Navajo Nation police officer killed while responding to incident (June 27, 2011)

A police officer for the Navajo Nation was killed in the line of duty on Saturday. Sergeant Darrell Curley responded to a domestic violence call in Kaibeto, Arizona. He was shot and killed. Another officer, Vernon Begay, was also injured....

Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on Native CLASS Act (June 27, 2011)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing this Thursday on S.1262, the Native Culture, Language, and Access for Success in Schools Act, or the Native CLASS Act. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the committee, introduced the...

Non-Indians bragged about attack on Reno Sparks man online (June 27, 2011)

Two non-Indian men who attacked a member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony of Nevada bragged about the incident on Facebook. Johnny Bonta was threatened on May 24 by a group of men at a gas station at a border town...

Turtle Talk: Indian law outcomes in Wisconsin Supreme Court (June 27, 2011)

"In Wisconsin, tribal interests prevail in 23 percent of cases. Here are the cases: Ho-Chunk Nation v. Wisc. Dept. of Revenue (2009) — L Dairyland Greyhound Park, Inc. v. Doyle (2006) — W Panzer v. Doyle (2004) — L Teague...

Column: Witness recalls the AIM occupation at Wounded Knee (June 27, 2011)

"The image of two U.S. senators crossing a demilitarized zone with a white flag hanging out of the window of their car is not one you see every day. But that's where former South Dakota Sens. James Abourezk and George...

Patti Jo King: Truth and myth about Apache warrior Geronimo (June 27, 2011)

"The recent use of the name of Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo in the mission that killed terrorist Osama bin Laden has raised eyebrows and controversy. Critics complain that naming Osama bin Laden was inappropriate, because it made the Indian leader...

WPR: Military officers forcing tribal soldiers to give up tobacco (June 27, 2011)

"The Ho Chunk Nation says a sacred plant is being wrongly confiscated from its members serving in the military. For many Native Americans, ceremonial tobacco is for prayer, meditation, and in the case of soldiers – protection. Conroy Greendeer Sr....

Mark Trahant: Tribes and counties better off working together (June 27, 2011)

Idaho’s Bannock County is considering an ordinance that would create an “overlay” zoning district on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The idea is that the county would “serve” non-Indians who live on the reservation, while the tribes would then...

Tribes press for fix to land-into-trust ruling at nation's capitol (June 27, 2011)

The National Congress of American Indians and the United South and Eastern Tribes hosted a rally at the U.S. Capitol to lobby for a fix to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. Matthew Thomas, the chief sachem...

Wildfire poses threat to Cochiti Pueblo in northern New Mexico (June 27, 2011)

A wildfire is burning close to Cochiti Pueblo in northern New Mexico, with nearby residents undergoing evacuations. The Las Conchas Fire started on private land on Sunday. It's now burning inside Bandelier National Monument near the reservation. Tribal members...

Supreme Court won't accept Osage Nation diminishment case (June 27, 2011)

The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected a petition in Osage Nation v. Irby, a reservation diminishment case. Congress created a reservation for the Osage Nation of Oklahoma in 1872. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an allotment act...

In These Times: Fractionation a big issue in Cobell settlement (June 27, 2011)

"Joseph Reynolds knew that he owned land on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, but he didn’t know exactly where. Reynolds, who inherited the land from his grandparents, believed as many as 1,000 acres were waiting for him to...

Marc Simmons: Military attempted attack on Navajos in 1948 (June 27, 2011)

"The first major expedition by United States military troops against hostile Navajos began May 1, 1848. Col. Edward W. Newby, commander of the 9th Military Department of New Mexico, departed Santa Fe with a group of 200 soldiers made up...

Cherokee Nation elects new leader by slim margin of 11 votes (June 27, 2011)

Members of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma elected Bill John Baker as principal chief, according to unofficial results. Baker defeated incumbent Chad Smith by just 11 votes. The tally was 7,600 to 7,589. “I’m humbled and honored to be the...

Wambli Sina Win: Pretendians -- the hostile takeover of tribes (June 27, 2011)

I received an overwhelmingly response from my red brothers and sisters regarding my recent commentary, “Tribes Should Protect Their Bloodline.” At the request of the majority, I offer this follow up. Who defines an Indian tribe? Is it non-Indians, “pretendians,”...

Vi Waln: Helping our tribal elders prepare for their last journey (June 27, 2011)

Many of us do not like to think of our own death, we would much rather focus on living. Still, as I ponder my life and future I have to think of where I want to be when I die....

Upwards of 30K in Arizona to share in $3.4B Cobell settlement (June 27, 2011)

As many as 30,000 members of tribes in Arizona are expected to benefit from the $3.4 billion settlement to the Cobell trust fund lawsuit. Most will receive $1,800 from the settlement. But some tribal members with large dollar activities in...

WPR: Lac du Flambeau chair hopes BIA improves trust system (June 27, 2011)

"A federal judge has finalized a $3.4 billion settlement in a case filed against the U.S. government nearly 16 years ago, which eventually grew to represent thousands of Native Americans across the country. Tom Maulson is chair of Wisconsin's Lac...

Editorial: Victory with $3.4B settlement of Indian trust lawsuit (June 27, 2011)

"An epic federal lawsuit challenging the incompetence and bureaucratic racism in the handling of Indian trust accounts by the U.S. government is finally over. Credit the tenacity of Elouise Cobell, a Blackfoot woman from Montana, who became the public face...