The Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1992-08-28

              Minneapolis Park Board to evict American Indian Service
By Gary Blair
Sharon No Heart, director of
American Indian Services (AIS) told
the Press, "We recently learned that
the Minneapolis Park Board will be
giving us an eviction notice contrary
to what was first reported." AIS is a
halfway house for chemical dependent American Indian males located
at 735 E. Franklin Avenue in the
Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis. No Heart who has been the
program's director for the past 2 and
a half months admitted that their having to move is only part ofthe problems now facing her organization.
She said, "Things could get worse
and that includes having to close the
doors."
She continued, "Right now the
board of directors wants to give the
changes they havemade hereachance
to work. It wasnt to improve the
imageoftheplace." Before No Heart
took over AIS clients weren't allowed
to work or seek job skills. She said,
"I've hired an outreach worker to
assist the residents in obtaining employment and training and now we
havepeople out working andgoingto
school."
"Right now our Board is looking at
different options," she said. According toNoHearttheplacehas20beds
and they need an average of 17 clients to meet their financial responsibilities. "We only have 8 to 10 cli
ents," No Heart answered, "It's
Hennepin County, they aren't referring their Indian clients here." She
went on to say, "Indians don't know
that they have a right to be place here
after treatment. They don't realize
that they have a right to a culturally
sensitive program."
No Heart then opened up with what
she said was making her angry. She
said, "65 percent of the American
Indian population in Hennepin
County use the Detox Center at 1800
Chicago Ave. So, if you show up on
their computer having been admitted
there more than 14 times you're considered a chronic alcoholic and most
of our people are now considered
chronic." With no jobs and no place
to live, it has become one big revolving door for many of our people."
She continued, "I know there will
be Indian people that now run programs in this community who are not
going to like what I am going to say,
but I am going to say what has to be
said. Our people are being abused at
that Detox Center and our community and tribal leaders are doing nothing about it. "She said, "As far as I am
concerned, we don't have any leaders
anymore. Of the Indian staff that
work at the Detox, if they complain
about the treatment Indian people
receive they're either fired or pressure is put on them so they quit., Of
the Indians, that are higher up in the
system, with good paying jobs, they
have been looking the other way in
order to protect theirpay check," she
said.
No Heart continued, "Now this is
just hearsay, but one of the Indian
staff at the Detox reported that he
heard a white staff whistle at an
Indian client like you would if you
were calling a dog."
She said, "Indian women are better
off financially than Indian men; if
you're a man and you dont have ajob
you're out on the street. No one wants
to expose an Indian woman who is
chemically dependent, no one wants
to buck that. If she's on AFDC at least
she's paying her rentand buying some
food with her food stamps and providing some clothing, but yet, she's
chemically dependent and she's raising her children that way. And this all
leads right back to the same old cycle."
"If the family is on AFDC the Indian man is not allowed to stay in the
home to help raise the children." No
Heart said, "The system that's been
set up to assist us has now turned on
us." She continued, "The system
keeps our families apart, because our
people are so dependent on it." She
continued, "All the organizations
around here that are set up to serve
Indian people, I feel, are just a band-
aid effect. They never deal with the
real issues that cause our problems."
No Heart continued, "I believe our
people are scared to speak up, they're
too afraid to lose what little bit they
have. Most don't believe you can
make any change by protesting. "She
said, "It doesn't seem to matter how
much you protest, the system is going
to do what it wants anyway."
No Heart said, "There is something
definitely wrong in our community,
we just have too much alcoholism.
We have to much of everything that
alcoholism breeds, the abuses, and
sure there are programs set up that
are designed to help. But, it's a band-
aid effect." She continued, "Say a
Indian family wants to heal, they go
into treatment, whatever, then they
get their kids back, but yet the system
is monitoring them. But, yet because
they're on AFDC or the husband
doesn't work or whatever, they're
living in very poor housing conditions, they're under the system ofthe
landlord."
The PRESS then asked No Heart
what the housing conditions were like.
To this she answered, "Its terrible, our
people are on the low end of housing
their on the low end of everything
employment, their being discriminated
and in treatment of chemical dependency." No Heart has thought about
reaching out to other organizations to
try and get a coalition started to try to
deal with some of the problems. The
PRESS then asked her if anyone has
approached her asking about the future
of AIS. She answered, "No."
