Many people underwent serious withdrawal during the Christmas holiday. Not because they were waiting on the Bureau of Indian Affairs to send their royalty checks, but because Indianz.Com took its annual vacation. We got lots of email, a few phone calls and at least one inquiry from a reporter wondering what was going on.

But now that a new year is here, we're back and you can expect everything to return to normal. Well, as normal as things can be around Indian Country. It should be an exciting year, though, especially with the election creeping up on everybody. So don't forget to register to vote! It will definitely count.

Still, just in case you were wondering what happened during the break, we've got a recap of some of the top events. As one reader put it: "News still happens." So here it is, or was, as the case may be.

PIESTEWA FAMILY DECRIES 'TERRORISM'
Lori Piestewa, the Hopi woman killed in action in Iraq, was given a hero's treatment for her actions during the conflict. But her family says she suffered the ultimate indignity when the NBC network aired a tape of her last moments. They accused the media of "domestic terrorism" for showing her and close friend, Jessica Lynch, who survived an ambush in the desert, in an Iraqi hospital.

"This terrorism was not from any foreign group wishing to harm the United States, but from our own people wanting to make a quick buck off the misfortune of two young women" the family said in a statement quoted by The Arizona Republic.

The NBC news division said it contacted military officials before airing the tape so that the Piestewa and Lynch families could be informed. But Percy Piestewa, Lori's mother, said she wasn't told.

Get the Story:
Piestewa family assails video airing (The Arizona Republic 1/1)
NBC shows tape of injured Piestewa in Iraqi hospital (The Arizona Republic 12/31)
E.J. Montini: Piestewa family goes from peak to valley (The Arizona Republic 1/4)

CALIFORNIA GAMING UPHELD
In yet another victory for Indian gaming, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on December 22 upheld the gaming rights of the state's tribes.

Tribes were not a party to the case but the court's unanimous decision affirmed the legality of their gaming compacts with the state. A three-judge panel also ruled that Proposition 1A, a voter initiative spearheaded by the tribes, did not violate the U.S. Constitution.

A group of card clubs and charities argued that 1A, approved 2-1 by voters, created an unfair advantage for the tribes. But the court said the initiative and the compacts are consistent with the goals of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) "as a means of promoting tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments."

Get the Decision:
Artichoke Joe's v. Norton (December 22, 2003)

Get the Story:
Tribal gaming gets OK (The San Francisco Chronicle 12/23)

COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRIBE
A highly anticipated decision from a federal judge in Rhode Island proved highly negative to the Narragansett Tribe, whose reservation was raided by state police this past July in a dispute over tax-free cigarettes.

U.S. District Judge William E. Smith ruled that the raid didn't violate the tribe's sovereign rights. He cited the controversial Nevada v. Hicks decision from the Supreme Court, saying it provided "guidance on the circumstances in which a State may enforce its laws on tribal lands."

More specifically, Smith said the tribe's settlement act subjected the tribe to state criminal and civil law. That means the tribe cannot operate a smoke shop without charging state taxes.

Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas said the tribe will appeal the decision.

Get the Decision:
Narragansett Tribe v. Rhode Island (December 29, 2003)

Get the Story:
Smoke-shop showdown (The Providence Journal)

KICKAPOO WOMEN TAKE OVER
Members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma gave chairman Tony Salazar an early Christmas present last month and ousted him through a recall election. But he wouldn't leave, prompting a group of women -- ranging in age from 19 to 50 -- to take over the tribal headquarters in protest.

The occupation was peaceful as the women hoped to call attention to what they said was tribal corruption. It ended, however, when tribal police raided the offices and arrested three women who stuck around. "I was really disappointed when I realized it was our own tribal police," protester Glenda Deer, 50, was quoted as saying. "They came in like gung-ho Rambos -� like you'd see in the movies."

Get the Story:
Tribal police raid building, arrest 3 (AP 1/4)

MESKWAKI CASINO REOPENS
With the blessings of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa rang in the new year by reopening its casino.

The facility was closed in May due to a leadership dispute within the tribe. The fight cost a lot of money in and out of the courtroom but the tribe appears ready to rebound from the setback.

Get the Story:
It's a happy new year at Meskwaki Casino (The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier 1/1)

WHERE IS DAVE ANDERSON?
When Neal McCaleb was confirmed to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs, he was so eager to start work that he was sworn in over the Fourth of July holiday back in July 2001.

There was none of that for Dave Anderson, the latest BIA chief. He was confirmed right before the Christmas break but has yet to take over the troubled agency.

Not that he isn't ready to tackle the challenges. "I just plan on spending time visiting with the tribes and understanding their priorities and understanding how we can help them and, at the same time, representing President Bush's administration and Secretary Gale Norton's," he said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Get the Story:
New BIA director eager to drop apron, get to work (AP 12/30)
Q&A With Dave Anderson (AP 12/22)