The Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1992-09-04

              Osseo Public School District #279 sets pace in multi-cultural education program
By Gary Blair
Over three years ago Minnesota
law makers mandated multi-cultural
awareness to be taught in the state's
public school system. From what the
PRESS learned on Wednesday the
Osseo School District, which is one
of the largest school districts in the
state, decided to use this order as an
opportunity to address the issue of
cultural diversity within their
growing community. With over 130
students of color now attending the
Osseo schools, the school district
hired Jerry Buckanaga two years ago
as their cultural program specialist
to help assure this process was being
implemented. Etta Norwood, who is
an African American, oversees the
Osseo school district's multi-cultural
program.
Buckanaga who is from the White
Earth Indian Reservation said, "The
first year I felt like quitting about
every three weeks. Many of the
principals from the 26 different
schools within the district didn't
want me going in their classrooms to
talk about the subject of cultural
differences." He continued, "I've
been stopped eight times in the last
two years by local law enforcement
for nothing. I finally talked with one
of the local police chiefs about why
I was being stopped. Can you
believe he told me, it's because I am
Indian, because I am big and
because Indians come out here and
sell drugs."
Buckanaga, who has a Master's
degree in Educational
Administration said, "within the last
year things have really changed." He
said, "If multi-cultural programs are
going to work then the only way
they can is that if support comes
from school district's leadership." In
an interview with Dr. Marl Ramsey,
Superintendent of Osseo Public
Schools and Bill Dix, School
Community Relations Coordinator,
the PRESS heard why Buckanaga
feels there will be success. Dr.
Ramsey said, "I don't think we can
call ourselves leaders in this area,
because we have just gotten started
and we still have a long way to go."
Dix's comments were more direct.
He said, "In the community where I
live people have asked me where
they can go so they can live only
with people like themselves." He
continued, "Of course, they don't
talk as nicely as I just did." He
added, "this type of talk bothers me,
that's why we need to teach our
students about the different
cultures." Dr. Ramsey then went on
to make it clear that not only him,
but the school Board also feels
strongly about cultural awareness.
To demonstrate his point Ramsey
presents a large document entitled
"PROCLAMATION" signed by
Osseo School Board Chairperson,
Ron Christensen, that states the
following," WHEREAS :
Independent School District 279 is a
comprehensive school district
providing educational programs to
meet the needs of all students; and
WHEREAS: Each day new students
of diverse cultures and racial
backgrounds join the District 279
community; and WHEREAS: The
acceptance of all people, with all
their differences, is at the very
foundation of our country; and
WHEREAS: Such acceptance will
only take place with understanding
of each unique individual; and
WHEREAS: It is only through this
complete understanding that our
diversity may be celebrated; NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that the school Board of Independent
School District 279 proclaims 'Seek
First to Understand Others --
Celebrate Diversity' as the theme for
effort by staff, students and parents
for the 1992-93 school year. The
entire District 279 Community seeks
to understand the beauty of
difference and also that each
individual of goodwill takes positive
steps to fight prejudice and acts of
rejection and hatred wherever
found."
Patty Lind, who is a 5th grade
teacher at the Fernbrook Elementary
School said she has been a teacher
for 20 years, the last 13 with Osseo
schools. She told the PRESS that she
wanted to share what their
multi-cultural awareness program
has been doing in the Osseo school
district. She also said, she is part of a
team of six staff members from
throughout the district that work
closely with Buckanaga. When
asked about the number of Indian
teachers now employed by the
district she said, "At present there
are only two, but added, I think they
are trying to hire more." Lind who
was raised in Bemidji said, "she
assists the other teachers at her
school in implementing cultural
awareness in their classrooms." Lind
who became fired up when talking
about what she does said, "We sent
out a questionnaire last January to
the parents. Most wanted cultural
awareness to be taught to their
students." (Most of the responses to
the questionnaire wanted cultural
awareness taught because they felt it
is long over due in the schools.)
