The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1994-04-08

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Hennepin County rescinds contract with
New Visions/ Thunder Hawk being harassed by superiors
By Gary Blair
It appears that Hennepin County
officials are still trying to find a way
out of the mess that they've created
since trying to cover-up the client
abuse at their old detoxification center
located at 1800 Chicago Avenue south
in Minneapolis.
On Tuesday of this week the county
board met and as part of their agenda
they rescinded the contract with the
New Visions chemical dependency
treatment program that was supposed
to develop a culturally-specific detox
center for Native Americans.
Over a year ago Hennepin County
entered into a secret agreement with
the State of Minnesota that closed
their old detox center that was dubbed
the "chamber of horrors." As a result, the state passed a law that
mandated the county to fund a detox
center for Native Americans before
they can open another detox facility.
Judy Olson, board member for New
Visions told the County Commissioners that her organization isn't able to
develop such a detox center. New
Visions board chairperson Joe Estrada
left the county commissioners meeting area just before the issue of the
Indian detox center contract was to be
discussed. Estrada left in the company
of Robert Albe, of the Native American Housing Corporation (NAHC),
whose group had just been turned
down by the county board for $75,000
to develop wet/dry housing for Indian
chemcial dependents.
PRESS sources say the NAHC taxpayer funding was held up until the
county investigates the organization's
previous use of other funds received
from other sources. Additional sources
say Native American elder and activist Ira Sailor paid a visit to county
commissioners Sandra Hillary andPe-
ter Mclaughlin the day before and
produced documents that substantiate
the misuse of funds by that group.
Sailor was also at the commissioner's
meeting. He arrived in his wheelchair
ready to testify, but was told that it
wasn't necessary. Others who testified as to what is needed to address the
Indian community' s detox needs were
met with a sharp response from commissioner Hillary.
' 'You think we're going to trust that
community anymore? You're just a
bunch of power hungry people who
want to have control!'' Hillary blasted
the group.
Kathleen Messinger, spokesperson
for the Native American Coalition for
Civil Rights (NACCR), who was
present at the meeting, told the PRESS
later that if "they're (the county) not
willing to work with us then we'll
have to focus on the client abuse that
they've never addressed."
PRESS sources say the American
Indian Health Care Association in St.
Paul, Minnesota, is now the organization the county wants to work with.
According to those who stayed for
the close of the commissioner's meeting, Commissioner Hillary mentioned
that they had received a letter from
that organization expressing an interest in developing an Indian detox
center.
With the cancelling of the New Visions Indian detox center contract the
Minneapolis Indian community may
also lose the New Visions program as
a result of that decision. According to
Contract/ see page 3
A. I. Theatre announces cast for Blk. Elk Speaks/ pg 8
Airwaves held up by 'Indian Outlaw1/ page 1
NAP right on, not gone awry/ page 4
Turtle Mountain res. newspaper editor fired/ page 1
Red wine for a red wino (Grandpa says)/ page 8
Voice of the Anishinabeg (The People)
I
The
Fifty Cents
OJibvwe
News
We
Fniial Opportunity For AD
Courageous group stays sober by supporting
each other
 . ,—.—. ,—_—,	
Founded in 1988 Volume 5   Issue 41
April 8, 1994
1
•u, 1994
By Gary Blair
When staying sober becomes the
most important goal in your life, what
does one do in the Minneapolis Native
American community to reach that
goal? For a group of Indian people
living at 2702 and 2708 Portland Avenue South in Minneapolis this effort
is being accomplished through a coed living arrangement that offers the
necessary support.
A total of 18 people rent rooms in
the two large houses that are located in
an area of the Twin Cities with one of
the highest crime rates. Recently, the
PRESS was invited to meet with this
group and learn more about their lives
and the neighborhood in which they
live.
