Coeur d�Alene: Students Get Muddy Digging Water Potatoes in Idaho - Mud and kids go hand in hand, so when the opportunity presents itself for youngsters to wade into a muddy marsh in the name of education, much laughter ensues. Such was the situation on the Coeur d�Alene Reservation when students from surrounding schools, both Native and non-Native, held an annual �Water Potato Day� in muddy marshes that have historically provided food for tribal families gathered here to spend the winter months.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe hosts water potato harvest - About 120 local schoolchildren joined the Coeur d�Alene Tribe for its annual Water Potato Celebration at Heyburn State Park. The event is a tribal holiday, marking the tuber�s importance in the tribe�s culture.

Coeur d'Alene: Member of Tribe has an Aboriginal Travel Adventure - Expect to have your stereotypes challenged if you travel to Australia. My daughter Maria and I recently traveled to the so-called land �down-under� and had many surprises.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe Seeks Clues to Trout Struggle in Idaho Lake - This fall, the Coeur d�Alene Tribe�s fisheries technicians counted 120 juvenile westslope cutthroat in a short stretch of the meandering stream, which is packed with the deep pools and insects that the trout like.

Coeur d'Alene: Libraries celebrate Native American Heritage Month - November is Native American Heritage Month and the Community Library Network at Hayden, 8385 N. Government Way, plans to celebrate. Coeur d�Alene Tribe Culture Director Quanah Matheson will present �Keeping Our Heritage Alive� on Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribal Members Speak Out Against Federal Lands Transfer - The mood was somber Monday morning as Idaho lawmakers met for the second time to discuss transferring federal land ownership to state control.

Coeur d'Alene: Federal Land Transfer Causes Controversy Between State of Idaho and Indian Tribes - The Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Perce and Couer d�Alene nations are demanding that Idaho's 34 million acres of federal public lands be returned to them rather than transferred to state control.

Coeur d'Alene: Casino Resort supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month - The Coeur d�Alene Casino Resort is joining the fight against breast cancer by hosting several events all through out October, which is breast cancer awareness month. Note: Vitamin D3 can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 30% to 50%.

Coeur d'Alene: Former employee admits theft from Tribe - Angeline Morago George, 36, Plummer, pleaded guilty Aug. 30 in federal court to conspiracy to commit theft from a tribal organization, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe fights sewage disposal on reservation land - A company hauling human waste from Spokane into Idaho as fertilizer has sparked a legal fight with the Coeur d�Alene Tribe. Gobers Pumping and Repair, with business partner St. Isidore Farms, will have to prove that injecting 54,000 gallons of sewage from septic tanks and portable toilets into a 150-acre patch of privately owned farmland just inside the reservation boundary near Plummer poses no health risk.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribal study seeks to restore cutthroat population - Years of restoration work have turned Benewah Creek into ideal habitat for Idaho�s state fish, the cutthroat trout.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribal Court to hear sewage dispute - A U.S. District Court judge ruled Thursday that the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Court has jurisdiction in a dispute involving the "application of domestic sewage" to property within the Coeur d'Alene Reservation.

Coeur d'Alene: Seminar offers tools of healing - Violence and domestic abuse are subjects in which Christina Crawford is well versed. The best-selling author, actress and human rights activist was the lunchtime keynote speaker Friday at Stop Violence Against Women Day in the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel.

Coeur d'Alene: Julyamsh Powwow Honors the Horse - For 18 years, Cliff SiJohn introduced the horse parade at every Julyamsh, a powwow that honors the horse or �the four leggeds.� But this year, it was different. This year�s Julyamsh honored and recognized SiJohn, who walked on last December.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe donates $10,000 to Tools 2 Schools - Managers from the Coeur d�Alene Casino Resort donated $10,000 Thursday to the Tools 2 Schools donation drive. The donation is in addition to 500 backpacks donated by the business at the start of Tools 2 Schools.