Darzy Ayers Olson, who is an
Elementary Music Teacher with the
Osseo schools, proudly told the
PRESS that she is from the white
Earth Indian Reservation. Her
mother said she came from the
community of Pine Bend. Presently,
she serves as chairperson for the
Indian Parent Committee and is also
part of the team that works with
Buckanaga. She said, "the parent
committee helps the school dLi.' .
'weed-out' materials with negative
stereotypes of Indians." Her
committee also developed a list of
recommended media materials for
purchase by the school district.
Jack Sharp, who is a Blackfoot
Indian from Browning, Montana,
also works with the school's multicultural program. Other team
members include Betty Bartos, Mary
Vincent, and Carole Aene.
Jerry Buckanaga said his
program's budget this year is at
$65,000. He said, "The budget
includes salaries and the cost of the
promotional items for the program.
At present the Osseo area schools
1992-93 school year's theme for
multi-cultural involves the Lakota
Indian belief in the "Medicine
Wheel." This poster comes to the
school district through Lakota Indian
Ed McGaa.
If the school Board and school
administration are an example of the
Osseo school district's commitment
and efforts to instill multi-cultural
awareness education in their
students when this school has a good
start in becoming a leader in
Minnesota's desire for this type of
education in its schools.
By and For the Native American Community
$M Native
free
American
Press
We support Equal Opportunity For All People
A Weekly Publication
Indian Child Welfare Act Child Abuse Case Decided
Founded in 1991
Volume 2 Issue 17
September 4, 1992
By Mel Rasmussen
On Friday, August 28,1992, the first
childabuse case inNorthern Minnesota,
covered by Indian Child Welfare Act,
was decided by the Federal Court in
Minneapolis. The outcome was a not
guilty verdict, however, it is irnportant
to note that this case will set the
guidelines and touchstones for future
cases covered by the Act
Ms. Jean Graham, Assistant U. S.
Attorney, prosecutor for the United
States, felt thattheissues were clear and
in the future there will be a faster turn
around in the prosecution timeforsimilar
cases coveredunderthe act Shefeltthis
first case was the most difficult as there
were no other cases to refer to for
guidance and direction. Also the time
periods were drawn out due to the lack
of disclosure by all parties. Once the
facts became known the various law
enforcementand social service agencies
moved swiftly to stop any ongoing
occurrences and protect thechild'srights
and well-being.
The defendant was charged with
"Engaging In a Sexual Act With a
Person under 12 YearsOld," in October,
1991. The process of finding the
defendant started. According to
authorities, the defendant had a run in
with county law enforcement officials at
which time it was discovered that a
outstanding warrant was on file. His
first hearing was in May 1992, and the
case was concluded in August, 1992.
Ms. Graham stated that this case was
started prior to the implementation of a
team concept approach. According to
various law enforcement agencies, both
federal and tribal, there are now bimonthly meetings between all of the
concerned social service agencies and
law enforcementand theU.S. Attorney's
office to meet and discuss and do the
investigation and follow-up on new
cases.
It is felt that the safety ofthe children
is paramount and such actions against
them is unacceptable. According to the
U.S. Attorney's office there have been
approximately 15 cases in the last 18
montiis from Red Lake that have been
brought in front of the federal judicial
system. All of these cases have had
convictions or guilty pleas rendered .
These cases have included numerous
assaults involving minors, but this was
the first child abuse case that had come
to trail in this court system.
Ms. Joyce Roy of the Red Lake
Enforcement Office felt that positive
actions have come into play because of
this case. The actions of all concerned
agencies to meet and combine forces
has produced a solid base from which
investigations and indictments can come
from. This case has provided a major
impetus of education for all agencies
and it is the will of these agencies to see
astopto thistypeofdamagingbenaviors
within the community.
