National Geographic Magazine: Cahokia, America's Forgotten City (January 3, 2011)

"If they ever build a Wal-Mart at Machu Picchu, I will think of Collinsville Road. I'm standing at the center of what was once the greatest civilization between the deserts of Mexico and the North American Arctic—America's first city...

Interview: Louise Erdrich on Ojibwe family in 'The Years of My Birth' (January 3, 2011)

"Louise Erdrich, whose story "The Years of My Birth" appears this week in the magazine, discusses her work with Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor of The New Yorker. “The Years of My Birth” is the story of a white...

Shoshone-Bannock landowner not optimistic on trust reform at DOI (January 3, 2011)

Ernestine Werelus, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, doesn't think Indian landowners should "get too excited" about trust reform efforts at the Interior Department. Werelus started the Fort Hall Landowners Alliance to address trust management issues on the Fort Hall...

Opinion: Re-examining repatriation efforts among the First Nations (January 3, 2011)

"Twenty years ago in Canada, the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian Museums Association formed a joint task force to discuss concerns over the display and ownership of Native spiritual materials, human remains and objects of cultural significance. The...

Editorial: Unity needed as Lumbee Tribe recovers from a tough year (January 3, 2011)

"Arlinda Locklear has spoken truth to power. We hope that truth inspires her fellow Lumbees to return to the struggle for recognition with renewed determination to make it happen. Locklear, a Maryland lawyer, was longtime leader of the tribe's attempts...

Janice Boswell: Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes face a brighter future (January 3, 2011)

Janice Prairie Chief Boswell is the governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. A number of developments over the past few months will bolster opportunity and quality of life for tribal members as we look ahead to 2011...

Turtle Talk: The top 10 most read Indian law stories in the last year (January 3, 2011)

"Based on numbers of hits, and a nice review of the year, here is the First Top Ten Indian Law Stories of the Year: "1. Wells Fargo v. Lake of the Torches EDC. The effort by the bank to force...

Mark Trahant: Indian health care a GOP target in the new Congress (January 3, 2011)

Will Republicans muster enough votes to repeal the health care bill? A Michigan Republican said over the weekend that he sees “significant” bipartisan support for repeal, possibly even enough votes to override a presidential veto. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Michigan,...

Suzanne Jasper: Same old language from the Obama administration (January 3, 2011)

"Recently the human rights record of the United States was the subject of a global review at the United Nations. The Universal Periodic Review takes place for all member states every four years. First, the country “under review” makes an...

Andrea Carmen: Implementing the UN indigenous rights declaration (January 3, 2011)

"The International Indian Treaty Council welcomed the recent announcement by President Barack Obama of the United States’ support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The president’s long-awaited statement of support was made in Washington, D.C....

CNC: Indian Country reflects on major year and looks to the future (January 3, 2011)

"Indian Country is pondering its legislative future under a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and increased GOP numbers in the Senate while celebrating major victories in 2010. “What’s good for us, it has always been a stabilizing...

Vi Waln: Tribal identification cards deserve recognition everywhere (January 3, 2011)

We embark on a new decade this week with the advent of 2011. Many people traditionally begin their new year by making some kind of personal resolution. Most resolutions are about healthy new beginnings; like working out to slim down,...

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: Goodbye and thank you to South Dakota (January 3, 2011)

The following is the opinion of former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-South Dakota). Over the last six and a half years, I have had the privilege of serving you in Congress. Now that my time in office is coming to...

Charles Trimble: Urban Indians put on Christmas pageant in Denver (January 3, 2011)

A few years ago I wrote a column in response to an article that depicted the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ relocation program as like the “pogrom” attacks against Jewish villages in Russia in the late 1800s. My response was not...

Tim Giago: Sunday night movies at boarding school in South Dakota (January 3, 2011)

Ed. Note: A version of this column was originally published on February 22, 2010. There is a lot of power in a song. When all of your memories have nearly faded, it is surprising how a song can take you...