American Notes INDIANS

When a gun battle broke out three weeks ago over casino gambling on the vast Mohawk Indian reservation on the New York-Quebec border, journalist Doug George, 35, became part of his own story. He picked up an AR-15 assault-style rifle and took part in an all-night shoot-out against pro-gambling forces. George, editor of two newspapers, the Akwesasne Notes and Indian Times, later wrote a gripping story about the battle, warning, "Unless we have permanent peace here, we're going to resort to terrorist methods."

Last week Quebec police arrested George and charged him with the murder of one of two Mohawks who perished in the fight. The victim: Harold "Junior" Edwards, who reportedly had taken no side in the inter-tribal feud.