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Headline Archives 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 PAST
2003 National Native News Headlines
Wednesday,
December 31, 2003 Tax Agreement Between Oglala Sioux Tribe and South Dakota Under Fire Canadian
Female Chiefs May Soon Get Recognition for Their Contributions No Word on Death of 16-Year Old Native American Girl at Boarding School Meskwaki Casino Plans to Re-Open on Wednesday, December 31st Monday,
December 29, 2003 Canadian Supreme Court Decision In Favor of Metis Rights Spurs Debate Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe Makes State’s List of Biggest Charitable Donors Wednesday,
December 24, 2003 Canadian Survey Shows Urban Natives Lagging in Education Tuesday,
December 23, 2003 Idaho Tribal Smoke Shops Set to Increase Prices on January 1st Winnipeg
City Council in Canada Vote Yes on Proposed Urban Reserve Navajo Nation and State of New Mexico Proposed Water Rights Deal Under Fire TV Movie about Canadian Native Leader’s Death Renews Concerns of His Death Friday,
December 19, 2003 Montana Tribes Wanting to Expand Gaming on Tribal Lands Oglala Sioux Tribe Sponsors Stress in the Workplace Conference Wednesday,
December 17, 2003 Alcoholism/Addiction
Follow Canada’s Innu After Relocation from Troubled Community Court Decision Allowing Air Force to Grant Contract to Native-Owned Business Stands Supporter of Shooting Range Near Sacred Butte Ask Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit Monday,
December 15, 2003 Reconstruction After Wildfires Begin on California’s Barona Indian Reservation Canadian Health Officials/Community Leaders Concerned by High Suicide Rates BIA Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Killing of Couple by Drunk Driving Employee Friday, December 12, 2003 200 Year-Old Wampum Belt Making Its Way Home To Akwesasne Mohawk Humane Farming Association Says Hog Farm on Rosebud Sioux Reservation is Inhumane Kansas Awaiting Decision on Suit Against Wyandotte Tribe Thursday,
December 11, 2003 Oneida Nation Has to Negotiate New Compact with N.Y., State Drops Appeal Alaska’s Kake All-volunteer Circle Peacemaking Receives Harvard Award Wednesday,
December 10, 2003 Navajo Nation and New Mexico Propose Water Rights Settlement South
Dakota Governor Wants to Improve Relations with Tribes Warm Springs Reservation Children More Likely to Die 3 Tribal Members Sue Police in Narragansett Tribal Smoke Shop Raid Monday,
December 8, 2003 Canadian Judge Says Prime Minister Should Testify in Oil & Gas Royalties Case Native American Business Owners Want OpportunityNot Hand Out Friday,
December 5, 2003 Thursday,
December 4, 2003 Eskimo Teenager Training to Become Squad Commander in Israeli Military South Dakota Diabetes Reduction Program Combines Technology and Culture New Mexico Tribe’s Golf Course Named Best In Class by National Magazine Wednesday,
December 3, 2003 South Dakota Peace and Justice Calls for Review of Rapid City Police Department Alaska Senator Drops Riders but Wants Commission to Review Tribal Justice Systems Tuesday,
December 2, 2003 First Female Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation is Sworn In Monday,
December 1, 2003 Survey Shows Canadians Support Aboriginal Cultures But Not Native Rights South Dakota State University Program Aims to EducateThrough Distance Learning
Natives and non-Natives Protest Farm Bureau and One Nation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Official Visits the Navajo Nation Thursday,
November 27, 2003 Meskwaki Tribal Leaders Hope to Re-Open Casino Soon New Expedition Honors History of the Iditarod Trail Wednesday,
November 26, 2003 Ontario’s New Government Calls for Investigation into Dudley George Shooting Tuesday,
November 25, 2003 CA Utility Company Tells Navajo Nation that Coal Generating Station Will Close South Dakota Corrections Aftercare Program Focuses on Native American Juveniles Monday,
November 24, 2003 Poverty Report says Canada’s Native Children Most Affected South
Dakota Catholic School Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse Friday,
November 21, 2003 Cigarette
Smuggling Bill Viewed as Attacking Tribal Sovereignty Thursday,
November 20, 2003 Sioux Nations to Hold Treaty Meeting to Educate on Fort Laramie Treaties Wednesday,
November 19, 2003 BIA Recognized Meskwaki Election But Tribe’s Bank Doesn’t Federal Officials Plan to Clean Up Former Uranium Mine on Spokane Reservation Tuesday,
November 18, 2003 Lakota First Person in South Dakota to Receive 10th Degree Black Belt in Martial Arts Monday,
November 17, 2003 U.S. Navy Officially Hands Sacred Island back to Hawaiian Government University of Oklahoma Official Lectures on Contemporary Native American Activism Friday,
November 13, 2003 Nominee to Head B.I.A. says Entrepreneurship is Key to Native Independence Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police Thriller “Coyote Waits” Premiers in New Mexico Thursday,
November 13, 2003 Catalina Island Buffalo Returned to Standing Rock & Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation Canada's First Nations Group Want Totem Returned Wednesday,
November 12, 2003 Native Americans Mascots A Hot Issue at Central Michigan University Tuesday,
November 11, 2003 Students at American Indian Schools Rank Highest In Smoking and Drug Use First Nations’ Cree are Getting into the Oil Business Monday,
November 10, 2003 Arizona Judge Rules to Keep Hopi and Navajo Separated BIA
Recognizes Results of Meskwaki Recall Elections Fast Track Plan to Settle Abuse Claims in Canadian Boarding Schools Changes Tribal College Hopes Program will Help Native American Veterans Return to School Thursday,
November 6, 2003 Legal Issues Impacting Indian Education in Montana being Tackled in Forum Lakota Elder Teaching the Art of Brain Tanning Wednesday,
November 5, 2003 Appeal Filed in Washington Redskins Trademark Case Federal Court Denies Leonard Peltier’s Request for Parole Hearing Canadian Aboriginal Flees US Army to Deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Tuesday,
November 4, 2003 Native
American Organizations to Participate on CNN’s Democratic Presidential
Forum Monday,
November 3, 2003 Police Consider Attack of Alaska Native Woman with Paintballs a Hate Crime Few Services for Inuit Offenders in Most Canadian Federal Prisons Friday,
October 31, 2003 Montana Tribes Say they will Sue State/Federal Government over Old Gold Mine Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Idaho State Ban to Survey Wind Power Generation Thursday,
October 30, 2003 Recent Elections Continue Meskwaki Tribal Leadership Dispute Wednesday,
October 29, 2003 Pine Ridge High School Receives Grant to Keep Students in School Tuesday,
October 28, 2003 Traditional Buffalo Hunt Aims to Bring Back Traditional Lakota Ways Monday,
October 27, 2003 Aboriginal Girls Win the Right to Stay with White Foster Parent Native Americans in Albuquerque, NM Working to Become Swing Vote Friday,
October 24, 2003 Bear Project in Southeast Alaska is Drawing Fire from Environmentalists Thursday,
October 23, 2003 Nez Perce Tribe Considers Developing Bio-Diesel Fuel Montana’s Governor Proclaims Fort Peck Reservation as “Capitol for a Day” Wednesday,
October 22, 2003 Benefit Concert to Help Native American Health Center in Oakland, California Tuesday,
October 21, 2003 SD
Receives Nearly $500,000 to Boost Organ/Eye/Tissue Donations on Reservations Monday,
October 20, 2003 Hundreds Gather to Commemorate Victims of the Dakota Conflict of 1862. Aboriginal Celebrities Raise Funds for Scholarship in Memory of Native Activist Friday,
October 17, 2003 Plans
to Establish Oklahoma’s First Tribal College are Underway Thursday,
October 16, 2003 Meskwaki Primary Elections Hopes to End Costly 7-Month Political Struggle Montana Governor Meets with Tribes to Talk Natural Resource Development Wednesday,
October 15, 2003 Outgoing
California Governor Davis Signs Bills In Favor of Tribal Casinos Tuesday,
October 14, 2003 First Inuk to Play Professional Hockey Plays for the Nashville Predators Kalispell Tribe Goes State of the Art to Preserve Culture Monday,
October 13, 2003 Sacagawea Statue to be Placed in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall South Dakota’s Native American Day - Crossing Racial Divides/ Building Bridges Friday, October 10, 2003 South Dakota Native American Women’s Shelter Celebrates 3 Years Supreme Court Declines to Hear Montana Non-Native Hunter Case Judge Says Washington Redskins Can Keep Trademark Thursday,
October 9, 2003 Canada’s First Nations People Walk 700 miles to Highlight Health Problems Tuesday,
October 7, 2003
Canada’s Northwest Territories Premier Announces Retirement Monday,
October 6, 2003 Colville Tribal Members Rally to Draw Attention to School District Deficiencies University of California Restricts Native American Blessings and Prayers Friday,
October 3, 2003 Reconciliation between Native and non-Natives Subject of SD Event Thursday,