Ms. Roy also stated that the Red Lake
Tribal Council is becoming actively
involved in supporting the actions of
the group and has started working to
establish a safe house within the
community. The purpose ofthe facility
is toprovidea placefor the enforcement
officials to place battered women and
children in a protected facility and
eliminate any further abuse. Also there
has been work with the Illusion Theater
to start developing small plays and
teachings for children so they can
understand that they have the right to
say no and protect themselves. Also
tJierewillbeamoreintensive community
education program implemented to let
parents and grandparents, who play a
great role in the child's life, know about
uiese issues.
All ofthe authorities felt that the young
child in this case, through her testimony
and through her suffering, provided the
starting point for educating this legal system
and court on the issues of child abuse and
its horrors. Hopefully at some later date,
she will be able to realize the benefits that
will ensue from her case and how it will
help protect ouier young people from the
perpetrators that exist within the
communities.
Currently at Red Lake there are at least 5
more possible cases of child abuse pending
and under current investigation. All of
these cases deal with sexual abuse of
children. All ofthe authorities reiterated
the fact that if any person inurrudates any"
witness or child and tries to stop them from
testifying that they will actively go after
these individuals also. Felony charges will
be filed against them, and they intend to
make them stick. This on-going sickness
must stop and the perpetrators and his or
her supporters and accomplices will have
to answer to the community and thejudicial
system,
According to the U.S. Attorney's office
there is another child abuse case scheduled
to start on or about September 8th. It is the
United States vs. Dale Johns. The charges
reflect a period of over six years of sexual
abuse and has eight indictment counts
pending. The lessons learned in the first
case will now be applied in the prosecution
of this case and will be important in the
future to come.
Copyright, The Native American Press, 1992
The two new vice presidents, Rayna Mattinas and Jim Lincoln, at the Grand Casino Hinkley.
Grand Casino announces two promotions
By Bruce Graves
Grand Casino Hinckley
announced the promotion of two
vice-presidents, Rayna Mattinas
and Jim Lincoln. Rayna Mattinas
was promoted from Director of
Human Resources. Jim Lincoln was
Director of Maintenance, and is
now Vice-President of Facilities.
Rayna Mattinas is a tribal
member from the Mille Lacs Band.
She was bom and raised in the Lake
Lena District. Rayna currently
resides in Pine City, Minnesota.
Rayna has three children. Rayna
graduated from Pine City High
School, attended Normandale
Community College and Bemidji
State University, her major was
Business Administration. Mattinas
has been an employee at Grand
Casino Mille Lacs in the Human
Resources department and was
transferred in February 1992 to the
Hinckley Casino.
As Human Resources Director,
Mattinas has been instrumental in
the selection and placement of the
staff at Grand Casino Hinckley.
Jim Lincoln was the Director of
Maintenance hired in January
1992. Jim was born and raised in
Tomah, Wisconsin; a tribal
member of the Western
Winnebago. Jim has three children
still living in Wisconsin who have
not joined him yet.
Jim is a graduate of Tomah High
School, he attended Madison Area
Technical College, graduated from
the University of Wisconsin-
Madison and attended the
Hamishfeger Institute, Milwaukee
for mobile crane operators. Jim
Lincoln is certified as a Licensed
Journeyman Plumber and a Level
II Welding Inspector. Jim served
his five year plumbing
apprenticeship with Mechanical
Systems, Inc. in Madison,
Wisconsin. During that time Jim
achieved the Wisconsin pipe trades
council award of "Plumbing
Apprenticeship ofthe year 1980."
Rayna and Jim wish to thank the
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for
investing their support and
confidence in them with their new
promotions Rayna and Jim are also
glad to be associated with the
management team Grand Casino,
Inc. Both Rayna and Jim are
looking forward to a long and
happy future at Grand Casino
Hinckley.
Federal health studies will focus on minorities
New Provisions for extended Unemployment insurance benefits
(StPaul) TheMinnesotaDepartmentofJobs
and Training previously announced reauthorization ofthe Federal Extended Benefits
Program by Congress effective Jury 5,1992.
