The federal judge overseeing the Indian trust fund sanctioned several government attorneys on Wednesday for a "frivolous" attempt to undermine the court's authority. For the second time in as many months, U.S....

If you heard coughing and sniffling and hacking at yesterday's Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing, that was Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado)....

In a near party line split, a Senate committee voted 10-5 on Wednesday to approve the nomination of Ross Swimmer as Special Trustee at the Department of Interior. All Republican members of the panel voted yes, including chairman Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado and John McCain of Arizona, who had earlier raised concerns about the nomination....

The Northwest Area Foundation is being sued for withdrawing a $15 million offer to reduce poverty among Indians, Hispanics and whites in Yakama Nation country in Washington. The foundation wanted the community to decide how to spend the money....

In response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Washington, the Department of Energy agreed to put a temporary halt to nuclear waste shipments to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The state wants the federal government to commit to a cleanup schedule before any more waste is stored at Hanford....

Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature plan to introduce another measure aimed at providing more oversight of Indian gaming compacts. GOP lawmakers have been upset that Gov....

The North Dakota Senate voted down a bill to rename the Four Bears Bridge on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The bridge is named for Mandan and Hidatsa chiefs....

The Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington is considering a casino in the city of Marysville but isn't being met with open arms, according to news accounts. The tribe wants to build a casino on trust land but is facing opposition from a group that wants the proposed facility moved....

A citizens group sued the state of Washington for approving the Muckleshoot Tribe's amphitheater. The tribe gained federal and state approval for the project after a lengthy review process....

The Muckleshoot Tribe of Washington filed suit against a group of cities to require a more detailed study of a proposed water project. The Cascade Water Alliance wants to build a pipeline to pipe water from a lake....

Nebraska lawmakers voted 25-19 to advance a constitutional amendment that allows expands gaming in the state. The amendment allows tribes to open Class III gaming facilities on reservation land....

More than 200 bison from Yellowstone National Park have been rounded up this week, with most headed to the slaughterhouse. Federal and state officials in Montana are looking at rounding up an additional 100, a park official told The Billings Gazette....

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians voted to appeal a California judge's decision that subjects the tribe to the state's campaign finance law. The Fair Political Practices Commission, a state board, says the tribe is not complying with the law....

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld California's tough "three strikes" sentencing law. In two separate 5-4 decisions, the majority said the law does not violate the constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment....

A federal judge in Nevada dismissed a suit seeking approval of a kitty litter mine next to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. Oil-Dri Corp....

The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana has reinstated police chief Arthur Windy Boy, The Havre Daily News reports. The tribal council voted 4-2, with two abstentions....

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a petition to recognize tribal court orders and judgments. The Minnesota Tribal Court Association was a backer of the initiative, which was heavily covered by The Native American Press / Ojibwe News....

The state of Washington and the federal government have agreed to pay $5 million to four children who were abused at foster home on the Nooksack Reservation, The Seattle Times reports. The children were in legal custody of the state when placed in the home of a former tribal council member....

Oklahoma Senator Don Nickles, a Republican, said he was ready for the full Senate to confirm Ross Swimmer as Special Trustee at the Department of Interior. Nickles does not sit on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee but supports his fellow Oklahoman....

"I am writing in regards to the recent media coverage on Navajo allottees claiming their royalties which are long overdue. I, unfortunately, do not receive royalty checks; yet I know of relatives and friends that do....

Navajo Nation leaders expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to end their $600 million breach of trust claim. The 6-3 ruling found that the Department of Interior did not violate any trust obligations for approving a coal lease that was unfavorable to the tribe....

Senator Pete Domenici, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, today joined forces to revive legislation with wide-ranging importance to American Indians in New Mexico. Domenici is an original cosponsor of the Indian Programs Reauthorization and Technical Amendments Act, introduced today by Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Ben Nighthorse-Campbell....

The Whiteriver Unified School District Governing Board welcomed the Show Low Unified School District Governing Board in a joint Board meeting to discuss the recent controversy surrounding racially motivated comments and actions of spectators attending basketball games between the two schools on February 4 of this year. Show Low Superintendent Norlis McKay and Show Low High School Principal Ken Van Winkle opened the meeting with formal apologies extended on behalf of the school and governing board....

A DNA expert testified on Wednesday in the trial of a man accused of raping and murdering an Alaska Native woman. The expert said that sperm found at the scene did not match suspect Joshua Wade, The Anchorage Daily News reported....