The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1990-02-07

              Gaming facility to open in Walker
 Questions about HUD funding persist	
By Mark Boswell
Editor
A new casino-style gaming and
lounge facility is expected to be
opened this summer in Walker by
the Leech Lake Reservation
Business Committee.
Renovation of a 6,000-square-foot
building located in Walker at the
junction of Highways 371 and 200 is
expected to cost $400,000. Martin
Jennings, tribal planning director for
Leech Lake said that the RBC will
put up $200,000 of the project. An
additional $200,000 is expected to
come from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development
Community Development Block
Grants.
Questions about the legitimacy of
funding such a project with tax
dollars were met with statements
stressing the economic development
aspects of such a project.
Jennings said that the positive
results will outweigh the negative
criticism. "Whenever you're doing
something with public dollars, you
can always find some type of
criticism," said Jennings. "The way
that we look at it is that if we can
create new jobs, we're going to be
taking those people off government
assistance." Preliminary projections
expect between 12 and 15 new jobs
to be created by the project.
The Walker location was chosen
for several reasons, said Jennings,
but mainly to tap into a new market
and make gaiming more accesible to
other areas of the reservation.
Bill Atkins, Block Grant
Representative for the Walker area
stated that the facility was "a unique
situation for which there is a set
aside fund specifically for Indian
reservations. Decisions for funding
such a project under would have to
be made by HUD directly."
The Minneapolis Office for Small
Cities Programs representative Steve
Johnson said that Community
Development Block Grants were
consolidated in the early 1980's.
"The Chicago office now handles all
of the Indian Housing and
Community Developments..."
According to Leon Jacobs,
Director of the Office of Indian
Programs East of the Mississippi
including the Leech Lake area, HUD
does not fund such programs.
Jacob's office, located in Chicago,
oversees the funding of such
projects through a similar fund.
"There are funds available under the
Community Development Block
Grant Program which is a special set
aside to assist tribes with a variety of
community improvements such as
community facilities and economic
development. Bingo is an eligible
activity under that program."
Asked whether or not HUD Block
Grants should still be considered for
projects such as the facility Jacobs
explained: "they need to talk to their
congressional representatives. The
Congressional representatives have
taken the position that it is economic
development. We're not talking
about gaming facilities, we're
talking about Bingo halls, which in
most states is categorized under a
different statute."
Despite Jacob's stressing the point
that the facility was for Bingo and
not "a gaming facility", a press
release presented by the project
developers "envisions a Las
Vegas-style casino where guests can
take chances on some of the latest
high-tech gaming machines in an
informal and relaxing atmosphere."
Accordingly, public notice
published in the Bemidji Pioneer
requesting comment on the project
stated: "The requested funds will be
used for the economic development
purpose of establishing a legal
gaming facility. .."
Bob Larson, tribal gaming officer
looks at it differently. "I don't see
us being in th gaming business. It is
an activity that takes place here, but
we are more into the entertainment
business. We're trying to provide &
forum for people to enjoy
themselves."
"It is a game that people play and
nobody plays it more than the
Catholic Church," said Jacobs
jokingly.
Jennings said the RBC has also
discussed opening another facility
on the eastern side of the
reservation. The Walker location
was chosen for several reasons, siad
Jennings, but mainly to tap into a
new market and make gaming more
accessible to other areas of the
reservation.
"The reality is," explained Jacobs,
Bingo/ see page 11
Features Page:
The Lac Court Oreilles are one of six
Chippewa bands in Wisconsin that
retain the right to hunt, spearfish,
gather food and cut timber off
reservation under court-
affirmed 19th Century
treaties. The News
examines the issues
surrounding the battles
being fought to retain this
right and the repercussions
both in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
Seepage six.
Fifty Cents
Founded in 1988
Volume 2 Issue 14
February 7,1990
~)
Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1990
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Council of Indian Students powwow
held last weekend in Bemidji
Allery files brief
The News recently obtained
copies of briefs filed by attorneys
for Alan J. Allery and the United
States Attorny's Office for the
District of Minnesota.
The brief's were filed as a result
of the appeal by Allery from his
convictions by a United States
District court jury on two counts
of defrauding the Indian Health
Service of over $15,000 in travel
funds.
As a result of his conviction,
Allery was sentenced to serve one
year and one day in federal prison,
to make restitution to the United
States Government in the amount
of $22,320, and to be placed on
probation for a period of three
years to commence upon his
release from prison .
Allery's attorney Steven J.
Meshbesher of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, appealed Allery's
conviction on the following two
grounds:
(1) that the evidence presented in
this case is insufficient to find the
appellant (Allery) guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt, and
(2) the trial court erred by
refusing to give the jury, upon
their request, an enlarged copy
of the government rule and
regulation regarding what
constitutes temporary quarters.
Assistant U.S.Attorney James E.
Lackner prepared the brief on
behalf of the U.S. Government.
In a telephone interview with the
Clerk's Office of the 8th Circuit
Court of Appeals in St. Louis,
Missouri.