She also said that since Native Arneri-
can Press's last two articles came out,
about the problems in the community,
no one has called her to talk about it
She said, 'If AIS closes, Indian people
willhavetogotothemainstreamchemi-
cal dependency services. Ifs not going
tomakelhemfeelgocd."Native American Press than askedherwhat AIS does
that the others wouldn't do. To this
question she answered, "We tell them
it's all right to be an Indian."
By and For the Native American Community
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Native
American
Press
We support Equal Opportunity For All People
A Weekly Publication
Founded in 1991
Volume 2 issue 16
August 28, 1992
Copyright, The Native American Press, 1992
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L to r, Native postal clerks Curt Slough, Herb South and mail carriers "Rocky" Mountain and Terry Adams.
Native employees 'deliver' at Bemidji Post Office
By Larry Adams
Herb South, Gamett Mountain and Terry
Adams are three Native employees
workers at the VS. Post Office in Bemidji.
South was bom and raised right here in
Bemidji. He is from the Cree Tribe, out of
Utah He began working as a "casual"
clerk at the Bemidji Post Office in
December, 1979.
South sorted incoming mail for 13 years.
Now, South sorts the out-going mail on the
day shift and likes his job because he can
use the time toward retirement
He recalls bomb threat at the old Post
Office, which used to be at the Federal
Building. "There were guards walking
around ... for a couple months" South
said.
The most shocking thing South recalled
were human remains in urns were being
shipped through the mail system. "I
wouldn't believe you get somebody
through the mail that's been cremated and
mailed back," said South.
The Bemidji Post Office union is
headquartered in Duluth and the
employees' union is affiliated with Duluth
Local 1069, of which South is the steward.
There are four minorities at the Bemidj
Post Office, said South. There is currendy
no resource group at the post office.
"There has been no talk about it," South
said. "So far, I don't see any need for [a
group] right now. As far as being treated,
they're pretty fair,"said South, of his
employers.
Gamett Moutain was bom in Canada and
is a "Metis," or a "mixed blood" Ojibwe
and Scandanavian, as he says.
He has worked in Bemidji for 14 years,
starting out with a post office in Texas for
two years before moving up here.
Mountain grew up in North Dakota and
is registered at the Turtle Mountain
Chippewa reservation, in north-central
North Dakota.
"Rocky" is a rural letter carrier as well as
teaching Ojibwe arts and crafts at Bemidji
State University for the past 12 years.
Mountain has a master's degree in
education from BSU.
"I tike it a lot because it's a little different
than the Post Office, because your routes
are not on the clock, you get your mail
done and when you're done, you're done,"
said Mountain.
Mountain recalls that during the
commemoration of the new Elvis stamp,
the Bemidj Post Office had a float in the
Fourth of Jury parade. "Rocky" dressed up
as an Elvis impersonator, he said with a
chuckle.
Driving on the right side of postal
delivery vehicles. Mountain said
"It's something you have to get used
to." There are new, postal vehicles
with steering columns on the right.
"More and more people are going to
those," Mountain said.
Terry Adams, who grew up in Red
Lake, just completed some carrier
training in Duluth for the position at
the Bemidji Post Office and is going
through further training in Bemidji.
Adams worked for six months as a
"casual" worker. Now, Adams has
received a two-year contract for a
mail-carrier position.
Right now, Adams has different
routes for mail deliver}'. He picks up
"collections" in the evening as well
for training purposes.
The "pay" is good, said Adams,
and "They're a good group to work
with," referring to his co-workers.
As far as having any unusual
experiences, "It hasn't happened
yet, but it's bound to happen, sooner
or later," said Adams.
Top photo, Sharon No Heart is the director of AIS, bottom photo is the American Indian Services building.
Litzau resigns from Central Elementary School
By Melvin Rasmussen
Mr. Ken Litzau announced his
resignation today as principal of
Central Elementary School in
Bemidji, MN. Mr. Litzau served as
Principal for the last 7 years. The
reason for the resignation was for
personal reasons but he would address
these issues at a later date.
Mr. Litzau is a native of White
Earth reservation and had previously
work at Bug-O-Nay-Geshig  school
prior to his selection as a principal for
the school district. Mr. Litzau received
his B.A. and Masters degrees from
Bemidji State University and his
PhD from the University of North
Dakota in Counselling, Psychology
and Education Administration.
Mr. Litzau is now seeking some
time and space to consider his future
choices. Right now he feels that he
should participate in some of his
favorite recreational activities such
as, ricing, fishing and doing some
hunting.
