Susan Olp of the Billings (Mont.) Gazette has the story here:

A multitude of teepees, and powwow singers and dancers from around the U.S. and Canada, will draw thousands of people to Crow Agency this week.

The 92nd annual Crow Fair kicks off Thursday and runs through Monday. As in the past, the five-day fair will feature a powwow, morning parades, a rodeo and horse races.

Equally as fascinating to many are the many teepees that dot the landscape, as Crow families gather together for the annual event.

“It’s one of the largest encampments in the world,” said Mark Denny, Crow Fair general manager. “And we’re the only tribe that puts on something like this.”

Denny said he knows of tourists coming to the fair from as far away as Italy and Germany, as well as from throughout Canada. He expects more than 3,000 people, not including tribal members.

It’s a special time for the Crow Nation, he said.

“It basically brings families together to enjoy themselves, celebrate together, have a good time, put away their troubles and just cut loose,” Denny said. “This is the one week out of the year the Crow people get to come together all in one area to form one large family.”

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Tags: buffalo post, Crow Fair, Crow Nation, Discover America, Indian Nationals Finals Rodeo, Native American news, Powwow

The federal judge who extended the deadline for congressional approval of the $3.4 billion settlement in the Indian trust case says the judgment is “well deserved” and that he’s disappointed it hasn’t been approved.

On Tuesday, Senior Judge Thomas Hogan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia extended the deadline for the necessary congressional approval to Oct. 15. It’s the sixth extension since the settlement was announced in December.

But, he said, “The disappointment of not having the legislation implemented is great,” and urged the Senate “to act as promptly and as expeditiously as possible,” according to this National Law Journal story by Mike Scarcella:

The suit, filed in 1996 by plaintiff Elouise Cobell, who attended the status conference Tuesday, seeks a historical accounting of individual Indian money accounts managed by the Interior Department. The settlement, which includes $1.41 billion in compensation for the plaintiffs, stalled in the Senate earlier this year. Concern was raised over attorney fees in the case. Fees are capped at $100 million. …

Robert Kirschman Jr. of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in court the administration remains “very committed” to the settlement. “We are hopeful the settlement legislation will be enacted and will be enacted in the near future,” said Kirschman, deputy director of the Commercial Litigation Branch.

Dennis Gingold of Washington, D.C., lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said that “We want this to be done or too many people will suffer.”

Gwen Florio

Tags: buffalo post, Cobell v. Salazar, Dennis Gingold, Elouise Cobell, Gwen Florio, Indian trust case, Justice Department, Native American news, Robert Kirschman, Thomas Hogan, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. Senate