The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1990-09-12

              Ricing on White Earth
lakes in full swing
By Mark Boswell
Editor
Wild rice harvesting on the White Earth Reservation
is now in full swing but things could be better;
According to ricers who have gone out on Lower Rice
Lake, water levels are low which makes it difficult to
move through the rice bed in a canoe.
A dam system at the outlet of the lake that controls
the water level has not been effective in raising or-
aiding the low-water level. In fact, the Ponsford
Landing, an access on the southeast shore of the lake, is
nearly impossible to pass despite a recent attempt to
deepen a channel near the landing.
Most of the boats that are getting on the lake are
using the Bush Landing on the west shore of the lake.
About 25 vehicles could be seen there on opening day
last Saturday proving that ricing was in full swing.
Other problems on the big lake include a lack of
kernels in some of the rice. An inspection of the rice
coming off some parts of,the lake shows that what is
harvested is mostly empty hulls. Rice coming off an
access on the west shore of the lake proved to be large
kernels, but was still partially green.
In 3 or 4 hours of ricing some of the boats were still
managing to get about 70 to 100 pounds of rice but
others held off on opening day last Saturday to wait for
the rice to further ripen. By Monday things improved.
Some boats were taking over 200 pounds in a given
day.
Lake conditions on the Tamarac Wildlife Refuge
vary. Although most lakes are in good or excellent
condition, Mud Lake, Upper Rice, Carmen, Two Island,
Upper Egg and Lower Egg Lakes are considered in
poor condition. This information was provided by the
White Earth Conservation Department.
The White Earth Reservation Tribal Council has been
buying rice from a number of lakes including Lower
Rice Lake. The RTC is also buying rice from:
Blackbird Lake, Booth Lake, Carmen Lake, Cabin
Point (Big Flat Lake), Dry Lake, Big Flat Lake, Little
Flat Lake, Lost Lake, Lower Egg Lake, North
Chippewa Lake, Rice Lake (Mitchell Dam), South
Chippewa Lake, Upper Egg Lake, and Two Island
Lake.
According to the flyer only organically certifiable rice
will be bought. The White Earth release explained
several regulations for purchase: "We are seeking
organic certification therefore only only wild rice that is
seen coming from landings will be purchased. Rice will
not be bought from other sources or uncertified lakes.
Payment will be by voucher and then check from
Paymaster."
Prices paid for wild rice coming off the lakes are
reportedly $1 per pound.
A wild rice hotline number is available through the
White Earth Humanities Center at 983-3285.
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On-reservation vote
in at White Earth
White Earth - The on-reservation
results of the second election for
secretary-treasurer for the White
Earth Reservation were made
available last night.
Eugene "Bugger" McArthur beat
Oscar "Sunfish" Oppegard by 128
votes to win the on-reservation vote
a second time. McArthur won the
first election by a narrow margin,
beating incumbent Jerry Rawley of
rural Naytahwaush. Rawley
overturned the election by proving
discrepancies in ballots cast in the
election to Tribal Judge Richard
Tanner of Cass Lake. In the latest
election Rawley finished third with
279 on-reservation votes.
Complete results including 1325
absentee ballots that were collected
in the days preceding the Tuesday
election will be made available
today.
The election drew 1073
on-reservation votes, 5 more ballots
than the June 12th election that drew
1068 voters to the polls.
Mille Lacs Band
sues Minnesota
Mille Lacs Lake - The Mille Lacs
Band of Chippewa Indians have
filed suit in Federal Court against
the state of Minnesota claiming that
provisions of a 19th century treaty
exempt band members from state
hunting and fishing regulations.
The Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources and Attorney
General's office are reviewing the
matter.
The complaint alleges that the
band still retains hunting and fishing
rights reserved in the Treaty of
1837. DNR Commissioner Joe
Alexander said the state has a long
history of cooperatively resolving
such matters.
Before a court response is filed,
Alexander said the state will
consider the rights of the band,
rights of other Minnesotans and the
state's commitment to protect
Minnesota resources for future
generations. [Reprinted from the
Becker County-Record.]
Red Lake dancers to perform
Dancers from the Red Lake Band
of Chippewas, 200 of them, will
present a powwow at Rainy River,
Ontario, Thursday.
The occasion is the first annual
Hands Across the Border festival in
Baudette and Rainy River. The
international celebration will run
from Sept. 14 through Sept. 16.
Red Lake dancers will be joined
by dancers from four reserves in
Canada. The grand entrance is at 2
p.m. The three-hour show will
feature songs and dancers honoring
war veterans from all past
conflicts.
Included among the main events of
the festival is an International Air
Show, which opens the morning of
Sept. 15 with a fly-in (or drive-in)
Fifty Cents
Founded in 1988
Volume 3 Issue 5
______-^
Septembers, 1990
* Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1990
A Bl-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Protesters to file petition with Leech Lake RBC
Young wild rice protesters at Cass Lake
By Paul Boswell
Contributor
Cass Lake - A small group of
people gathered in front of the
Reservation Business Committee
office building Friday to call
attention to complaints involving the
harvesting of wild rice.
Four adults and two children
picketed the RBC office, alleging
that officials have not followed
proper procedures governing this
year's wild rice harvest.
Protesters lodged complaints
against RBC authorities, charging
that officials knowingly ignored or
violated established procedures
specifying how rice in what lakes
can be harvested.
Speaking on behalf of the group,
Leech Lake enrollee Ken Brown
said that he had scheduled a meeting
with Jim Michaud, recently elected
secretary-treasurer of Leech Lake.
According to a secretary at the
RBC office, Michaud would not
return to his office until Monday.
Nor was Dan Brown, chairman of
the Leech Lake reservation,
available, the secretary said.
