House committee approves Osage membership bill (May 6, 2004)

The House Resources Committee approved a bill to reaffirm the right of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma to define its own membership. $p The tribe says it only has four members due to a 1906 law that limits membership to...

Critics take BIA to task over federal recognition (May 6, 2004)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs came under heavy fire at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday even as critics acknowledged they had no direct proof that lobbyists and casino backers are unduly influencing the agency. The four-hour hearing before the House...

University disputes paying for urban Indian health care (May 6, 2004)

The University of New Mexico says it can't afford to pay for health care for poor urban Indians, The Albuquerque Journal reports. $P The school is disputing a request by the Indian Health Service (IHS) to pay for indigent health...

Opinion: Media missed story at Mohawk First Nation (May 6, 2004)

"In mid-January, Kanehsatake exploded in the national consciousness once more. Looking back at the media coverage of the events, familiar patterns emerge. Major Canadian news organizations immediately pumped up the volume by resurrecting images of the 1990 Oka crisis, masked...

Johnson bill to help tribes combat West Nile Virus (May 6, 2004)

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) is offering a bill to help tribes combat the West Nile Virus, which has hit reservations in South Dakota at high rates. $p Johnson sponsored the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act but tribes...

Arizona museum undergoing major expansion (May 6, 2004)

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, has begun work on a $7.6 million expansion. $p The expansion will pave the way for a new exhibit, "Home: Native Peoples in the Southwest." The museum says it will showcase tribal culture in...

Arizona tribe gets ready to mark Sovereignty Day (May 6, 2004)

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation of Arizona will celebrate its 12th annual Sovereignty Day on Friday. $p The day marks the tribe's 24-day standoff with FBI agents and state officials that started on May 12, 1992. The tribe, angered over...

Top official in Peru resigns over Indian protests (May 6, 2004)

Peru's interior minister has been forced to resign for his response to Indian-led protests that led to the killing of a town mayor. $p Lawmakers voted 62-39 to rebuke Fernando Rospigliosi and said he acted too slow to respond to...

Dodd calls on Anderson to resign over broad recusal (May 6, 2004)

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) called on Bureau of Indian Affairs head Dave Anderson to resign due to his broad recusal on all federal recognition decisions. $p In a memo last month, Anderson asked Interior Secretary Gale Norton to delegate all...

House panel threatens subpoena over lobbying (May 6, 2004)

Members of the House Government Reform Committee threatened to subpoena the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation of Connecticut for failing to detail its lobbying expenditures. $p Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky was set to testify at a hearing on the federal recognition process...

First Nations in Manitoba purchase rail line (May 6, 2004)

Three First Nations in Manitoba have purchased a rail line that was being shut down. $p The Mathias Colomb First Nation, the War Lake First Nation and the Tataskweyak Cree Nation formed a company to buy the rail line for...

Miccosukee Tribe plans to sue EPA over Everglades (May 6, 2004)

The Miccosukee Tribe of Florida has put the Environmental Protection Agency on notice for its response to the cleanup of the Everglades. $p At issue is a state law that purports to delay the cleanup schedule. The tribe and environmentalists...

Blackfeet Nation starts youth rehabilition camp (May 6, 2004)

The Blackfeet Nation of Montana is turning a ranch into a rehabilitation facility for youth. $p The White Buffalo Youth Detention Center will emphasize tribal culture. Elders will work with youth to pass on ranching and other traditions. $p The...

Wyoming tribe objects to state jurisdiction provision (May 6, 2004)

The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming is trying to renegotiate a child services agreement with the state but the sides disagree about a provision requiring the tribe to submit to state jurisdiction. $p The state says the provision is necessary...

Tribal college graduate overcomes adversity (May 6, 2004)

Robyn Pepion, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, never finished high school. But this Friday, she is receiving a degree from the United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota. $p Pepion, a single mother, escaped an abusive...

Homes donated by Air Force have lead, asbestos (May 6, 2004)

The Turtle Mountain Ojibwe Tribe of North Dakota says homes donated by the Air Force are contaminated with asbestos and lead. $p The Air Force gave the homes to the Walking Shield American Indian Society, a non-profit group that helps...

Employee who criticized tribe's bison program laid off (May 6, 2004)

An employee of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota was fired after he criticized the tribe's bison program. But a tribal executive said the termination was based on budget cuts. $P Ted Siers alleged that the bison...

Authorities bust drug ring on Oklahoma tribal land (May 6, 2004)

Law enforcement authorities have busted a methamphetamine ring that used one of the Choctaw Nation's casinos in Oklahoma as a base. $p A total of 34 federal and state arrest warrants were issued as the result of a five-year investigation....