Judge allows snowmaking in sacred Arizona peaks (January 12, 2006)

A federal judge in Arizona ruled in favor of a controversial plan to allow snowmaking in the sacred San Francisco Peaks. U.S. District Judge Paul Rosenblatt said the use of reclaimed water to make snow does not infringe on tribal...

Abramoff scandal high on agenda at gaming conference (January 12, 2006)

The Jack Abramoff scandal and its impact on tribal nations were hot topics as the Western Indian Gaming Conference opened in Palm Springs, California, on Wednesday. A week after the Abramoff pled guilty to defrauding tribes, attempting to bribe a...

Editorial: Return money to Alabama-Coushattas (January 12, 2006)

" Jack Abramoff made the Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe an unwitting associate in his game of kickbacks. We think the tribe deserves payback. Alabama-Coushatta leaders said this week that they have never met Abramoff, the lobbyist who is at the center...

Sherman Alexie speaks about Martin Luther King (January 12, 2006)

Author Sherman Alexie, a member of the Spokane Tribe, gave the keynote address at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Everett, Washington. Alexie urged attendees to honor King by remembering his faith. He said people shouldn't afraid...

Federal judge advances Navajo trust fund lawsuit (January 12, 2006)

A federal judge on Wednesday advanced a trust fund mismanagement case filed on behalf of 7,000 to 8,000 Navajos who live in Utah. The lawsuit accused the state of mismanaging gas and oil royalties. The Navajos contend $150 million has...

Canadian party won't honor deal with First Nations (January 12, 2006)

Canada's Conservative party doesn't plan to honor an agreement First Nations leaders reached with Liberty Prime Minster Paul Martin to pour $5 billion into Native programs. The Conservatives say they support the goals of the agreement: to improve health care...

Fort Belknap Tribes press state on water pollution (January 12, 2006)

Members and leaders of the Fort Belknap Tribes pressed a Montana state board to strengthen mining rules to prevent water pollution. Tribal representatives repeatedly cited the need to protect water from mining activities. Their water has been tainted by the...

Chippewa Cree Tribe launches anti-meth campaign (January 12, 2006)

The Chippewa Cree Tribe has launched an effort to combat methamphetamine abuse on the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana. The tribe created a 12-member meth advisory committee that will oversee the effort through prevention, intervention, treatment and increased law enforcement....

Indian woman named to South Dakota parole board (January 12, 2006)

Debra C. Flute, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, has been named to the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles. Flute is currently working for the tribe's Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise. She is a graduate of Penn...

Utah tribe celebrates release of children's book (January 12, 2006)

The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation held a gathering on Wednesday to celebrate the release of a new children's book created by tribal elders and youths. "Coyote Steals Fire" tells the story of how Itsappe, or Old Coyote, stole...

Agua Caliente chairman apologizes for Abramoff (January 12, 2006)

Richard Milanovich, the chairman of the Agua Caliente of Cahuilla Indians, apologized on Wednesday for his tribe's involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal. On the opening day of the Western Indian Gaming Conference in Palm Springs, Milanovich said he was...

Rumsey Band replaces longtime chairwoman (January 12, 2006)

Paula Lorenzo, the longtime chairwoman of the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, has been voted out off office. Lorenzo ran the 44-member tribe since 1993. She oversaw the development of the tribe's casino and was active in state and...

Massachusetts tribe, town set for land-use agreement (January 12, 2006)

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the town of Aquinnah have negotiated an agreement over zoning and land-use issues that were the subject of a contentious court case. The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the town can enforce its zoning...

Western Shoshones sue railroad over lost land (January 12, 2006)

The Western Shoshone National Council filed suit against the Union Pacific Railroad and seven landowners, accusing them of taking away land promised in an 1866 treaty. The lawsuit seeks the recovery of millions of acres under the 1866 Treaty of...

Indians and Jews meet after Abramoff scandal (January 12, 2006)

A group of 21 Indian and Jewish people met at a synagogue in California on Sunday to promote a positive relationship in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. The meeting was originally to take place at a hotel owned...

Sen. Burns losing support among Montana voters (January 12, 2006)

After being hammered repeatedly for his connections to confessed felon Jack Abramoff, Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) is losing support among voters in Montana, a new poll released on Wednesday shows. Burns, who is running for re-election, had a double-digit...

McCain bill to serve as basis for lobbying reforms (January 12, 2006)

A lobbying reform bill introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) will serve as the basis for the Republican leadership's own proposal, The Washington post reports. McCain's bill would bar ex-government employees who represent tribes from lobbying their former employees for...

Pine Ridge families to benefit from Abramoff fallout (January 12, 2006)

More families on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota will get help with their heating bills as a result of the Jack Abramoff scandal. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) is donating $8,250 in Abramoff-related donations to Running Strong for...

Republican governors to donate Abramoff cash (January 12, 2006)

The Republican Governors Association will donate $500,000 it received from confessed felon Michael Scanlon. Scanlon's Capital Campaign Strategies gave the money in October 2002. It is not clear where Scanlon got it but an October 1, 2005, report in The...

Alito faces sharp questioning, wife leaves in tears (January 12, 2006)

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. faced sharp questions about abortion and his membership in a college society during a confrontational hearing in which his wife left the room in tears. Alito left open the possibility that he...