Judge affirms state jurisdiction in murder case (January 24, 2006)

A judge in Wyoming has ruled that the state has jurisdiction in a murder case involving a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Attorneys for Andrew John Yellowbear argued that the state lacked authority to prosecute because the alleged crime...

Man sentenced for death of Washoe tribal member (January 24, 2006)

A judge in Nevada sentenced a man to five years in prison for his role in the death of a member of the Washoe Tribe. Michael J. Ward, 21, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and battery for the beating...

California tribes spar over gaming machine distinctions (January 24, 2006)

The Bush administration's controversial Indian gaming legislation is causing controversy among California tribes, with a handful lining in support of the goals of the measure. The overwhelming majority of tribes in the state, along with most in Indian Country, oppose...

Yellowstone returns ancestors to Shoshone tribes (January 24, 2006)

Yellowstone National Park is returning the remains of a woman and an infant to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho. The remains were linked to the tribes after years of research. The woman and...

Former tribal court clerk sentenced for theft (January 24, 2006)

A former tribal court clerk for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians was sentenced to 18 months in prison for embezzlement. Yvette LaFloe Falcon, 39, falsified travel documents for herself and others and received payments from the tribe. She...

Tulalip Tribes debate future of ailing longhouse (January 24, 2006)

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington are planning to repair an ailing tribal longhouse that may need to be replaced altogether. The longhouse is suffering from a number of structural defects and has been temporarily closed. The tribe plans to...

Beaver Creek tribe latest to seek recognition (January 24, 2006)

The Beaver Creek Indian Tribe in South Carolina will make its case for state recognition at a hearing on Friday. The tribe wants to be the third tribe recognized in the state. The state Commission for Minority Affairs recognized the...

Navajo soldier killed in Iraq during second tour (January 24, 2006)

Clifton Yazzie, a member of the Navajo Nation serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, was killed on Friday. Yazzie, 23, leaves behind a wife and two young children, ages 3 and 18 months. "It's going to be...

Native payout may lead to scams, RCMP warns (January 24, 2006)

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is warning that Natives who are part of a $2 billion residential school abuse settlement may be the target of fraud. Each of the 12,000 former students will receive a minimum of $10,000 in compensation,...

DOI allows underpayment of natural gas royalties (January 24, 2006)

The Bush administration's lax oversight of the oil and gas industry has resulted in a loss of $700 million in natural gas royalties, The New York Times said after a three-month investigation. The paper said Interior Department regulations allow oil...

Tim Johnson: Don't tar tribes with Abramoff scandal (January 24, 2006)

Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat, is the senior senator from South Dakota. As both Vice Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I have been absolutely appalled at the scope and...

Tohono O'odham woman dies after collapse at home (January 24, 2006)

A Tohono O'odham woman who collapsed at her home, prompting her 8-year-old daughter to dial 911, died Saturday. Olvera Valenzuela, 33, was suffering from a wide range of health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. She was on...

Bill seeks to preserve Penobscot language (January 24, 2006)

Maine state Rep. Michael Sockalexis, a member of the Penobscot Nation, has introduced a bill to preserve the tribe's language. Sockalexis says only a "handful" of tribal members speak the language fluently. He said critical components of Penobscot culture are...

Sen. Burns still trying to give away Abramoff cash (January 24, 2006)

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) is still trying to get rid of $150,000 in campaign contributions linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Burns tried to give $110,000 to the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council. But tribal leaders voted to reject the...

California Congressman admits to liking Abramoff (January 24, 2006)

Rep. John Doolittle (R-California) defended his relationship with Jack Abramoff in a radio interview broadcast on Monday, saying he "liked" the disgraced lobbyist because he was "a partisan, conservative Republican activist." Doolittle said he has asked the Department of Justice...

Ralph Reed hopes voters won't care about Abramoff (January 24, 2006)

Ralph Reed, the conservative Christian activist who is running for lieutenant governor of Georgia, said voters won't go against him because of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Reed says he agreed to work for Abramoff to fight...

White House won't release Bush-Abramoff photos (January 24, 2006)

The White House acknowledged on Monday that President Bush took photos with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff but officials said the photos won't be released. "Any suggestion by critics or anybody else to suggest that the president was doing something nefarious...

Tim Giago: Christians and Muslims still at war (January 24, 2006)

"From the history books I learned that in years past nations were ruled by Popes and great battles were fought between Christians and Muslims. Now let me see; on which side were the infidels? No matter how it is sugarcoated,...