The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1990-08-15

              White Earth ricing promise
to be good despite market
By Mark Boswell
Editor
Despite poor expected market
prices and an on-going drought, wild
rice harvesting this year promises to
be relatively good said Dave Renke,
Wild Rice Business Manager for the
White Earth Reservation. Although,
he points out, it is difficult to
forecast any given year.
"So many factors are involved
with how the crop is doing," he said,
"we've found that we can help the
rice to a certain extent, but it's like
anything in the wild."
This year the condition of ricing
lakes on the White Earth
Reservation varies greatly from lake
to lake.
"Lower Rice Lake is good," said
Mike Swan, Biologist for White
Earth. "Basswood Lake is fair, but as
far as the refuge lakes go, some of
them are poor to fair, there's not
quite a crop like there was last year."
This year's drawing of permits for
lakes in the Tamarac Wildlife
Refuge on the reservation drew a
small crowd as compared to
previous years. Renke and others
believe that poor market prices for
rice have played a part in the
decreased interest in ricing on the
refuge. "Years ago," said Renke,
"we had up to 500 people at the
drawing, this year we had a small
turnout."
According to Swan, 145 people
attended the drawing, but only 61
permits were issued.
The number of permits issued in
any given year is dependent upon
the number of lakes that have rice in
them and the amount that can be
safely taken off a particular lake
without affecting future harvests.
"We go in to the lakes and try to
estimate how many boats a lake can
support," explained Swan. "There
were a lot of lakes that we went in to
and they were pretty poor, so we only
put one boat of some of these lakes.
We had some Fish and Wildlife
Service people fly over the lakes to
try to determine how many boats
would be permittted on the lake."
Swan said there are a few lakes in
the refuge that have little or no rice
beds on them. Boats will not be
permitted on them in hopes that the
rice will re-seed itself for future years.
Marketing problems
Another factor in the lack of interest
in ricing is the poor market value
introduced by paddy rice. Large
commercial operations have glutted
the market with what many believe
are illegal labelling techniques.
"The state is not really enforcing
any labelling laws," said Swan, who
is also a member of the Minnesota
Hand Harvested Wild Rice
Association.
"Many companies use misleading
marketing techniques," explained
Swan, "saying that it's lake or Indian
harvest wild rice. Some of these
paddy rice growers use Indian logos
or pictures of Indians in canoes to
sell their product.
"It misrepresents the product in
either in the labelling itself or in the
way its processed," said Swan. The
hand harvesters association wants
this type of labelling to stop. "The
State Department of Agriculture has
no way of determining what is
what," said Swan.
He compares the situation to the
recent drive to market real dairy
products with a particular logo.
"That's what we're tyring to shoot
for but nobody's going along with
this," said Swan. "They don't really
make much money off hand
harvesting so we don't have much
political power," he said.
"Ten years ago there was 12,000
harvest permits sold. Last year there
were barely 1,000 permits sold by
the state. You had some through the
reservations, but this was a big
decline in that time," said Swan.
See related story page 1.
Questions of quality
According to Swan there are
definite differences and problems
with paddy rice.
"They're trying to go with this
organically certified hand-harvested
wild rice," said Swan, "If you were a
chemist, you've got to look at many
things. When they do the testing of
the rice, they test the water. They
don't test the sediments, and that's
where the crop gets.it's nutrients."
Swan explained that paddy rice is
grown using phosphorous and
nitrogen rich fertilizers. When the
crop comes to maturity the lake is
drained and the rice is taken out
using a combine or similar
machinery. The water, rich in
artificial fertilizers, can contaminate
other bodies of water, causing
over-growth of vegetation and algae;
this can upset the oxygen levels in
lakes and rivers killing other aquatic
life including fish.
Paddy rice grown in this fashion
produces a plumper, larger kernel,
but may be lacking in nutrient
richness and carry harmful residues.
"Paddy rice is grown in optimum
conditions," said Renke, but he
. explained that it has drawbacks, "the
problem that people point out with it
is the use of herbicides and pesticides
like malathione for rice worms. On
the reservations, you don't have any
of that. It's sort of like the survival of
the fittest." He explained that the rice
kernels might be smaller, but they are
richer in nutrient and do not contain
chemical residues.
"Genetically, there is no difference
between the paddy rice and the wild
rice growing on the reservations,"
said Renke, "the difference is in the
way the rice is grown."
Currently, there are many
Chosa picks running mate
Heart Warrior Chosa, Minnesota's
first Native American woman
candidate for Governor, announced
her running mate for Lt. Governor at
a rally and press conference at the
State Capitol. His name is Steve
Hesch-Bruggeman, from St. Cloud.
According to Chosa, he operates a
Montessori School and teaches
there. He also belongs to "Brother
Peace" where he does
consciousness-raising and counsels
groups of men who have abused
women and children, Chosa says.
