The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, which owns Valley View Casino in Valley Center, Calif., has filed a $115 million lawsuit against the state of California for lost profits, according to a press release issued by Stephen Warren Solomon, the law firm representing the tribe.
The damages are alleged to be a consequence of Governor Schwarzenegger's refusal to allow the California Gambling Control Commission to issue all of the slot machine licenses to which the tribe is entitled to under its 1999 contract with the state.
The tribe contends that the state breached its contract and is illegally interfering with its ability to provide slot machine play for its patrons, the release said.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Oglala Sioux Tribe Makes Hair Follicle Drug Testing Mandatory
At a tribal council meeting held on Jan. 26, the Oglala Sioux tribe approved an ordinance that requires mandatory drug testing using hair follicles for tribal employees, as reported by the Rapid City Journal on Feb. 5. The ordinance affects more than 750 people.
Although the hair follicle testing method is more effective than the traditional urine test, it is also more expensive, costing about $125 per test. Funding is an issue for the tribe, but it seems confident that it will find the resources.
The council has 30 days from when the ordinance was approved to come up with an implementation plan, the article said.
Although the hair follicle testing method is more effective than the traditional urine test, it is also more expensive, costing about $125 per test. Funding is an issue for the tribe, but it seems confident that it will find the resources.
The council has 30 days from when the ordinance was approved to come up with an implementation plan, the article said.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Pechanga Defrauded in Insurance Scheme
A Riverside County, Calif., grand jury indicted James Riley and Ryan Robinson, the former an insurance broker and the latter an ex-financial officer for the tribe, for allegedly defrauding the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians out of millions of dollars, according to an article that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday.
Riley, the article said, overcharged the tribe by $4 million for insurance premiums from 2006 to 2007; and Robinson was allegedly paid more than $100,000 “to look the other way.”
The men are scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 18.
Riley, the article said, overcharged the tribe by $4 million for insurance premiums from 2006 to 2007; and Robinson was allegedly paid more than $100,000 “to look the other way.”
The men are scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 18.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Campaign Urges Native Parents to Protect Preteens with Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Indian Health Service have jointly launched a campaign to educate American Indian and Alaska Native parents and other caregivers about the importance of a preteen medical check-ups and vaccines.
One goal of this campaign is to encourage parents to take their preteens in for an 11- or 12-year-old check-up, during which the doctor takes a complete medical history, screens for diseases like diabetes, discusses teen issues (such as puberty) and ensures that immunizations are up to date.
Three vaccines are specifically recommended for the preteens: MCV4 (meningitis); Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or “whooping cough” booster); and for girls, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (protects against cervical cancer). Annual seasonal flu shots and vaccination against H1N1 are also recommended for preteens.
Posters and flyers educating parents about the preteen check-up and preteen vaccines were developed and can be ordered or downloaded from the campaign Web site: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/preteen/aian.
Other campaign activities include outreach to Native media, partnerships with American Indian and Alaska Native organizations that reach parents and healthcare providers and a community-based education project in New Mexico.
One goal of this campaign is to encourage parents to take their preteens in for an 11- or 12-year-old check-up, during which the doctor takes a complete medical history, screens for diseases like diabetes, discusses teen issues (such as puberty) and ensures that immunizations are up to date.
Three vaccines are specifically recommended for the preteens: MCV4 (meningitis); Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or “whooping cough” booster); and for girls, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (protects against cervical cancer). Annual seasonal flu shots and vaccination against H1N1 are also recommended for preteens.
Posters and flyers educating parents about the preteen check-up and preteen vaccines were developed and can be ordered or downloaded from the campaign Web site: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/preteen/aian.
Other campaign activities include outreach to Native media, partnerships with American Indian and Alaska Native organizations that reach parents and healthcare providers and a community-based education project in New Mexico.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Contract Support Funding to Rise by $64 Million
The FY 2011 budget requests of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service have a combined increase of over $64 million for contract support costs. These funds are used to fund tribes' indirect costs associated with P.L. 93-638 contracts and compacts.
It is important for tribes to prepare their FY 2011 indirect cost proposals in a manner that insures full recovery of allowable overhead costs. For information or assistance in preparing these proposals, please contact Tom Wilkins at 800-992-4489, ext. 119 or tom.wilkins@falmouthinstitute.com
It is important for tribes to prepare their FY 2011 indirect cost proposals in a manner that insures full recovery of allowable overhead costs. For information or assistance in preparing these proposals, please contact Tom Wilkins at 800-992-4489, ext. 119 or tom.wilkins@falmouthinstitute.com
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Proposed FY 2011 Indian Affairs Budget Highlights
President Obama’s proposed FY 2011 budget includes $2.6 billion for Indian Affairs, a net decrease of $3.6 million from the 2010 enacted level.
But, as stated in a press release issued yesterday by the Interior Department, the budget targets more than $70 million in program increases to strengthen tribal management of federally funded programs and to enhance energy, education and public safety programs that will bring jobs to Indian Country.
FY 2011 Proposed Budget Highlights:
Operation of Indian Programs gets $2.4 billion, $58.7 million (2.5 percent) more than the 2010 enacted level.
Includes $115.7 million for Construction, $51.6 million less than the 2010 level: $52.9 million for Education Construction; $11.4 million for Public Safety and Justice Construction; $42.2 million for Resource Management Construction; $3.8 million for the Safety of Dams program; and $9.3 million for Other Program Construction.
Includes program increases of $21.5 million for contract support and the Indian Self-Determination Fund. (So, now is the time to ensure your proposals are in on time and crafted to maximize contract support recoveries. Mark your calendar for Falmouth’s IDC Summit next month).
Tribal Priority Allocations gets a net increase of $28.0 million, 3.4 percent more than the 2010 enacted level.
DOI’s New Energy Frontier Initiative has an increase of $2.5 million for Indian Affairs to help tribes explore and develop lands that have active and potential energy resources.
Nearly $47 million goes to Resolving Land and Water Claims.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Yakama Provide Money from Gaming to Members for College
For the first time, the 10,000-member Yakama Nation is devoting some of it gaming profits to help tribal members pursue a higher education, according to an article published today in The Daily Herald.
In the state of Washington, just 13 percent of Native Americans have a bachelor’s degree — half the rate of the state’s white population, the paper said, attributing the statistics to a report called Pathways for Native Students, based on research conducted by colleges in western Washington.
Of the Yakama, only 6.5 percent of tribal members age 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree; and just 35 percent of adults are high school graduates.
In the state of Washington, just 13 percent of Native Americans have a bachelor’s degree — half the rate of the state’s white population, the paper said, attributing the statistics to a report called Pathways for Native Students, based on research conducted by colleges in western Washington.
Of the Yakama, only 6.5 percent of tribal members age 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree; and just 35 percent of adults are high school graduates.
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