October 2, 2003 Tuesday,
September 30, 2003 Religious Artifacts Returned to Navajo, Hopi and Pueblos Ontario Public & Security Minister Wants Wrongful Death Lawsuit Postponed Friday,
September 26, 2003 Wednesday,
September 24, 2003 St. Regis Mohawk Want New York Tribes to Oppose Cigarette & Gas Tax Peltier Seeks Early Parole Hearing Monday, September 22, 2003 Navajo
Nation President Signs Gaming Compact Friday,
September 19, 2003 Thursday,
September 18, 2003 White Bison- Striving to Uphold Sobriety and Wellness in Native Communities Lakota Men Swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco to Promote Health Wednesday,
September 17, 2003 Rare Pneumonia in Native Canadian Community a Threat Tuesday,
September 16, 2003 South Dakota Tribal Radio Stations Simulcasts Treaty-Education Show Monday,
September 15, 2003 Feds Concerned About Money Laundering by Terrorists at Tribal Casinos Lakota Tribal Members Walk to Celebrate/Remember Cancer Survivors and Victims Tuesday,
September 9, 2003 Decrease in Number of Native Americans in OK Blamed on Flawed Survey Hopi Man First Native American Nominated to Arizona Veterans Commission Monday,
September 8, 2003 Friday,
September 5, 2003 Inuit Sign Historical Land Claims Settlement Native-owned Printing Company Features Lakota History Thursday,
September 4, 2003 Federation of Saskatchewan Indians Strategize On Native Youth Gangs Committee Says Federal Agencies are Ignoring NAGPRA Laws Wednesday,
September 3, 2003 Tuesday,
September 2, 2003 Friday,
August 29, 2003 Federal
Court of Appeals Upheld Convictions of 6 Montana Skinheads Tuesday,
August 26, 2003 President
Bush says He’s Fulfilled Promise to Improve Salmon Runs Monday,
August 25, 2003 Ontario
Government Ordered to Release Photos and Videos Of Fatal Standoff Friday,
August 22, 2003 Thursday,
August 21, 2003 Tuesday,
August 19, 2003 Monday,
August 18, 2003 Will
Microsoft Add Tribal Names to new Version of Word? Friday,
August 15, 2003 Meskwaki
Casino May Be A Step Closer to Reopening Thursday,
August 14, 2003 “Spirit
Walk 2003”- Preserving Native languages Wednesday,
August 13, 2003 Meskwaki Set Their Recall Election for October Tipi Capital of the World Opens at Crow Fair Tuesday,
August 12, 2003 Monday,
August 11, 2003 Oneida Set to Host Ironworkers Festival North Dakota State Continues Recognition of Fighting Sioux Friday,
August 8, 2003 Coeur d'Alene of Idaho Seek State Status from EPA California Tribe OK’d for Land Near Downtown San Francisco Thursday,
August 7, 2003 Former
Southern Ute Indian Tribal Leader Laid to Rest Tuesday,
August 5, 2003 Field
Burning on Coeur d’ Alene Reservation Facing Legal Battle Monday,
August 4, 2003 Friday,
August 1, 2003 Thursday,
July 31, 2003 Wednesday,
July 30, 2003 Tuesday,
July 29, 2003 Monay,
July 28, 2003 Friday,
July 25, 2003 Number
of Plaintiffs in Boarding School Abuse Lawsuit Expected to Grow Thursday,
July 24, 2003 Senator
Joe Lieberman Visited the Nation Largest Indian Tribe Wednesday,
July 23, 2003 Connecticut
Senator Lieberman to Address Navajo Lawmakers Former POW Lynch Says she Misses Hopi Soldier Lori Piestewa Tuesday,
July 22, 2003 Reservation Spay and Neuter Event Largest in South Dakota Alaska’s Water Bodies Lose Water-Quality Monitoring Funds Monday, July 21, 2003 Court Overturns Contempt Ruling against Interior Officials Reservation Spay and Neuter Event Largest in South Dakota Alaska’s Water Bodies Lose Water-Quality Monitoring Funds Friday,
July 18, 2003 Canada’s Assembly of First Nations Elects New Leader Family Questions “Accidental” Ruling of Sergeant Alan Two Crow’s Death Thursday,
July 17, 2003 New Mexico Commissioner Wants Zuni Salt Lake Mining Suspension Lifted Michigan Tribal College Asks for more Charter Schools Wednesday,
July 16, 2003 White River Hospital Transfers Patients to Phoenix Aboriginal Abuse Victims Warned to Ignore Canada's Settlement Offer Tuesday,
July 15, 2003 Group Claims Klamath Basin Study Discriminated Against Tribes Budget Aimed to Helped Rural Alaska Villages Not Approved Monday, July 14, 2003 Canada's Department of Indian Affairs Spied on Aboriginal People Native Americans in South Dakota Protest Police Plans Army Soldier Sentenced to Life for Killing Native American Soldier Friday, July 11, 2003 Iroquois Confederacy Plans Protest of NY Casino/ Land Deals Court Overturns Montana Redistricting Law, Indian Lawmakers Happy Former BIA Employee Appeals Sentence in Drunk Driving Murders Thursday, July 10, 2003 Indian
Trust Settlement Proposals Concern NCAI, Cobell & House Committee South Dakota University Receives $125,000 Grant for Multicultural Scholarships Wednesday, July 9, 2003 Senate Holds Hearings on Gaming and Revenue Sharing New York will ask U.S. Supreme Court to Uphold Mohawk Compact Report says Montana Universities Overlooking Native Students Tuesday, July 8, 2003 Bishop Pleads Innocent to Hit-And-Run that Killed Navajo Man South Dakota Water Pipeline Project Faces Major Cutback Traditional Native Hawaiian Counseling Takes On New Life Monday, July 7, 2003 Fires Threatening Tribal Sacred Sites Alaska Native Corp. Considers Oil and Gas Exploration Tribal Leaders At Odds with State Over Tobacco Tax Friday, July 4, 2003 AIM Member Plans to Blockade Whiteclay, Nebraska Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Leader Resigns Southern Ute Cultural Museum Receives “Priceless” Addition Thursday,
July 3 , 2003 Swimmer Finishes Testifying in Trust Fund Trial Native American Journalists Association in Financial Crisis No Casino for Narragansett, Bill Failed in State Legislature Wednesday, July 2 , 2003 NY Oneidas Seek to Halt Internet Prescription Sales on Reservation Zuni says Utility Company’s Aquifer Tests Possibly Flawed Wisconsin Oneidas Unhappy with State Over Cigarette Taxes Tuesday, July 1 , 2003 Mohawk Inauguration Leaves Land and Casino Deal Uncertain Apache
Tribe Sues Woman who Started Part of Rodeo-Chediski Fire Monday, June 30 , 2003 Tribal
Leaders Walk Out on Department of Interior Briefing Friday, June 27 , 2003 Montana
Tribes Cheer Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision Thursday, June 26 , 2003 Battle of the Little Bighorn Re-enacted Oneidas
Answer Call to Save Indigenous Languages Wednesday, June 25 , 2003 Indian Memorial Dedicated at Little Bighorn Battlefield Special Trustee Ross Swimmer to Testify in Cobell Case False Navajo Medicine Man Guilty of Rape Tuesday, June 24 , 2003 Zuni Transfer Slot Machine Rights to Gila River “See,
Test and Treat” – One Stop Cancer Survival Shop Monday, June 23 , 2003 Report Sheds Light on Lori Piestewa’s Death State’s High Court says Tribes have Civil Jurisdiction on Allotted Land Indiana Governor Establishes Native American Indian Affairs Commission Friday, June 20, 2003 Congress
Considering Payment to Western Shoshone for Treaty Violations Thursday,
June 19, 2003 Day of Prayer for Protection of Sacred Sites Program Encourages Native American Teens to Pursue Nursing Tuesday, June 17, 2003 Catholic
Bishop Suspected Hit and Run Driver that Killed Navajo Man Thursday, June 12, 2003 Court Says Mohawk Tribe’s Casino Compact is Invalid
Navajo Nation and N.C.A.I. Co-Chair Tribal Leaders Summit Wednesday, June 11, 2003 A bill to protect Native American Sacred lands is introduced in Congress And the White Mountain Apache firefighter who started the Rodeo fire is deemed fit for trial. Tuesday, June 10, 2003 Montana Tribe's Proposal to Manage Bison Refuge Draws Heat Traditional vs. Modern: Navajo Artist Uses Music to Find Balance Monday,
June 9, 2003 Native American Students Show Big Improvements Talk Radio Host Offends Native Americans Friday,
June 6, 2003 Amnesty International Concerned for Dann Sisters California Assembly Kills American Indian Mascots Issue Thursday,
June 5, 2003 New
Mexico Tribal Leaders Accused of Gross Insubordination Two Minnesota Tribes Tackle Poverty Wednesday,
June 4, 2003 Tribes Hail State Supreme Court Decision on Gaming Machine Use Tribes Blame SARS for Decreased Shellfish Sales Tuesday,
June 3, 2003 Monday, June 2, 2003 Tribal College Releases Economic Impact Study Tribes, Villages Recieve Broadband Technology Grants Thursday, May 29, 2003 California
State and Tribal Leaders Discuss Sacred Native Sites Wednesday,
May 28, 2003 Tuesday,
May 27, 2003 2 year-old Navajo Boy with Rare Disease Needs Bone Marrow
Protest Against Missouri River Recreational Sites Continues Federal Marshals Shut Down Meskwaki Casino U.S. Army Responds to Accusations of Sexually Assault Northern Ute Investigating Plans to Open Cockfighting Ring On Reservation Friday, May 23, 2003 Federal Officials Investigating Tribal Smoke Shops University Sets Record In American Indian Graduates Denver Public School Teaches Lakota Language Thursday, May 22, 2003 Supreme Court Rules Tribes Can’t Sue States Lewis and Clark Conference Focuses on Native Perspective Wednesday, May 21, 2003 BIA Officials Testify on Reorganization Plans Tohono O'odham Election Not Postponed Says Judge Coeur d’Alene Developing Interactive Map of Ancestral Sites Tuesday, May 20, 2003 Alaska’s Supreme Court Says Native Hiring Preference Violates Constitution Judge May Send Marshals to Shut Down Meskwaki Casino Wounded Knee Residents Upset Over Massacre Museum Monday, May 19, 2003 Federal
