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Spirit Lake Tribe

6/17/2013

article Authorities not commenting on investigation on Spirit Lake Reservation
(North Dakota) -- The FBI and federal Bureau of Indian Affairs continue to investigate the death Thursday of a 3-year-old boy on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation.

6/14/2013

article FBI, BIA investigate death of toddler on Spirit Lake Nation
(North Dakota) -- The FBI is investigating the death of a toddler on the Spirit Lake Nation Reservation in North Dakota. Investigators arrived on the reservation...

6/4/2013

article In South Dakota, tribes fault state for undermining federal law aimed at saving kids and culture
(South Dakota) -- As child advocates wrestle with abuse and protection issues at the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota, controversy has flared in neighboring South...

5/28/2013

article Challenge in Spirit Lake council election may delay effort to oust chairman
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake’s Tribal Council gained two new members today, but tribal officials have set aside results in the race for Fort Totten District...
article Spirit Lake welcome two new council members, disputes 3rd
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Tribal Council welcomed two new members this afternoon, but the fate of another council seat remains up in the air.

5/8/2013

article Spirit Lake council changes: Election replaces two members, chairman criticizes recall effort
(North Dakota) -- Two incumbent members of the Spirit Lake Tribal Council lost their seats in Tuesday’s general election.
article Spirit Lake petition supporters more confident after election
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake tribal council will soon welcome two new members amid continuing cries to oust tribal chairman Roger Yankton. Now supporters of a...

5/7/2013

article Spirit Lake Tribe holds council election
(North Dakota) -- Voters on the Spirit Lake Nation are deciding the fate of two tribal council members today. The election will result in at least one new council member...

5/6/2013

article Statement from Spirit Lake Tribe, chairman
(North Dakota) -- On behalf of the Spirit Lake Tribe, as elected tribal governing council, we wish to clarify that the current composition of the Spirit Lake Tribal...

5/5/2013

article Keeping Indian children safe an ongoing challenge
(North Dakota) -- On a Spirit Lake reservation torn by factional infighting, the leader of an American Indian advocacy group arrives to find 25 percent of all Dakota...

5/3/2013

article Tribal chairman opponents gather signatures
(North Dakota) -- People on the Spirit Lake Reservation who oppose Chairman Roger Yankton say they've gathered enough petition signatures to force a recall vote.
article Authorities have 2 'persons of interest' in Spirit Lake homicide
(North Dakota) -- Two men in custody on unrelated charges are “persons of interest” in the death this week of a man on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation,...

5/2/2013

article Yankton foes reach goal but press on for more signatures
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake Nation members seeking to remove Roger Yankton Sr. as tribal chairman said Thursday they have more than the required number of signatures...

5/1/2013

article BIA superintendent, criticized by some, takes early retirement
(North Dakota) -- Rod Cavanaugh, superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency at Fort Totten, N.D., and a key figure in the continuing child protection issue at...

4/26/2013

article Spirit Lake petitioners weigh options
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake Nation members seeking to replace Tribal Chairman Roger Yankton Sr. said Friday they are nearing their goal of 600 signatures on a recall...

4/22/2013

article Spirit Lake petition gaining signatures
(North Dakota) -- Members of the Spirit Lake Nation tying to oust tribal chairman Roger Yankton say they've nearly collected enough signatures to petition for...

4/20/2013

article At reservation, challenge can be to keep Indian children safe – and Indian
(North Dakota) -- On a Spirit Lake reservation torn by factional infighting, the leader of an American Indian advocacy group arrives to find 25 percent of all Dakota...
article BIA still sees Yankton as Spirit Lake leader
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs continues to recognize Roger Yankton Sr. as chairman of the Spirit Lake Nation, a spokeswoman said.

4/18/2013

article Heavy turnout at Spirit Lake primary: Tribal Council vice chairman fails to advance
(North Dakota) -- Duane Jackson, vice chairman of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, lost his bid for another term representing the Mission District in Tuesday’s primary...

4/16/2013

article Tribal members cast votes for council seats
(North Dakota) -- After a tense week on the Spirit Lake Nation tribal members are getting the chance to voice their opinion at the ballot box. Today's primary...
article Yankton still chairman of Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, says his challenger
(North Dakota) -- Roger Yankton Sr. remains chairman of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, says Leander (Russ) McDonald, the man elected to replace him at an emergency general...

