Kansas tribe buys ancestral land in Illinois (May 10, 2006)

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas announced the second purchase of ancestral land on Tuesday, more than 150 years after being forced to leave Illinois. The tribe's first buy was small: a family home in Shabbona, the community named...

Jury convicts Montana teen for murder of transient (May 10, 2006)

A jury in Billings, Montana, convicted Rusty Lee-Ray Russell of murdering a homeless man. Russell was 18 when he and a friend took part in an attack on April 26, 2005. John Gewanski, 65, died after being stabbed. Another...

Editorial: State helped Crow Creek school stay open (May 10, 2006)

"Gov. Mike Rounds deserves praise and thanks for his help in keeping the Crow Creek Tribal School open. The school was in a dispute with insurance carrier St. Paul Travelers over a fire last year that destroyed a dormitory, which...

Rosella Enyart, eldest Mdewakanton, passes (May 10, 2006)

Rosella Enyart, the eldest member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota, died last Tuesday, May 2. She was 87. Enyart, whose nickname was "Tootie," was well known among the tight knit community for her generosity, her spark and...

Haskell University feels strain of Bush budget cuts (May 10, 2006)

Haskell Indian Nations University is feeling the pinch of the Bush administration's budget cuts and is seeking ways to offset the loss of federal funds. President Karen Swisher is reviewing the school's options with the Board of Regents today. On...

Quapaw Tribe to open methadone center (May 10, 2006)

The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma is opening a for-profit methadone treatment center. Quapaw Counseling Services will be the first tribal-operated methadone center in the state. It is set to open in June. Methadone is used to treat addiction and withdrawal...

Ward Churchill threatens university with lawsuit (May 10, 2006)

Controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill said he will take the school to court if the "witch hunting" against him continues. Churchill's lawyer said the school has damaged his reputation and has prevented him from getting work. He said...

Navajo vice president launches presidential campaign (May 10, 2006)

Navajo Nation Vice President Frank Dayish Jr. launched his presidential campaign last week after being snubbed by President Joe Shirley Jr. Dayish said he would make economic development a priority if elected. He said he handled economic issues as vice...

Ute Mountain Ute man killed in trailer home fire (May 10, 2006)

Arthur Cuthair, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of Colorado, died in a fire at his trailer home on Friday. Cuthair, 58, had ran into the trailer because he thought his 6-year-old son was still inside. But his...

Navajo Nation gets funds to close down Head Start (May 10, 2006)

The Navajo Nation has received $413,000 in federal funds to close down the tribal Head Start program for the year. President Joe Shirley Jr. went to Washington, D.C., earlier this week to meet with the Administration of Children and Families....

Two 12-year-olds among seven charged for murder (May 10, 2006)

Two 12-year-old boys are among seven young people from the Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta charged with the murder of a 38-year-old man. The group of seven includes the two 12-year-olds, a 15-year-old boy, two 16-year-old boys and...

Divine Strake blast postponed but concerns remain (May 10, 2006)

A lawsuit filed by members of the Winnemucca Indian Colony has led to the delay of the "Divine Strake," the Pentagon's plan to blow up more than 700 tons of explosives at the Nevada Test Site. But a key member...

Soboba Band moves closer to water rights settlement (May 10, 2006)

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians in California is near a settlement of its water rights lawsuit. In 2000, the tribe sued three water districts. Two of the three districts have now approved a settlement to ensure the tribe receives...

Column: Land claim questions remain unsettled (May 10, 2006)

"We live in a complicated, quickly changing time, when the early history of our region can seem impossibly remote. Yet the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to decide over the next few days whether to review a...

Bush sheds campaign donation from guilty lobbyist (May 10, 2006)

President Bush is giving up a $2,000 campaign contribution he received from Neil Volz, the latest member of Team Abramoff to plead guilty. Volz used to work Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio). But after he joined Jack Abramoff's team in 2002,...

Cason says Oneida Nation trust land decision far off (May 10, 2006)

Associate Interior deputy secretary Jim Cason said a decision on the Oneida Nations land-into-trust application won't be made until 2008 at the earliest. Cason went to upstate New York to hear from local leaders and residents about the application for...

Cherokee Nation launches Indian cancer registry (May 10, 2006)

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is collecting information about cancer among Cherokees and other Native Americans in the tribe's 14-county jurisdictional area in northeastern Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation Cancer Registry is the first of its kind in Indian Country. The...

Chickaloon Tribe readies year-round greenhouse (May 10, 2006)

The Chickaloon Tribe of Alaska is putting the finishing touches on a 1,200-square-foot greenhouse. The greenhouse is powered by the wind and sun and heated with sustainably harvested wood. It will operate nine months out of the year and...

Tulalip Tribes propose marsh restoration project (May 10, 2006)

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington are working with state and federal officials on a $4 million marsh restoration project. The tribe says years of loggers, farmers and industry have dried out nearly all of the Snohomish River marsh. The project...

Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing (May 10, 2006)

Note: The hearing was not broadcast online. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding a hearing this morning on economic development. The witness list follows. Panel 1 DR. ROBERT MIDDLETON Director, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Office of...