"Two years ago we had the first
murder of the year. It happened right
across thestreet," said caretaker Daryl
No Heart, the only person in the group
willingto have his name used "We've
had drive by shootings right next
door," added one of the women who
has rented with the group for nearly
two years. "There was a man found
dead right next to this place," said
another.
"We really don't want people to
•know that we're here because we're
trying to start new lives," another
explained. "Nearly all of us are working or going to school. Ofthetwonew
comers at the residence, one man
didn't have a job, but said he was
looking. One women told of why
she decided to move in with the others.
"I was losing my sobriety where I was
living. Once I made-up my mind to
move here, I was there one minute and
here the next," she said.
"This is all happening without any
'Indian program,' " No Heart added.
' "This place has worked because all of
us are Indians that live here. It's been
our experience that if we let other
races in, or if there are Indians that are
involved with other nationalities it
doesn't work," he said. "The first
time these people get in an argument
race seems to always become an issue,
it causes trouble for everyone," No
Heart explained.
Other problems that create stress for
this determined group include the
"whorehouse'' that's been operating
just two blocks north of them. "Idon't
now why they don't do something
about it, one of the men that came out
of that place was beaten-up last year,''
the PRESS was told. "They found
another guy across the street with a
plastic bag over his head. That's the
time they arrested a bunch of gang
members. It was a good thing that the
police found him when they did, he
was nearly dead," No Heart added.
"We leave the neigborhood to work
and we have to come back here to
live," one resident said. "Other people that work in the Indian community,
work here, but don't live here. They
don't feel safe," he continued.
Even with all the problems associated with this street, the group
maintains their sobriety and through
it all has held onto their "Indian
humor." "It's the only place in Minneapolis where someone is willing to
get up and talk to you at 4:00 in the
morning," the PRESS was told.
Besides the incidents mentioned
above, the group has also seen some
positive changes within the area in
recent months. One women said, "I
lost my billfold and the next door
neighborhood returned it, it had everything still in it." And people are
starting to become more fricndh
other commented.
The group plans to hold a community feast on June 3, 1994. "We'll
hold it right here. We're also going to
have a drum group here at that time,''
No Heart said. "I feel that everyone
deserves another chance. We offer
respect to everyone that comes here.
Some of our people that have left here
now have good jobs," he said.
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Photo by Shelley Davis
Cerole Standing Elk, Bobby Castillo, and Fern Mathias outside the Press Club after altercation.
AIM press conference ends with altercation
Superintendent says school needs BIA help
By Marirynn Wheeler
FARGO, N.D. (AP) A state task force
has substantiated two minor incidents
of physical abuse by Wahpeton Indian
School staff, and dozens of instances
where students were neglected or
improperly supervised
Superintendent Robert Hall on
Tuesday endorsed the panel's findings,
saying he was the first person to admit
the Indianboardingschoolhas problems
and "We truly intend to use all that's
happened tous as evidence of our need."
In its recommendations, the state Child
Protection Team task force said it is
time for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to
do something about solving those
problems.
"These problems have been
pointed out to the bureau for many,
many years," Hall said at a news
conference. "Everybody that's
ever looked at these boarding
schools have talked about the need
to change the way we operate them.''
In one case of abuse, Hall said a staff
member tried to intervene in a fight
between three students. One youngster
fell during the fracas, another was
bruised
In the other case, a staff member
witnessed a hazing incident, which Hall
called a "swirlie." He said the
youngsters got the idea from a movie:
Oneboy's head was held in a toilet bowl
and his hair swirled around when the
toilet was Hushed. The staff member
later was disciplined, according to Hall.
The task force also cited 14 cases of
improper supervision, which was
blamed for 44 instances of inhalant
abuse over a three-month period and
302 casesofstudents who left the campus
without permission or ran away from
the school. Scissors, knives and razor
blades were confiscated as weapons on
a weekly basis, the panel concluded.
The number of students absent without
leave had been 1,500 midway through
the 1992 school year, Hall said "Even
though (the numbers) are bad, they're
down."