Chosa received notification from
the state that her name will be on the
official Minnesota election ballot.
Her concerns are: attention to the
environment, establishment of
advisory boards consisting of a
Women's Council, an Elders
Council, a Native American Council
and a People of Color Council.
She has been invited by the
Greater Minneapolis Chamber of
Commerce to participate in a
breakfast session for candidates
August 14 at the Atrium in the
International Market Square,
Minneapolis. It is expected that
about 1,000 representatives of Twin
Cities' businesses will be on hand to
listen to each candidate and to ask
questions.
Wellstone will meet public
in Cass Lake on Friday
Paul Wellstone, State DFL
endorsed candidate for the U.S.
Senate, will present his campaign
platform and be available to
answer questions from the media
and general public during the
Friday morning, Aug. 17, at Cass
Lake.
The Leech Lake Reservation
Business Committee is sponsoring
a "Fireside Chat" with Wellstone
from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribal Chambers
located in the Reservation Facility
Center at Cass Lake. Refreshments
will be served.
"It is our hope to provide the
people in our area an opportunity
to hear Paul Wellstone and his
views on key issues important to
us," said Daniel Brown, LLRBC
chairman. "During this time,
anyone is free to ask questions and
make comments on any issue
important to them."
Prior to his appearance at the
Facility Center, Wellstone plans to
tour the Cass Lake Indian Hospital
and the offices of the RBC, and
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
Wellstone, a 45-year-old
Carleton College political science
professor, has said he intends to
run an issue-oriented campaign to
unseat Rudy Boschwitz.
In 1988 Wellstone co-chaired the
Michael Dukakis campaign, and
the core of that Minnesota Dukakis
campaign now makes up the core
of Wellstone's Senate campaign
organization.
Among other
accomplishments, Wellstone
worked in 1983-84 for Gov.
Rudy Perpich as the director of
the Governor's Community
Energy Program, helped write
the "Save the Family Farm Act",
also known as the
Harkin/Gephardt alternative to
Reagan's 1985 farm bill; has
organized efforts to increase the
voting participation of low
income, rural and urban citizens;
and helped author landmark
voter registration legislation.
Wellstone is a prolific writer and
has been a full professor at
Carleton College in Northfield
since 1969.
Former IHS director to serve prison sentence
Alan Allery, former Bemidji Area
Indian Health Service Director, must
surrender himself on Aug. 20 to
Federal authorities to begin serving
his sentence of a year and a day in
the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth
Minn., according to the U.S.
Marshalls office.
Allery was convicted for two
counts of filing false travel vouchers
while employed by IHS in 1988; he
was indicted on three counts last
year.
Allery appealed the Federal District
Court conviction in 8th Circuit Court
of Appeal in July of 1989.
The appeal was denied in Federal
District Court in St. Louis on June
4th. Court documents indicate that
the court "had disposed on the case
on proper grounds on June 4th,
1990".
producers of paddy rice both in
Minnesota and in places as far away
as California."
According to authorities, Leech
Lake has the potential to be the
biggest producer of hand harvested
wild rice. Many bays and shallow
areas in Leech Lake and in Lake
Winnibigoshish provide large tracts
of natural growth wild rice. However,
the tracts are susceptible to loss
because of the size of the lakes and
the possibility of harvest season
storms. "They could have a boom one
year," said Renke, "and a bust the
next year because of the weather."
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Fifty Cents
Founded in 1988
Volume 3 Issue 3
August 15, 1990 |
Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1990
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Bones uncovered in Elbow Lake Project not human
By Mark Boswell
Editor
A "field review" was conducted by Christy
Hohman-Caine, Minnesota State Archeologist
after she was summoned to a road
construction project in Elbow Lake Village to
examine bones uncovered in the construction
process.
The bones, uncovered on the White Earth
Reservation last July proved to be deer and
pig bones, were unearthed at the site of an
early 20th century farm. Although
construction was halted for only a short time,
the bones were dealt with in a fashion that
shows the importance of taking any remains
seriously.
The construction plan, halted until the bones
could be identified and properly dealt with,
was nonetheless altered in case human burial
or remains would be uncover.<. in the
immediate vicinity.
In recommendations made by
Hohman-Caine, she outlined several steps to
insure the adequacy of future projects to not
disturb burial grounds.
It is the policy of the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe to retain a cultural resource specialist at
the beginning of any project that would
endanger burial or other site. According to
Hohman-Caine's report, in the Elbow Lake
Project"... it does not appear that any burials
have been disturbed." But, she stresses that
"parts of (the Elbow Lake) heritage site have
been severely impacted" by the construction.
Earl Sargent, of the Minnesota Indian
Affairs Council, stated that the construction
contractor, Gordon Construction of
Mahnomen, "ought to be commended for
halting the construction when something like
this was uncovered."