Coeur d'Alene: Two traditions celebrated at Old Mission - As Bishop Michael Driscoll stood before the hundreds of people gathered for the annual Feast of the Assumption Mass at the Cataldo Mission Church Thursday morning, he grasped a crook decked out with beads and feathers given to him by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe pursues pilot project - The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is hoping to get in on a federal pilot project that is being designed to help tribes across the nation repurchase reservation trust land. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Interior met with several tribes in Seattle on Wednesday to discuss how it plans to spend $1.9 billion in settlement money.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribal cigarette supplier not protected - Tribal sovereignty doesn�t protect a corporation located on a New York Indian reservation that ships illegal cigarettes to a retailer on the Coeur d�Alene Indian Reservation, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho Can Regulate Tribal Cigarette Shipments - State Supreme Court justices bolstered Idaho's power to regulate cigarettes shipped to Indian-owned businesses in a ruling that touched not only on Native American sovereignty but also public health.

Coeur d�Alene: Julyamsh Powwow honors pair of departed legends - Julyamsh, the midsummer event billed as the largest powwow in the Northwest and hosted by the Coeur d�Alene Tribe for the past 18 years. The four-day celebration brings together tribal cultures from throughout the United States for song, dance, traditional parades and storytelling.

Coeur d�Alene: Celebration mingled with remembrance - When the largest outdoor powwow in the Northwest begins tonight in Post Falls, participants will feel the absence of two substantial figures of the annual gathering. Clifford SiJohn, a Coeur d�Alene Tribe elder and storyteller who helped keep tribal customs and culture alive, died last Christmas Eve at age 67. His cousin, Spokane Tribe member and nationally known artist George Flett, died Jan. 30 at age 66.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribal students learn on the Pulaski Trail - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe is the host of this year�s camp, which is in its 27th year of educating Native American students on the outdoors and different career paths available to them in the future. Campers came from the Nez Perce and Kalispel tribes, as well.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho's Circling Raven Golf Club hosting series of golf academies - Circling Raven Golf Club - located in the scenic Idaho panhandle, adjacent to the recently expanded Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel - is once again welcoming Pros2Go and the Brian Mogg Golf Academies this July.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe seeks to put land into reservation trust - The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is working to place roughly 370 acres of land it owns on the reservation back into its reservation trust. The six parcels of land, which the Tribe purchased from late Silver Valley business mogul Harry Magnuson more than a decade ago, is mostly waterfront property located between Windy Bay and 16-to-1 Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Coeur d'Alene: Program teaches homeowners to cut lake pollution - Between power boats, polar bear dives and waves of wetsuit-clad Ironmen, it's fair to say Lake Coeur d'Alene gets a lot of use. So how about we take care of it? The Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality are kicking off a program aimed at just that.

Coeur d'Alene: Only governor's approval needed for tribal property tax exemption - Coeur d'Alene Tribe officials were celebrating on Tuesday afternoon, when the state Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill forbidding counties from taxing tribal government land.

Coeur d'Alene: Plummer-Worley school district seeks $1.1M levy - Voters in the Plummer-Worley School District will be asked if they're willing to provide an additional $1.1 million in local property taxes to support the school district's operations over the course of the next two years. Plummer Worley School Superintendent Judi Sharrett claims sequestration will affect the school districts, but political grandstanding aside sequestration only reduces the rate of increase and does not make any actual cuts. "Fortunately, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe has donated $100,000 which will pay for a music program as well as cover some technology and athletic transportation expenses," Sharrett wrote. "The Tribe also generously donated $25,000 to our golf program."

Coeur d'Alene: Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho celebrates 10th anniversary - Circling Raven Golf Club - located in the scenic Idaho panhandle, adjacent to the recently expanded Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel - is celebrating its 10th anniversary by giving away stay-and-play packages this season, which opens April 5.

Coeur d'Alene-Spokane: VC Lyceum speaker offers political, humorous message - The one message Sherman Alexie wants to convey is that we're all immigrants. "You should really be saying you're from Africa or from everywhere," he told a crowd at Leo J. Welder Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday.

