The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1990-10-31

              Oppegard skeptical
of Rawley leadership
By Mark Boswell
Staff Writer
White Earth - Oscar "Sunfish"
Oppegard has seen it all.
When he ran for the office of
Secretary-Treasurer of the White
Earth Reservation this year he found
himself in the political arena with
Jerry Rawley, a two-term incumbent
who has weathered investigations,
allegations, and protests concerning
his position of that reservation's
second-in-power authority figure.
Oppegard knew what he was in
for. He had witnessed the ongoing
battle between Rawley and Eugene
"Bugger" McArthur, a grocer from
Ogema who had tried to oust
Rawley from office in two previous
elections.
"It's not just me," said Oppegard
in an interview last weekend, "A lot
of people are mad about this
situation." Oppepard referred to the
recent investigation that led to the
removal of Stephen McArthur from
the post of District II Representative.
"After McArthur's indictment,"
said Oppegard, "(the investigators)
said they were going to be indicting
Rawley." The federal investigator
involved in the White Earth
indictment is Jim Hanberry, an agent
with the Inspector general's Office
in Rapid City, S.D.
McArthur, who plead guilty to one
felony count of embezzling tribal
funds, agreed to aid federal
investigators in testifying against
fellow tribal representatives and
employees.
Rawley, who has maintained his
innocence in several newspaper
interviews, claims that there will be
no other pending indictments,
despite rumors to the contrary.
Support for the rumors comes
from McArthur's plea bargain
agreement. The agreement states:
"the ongoing investigation into
possible embezzlement and theft
from the White Earth Indian Tribe."
Oppegard claims that Rawley
couldn't account for "$5,000 of
tribal money. The accountants asked
him what happened to that $5,000
and he didn't have any reciept."
Oppegard believes that isn't all.
He claims that Rawley is also guilty
of cheating in gaining office as well.
"They cheated right in the ballot
box~they changed over 700 ballets I
figure."
These figures, said Oppegard, are
based upon information he gleaned
from a recent hearing where votes in
the election were supposedly forged
by Rawley's supporters. The case,
brought about by Eugene McArthur,
was thrown out of tribal court by
White Earth Tribal Judge Deanna
Fairbanks.
"A lot of people already know
what's going on," said Oppegard,
"Everybody in the country figured it
out."
Rawley could not be reached for
comment.
Have a safe
Halloween
This issue of The Ojibwe News
will hit the newstands on
Wednesday - Halloween Day.
The staff urges motorists to use
caution this evening, when coundess
trick-or-treaters will be scurrying
through neighborhoods.
At the same time, parents should
make sure that younger children are
accompanied by adults and that
older children go trick-or
treating inpairs or in groups.
Parents should also advise their
youngsters not to eat any of their
treats until they return home and are
properly inspected.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
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Area Director of BIA
reassigned to D.C.
By Mark Boswell
Editor
Minneapolis - Earl Barlow,
long-time Area Director with the
Minneapolis Office of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs has been reassigned
to a position in Washington, D.C.
The "detail", as it was described,
will be in the BIA's Education
Department.
Sources in Washington .state that
Barlow's reassignment there may
involved a permanent position in
that department.
Barlow, who has been a
controversial figure as Director in
Minneapolis, was alleged to have
physically assaulted another
employee recendy.
Bemidji to host teen pregnancy
and prevention conference
Far too many Northern Minnesota
teenagers are stumbling and falling
under the burden of pregnancy and
parenthood. In fact, Minnesota's
teens give birth to over 6,000 babies
annually.
In an attempt to reduce teen
pregnancy in our state, a Teen
Pregnancy and Prevention Conference
has been scheduled for November 13
at me Holiday Inn in Bemidji.
Our keynote speaker is Luanne
Nyberg, Director of the Children's
Defense Fund of Minnesota. Nyberg
will detail the problems of teen
pregnancy and parenthood in
Minnesota and their cost and
consequences. In addition, she will
explore how poverty and poor basic
education skills contribute to
children having children. In closing,
Nyberg will discuss what coalitions
can do to prevent children from
becoming parents.
The conference is sponsored by
the 4-H Youth Development and
Extension Home E conomics of the
Minnesota Extension Service;
Bemidji State University/Partnership
Program; United Way of Bemdiji;
The Bemidji Area Volunteer Center,
Bi-County Community Action
Program; Leech Lake
Reservation-Health Division; area
school district; TAPP Program;
Planned Parenthood and Upward
Bound Program of Bemidji State
University.
