ICT - National

Proposed cigarette tax regulations will ‘mire’ NY in litigation

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. – The latest scheme by the New York state government to force Indian businesses to pay cigarette taxes on reservation sales to non-Indians is “illegal” and “anti-Indian,” and will be challenged in court, Indian nation representatives have said.

Judge urges tribal courts to adopt codes of judicial conduct

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

MAYETTA, Kan. – Appearances are everything in small communities. This is especially true in Indian country, where close family, social and work relationships may appear to compromise the integrity of tribal judicial systems.

Osage reservation was ended, court rules

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

DENVER – After years of litigation and controversy, the Osage Nation was told by a federal appeals court March 5 that its reservation was dissolved a century ago and that the court therefore did not need to address whether its residents were exempt from state income tax.

Spurr leaves diverse legacy, builds a brighter future for tribe

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:01:57 GMT

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. – Tribal Chair of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Laura Wesley Spurr, 64, died Friday, Feb. 19 from a heart attack suffered while she was in Temecula, Calif. She was there to speak at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, owned by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, about a project Spurr and the tribe had pursued for nearly a decade, and for what she was probably best known for in the Battle Creek area, the FireKeepers Casino.

Police conduct interviews in pictograph vandalism

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:48:18 GMT

LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) – Law enforcement officials in northern Idaho say they have interviewed people who may be responsible for vandalism to ancient tribal pictographs near Lewiston’s Hells Gate State Park.

Event honoring film industry icon Robert Redford

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:46:33 GMT

The Oneida Indian Nation was a sponsor of a recent gala honoring legendary actor and director Robert Redford. He was presented with an award, established in his name that will become an annual recognition at the University of Southern California: School of Theater in Los Angeles. The event drew more than 500 celebrities and film and entertainment industry leaders from across the country.

Congress hears Cobell critiques; collusion charged

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Faced with vocal Indian critiques of the proposed Cobell v. Salazar settlement – some happening before the wide eyes of Congress members – the lead plaintiff in the case is showing firm resolve.

Native farmers eagerly watch Obama African-American deal

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Native American litigants in a long-running case against the U.S. Department of Agriculture are hoping the nation’s first farmers won’t be the last to see resolution by the Obama administration on discrimination claims.

ICWA: Individual and tribal survival at stake

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Children, grandchildren, and tribal nations – enrollment and inclusion can spell collective survival, because “Every tribe is one generation away from cultural and political extinction,” according to Maylinn Smith, a law professor.

Pow wow marketing 101

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In American Indian culture, the pow wow has long stood as a way to celebrate Native customs.

If these events are well-attended, dancers feel a greater sense of appreciation, tribal members feel honored and vendors stand to make more profit. If these events have a low turnout the collective self-esteem of the tribe may suffer, vendors may have difficulty making ends meet and the outside public cannot benefit from the richness of learning about American Indian culture.