The News learned that the court
will determine in a few days
whether oral arguments by the
parties are necessary.
Attorney Steven Meshbesher,
who is representing Allery,
requested oral arguments whereas
Assistant U.S. Attorney James
Lackner stated they were not
necessary.
In the event that oral arguments
are allowed, they would most
likely be heard in St. Paul,
Minnesota, this spring.
Allery, who was former Director
of the Bemidji Area Office of
Indian Health Service, is currently
employed as a consultant to Red
Lake Tribal Chairman Roger A.
Jourdain at an annual salary of
$62,500.
In July,1989, based upon a
request by Allery, Federal District
Judge Edward Dewitts declared
him to be in forma pauperis status,
which requires that his attorney's
fees for his appeal be paid by U.S.
taxpayers.
The Bemidji State Univerisity Council of Indian Students hosted the 1990 Winter Powwow at BSU last weekend. The powwow opened
Friday evening to a crowd of about 1,000 participants and spectators who made the event a major success by the final dance on Sunday
evening. Many drum groups were also in attendance, pictured are the Kingbird Singers. Photo by Jim Johnson.
BIA reviewing White Earth fisheries complex
 Wilcox leaves in relation to alleged mismanagement—	
By Mark Boswell
Editor
White Earth Reservation
Conservation Department's Head
Biologist Dwight Wilcox was fired
last Friday because of alleged
mismanagement of accounts in
relation to the construction of a
fisheries project on Ice Cracking
Lake.
According to Dan Stevens, District
Representative for White Earth,
"The budgets weren't turned in on
time." He also said that it was just
"poor management."
The project is being reviewed so
that the problems in management
can be worked out. According to
guidelines set up by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, from which the
project was funded, the money used
for the project was meant
specifically for renovation. The
project, which includes a fisheries
building and two expansive rearing
ponds was built completely new.
Since the funding source specifically
stated that the money be used for
"renovation", the project has been
stalled for review by the BIA.
Roger Aitken, Superintendent of
BIA operations in Cass Lake, is
responsible for White Earth's federal
funding. He did not return phone
calls concerning the status of the
fisheries complex situation.
Wilcox had been with the White
Earth Conservation Department for
10 years. Despite the backing of the
project by the White Earth RBC,
Wilcox believes that his return to
work there is "seriously doubtful."
"There was some problems with
Video examining Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome to
Premiere in Cass Lake
The premiere of The Circle of
Life, a video examining teen
pregnancy, Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome and battering, will be
shown at the tribal chambers of
the facility center in Cass Lake on
Feb. 27, from 2-4:30.
The video, to be distributed
nationally, was developed
specifically for the American
Indian population. Lynn Thunem,
video project coordinator sees this
program as a positive step toward
addressing this issue because
"there was a lack of sensitive
films available to (Native
Americans)."
The documentary is unique
because teenagers have been
responsible for the direction of the
movie, the hiring of the
production company, and the
filming of the video.  According
to Thunem, teen involvement is
important in such a project. "They
are deciding what is relevant to
them and we are honoring that."
Thunem and video organizers
will be honoring the film
participants as well as watching
the video at the premiere.
Also present at the premiere will
be prepresentatives from the
March of Dimes, Blandin
Foundation, area school
prepresentatives, State
Representative Toni Kinkel, and
the Reservation Business
Committee members.
"This is a movie from the people
to the people," said Thunem. "It is
a real gift."
Seating is limited at the event;
call Lynn Thunem at 335-2911 for
more information.
White Earth fisheries complex on Ice Cracking Lake.
management and we're trying to
work it out with the Bureau," said
Stevens.
"The Tribal Council is still
supporting the project out here," said
Dave Renke, biologist working at
the fisheries complex. He hopes that
the problems in management will be
ironed out.
"The Tribal Council is letting it fly
and is supporting it. At this point
we have two rearing ponds that we
hope to raise fish in," he said.
Randy Zortman, fisheries
specialist with the White Earth
Conservation Department since
1986, believes that the project is a
good idea. According to Zortman,
the two rearing ponds should
produce 500 lbs of fish flesh this
up-coming season. At 200 fish fry
per pound, the project is expected to
produce a substantial amount of the
fry that are used to stock area lakes.
Walleye fry are raised to stock local
fishing lakes to sustain good
populations for sport fishing and
netting.
Photo by Mark Boswell
"We hope to be on line in April,"
said Zortman. "We've been needing
a project like this since 1983."
"In the past we have raised our
own fry in natural rearing ponds,"
said Zortman. Problems with slow
growth and the capturing of the fry
have hampered the use of natural
ponds as a source of fish fry. Other
sources of fish fry have been
provided by the Fisheries
Department of the Leech Lake
Reservation.
Indian Housing:
According to the BIA, Indian country
suffers from a 62,000-unit housing shortage-
Many Indian families are forced to live in
housing that is substandard, and in some
cases virtually uninhabitable. The News
continues an ongoing examination of
the situation in Indian country as published
in The Senate Select Committee on
Investigations Report.
See page 8.