Navajo Nation in “turmoil” as president placed on leave
Good investigative reporting by the Navajo Times results in publication of this information showing “substantial evidence” that Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. violated the tribe’s ethics laws. Tensions are so high that a significant, armed police presence was deemed necessary during last week’s special tribal council meeting in Window Rock. The video above gives an idea of the atmosphere that day.

Canada’s First Nations reserves see “explosion” of tuberculosis
The Winnipeg Free Press reports here that “Manitoba now has one of the highest rates of TB in Canada because the disease has been allowed to spread rampant in the First Nations population. On some reserves, the TB rate is more than 100 times the national average.”

Ho-Chunk buy land where Chippewa had planned casino
There’s been considerable buzz about this story, mainly because the Bad River and St.Croix Chippewa bands had options to buy a parcel of land near Beloit, Wisc., for an off-reservation casino. On Thursday, the Ho-Chunk Nation announced it had purchased that same parcel. The two Chippewa bands wanted to build a casino there, but the Ho-Chunk say they stand a better chance of getting approval to build a casino off their reservation.

Turkey sponsors Native American education exchange
The Web site TurkishNY.com makes its first appearance in Buffalo Post with this story about a lecture tour in Turkey this month by Native American educators. The Turkish Coaltion of America is sponsoring the trip in conjunction with the American Indian Higher Educational Consortium. The story says the idea is to foster collaboration between tribal colleges and Turkish universities.

Powwow celebrates couple’s 63rd wedding anniversary
Here’s the sort of story we love to see: Victor Matt met Delma Gebeau at the Arlee powwow on Flathead Indian Reservation shortly after he came back to Montana after World War II. The Salish couple have been married 63 years, and celebrated their union the way it began – with a powwow, according to the Char-Koosta News.

Gwen Florio

Tags: American Indian Higher Educational Consortium, Bad River Chippewa, First Nations, Flathead Indian Reservation, Ho-Chunk, Joe Shirley Jr., Navajo Nation, St. Croix Chippewa

Here are a couple of similar stories on the state of tribal gaming.

The Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrats reports here that California’s tribal casinos will continue to see declining revenues through the beginning of next year, but recovery should start in the last half of 2010. Those predictions come from a new report by Fitch Ratings, an international credit agency.

And, in Wisconsin, the Capital Times in Madison says, here, that state analysts see a similar pattern, predicting that Wisconsin Indian casino revenue will drop 4.8 percent decline in 2009, and rise only 3 percent in 2010.

That’s bad news for both states, which – along with the tribes – have come to depend on gaming revenues. Wisconsin foresees a drop of nearly $16 million from gaming compact revenues during the 2009-2011 budget cycle.

Cheryl Silha tells the Capital Times that she’s gambling less because of the tight economy. “We used to go about twice a month,” she told the paper last week as she headed for the front door of De Jope bingo hall in Madison, owned and operated by the Ho-Chunk Nation. “Now it’s maybe once every other month. … Well, not even that.”

Gwen Florio

Tags: buffalo post, De Jope bingo hall, Fitch Ratings, Ho-Chunk, Indian gaming, Native American news