Judge Postpones Sacred Sites Decision Friday, May 16, 2003 Lakota Woman Accuses Army Recruiter of Sexual Assault Federal Judge Overturns Salmon Restoration Plan Montana Bill Honors Native American Veterans Thursday, May 15, 2003 Minnesota Tribe Okays Radioactive Waste Storage Agreement South Dekota Senator Says Bush’s Tax Plan Will Hurt Indians Alaska Native Women File Voting Rights Lawsuit Wednesday, May 14, 2003 Historic Forum Brings Together Natives, US Lawmakers Meskwaki Casino Ordered to Shut Down
University of Toledo Asked to Return Indian Remains St. Regis Mohawk, New York Sign Historic Agreement South Dakota Woman Accused of Voter Fraud Pleads Innocence Canada’s First Nations Protest Anti-Sovereignty Legislation Monday, May 12, 2003 Wisconsin's
Gaming Compacts Challenged in the Courts Yankton Sioux Asks Tribes to Help Protect Sacred Lands Friday, May 10, 2003 First Lady Visits the Navajo Nation Secretary of Education Visits Alaska Native Villages Thursday, May 8, 2003 Historic Agreement Between Mohawks and New York Halted Meskwaki Chairman Withdraws $300,000 from Tribal Account Protest Planned Against Transport of Nuclear Waste Wednesday, May 7, 2003 Chippewa Cree Chairman Alvin Windy Boy told federal health officials that it will take more that one billion dollars to combat the skyrocketing rates of diabetes in Indian Country The White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona is gearing up for another severe fire season New York
City’s American Indian Community House will present a staged
reading of the play “Ghost Dance,” a production that explores
repatriation of sacred objects and human remains Tuesday, May 6, 2003 The Navajo Nation held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new marina and hotel at Lake Powell, Arizona, but a potential lawsuit could halt their plans. The Shinnecock tribe of Long Island, New York, signed a contract last week with a controversial casino backer from Oklahoma. A federal judge on Friday declined to accept a lawsuit filed by ousted Seminole leader James Billie. Monday, May 5, 2003 Nearly 3-dozen people on Sunday evening walked over 10 miles to protest a recent not-guilty verdict in the murder of an Alaska Native woman. The group walked to also focus on the unsolved murders of other Native women. From 1999 to 2000, six Native women were murdered in and around Anchorage. Four large fishing boats and a processing plant were burnt Saturday evening in a French Canadian fishing village in New Brunswick. Several hundred people had been demonstrating against the Canadian Government’s announcement on Friday to permanently include in-shore fishermen and First Nation’s fishermen in the quota for high-paying snow crab. Friday, May 2, 2003 The Indian Affairs Committee earlier this week listened to opinions about establishing a congressionally-sponsored economic development organization for tribes and Native Hawaiians. The Navajo Nation is stepping up its efforts to combat a syphilis outbreak. At least one health professional says they’re making a difference. The race is on to see which state will place the first likeness of a Native American woman in Statuary Hall in Washington DC. Thursday, May 1, 2003 Trial proceedings began today in the Cobell lawsuit. A federal judge must decide which accounting plan, the government's or the Cobell plaintiffs,' will successfully bring the management of individual Indian trust funds into compliance with the law. The National Indian Gaming Commission on Wednesday declared that the Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa is in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The tribe faces a 20 thousand dollar a day fine along with a possibility of being shut down if they don’t settle an intra-tribal dispute. Lakota sculptor Tom Red Bear has spent years pursuing his art in Wisconsin, California and in the Southwest. The Oglala Sioux tribal member recently came home to South Dakota’s Black Hills with one goal – to improve the image of his people through art. Wednesday, April 30, 2003 The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday added a section on Indian Energy to the Senate’s Energy Policy bill. Two California courts last week issued conflicting rulings concerning tribes and campaign finance disclosure. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano visited the Havasuapi Reservation in north central Arizona on Tuesday for a ceremony honoring an historic transfer of gaming rights. A well-known Anchorage, Alaska Native woman started a hunger strike last week to protest a not-guilty verdict in the murder of an Alaska Native woman. Tuesday, April 29, 2003 The federal judge in the Cobell lawsuit on Monday denied the Interior Department’s request to limit its accounting to transactions occurring after October 1, 1984. The state of Alaska is considering new regulations to permit aerial spraying of a type of pesticide. The proposed regulations are spurring hot debate among some tribes, environmentalists and a Native Corporation that wants to spray pesticides on an island in South East Alaska. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle last week signed new gaming compact with seven Wisconsin tribes. The compacts have been the center of controversy because they have no expiration dates. The State of Wisconsin will make millions of dollars in the pact, while the tribes will be able to expand the games they offer. Monday, April 28, 2003 Caravans of First Nations band members and their supporters arrived on Sunday at Victoria Island, near Ottawa to gather in protest against the Canadian government. The group objects to legislation pending in the Canadian Parliament that many say would impact First Nations’ sovereignty. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, located north of Reno, Nevada, recently stocked the Truckee River with a threatened species of cutthroat trout. Working with state and federal environmental agencies, the tribe has taken the first steps in a 5-year plan to restore the river’s original native fish. Two Alaska Native youth were busy last week breaking and setting records at the Native Youth Olympics in Anchorage, Alaska. Friday, April 25, 2003 A federal appeals court suspended Joseph Kieffer on Thursday. Kieffer is the Special Master Monitor in the Cobell Indian Trust lawsuit. On Thursday morning, the Interior Department argued for Kieffer’s removal in its appeal of the contempt citation, which Secretary Gale Norton received last year. Earlier this month an arrest was made in the murder of American Indian activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash. Now a trial date has been set for one of two men accused in her murder. The Bonneville Power Administration is getting flak for proposing a wholesale power rate increase for the Pacific Northwest, while at the same time reducing its fish and wildlife budget. That budget is used for programs to help recover endangered salmon in the Columbia River. Thursday, April 24, 2003 A Washington DC federal appeals court heard arguments today in the Cobell Indian Trust lawsuit. Interior Secretary Gale Norton appealed the contempt citations she and former Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb received last September. The Florida State Senate on Wednesday voted in favor of a bill that could give law enforcement jurisdiction back to the Miccosukee Tribe. A Minnesota Ojibway band hopes to return the remains of ancestors to the land where they were first buried. Wisconsin Point was a traditional Native American burial ground and home to a small Ojibway village. But the villagers and their dead were evicted more than one hundred years ago. A Michigan
family court judge earlier this week ruled that a 4-year-old boy can
