White House press release on Tribal Nations Conference (December 2, 2011)

Press release from the White House. Today, President Obama is hosting the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of the Interior. As part of President Obama’s ongoing outreach to the American people, this conference provides leaders from the...

South Dakota Supreme Court ends boarding school abuse case (December 2, 2011)

The South Dakota Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man who said he was sexually abused at a boarding school on the Yankton Sioux Reservation. D.Z. Iron Wing, 64, attended the St. Paul's Indian School from...

Navajo Nation, border towns see boost in new HIV/AIDS cases (December 2, 2011)

The Navajo Nation and border communities in New Mexico are seeing a disproportionate increase in new HIV/AIDS cases, according to doctors and experts. The Navajo Nation has 264 people living with AIDS. Gallup, a town near the reservation, and Shiprock,...

Oklahoma governor fails to name new Native American liaison (December 2, 2011)

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) failed to name a Native American liaison as required by a new state law. HB2172 passed in record time in May. It abolished the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission and created a new cabinet-level position to...

Letter: Actions matter more than apology by Kansas governor (December 2, 2011)

"Gov. Sam Brownback recently had a ceremony to apologize for the historically bad treatment of indigenous people in Kansas. The Four Tribes in Kansas and the Kaw Nation attended. The Miami, Peoria, Wyandotte, Delaware, Cherokee, Citizen Potawatomi, Odawa, Shawnee, Sac...

Interview: It's hard to tell whether Jack Abramoff is that sorry (December 2, 2011)

"The notorious former lobbyist and convicted felon is on a well-received rehabilitation tour. But what, exactly, does he think he did wrong? Since being released from prison in 2010, Jack Abramoff -- "One of the world's most famous lobbyists...

Native Sun News: Rally to save Native children in South Dakota (December 2, 2011)

The following story was written and reported by Evelyn Red Lodge. All content © Native Sun News. RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA -- A multiracial rally in support of rescinding the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse altogether will take...

White House delivers report for 2011 Tribal Nations Conference (December 2, 2011)

The White House today released the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference Progress Report. The 41-page report provides a list of the Obama administration's activities in Indian Country. It includes sections on health care, education and public safety. "Since taking...

Ruth Hopkins: Indigenous plant species deserve our protection (December 2, 2011)

"As natives, we have a responsibility to protect indigenous plant species, and this includes preserving natural, non-hybrid varieties. Plant species like indigenous corn (maize), are endangered. The protection and conservation of indigenous, unmodified plant species is directly tied to the...

Mike Taylor: Destruction of earth 'blasphemy' to Indian people (December 2, 2011)

"There was another of those talks on campus Friday afternoon. The original idea* was proposed by Alexander Abian, a mathematics professor from Iowa who was trained at the University of Chicago and later at the University of Cincinnati. The mercurial...

President Obama hosts White House Tribal Nations Conference (December 2, 2011)

President Barack Obama is hosting the third White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C., today. Hundreds of tribal leaders are attending the event. It takes place at the Sidney R. Yates Auditorium at the Department of the Interior, where...

Vi Waln: Our children deserve to grow up in a drug-free society (December 2, 2011)

Substance abuse has long been a major problem on the rez. When I was growing up I mostly saw people abusing alcohol by drinking to get drunk. Seems like becoming highly intoxicated is always the goal, there’s no such thing...