Mr. Litzau's departure from the
school district came as a shock to the
local Indian Community. His
presence, strength, patience, and
kindness gave hope to young children
from within the community. His gift
of culture and knowledge of both
worlds will be a loss to the school
district. It is a shame that our school
systems do not open their eyes and
realize that their best gifts are their
staff.
Fond du Lac Tribal Council fires Judge Deanna Fairbanks
By Susan Stanich
Duluth News-Tribune staff writer
A Fond du Lac Reservation judge
was fired Tuesday shortly before
she was to hold a hearing on
whether a band council member's
re-election was legal.
The council's unanimous decision to fire Judge Deanna
Fairbanks came after a three member Minnesota Chippewa tribal
appellate court upheld Fairbank's
decision that the hearing should
occur. The court reviewed the case
at the request of Fond du Lac.
Under the tribal constitution,
judges' decisions are final.
The Fond du Lac council said
Tuesday in a press release that
Fairbanks' actions pose a "threat
to the integrity of the electoral
process and the rule of law on the
Fond du Lac Reservation."
Fairbanks countered that the coun
cil threatens tribal integrity.
"They're jeopardizing sovereignty by doing this," she said,
pointing out that a bill now pending before Congress provides for
federal review of tribal court decisions. The bill came partly in
response to complaints by tribal
members that their courts are controlled by councils that abuse
members' rights.
"When we violate due process
and when tribal governments start
stomping on the rights ofthe individuals whose rights they should
be protecting, I get very worried,"
Fairbanks said. "I wouldn't be
very proud of myself right now if
I were a Fond du Lac elected official."
Fond du Lac Chairman Robert
"Sonny" Peacock didn't return a
Tuesday morning phone call; neither
he nor Secretary-Treasurer Peter
Defoe were in their offices in the
afternoon and neither could be
reached Tuesday evening.
At issue is an election protest
filed by band member Sandra Savage, who was a contender for the
Cloquet District representative
seat. Savage filed her protest
within the timeline that Fairbanks,
as election judge, had set and
which at least three other Minnesota Chippewa Tribe election
judges also used. Fond du Lac
argued that Savage filed a day too
late and the protest should be dismissed. At Peacock's request, the
Tribal Executive Committee since
has described a precise timeline
but didn't direct that it be applied
to the pending case. The appellate
court supported Fairbanks.
In its press release, the Fond du
Lac council said Fairbanks was
fired because she refused to apply
the timeline to the Savage case.
"With their action, they've dis
emboweled the concept of justice
and the tribal judicial system,"
said Jim Northrup Jr., Fond du Lac
legal advocate.
Fairbanks told the council in a public letter Tuesday that it had "made a
mockery of our Tribal Courts System... It is clear that you will allow
only a puppet court to work for you. I
can only hope that you will seriously
consider the repercussions beyond
your own self-interests and allow your
court system and your laws to work."
Disgruntled band members gathered in the rain outside the locked
courtroom Tuesday afternoon, discussing whether the council members
should be removed from office and
awaiting a press conference called by
Savage.
"Their appointed people make decisions according to the law- but if
they don't like the decision, they simply fire them," Edward "Skip"
Pelerin said.
A former band appointee to the
Fond-du-Luth Casino commission,
Pelerin was recalled after he voted to
turn Duluth's share of casino profits
over to the city contrary to a Fond du
Lac directive. The band and the city
jointly own the downtown Duluth
casino, but are at loggerheads over
their share of its profits.
"Where's justice?," Pelerin asked,
"They're pushing the people right to
the very edge."
Eventually the group moved to the
back room of a nearby tavern, where
four years earlier another Fond du
Lac election judge had held court
after he was evicted from the courtroom and fired.
There, Savage said as she prepared to go to court that morning,
the clerk of court called and told
her the judge had been fired and
the hearing had been canceled.
Savage said the council had thus
deprived her of rights guaranteed
by the Indian Civil Rights Act and
the tribal constitution.
"Why does the Fond du Lac (council) so vigorously try to avoid a trail
on the merits of my case?" she
asked, "Judge Fairbanks is a fair
and conscientious person - what
are they afraid of?"
In the June 9 election, incumbents;
Peacock and Cloquet district Representative Clifton Rabideaux were
returned to office by margins provided by absentee votes.
Savage wouldn't make public the
particulars on her case at this time,
but band members called the Duluth
News-Tribune during the pre-election period complainingthat absentee
voters were being bribed with food,
beer and promises of housing. Any
questionable absentee votes cast for
Rabideaux also could bring
Peacock's votes into question.
Rabideaux couldn't be reached for
comment