Coeur d'Alene-Nez Perce: City looking for designs - The city of Moscow and the Moscow Arts Commission are seeking designs for tree grates and manhole covers. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. Monday. This call is open only to individuals 18 or older who live in Latah, Nez Perce, Asotin or Whitman counties, or members of the Nez Perce or Coeur d'Alene tribes.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe donates to Tesh - Tesh, Inc., is garnering kudos and cash. The nonprofit in Coeur d'Alene received a $5,000 donation from the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to support its Child Development program.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe employee sentenced for theft - A Spokane woman was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to five years' probation and four weekends in jail for theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Debora J. Zimmerman, 46, to pay $28,275.93 in restitution.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe's property taxes canceled - After a meeting with Coeur d'Alene Tribe officials today, Kootenai County commissioners voted unanimously to cancel all property taxes on reservation land from the past four years. The vote followed years of county and tribal staff deciphering issues with taxed tribal land, after a policy shift in 2006 saw Idaho counties taxing reservation property for the first time.

Coeur d'Alene: NIC receives check from tribe - NIC President Joe Dunlap publicly thanked the Coeur d�Alene tribe at the college�s Feb. 27 board of trustee meeting for a donation. Board of trustee chairman, Ken Howard, along with members of NIC�s athletic department personnel traveled to Plummer, ID to meet with the tribe and receive $15,000 in contributions to the college.

Coeur d'Alene: Rev & Tax unanimously backs bill to clarify that counties can�t tax tribal lands on reservations - There was no opposition, and the House Revenue & Taxation Committee was unanimous this morning in backing HB 140, the bill to clarify that tribe-owned land within Idaho Indian reservations is not subject to local county property taxation.

Coeur d'Alene: School board cracking down on bullying - The Coeur d�Alene school board said Monday it will crack down on bullying in schools and work to change the culture that nurtures the conduct. The Coeur d�Alene Tribe also has awarded the district an $11,000 grant to purchase a program targeting bullying in middle school.

Coeur d'Alene-Nez Perce: �Knowledge Through Stories� is theme of 26th Annual LCSC Native American Awareness Week - The 26th annual Lewis-Clark State College Native American Awareness Week (NAAW) will be held on the LCSC campus March 11 - 15. The theme is "Knowledge Through Stories." All events are free and open to the public. On Wednesday March 13 at 9 a.m. at the Williams Conference Center (WCC), Tribal Chairs Chief Silas Whitman from the Nez Perce Tribe and Chief Allen from the Coeur d'Alene Tribe will take part in a Roundtable Discussion on Leadership.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe donates $1.4 million - Nearly 50 schools and nonprofit agencies received extra funds Friday to upgrade technology, purchase textbooks, provide student scholarships, and fund programs, thanks to donations made by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

Coeur d'Alene: Exhibit to feature tribal culture - Residents of North Idaho will have the opportunity to learn more about other cultures through a new exhibit at the Human Rights Education Institute. Entitled "Many Cultures, One World," the exhibit explores the culture and history of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in "Schitsu'umsh Country" and features historic artifacts from the Tribe, including saddles, regalia, beadwork, and various other items.

Coeur d�Alene: Leave artifacts where they lie - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe�s aboriginal territory spanned nearly 4 million acres across the region. For thousands of years, our ancestors before us centered their lives on Lake Coeur d�Alene and its tributaries, leaving evidence of their lives in the region. Our tribe works hard to preserve our cultural resources and we are very concerned by those in our community who use metal detectors to search for and potentially remove historic artifacts from the shores of Lake Coeur d�Alene.

Coeur d�Alene: Sheriff, Tribe Discuss Agreement - Sheriff Dave Resser (pictured) met with Coeur d'Alene tribal officials recently to discuss changes to the cross-deputization agreement between Benewah County and tribal police. Sheriff Resser plans to add two changes to the current agreement, instituted by former Sheriff Bob Kirts. Tribal officers acting as county deputies will use the county frequency for radio communication. Second, the tribal police will share reports generated about an incident in which the county is involved.

Coeur d�Alene: NIC President addresses artifact looting - President Joe Dunlap suggested that the college work with the city, the Coeur d�Alene tribe and the State Historical Office to put together a symposium for the community due to the strong level of public interest in looking for those artifacts.

