The Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1992-04-17

              Minnesota Chippewa Tribal election
Tn the upcoming tribal elections 17
positions will be filled on the six
member reservations (Bois Forte,
Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech
Lake, Mille Lacs, and White Earth)
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
The number of positions represents
57 percent of the total tribal
leadership now serving their
respective reservations.
On the Bois Forte Reservation the
Chairman and District I positions,
both four year terms, are to be filled.
Eugene A. Boshey, Sr. currently
holds the Chairman position, and
Marcella Conner is the District I
Council member.
Fond du Lac has three tribal council
positions to be filled, Chairman,
District I and III positions. All are
four year terms currently held by
Robert Peacock, Chairman; Clifton
A. Rabideaux, Dist. I; and George
Dupuis, Dist. III.
On the Grand Portage Reservation
three positions are to be filled, that of
the current Tribal Chairman, James
Hendrickson, who may not seek
reelection, Norman Deschampe, the
current Secretary-Treasurer, whose 2
year term is unexpired, and At-Large
Council member, a four year term
currently held by Duane Porter.
Leech Lake has three positions to
be filled: Chairman, Dist. II and III
council members. The positions are
currently held by Daniel Brown,
Chairman, Gladys Drouillard, Dist.
II, whose two year term is unexpired,
and Myron Ellis, Dist. III. Both the
Chairman and District III positions
are four year terms.
Mille Lacs Reservation has four
tribal council positions to be filled
this election year and they are
currently held by Marge Anderson,
Chairman, a four-year term,
Secretary Treasurer, a two-year
unexpired term currently held by
David Matrious, District I, a
four-year term currently held by
Myron Garbow. The District III
position is currently held by Bemida
Churchill, whose two-year term is
unexpired.
At the White Earth Reservation
both tribal council positions to be
filled are four-year terms. The current
Tribal Chairman is Darrell Wadena.
The District III position is held by
Daniel Stevens, who may not seek
reelection.
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribal
office recently prepared the election
announcement, which lists the
positions to to be filled, where and
whom to file with, and the filing
dates. In accordance with election
guidelines, the election
announcement is officially posted
April 13, in the reservation tribal
offices, as well as at MCT
headquarters in Cass Lake.
According to the election guidelines,
April 20 is the first day to file for
candidacy. All interested people who
wish to file for candidacy have until
April 24 to file.
Once the candidates list has been
compiled, the Reservation Tribal
Councils will certify the eligible
candidates on April 27th. The
following day the RTC is required to
notify the MCT office of the list of
certified candidates and the position
they have filed for; the number of
regular ballots requested; the number
of absentee ballots requested; a list of
the districts and polling places, and
the time for opening and closing of
the polls.
The General Reservation Election
Board Judges will be provided with
ballots and voter registration lists on
May 1. A General Reservation
Election Board Training Session has
been scheduled for May 4 and will
conclude on May 8. The training is
related to instruction in election
ordinance for the people selected to
sit on the General Reservtion
Election Board.
The Notice of Election will be
prepared by the Tribal Office for
each RTC on May 22, and each of
the RTC offices will post that
information on May 26 at sites in the
various districts of the reservation.
June 9 is tribal election day.
Polling places and times have not
yet been determined. On June 10,
the General Reservation Election
Board shall certify the results of the
election, and the following day each
General Reservation Election Board
will post the results throughout their
Wadena To Get SBA Honor
Darrell Wadena, chairman of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, based in
White Earth, has been named Minnesota Minority Small Business
Advocate for 1992. The Small Business Administration award honors
Wadena for his accomplishments and leadership in assisting the
Minnesota Native American entrepreneur. He will be honored May 8 at
the Decathlon Athletic Club in Bloomington. Wadena was cited for his
efforts to further the establishment, and continued success, of small
businesses owned by Native Americans. He was instrumental in starting
the Minnesota Indian Contractors Association to assist Indian
entrepreneurs in the construction field. The Minnesota American Indian
Chamber of Commerce was also formed with Wadena's support. That
organization was created to meet a wide range of educational and
economic development needs of Native American business owners.
RLTC votes Jourdain severance package
At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Red Lake Tribal
Council held on April 14, the council approved a severance payment of
$150,000 for former chairman Roger A. Jourdain by a vote of 6 for, 1
against, and 1 abstaining. Jourdain, age 80, who was defeated in the
May 1990 tribal general election by current chairman Gerald Brun, had
served as tribal chairman from June 1.959 through June 1990. Voting for
the severance payment were Roman Stately, Jr., George Jones,
Lawrence Bedeau, Allen English, Jr., and Tom Stillday. Voting against
was Fabian Cook, and abstaining was Preston Graves. The tribal
treasurer was reported to be absent at the time the vote was taken.