Bones uncovered this summer near this burial site at Ebow Lake village proved to be not human.
"Even if the bones were not human," said
Sargent, "it is important that we make sure that
we are not disturbing any human remains."
Hohman-Caine also noted the good
judgement of the construction crew. "Had this
been a human burial their alertness would have
prevented any major damage."
Previous construction in the area, notably
along the shore of Big Elbow Lake has
uncovered human remains, which were reburied
with the aid of a spiritual advisor a short
distance away. Up until this point erosion had
played a key factor in damaging Native burial
in the area.
The construction design was aware of this
and has altered the drainage pattern and
replanted areas of high erosion that might
expose further burial remains.
Elbow Lake Village has been the site of
numerous occupations, both historical and
reaching thousands of years before the present.
Other remains, accidentally uncovered in
previous construction, show that the area is an
important heritage site for Native American
occupation; Sioux, Ojibwe, and others have
lived in the area.
Hand-harvesters unite to protect interests
By Gayle Streier
Staff Writer
When you reach for a
one-pound package of wild rice
on the grocery store shelf, you
may be reaching for something
that is not "wild," but very
controversial. A large part of most
shopper's decisions are made
based on packaging, and
according to the Minnesota Hand
Harvested Wild Rice Association
(MHHWRA), Voyaguer Trading
Company, and a group of wild
rice marketers, the growers of
paddy "wild" rice are
misrepresenting their product and
harming the hand- harvester's
markets. And consesqently, their
livelihoods.
So damaging is this effect that
the MHHWRA and Voyaguer, has
brought litigation against a
Minnesota company that markets
large amoun s of paddy rice.
Gourmet House of Grand Rapids,
Minn., is a subsidiary of Anheuser
Busch Agricultural Division and
has been operating in Minnesota
for about 5 years. They market the
Onamia brand of "wild rice",
whose package shows two Indians
in a canoe. They are depicted
using the traditional method of
hand-harvesting wild rice. This,
according to the suit, misleads
consumers and gives the
impression that the product is
hand-harvested by Native
Americans. Charges in the suit
include false and deceptive
marketing, predatory and
destructive pricing and improper
labeling of paddy-grown rice.
Frank Bibeau, the president of
MHHWRA, is very direct about
the effects of the marketing
strategies of the corporate giants
involved in the wild rice business.
"They haven't killed the rice in the
lake, but have killed our ability to
earn an income from it", says
Bibeau.
Rice/ See page 11
RLTC Judge Treuer rules against Jourdain
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By Mark Boswell
Editor
A.series of far-reaching decisions
were made in Red Lake Tribal Court
recently that will have significant
effect not only in the courtroom, but
in the very way decisions are made
within the Red Lake Tribal
government.
The decisions, issued as an official
order of the court, deny losing
candidates in the May 23 election
the right to overturn the results of
the election; more importantly, the
ruling points out elements of the Red
Lake Tribal Code that were deemed
"unconstitutional" by the court.
In this ruling. Red Lake Tribal
Court Chief Judge Margaret Treuer
was instrumental in the process that
fundamentally changed the way the
reservation handles nearly all of the
(how many) cases that pass through
the court in any given year.
The changes were precipitated by
events that happened, not
surprisingly, in the contested Red
Lake general elections.
In her ruling Treuer opened the
way for lawyers to represent clients
in the court; ironically, a plaintiff in
the case, Roger A. Jourdain,
supported the practice of blocking
attorneys in tribal court while he was
chairman of the reservation but
demanded outside representation at
this hearing.
An evidentiary hearing, originally
scheduled to be held July 16, was
postponed pending resolution on
various pre-tribal motions filed by
both sides of the dispute.
In the finalized order presented by
the court on August 6, Judge Treuer
outlined the motions:
1. That plaintiff Roger A. Jourdain
may not proceed as a party to this
case based upon his status as a
non-resident.
2. That the motion to dismiss as to
plaintiff Barrett is denied because of
inconclusive evidence backing his
claim.
3. That the plaintiff's motion for
an award of attorney fees against the
Red Lake Band is denied.
4. That the denial of outside
attorneys to represent individuals in
the Red Lake Tribal Code is
declared to be unlawful.
5. That temporary admission to
practice before the Red Lake Court
is granted to the respective attorneys
of the parties in this case.
The last order, permitting
attorneys to practice in the court,
may open the way for an appeal by
Jourdain and Barrett.
Essentially, Treuer's decisions
point out the power of the court,
implicitly conferrring upon the court
the power to determine whether any
resolution or code is in conflict with
the Red Lake Constitution.
ditorial:
Leonard Peltier, founding member
of the American Indian Movement
may once again touch the minds
of America in two new film
projects. Seepage 4.
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