ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

IHS criticized for $15.8M in lost property (July 22, 2008)

The Indian Health Service lost at least $15.8 million in property, including costly vehicles and computers, obstructed government investigators and even fabricated documents when asked about the losses, according to a scathing report released on Monday. The Government Accountability Office...

'Finndians' share Indian and Finnish heritage (July 22, 2008)

Finish immigration to Ojibwe communities in northern Minnesota created a new population described as "Finndians." “There are enough of us that we’ve coined the term,” Lyz Jaakola, 39, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa,...

Retrial starts in Narragansett smokeshop raid case (July 22, 2008)

A Rhode Island state trooper who broke the ankle of a member of the Narragansett Tribe went on trial today. Trooper Kenneth Jones is accused of using excessive force against Adam Jennings during the state's raid of the reservation on...

Lac du Flambeau Band shares road funds with county (July 22, 2008)

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is sharing Indian Reservation Road (IRR) funds with Vilas County. The tribe already added some of the roads in the county to its IRR inventory. The county is working on a...

9th Circuit rejects challenge to Indian hunting law (July 22, 2008)

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a challenge to a Montana law that limits hunting on reservations to members of federally recognized tribes. Randy V. Roberts, a non-Indian, wants to use fee land within the boundaries of the...

Newt Gingrich backs Indian health disparity efforts (July 22, 2008)

Former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich wants to work with tribes to develop programs that address health disparities in Indian Country. Gingrich is the founder of the Center for Health Transformation, a national think tank of health-related organizations. He says...

Probe sought into firing of Alaska Native top cop (July 22, 2008)

The Alaska Legislature is moving to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin (R) over the firing of the state's public safety commissioner. Lawmakers want to know whether Walt Monegan, the first Alaska Native to hold the job, was fired because he refused...

Cheyenne River Reservation leads in child poverty (July 22, 2008)

The Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation leads the nation in child poverty, according to a study from the Rural Life Center at South Dakota State University. The center looked at U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005 and found that more than...

Police official under fire for spying on Mohawk man (July 22, 2008)

The head of the Ontario Provincial Police is facing calls to resign for spying on a Mohawk man who participated in a protest in June 2007. OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino obtained wiretaps for Shawn Brant, his brother and two...

Comanche boxer enters ring with unbeaten record (July 22, 2008)

George Tahdooahnippah, a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, has an unbeaten record in the boxing ring. Tahdooahnippah, 29, goes by the name "Comanche Boy." He's proud of his heritage and his 12-0-1 record -- 11 of of...

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe divided over trust bill (July 22, 2008)

The six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe can't agree how to share a $20 million settlement for the loss of their lands. The $20 million was part of an Indian Claims Commission case. The federal government failed to compensate...

Funding restored to Maine tribal commission (July 22, 2008)

Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) has restored funds he cut from the Maine Indian-Tribal State Commission. The commission lost nearly $40,000 earlier this year, about half of its budget. That prompted the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point,...

Sen. Kyl: Tribes face public safety and health crisis (July 22, 2008)

"Native Americans are facing a public safety and health crisis because of a lack of federal funding. A 2004 report by the Interior Department Inspector General stated that “some [Indian detention] facilities we visited were egregiously unsafe, unsanitary, and...

Senate Finance hearing on Indian tax policy (July 22, 2008)

The Senate Finance Committee held a a hearing this morning on Indian tax policy. The hearing started at 10am and lasted about an hour. You can download audio clips below: • Opening Statements • Testimony | Q&A Dante Desiderio, Certified...

Navajo Nation averts Internet shutdown for now (July 22, 2008)

Communities on the Navajo Nation will keep their Internet service, at least until August 1. Most of the tribe's 110 chapters receive service through OnSat Network Communications Inc., a Utah company. But OnSat has lost $2.1 million in federal funding...

Salmonella investigation leads to jalapenos in Texas (July 22, 2008)

Federal officials are warning consumers to stay away from raw jalapeños after salmonella was traced to a supplier in Texas. More than 1,200 people in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Canada have been sickened by salmonella. Some of...