WRN: Bad River Band leading opposition to Wisconsin mine (February 27, 2012)

"As the Wisconsin legislature rushes to complete mining legislation, a tribal leader remains opposed to any iron ore mine in the tribe’s ceded territory in northern Wisconsin. Gogebic Taconite wants to apply for permits to operate an open-pit mine in...

Kevin Abourezk: Native women inspiring 'Native Daughters' (February 27, 2012)

"Astrid Munn's life changed the day she met Danelle Smith, an attorney from the Winnebago Tribe who opened the Scottsbluff woman's eyes to the legal needs of Native women. Unsure about what she wanted to do after graduating from the...

Umatilla woman a contestant on America's Next Top Model (February 27, 2012)

Mariah Watchman, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, is competing to be America's Next Top Model. Watchman, who grew up on the reservation, is proud to be the first enrolled tribal member on...

Charles Trimble: Obama needs Indian votes to win election (February 27, 2012)

The price of gasoline at the pump is skyrocketing and is expected to flatten the upward trend on the stock market charts, thus maybe even stalling the economic recovery from the Republican recession of 2009 and 2010. In a strange...

Opinion: One youth's perspective on 'Dances with Wolves' (February 27, 2012)

"This weekend I spent some down time re-watching a movie I watched last year. I watched the movie for my American History class with Dr. Stotts. The movie is called Dances with Wolves. I suggest anyone who has not seen...

Review: Two-spirit experiences found in 'Sovereign Erotics' (February 27, 2012)

"Edited by Qwo-Li Driskill, Deborah Miranda, Daniel Heath Justice and Lisa Tatonetti, Sovereign Erotics: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature (University of Arizona Press, 2011)is a landmark book—the first Native gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit (GLBTQ2) prose and poetry anthology...

Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs hearings (February 27, 2012)

The House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs has two hearings on its schedule. This Thursday, the subcommittee will take testimony on H.R.1272. The bill distributes a $28 million judgment fund to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Next Tuesday, March...

Erich Longie: 'Fighting Sioux' backers don't speak for tribe (February 27, 2012)

"My mother, a fluent Dakota language speaker, said this about her beloved Dakota language: “It’s very descriptive; you say what you mean and you mean what you say.” This inherent honesty in our Dakota/Lakota/Nakota language made it hard for a...

Review: A story of tragedy in 'Northern Cheyenne Exodus' (February 27, 2012)

"From classic Western movies and earlier books, the story is familiar. More than 350 Northern Cheyennes fled a reservation in present-day Oklahoma traveling north toward their homeland in Montana, dodging Army cavalry patrols but raiding farms and killing settlers...

Walter Lamar: Sharing stories of success in Indian Country (February 27, 2012)

"In 2005, I founded Lamar Associates as an entirely Native-owned company that provides solutions for Indian Country professionals striving to address the critical law enforcement, health and safety issues troubling many tribal communities. We added Indian Country Training as a...

Travel: Canyon de Chelly holds history of the Navajo Nation (February 27, 2012)

"The trouble started over a horse. An American colonel named John Washington had led his troops deep into Navajo country and summoned some chiefs to sign a treaty. As the council ended, a soldier spotted a stolen mount among the...

Review: A triumphant journey in 'Rez Life' by David Treuer (February 27, 2012)

"David Treuer is a novelist who teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Southern California. Nothing about his outward appearance fits the stereotype of an American Indian. But Treuer definitely qualifies as an intellectual with deep knowledge...

Disenrollment affects Picayune Rancheria leadership fight (February 27, 2012)

Two factions are fighting for control of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in California. A faction led by Reggie Lewis has been responsible for removing over 100 people from the rolls in recent months. Fearing more disenrollments are...

Opinion: Tribal payday loan firms are a new online menace (February 27, 2012)

"There is now a new kind of payday lending menace terrorizing consumers. The lending laws set up by the government are such that they are not applicable to ‘tribal enterprises’. In the light of this fact some Internet based high...

Editorial: Consumers losing out in tribal payday loan battle (February 27, 2012)

"A recent court ruling that sharply reined in Colorado's ability to regulate online payday lenders associated with Native American tribes has disturbing implications for the state's ability to protect consumers. The practical effect is that those who feel they've been...

Colville Tribes reach $193M trust management settlement (February 27, 2012)

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington announced a $193 million trust management settlement. The tribe filed suit in federal court in 2005, seeking an accounting of its trust funds. After negotiations with the Obama administration, the tribal...

Sen. Tester: Nominating Elouise Cobell for a national honor (February 27, 2012)

The following is the opinion of Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana). Every year, only three Americans are honored with the Citizen Service Before Self award—one of the most prestigious honors awarded by our nation. This year, I nominated my friend Elouise...

Native Sun News: HIV cases increase within Navajo Nation (February 27, 2012)

The following story was written and reported by Kate Saltzstein, Native Sun News Correspondent. All content © Native Sun News. NAVAJO NATION –– While the rest of the country has seen a decline in the number of AIDS cases, there...

Tim Giago: Inspiring a new generation of Native Americans (February 27, 2012)

Notes from Indian Country By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © 2012 Unity South Dakota I received an email from a guy named Lee Carson who wrote, “I hope you die.” Kind of a harsh thing to say about anybody, but...