Mini workshops and a resource fair
will introduce model teen pregnancy
prevention programs. In addition, a
panel of teen parents will share their
experiences and unique perspectives
on developing teen pregnancy
prevention strategies.
The conference is funded by a
grant from the Blandin Foundation
of Grand Rapids.
The intended audience is
community team coalitions to
develop teen pregnancy prevention
programs. Team members should
include educators, youth and health
professionals, clergy, business
people, parents, volunteers,
counselors, curriculum directors,
school administrators, law
enforcement and social services
agency representatives.
The registration fee for the one
day conference is $20; including
conference materials, coffee breaks
and lunch. One-half CEU's/PDU's
or six clock hours will be available
for participants who attend the entire
conference. The registration
deadline is November 7. The
conference will begin with
registration at 8:30 a.m. and
conclude at 4:00 p.m. on November
13.
Conference brochures and
registration forms will be available
from the Koochiching County
Extension Office. If you would like
to be added to a brochure mailing,
contact the Koochiching Couanty
Extension Office 283-6182.
Attorneys permitted in RL Tribal Court
RLTC licensing required —————
By Mark Boswell
Staff Writer
Red Lake - the Red Lake
reservation Tribal Council
unanimously passed a resolution
Oct. 9 regarding new regulations to
permit licensed attorneys to practice
on the Red Lake Reservation.
The resolution effectively amends
a section of the Red Lake Tribal
Code permitting professional
attorneys to practice in the Red lake
Nation Court System—albeit with a
license granted by the RLTC.
Guidelines for licensing will be
determined "upon terms and
conditions deemed advisable by the
Tribal Council in the exercise of its
sound discretion."
Passed at the RLTC regular
meeting "with a quorum present" the
resolution stressed the need for such
a measure "on an interim basis". It
was not explained how long the
resolution, passed 9-0 by the
council, would be installed. Of the
10 voting members of the RLTC, it
is not known who did not vote in the
passing of the resolution.
RLTC members could not be
reached for comment.
Fiftv Cents
Fol
Volume 3 Issue 8
October 31,1990
)
' Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1990
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Unified spirit signifies new direction in White Earth
—Suicides bring families, communities together to turn back tide	
By Paul V. Boswell
Staff Writer
White Earth - Death may have
indirecdy given birth to a new hope
on the White Earth Indian
Reservation.
A trio of tragic suicides have
resulted in an ambitious effort to
establish activity programs geared to
provide local youth with positive
alternatives.
Darryl Zitzow, clinical
psychologist in White Earth, said
reservation communities have
become more unified in the wake of
the three self-inflicted deaths of
young Indians.
The most visible proof of the new
community spirit have been public
meetings attended by professionals,
parents, and teen-agers. "There's
been a real public interest all of a
sudden," reported Zitzow.
"I think that things are going in the
right direction," said Zitzow. "Vxr
anxious to see where we're at a year
from now, what will have been
acomplished. I'm excited."
According to Zitzow, many topics
were discussed at the meetings and
one of the most serious subjects
addressed was substance abuse -
generally regarded as the most
destructive problem facing
reservation households. Alcohol and
drug problems, high unemployment,
and a stagnant economy have all
contributed to deflated attitudes on
the reservation. "There is
depression," said Zitzow.
"Depression is a big reason why we
have some of these incidents. It's
clearly tied as one of the major
preconditions to suicide attempts.
We have to tackle that depression
and try to understand it."
Other issues raised were the lack
of resources available on the
reservation and a lack of alternatives
for young people, said Zitzow.
"What do young people have to do?
There's not much for them on the
reservation."
In recent times, however, there has
been increased interested on the part
of the Reservation Tribal Council to
develop programs for reservation
youth, and Zitzow was happy to
report that some small grants to fund
activities have already been secured.
"There's been that whole
momentum and that's continuing,"
he said.
People with different backgrounds
have come together in recent months
for the good'of local teen-agers,
Zitzow said. People from opposite
sides of the political arena agreed
that the time has come to establish
youth activities on the reservation,
he said.
Volunteers have stepped forward
to serve on committees designed to
address specific needs, Zitzow said.
