opera The Magic Flute. The opera is performed by
opera singers from New York, Seattle, and Spokane,
as well as the tribe’s Frog Island Singers. The nar-
ration is spoken in both the English and Kalispel
languages. The unusual production was assembled
by professional singer Libby Kopczynski Moore,
who gained the support of Kalispel elder Francis
Cullooyah. Moore and Cullooyah hope the one-
time performance will attract the financial backing
needed to bring the opera to New York City.
October
Canyon Records celebrates its 50th
anniversary.
Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1951, Canyon
Records celebrates 50 years as the leading record-
ing company of American Indian music (see entry
for 1951). The company was the brainchild of Ray
and Mary Boley. After recording songs by Navajo
(Dineh) singer Ed Lee Natay, the couple began
seeking out other American Indian recording artists
whose music they could market to an American In-
dian audience. Now under the direction of Robert
Doyle, the company is most often associated with
the extremely successful artist Navajo flutist R. Car-
los Nakai. But throughout its history, Canyon has
sought to expand the definition of American Indian
music, often incorporating elements of rock, hip-
hop, and other modern musical styles. For instance,
Enter Tribal, an album produced to mark Canyon’s
anniversary, mixes electronic dance rhythms with
traditional Indian singing and music.
October 29
The Native American Bank is founded.
Pooling their resources, 20 tribal investors purchase
the Blackfeet National Bank in Browning, Mon-
tana, which they establish as the Native American
Bank. Meant to serve American Indians through-
out the country, it offers traditional banking
services, while also providing expert advice on is-
sues unique to Indian business concerns, including
tribal sovereignty and lands held in trust. The bank
will initially focus on large business operations and
community development loans. Eventually, it plans
to open branch offices on reservations throughout
the country.November 8The United States withdraws the Chinook’s
federal recognition.
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton strips the
Chinook of their official recognition as an Indian
tribe. The decision comes less than 10 months after
the Chinook won their 20-year battle for recogni-
tion. In withdrawing the Chinook’s tribal status,
Norton is critical of Kevin Gover, the former head
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), who granted
the Chinook recognition in the final days of the
Clinton administration. Gover, a former lobby-
ist for the Indian gaming industry, acted over the
objections of the bureau’s staff of historians and an-
thropologists, who concluded that the Chinook as a
tribe had ceased to exist one hundred years ago. The
Chinook leadership vows to continue to fight for
official tribal status.December 13Ho-Chunk Inc., wins the Innovations in
American Government Award.
Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government announces that Ho-Chunk, Inc.,
is one of five recipients of its prestigious Innova-
tions in American Government Award. Founded
in 1994, Ho-Chunk, Inc., is operated by the Win-
nebago tribe of Nebraska. It was created to operate
the Winnebago’s casino and invest its profits in
other businesses. In just seven years, Ho-Chunk’s
successful businesses—including hotels, gas sta-
tions, shopping centers, and an American Indian
website (www.indianz.com)—were generating an
annual revenue of $50 million. Ho-Chunk also
helped reduce the Winnebago’s unemployment
rate from 70 percent to 20 percent. Discussing the
award, Stephen Goldsmith, the faculty director
of the program, states, “Local governments facing