Ken Brown said Michaud had
promised to meet with him "behind
closed doors" to discuss grievances
regarding the wild rice harvest and
alleged that RBC officials had
intentionally avoided the meeting.
The Ojibwe News was unable to
reach Michaud for comment.
^rown also reported Friday that he
would present Michaud with a
petition signed by about 60 Leech
Lake enrollees in support of the
protest. He said more signatures were
expected to be added to the petition.
Basically, Brown said, many
reservation residents are angry about
the state Department of Natural
Resources' involvement in the wild
rice industry. According to Brown,
the DNR promises to purchase
unprocessed rice at certain prices but
then reneges on the price when
deliveries are made. Promised $1 per
pound, some harvesters are getting
Also, the petition calls for the
DNR to provide a telephone number
that enrollees can use to find out
which rice lakes are open, who is
buying unprocessed rice, and the
current market prices.
According to Brown, a group of
Leech Lake enrollees were fined for
ricing on an unposted lake that was
reportedly closed at the time.
Picketer B J. Whipple, Sugar Point,
questioned how the people were
supposed to know that the lake was
closed if it wasn't marked.
According to picketer Dolly
Kottmeyer, a game warden issued
"It's a grievance for our people," said
Whipple." We're trying to uphold our
traditions... I'm fighting for my kids."
. ;
as low as 70 cents, Brown claimed.
The petition calls for signs
identifying rice beds to prevent the
natural stands from being damaged or
destroyed by fishing boats. Another
complaint asks that the DNR place
public notices about the laws
protecting Indian nets and rice beds.
citations to people who were
harvesting wild rice on a small state
lake near Longville in Cass County.
Kottmeyer said the lake was not
posted as being closed, yet the ricers
were fined $115 per boat.
Kottmeyer said her son, Terry
Robinson, and his wife, Mary, are
Photo by Mark Boswell
scheduled to appear at the Cass
County Courthouse in Walker on
Sept. 17 and plan to argue against
the citation. The people in the other
six boats that were cited are
scheduled to appear in court the
same day, according to Kottmeyer.
"This is what we're trying to end,"
said Whipple. She said the purpose of
Friday's demonstration was to "let
the people know what's going on."
"It's a grievance for our people,"
said Whipple. "We're trying to
uphold our traditions...I'm fighting
for my kids."
Another complaint alleges that the
DNR-which buys an estimated 50,00-
100,000 pounds of unprocessed wild
rice every year - is selling wild rice to
processors outside the Leech Lake
Indian Reservation. As a result, Brown
said, the texture and appearance of the
rice is "completely different" than the
traditional processed rice. Yet, he
added, the rice is packaged and
promoted as traditional quality brand.
"That is false advertising," said
Brown, "because we don't know
what happens to that rice once it
leaves the reservation."
Brown said the deluge of the
paddy rice (commercially cultivated
strains of wild rice) hurts the overall
market because customers naively
purchase the cheaper brand. As a
result, prices for unprocessed rice
continue to be less than $1 a pound.
Protesters / see page 3
breakfast at the Baudette Airport at 8
a.m.
Aeronautic displays continue all
day, and include acrobatics by John
Moore from Wisconsin and the
father-son team of Jack and Greg
Grahn of Roseau. Other highlights
are the Polka Fest, an art and craft
show, a steak fry, a farmers' market
and food booths.
Three bands, The Jolly Fisherman
of Royalton, The Polka Beats from
Pierz and The Frontiersmen of
Baudette, will provide the music.
For more information on the air
show contact Bud Hanson, (218)
634-1923; on the Polka Fest, Gerry
Hanson, (218) 634-1544; and on the
powwow. Deb Bowman, (807)
852-3244.
Arbitration on agenda
for BIA Contracting Officer
John R. Brorsen, Contracting
Officer for the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Minneapolis Area Office,
was recently notified by his
attorney, Judith K. Schermer of
Schermer, Altman and Izek, that
arbitration has been called for
between the BIA and the National
Federation of Federal Employees
relating to his dismissal on Aug.
24,1990.
Arbitration on the Brorsen case
is expected to take a few weeks.
In another related development,
Brorsen was notified by the Office
of Personnel Management,
Washington, D.C, that his
application for disability
retirement had been approved by
their office due to the condition of
his health.
The BIA Minneapolis Area
Office has been notified by OPM
that his disability retirement will
not be effective until Brorsen has
used his accrued sick leave.
Brorsen's sick leave amounts to
about 860 hours.
Red Lake Tribal Council
administration changes
Red Lake - The Red Lake Tribal
Council accepted the resignation of
Monte Hammitt who held the post of
Red Lake Health Service Director
under Roger A. Jourdain. Hammitt
held the post of the Health Services
Complex on the reservation through
much controversy concerning
financial turmoil and an eventual
takeover of the facility by the RLTC
last year.
He was appointed to the post by
Jourdain.
Donald R. Cook, Red Lake
enrollee, was not hired by the RLTC
as tribal prosecutor. The
controversial Cook has been
involved in tribal pdlitics since the
1979 riots that burned property on
the Red Lake Reservation.
. Bill Hallet was hired by the RLTC
as Economic Development Director
for the governing body of the
reservation. Hallet worked for
Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) in the 1970's and was
appointed Bureau of Indian Affairs
Commissioner in 1980.
Features:
Native American artists are featured in an
ambitions exhibit on the campus of Bemidji
State University; the Talley Gallery exhibit
is the focus of this week's page 11..
Editorial:
^
Kenneth Brown, a Leech Lake enrollee has
taken the reins in distributing a petition
concerning the wild rice harvesting on that
reservation. See page 4.
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