The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1991-01-09

              Indian leaders send messages to Carlson, Wellstone
By Paul V. Boswell
Staff Writer
Bemidji, Minn. - Newly-elected
U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and
Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson took
their respective oaths of office this
past week.
As Wellstone and Carlson embarked
on their terms. Native Americans
contacted by the Ojibwe News
Saturday had a variety of messages
they would like to send to the state's
new officials.
Darrell "Chip" Wadena, president of
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
advised Carlson and Wellstone to
strive to "reach the little people,"
meaning that efforts should be made
to assist middle- and lower-class
Americans.
"That's a big problem," said
Wadena. "The litde people don't feel
like they're being served by
government. That's a general feeling
around the country. It seems like when
taxes come about, they always feel the
burden but not the benefit."
Meanwhile, Dan Stevens, District I
member on the White Earth
Reservation Tribal Council, advised
Wellstone to stop grandstanding.
Stevens, who supported Wellstone's
campaign, said he expects the new U.S.
senator to "do a very good job" but
admitted that he did not appreciate
Wellstone's recent visit to the Vietnam
Memorial nor his presentation of a
cassette tape to Vice President Dan
Quayle immediately following a
re-enactment of his swearing-in
ceremony. The tape was a record of a
town meeting in Marshall, Minn.
"I don't think people in Minnesota
appreciate things like that," said
Stevens. Wellstone needs to work with
fellow congressmen and the people of
Minnesota but will only succeed in
alienating himself with such incidents.
Stevens said.
Stevens had a different message for
the governor-elect. "I hope that Ame
goes in with an open mind and he
works with both parties," he said.
Stevens said he hopes Carlson
conducts business as though he's a
one-term governor and not be so
concerned with his possible
re-election.
Carlson needs to have the courage to
do what needs to be done to improve
the state's financial situation, said
Stevens. "If that means taxes, don't be
afraid to stand up and say it," he said.
Stevens also hopes that the governor
won't forget the low-income people in
northern Minnesota, especially the
folks on the White Earth Indian
Reservation.
Peggy Treuer, chief judge on the Red
Lake Indian Reservation, cautioned
Wellstone and every member of
Congress to seek a peaceful solution to
the crisis in the Gulf.
"We need to try everything that we
can short of war," said Treuer, who is
in charge of the court system on the
Red Lake reservation.
Also on the national level, Treuer is
concerned that the federal
government ensure freedom of
religion for American Indians. She
said she is aware of at least three
recent federal cases in which court
decisions did not uphold the rights of
Native Americans to practice
traditional Indian religion and
practices.
"I feel that it's really important that
people practice their own religion
without any interference from
government," said Treuer. On the
state level, Treuer is concerned with
the issue of preserving Indian hunting
and fishing rights.
Treuer said she hopes the state will
respect treaty rights that extend to the
protection of the environment.
STATE FINDS RACISM IN OGEMA
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has found evidence of
racial discrimination in the Ogema Police Department.
The agency released a report last month stating probable cause existed
in a 1989 incident in which Ogema Police Chief John McArthur
allegedly harassed and assaulted Randy Scott, Naytauwaush.
The agency stated it is undisputed that McArthur hit Scott, a Native
American, on the head with a flashlight following Scott's attempt to run
from the officer during a routine traffic stop. Scott claims that
McArthur started beating and clubbing him during the arrest. Scott also
said that McArthur referred to him with racial slurs.
During the agency's investigation it obtained a police training
videotape, which featured McArthur allegedly making racial slurs about
American Indians.
Steven Cooper, the agency's director, said, "The initial attack, the
statements and the differential treatment are quite bothersome, but when
you get to the point where a person is passing this on to new police
officers . . . and making a videotape of it, it shows a level of hostility
tnat is totally inappropriate tor police work."
Although McArthur is an American Indian the Human Right's agency
rejected the city of Ogema's argument that they would not use
derogatory remarks because he is of similar race.
McArthur had no comment on the allegations.
BELLAND MURDER TRIAL STARTS FEB. 11
A jury will decide the fate of accused murderer Arnold Wayne
Bel land next February.
The Waubun man is scheduled for trial Feb. 11 on charges that he
killed James Goodman, 39, White Earth.
Belland, 28, is charged with one count of second-degree murder, one
count of first-degree manslaughter, and one count of second-degree
manslaughter.
Belland allegedly killed Goodman following an argument Sept. 2 at a
White Earth home.
Charles Ramstad, Belland's attorney, last month asked for a dismissal
of the charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Judge William Walker denied the request at that time, but agreed
Friday to drop a third-degree murder charge included in the original
complaint.