4/15/2013

article Opposition swears in new Spirit Lake tribal leader, but Yankton refuses to recognize action and remains in control, official says
(North Dakota) -- Leander (Russ) McDonald was sworn in as chairman of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe today in a traditional ceremony conducted by elders and others opposed...

4/14/2013

article Spirit Lake ousts tribal chairman
(North Dakota) -- Participants in a hastily called general assembly meeting voted overwhelmingly today to oust Roger Yankton Sr. as chairman of the Spirit Lake Sioux...

4/13/2013

article Spirit Lake Nation Elders Vote to Oust Tribal Council
(North Dakota) -- More than 30 Spirit Lake tribal elders took the unusual step of demanding new leadership on Thursday, angered by allegations of corruption and...

4/12/2013

article Tribal Elders vote to expel entire council
(North Dakota) -- Tribal Elders on the Spirit Lake Nation voted late Thursday afternoon with an overwhelming majority to oust the entire tribal council.

4/11/2013

article Spirit Lake elders call for dismissal of tribal council
(North Dakota) -- More than 30 elders of the Spirit Lake Nation adopted a resolution Thursday calling for dismissal of the entire Tribal Council, citing continuing...

4/8/2013

article Outside officials say Spirit Lake tribe on right track with child protection
(North Dakota) -- As health and social service professionals grappled over the past year with issues of child protection at Spirit Lake, they found a disturbing trend at...

4/7/2013

article Cramer remarks, PBS documentary draw eyes again to reservation
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Nation has endured a great deal of scrutiny and harsh commentary over the past year concerning the safety of its children, and the...
article Overcoming hurdles at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- As health and social service professionals grappled over the past year with issues of child protection at Spirit Lake, they found a disturbing trend at...
article Tribal judge says court, social workers see kids’ safety as top concern
(North Dakota) -- Despite persistent allegations by critics that children of the Spirit Lake Nation remain at risk due to placement with known sex offenders, the tribal...

4/1/2013

article What Happened on the Spirit Lake Reservation
(North Dakota) -- The struggles that Robin Poor Bear, formerly Charboneau, endures in Kind Hearted Woman are unfortunately too common for many Native Americans living on...

3/31/2013

article ND reservation, abuse focus of 2-part documentary
(North Dakota) -- Robin Poor Bear was reluctant to speak out about the sexual abuse she said she experienced as a child living with an adoptive family.

3/29/2013

article Cramer’s apology not accepted; Spirit Lake Tribal Council denounces remarks by congressman
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Tribal Council issued a statement Friday harshly criticizing comments attributed earlier this week to Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.,...
article Setting Off Down the “Red Road”
(North Dakota) -- For Native Americans, a life along the red road means a life lived clean and sober. It is a sacred concept, which for Robin Charboneau, was once elusive
article Man Convicted of Child Abuse at Spirit Lake Reservation
(North Dakota) -- The tribal court at North Dakota’s Spirit Lake reservation has convicted a man accused of beating one of his children in an incident that had...

3/17/2013

article Case against North Dakota tribal official advances
(North Dakota) -- A judge has determined there is enough evidence to continue with a case against a Spirit Lake Nation social services official accused in a domestic...

3/15/2013

article Appeals court upholds woman's conviction, sentence for embezzlling from Spirit Lake Tribe
(North Dakota) -- A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and sentence of a North Dakota woman convicted of embezzling from the Spirit Lake Tribe.

3/12/2013

article Native Sun News: PBS series tackles abuse at Spirit Lake Nation
(North Dakota) -- There is little doubt that an upcoming PBS special, “Kind Hearted Woman” will cause controversy. For victims of sexual abuse, fear of...

3/10/2013

article OP/ED: BIA, U.S. attorney cite progress at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- A week ago, we held a public meeting with the Spirit Lake community to share the progress being made since the transfer of the social services program...

3/5/2013

article Deputy Assistant Secretary Roberts Updates Spirit Lake Community on BIA Actions Addressing Tribe's Child Safety and Protection Issues
(North Dakota) -- On February 27, Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts informed members of the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota...

3/4/2013

article Documentary follows Sioux woman’s struggle
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Nation’s continuing efforts to deal with deficiencies in its child protection system is about to get another round of national...

3/3/2013

article PBS documentary follows Sioux woman’s struggle
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Nation’s continuing efforts to deal with deficiencies in its child protection system is about to get another round of national...