Sources told the News that representative Bedeau made the motion for
the severance payment with representative English seconding. Jourdain
submitted several requests for a payment to the council over the past
few months, but it wasn't until news stories appeared in the state media
and in several local editorials about Jourdain's home foreclosure and
dire financial condition that the council acted. The News was unable to
learn how the payment will be made to Jourdain.
Indian Health Care Amendments
Sen. Paul Wellstone is cosponsoring legislation that will continue
funding a host of health programs aimed at improving the health of
Indian people. The Indian Health Care Act ammendmcnts would
reauthorize the health programs and the IHS through the end of the
decade. More than $32 million per year would be provided in
Minnesota for everything from training of Indian health professionals to
addressing specific health needs such as maternity care, youth substance
abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health. The act would also
require documentation to show where progress had been made and
establish health objectives for Indian people who have the poorest
health status of any group in the country. The IHS operates hospitals on
the Leech Lake and Red Lake Reservations; clinics on White Earth,
Fond du Lac, Bois Forte, and Mille Lacs; health stations in Grand
Portage, Granite Falls, Prior Lake, Prairie Island, and Redwood Falls,
and the Indian Health Care Program in Minneapolis.
Increased budget for Indian programs
Albuqueque, N.M. - After 15 years
of almost constant budget cuts, the
Senate Select Committee on Indian
Affairs (SSCIA) has announced that it
is supporting over $1 billion more for
Indian programs for FY 93.
The Senate committee's proposal
would total $5,758 billion for Indian
programs. This contrasts to $4,708
billion, which is the proposal from the
White House. Saying Indian programs
had suffered "the depest cuts in federal
spending," the committee asked the
Senate Budget Committee under Jim
Sasser (D-Tenn.) to uphold "its treaty
responsibility to Indian tribes."
John McCain, Co-Chair of the
SSCIA from Arizona, has 23 Indian
tribes in his state, while Inouye,
Chairman, from Hawaii, has none.
Dr. Dean Chavers, Founding
President of the Coalition for Indian
Education in Albuquerque, praised the
SSCIA for its support of Indian
programs. "We are confident that the
new committee, with its 16 members,
will oppose the cuts we have been
having for so long. This Committee is
one of the strongest and most
influential in the Senate, and its views
are heard by many. Indian committees
in both Houses of the Congress are
very strong today." he said. "Ten years
ago they were very weak, we are very
happy to see them returned to a
position of strength." For FY 91, he
pointed out, the SSCIA backed a $1
billion increase in Indian programs,
and it passed, bringing Indian
programs from $2.8 to $3.8 in budget
authority. New programs and budget
add-ons to existing programs brought
the total this year to $4.7. The
Coalition is seeding a total federal
budget for FY 96 of $9.9 billion. This
is the figure they would have to have
for parity with 1975 budgets, Dr.
Chavers asserted.
Among the changes proposed by the
SSCIA are taking JOM out of the
Indian Priority System, and funding it
at $24.5 million. JOM would rise to
$44.3 million in FY 97. There is $2
million for tribal departments of
education, which will fund 20
departments. The ISEF is to be funded
at $321 million, enough for increases
in teacher salaries and bilingual
education. Haskell and STPI would be
fully funded, and would not have to
charge tuition.Haskell would get $3
million for a new dorm. School
construction would be funded at $90
million, and IHS would be funded at
$2,326 billion, $388 million over the
White House request. Impact Aid
would be funded at $610 million, and
Indian Housing would get $235
million, up from zero for the White
House request.
respective reservations. The returns
will also be forwarded to the MCT
Office.
In other tribal election news, the
candidates for positions on the Red
Lake Tribal Council must file by 5:00
p.m. on Monday, April 20, for the
four district representative positions,
one each from the Red Lake, Redby,
Littlerock and Ponemah districts. In
addition, due to the passing of Dan
Raincloud, Jr., Ponemah District
Representative, the regularly
scheduled election will also include
an election to fill the remaining two
years of his term.
The News salutes Earth Day, 1992.
Vote especially the two articles from
World»Watch concerning our earth
and the ozone layers
By and for the fiative Arnerfcan Gornmunity
The
free
native
American
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Press
Copyright The native American Press, 1992
Founded in 1991
Volume 1 Issue 16
April 17,1992
Ojibwe Expo Award Winners are announced
Award winners for this years
Ojibwe Expo were announced
before a before full house at the
Bemidji Community Art Center. The
judge for the expo was Victor
Kishigo, a full-blooded Ottawa,
from Petoskey, Michigan. Mr.
Kishigo is the owner of the Indian
Hills Trading Company and Indian
Art Gallery in Petoskey.
The Best of Show award was
presented to Judy Top'pings for a
beautiful satin quilt entitled Migizi.
In the Tribal Arts category Karen
Kakaygeesick, was presented first
with a Willow Basket Hamper, Rita
Fairbanks placed second with a
piece entilted, Minnesota Dust, and
Leroy Garrigan placed third with
WolfPipe.
