Lobbying scandal a wake up call for Indian Country (January 4, 2006)

History is filled with many examples of Indian people being ripped off but the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal sets a new standard because some of the tribes involved were more than willing participants. Flush with gaming revenues, the tribes actively...

Abramoff pleads guilty in Washington lobbying scandal (January 4, 2006)

Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty on Tuesday to three felony counts, admitting to a conspiracy to defraud tribal clients, bribe a member of Congress and evade federal taxes. The once-powerful Republican appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C. to...

Eastern Cherokees lose leader with death of Leon Jones (January 4, 2006)

Leon Jones, a former principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, died Friday, December 30, after a long bout with cancer. He was 69. Jones, a Vietnam veteran, served as chief from 1999 to 2003, as the...

Beatrice Medicine, scholar and advocate, dies (January 4, 2006)

Beatrice Medicine, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, died December during emergency surgery. She was 82. Medicine was a noted author, scholar and advocate for Native rights. She taught at colleges and universities throughout...

Tribe's public defender held on meth charges (January 4, 2006)

Travis Whirlwind Soldier, the public defender for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, was ordered to remain in custody pending trial on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Whirlwind Soldier, 28, was charged in federal court last month. He is accused of...

Editorial: Republicans nail a Republican lobbyist (January 4, 2006)

"The guilty plea of Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abramoff is a benchmark of corruption. When a government controlled by Republicans nails a prominent Republican lobbyist, you might suspect the violations were egregious. And they were. Only part of it was...

Schaghticoke groups battle over reservation (January 4, 2006)

A rival group has taken control of the Schaghticoke Reservation in Connecticut and is seeking to develop the land. The Schaghticoke Indian Tribe took over the tribal offices last week. The group ousted the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, whose leaders have...

Soo Tribe donates furniture to Katrina victims (January 4, 2006)

The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians is donating $50,000 in used furniture to victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. The items come from the tribe's casino hotel. They include mattresses, box springs, dressers, night stands, lamps and mirrors. The tribe...

Navajos, Hopis out of work as mine shuts down (January 4, 2006)

A couple f hundred Navajo and Hopi tribal members are out of work now that the Black Mesa coal mine in northeastern Arizona has shut down. The mine is closing because its sole customer -- a power plant 273...

Editorial: Abramoff scandal leads to Congress (January 4, 2006)

"Ominously for members of Congress and their staffers who enjoyed themselves at his expense and then did his bidding, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff agreed yesterday to plead guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion. His deal follows a similar...

Inuit woman's appendix filled with gun pellets (January 4, 2006)

Doctors in Alaska recently reported the case of a 73-year-old Native woman whose appendix swelled to three times its normal size due to decades of ingesting buckshot. It is common for Natives in Alaska who live a subsistence lifestyle...

Movie Reviews: Native street gangs in 'Stryker' (January 4, 2006)

"Stryker," a new film about Native street gangs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is opening in New York City today. The movie features a mostly Native cast, including some newcomers to the screen. The title role is played by Kyle Henry,...

Mississippi Choctaws gave $250K to 'Family' group (January 4, 2006)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians gave $250,000 to a questionable organization linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and embattled Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), The Washington Post reports. The tribe gave $150,000 to the U.S. Family Network at the same...

Yellow Bird: 2005 was a year of haunts, tragedy (January 4, 2006)

"It was only a few weeks into 2005 when I received a call from Standing Rock. The call made my hair stand on end. The caller was hesitant about alerting the media coverage on reservations tends to be less than...

Mark Trahant: Starting new year off with correction (January 4, 2006)

"I'd like to start the New Year by correcting a mistake. Actually two mistakes. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column and suggested we get rid of paper dollars and instead use coins. "I read your editorial and...

Jodi Rave: Joe Garcia's down-to-earth leadership (January 4, 2006)

"Joe Garcia strums guitar chords with the same ease that roots him in tribal tradition and the same conviction that inspires him to speak his mind on any issue. They are qualities that have propelled Garcia to leadership within...

Cherokee Nation denies working with Abramoff (January 4, 2006)

The Cherokee Nation never hired disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a spokesperson told The Native American Times. Spokesperson Mike Miller said Abramoff solicited the tribe as a client. "You get sales pitches all the time," he told The Times. Documents filed...

ILTF opens Indian estate planning institute (January 4, 2006)

The Indian Land Tenure Foundation has launched the Institute for Indian Estate Planning and Probate at the Seattle University School of Law. The institute seeks to help Indian people make informed decisions about their land, to provide estate planning and...

Harjo: The Mantle of Shame Awards for 2005 (January 4, 2006)

"I've given Mantle of Shame Awards to the deserving, mostly for the holiday yuks of family and Capitol Hill friends, for 25 years. This started with the worst ''Indian'' stereotypes, references and statements in politics, sports and pop culture generally,...

Column: Lessons of Jack Abramoff's fall (January 4, 2006)

"It was just past noon yesterday, about the time Jack Abramoff would be sitting down to lunch at Signatures, the restaurant he owned at Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Over the roasted waluu ($19) or perhaps a starter of...

Joe Garcia to deliver State of Indian Nations address (January 4, 2006)

Joe Garcia, the new president of the National Congress of American Indians, will deliver the State of Indian Nations address on February 2, 2006. The speech is Garcia's first as NCAI president. It will come two days after President Bush's...