Coeur d'Alene: Public artifact removal is more like looting - As you know, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's aboriginal territory spanned nearly 4 million acres and for thousands of years the people of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe have centered their lives on Lake Coeur d'Alene and its tributaries, leaving evidence of their lives in the region. We were disappointed and concerned by your article on Jan. 22, 2013, "History in the Water," which painted a romanticized view of the removal of historic artifacts from public lands. - Chief Allan, Chairman

Coeur d'Alene: What to do about artifacts - The cultural resources staff of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe has called my attention to the story that ran in The Press concerning Dennis Rachunok's prospecting for historic and prehistoric artifacts along the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, near historic Fort Sherman. Unfortunately, Idaho is one of the last states in the country without adequate laws protecting its historic heritage.

Coeur d'Alene: Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho earns honors from Golf Digest - Circling Raven Golf Club - located in the scenic Idaho panhandle, adjacent to the recently expanded Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel - has been named to Golf Digest's biennial "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 2013-2014" list.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribal elder Clifford J. SiJohn dies - Clifford J. SiJohn, a Coeur d�Alene Tribe elder active in preserving the tribe�s customs and cultural heritage, died Christmas Eve in Coeur d�Alene. He was 67.

Coeur d�Alene: Let compromise prevail - One common misconception people have is that Indians don't pay taxes, so you may be asking yourself, "Why does Chief or the Tribe care about taxes or the fiscal cliff?" The truth is that individual Indians and their businesses are subject to federal income taxes just like every other American and American business.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho justices delve into tribal sovereignty, cigarette sales on reservation� - Idaho Supreme Court justices delved into the details of tribal jurisdiction this morning, during arguments on an appeal from Native Wholesale Supply Co., which has sold more than 100 million cigarettes to an Indian-owned business, Warpath, on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation, without complying with Idaho state laws regarding a national tobacco settlement that require payments into a fund. The company is owned by an enrolled member of the Seneca tribe in New York, where it operates on a reservation; it imports the cigarettes from a native-owned manufacturer in Canada.

Spokane/Coeur d'Alene: Alexie talks about career, new book - "We feel more Indian when we're talking about (reservations). The irony and ridiculousness of that is Indians didn't create the reservations."

Coeur d'Alene: Resser wins sheriff's race in Benewah County - It turns out the third time was the charm, as Republican Dave C. Resser won the race for Benewah County sheriff after losing in two previous campaigns. As sheriff starting in January, Resser plans to maintain an open line of communication with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. "I've been fairly successful in talking with some of the members of the Tribe already," Resser said.

Coeur d�Alene: Paulette Jordan Seeking Office in Idaho Legislature, Speaks to ICTMN - Paulette Jordan, Coeur d�Alene tribal member, is running for the Idaho House of Representatives from the 5th District. She would be the first American Indian ever to serve in the Idaho State Legislature.

Coeur d�Alene: Benewah Medical Center will open expanded services to all - Gary Leva joked that employee productivity would drop with the opening of the new Benewah Medical Center. With its rooftop gardens, open atrium and sweeping mountain views, it�s easy to see how the CEO might worry his professionals could get lost in the landscape. But increased services and overall growth of medical offerings on the Coeur d�Alene Reservation are the top goals for the new $17 million facility. The facility will be open to anyone, not just the tribe�s 2,300 members.

Coeur d'Alene: K-9 pulled from CDA Tribal Police after teen arrest injuries - According to police the weekend of September 30th, 18-year-old David Crow Junior was running from the law. Crow's mom, Anna Peone did not watch her son get arrested last Saturday night but she saw the cuts on his face in the hospital, and he told her what happened. "The dog was dragging him and he could feel his face ripping," she said.