One committee is working on
establishing a permanent recreation
program for young people. At
The White Earth Indian Reservation is experiencing a rebirth in community spirit in the wake of three
local suicides earlier this year. Efforts are currently underway to establish programs geared to provide
alternative activities for Indian youth. Pictured above, Rev. George Ross spoke at senior
commencement ceremonies in White Earth this past spring.
File photo
present, it's hoped that recreational
programs will be in full swing in
three communities by next summer.
Proposals being consider include
founding little league baseball
teams, softball teams for adults, and
new swimming lessons.
Zitzow said community leaders
will strive to keep the current
momentum. "There's enough quality
parents and they're not going to lose
sight of what their purpose is," he
said.
Renewed interest in cultural
celebrations can also bolster
community spirit by instilling pride
in people of all ages. "You're getting
back to defining who you are," said
Zitzow.
Such efforts are welcome, yet
many area residents have been aware
of the glaring lack of youth activities
for years, said Zitzow. "There's
always been a concern for young
people...but there's never been much
energy."
A need for change
In Zitzow's opinion, recent
developments on the White Earth
Indian Reservation also signify a
philosophical change, i.e. the
realization that reservation people
can't always expect outside help and
that sometimes they have to resolve
problems by themselves
If there is one strong message that
Zitzow would like to make it's this:
White Earth residents should work
to overcome what he terms the
"victimization philosophy."
"As long as we approach life from
the viewpoint of victims, we're
going to be blaming somebody else
and we're going to be holding
somebody else responsible for our
situation," said Zitzow. "And that
reduces or eliminates out own
responsibility for ourselves. That's
not a healthy life position."
But the psychologist was quick to
add: "That's a whole lot easier for
me to sit here and say to you than it
is to do because we've got quite a
legacy of dependency."
Many young people not only
accept reservation dependency as
normal but view it as tradition, said
Zitzow. "That's a hell of a tradition
to have. We've got to get ride of that
(attitude)."
A common belief held by minority
youth is that no matter what they do
in life, their actions won't better
their situation because of their
position in society. Zitzow said
young people think: "I have no
control. I have no future. So what
the hell. Why should I even bother?
Why should I even try because it's
not going to make any difference
anyway?"
That negative concept must be
reversed, Zitzow said. Young people
must be taught that they do have
control over their own destinys but
most of the decisions rest with them.
Much of the responsibility for
changing the youth's negative
self-concept falls on caring adults,
Zitzow added. Adults can serve as
positive role models and mentors by
what they do and say.
"We as adults need to
communicate hope," he said. "We
need to communicate direction. We
need to re-communicate dreams. If
you lose your ability to dream,
you're lost."
And when young people are
working to achieve personal goals,
adults can provide support along the
way and inspire them to reach for
higher goals in the future.
Yet, teen-agers aren't the only
group that needs help. Zitzow said
parents want ways to build a more
unified family structure and practical
advice on how to raise children in
the 1990s.
"Whether you're on of off the
reservation, whether you're white or
Native American, it's difficult to be
a parent right now," said Zitzow.
A recent national study indicated
that on the average a child spends
only about 12 hours a week with
their parents. "Young people have so
many other choices," said Zitzow,
pointing out that many youngsters
occupy themselves with television,
videotapes, video games, and friends
their own age.
ZitZOW/see p.2
ND Indian Affairs Commission director resigns
By Dale Wetzel
Associated Press Writer
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) - The
director of North Dakota's Indian
Affairs Commission, outraged with
a proposal she says would dismantle
her agency, said Thursday she will
quit at year's end.
"I resigned because I lost my faith
in state government," said Juanita
Helphrey, who has held the
director's job for almost 16 years. "I
just felt like I could no longer be an
effective employee."
Helphrey was angered by a
proposal, presented last month to an
interim legislative committee, that
would transfer jobs and money from
Helphrey's agency to a proposed
Department of Economic
Development and Finance.
The Indian Affairs Commission
has three positions, including
Helphrey's. Its chairman, Lt. Gov.
Lloyd Omdahl, said Thursday there
had been discussions to cut two jobs
from the agency.
At the same time, two jobs would
be added to the economic development department to work on helping
minority businesses, Omdahl said. He
expects those jobs will be held by
Native Americans.
The commission has a two-year
budget of $648,927, most of which
is spent on drug and alcohol abuse
programs and scholarships for
Native American students. Helphrey
is paid $34,417 annually.
Omdahl said Charles Fleming,
Helphrey/seepageiiA
Special Education Feature
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