Reznet

Former Senator Tom Daschle's nomination this week to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services is being hailed across Indian Country. But will the man now charged with revamping our country's shattered health care system really have time to address the titanic problem of Indian health care?

Children in classrooms across the country are taking part in an age-old tradition: the Native American and Pilgrim feast. But isn't there a better way to celebrate the shared history of Native Americans and Europeans?

Maybe it's too soon to pronounce this election's Native voter registration efforts a success. But I can't help but feel proud to have watched so many work so hard to get Indians out to vote and enlist Native candidates.

Longtime Indian activist Russell Means said this week he plans to declare South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation an international disaster area if elected tribal president Tuesday and is backing off an earlier plan to form an independent Republic of Lakotah.

Wizipan Garriott, Barack Obama's Native Vote director, said Thursday he plans to stay in New Mexico until the election is over, getting new and early voters to the polls and spreading his candidate's message of inclusiveness for Indian people.

Two weeks after Congress failed to pass the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, a tribal leader and a tribal health advocate joined staff from Sen. Barack Obama's campaign to tout the senator's Native health care plans.

Charlie Whitepipe never spoke about his service during World War II. Never talked about his role as a Sioux code talker. Last week, congressional leaders honored his service for the first time.

Facing a financial meltdown, the U.S. House of Representatives have neglected a bill that provides health care to Native people, possibly dooming the bill until next year.

A Red Clout blog last week has caused some consternation about this writer's allegiances. Let me set the record straight: I don't oppose or support Sarah Palin.

It can't be true what they're saying about you, Sarah Palin. How could you be opposed to Alaska Natives' right to hunt and fish? Call me. E-mail me. Let's talk about this.