not take peyote at Native American ceremonies. Wednesday, April 23, 2003 The U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to hear a case involving Arizona’s Hualapai Tribe. The air tour industry challenged an exception to a federal law limiting flights over the Grand Canyon. The exception allows air tour operators who have contracts with the tribe, to take off and land from the reservation’s airport. A Native American lawmaker in Montana is speaking out against a controversial proposal that would allow sport hunting of bison outside Yellowstone National Park. State Representative Jonathan Windy Boy says hunting the nation’s only surviving wild buffalo is an offense to his Native culture and customs. The bill was recently approved by the legislature and the governor is expected to sign it. Tuesday, April 22, 2003 Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano signed into law on Monday a bill that will allow a monument honoring the Navajo Code Talkers to be placed at the state capital in Phoenix. Southern California’s Pechanga Band of San Luisenyo Indians celebrated last week the transfer of a land parcel into trust that has one of the largest and oldest live oak trees in the world. The local utility company had tried to condemn the property so that it could run a high voltage power line across it. A proposed tobacco tax increase in Oklahoma’s state legislature has those on both sides of the issue talking about renegotiating compacts between the state and its tribes. In an effort to fine tune their management of part of a lake, the Coeur d’Alene tribe of Northern Idaho is trying to determine the number of property owners with encroachments, like docks, on the southern third of lake Coeur d’Alene. They then plan to charge those property owners accordingly. Monday, April 21, 2003 President Bush signed on Wednesday a seventy-five billion-dollar funding bill to pay for the war and reconstruction in Iraq. Before the bill left the Senate, several amendments were added that had no relevance to the war. Among those was Alaska Senator Ted Steven’s controversial proposal to allow wild salmon from Alaskan waters to carry an organic food label. The Mohegan Tribe’s recently acquired basketball team, the Connecticut Sun, will be playing its first game on May 24th, after the Women’s National Basketball Association and its players agreed on a contract last week. Native Americans frequently complain that they are not seen or represented as modern day people. “Meet Naiche” is a book about a contemporary Piscataway boy living in southern Maryland, written by Gabrielle Tayac. Friday, April 18, 2003 The Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names on Thursday waived a five-year waiting period and approved the renaming of Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak in honor of the first Native American woman to be killed in combat. The Goldman Environmental Prize was awarded this week to 7 people, including two Australian aboriginal elders. The grandmothers will share $125,000 dollars for their work to stop the burying of nuclear power plant waste in the desert that is their homeland. A $25 billion class-action lawsuit was filed against the federal government last week on behalf of all Native Americans. The lead plaintiffs in the case are citing physical and sexual abuse while attending government-run boarding schools in South Dakota. Thursday, April 17, 2003 Joshua Wade was acquitted on Wednesday of the murder of an Inupiaq woman. The body of 33-year old Della Brown was found in an Anchorage shed 3 years ago, her skull caved in from multiple blows. Brown was one of a string of at least 6 native women murdered in Anchorage since 1999. A new state law will allow New Mexico and its 22 tribes to enter into agreements to share traffic records, including D.W.I. convictions. NBC will broadcast a one-hour documentary entitled “The World of American Indian Dance” this weekend. A milestone in television production, this is the first time a T.V. program has been produced and written by Native Americans. Wednesday, April 16, 2003 A federal judge on Tuesday declined to get involved in a leadership dispute of the Meskwaki settlement of Sac and Fox tribe, located in Tama, Iowa. An opposition group supported by the tribe’s hereditary chief seized control of the tribal offices and casino last month. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana wants guaranteed compensation from the federal government before a proposed coal-mining operation moves forward. The tribe is concerned with the economic and environmental impacts the development would have on the reservation’s water supply and the nearby Tongue River. Tuesday, April 15, 2003 Tribal leaders met in Washington D.C. on Tuesday for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ National Budget Conference. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s proposal to rename an Arizona landmark after fallen Hopi soldier Lori Piestewa has been met with both applause and criticism. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is preparing for its first elections since a federal court resolved a battle between competing governments in 1999. Monday, April 14, 2003 Connecticut’s historic Eastern Pequot Tribe has dropped casino backer Donald Trump and instead will go with resort developers David Rosow and William Koch. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has uncovered a cigarette tax fraud scheme that defrauded the tribe of 3 million dollars. A local print shop has been producing counterfeit tobacco tax stamps for a year. The Veterans Administration’s Black Hills Health Care System held its Second Gathering of the Healers Conference in Custer, South Dakota last week. The four-day workshop was geared toward offering VA personnel insight into helping Native veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Friday, April 11, 2003 The U.S. House voted on Thursday in favor of an energy plan that would allow limited drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee. The U.S. Senate earlier this week passed legislation that may allow Alaska Native whaling captains to deduct some of their operating costs as charitable contributions. Lori Piestewa is believed to be the first Native American woman to die in combat in U.S. military service. A special exhibit is already being planned for her at Arlington National Cemetery. Thursday, April 10, 2003 The Florida Seminole tribal council said Wednesday that former Chairman James Billie is not allowed to be a candidate in the next council election. Montana State Representative Carol Juneau, from the Blackfeet reservation, wants the State’s parole board to include at least two members with knowledge of Native Culture and Customs. Grassroots Hopi and Navajo groups have filed testimony with the California Public Utilities Commission on the future of the Mohave Generating Station. Southern California Edison, the plant’s majority owner, has asked for permission to shut the plant down at the end of 2005. Wednesday, April 9, 2003 New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed a bill on Tuesday that elevates the New Mexico State Office of Indian Affairs to a cabinet level department. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved the gaming compact that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed with the Forest County Potawatomi tribe. A recent comment by a Christian Broadcasting Network reporter that compared Iraqi soldiers to the “the Injuns of the Old West” has angered Native Americans across the country. Tuesday, April 8, 2003 The California State Assembly overwhelmingly passed legislation, on Monday, that aims to protect sacred places throughout the state, including the Quechan tribe’s Indian Pass Area. After years of internal debate, the landless Cayuga Nation is partnering with a developer to build a casino in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. It’s the same developer that was snubbed by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe three years ago. The Cayuga Nation of New York and the Seneca Cayuga tribe of Oklahoma share a joint land claim lawsuit against New York State. The Oklahoma tribe has started building a bingo hall in New York. Interior Secretary Gale Norton has asked the National Indian Gaming Commission to investigate the matter. Monday, April 7, 2003 Pentagon officials confirmed on Friday that Private First Class Lori Piestewa is the first woman to be killed in action in the Iraq war. Leaders in the Democratic Party who criticize the Bush administration and the war with Iraq have suffered a negative response both from their supporting voters and Republican colleagues. An article in Monday’s Washington Times newspaper suggests that South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle came under fire from Native Americans for his comment about the President and the War. Friday, April 4, 2003 Former Seminole Tribal Chairman James Billie filed a lawsuit in federal court on Thursday, claiming his removal from office last month by the tribal council was illegal. As protests against the War in Iraq continue, some Native Americans are voicing their opposition to the invasion by the U.S. troops. Two-time Oglala Sioux Tribal Chairman and World War II veteran Johnson Holy Rock says he sees similarities between Native American history and what the people of Iraq are now experiencing. The Canadian Haida tribe will receive ancestral remains from Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History in October. Two other U.S. museums returned Haida remains to the tribe last year. The museums are extending graves repatriation beyond the borders of the United States. Thursday, April 3, 2003 An arrest has been made in the unsolved murder of American Indian Movement activist and Mi’kmaq tribal member Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash. Arlo Looking Cloud was arrested in Denver last week and pleaded not guilty on Monday to a first-degree murder charge in aiding and abetting in Pictou-Aquash’s death. Workers at a casino owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians testified earlier this week about their health care benefits to a California budget committee. More than half of the casino workers’ dependants are either uninsured or belong to state funded health programs. San Ildefonso Pueblo in northern New Mexico has the last pending land claim yet to be settled by the United States government. Wednesday, April 2, 2003 The legality of the University of Michigan’s law school and undergraduate admissions policies was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The University gives preference to minority applicants. Arizona’s Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community has donated 5-million-dollars to help secure a medical research group’s move to the city of Phoenix. Montana