The task force report, dated March 21
but released only Tuesday, wasbased on
interviews with 41 students and 56
school employees and an extensive
reviewof schooland local police records.
Thirteen cases of medical neglect were
noted by the task force, most of them
procedural and recordkeeping
violations. Hall noted that medical
services were provided by a separately
administered Indian Health Services
clinic at the school.
A separate state fire marshal's
investigationfound 14 safety violations,
noting that many of them had been
noted by federal inspectors in the past.
"Overall, I'm pleased with what the
By Shelley Davis, Staff writer
News From Indian Country
A press conference erupted with spit
and coffee after the Autonomous
American Indian Movement chapters
had read the preliminary statement of
the Tribunal, which was conducted
late March.
Carole Standing Elk, of the "nationally recognized" ATM, came to
the press conference accompanied by
her mother, Bertha Eastman, sister
Fern Mathias, and Patti Jo King, of
California AIM, Inc. Standing Elk
had planned to pass out information
flyers but was stopped by Bobby
Castillo, San Francisco autonomous
AIM and Leonard Peltier International
spokesperson.
Standing Elk then went to the San
Francisco Press Club Manager, Bill
Mason, and asked permission to pass
out the information. Mason told her
she could give the information out on
the sidewalk outside the press club,
but the other' 'group'' had rented the
press room and that it was their press
conference.
As Standing Elk approached the
door, carrying two large cups of coffee, she said if anyone wanted to know
the truth she would give it to them
outside. Annette Jaimes, Colorado professor, said no one wanted to hear
Standing Elk's lies. StandingElkcame
back inside the door and became involved in verbal attacks. A San
Francisco police officer, Clark Lee,
got between the two just as Standing
Elk moved toward Jaimes and Jaimes
reached for Standing Elk. The officer
and Jaimes then found themselves
drenched with coffee. Officer Lee
grabbed Jaimes in a headlock.
Standing Elk went outside where a
verbal quarrel ensued between her
and autonomous AIM chapter members. Officer Lee then placed Jaimes
behind the Press Club door as shouting continued.
"Are you through? Stop, whatever
you reason is, stop,'' Lee said to Standing Elk. "I want her in jail. Take her
to jail," Stanking Elk told the officer.
Officer Lee told Jaimes that he had
never had coffee thrown on him so
quickly in 25 years.
"You took a swing at this woman
and threw coffee all over me at the
same time,'' said Lee. Jaimes told him
she had no coffee and to ask those in
attendance who had witnessed the al-.
tercation. Standing Elk persisted in
telling the officer to take Jaimes to jail
when again, a shouting match ensued.
"I am not here to determine who's
right and who's wrong in this issue,
okay?" said officer Lee. As shouting
continued, Lee turned to Ward
Churchill, Colorado ATM Co-director, and asked him to go inside.
Standing Elk continued to yell at
Jaimes and he finally yelled to Standing Elk,' 'Would you walk away from
here too! Would you be quiet?! Would
you be quiet!"
Jaimes was taken to the car,
Churchill gave a statement inside the
Press Club and Standing Elk was sent
to the opposite side of the club for a
statement.
Patti Jo King, of California ATM,
Inc., was asking how they (the autonomous ATM members) could behave as
Conference/ page 3
Help/ see page 3      Reservation newspaper editor fired
Airwaves held up by 'Indian Outlaw'
By John Welbes
Reprinted with permission of the
Duluth News-Tribune
Tune to any country radio station
these days and in a matter of minutes
you'll probably hear the song' 'Indian Outlaw."
Sung by country artist Tim McGraw,
the popular tune has climbed to No. 8
on Billboard's country charts, and
has kept the request lines lit up at
several Northland country stations.
Some Native Americans, however,
aren't amused. The song didn't even
come close to making the play list at
WOJB-FM, a station in Hayward,
owned by the Lac Courte Oreilles
Chippewa.