Coeur d'Alene: Washington woman admits to embezzling from Tribe - Federal prosecutors say an Eastern Washington woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $20,000 from the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe. Forty-six-year-old Debora J. Zimmerman of Spokane, Wash., admitted to diverting the money between 2008 and 2010 while serving as Finance Operations Director for the tribe's housing authority.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribal Member Paulette Jordan Holds Fund-Raiser for Idaho House Campaign - Coeur d�Alene tribal member Paulette Jordan, running for the Democratic seat in the Idaho House of Representatives in the Fifth District, has her sights set on becoming the first American Indian to serve in that state�s legislature.

Coeur d'Alene: EPA has a plan to continue mining waste cleanup - Two years after the first draft that garnered a bevy of complaints, the Environmental Protection Agency released a signed Interim Record of Decision Amendment on Tuesday, officially outlining continued mining waste cleanup in the Upper Coeur d'Alene River Basin. The cleanup efforts are expected to cost about $635 million, the EPA announced, and will be implemented over the next 30 years. The EPA had already received written concurrence on the new Record of Decision from the state and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, also major stakeholders in the basin cleanup.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe, Catholics celebrate at Old Mission - The sun shined down brightly on the 485 faithful onlookers Wednesday as they listened to and watched CeCe Cook sing a traditional Catholic hymn while dressed in traditional Native American regalia. It would seem like a clash of two cultures to someone new to the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Old Mission State Park, but for the Tribe of the Coeur d'Alenes and others in attendance, it's more of a celebration of two cultures coming together.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe hits info jackpot - Don't lament the passing of "the good ol' days" when the Coeur d'Alene Tribe handed out millions of dollars to educational interests with almost no public documentation of who got what, or why. The Tribe announced recently that it has adopted a formal application and disbursement process. In place now is an application form that needs to be filled out by Sept. 30 for funds that will be distributed next February. By doing so, the Tribe will be blunting a point of criticism that arose last year when this newspaper's requests for an accounting of donations was denied by both the Tribe and the state. That unfortunate dispute is unlikely to repeat because the Tribe will now give a full accounting of the educational interests that receive money and the total amount of donations. It will be up to each recipient to declare how much it received.

Coeur d'Alene: School supplies donations needed for Tools 2 Schools - Each year KREM 2 teams up with several local organizations to sponsor the Tools 2 Schools supply drive. The Coeur d'Alene Resort and Casino donated 500 backpacks, and your donations will help fill them up.

Coeur d'Alene: $4.5 Million Awarded to Preserve Languages Threatened with Extinction - Shannon Bischoff of Purdue University and Amy Fountain of the University of Arizona are collaborating in developing on-line digital resources of Coeur d'Alene, a language formerly spoken in Idaho but which has no fluent speakers. The language is well documented, but the resources are not easily available. These digital archives will allow access to this material.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe Restructures Gaming Payouts to Support Education in Idaho - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe has donated over $18 million to education since 1994. Those annual payments will continue but will now follow a more formal and structured application and reporting procedure. Tribal chairman Chief James Allan explained that tough economic times have resulted in more requests from schools and nonprofits. The new procedure �will help us meet the most pressing educational needs while also allowing for more predictability and a greater level of understanding of the donation process within our community,� he said.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho killer returns to prison for assault - A convicted killer who left prison in 2008 is headed back there after a jury in southwest Idaho convicted him of assaulting a family member with a large knife. Donald Leonard Houser, 39, was living in Plummer in 1995 when he shot his former girlfriend, Angela LeSarte, to death in front of Bobbie's Bar in Plummer. LeSarte's father is former longtime Coeur d�Alene Tribal Chairman Bernard LeSarte. She was the mother of four children.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe won't reveal plans for settlement funds - The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is not revealing how it will use $18 million it just received from a federal settlement over mismanagement of tribal money and trust lands, said the tribe's legislative director on Wednesday. "The tribe considers its use of the settlement proceeds as confidential," Helo Hancock said, confirming that the tribal council made that decision. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe received the funds about a month ago, Hancock said, as part of the federal government's settlement of tribal trust claims with 41 tribes.

Coeur d'Alene: Singer Julia Keefe Scores Another Win for the Late Mildred Bailey - As we�ve reported before, jazz vocalist Julia Keefe, Nez Perce, is on a quest to bring deserved recognition to a Native jazz pioneer � Mildred Bailey, Coeur D�Alene, who passed away in 1951. Earlier this month, the young singer helped Bailey to earn a posthumous accolade.