Legislature’s Native American delegation is frustrated over
the lack of support it’s getting from fellow lawmakers. Tuesday, April 1, 2003 The United States Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether a tribe’s sovereign immunity protects its casino records from search and seizure by the state. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on monday that aims to stimulate economic development on tribal lands by creating and expanding tribal member owned small businesses. CHIEFS,
a film about a Native American basketball team, premiers April 1st
on most PBS stations. This Tribeca Film Festival award winner is part
of the PBS Independent Lens Series. The American Civil Liberties Union of the Dakotas has filed a lawsuit alleging that Buffalo County, South Dakota is in violation of the “one person, one vote” principle required by the U.S. Constitution. A request by the Navajo Nation to have National Guard troops placed on the reservation has been turned down by the State office of Homeland Defense. Indian schools in Montana are working to cut fat and junk food out of school lunches. This was one of several themes at the Native American Health Foods Summit held last week in Great Falls. Friday, March 28, 2003 The outpouring of support for Hopi soldier Lori Piestewa continues on both the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Piestewa has been missing in action in south central Iraq since Sunday. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington State are excited about a new school to be constructed for kindergarten through 9th grade students. The South African San tribe earlier this week signed an agreement with a pharmaceutical developer to share royalties from sales of a diet drug. Thursday, March 27, 2003 Members of two northern Minnesota tribes are expected to converge on the state’s capitol this afternoon in support of a bill that aims to spread gaming wealth to the two tribes. The summary of an Interior Department report in the Cobell Indian Trust lawsuit was released on Tuesday. The report found that among the 5 lead plaintiffs, the Department made only one accounting mistake equaling $60.94. A National Native foundation and advocacy group is touring the nation using music to focus on Native American environmental justice issues. Lawyers for the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce told New York State’s Court of Appeals on Wednesday that they want their Governor, George Pataki, to get state legislative approval before making any casino gaming deals with the tribes. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Idaho tribes are concerned with a measure before lawmakers that would remove an exemption to Idaho sales tax for tribal owned businesses. Florida Governor Jeb Bush on Tuesday delayed an attempt by the state’s Environmental Department to seize land from the Miccosukee tribe. The Governor and his cabinet said the property could be condemned only if further negotiations with the tribe fail. The Lac Vieux Desert tribe has asked a federal appeals court to reopen bidding on casino licenses in Detroit. The tribe has also asked that its six-year-old case against the city of Detroit be reassigned to a different judge. Tuesday, March 25, 2003 The war in Iraq has struck close to home in Indian Country. Lori Piestewa, a 22 year old Hopi woman from Tuba City, Arizona, and an Army private 1st class, is missing in action. Si Tanka University is asking the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe to back financing for the $9.5 million the school needs to get out of debt. Rebecca Adamson, President of the First Nations Development Institute, is one of 11 women Honorees chosen by the National Women’s History Project. Monday, March 24, 2003 The Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation received 2 land parcels today from the Trust for Public Lands. The 26-acre site in southeastern Idaho is where several hundred tribal members were killed by army militia soldiers in the Bear River Massacre of January 1863. Utah Senator Bob Bennett is coming under fire from some Native Americans for comments he made about having the only Native American Senator do a rain dance. In York, South Carolina, a circuit court judge ordered the Catawba tribe to pay a school tax in the amount of almost 1 million dollars. Friday, March 21, 2003 Students and teachers at A small tribal school in Northern Idaho are dealing with severe outbreaks of influenza… and school officials have had to cancel classes. A Memorial Walk was held for Lucas Grey Day-Ghost Bear in Rapid City, South Dakota on Thursday. Ghost Bear was shot and killed by a police officer on March 9 under what many Native Americans from the area consider suspicious circumstances. Cherokee nation tribal courts overwhelmingly ruled wednesday that cherokee Chief Chad Smith is eligible to seek re-election. The Interior Department has submitted a response to the National Congress of American Indian's friend-of-the-court brief in the Cobell Indian Trust lawsuit. Thursday, March 20, 2003 The U.S. House's Regulated Industries Committee approved an agreement reached by Minnesota's Prairie Island Indian Community and the owners of a local nuclear power plant over the storage of waste at the facility. The Nebraska Santee Sioux tribe today won a federal appeals court ruling that upholds the legality of certain pull-tab machines in its casino. A controversial measure dealing with water rights has passed in the Washington State House of Representatives. Wednesday, March 19, 2003 The fates of two tribal leaders were determined earlier this week. Sixteen Tribal Leaders in Montana are joining a lawsuit over a controversial plan that redraws the State's legislative districts. The Senate voted down, today, a budget resolution that would have authorized oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. With war in Iraq about to begin, the federal Homeland Security Department posted an Orange Alert on Monday evening, meaning there is a high risk of terrorist attack within the United States. Tuesday, March 18, 2003 The Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit last Friday against the federal government, the first step in its effort to win rights to water from the lower basin of the Colorado River. Warm, dry El Ninyo winds have blown manmade fires out of control in northern Brazil. The fires have crossed into the Yanomami tribe's reservation on the Brazil-Venezuelan border. Residents of Wounded Knee, South Dakota are seeking restitution for the damage the 1973 Occupation of their village had on their homes and on their lives. Monday, March 17, 2003 The Florida Seminole Tribal Council postponed until Tuesday the reading of its decision to remove Chief James Billie from his leadership position. The council voted unanimously last month to make permanent Billie’s suspension of May 2001. As State governments face huge deficits many are looking for any new sources of revenue, some are targeting tobacco sales on reservation land. The New Mexico State Senate passed a bill last Friday that aims to improve educational opportunities for American Indian students. South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux Tribe recently installed its first wind turbine. The 750 kilowatt unit is expected to generate enough energy to provide electricity for the tribe’s casino and hotel. Friday, March 14, 2003 South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle and Arizona Senator John McCain sent a letter Thursday to the Senate budget committee for the Interior Department, asking for more Congressional oversight of the Department’s Trust Assets Reform projects. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley announced Tuesday a public health action plan to slow the spread of syphilis and HIV on the reservation. 350 students at a school on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation are taking part in an art project that puts them in touch with their culture as well as their artistic talents. Edward