2/28/2013

article Child safety and protection at Spirit Lake top priority
(North Dakota) -- Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts reported personally to Spirit Lake tribal members Wednesday on efforts the Bureau...
article Federal Officials Outline Efforts to Combat Abuse on N.D. Reservation
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs detailed for the first time on Wednesday what it has done to address multiple reports of child abuse on the Spirit Lake...
article Handling of child abuse, neglect on reservation gets mixed reviews
(North Dakota) -- A top Bureau of Indian Affairs official says the agency is making progress in addressing child abuse and neglect on the Spirit Lake Reservation in...

2/27/2013

article BIA, FBI hear stories of child abuse, vow to ‘make improvements’ at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- Samuel Merrick Sr. stood at a microphone, faced a line of federal officials arrayed on a stage and said he wanted to look each of them in the eyes as...
article Stories of Child Abuse & Neglect Continue at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- Controversy continues to surround allegations of child abuse and neglect on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Today, federal authorities met with tribal...

2/26/2013

article Hoeven's office to meet with Spirit Lake leaders
(North Dakota) -- Representatives from Sen. John Hoeven's office are meeting with officials from the Spirit Lake Nation this week to discuss the tribe's Social...
article Meeting at Spirit Lake on tribe’s child protection services efforts open to public
(North Dakota) -- A meeting scheduled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide Spirit Lake Sioux leaders and members an update on efforts to improve the tribe’s...
article Spirit Lake Officials to Meet with ND Senators
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake officials will meet with representatives from North Dakota's senators Wednesday to offer an update on the progress of the tribe's...

2/25/2013

article What’s Changed Since the BIA Took Over at Spirit Lake?
(North Dakota) -- It’s been nearly five months since the federal government took control of child services on a remote Native American reservation in North Dakota.
article Hoeven's office to meet with Spirit Lake leaders
(North Dakota) -- Representatives from Sen. John Hoeven's office are meeting with officials from the Spirit Lake Nation this week to discuss the tribe's Social...

2/22/2013

article Spirit Lake: No word yet if public can attend ‘town hall’ on child protection
(North Dakota) -- A meeting of senior Bureau of Indian Affairs officials and leaders of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe to assess BIA progress in dealing with child...
article ‘No evidence of progress:’ Whistle blower alleges authorities unwilling to remove children from abusive homes at Spirit Lake Nation
(North Dakota) -- Most of the cases involving at-risk Spirit Lake Nation children cited in earlier reports of suspected child abuse have not been investigated or dealt...

2/15/2013

article Child Abuse at Reservation Is Topic for 3 Lawmakers
(North Dakota) -- Federal officials will hold a town hall meeting on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in North Dakota this month to discuss the reservation’s...

1/23/2013

article Native Sun News: Partnership to protect Spirit Lake children
(North Dakota) -- The assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn announced on Jan 10, a partnership between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Spirit Lake...
article Spirit Lake official gets faulty court record corrected
(North Dakota) -- An internet public records site operated by the state incorrectly showed a 2004 assault conviction for Mark Little Owl, director of Tribal Social...
article Spirit Lake tribal official facing 3 charges
(North Dakota) -- A man hired by the Spirit Lake Sioux last summer to manage the North Dakota tribe's beleaguered child protection program faces charges in an...

1/22/2013

article Spirit Lake official faces charges in domestic disturbance
(North Dakota) -- Mark Little Owl, hired last summer by the Spirit Lake Sioux to manage the tribe’s beleaguered child protection program, faces assault and other...

1/20/2013

article A ghost at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- As the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation grapples with how to better safeguard its children from abusers and sexual predators, deep divisions — some...

1/18/2013

article Disputed progress on child protection at Spirit Lake / Chairman says situation getting better; critics disagree
(North Dakota) -- In the nearly four months since the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs took over child protection services on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation, tribal...

1/11/2013

article BIA to provide Spirit Lake Nation with fingerprinting services
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs is providing mobile fingerprinting units to the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota. The units will be used to take...

12/18/2012

article Spirit Lake Officials Look for New Resources for Social Services
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake tribal leaders say they're working on bringing in new resources for its struggling child protective services.

11/30/2012

article Death of Spirit Lake infant was caused by SIDS
(North Dakota) -- A 2-month-old girl whose July death was seized upon as an example of endangered children on the Spirit Lake reservation died of natural causes.

11/23/2012

article North Dakota woman, Jetty, sentenced in Spirit Lake embezzling case
(North Dakota) -- A North Dakota woman who pleaded guilty to stealing from a tribal organization has been sentenced to home monitoring and ordered to pay restitution.