Becker County Prosecutor Jack Pearson subsequently filed an
amended complaint that now includes the second-degree manslaughter
charge.
Ramstad said, "The judge decided the case is strong enough. Judge
Walker didn't agree with me."
Ramstad said the third-degree murder charge was not warranted,
saying it implies the use of indiscriminate violence against others.
"There was no evidence to say he was going to injure anyone else,"
Ramstad said.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28.
JACKSON RECEIVES 4-MONTH JAIL TERM
A White Earth man will serve 120 days in jail for molesting two
young girls.
Michael James Jackson, 30, was sentenced in Becker County District
Court on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Jackson made sexual contact with the two girls, both 6, while
babysitting last August.
Becker County District Court Judge Thomas Schroeder ordered
Jackson to complete a sexual offenders program, abstain from alcohol
or drugs and to have no contact with the victims.
Jackson will also be on probation for the next 20 years.
Schroeder also handed down stayed prison terms of 26 and 30
months.
Time may be right to make
Wounded Knee a national park
Rapid City, S.D (AP) - A group
that keeps an eye on the National
Park Service says this might be the
right time for Congress to make
Wounded Knee a national park.
Ceremonies Saturday marked the
100th anniversary of the deaths of
several hundred Indians by U. S.
Cavalry troops.
Dave Simon of the National
Parks and Conservation
Association said Wounded Knee is
one of the most important
historical sites in the country.
"If you look at Wounded Knee in
a sense of establishing a national
park, it's like tearing down the
Berlin Wall in our country. We
need to begin to tear down our
own obstacles in our country that
have distorted our perceptions of
history," Simon said.
Simon said many Indians
support the idea of transforming
Wounded Knee into a national
park. Others want a memorial
honoring the Indians who were
killed. Simon says the memorial
idea and his proposal for a national
park are compatible.
"Everyone is supportive of one
central notion, the land itself is the
most important memorial to the
events and the culture associated
with the place," Simon said.
Wounded Knee already had
passed the test of historical
significance. And with the
National Park Service having a $1
billion budget in 1991, there is
enough money available to fund
the project, Simon said.
supervision of the wild rice harvest,
and the operation of fresh-water
fisheries.
Jeanne McDougall, director of
education on the White Earth Indian
Reservation, said she hopes the state
of Minnesota, under Gov. Carlson,
will continue the momentum that was
started with the Minnesota Indian
Education Act of 1988.
McDougall said she would also like
to see legislators "put more teeth in
the program language" and give
Indian peoples more power in
guiding programs.
On the national level, McDougall
encouraged continued support for early
childhood development and parent
education programs. She is a strong
advocate of preschool education and
parenting training programs, especially
for teen-age parents.
Moreover, McDougall urged
government officials to recognize the
need for increased funding for higher
education scholarships. She noted
that tuition, book and housing costs
are all rising and yet scholarship
funds have not seen similar increases.
Kelly Bunker, a Nay-Tah-Waush
man who is seeking the White Earth
District II seat on the Reservation
Tribal Council, sees land as a key
issue and one that both Carlson and
Wellstone could affect.
Bunker said White Earth Indian
reservation people must recognize the
land as a valuable resource for
development.
Unfortunately, he said: "We don't
own much of our reservation
anymore. The more land we could get
back into our hands, the better off
that we would be."
Bunker would like to see Indians
gain more control over their land,
adding that the development of
Indian-owned land could boost the
economy. "There could be a big
growth here, especially in the tourism
area," he said. "You don't see it here
on the reservation, except in the
private sector. Things like that could
be developed for the people here."
"The potential is here," he said.
"It's just a matter of getting the
people interested enough for them to
work toward it...to start taking control
of their own lands again."
Said Bunker: "We've got to start
becoming self-sufficient Anything that
(Carlson and Wellstone) could do to
help would definitely be a plus."
Bunker said local Indians can't
forever depend on the federal
government for providing money but
should instead take a leadership
position in such areas as land
development. Reservation officials,
however, should not lose sight of the
fact that state and federal officials are
available for assistance, he added.
Dan Brown, Cass Lake resident and
chairman of the Leech Lake Indian
Reservation, advised both Carlson
and Wellstone to remain accessible to
the people of Minnesota.
"That's the main thing," said
Brown. "That way we can deliver our
own messages."
Brown noted that former Gov.
Rudy Perpich was "very good" at
meeting with tribal officials but not
former U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz.
