First Nations Day recognized North Dakota tribes (October 11, 2004)

The second annual First Nations Day in North Dakota was held on Friday. The day was created by the State Legislature to recognize the sovereignty and contributions of tribes in the state. Tribal leaders said it promotes open and honest...

Alaska tribes oppose decision to allow timber sale (October 11, 2004)

Three tribes in southeast Alaska are opposing the U.S. Forest Service's decision to allow a timber sale on Gravina Island. The tribes say they weren't adequately consulted. They say the logging of about 38 million board feet of timber from...

Some Native voters don't care for Kerry or Bush (October 11, 2004)

Getting more Native Americans to the polls is only part of the battle. Getting them to support a particular candidate is just as difficult. Kee Ben Begay, a Navajo chapter president, said he is leaning towards Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts)....

Rally opposes nuclear waste dump on reservation (October 11, 2004)

Members of the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe of Utah were joined by environmentalists to oppose a proposed nuclear waste dump on the reservation. The small tribe, which has less than 150 members, is divided over the proposal. Activists led by...

Navajo president calls for ouster of George Bush (October 11, 2004)

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. called on Navajo voters to oust President George W. Bush over the administration's handling of the trust fund. Shirley joined the plaintiffs in the Indian trust fund suit at a chapter meeting in New...

IHS to allow voter registration at facilities (October 11, 2004)

The Indian Health Service has reversed course and will now allow non-partisan voter registration drives at its facilities. However, the decision comes to late for organizers in New Mexico. The state's registration deadline has passed. IHS barred the use of...

Haskell to double student fees, cut student meals (October 11, 2004)

Students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas will pay double the amount of fees and receive fewer meals under changes adopted by the board of regents. Students who live on campus will pay $210 per semester while those off...

Winnebago tribal executive to consult for BIA (October 11, 2004)

Lance Morgan, the head of the Winnebago Tribe's economic development corporation, has accepted a consulting position with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Morgan, chief executive of Ho-Chunk Inc., will help assistant secretary Dave Anderson on economic development issues. He will...

Teresa Heinz Kerry to speak at NCAI conference (October 11, 2004)

Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), will speak to the National Congress of American Indians this afternoon. NCAI had invited Kerry and President George W. Bush to speak at the conference. Neither could attend....

Column: Columbus ignored as Natives persevere (October 11, 2004)

"Christopher Columbus won't be celebrated today at the newly opened National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall. But there won't be a Columbus Day protest, either. Instead, the man credited with "discovering" America in 1492 will simply be...

Utah tribe to investigate placement of children (October 11, 2004)

The Northern Ute Tribe in Utah says it will investigate the placement of three children who were allegedly abused by their grandmother. Jose Rodriguez, 4, was beaten so badly that he was left in a coma. He has since come...

Indian vote in South Dakota still a hot item (October 11, 2004)

The power of the Indian vote continues to resonate in South Dakota as the crucial November 2 election approaches. Indian voters will play a key role in determining who wins the U.S. Senate race. Incumbent Tom Daschle, a Democrat, and...

Mark Trahant: Election changing as we speak (October 11, 2004)

"Folks are interested in this election. And, I would guess, most of these voters are registering enthusiastically because they've already decided how they want to vote. They know they can make a difference. Most of these voters would not be...

Opinion: NMAI a testament to power of Natives (October 11, 2004)

"That Indians now have their own museum on America's front lawn measures how much has changed in recent decades. Long presumed a vanishing race, Indians have not only survived but also possess greater clout than ever before. The showy protests...

10,000 new Indian voters registered in New Mexico (October 11, 2004)

A get out the vote campaign has registered 10,000 new American Indian and Alaska Native voters in New Mexico, The Albuquerque Journal reports. National, regional and local groups worked to sign up new voters. Goals were set for each of...

Yellow Bird: Discovering the ancestral spirits (October 11, 2004)

"It was a balmy 80 degrees when I followed the Corps of Discovery's North Dakota journey up the Missouri River. Wasps, with legs dangling and stingers ready, hovered over me while red dotted ladybugs crawled the walls of Fort Lincoln...

Russell Means helps open GOP office at Pine Ridge (October 11, 2004)

American Indian Movement activist Russell Means helped the Republican Party open an office on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Means was on the outs with the GOP and U.S. Senate candidate John Thune. He had criticized the Republicans...

GOP challenge to Native candidate rejected (October 11, 2004)

The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a Native man who doesn't have U.S. citizenship papers can run for state office. Cort Gallup is Cree from Canada. He cited the 1794 Jay Treaty that allows free passage to Natives...