Tribal council stifles public testimony at meeting
Native American tribes are sovereign nations, and as such, come up with their own rules and laws on public meetings and open records, and one tribal council appeared reluctant to be forthcoming with information tribal members demanded to know. Members of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina asked their council members questions about tribal leaders' relatives getting special treatment. The council cut the speakers off and adjourned the meeting, according to a story in The Fayetteville Observer. Covering tribes can be challenging, for tribal journalists and non-tribal journalists, but it is still possible. For a great guide to covering news in Indian Country, see the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Guide to American Indian Law, and also check out the Native American Journalists Association Web site.