BIA puts hold on removal of dozens from San Pasqual Band (January 18, 2012)

A year after taking action, Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk has put a hold on the removal of dozens of people from the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians of California. In January 2011, Echo Hawk determined the tribe could...

Opinion: Quileute Tribe separates fact from 'Twilight' fiction (January 18, 2012)

"Finally, the little Indian tribe turned into werewolves by the blockbuster Twilight series is basking in a more positive spotlight, thanks to the Smithsonian. A new exhibition sorts out truth from fiction in the important roles wolves play among the...

Letter: Indigenous groups deserve our nation's recognition (January 18, 2012)

"It's fitting that onMartin Luther King Jr. Day, Maryland's Piscataway Indians were recognized as a legitimate Native American tribe by Gov.Martin O'Malley. If there is one group deserving support, it is the indigenous peoples of our continent. It was heartbreaking...

Ray Joseph, senior trust reform official, leaves Interior post (January 18, 2012)

Ray Joseph, the senior-most trust reform official at the Interior Department, resigned unexpectedly, Indian Country Today reports. Joseph had been in charge of the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians since January 2011. Although he was only a...

Obama expected to reject a permit for Keystone XL Pipeline (January 18, 2012)

The Obama administration will reject a permit for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, according to news reports. But the State Department will reportedly allow TransCanada to submit another request with a new route for the pipeline. The current route starts...

Kawacatoose First Nation inks deal for potash development (January 18, 2012)

The Kawacatoose First Nation of Saskatchewan signed a deal to develop potash resources on the reserve. The band will work with Native American Resource Partners to bring the potash to the open market. Companies from as far away as China...

Reservation voters file lawsuit over lack of election services (January 18, 2012)

Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe who live in Shannon County, South Dakota, have filed a lawsuit in federal court, contesting the lack of election services on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Shannon County contracts with Fall River County for some...

South Carolina Supreme Court pushed to take up ICWA case (January 18, 2012)

The South Carolina Supreme Court is being asked to hear an Indian Child Welfare Act case involving a member of the Cherokee Nation. Dusten Brown, who lives in Oklahoma, regained custody of his two-year-old daughter after the tribe intervened. But...

San Manuel Band fire chief honored as Champion of Change (January 18, 2012)

Michael Smith, the fire chief for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California, will be honored at the White House tomorrow as a "Champion of Change." Smith started the tribe's fire department. His efforts have improved public safety...

Native Sun News: Critic targets Oglala Sioux Tribe treasurer (January 18, 2012)

The following story was written and reported by Jesse Abernathy. All content © Native Sun News. PINE RIDGE RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA –– In an apparent combined case of duplicity and ethical misconduct, the current treasurer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe...

Cabazon Band reaches agreement to cover air quality rules (January 18, 2012)

The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians reached an agreement to abide by air quality rules in southern California. The tribe agreed to enforce 39 air quality rules issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a state agency. But...

University of Idaho looking for a boost in Indian enrollment (January 18, 2012)

The University of Idaho is taking steps to increase Indian student enrollment and retention. American Indian and Alaska Native enrollment has been inconsistent in the last 10 years, The Argonaut reported. But the Native American Student Center sees about 12...

Poarch Creeks start work on $24M hotel near Florida airport (January 18, 2012)

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians broke ground on a $24 million hotel at the Pensacola International Airport in Pensacola, Florida. The 127-room Hyatt Place Hotel will be connected to the airport through a covered walkway, The Atmore Advance reported....

Indian woman sentenced to probation in child neglect case (January 18, 2012)

An Indian woman in North Dakota was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in a child abuse/neglect case. Virginia Mara Adams, 25, allegedly wanted to kill her three children by running a car in a closed garage. There was no...

Review: Thought-provoking Native artists in 'Shapeshifting' (January 18, 2012)

"The paradigm-shifting "Shapeshifting: Transformations in Native American Art," at the Peabody Essex Museum, begins with a rude surprise: The first wall text that visitors encounter is a parental warning—breaking the mold of customarily child-friendly displays of totem poles and headdresses....

Opinion: A new 'Mormons' mascot for the University of Utah (January 18, 2012)

"It’s been a privilege to be a member of the Mascot Nomenclature Working Group, a panel of distinguished alumni, prominent community leaders and randomly selected hot-dog vendors. (The working group is code-named “Adam,” who, as everyone knows, was tasked by...

Fronteras: Hopi Tribe sues BIA over cleanup of uranium site (January 18, 2012)

"Lionel Puhuyesva walks across a sea of broken glass at the Tuba City Open Dump. Puhuyesva is director of the Hopi Tribe’s Water Resources Program. He has been working 12 years to clean up the groundwater beneath this landfill near...

Counties trying to appeal Mishewal Wappo recognition case (January 18, 2012)

Two California counties are seeking permission to appeal a decision in the Mishewal Wappo Tribe federal recognition lawsuit. Napa and Sonoma counties intervened in the lawsuit and tried to have it dismissed. Judge Edward Davila denied their motion and now...

Bill in Arizona to elevate Indian Affairs post to Cabinet level (January 18, 2012)

Arizona Sen. Jack Jackson Jr. (D) plans to introduce a bill to elevate the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs to a Cabinet-level position. Jackson, a member of the Navajo Nation, said the bill will raise the profile of Indian issues...