Officials representing charities say granting North Dakota’s five American Indian tribes exclusive rights to host online gambling could effectively end charitable gambling in the state. The tribes want Gov. Doug Burgum to approve the idea under tribal-state agreements known as compacts. The current compacts expire at the end of this year and only Burgum can approve them. The tribes argue that their casinos have been hurt by the explosion of the charities’ Las Vegas-style pull tab machines. Burgum heard arguments from the charities and tribes on Friday. He says the terms of the compacts are still being negotiated and should be completed next month.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola received a hero’s welcome Thursday when the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress gave the keynote address at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage. Those attending the largest annual gathering of Natives in Alaska showered her with standing ovations, spontaneous songs and gifts, including a bolo tie worn by her Republican predecessor, the late Don Young. Peltola defeated Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich in an August special election. She’s competing for a full two-year term in November.
On Saturday spiritual leaders from Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, Rosebud and Standing Rock came together to discuss the ceremonies necessary to receive, bring home, and honor artifacts that have been in a museum in Barre Massachusetts that belong to the descendants of the Wounded Knee Massacre. The items include blankets stained with blood of those murdered during the Massacre on December 29th 1890. After years of negotiation and with the involvement of tribal leaders from Pine Ridge, The Barre Museum is finally returning over 100 items including war shirts, head dresses and tomahawks. Cedric Broken Nose, a direct descendant of Chief Big Foot and coordinator for the return of the sacred items told KIPI news, “the return of the items must all be done by ceremony, from the time they are retrieved from the museum, on their journey home and then to their final place of rest among Lakota relatives”.
