Consultation session focuses on IHS budget (April 29, 2004)

Tribal leaders are meeting in the Washington, D.C., area this week to discuss their concerns and priorities for the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget. Representatives of all 12 areas of the IHS are using the session to get a better...

USDA seeks accurate count of Indian farmers in N.M. (April 29, 2004)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to get a more accurate count of the number of Indian farmers in New Mexico. $p The current count of farms in the state is about 15,000. Of that amount, 430 have been...

Olympic medalist Billy Mills battles perceptions (April 29, 2004)

Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills says he has spent his entire life battling perceptions. $p Mills, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, won the gold medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He said he was...

Survey finds Navajos prefer sheep over money (April 29, 2004)

A majority of Navajos would prefer a sheep rather than $75, according to a survey conducted by college students in New Mexico. $p The students asked 128 Navajos about their attitudes towards money and a $500 million bond proposed by...

Civil rights panel to hold hearing in Farmington (April 29, 2004)

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is holding a public hearing in Farmington, New Mexico, on Friday to address discrimination against Native Americans. The panel will take testimony on a variety of topics including education and law enforcement. The public...

Editorial: It's about time Kennewick Man case ends (April 29, 2004)

"It looks as though scientists may finally get a break in their quest for more knowledge about the peopling of North America. The issue concerns Kennewick Man, the nearly complete skeleton found on the banks of the Columbia River in...

Tribal members seek mediation over faulty homes (April 29, 2004)

Members of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana are seeking to mediate a lawsuit over homes they say are causing health problems. $p More than 150 homeowners brought suit against the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They blame medical problems,...

Students quiz candidates for Red Lake tribal election (April 29, 2004)

Four candidates for chairman of the Red Lake Nation council in Minnesota were quizzed by students at a forum on Wednesday night. $p The candidates stressed the importance of youth. Ramona Desjarlait said she wants to encourage youth to learn...

City leaders criticized for D.C. trip paid by tribe (April 29, 2004)

The leader of a northern California city are being criticized for taking a "lobbying" trip to Washington, D.C., that was paid by the Ione Band of Miwok Indians. $p The trip by the mayor and vice-mayor of Plymouth incensed residents...

Dreams come true for newest Miss Indian World (April 29, 2004)

Delana Smith, a member of the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation of Minnesota, was named Miss Indian World 2004-2005 at the Gathering of Nations pow-wow. $p Smith, 23 dreamed about winning the title ever since she was a young girl. She...

Tribal member to head Mount Rushmore memorial (April 29, 2004)

Gerard A. Baker, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota, has been named superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. $p Baker has been serving as superintendent of the Lewis and Clark National...

Feinstein trying to mediate settlement with tribe (April 29, 2004)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she is trying to mediate a settlement between the Hoopa Valley Tribe and a water district. $p Feinstein met with tribal leaders earlier this week to discuss the dispute. The tribe supports a Clinton administration...

Indian dance troupe going strong after 17 years (April 29, 2004)

When the American Indian Dance Theatre was formed in 1987, the troupe thought its first performance would be the last. $p But 17 years later, the group has toured the world, appeared on television and has received an Emmy and...

Film about Navajo boxing to premiere in Nashville (April 29, 2004)

"Black Cloud", an independent movie about a Navajo boxer, will have its Southern premiere in Nashville, Tennessee, this week. $p Actor Rick "Ricky" Schroder approached several tribes to finance the film. He said he was rejected a number of times...

College hosts second annual Indian film festival (April 29, 2004)

Bellevue Community College in Washington will host the 2nd annual American Indian Film Festival next week. $p The May 5-7 event will screen several movies including "Incident at Oglala" and "Thunderheart." There will also be a talk by Charlotte Black...

Agua Caliente Tribe appeals campaign finance ruling (April 29, 2004)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is asking the California Supreme Court to overturn a ruling subjecting the tribe to the state's campaign finance laws. $p The tribe lost a 2-1 decision at an appeals court. The judges said...

Town lowers Narragansett Tribe's property tax bill (April 29, 2004)

The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island owes the town of Charlestown $58,454.88 in unpaid property taxes, down from an earlier $79,000 figure. $p The town revised the figure after reassessing properties owned by the tribe. The new figure includes interest...

University still wants to fund reservation programs (April 29, 2004)

The University of Arizona still wants to fund programs for the San Carlos Apache Tribe despite recent strains in their relationship over a controversial telescope project. $p The school offered $120,000 in programs to the tribe. But the tribal council...

HHS says 41 million Americans at risk for diabetes (April 29, 2004)

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said on Wednesday that 41 million Americans are at risk for developing full-blown diabetes, more than twice previously thought. $p Doctors have changed the criteria for a condition called pre-diabetes. They have found...

New Bush policy to count hatchery salmon as wild (April 29, 2004)

The Bush administration will count salmon raised in hatcheries as wild, a move that could take some species off the Endangered Species Act list, The Washington Post reports. $p The National Marine Fisheries Service will announce the new policy in...