Mark Trahant: Appoint Indian to U.S. Supreme Court (July 11, 2005)

"From my perspective, the U.S. Supreme Court has been busy rewriting American Indian law for at least the past three decades. The court has ignored judicial history and political decisions made by Congress or presidential administrations and instead invented new...

Pombo schedules New York land claims hearing (July 11, 2005)

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the chairman of the House Resources Committee, has scheduled an oversight hearing on New York tribal land claims. The hearing will take place Thursday, July 14, in Room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building at...

Canadian Native leader found guilty of hate crime (July 11, 2005)

A prominent Native leader who praised Adolf Hitler for the Holocaust was found guilty on Friday of violating Saskatchewan's hate crimes law. David Ahenakew, 71, later apologized for his remarks and offered explanations for them when he was put on...

Editorial: AIDS a 'time bomb' for Native Americans (July 11, 2005)

"HIV/AIDS is a "time bomb" for Native Americans. Then-Surgeon General David Satcher gave the warning in 2001. Four years later, it's still ticking. The remoteness of many tribal communities once seemed a protection against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS....

Cayuga Nation asks BIA to take lands into trust (July 11, 2005)

The Cayuga Nation of New York has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take land into trust. The tribe is operating Class II gaming, gas stations and convenience stores on the land. Due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court...

Oglala Sioux Tribe plans reservation bus service (July 11, 2005)

The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has secured more than $2 million in federal money to start a bus service for the second-largest reservation in the U.S. With the reservation covering 4,400 square miles, more than twice the size...

Study finds high rate of smoking among youth (July 11, 2005)

Research published in the May 2005 issue of the American Journal of Public Health found an extremely high rate of smoking among Native youth. Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson, a member of the Navajo Nation, looked at smoking rates among members...

Appeals court agrees to rehear sovereignty case (July 11, 2005)

STATE RAID: Troopers pin tribal members on the ground during raid of the Narragansett Reservation on July 14, 2003. Nearly two years after the state of Rhode Island conducted a violent raid of the Narragansett Reservation, a federal appeals...

Jodi Rave: Tragedy on the Red Lake Reservation (July 11, 2005)

Native reporter Jodi Rave Lee of The Missoulian published a two-day series of articles on the March 21, 2005, shootings on the Red Lake Reservation. Jeff Weise, 16, killed nine people that day before taking his own life. His family...

Poarch Creek Band hit by hurricane storms (July 11, 2005)

Storms and twisters related to Hurricane Dennis have hit the Poarch Creek Band of Alabama, causing power outages and some damage on the reservation. At least one elderly tribal member had to be evacuated when winds tore off the roof...

Scientists begin study of Kennewick Man remains (July 11, 2005)

A group of 11 scientists began their study of the 9,000-year-old remains of the Kennewick Man. The remains were discovered on federal land that used to be part of the Umatilla Reservation in Washington. They were the subject of...

Key Republican speculates on Supreme Court makeup (July 11, 2005)

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) suggested on Sunday that President Bush elevate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to the chief justice position should Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist decide to step down. O'Connor announced her retirement on June 1. Rehnquist hasn't stated...

Montana tribe develops water quality standards (July 11, 2005)

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to gain approval for its water quality standards. The tribe is seeking "treatment as state" status under the Clean Water Act. The law recognizes tribal authority to...

Editorial: Mississippi Choctaws victims of own greed (July 11, 2005)

"The sheer scope of greed, corruption, dishonesty and outrageous hubris being revealed in a Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation of possible fraud by lobbyist Jack Abramoff almost defies belief. Abramoff is at the center of the hearings, along with Michael...

Opinion: Oglala Lakota College has positive record (July 11, 2005)

"On behalf of the Oglala Lakota College Board of Trustees, I am providing the following information regarding the unfounded allegations made against our college. I will first address the allegation that OLC President Tom Shortbull is putting the college at...

Jodi Rave: Blackfeet opera lacks authenticity (July 11, 2005)

"Welcome to Indian opera. The cast includes a Sun God, medicine woman, humble man, cruel-hearted warrior and a beautiful woman. The story of "Poia," or Scarface, recounts a legend of how the Blackfeet acquired the ceremonial Sun Dance. The Great...

Lawmakers weigh appeal of voting rights case (July 11, 2005)

The South Dakota Legislature's Executive Board will hold an emergency meeting today to consider a voting rights lawsuit affecting members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. On behalf of members of the two tribes, the American...

Small tribe in Mexico fears impact of new highway (July 11, 2005)

A small tribe in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico fears a new highway could lead to even further destruction of its way of life. The Seri Tribe lives in two main villages along the Sonoran coast. The 375-mile highway would...

Yellow Bird: Speeding through another summer (July 11, 2005)

"As we drove into the heart of Minnesota, I told my sister that we needed to be especially careful because in a state that needs money, ticketing us might be a another way to pay some salaries. She laughed. Speeding...

Pechanga Band enrollment dispute closely watched (July 11, 2005)

A lawsuit filed by former members of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians is being closely watched by other disenrolled Indians in California. The Pechanga plaintiffs are using Public Law 280 to argue that the tribe violated its own laws....

Virginia tribal leaders on historic trip to England (July 11, 2005)

Two Virginia tribal leaders are making their first official visit to England this week, nearly four hundred years after the first English settlement was established in Jamestown with the help of Virginia's Indians. Stephen Adkins, the chief of the Chickahominy...

Navajo Marine killed while serving in Afghanistan (July 11, 2005)

A member of the Navajo Nation was killed while fighting the war in Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin Joyce, 19, had been listed as missing in action since June 25. His remains were found and identified on July 8....