Paper apologizes for Red Lake shootings cartoon (March 31, 2005)

The president and publisher of The Duluth News Tribune apologized for running this political cartoon by Signe Wilkinson. Said Marti Buscaglia: "Some of our readers have indicated they were offended by the racially derogatory nature of Wednesday's political cartoon...

E-mail describes FBI briefing on Red Lake shootings (March 31, 2005)

An update on the latest developments involving the March 21, 2005, fatal shootings on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota. THE INCIDENT Jeff Weise in a 2005 class photo. • Star Tribune: Red Lake School Shootings • Pioneer Press:...

State removes 'Abenaki' from tribe's contract (March 31, 2005)

The Maine attorney general's office has removed the word "Abenaki" from the Abenaki Nation's contract with the state, The County Courier reports. Chief April St. Francis-Merril said the removal of the tribe's name from a contract with the University of...

Police to go to trial over Onondaga protest (March 31, 2005)

New York state troopers will go trial over claims they used excessive force and violated the free speech rights of Native Americans in breaking up an Onondaga Nation protest. In May 1997, tribal members were protesting a tax agreement between...

Gaming summit ends with promise but little else (March 31, 2005)

Tribal and state officials pledged to work together as the Western Governors' Association summit on Indian gaming ended on Wednesday although there appeared to be no clear consensus as to what actions might come next. Tribal representatives praised Colorado Gov....

BIA official calls high court ruling 'quite depressing' (March 31, 2005)

A senior Bureau of Indian Affairs official indicated on Wednesday that the agency is open to acquiring land into trust for the Oneida Nation in light of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the tribe. George Skibine, the BIA's acting...

Editorial: Red Lake Nation needs a free press (March 31, 2005)

"Like a hunter in the Chippewa National Forest after a 100-mph windstorm, the Red Lake Nation faces a path strewn with obstacles. First, there is the aftermath of the terrible murders of March 21. Second, there is the wrenching news...

Opinion: Mascot gets more press than Red Lake (March 31, 2005)

"As an alumnus, I’ve taken special pride in the amazing accomplishments of the University of Illinois basketball program this year. That team represents much of what is good in the world of sports, and it has deserved its considerable media...

Idaho tribe, police sign drug enforcement pact (March 31, 2005)

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho signed an agreement with local law enforcement in hopes of reducing drug trafficking and manufacturing. Law enforcement officials have seen an increase in methamphetamine use and trafficking on the Fort Hall Reservation as well as...

Cheyenne ancestors return home for final burial (March 31, 2005)

The remains of four Southern and Northern Cheyenne ancestors were laid to rest in Piedmont, South Dakota, near sacred Bear Butte. The remains were repatriated from four locations across the country. They are believed to be the first Southern and...

Postmaster threw away junk mail on reservation (March 31, 2005)

A former postmaster on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana was sentenced to 10 days of probation and ordered to pay a $10 fine for throwing away junk mail. Athena Mosxona, 61, said she didn't know refusing to distribute the junk...

Police stand behind trooper in raid of reservation (March 31, 2005)

The Rhode Island State Police say they stand behind a state trooper who was found to have used excessive force in the state's raid of the Narragansett Reservation. The police said they were considering options after a federal jury awarded...

Tribes united in opposition to Supreme Court ruling (March 31, 2005)

Five tribes with land claims in New York met on Wednesday to push for settlement of their cases and show opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Oneida Nation case. The Cayuga Nation of New York, the St....

Plan to include tribe in drug import program panned (March 31, 2005)

The Maine Pharmacy Association and Ontario Pharmacists’ Association criticized a plan to designate the Penobscot Nation as a drug importer. The two groups said the plan poses a safety risk to consumers. They claim there will be no regulation...

HUD expands Indian housing loans off-reservation (March 31, 2005)

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is expanding the Section 184 Indian home loan program to areas off the reservation. Arizona became the third state approved for off-reservation loan guarantees. Florida and Wisconsin have already qualified under a program...

Column: Red Lake people look out for each other (March 31, 2005)

"It's strange, he said, that at a time of so much sadness on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, what he'll always remember is the laughter. This is to be the last day of business for Gene and Darlene Dillon's little...

Tim Giago: Wealthy tribes don't need federal funds (March 31, 2005)

"When the gaming compacts between California and the Indian tribes were signed one of the stipulations was that the wealthiest of tribes would contribute to the welfare of the poorer tribes. It seems to have worked out real well there....

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe faces major water crisis (March 31, 2005)

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota met with local, state and federal officials to discuss the impending water crisis on the reservation. The tribe's water system depends on the Cheyenne River. But water levels in the river are...

Yakama Nation agrees to dam conservation plans (March 31, 2005)

The Yakama Nation of Washington has agreed to sign off on conservation plans for three dams on the Columbia River. The tribe had filed a lawsuit over the federal government's approval of the plans. But the council voted last week...

Comanche official faces trial on sexual assault charges (March 31, 2005)

The secretary-treasurer of the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma will be going to trial on charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls. Melvin Kerchee is accused of raping two girls in the summer of 2002. The girls were 10 and...

Supreme Court decision on Oneida Nation criticized (March 31, 2005)

Lawyers involved in tribal issues in Oklahoma criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Oneida Nation case. Ken Bellmard, who represents the Miami Nation and other tribes, said the court has changed precedents dating back to 1830. Lindsay Robertson,...

Churchill promises lawsuits over fraud allegations (March 31, 2005)

Controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill vowed to file lawsuits against those who accused him of misrepresenting his Indian heritage and his academic record. Churchill told The Denver Post in an interview that he did not know whom he...

Funding for Montana Indian education rejected (March 31, 2005)

A bill to provide $6.1 million for Montana's Indian Education for All Act was killed on Tuesday when all Republicans and three Democrats voted against it. The state constitution requires public schools to teach about Indian culture and history. But...

Norton won't reconsider Paugussett recognition (March 31, 2005)

Interior Secretary Gale Norton has refused to reconsider the federal recognition of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe of Connecticut. The Bureau of Indian Affairs denied the tribe recognition but the tribe appealed. In a letter dated March 18 and made...

Editorial: Burns has chance to restore Indian funds (March 31, 2005)

"President Bush just handed Montana Sen. Conrad Burns an opportunity to redeem himself following a tawdry bit of politics. Both involve funding for Native Americans. That's an area over which Burns holds great sway as chairman of the Interior Appropriations...