Charlie Johnson, Alaska Native scientist, passes on at 72 (April 17, 2012)

Charlie Johnson, an Alaska Native leader and scientist, died last Thursday. He was 72. Johnson, who was Inupiat, held a number of science and leadership positions. He was former president of the Alaska Federation of Natives and a former executive...

Tanana Chiefs Conference increases reward for 1997 case (April 17, 2012)

The Tanana Chiefs Conference has increased the amount of a reward for information about the 1997 murder that led to the convictions of four Alaska Native men. TCC is offering up to $35,000 about the case. Native leaders say the...

Editorial: A free press is essential, even in a tribal society (April 17, 2012)

"On the Spirit Lake reservation, says a senior clinical psychologist, services “are mired in mismanagement that endangers abused and neglected children,” Sunday’s Herald reported. “Michael Tilus, director of behavioral health at the Spirit Lake Health Center here, has written a...

Muscogee Nation buys property in foreclosure for $11.5M (April 17, 2012)

The Muscogee Nation paid $11.5 million to buy the Riverwalk Crossing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tribe submitted the winning bid for the property at a foreclosure auction today. “We felt we had an opportunity to pick up a center at...

Oklahoma governor to get audit of Indian museum money (April 17, 2012)

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) formally requested an audit of funds provided to the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum. The $170 million museum is half complete. The state needs another $80 million to finish the project by 2014. State...

Laguna Pueblo breaks ground on $30 million water system ( (April 17, 2012)

Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico will get a new water system thanks to the Department of Agriculture. The tribe's existing system frequently falters, causing students to miss school and residents to go without water. The $30 million project is designed...

Video: Gary Busey adopted into Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ( (April 17, 2012)

Gary Busey was adopted into the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe by Isaac Dog Eagle, the actor claims in this video posted on TMZ. Dog Eagle is a descendant of Sitting Bull. Get the Story: Gary Busey Hail to the...

Opinion: An eye-opening opportunity to learn about tribes (April 17, 2012)

"If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims. That's an old joke I remember from grade school. Having just completed a comedy tour of the northernmost states in America, I was introduced to Hidatsa, Assiniboine and...

Tule River Tribe receives $7.1M for trust fund settlement (April 17, 2012)

The Tule River Tribe of California will receive $7.1 million as part of a trust settlement with the federal government. The tribe has yet to receive the money. "It's for whatever the needs are for the reservation," council member Duane...

House subcommittee holds hearing on Pascua Yaqui bill (April 17, 2012)

The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing this morning on H.R.4222, a bill to transfer land to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. Chairman Peter Yucupicio testified. He urged the subcommittee to approve the...

Robert Barton: Eliminating elder abuse in Indian Country (April 17, 2012)

"America’s population is aging quickly. In 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 13 percent of Americans were 65 or older. By 2030, estimates are that demographic will exceed 20%. Among Native Americans, the number of American Indian and...

Nikke Alex: Water settlement not good for Navajo Nation (April 17, 2012)

"Last week both Arizona Senators visited the Navajo Nation to persuade tribal officials that they should agree to waive most of Navajo claims to the Lower Colorado River in order to receive $350 million worth in water development project. During...

South Carolina court hears ICWA case for Cherokee child (April 17, 2012)

The South Carolina Supreme Court is holding oral arguments today in an Indian Child Welfare Act case. Dusten Brown, a member of the Cherokee Nation who lives in Oklahoma, gained custody of his two-year-old daughter after the tribe intervened. But...

Supreme Court declines to review Public Law 280 dispute (April 17, 2012)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Beaulieu v. Minnesota, a Public Law 280 case. David Beaulieu, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians, was deemed to be a "sexually dangerous person" and a "sexual...

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe sets opening date for water park (April 17, 2012)

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan has set a grand opening for the Soaring Eagle Waterpark and Hotel. Starting next week, the tribe is hosting a series of soft openings for members, VIPs and other invited guests. The public will...

Athabascan woman to lead large Minnesota church group (April 17, 2012)

Noya Woodrich, an Athabascan woman, has been tapped to run the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, the largest group of its kind in North America. Woodrich is the first woman and the first Native American person to lead the...

HCN: Tribe in North Dakota grapples with an energy boom (April 17, 2012)

"Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, a lilting swath of prairie in western North Dakota, was once a quiet place. Though thrice the area of Los Angeles, it had only 5,000 residents. Even New Town, a more populous district east of a...

Agua Caliente Band schedules election for chairman post (April 17, 2012)

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of California will hold a special election in June to fill the chairman's post. Richard Milanovich led the tribe until his death on March 10. He was re-elected to the post four days...

Native Sun News: Decision could hurt reservation teams (April 17, 2012)

The following story was written and reported by Joseph Budd, Native Sun News Correspondent. All content © Native Sun News. South Dakota High School Activities Association Executive Director Wayne Carney Depending on which side of the state you live in,...

Senior prosecutor at DOJ resigns after botched casework (April 17, 2012)

A Department of Justice attorney who prosecuted the Jack Abramoff scandal and the botched case against the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has left his government job. William Welch was the head of DOJ's Public Integrity Section. The unit handled...

Blog: Honor the Treaties posters covered up local artwork (April 17, 2012)

"It began as a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was sitting at my computer when reports started to come in that something was up. One post after another came in to my Facebook, mostly from artists bemoaning the loss of some...

Charlie Galbraith: Share your Let's Move success stories (April 17, 2012)

"Since coming into the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama has made the promotion of a healthier America one of her primary goals. Through her Let’s Move! initiative, the First Lady has dedicated her time to solving the challenge of...