ceremony for the children (August 8, 2005)

"One of the most significant events in my life is the summer ceremony of healing in South Dakota. This year, the significance for me was the focus on our children and the recent suicides in Indian country. The suicide rate...

Child welfare case handed to Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (August 8, 2005)

Three Indian children who were removed from their mother's home are being handed to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of Colorado. The children, ages 6, 8 and 10, were removed by authorities in Utah after the 6-year-old was allegedly scalded...