Manuel, the Chairman of the Tohono O’Odham Nation, is standing
trial in Tucson, Arizona, on two charges of allegedly soliciting a
prostitute. Thursday, March 13, 2003 A company that produces video games for Native American casinos yesterday announced a settlement with the National Indian Gaming Commission. Multi-media Games has agreed to replace one of its popular Class III video bingo games, with a new game that has a pending Class II status. Race competitors in the internationally renowned sled dog race are gradually crossing the finish line in Nome, Alaska. Champion Robert Sorlie of Norway crossed the finish line early Thursday morning to become the first European champion in the 31st Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In President Bush's proposed 2004 budget, there is an effort to cut education funds designated for schools that are near areas with federally owned lands. This proposal by the Bush administration could pose a serious threat to funding for schools on reservations. The wives of the Navajo Nation President and Vice-President resigned from their paid executive staff assistant positions on Monday. Both Vikki Shirley and Virginia Dayish left their jobs after public outcry over their hiring’s. Wednesday, March 12, 2003 The House Resources Committee heard testimony today supporting legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration. A Judge in Seattle, Washington has upheld a Seattle school district’s policy that bans the use of tribal terms as school mascots. Students on Montana’s Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations are challenging state lawmakers to fund Indian related curriculum in schools. Tuesday, March 11, 2003 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided Monday to deny a license to build a nuclear storage facility on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation in Utah. The Bonneville Power Administration in Washington state is coming under fire from the National Congress of American Indians for cutting fish and wildlife programs funds. A week-long symposium – “Power and Politics: Native Women Sharing Leadership” - is being held at the University of Colorado at Boulder through Saturday. Hosted by the Oyate Students Group and the American Indian Advocacy Group, the conference focuses on issues in Indian Country from the perspective of Native Women. Monday, March 10, 2003 The United States Supreme Court declined to hear a case brought by Snohomish County Washington, against a Tullalip tribal member concerning regulation of the development of fee lands. The North Carolina Lumbee tribe amended its constitution this weekend, as part of an attempt to regain federal recognition through Congressional legislation. The amendment to the tribal constitution revises the tribe’s territorial base to span three counties, rather than the entire state. To help bridge the language barrier between its health care providers and Navajo patients, the Flagstaff Medical Center recently trained 25 Navajo employees to be medical interpreters. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth removed a lead plaintiff in the Cobell Trust Fund lawsuit last week. Earl Old Person, former chairman of the Blackfeet Nation, was removed after plaintiff lawyers’ experessed concerns over his failing to show up for a court ordered deposition and for not producing requested documents. Friday, March 7, 2003
Thursday, March 6, 2003 The Hopi Tribal Council voted unanimously to impeach its Vice Chairman for serious neglect of duty this past week. Interior Secretary Gail Norton swore in eleven board members of a newly created American Indian Education Foundation at the Department headquarters in Washington D.C. today. The foundation’s purpose is to raise funds from the private sector in order to benefit BIA schools. A cold snap in Montana has caused bison in Yellowstone National Park to move north towards the park's northern border. Hard layers of snow and ice on the ground made it difficult to find food. There have been more than 2-hundred bison captured and scheduled for slaughter this week. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has issued a ruling in the lengthy dispute between two leaders of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. The BIA recognized Kenneth Chambers as the chief of the tribe. Chambers and Jerry Haney were each claiming to be the rightful leader. Wednesday, March 5, 2003 The Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved the nomination of Ross Swimmer as the Interior Department’s Special Trustee. In the fourteen member committee, all seven Republicans, as well as two Democrats: Senators Akaka and Inouye, voted for Swimmer. The matter now goes to the Senate floor. Officials from Arizona’s Show Low High School are traveling to the Fort Apache reservation today to formally apologize for a pair of racially charged incidents that occurred at high school basketball games last month. Four tribes have filed a request for an injunction to stop the construction of a shooting range four miles north of Bear Butte in South Dakota recently. The project is being funded through a block grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Suspended Northern Cheyenne Tribal President Geri Small was re-instated by tribal courts on February 21st. The tribal council suspended Small on February 4th for allegedly mismanaging tribal monies and programs. The court ruled that Small’s removal was illegal and that actions taken by the council during her suspension are null and void. Tuesday, March 4, 2003 The United States Supreme Court ruled on two Native American cases argued last December. In a 6 to 3 decision, the high court rejected the Navajo Nation’s petition to sue the federal government for damages. The Court affirmed the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s lawsuit against the government for not repairing the buildings and property of a former Bureau of Indian Affairs School. Critics of a high interest loan the Seneca Nation used to construct a new casino in Niagara Falls, New York are calling for a federal inquiry. The tribe counters it was a shrewd business move that’s already paying off. Two groups in Lincoln, Nebraska marched this past Saturday to protest the sale of alcohol in the small town of Whiteclay. The protest march by AIM and Nebraskans for Peace is the beginning of what the groups are calling “A Year of Atonement for Whiteclay.” Monday, March 3, 2003 Wisconsin’s republican-controlled senate was busy today, trying to gather votes needed to overturn legislation that Democratic Governor Jim Doyle vetoed on Friday. The bill would require legislature approval of all gaming compacts negotiated with the state’s tribes. Connecticut’s two Democrat Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman re-introduced two bills that would temporarily freeze the federal recognition process for tribes. Known as The Tribal Recognition and Indian Bureau Enhancement Act, also known as TRIBE. The act requires a more strict compliance to the criteria of the federal recognition process of Native American tribes. The Montana Legislature has more Native American lawmakers this session than ever before. The seven Democrats make up what they call- and Indian caucus, and represent some of the poorest counties and reservations in the state. The 31st Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held its ceremonial start in Anchorage this past weekend. For the first time ever, more than 60 sled dog teams are in Fairbanks today for the re-start of the annual race. Friday, February 28, 2003 A California state court ruled yesterday that the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission can sue the Agua Caliente tribe. The tribe argued that California does not have the authority to sue it for violating state law, because Indian tribes are sovereign governments, and can only be sued in state court if the tribe agrees, or Congress authorizes it. The Florida Seminole Tribal council announced yesterday that it will finalize the suspension of Chairman James Billie. Billie was ousted almost two years ago in the midst of an FBI investigation into mismanagement of tribal funds. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a report on environmental hazards affecting the health of children in the United States. More than 1,000 people gathered near the Wounded Knee mass grave on the Pine Ridge Reservation yesterday to honor those who participated in the Wounded Knee Occupation thirty years ago. Thursday, February 27, 2003 Legislation to pay one-hundred-forty million dollars of a land claims settlement to Western Shoshone tribal members, was submitted to Congress this week by Nevada republican Representative Jim Gibbons. Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Wounded Knee Occupation, when members of the American Indian Movement occupied the village of Wounded Knee to protest corruption in tribal government and oppression by the Federal Government. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley signed an agreement with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers earlier this week to open the first MADD chapter on the reservation, in Crownpoint, New Mexico. Wednesday, February 26, 2003 The Senate Indian Affairs Committee today postponed confirming the nomination of Ross Swimmer as head of the Interior Department’s newly reorganized Office of Special Trustee. A bill introduced in the South Dakota state legislature would pave the way for a nursing home to be built on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian reservation. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee yesterday heard testimony from Hawaii’s governor and Native Hawaiian leaders in favor of a bill that would federally recognize a sovereign Native Hawaiian government. A Wisconsin appeals court has decided in favor of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in a dispute over the sale of an island. Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Senator Daniel Inouye told The National Congress of American Indians yesterday that he is drafting legislation to give tribes the same level of sovereignty as states in matters of Homeland Security and law enforcement. NCAI is holding its winter session in Washington DC this week. A county in New York State wants to charge native tribes 15 million dollars a year to build casinos there. One tribe has already agreed to the fee. North Country Public Radio’s David Sommerstein reports. South Dakota’s newly elected Governor Mike Rounds pledged to return to a goal set by former governor george mikelson of reconciliation between Natives and non-Natives. Tribal members say they’re trying to remain open to the new Governor’s words despite a history of poor relations between the tribes and South Dakota’s government. Monday, February 24, 2003 The State of Alaska is criticizing a study by an environmental group on the P-C-B levels in the blood of residents living on Saint Lawrence Island. The state says the levels of PCB’s in island residents are normal for coastal Arctic people. The President of the National Education Association says the U.S. Government should increase funding to the No Child Left Behind Act to make it work.A study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says American Indians and Alaska Natives are less likely to die from a stroke than other racial groups. Strokes are the third leading cause of death among Americans. Flautist Mary Youngblood won a Grammy in the best Native American music category on Sunday. The Award is for her album “Beneath the Raven Moon” released on Silverwave records. Youngblood is from the Aleut and Seminole Nations. Friday, February 21, 2003 The Oneida tribe of Wisconsin has negotiated a permanent gaming compact with Governor Jim Doyle. With a state deficit of $3 billion, the governor was anxious to renegotiate the agreements. President Bush has signed a bill that settles the land claim by New Mexico’s Sandia Pueblo for the West face of Sandia Mountain, east of Albuquerque. It settles a long, legal dispute where the tribe had sued the U.S. Forest Service, a suit that eventually included Bernalillo County, recreationists and private landowners. Devin Dugi, a senior on Tuba City High School’s basketball team on the Navajo Reservation, has been nominated for the prestigious McDonald’s All America basketball team. The 6-foot-4 standout has averaged 24 points, ten rebounds and nearly five assists per game this season. Thursday, February 20, 2003 Arizona State Representative Sylvia Laughter, who has represented her district on the Navajo Reservation for the past three terms, has left the Democratic Party to become an independent. She charged that the Democrats are only concerned with the large Indian voting bloc and, in her words, “A few gambling dollars to line their political pockets.” Indiana legislators are deciding whether or not to create a formal commission that will serve the state's Native American population. Indiana has no federally recognized tribes, but a history rich in Indian heritage and descendants of Indiana tribes making up some of the estimated 40,000 Native Americans residing in the state. A new Indian superhero is soaring off the reservation and into schools across the Dakotas. Koda the Warrior is the creation of Spirit Lake Sioux tribal member Mark Mindt. Wednesday, February 19, 2003 The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has agreed to let the state attorney general’s office serve subpoenas to its reservation residents. The development is helping officials to pursue charges against Becky Red Earth-Villeda in a voter forgery case. Arizona State Representative Sylvia Laughter, who has represented her district on the Navajo Reservation for the past three terms, left the Democratic Party last week to become an independent. Laughter lashed out at the Democratic Party in a statement she released last Friday. North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole has introduced a bill to give the Lumbee Tribe federal recognition. Dole was elected last November, replacing Jesse Helms when he retired. The bill, introduced last Friday, is the first piece of legislation that Dole has introduced in the Senate. Tribal spokesman Alex Baker thinks this time around the tribe has a good chance, since the tribe’s main opposition, Senator Helms, is gone. Tuesday, February 18, 2003 Tribal leaders and Nevada’s congressional delegation yesterday dedicated the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, which will help protect 1,700 Indian petroglyphs. Congress passed additional appropriations for the 2003 budget last week. The National Indian Gaming Commission received a 50-percent increase, but not until the 2004 fiscal year. The American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted two symposia on Native science at its annual conference this past weekend. Twenty Native American scientists discussed how traditional knowledge and contributions have impacted western science. A park in downtown Anchorage was dedicated last Sunday in honor of Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich, who fought for the civil rights of Alaska Natives at a time when it was not uncommon to find Alaska restaurants with signs that read, “No Natives or dogs allowed.” Monday, February 17, 2003 The Bureau of Indian Affairs has taken over law enforcement duties of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana. More than 50 BIA law enforcement officials arrived in Browning on Saturday afternoon and immediately took authority. The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority announced fourth quarter profits were up 40 percent from the previous year. With eyes open to possible rainy days ahead, the Mohegan Sun has made paying down its $1-billion debt its first priority. The Beaumont Foundation of America is awarding more than $40 million in technology grants to communities, schools and individuals across the country – many of them to Native Americans. While the East Coast has been hit with one of worst winter storms in seven years, winter has been mild for much of Alaska. So much so that the National Weather Service is warning people of unsafe ice conditions for Southcentral and Southwestern Alaska. And the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has moved its starting point 360 miles north to colder Fairbanks. Friday, February 14, 2003 The Southern Ute tribe in southwest Colorado has paid $123 million for a Hawaiian oil and gas company — the tribe’s largest purchase ever. The tribe’s acquisition of Kukui, Inc., a Honolulu based company, is the latest in a string of energy purchases by the Growth Fund, the tribe’s business management office. The tribe made the deal to acquire the majority interest in about 80 coal bed methane gas wells that Kukui owned on the reservation. What does Valentine’s Day mean for Native Americans? Native people have high rates of divorce as the rest of the country and there are many single-parent households. For many tribes, they traditionally had arranged marriages. We asked popular powwow MC Wallace Coffey if he thought that was the answer to long-lasting love. Thursday, February 13, 2003 The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing yesterday for Ross Swimmer, the Bush Administration’s nominee to head the Interior Department’s reorganized Office of Special Trustee. Swimmer, a native of Oklahoma, was Chief of the Cherokee Nation for ten years and head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for three. South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, the Navajo Nation, and Eloise Cobell expressed doubts about Swimmer’s qualifications. The Bush administration aims to zero out funding next fiscal year for a North Dakota tribal college. And a South Dakota water project is facing budget cuts in President Bush’s 2004 budget plan. Interior Secretary Gale Norton was taken to task for the proposal to axe funding for the United Tribes Technical College. Congressman Raul Grijalva introduced a bill this week that would grant American citizenship to more than 8,000 members of southern Arizona’s Tohono O’Odham Nation. The bill would allow tribal membership cards to serve as proof of citizenship or birth certificates. Wednesday, February 12, 2003 South Dakota’s attorney general has dismissed forgery charges against Becky Red Earth-Villeda, who had been accused of forging signatures on absentee ballot applications. But AG Larry Long says he intends to refile the charges if his office is given the authority to serve subpoenas on the Crow Creek Reservation, where state officials lack jurisdiction. Two women from the Seneca Nation in western New York have been indicted for participation in a cigarette smuggling ring that allegedly helped fund the terrorist group Hezbollah. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has proposed a gaming plan that the Mohegan tribe is calling extortion. Romney says he will prevent casino gambling in the state if the gaming operators in bordering states each pay Massachusetts a one-time payment of $20 million. Tribal representatives attended a Meade County, South Dakota Commissioners meeting to try to halt a sportsmen’s complex from being built by the City of Sturgis near sacred Bear Butte. Tuesday, February 11, 2003 Interior Secretary Gale Norton testified today before the Senate Energy Committee about the Department’s proposed 2004 budget. Totaling $10.7 billion, it is the largest presidential request in the history of the Interior Department. And Indian trust reform will see largest increase in the department’s budget. Norton says the funds are a major down payment toward the plan to complete a historical trust accounting. A Sioux Falls judge is keeping the preliminary hearing date for a Flandreau, South Dakota woman charged with nineteen counts of forgery in last fall’s election. The decision frustrates prosecutors who say they want more time. What some have called the most Native film ever, Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner is being released today in the U.S. on DVD and video. Director Zacharias Kunuk agrees with that description as the lifestyles portrayed and the hunts filmed were done in the traditional Inuit fashion. The award-winning film has an all-Inuit cast and the dialogue is all in the Inuit language. Monday, February 10, 2003 The Chemehuevi Tribe has evicted the last non-member residents of home sites in The Colony, on the California side of Lake Havasu. The legal fight between the tribe and The Colony residents has been ongoing since 1992, when the tribe raised its once nominal home-site leasing rates to $6,000 per year. A citizens group in Pine Springs, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation filed a civil rights complaint almost two years ago against the Bureau of Indian Affairs for alleged academic failures at the local BIA school. Now the Pine Springs Association is threatening to take other legal action. Native bilingual educators gathered in Anchorage last week for the Native Bilingual/Bicultural Education Equity Conference to discuss a variety of issues ranging from curriculum to preserving Native languages. One topic centered on intellectual and cultural property – who owns the rights to indigenous languages? Friday, February 7, 2003 For the second time in four months, the Bureau of Land Management is rounding up livestock belonging to two Western Shoshone sisters in eastern Nevada. The round up is the latest salvo in a decades-old dispute between the federal government and Mary and Carrie Dann. The BLM has gathered nearly 100 of some 500 horses, as of Friday morning. The historic Eastern Pequot tribe of North Stonington, Connecticut, announced yesterday that it has named a tribal council and adopted a constitution. The tribe is composed of two formerly feuding bands that were declared to be one federally recognized tribe by the BIA last year. When the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas last Saturday, killing all seven astronauts on board, it was a personal loss for fifteen Indian high school students from Idaho. A working relationship developed between the students and the Columbia crew when a science experiment by the students, members of the school’s science club, was selected for the mission. Thursday, February 6, 2003 The Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s first woman president, Geri Small, was suspended on Tuesday for one month by the tribal council. Small is serving the last year of her four-year presidential term for the Montana tribe. Council members are circulating a list of complaints which charge that Small has been mismanaging tribal finances. The Bureau of Indian Affairs released its 2004 fiscal year budget request this week as part of President Bush’s $2 trillion budget plan. The BIA’s proposed $2.3 billion budget is up $62 million from last year. Two health and nutrition guides targeted at Native Americans have been developed by North Dakota’s United Tribes Technical College. The guides are a result of a 1999 survey which showed that more than 85 percent of Native college students had diabetes in their family and that the majority of the students wanted to do something to prevent the incidence of the disease. Wednesday, February 5, 2003 The Bureau of Indian Affairs spoke to tribal leaders this morning about the Bush Administration’s proposed 2004 budget for the BIA. USET – The United South and Eastern Tribes – is meeting this week in Washington D.C. Some tribal leaders are upset that money is being diverted to trust reorganization, a necessity driven by the Cobell lawsuit. The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is poised to begin clearing land in upstate New York for a $20 million Class II bingo hall scheduled to open in September. But town officials are threatening to serve a stop-work order because the tribe didn’t get county building permits. A special ethnography conference, to be held in England this month, will examine powwows and their role in Native American culture. The event is being hosted by the British Museum in London, and will feature twenty speakers from Europe and the U.S. Tuesday, February 4, 2003 The Shoshone-Bannock tribe of Fort Hall, Idaho rejected on Friday a constitutional change requiring one-quarter Shoshone-Bannock or other federally recognized Indian blood for tribal membership. The first American Indian woman to compete in the Winter Olympic games last year recently added another title to her list of awards. Naomi Lang, a member of the northern California Karuk tribe and her husband, Peter Tchernysev, won their fifth consecutive national ice dance championship title at the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Dallas. When the 5 civilized tribes – Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole Nations – were removed from their homes to Oklahoma Indian territory in the late 1800s, many former slaves accompanied them. As part of Black History month, a Freedman descendant talks about the past and present attempts to exclude Freedmen from tribal membership. Tonight, the Denver Nuggets are hosting an “American Indians of Colorado” night at the Pepsi Center during the Chicago Bulls games. The night includes a special half-time presentation honoring a Ute Mountain Ute Girl’s Basketball team, who placed 3rd at the North American Indigenous Games last summer. Monday, February 3, 2003 A federal appeals court ruled on Friday against a member of a Canadian tribe who was convicted last year of smuggling and selling eagle feathers to American tribal members for ceremonial purposes. Leonard Antoine, of British Columbia’s Cowichan Band of Salish Indians has been in jail since he was arrested in Miami, Florida in May 2001. Antoine has claimed that he was not profiting from the sale of eagle feathers, but was instead exchanging them for small amounts of money, so the feathers could be used at potlatches. Scientists met last week at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff to discuss cleanup of abandoned uranium mines, many of them located on the Navajo Reservation. One scientist says uranium cleanup is not a priority in Washington because a lot of money is being spent on national security and defense instead. The Flandreau,
South Dakota woman accused of forging signatures on voter registration
forms last year says she’s done nothing wrong, and is continuing
with her lawsuit against high-profile politicians in the state. Friday, January 31, 2003
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