11/12/2012

article Baby addicted to methamphetamine returned to mom at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- A baby born addicted to methamphetamine reportedly has been returned to a mother from the Spirit Lake reservation who an official said failed to submit...

10/31/2012

article Spirit Lake whistleblower calls federal response ‘window dressing’
(North Dakota) -- A federal official who has repeatedly reported allegations of child abuse at Spirit Lake Nation wrote Tuesday to complain that investigators have...

10/29/2012

article Spirit Lake Nation takes good, long look at domestic issues
(North Dakota) -- It was a gathering of social workers, judges, people in law enforcement and domestic violence workers who met for two days at the Spirit Lake Casino...

10/25/2012

article Spirit Lake Sets Eyes on Domestic Violence Awareness
(North Dakota) -- The spotlight has shined harshly on the Spirit Lake Nation this year as allegations of child abuse and neglect piled up because of lapses in the tribe...
article Tribe targets violent repuptation with conference
(North Dakota) -- With grim autopsy photos, recordings of bungled 911 calls and security video of a man strangling a woman to the point of unconsciousness in a casino...
article Spirit Lake celebrates new EMS facility
(North Dakota) -- From its humble beginnings in the former comodities distribution building near Sioux Manufacturing to a shiny new building located in part of the tribe...

10/16/2012

article $3.5 million announced for child welfare on reservations, including Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain
(North Dakota) -- Children and pregnant women at the Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain Indian reservations in northeastern North Dakota will receive increased home...

10/4/2012

article Protecting Spirit Lake's children: Official says BIA to run tribal child protection for years
(North Dakota) -- The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, which assumed responsibility for child protection services at Spirit Lake on Monday, likely will manage the...

10/3/2012

article OUR OPINION: Spirit Lake and other tribes need a free press
(North Carolina) -- Every year, the Gates Millennium Scholars program awards four-year college scholarships to 1,000 low-income and minority students. In 2011, 10 of the...

10/2/2012

article EDITORIAL Keep light shining on Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- The brighter the light on the Spirit Lake Tribal Council, the clearer and more startling the dysfunction of tribal government becomes. In the latest...

10/1/2012

article Spirit Lake cut off from any appeals
(North Dakota) -- The door to the appeals courtroom has been slammed shut for more than a year for American Indian residents of Spirit Lake Nation. Criminal defendants...
article Spirit Lake social services to be taken over by BIA today
(North Dakota) -- The Spirit Lake Tribal Council blamed a “tremendous shortfall” of support from the federal government as a reason it decided to surrender...

9/30/2012

article Spirit Lake Tribal Court lacks access to appeals
(North Dakota) -- Criminal defendants and civil lawsuit parties in Spirit Lake Tribal Court have no access to appeals because the tribe failed to renew a contract, two...

9/29/2012

article Tribal court offers no hope of appeal
(North Dakota) -- The door to the appeals courtroom has been slammed shut for more than a year for American Indian residents of Spirit Lake Nation.

9/24/2012

article Many families optimistic about life at Spirit Lake
(North Dakota) -- Paul Matheny’s sons are talkers like their father, the affable general manager of the Spirit Lake Resort and Casino.
article Spirit is here: A look at the Spirit Lake reservation
(North Dakota) -- Walk along a dusty street in one of the little reservation towns here, and the stereotypes scream their half-truths. Scruffy children play by abandoned...

9/21/2012

article BIA prepares for social service program handover in ND
(North Dakota) -- Officials are preparing for a handover of social services programs from Spirit Lake Tribe to the Bureau of Indian Affairs that will take place on Oct....
article Little Owl out as Spirit Lake social services director as feds plan takeover of department
(North Dakota) -- Mark Little Owl, hired in mid-August by the Spirit Lake Tribe to restore its embattled social services department, will not continue as director after...
article Little Owl out at Spirit Lake social services
(North Dakota) -- A man hired in mid-August by the Spirit Lake Tribe to restore its embattled social services department says he will not continue as director after the...

9/20/2012

article Federal takeover planned at reservation
(North Dakota) -- The U.S. government plans to take over social service programs on a North Dakota Indian reservation with the country's densest population of sex...

9/19/2012

article Forum editorial: Takeover by BIA welcome
(North Dakota) -- The unusually quick decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take over Spirit Lake Nation social services underscores the failure of tribal...
article Seeking to Stem Endless Abuse of Tribe’s Children
(North Dakota) -- The man who plays Santa Claus here is a registered child sex offender and a convicted rapist. One of the brothers of the tribal chairman raped a child...

