Bush asked to nominate Campbell for Interior post (March 15, 2006)

With President Bush already looking West to find someone to run the Interior Department, retired Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado) is being offered as a prime candidate due to his experience with Indian and other issues. Campbell, a member of...

Time Magazine: Who Were The First Americans? (March 15, 2006)

"It was clear from the moment Jim Chatters first saw the partial skeleton that no crime had been committed--none recent enough to be prosecutable, anyway. Chatters, a forensic anthropologist, had been called in by the coroner of Benton County,...

Nez Perce official stresses importance of fish (March 15, 2006)

The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho is considering a lawsuit against the federal government for the failure to protect salmon fisheries, the tribe's biologist said. Under an 1855 treaty, the Nez Perce have the right to fish "at all usual...

Cheyenne man guilty for killing sister's husband (March 15, 2006)

A member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe was found guilty in state court of murdering his sister's husband but an appeal to the Montana Supreme Court is expected. The jury convicted Joel White, 47, after six hours of deliberations...

NCAA President: Names belong to sovereign tribes (March 15, 2006)

Tribes have a right to determine how their names are used, NCAA President Myles Brand said in an interview with The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Brand said the NCAA is working with schools on a "case-by-case basis" to determine whether...

Santee Sioux Tribe marks return of jurisdiction (March 15, 2006)

The Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska held a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the return of its criminal and civil jurisdiction. The tribe fell under Public Law 280, a termination-era law that granted the state jurisdiction in Indian Country. After...

Yaqui community begins celebration of Easter (March 15, 2006)

The Pascua Yaqui community in Guadalupe, Arizona, is observing Easter with a unique blend of Catholic and Yaqui traditions. The celebration started on Ash Wednesday and will continue through Easter on April 16. Visitors are welcome to observe ceremonies that...

Cherokee chief wants Freedmen out of tribe (March 15, 2006)

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith is calling on the tribe to change its constitution to deny citizenship to the Cherokee Freedmen. The Judicial Appeals Tribunal, the tribe's highest court, ruled that the Freedmen are entitled to citizenship because the...

Editorial: Norton was a 'terrible' Interior secretary (March 15, 2006)

"Gale Norton was a terrible interior secretary because she did what President Bush wanted her to do. Rather than protect public lands, she tried to open them to the oil, gas and mining industries. A protégé of the equally awful...

Yakama Nation quits inter-tribal fish commission (March 15, 2006)

The Yakama Nation of Washington has withdrawn from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission amid complaints by tribal leaders and members. The tribe says the commission is overstepping its boundaries. "They're trying to claim that they're the head of the...

Swedish museum returns totem after 77 years (March 15, 2006)

Members of the Haisla First Nation in British Columbia traveled to Sweden on Tuesday to bring home a 134-year-old totem pole taken from them in the 1920s. The totem was erected in 1876 to honor the forest spirit Tsoda...

Mother, husband charged for death of five-year-old (March 15, 2006)

A 24-year-old woman and her 43-year-old common-law husband have been charged in connection with the death of Phoenix Victoria Sinclair, the woman's five-year-old daughter. Samantha Dawn Kematch is charged with assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, forcible confinement and...

Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe opens elders center (March 15, 2006)

The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe of Washington celebrated the opening of its new elders center last Friday. The center is located within the House of Knowledge campus. The 3,775-square-foot building features a full-size kitchen, restrooms, an office, a lounge...

Tanana Chiefs Conference to select new president (March 15, 2006)

The Tanana Chiefs Conference is selecting a new president this week to replace Harold "Buddy" Brown, who retired due to his ongoing battle with cancer. Five people are seeking to lead the $80 million organization, which represents 42 tribes in...

Oneida Chair: Tribe's economy goes past reservation (March 15, 2006)

"We believe that when leaders stay focused on public policy and work to improve the quality of life for their citizens, ideas are discovered that move us beyond jurisdictional restraints to a higher common purpose. This is another example of...

House Republicans to introduce lobbying reform bill (March 15, 2006)

After weeks of delays, the House Republican leadership plans to introduce a lobbying reform measure as early as today. The details aren't fully known but the measure would temporarily bar lawmakers from privately financed trips and require lobbyists to disclose...

IRS asked to probe Norquist's anti-tax organizations (March 15, 2006)

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday, accusing anti-tax activist Grover Norquist of violating tax laws in his dealings with tribes. Norquist runs Americans for Tax Reform and the American...

Column: Abramoff asks for help in delaying sentencing (March 15, 2006)

""Please do not share this e-mail or forward it to anyone. I have sent it (to) a limited number of friends and hope you will honor this request. Thanks." So reads a Sunday-night missive received (that much we can confirm)...

Listening Lounge: Hearing on child protection act (March 15, 2006)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing this morning on S.1899, the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act. S.1899 was introduced on October 20, 2005. Among other provisions, the bill would reauthorize funds for child sexual abuse...