Welcome to NDN News! NDN News is a grassroots organization which acts as an information hub and resource for many issues in Indian Country. We are dedicated to providing information featuring headline stories, on-going issues, action alerts, and upcoming events.
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March 10, 3:13 PM San Diego News Examiner Dave Thomas
Police are searching for the son of a murdered Valley Center woman.
Sheriff’s homicide detectives are searching for the adult son of a 53-year-old woman whose bloody body was discovered at an upscale home in Valley Center.
According to authorities, Margo Jean Lucero was discovered dead by her husband and daughter in the 29300 block of Costalota Road not long after 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Her car was later found in southern Arizona, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office and sheriff’s office
Homicide detectives were dispatched to investigate what a source close to case noted was a “bloody, very bloody” scene.
“She had sustained extensive traumatic injuries,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said in a statement released Wednesday.
Detectives want to question David Leroy Lucero — the victim’s 25-year- old son — in connection with her death, according to a lieutenant, who said the man is Native American, around 5′ 11″ and 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
The victim worked at Valley View Casino in Valley Center and resided in the home with her husband
http://www.examiner.com/x-833-San-Diego-News-Examiner~y2010m3d10-BREAKING-NEWS-Search-on-for-son-mother-found-murdered-in-Valley-Center-home
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
CONTACT: Terry Woster, Public Information Officer, 605-773-3178
Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved
Pierre, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds announced today that 29 South Dakota counties and three Indian reservations will get federal financial assistance to help recover from the crippling ice storm that struck the state in late January.
The public assistance is made available through a Presidential Disaster Declarationsigned Tuesday by President Obama. However, a state request for individual assistance programs was denied.
The storm caused an estimated $22.5 million in damages. Thousands of power-line poles were broken or knocked down, and several thousand people were without electricity during the storm.
“It’s good news to receive the presidential declaration this quickly,” Gov. Rounds said. “It means resources will be made available to repair the significant damage that occurred during this severe weather event.”
Counties eligible for assistance are Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Corson, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Hand, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jerauld, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Sully, Turner, Walworth and Ziebach. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe also qualified for federal assistance.
A disaster declaration authorizes the federal government to provide relief and recovery assistance for up to 75 percent of the eligible damage to public infrastructure in the affected areas.
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Last Updated: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | 2:11 PM ET
More than 45,000 Canadians could be recognized as status Indians under changes the federal government plans to make to the Indian Act, CBC News has learned.
The changes come after Ottawa lost a court challenge addressing the different ways that men and women are treated when it comes to Indian status under the Indian Act.
In 1985, Ottawa changed the rules for women who married non-natives. They would retain their status, as would their children, but not their grandchildren.
But the rules are different for Indian men. They and their descendants keep their status when they marry non-native women.
Last year’s court decision has prompted the government to extend Indian status for one more generation. This means grandchildren of such a union will now have native status.
Continue reading Indian status coming for thousands of Canadians
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I spoke with Terry Woster from Governor Rounds office this morning, regarding their press release that was issued yesterday http://www.state.sd.us/governor/ (see below).
The press release inadvertently left out Ziebach, Dewey & Corson Counties, which encompass Cheyenne River & Standing Rock Reservations. Woster did confirm both Reservations were included in the January disaster declaration request from the Governors office. Woster stated the declaration disaster request was for $23 million dollars. The Governors office is hopeful Obama’s administration will approve the request possibly this week, both requests were made on the same date. The request was for both public and private assistance.
Unfortunately, there was a delayed response in the Governors office submitting the disaster declaration, for the Christmas blizzard that immobilized the entire state of South Dakota for several days. FEMA was in the field across South Dakota assessing damages, when the January ice storm and blizzard hit causing a crisis in many areas and devastating Cheyenne River Reservation. The damage assessment teams were delayed and rescue mode began. FEMA then returned into the field to assess damages from both disasters. The disaster declarations were completed and simultaneously submitted by Governor Rounds office and FEMA to Obama’s administration.
It was brought to the Governors office that these counties and Reservations were missing from their press release and Woster stated that they would be correcting their error immediately.
More to follow as info comes in……….
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
CONTACT: Terry Woster, Public Information Officer, 605-773-3178
Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved
Pierre, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds says 12 South Dakota countiesand two American Indian reservations will get federal financial assistance to help recover from the Christmas blizzard of 2009.
The assistance is made available through a Presidential Disaster Declarationsigned Tuesday by President Obama.
“I’m pleased that federal aid has been promptly approved by the President,” Gov. Mike Rounds said. “Unfortunately, the area struck by the Christmas-period blizzard continues to be plagued by an excess of moisture. We are now monitoring rivers and streams that are at or near flood stage.”
“We also hope to receive word shortly on our request for federal assistance due to the January ice storm and blizzard that hit many of these same areas,” the Governor added.
Continue reading Governor Rounds Office Announces Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved for South Dakota Reservations
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By Ryan J. Reilly | March 9, 2010
If things had gone according to schedule, one of the largest class action suits brought against the U.S. government would have already gone through Congress, been approved by a judge and the government would soon be cutting checks. But the legislative branch does not always work on the judicial branch’s schedule.
On Wednesday morning, Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli will take to the Hill to urge legislators to pass a bill that would finally end a lawsuit that has played out in courts for nearly 15 years.
Elouise Cobell (photo by Ryan J. Reilly / Main Justice)
On Dec. 7, the government reached a $3.4 billion settlement in Cobell v. Salazar. The lawsuit, filed by Elouise Cobell on behalf of more than 300,000 American Indians, alleged that the Interior Department mishandled thousands of individual Indian trust fund accounts over more than 100 years.