9/18/2012

article BIA officials prepare for handover of Spirit Lake Tribe social services
(North Dakota) -- Officials are preparing for a handover of social services programs from Spirit Lake Tribe to the Bureau of Indian Affairs that will take place on Oct....
article Date set for BIA takeover of Spirit Lake programs
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs has set Oct. 1 as the date it will take control of social service programs on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota.

9/17/2012

article Child Abuse Concerns Spur Federal Takeover at North Dakota Indian Reservation
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs said Monday that it will take control of social services on a North Dakota reservation, amid concerns from federal...
article ND delegation praises BIA decision
(North Dakota) -- Officials are preparing for a handover of social services programs from Spirit Lake Tribe to the Bureau of Indian Affairs that will take place on Oct....
press release Spirit Lake Tribe Retrocedes Social Services Program to the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(North Dakota) -- Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has agreed to a...
article MGC meets in Boston to discuss casino plans
(Massachusetts) -- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is schedule to meet Tuesday in Boston to discuss the city's process for picking a casino. Commissioners are...

9/16/2012

article At Spirit Lake, an effort to let children know which adults can’t be trusted
(North Dakota) -- Jon Lawrence cradles his 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, as he surveys the 36 photographs in a glass case at the entrance to the Spirit Lake Recreation...
article BIA to take control of ND tribe's social services
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs plans to take control of social service programs for the Spirit Lake Tribe following criticism that the tribe has failed...

9/14/2012

article BIA to take control of Spirit Lake social services programs
(North Dakota) -- The Bureau of Indian Affairs will assume control of social services programs for the Spirit Lake Tribe, which has been beset with criticisms that it...

9/12/2012

article Hoeven pushes for federal engagement
(North Dakota) -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., met Wednesday with Kevin Washburn, President Obama’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the...
article Spirit Lake child protection leader knows what it means when children are removed from home
(North Dakota) -- When he was named the new director of social services for the Spirit Lake Nation last month, Mark Little Owl put himself on the department’s on-...

9/10/2012

article BIA to make final visit to Spirit Lake before big decision on child protection services
(North Dakota) -- This week could decide the future governance of social services for the Spirit Lake Tribe as a deadline looms about who should run programs recently...

9/8/2012

article BIA expected to determine soon who’ll run Spirit Lake programs
(North Dakota) -- This week could decide the future governance of social services for the Spirit Lake Tribe as a deadline looms about who should run programs recently...

9/7/2012

article Hoeven urges tribal leaders to act fast
(North Dakota) -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., huddled here Friday with Spirit Lake tribal leaders and urged them to act fast and openly to resolve deficiencies in the...

9/5/2012

article Autopsy done, investigators wait for test results in death of Spirit Lake infant
(North Dakota) -- An investigation into the July 7 death of a 2-month old infant on the Spirit Lake reservation continues. Debra Kay Anderson-Dogskin of St. Michael died...

9/4/2012

article Forum editorial: Reaction from tribe an outrage
(North Dakota) -- The reaction of Spirit Lake Nation tribal officials to revelations the tribe failed to protect children is misguided and outrageous: misguided because...
article More Actions by BIA to Improve Child Safety at Spirit Lake Announced
(North Dakota) -- Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Del Laverdure Friday announced additional actions that Bureau of Indian Affairs, BIA, officials are taking to...
article Spirit Lake's prosecutor gets offer to become special US attorney
(North Dakota) -- Federal prosecutors have offered to make the Spirit Lake Tribe’s prosecutor a special U.S. attorney and to help the tribe develop a strategic...
article Trial in killings of Spirit Lake siblings delayed until April
(North Dakota) -- A federal murder trial in the abuse and deaths of two Spirit Lake Nation children last year has been rescheduled from later this month to April.

8/31/2012

article Spirit Lake chairman, federal critic trade complaints about handling of child protection issue
(North Dakota) -- Spirit Lake Tribal Chairman Roger Yankton and one of his sharpest critics in the long-running furor over the safety of Spirit Lake’s children...
article Top BIA official to return to Spirit Lake to supervise social workers
(North Dakota) -- A top Bureau of Indian Affairs official will return to the Spirit Lake Sioux Reservation for two weeks starting Tuesday to supervise BIA social workers...
article Laverdure Announces Additional Actions by BIA Officials to Improve Child Safety and Protection at Spirit Lake
(Washington D.C.) -- Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced additional actions that Bureau of Indian...

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