«r>f t:t-*es   AnisKimabe
Fifty Cents
Founded in 1988
Volume 3 Issue 12
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January 9,1991 |
' Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1991
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Paul Wellstone meets with the Minnesota Minority Media Coalition to taJk about his future plans. He is holding the Christmas edition
of the Ojibwe News in the photo. Bruce Graves and Bill Lawrence represent Native Americans in the Coalition. Submitted photo.
(Note the related story on this page)
Washington Indians sue over new state cigarette laws
By John White
Associated Press Writer
Olympia (AP) - Members of
Yakima Nation, the Spokane Tribe
and the Native American Business
Alliance have gone to court
challenging new state laws they
argue will wreck their smoke shop
businesses.
The suit filed Thursday in U.S.
District Court in Yakima asserts the
laws unconstitutionally interfere
with interstate commerce and result
in discrimination against the Indian
race.
The laws challenged require
shippers of cigarettes to Indian tribal
organization to furnish duplicate
shipping invoices to the state, require
an unlicensed wholesaler or shipper
to  notify  the  state  prior  to
transportation of cigarettes over state
highways and set stiff penalties for
possession of untaxed cigarettes.
The latter law becomes effective
on New Year's Day. Under the law,
the penalty for possession of
unstamped cigarettes increases from
the unpaid taxes to a minimum of
$250 or $10 a package, plus the 34
cent a pack cigarette tax, plus the
applicable sales tax.
State Revenue Director Dennis
Okamoto said the new laws are
designed to plug a loophole that
results in the loss of $18 million a
year in cigarette and sales tax
revenue.
Spokane Attorney Robert
Kovacevich said the suit asks the
court to issue a permanent injunction
barring the state from enforcing the
laws. He said, however, that the
court probably won't hear the case
for about six months.
The suit contends that the advance
notice law clearly violates the
interstate commerce clause o3 the
U.S. Constitution because it does not
exempt shipments to or within
Indian reservations.
Indian and interstate commerce is
protected from state interference by
the U.S. Constitution and federal
treaties with Indian tribes, the suit
contends.
It also asserts that the requirement
that shippers of cigarettes to Indian
tribal organizations violates the
interstate commerce clause.
"The statute unlawfully projects
the regulatory scheme of the state of
Washington into other states by
forcing out-of-state wholesales to
comply with in-state regulations
before the goods enter onto state
lands," the suit states.
The penalty for possession of
untaxed cigarettes, the suit contends,
amounts to a restraint of trade and
discriminates against Indian
smokeshops by attempting to restrict
sales to non-Indians.
"The monies earned by the
members of the Native American
Business Alliance," the suit states,
"are reinvested in tribal services,
tribal and Indian employment. ...
The tax sought by the state of
Washington has a negative effect on
business and commerce on the
reservation and it not returned to the
reservations to aid on-reservation
activity," the suit states.
Defendants named in the suit are
the state Department of Revenue,
Okamoto and three Revenue officials.
Isleta Pueblo preparing for first tribal council election
Isleta Pueblo, N.M. (AP) - Isleta
Pueblo Gov. Vema Williamson said
she's pleased by the community's
response to its first-ever tribal
council election.
"We're looking forward to having
it," Williamson said Tuesday.
Nine people have declared their
candidacy for pueblo governor and 24
are running for tribal council, she said.
Williamson said the names of the
candidates would be released when
the information was posted in the
community.
The tribe is holding an election for
governor and its first-ever tribal
council election on Jan. 19.
Pueblo residents voted Oct. 20 to
allow council members to be elected.
They previously had been appointed.
Pueblo residents will vote Jan. 5
and 6 on their choices for governor,
and the top three vote getters will
face off in the Jan. 19 election.
All 24 people running for tribal
council will be part of the Jan. 19
election to fill 12 council seats.
Three tribal council members have
filed an appeal in federal court in
Albuquerque asking the court to
contest the election.
The members, council President
Alvino Lucero, Vice President Juan
B. Abeita and Josephine
Fisher-Padilla, contend residents
were not adequately notified of the
Oct. 20 election.
The U.S. Department of the
Interior has certified the October
vote and dismissed an earlier appeal
by the trio.
U.S. District Judge Edwin
Mechem has not yet decided
whether his court has jurisdiction to
decide the appeal.
Williamson said Tuesday the
election shouldn't be delayed
because of the appeal.
"We're just going to go ahead and
move on with it," she said. "Our
election has nothing to do with the
federal government."
American Indians
celebrated sobriety
See page 2
Pictorial chronicles
Navajo Code Talkers
Seepage 10