Jesse Lee Rosier Ehlert took first
in the Painting category with Geze
Asin Mazinaakizonan, Setve Primo
placed second with an untitled piece,
and Frank Bigbear rounded out the
category with Grand Medicine
Days.
In the sculpture category Leo
Wilkie was first with Wooden Man,
Second went to Duane Goodwin
with Five Feathers, and Ruth White
placed third with a piece called
Keeper of the Pipe.
Photographers Robin Goodwin
with Ma-Ni-Gee-Zhi-Gance and
Aaron Fairbanks with Lori placed
first and second.
In the watercolor category Carl
Gawboy finished first with White
Fish Netters.
Melvin Losh's Quilled plant
Stand won first prize in the Mixed
Media and Textiles category. "Four
Directions" by Michael Connor won
second , followed by Julia Nyholm's
"Waaboozowayaan" in third place.
In the Graphics division , Bill
McKinzie took first with 'I Hunt,
Therefore I Am;" second was Clem
May's "The Bear Clan," and third
was "First Feather" by Mike
Donnell..
"Skull and Buffalo" by Anessa
Anderson was the winner of Student
award.
Beadwork by Dorothy Jenkins and
Laurie Carlson received Honorable
Mention as did the baskets of
Debbie Robinson and the beaded
bags of Gina Munnell.
The Ojibwe Expo will soon close
in Bemidji and the winners will be
exhibited at the Minneapolis Indian
Art Market which will be held at the
Nicollett Mall, Hyatt Regency April
29 thru May 3rd.
The Best of Show award was presented to Judy Toppings for a beautiful satin quilt entitled Migizi.
Photo by Jim C. Ortiz
Phillips neighborhood victim of another slum landlord
By Gary Blair
This is embarrassing commented
Don Vargas, Executive Director of
the People of Phillips (POP), the
representative organization to the
City of Minneapolis. His remarks
were in reference to POP's recent
involvement with slumlord, Floyd
A. Ruggles, owner of Ruggles
Properties of North St. Paul.
Under the direction of POP's
tenant advocate, Michael Hall,
Ruggles rented three apartments
with no refrigerators, no heat, and no
gas for hot water or cooking to
tenants.
For years this address was a well
known "crackhouse." A local block
club - a crime prevention group -
asked POP to help landlord Ruggles
select tenants for his newly
remodeled apartment building at
620-22 East Franklin Ave. to help
keep the drug dealers from getting
back in the house.
Hall was the first person to move
in the newly rehabilitated building
after promises from the landlord that
he would put a refrigerator in each
rental unit, and turn on the gas and
heat.
The landlord has done nothing
thus far, except to collect rent
deposits.
The building still has no heat, and
was condemned. Ruggles blamed
Minnegasco for lack of heat, and
said there's no sense in putting
refrigerators in the place until there
the gas is turned on.
Minnegasco wants the bills from
all 30 of Ruggles' properties in the
Phillips neighborhood before the gas
will be turned back on.
Ruggles has offered Minnegasco a
check for $4,888.12 but they won't
accept it.
Bank records show*that Ruggles
has more than $65,000 in seven
separate accounts.
The remodeling bill for the building
has not been paid and the contractor
has put a lien against the property.
What's embarrassing for POP is
the fact that no one from the
organization ever checked out
Ruggles, before getting involved.
Michael Hall, whose job it is to
help people in such situations now
finds himself needing this kind type
of help himself.
Others that have moved in include
an American Indian mother with a
set of twins that are two years old
and a small baby. She has a small
electric heater that helps some, but
Rebecca Henry says that my baby is
with my cousin because it's too cold
in here for a baby. She just moved
out of a place that was also
condemned.
Tenants stayed in bed with one
another just to keep warm.
Rosa Flechart, who moved in as
resident manager for Ruggles, said
he instructed her to turn the water
off in the units so the tenants will
leave. She said she wouldn't do that.
Ruggles also told her he wasn't
going to give the deposits back.
Don Vargas said, "we have been
thinking about picketing his house."
Ruggles replied that that could
backfire.
Ruggles recently told Vargas that
he needed help getting people off his
back.
Vargas denied any arrangement by
POP to act as an agent for Ruggles.
He also denied collecting any rent
deposits as Ruggles claimed. For
that matter, Michael Hall, acted on
his own in all of this. "Ruggles is a
smooth talker," he said.
Ruggles first stated that he owned
hundreds of properties throughout
the Twin Cities, but later hesaid, "I
put my life savings into buying that
building."
When asked what type of report
the city housing inspector would
give him, he answered, "we all have
our enemies, don't we?"
He wouldn't comment on the
condition of his other holdings in the
neighborhood and when asked if he
was going to give the rent deposits
back, he answered, "oh sure that's
no problem."
Vargas said that Ruggles told him he
was taking Minnegasco to court.