"It's stunningly bad on virtually
every count," said Eric Schubring.
He hosts the morning profram at
WOJB, and finds the song offensive.
"I think one could describe it with
expletives if one wanted to."
Country stations in Duluth and on
the Iron Range say they've had little
reaction to the song ~ except for the
load of call-in play requests.
The song starts out with, "I'm an
Indian outlaw/ Half Cherokee and
half Choctaw/ My baby she's a Chippewa/ She's one-of-a-kind." It goes
on to describe the life of an Indian,
and mentions a few other tribes. A
later verse includes the lyrics: "You
can find me in my wig-wam/ I'll be
beating on my tom-tom/ Pull out the
pipe and smoke me some/ And pass it
around."
"It compares to the worst drivel
I've ever heard in poetry or song,"
Schubring said. "It makes 'Achy
Breaky Heart' look like the love song
of the century."
Earlier this week, Duluth's KZIO-
FM, which has a pop music format,
gave the song a whirl to see what
listerners thought. "The response was
pretty much negative," said Rick
Hamilton, KZIO's music director. He
said the station received 15 to 20
calls, including some from Native
Americans. Most callers said the "Indian Outlaw" should be locked up.
The song has been in the regular
play rotation at WAVC-FM in Duluth for 10 weeks, and the station has
only received a couple of complaints,
said Pat Puchalla, WAVC's program
manager. The complaints came in on
a weekend, and the callers were told
to call back to talk to Puchalla on
Monday. He didn't hear back from
them, he said.
In some mountain states,-stations
are shying away from the song, he
Outlaw/see page 5
BELCOURT, N.D. (AP) The editor
of the Turtle Mountain reservation
newspaper has been fired by the tribal
council.
Robin Powell said she first learned
ffom staff members that the tribal
council had voted to fire her last
week. She said she didn't get the
official word until Thursday morning,
when she went uninvited to a meeting
with tribal council rifembers.
"Nothing was presented to me, no
specifics, no names, no documents,"
Powell said.
Reporters Brenda Greenwood and
Orie Richard have been named co-
editors of the Turtle Mountain Times,
said tribal personnel officer Joe
Parisien. Bryant LaVallie, the sales
manager, has been named newspaper
manager.
Tribal council members were not in
the office Friday, a holiday, and could
not be reached for comment.
Powell has been editor of the Times
since its launching last October. Before
that, she worked part-time at the Grand
Forks Herald. She also was working on
a master's degree at the University of
North Dakota.
The council is offering Powell
severance pay to cover the remainder of
her one-year verbal contract with the
tribe, she said.
Powell said the tribal council cited
unspecified complaints and "too
much negativity" for her dismissal.
The two reporters also had brought
complaints to the council, including
charges that she changed headlines
and only published what she wanted
to see.
She also said she may have irked
the council by pressing for minutes of
its meetings. The Turtle Mountain
Times printed a weekly gray box with
an explanation that' 'this space is still
reserved for the tribal minutes."
Tribal councils usually appoint,
either directly or indirectly, the staff
of media organizations on
reservations, and have the power to
hire and fire those people. Off the
reservation, the situation would be
akin to having a local newspaper
under control of a mayor or city
council.
In May 1991, the tribal council of
the Three Affiliated Tribes on the
Fort Berthold reservation fired
Dorreen Yellow Bird, then executive
director of the'tribal radio station and
newspaper, aspartofa reorganization.
Yellow Bird said she wasfiredbecause
of conflicts over broadcasting
recorded tribal council meetings.
The same month, Mandan-Hidatsa-
Arikara Times editor Tony Lone
Fight, Yellow Bird's son, also was
fired.
In July 1991, the Devils Lake Sioux
Tribe fired tribal newspaper editor
Randall Howell after he was sued for
libel for an opinion article he wrote.
Howell said the Oyate Ho probably
was more aggressive than the tribal
council liked. The newspaper folded
after five issues.
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