Coeur d'Alene: NFL Stars Come to the Coeur d�Alene�s Casino Resort to Benefit Boys and Girls Clubs - This past June 8, for the third year in a row, Michael Roos, offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans, came to northern Idaho and Coeur d�Alene Lake, along with many of his NFL friends, to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the Inland Northwest.

Coeur d�Alene: Murder victim found in mentally handicapped man�s trailer - A 28-year-old man appeared before a tribal judge Monday on murder charges after a Spokane Valley man was found dead in a trailer. Joseph James is accused of killing his cousin, 39-year-old Thomas Richard Schoolcraft, on Friday.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe may buy land surrounding mission - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe is in negotiations with a private landowner about buying 100 acres surrounding Old Mission State Park at Cataldo, Idaho. The acreage includes an old cemetery with the graves of Jesuit priests, trails to the Coeur d�Alene River and about 1,300 feet of waterfront.

Coeur d�Alene: Allan elected to keep leading CDA Tribe - Over the weekend, Coeur d�Alene tribal members cast their votes to fill three open Coeur d�Alene Tribal Council positions. Chief J. Allan was again re-elected to the Tribal Council, receiving the most votes of any candidate in the election.

Coeur d'Alene: Cd'A tribal leader, former pastor square off - The only Democratic legislative primary in northern Idaho pits an energetic tribal councilor, Paulette Jordan, against James Stivers, a multifaceted former Republican pastor. Jordan, who serves as enrollment director for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, said treating everyone fairly and equally "is a big part of being a Democrat." She's running for office to provide a voice for people who haven't been heard and to restore some of the balance lost in recent years.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribe treats Afghanistan, Iraq vets to golf, dinner - Since he returned from Iraq last September, Ryan Robinson�s been too busy catching up on being a husband, father and commercial banker to work on his golf game. He and other men and women of the military who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan were treated to a free day of golf at the Circling Raven Golf Club, courtesy of the Coeur d�Alene Tribe.

Coeur d� Alene: Innovative menus build large following for casino�s eight restaurants - Not long ago, Coeur d� Alene Casino and Resort was honored as the �Innovator of the Year� at the 2011 National Foodservice Beef Backer Awards. Executive Chef Adam Hegsted and Sous Chef Ryan Stoy accepted the award at the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, TN.

Coeur d�Alene: Joe Garry: Hero of 20th Century Indian America - The Northwest Tribes have produced some of history�s greatest leaders, most notably Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. In modern times the most important leader ever to come out of the Northwest in Indian Affairs was Joseph R. Garry of the Coeur d�Alenes, who certainly merits a place as one of the great tribal leaders of the 20th Century.

Coeur d'Alene-Nez Perce: Tribes To Collect Millions In Federal Settlement - Idaho's Nez Perce Tribe is set to collect as much as $34 million as part of a federal agreement to settle a series of lawsuits brought by American Indian tribes over mismanagement of tribal lands and funds. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe will receive $18 million as part of the settlement.

Coeur d'Alene: $1.2 Million in Anti-Violence Funds Embezzled, Missing, or Misused: Fraud is Widespread, SAVE Charges - Following release of three reports by the Department of Justice, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is charging that many grants made under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) are plagued by fraud and waste. Such malfeasance shortchanges the vulnerable victims of partner abuse.An audit of VAWA grants to the Coeur d'Alene Native American tribe's domestic violence program revealed $240,431 had been improperly spent, including $171,000 in salary for an unapproved position.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe names police chief - The Coeur d'Alene Tribe recently named Cody SiJohn as the new chief of police for the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police Department. "Cody brings a wonderful depth and breadth of experience to this job that will help him to guide our tribal police force," said Coeur d'Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho tribe touts 'Mrs. Swing's' Indian roots - Mildred Rinker Bailey was known to fans as "Mrs. Swing," whose slight, throaty voice won her acclaim as one of the great white jazz singers of the 1930s and 1940s. But the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe is now hoping to set the record straight once and for all: Bailey, who died impoverished in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1951, was an American Indian who spent her childhood on the reservation near DeSmet, Idaho.

