News From Indian Country newspaper ran an article about the amazing success that three tribes in particular have created in central Washington. The paper reported that “American Indian tribes from throughout the Puget Sound area . . . find ample reasons to celebrate in South Sound, which is home to three growing tribes: the Squaxin [...]

A press release from MiningWatch Canada alleges that Goldcorp Company is ignoring calls from every major human rights body to suspend operation of the Marlin mine in Guatemala. At its Annual General meeting on Wednesday, Goldcorp management asked its shareholders to trust its judgment instead. Six percent of shareholders voted in favour of a resolution [...]

Indian Country Today, May 11, 2011, at 42-43, reports on the boom in Alaska tourism in Native villages. For example, in the Tlingit community of Hoonah, the closing of a cannery in the 1950s had contributed to difficult economic times. But the Hoonah’s native corporation transformed the old cannery buildings into a cruise ship port [...]

Indian Country Today, May 11, 2011, at 13, reports on the 2010 Census figures that show a dramatic increase in the number of indigenous Hawaiian owned businesses. In fact, the number of such businesses is claimed to have increased 52% between 2002 and 2007. Read more.

I’ve heard this saying – that if Indians are doing well, something must be wrong! In recent decades some tribes and several Alaska Native corporations have utilized the Small Business Administration 8(a) program to great benefit. Section 8(a) gives preference in federal contracting to minority owned businesses and includes tribally owned businesses. Congress has been [...]

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Sealaska land deal will be heard in Congress this week. The newspaper states in part: “For decades, conservationists, the U.S. Forest Service, tribes, Native corporations and the people who live in the Tongass National Forest have warred over how to manage the vast temperate rain forest covering most [...]

In a story that reminds me of the decade long struggle over studying or burying the skeleton of the 9,000 year old Kennewick Man case, there is a current controversy over two ancient skeletons that were uncovered in 1976 during construction at the home of a University of California chancello. Scientists are claiming that these [...]

My book, Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and Manifest Destiny, has been used in over 20 colleges in the past few years. Professor Robert Perez of University of California Riverside has used the book several times in undergraduate and graduate courses. He recently emailed me his impressions of my book [...]

In May, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held its tenth session. Agenda Item 4(a) was the Implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo (from Canada) issues a Joint Statement of the Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, First Nations Summit, Grand Council [...]

The Peace Movement Aotearoa, from Aotearoa/New Zealand, http://www.converge.org.nz/pma, is announcing that the United Nations established the first global inter-agency initiative to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples. The initiative, called the United Nations-Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership (UNIPP), is a commitment to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and calls for its [...]