In addition to reauthorizing the program,
however, special new provisions allowed for
expanded access to this program under some
circumstances.
Previously, only claimants who had regular
claim earnings equal to40 times their weekly
benefitamounts wereeligible forthe extended
program. Now those who do not meet that test
can establish claims for these federal benefits
if their regular claim earnings equal one and
one-half times their high quarter earnings; or
they have 20 weeks of work in their base
period, regardless of earnings. Previously
disqualified claimants who would now be
eligible because of this change have been
notified by mail.
This law also provides that Persian Gulf
reservists called to active duty during that
action are entitled to receive a benefit amount
under the Federal Extended Benefit Program
which is not less than the amount payable to
those reservists in unemployment or trade
readjustment benefits during the week of call
uptoactiveduty. Anyreservists whose federal
extended benefitclaim is paying less than they
were paid when called to active duty during
the Persian Gulf crisis, should notify the Job
Service Office where theirclaim is filed so this
can be adjusted.
Cleveland (AP) - A top
government health official says she
believes $45 million designated to
increase minority health research
next year should survive any budget
cutting.
"I think this is a case where
politics helps," said Dr. Bernadine
P. Healy, Healy, director of the
National Institutes of Health, which
funds 90 percent of all basic science
research in the nation and more than
a quarter of all medical research.
"This is a visible political issue,
and at this time no one would cut
it," she told The Plain Dealer in a
story published Sunday.
She is a former Cleveland Clinic
cardiologist and research director.
The Minority Health Initiative
was required by Congress more
than two years ago to focus on the
problems of minorities being
underrepresented or left out of
most federally funded medical
studies.
The initiative includes about $17
million for medical studies aimed
at minorities and $8 million in
financial incentives for researchers
to include minority patients.
Many major research studies and
discoveries, such as the use of
aspirin in preventing heart attacks,
have not been proven to apply to
minorities, because in many cases
only whites were tested.    *
NIH officials believe that by
encouraging researchers to include
more minorities in medical studies,
as well as substantially increasing
the number of minority researchers,
the health of blacks, Hispanics,
Asians and Native Americans will
be improved.
A study by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services in the
mid-1980s found that some 60,000
blacks died each year of diseases
that could have been prevented or
cured.
Women of Nations', Eagles' Nest Shelter, Follows Native Traditions
By Sara Lawrence
Early in 1991 members from
Women of Nations, a group started
by Native American women
concerned with the issue of violence
against women, took part in a
Yuwipi Ceremony led by medicine
man, Bert Crane. They had come to
the ceremony to pray for a building
that would house the battered
women's shelter they had been
struggling to set up. During the
ceremony the women were told they
would soon get the building they
needed and that it should be called
the "Eagles' Nest Shelter." It was a
sure sign of blessing when the
women finally got approval for one
of the buildings they had been trying
to secure and went into the backyard
to find two large, stone statues of
eagles on the roof.
Women of Nations was started in
1982 by four Native American
women who felt that existing
shelters were not providing adequate
advocacy for Native American
women. It is made up of two
components, the community
advocacy program which was
designed to assist women who do
not want to leave the abusive
relationship but recognize the need
for help, and the Eagles' Nest
Shelter which provides crisis for
housing women and their children in
a culturally sensitive environment.
Sam Eliott, the legal advocacy
trainer for the community advocacy
program, is quick to explain, "We
are not here to break up families.
The purpose of our program is to
educate women about the options
available to them and assist them
through the process." Eliott went on
to say that in some cases the women
chose to take legal action against
their abuser which can be either a
civil or criminal proceeding and it is
her responsibility to provide training
for the volunteers and members of
the social service agencies that try to
help the women. Civil proceedings4
are initiated to obtain protection
from the abuser and determine child
custody issues while criminal suits
serve to bring about retribution for
physical injury and damage to
property.