The settlement requires congressional approval, however, and the original terms gave lawmakers a Dec. 31 deadline to finish the necessary legislation. That deadline has been extended twice and is now set to expire in April.
Congressional aides said they were not asked for input on the deadline. Nor did the Justice Department lawyers who negotiated the settlement consult with members of Congress about the logistics of passing legislation ahead of Christmas break, according to the aides. A person familiar with the negotiations said that Judge James Robertson, the U.S. District Court judge who approved the settlement, dictated the short deadline.
Aides in the House and Senate said both the original deadline of Dec. 31 and the second extended deadline of Feb. 28 were unreasonable. Aides said they are more optimistic about the new April 16 deadline, but nobody is making any promises.
Continue reading With Cobell Settlement, Congress Takes Its Time
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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announces the availability of $42 million in competitive grant funding for fiscal year 2010 for community-based projects.
The projects will need to promote economic and social self-sufficiency and cultural preservation for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native American Pacific Islanders from American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The fiscal year 2010 funding includes $27 million for continuing multi-year projects.
“Many Native Americans continue to face profound social and economic challenges,” said Carmen R. Nazario, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. “The funding opportunities we are announcing today will help provide the stability and financial assistance designed to improve the lives of Native children, youth and families.”
ANA grant funding supports social, economic, and governance development; preservation of Native American languages; and environmental regulatory activities. Applicants are encouraged to contact ANA’s technical assistance regional providers below who offer project development training and pre-application training free of charge.
Continue reading U.S. Announces $42 Million In Grants For Native Americans
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By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN (AP) – 4 hours ago
SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. — The U.S. Interior Department’s assistant secretary for Indian Affairs says the federal government and tribal law enforcement officers cannot simply arrest their way out of the problems that plague Indian country.
Former prosecutor and law professor Larry Echo Hawk says the solution to keeping children safe and tackling the escalating crime rate in Indian communities is the creation of healthy families. He gave the keynote speech Tuesday at the start of a three-day national symposium focused on the protection of children in Indian Country.
He says giving the next generation the tools to avoid avenues of crime will help end the cycle.
Organizers say the symposium is the first of its kind. Some 300 federal and tribal officials are attending the event.
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By KSFY Staff
Story Created: Mar 9, 2010 at 6:40 PM CST
President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration that will help South Dakota recover from a Christmas blizzard.
Tuesday’s declaration makes federal aid available to state and local governments and certain nonprofits in affected areas.
The declaration covers 12 counties and two reservations that were hardest hit.
Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm and snowstorm in the counties of Campbell, Clay, Gregory, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Perkins, Shannon, Todd, Tripp, Turner, and Yankton and the portions of the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rosebud Reservation that lie within the designated counties.
The state estimated the late December blizzard caused more than $1 million in damage.
http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/87172442.html
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Charlie Soap regrets to announce his wife Wilma Mankiller has been diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Mankiller is an author, lecturer and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Mankiller has served 12 years in elective office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10 years as Principal Chief. She retired from public office in 1995. Among her many honors, Mankiller has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton. Soap requests that the public respect the family’s privacy during this time.
In a brief statement, Mankiller said:
 “I decided to issue this statement because I want my family and friends to know that I am mentally and spiritually prepared for this journey; a journey that all human beings will take at one time or another. I learned a long time ago that I can’t control the challenges the Creator sends my way but I can control the way I think about them and deal with them. On balance, I have been blessed with an extraordinarily rich and wonderful life, filled with incredible experiences. And I am grateful to have a support team composed of loving family and friends. I will be spending my time with my family and close friends and engaging in activities I enjoy. It’s been my privilege to meet and be touched by thousands of people in my life and I regret not being able to deliver this message personally to so many of you. If anyone wants to send a message to me, it is best to email me at wilmapmankiller@yahoo.com.”
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Alvin Delisle is Mohawk. Pauline Labelle is not. They have spent a decade together, but are being forced to separate as their leaders have ordered all non-aboriginals off their lands in eastern Canada.
By Fabrice Hoss, in Kahnawake for AFP
Published: 11:32AM GMT 03 Mar 2010
“Absolutely it’s racist,” said Labelle. “They’re evicting me because I’m white.”
Twenty-five eviction notices were recently sent to non-aboriginal residents of the Kahnawake reservation near Montreal.
The directives were backed by calls for protecting the Mohawk cultural identity and lineage, amid a swell of intermarriages with non-natives, and complaints the territory is overcrowded, with more than 8,000 people living on 48 square kilometers (18.5 square miles) of land.
Many also lament that non-natives living on the reservation are sharing in benefits meant for indigenous peoples, such as a tax exemption for goods and services.
Delisle and Labelle, both in their 60s, are fighting the eviction, but do not hold out much hope.
The Mohawk people have admittedly been kicked around in the past, said Delisle. “Now, we’re the ones doing the mistreating of people who are here. It makes no sense,” he said.
Native rights advocates say the expulsions, which are not new in Canada, are justified under Canadian laws and treaties that set up native reservations.
Mohawk chief Martin Leborgne said the people who were asked to leave “are not aboriginal” and “do not have a right to reside here.”
“It’s not pretty, but it’s your government, your white government that set up reservations for aboriginals to live, and only us,” he said.
Constitutional law professor Jean Leclair said the residency rules adopted by the Kahnawake band council are “radical”, even “stupid” as they require residents to be at least 50 per cent Mohawk.
Continue reading Mohawks kick everyone else off their land
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