Coeur d'Alene: Thanks for nutrition donation - The recently initiated Weekend Nutrition Program for students in the Post Falls School District extend heartfelt thanks to the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council and Chief Allen for their most generous contribution.

Coeur d�Alene: Lewiston men sentenced for defacing pictographs - Two Lewiston men were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court for defacing ancient American Indian pictographs at the Red Elk Rock Shelter near Hells Gate State Park south of Lewiston. Freddie Michael Bernal, 21, and Tyler James Carlson, 23, were sentenced for willful injury or depredation of property of the United States.

Coeur d'Alene: Worley, Idaho's Circling Raven Golf Club offers stay-and-play deal - Last spring, the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort, rated a "Premier Golf Resort" by GOLF Magazine, opened nearly 100 upscale hotel rooms in two towers overlooking the golf course. Other new amenities include a gourmet steakhouse, a 15,000-square-foot, full-service spa, a sports bar and caf�, and a 10-acre "Front Yard" that serves as an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and other outdoor events.

Coeur d'Alene: EPA proposes big cuts in Silver Valley cleanup - The massive cleanup of a century's worth of mining pollution in Idaho's Silver Valley would be cut nearly in half under a proposal Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A lawsuit calling for the cleanup was originally brought in 1991 by the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe against several mining companies.

Coeur d'Alene: New CdA Tribe radio station starts broadcasting - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe�s new radio station, KWIS 88.3 FM, has begun broadcasting. The radio station�s signal is broadcast to 8,000 households on the reservation from a tower 10 miles east of Plummer. People within a 20-mile radius can pick up the signal. �KWIS will be a great way for the Coeur d�Alene Tribe to strengthen and preserve our culture by sharing our stories, language and music with thousands of people across the reservation, both tribal and nontribal members,� said Sarah Carrillo Freeburg, station manager.

Coeur d'Alene: Idaho Falls School District Receives Grant - Idaho Falls School Dist. 91 is receiving a $15,000 grant from the Coeur d'Alene indian tribe. The Coeur d'Alene tribe has donated $17 million to Idaho schools since they pledged to donate 5 percent of gaming revenues to the cause in 1992.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe�s education funding above reproach - In my experience as Chairman of the Coeur d�Alene Tribe and as a tribal member living in this region, I have learned most people that attack Indian gaming or other tribal issues are usually, simply misinformed. Maybe most important to this discussion is the history behind the Tribe�s 5% donations, which has been completely lost in the rhetoric. It was the Tribe that insisted on including a provision in our gaming compact that gave 5% of our net gaming revenues back to education � not the State. In fact, federal law prohibits states from taxing or assessing fees on tribal gaming. We wanted to give back to education because giving back is part of our culture. It�s who we are. Because we believe in educating the whole person � mind, body and spirit � a good portion of our donations goes to support scholarships, professional-technical education, colleges and universities, and other educational projects and programs in the region other than traditional school districts. That being said, we are proud to report that out of the $17.5 million dollars distributed to date, the significant majority of those funds have gone directly to school districts in the region. - Chief Allan

Coeur d'Alene: Sentencing delayed for pictograph vandals - Sentencing for three men who were found guilty of defacing ancient American Indian pictographs has been delayed to 3 p.m. Feb. 27 in U.S. District Court at Coeur d'Alene. Attorneys for Freddie M. Bernal, 20, Tyler J. Carlson, 23, and Jerad Bovencamp, 24, asked for the delay from Tuesday to allow more time to prepare for the sentencing hearing and to review the restitution reports prepared by the U.S. government.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribal gaming questions still unanswered - Late last month readers of the Coeur d'Alene Press and the Spokesman-Review may have seen full-page ads taken out by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe claiming they had kept the promise made to voters in 1992 to give back 5 percent of the annual gaming net revenues to the support of education. Yes and No. Yes, they have contributed $17 million by their account but it is misleading to say it all falls under the rubric of education. Scrutiny of the tribal pledge by both the Coeur d'Alene Press and the St. Maries Gazette-Record earlier in 2011 led to stories that raised legitimate doubts as to whether the Tribe had kept to its pledge.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe names Heather Keen public relations director - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe has named Heather Keen public relations director. She previously worked for the Human Rights Education Institute, the University of Idaho�s College of Business and for Gallatin Public Affairs. She holds a bachelor�s from Colorado State University and a master�s degree in business from the University of Idaho.