"Although we cannot say that in
every situation the abuser is always
the male and the victim is always the
fenale, the ratio is 95 to 5 in favor of
this so we generally refer to the
abuser as "he" and the victim as
"she," Eliot said. In addition to providing assistance for the victims
through the maze of our legal system
the community advocacy program
serves as a networking resource for
the various social service agencies
which provide assistance to Indian
women including the Department of
Indian Works, the Domestic Abuse
Office, Ramsey County Initiative,
adn the St. Paul Intervention Project.
When asked about resources
available to the abusers Elliot said
that there are some organizations
such as the Wilder Domestic Abuse
Program and Midway Hospital
Family Services which sponsor
"anger" groups for men. These
groups serve as a place to vent
frustrations and talk about
nonviolent ways to handle their
emotions. In addition, the
Department of Indian Works
provides counseling for abusers and
Lakewood Community College
offers classes for learning nonviolent
techniques for stress management
but it should be noted that
attendance by most of the abusers is
court ordered and very few go with
the sincere intention of changing
their behavior.
Eagles' Nest Shelter, the second
component of the Women of
Nations organization, opened its
doors to battered Indian women and
their children on June 3, 1991. It is
the first shelter of its kind to be
based on Native American spiritual
beliefs. However, it is not restricted
to Native Americans. The Eagles'
Nest offers services to women of all
races as long as they respect the fact
that the shelter is run according to
traditional ways. Georgia Mayotte,
the volunteer coordinator, stated,
"When a non-Native women comes
to the shelter these ways are
explained to her and if she is not
comfortable with them the staff will
help her find a place more suitable
to her needs."
Some of the activities that set the
Eagles' Nest apart include beginning
and ending each week with a pipe
ceremony, burning sage and sweetgrass, talking circles, sweats
provided on request, and a general
acknowledgment and respect for the
Creator. These traditional activities
are only a small part of the services
provided by the shelter. It's foremost
function is to provide a safe environment and the basic necessities of life
for women and children while they
take the time to recover from abuse
and make plans for a brighter
future. "The shelter provides all
food, clothing (if needed),
childcare, professional counseling,
support groups, information and
referrals to the women," said
Mayotte. "There is no limit on the
length of time they can stay as long
as they are goal-oriented for
working on issues of abuse and
finding safe alternative housing." It
should be noted that women who
receive AFDC or welfare do not
jeopardize their benefits while
staying at the shelter.
The Eagles' Nest staff is very
good at providing evening
entertain- ment for the women and
children which includes dream
interpretation, gardening, arts and
crafts, and puppet shows to name a
few. However, the most popular
recreational activity is Georgia's
Friday Night Bingo Palace where
the women play to win donated
household items. The Eagles' Nest
is always looking for these items, in
good condition, to give away as
bingo prizes. In addition, they need
volunteers to provide
transportation, cleaning, and
childcare. Anyone interested should
contact Georgia Mayotte.
The need for organizations such
as Women of Nations continues
because statistics show that once
every 15 seconds a women or child is
victimized by domestic violence.
Only through education can this
problem be dealt with effectively.
Women must be educated as to the
options available to them so that they
may choose a way out and men must
be educated about nonviolent ways of
handling their emotions. The
philosophy behind the Women of
Nations organization says it best. "In
respect for Mother Earth, we
unconditionally commit ourselves to
her, to our sisterhood, and to the
Circle of Life. We, as Women of
Nations, do not derserve to be beaten.
We as Women of Nations realizing
that we cannot endure the pain of
violence alone, can grow by sharing.
We as Women of Nations need to
respect and appreciate the tribal
differences amongst us and realize
that we have all learned ways of
surviving. We as Women of Nations
hold a vision of family without
violence. As the Mother Earth reveals
her strength through the creation of
life, we also derive strength from her
to make positive change through our
own decisions.
A.