The chairman of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians warned tribes who are thinking of economic development projects outside the United States. “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” Chairman Jim Williams warned. This is advice we have all heard before about any type of financial investment. [...]

The Associated Press ran this story on recent developments in Bolivia: “Bolivian voters embraced a new constitution Sunday that promises more power for the long-suffering indigenous majority and grants leftist President Evo Morales a shot at remaining in office through 2014. The charter passed easily in a country where many can still recall when Indians [...]

I received this email from a group in Brazil: “Indigenous peoples and social movements launch campaign in defense of the Peoples of Amazônia Actions seek to sensitize Brazilians to the protection of the region and to bring an end to anti-indigenous sentiments in society The intense destruction of rivers and forests of Pan-Amazonia and the [...]

The California Department of Fish and Game decided not to stop a form of recreational gold mining despite a request from the Karuk Tribe. The tribe believes suction dredging from river beds hurts salmon runs on the Klamath River. The department did not disagree, but said it could not halt the practice because there is [...]

On Monday a federal court refused to grant a preliminary injunction against a gold mine in Nevada that would impact sacred Western Shoshone sites. Tribal and environmental plaintiffs sued the Interior Department to block construction of one of the largest gold mines in the U.S. to protect Mount Tenabo, a sacred site. But Judge Larry [...]

Indianz.com reports that President Barack Obama’s supposed but not yet announced nominee to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs is already generating some fire. “Larry EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, is a familiar name in Indian Country. After two terms in the Idaho Legislature, where he worked on tribal issues, he [...]

Southern California Tribes have eliminated over 500 casino jobs since last summer and more cuts are on the way. The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians laid off 400 people. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians eliminated 95 jobs, and the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians laid off 55 people. The Pauma-Yuima Band of Mission Indians [...]

A New York appellate court halted prosecution of the Cayuga Nation on tax evasion charges. Two counties claim the tribe has been selling cigarettes without tax stamps. They recently raided two tribal smoke shops and seized 17,600 cartons of cigarettes. The tribe shut down the smoke shops but could reopen them now as a result [...]

Representatives of the Crow Nation rode in the inauguration parade for new President Barack Obama and were able to see up close one of their relatives become president of the United States. “The whole nation is looking for change from the presidency,” Cedric Black Eagle said late Tuesday night. “Today was significant as we were [...]

The South Dakota Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that security guards hired by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe are subject to the unreasonable search provisions of the Indian Civil Rights Act (which are borrowed from the U.S. Constitution’s 4th Amendment). Since they were acting as agents of the tribe, the court said the guards should [...]