Formerly, The Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs , Vermonters Concerned on Native American Affairs,

Home

Governor Douglas Announces Appointments for Indian Commission

Commission News
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Breaking News! Governor Douglas Announces Appointments for Indian Commission Mark Mitchell 9.3.2010 Governor Douglas will announce later today his selection for the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. After a long 4 year battle with the Vermont State legislature, this newly appointed Commission begins with an established authority which is no longer illusory. These are the Governor's selections, as provided through this website's numerous sources.
Read more...

Indian commission violated Tennessee Open Meetings Act

National News
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Indian commission violated Tennessee Open Meetings Act By Nicole Young THE TENNESSEAN September 2, 2010 In a settlement expected today, the state attorney general will admit that the now-defunct Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs violated the state Open Meetings Act in failing to give public notice for its June 19 meeting. The agreement, expected in Davidson County Chancery Court, will strip six Indian groups of their state recognition as Indian Tribes, said Bob Tuke, a Nashville attorney who represented plaintiff Mark Greene in the case. The recognition brings with it federal money, minority status and new opportunities for individual members. "We believe these groups don't meet the requirements of being a tribe, but we don't deny that they are Indian," Greene said Wednesday. "We were blindsided. We had notice that the meeting was going to happen, but we didn't know what was going on during the meeting. "It was obviously all worked out."
Read more...

Challengers fail in bid for more time to file in case against Shinnecocks

North East News
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Challengers fail in bid for more time to file in case against Shinnecocks By Rohma Abbas The Connecticut gaming group spearheading the challenge to the Shinnecock Indian Nation’s long-sought federal recognition was denied extra time to file additional paperwork in support of their argument in a ruling in early August. The decision is a minor victory for the members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, who have waited decades for federal recognition, and who want the legal challenge to their bid filed by the Connecticut Coalition for Gaming Jobs to be resolved as quickly as possible. Shinnecock Tribal Trustee Lance Gumbs had expressed frustration earlier this summer that the challenges had halted the tribe’s official federal recognition essentially on the eve of when they were slated to receive the designation. “Obviously, their stuff was frivolous and they weren’t prepared,” Mr. Gumbs said of the CCGJ’s denied request. “It is what it is. They brought a frivolous suit and tried to build a case around it.”
Read more...

Passamaquoddys vow they still will fish in federal waters

North East News
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Passamaquoddys vow they still will fish in federal waters September 2, 2010 PORTLAND PRESS HERALD The Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe will not stop fishing in federal waters, tribal officials say, despite a crackdown by regulators last week on a Passamaquoddy scalloping boat off Nantucket. The boat, the Paulo Marc, was issued two citations while fishing in federal waters. One was for fishing without a permit and the other was for not having the required satellite tracking device. Tribal leaders say they have been talking with regulators about increasing their fishing efforts in federal waters -- from three to 200 miles offshore -- which could have an effect on the overfished U.S. ground fishery. "We are not going to knuckle under. It has come down to our survival," said Fred Moore, a member of the tribal council, a former representative in the Maine Legislature and a commercial fisherman. At issue is the tribe's contention that it is exempt from U.S. fishing regulations. The Passamaquoddy Tribe has been in discussions with the National Marine Fisheries Service over its rights to fish in federal waters.
Read more...

Peaceful Protests

North East News
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Peaceful Protests Senecas Stage Rallies In Irving By Ashley Zengerski September 2, 2010 IRVING - Tensions are lower around the area's Native American reservations today than they were Tuesday. That doesn't mean members of the Seneca Nation of Indians are any less frustrated with New York state even as the nation and its fellow tribes statewide received another reprieve from the judicial system. A state appellate court judge in Western New York on Wednesday restored an order stopping the collections, Gov. David Paterson's office said. An earlier order had been lifted Monday by a state judge, a decision appealed by the Seneca and Cayuga nations. Those tribes won a separate federal court order Tuesday temporarily barring collections against them. But the state had said it would start imposing the $4.35 per pack levy on other reservation retailers starting Wednesday. Before Wednesday's appellate ruling was announced, the Senecas hosted a pair of rallies outside the Big Indian Smokeshop and Native Pride on its Cattaraugus Reservation in Irving. Three U.S. Marshals stood idly listening to the speeches of many Seneca Nation officials, ready for action should a speaker collapse from the sole threat - heat exhaustion. ''We don't want to be violent, but we want our views to be known,'' said John Kane, a radio show host and reservation member, expressing a peaceful sentiment reiterated throughout the course of the morning. The attendance of the marshals proved unnecessary, though at least two members of the crowd wondered why they were sent to the reservation in the first place. ''Outside forces like the media did a good job of making this seem like it was going to be something terrible,'' said Nikki Seneca, a member of the reservation.
Read more...

Fall Abenaki Language Camp 2010

Heritage News
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Fall Abenaki Language Camp 2010 Paul Pouliot 9.1.2010 Date: September 24th (Friday) Arrival September 25th (Saturday) Class September 26th (Sunday) Class Time: Class starts at 9:00 a.m. Location: Cowasuck Band Headquarters 840 Suncook Valley Road (Route 28) Alton, New Hampshire 03809
Read more...

Mohegan Sun in talks to buy land for Mass. casino

North East News
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Mohegan Sun in talks to buy land for Mass. casino By JAMES MOSHER Norwich Bulletin Sep 01, 2010 Mohegan Sun is negotiating to buy Massachusetts land on which it would build a $600 million casino, a project that executives and municipal leaders hope gets the green light by the end of this month. The Sun this week confirmed its talks with Northeast Realty to buy 150 acres in Palmer near Exit 8 off the Massachusetts Turnpike. Two years ago the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority signed a 50-year lease on the tract with Northeast. A sale will likely occur only in the event the Massachusetts Legislature and Gov. Deval Patrick agree on a bill that will permit a resort casino in the western part of the Bay State. “The specifics of the relationship between Mohegan Sun and our current land owner in Palmer (Northeast) will be dictated by any expanded gaming legislation, and we are exploring a number of different contingencies,” the casino said in a prepared statement.
Read more...

Senecas gain cigarette tax reprieve

North East News
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Senecas gain cigarette tax reprieve Collection by state halted 'pending further order' By Dan Herbeck September 01, 2010 The Seneca Nation of Indians won a temporary reprieve Tuesday in its battle to prevent the state from collecting taxes on cigarette sales to non-Indians. But the tribe's leaders acknowledged that the fight is far from over. "This is good news, but we still have a lot of work to do," said J.C. Seneca, a smoke shop owner who is the co-chairman of the Seneca Tribal Council. "We can't let our guard down for a minute." The state's collection of taxes on Native American cigarette sales to non-Indians had been scheduled to begin today. In a tense courtroom packed with lawyers and Seneca business owners, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara issued a temporary restraining order that prohibits the state from taxing cigarette sales by the Senecas and the Cayuga Indian Nation for at least two weeks. The state is "temporarily enjoined from implementing, administering and enforcing" the tax law against the Senecas and Cayugas "pending further order of this Court," Arcara said in a brief written order.
Read more...