Coeur d'Alene: One goal down - A representative from the Tribe arrived Thursday afternoon with a check for $2,500 - and a request that the paper not mention where it came from. They wanted to help meet the challenge without generating publicity. Sorry, Chief Allan, Helo Hancock and the rest of you who are filled with the holiday spirit. Your donation is greatly appreciated and your kindness begs to be noted.

Coeur d'Alene: Exhibit Shows the Strange, Poignant Story of the Jesuits and Coeur d�Alene - The unique power of Sacred Encounters, telling deep stories of the joys and the pains, the opened hearts and the disappointments, surprised viewers at the opening in Bozeman. The emotional power of Sacred Encounters is what drove Ernie Stensgar, who was chairman of the Coeur d�Alene Tribe in the 1990s, to push for the Coeur d�Alene to create a permanent home for the exhibit.

Coeur d�Alene: Tribe Donates to Weekend Nutrition Backpack Program for Youth - Coeur d�Alene tribal Chairman, Chief Allan, arrived at an elementary school in Post Falls with a check from the tribe in the amount of $35,000. The money will go toward a new program in place called the Weekend Nutrition Backpack Program.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe�s gifts from gaming add up - Idaho�s once-destitute Indian tribes have thrived since they added gambling operations. Unemployment among Coeur d�Alene tribal members before the casino was as high as 70 percent, while now there are more jobs than tribal members on the reservation. When the Coeur d�Alene Tribe first signed a gaming compact with the state of Idaho in 1992, tribal leaders insisted on donating 5 percent of net casino gaming proceeds to education on or near their reservation � a gesture that has added up to $16.8 million in donations since 1994.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe donates $35,000 to food bank - The Coeur d�Alene Tribe will donate $35,000 to the Post Falls Food Bank Weekend Nutrition Backpack Program, which aids Post Falls students who don�t have reliable access to good food on weekends.

Coeur d'Alene: Local law enforcement officials help kids buy Christmas gifts - Dozens of children and teenagers walked the aisles of the Post Falls Walmarts with law enforcement officials on Sunday, but no one was in trouble. They were participating in the Holidays and Heroes program.

Coeur d'Alene: Tribe School Donations Secret - Idaho Attorney General says payments from gambling profits made to schools by Indian tribes can be kept secret.

Coeur d'Alene: Dr. Herbert Wilson to lead health system study tour to Idaho and Seattle - Representatives from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation in North Dakota will visit the Benewah Health & Wellness Center in Plummer, Idaho, where tour participants will learn how the Coeur d'Alene Tribe operates an integrated community health center.

Coeur d'Alene-Nez Perce: Public TV series tells little-known history of American Indians

Coeur d'Alene: Local programs benefit non-profits this holiday season

Coeur d'Alene: BLM Resource Advisory Council adds members

Coeur d�Alene: New Cops On The Walk

Coeur d'Alene: Gambling measure concerns Tribe

Coeur d'Alene: New marker imparts history of area pioneer

Coeur d'Alene: Jim Richards maintains the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

Spokane-Coeur d'Alene: Moscow Inaugurates "HooPalousa" Basketball Tournament

Coeur d'Alene: HooPalousa is Tuesday at UI gym

Coeur d'Alene: HooPalousa to put brains against brawn

Coeur d�Alene: Tribe not protecting artifacts

Coeur d'Alene: Candidates reveal funding

Coeur d'Alene: Candidates reveal funding

Coeur d'Alene: What are Idaho tribes hiding?