The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1994-07-08

              Detox issues addressed by federal authorities
By Gary Blair
Hennepin County officials have
hired retired attorney Doug Hall to
investigate allegations of client abuse
by security at 1800 Chicago Ave. South
in Minneapolis. The PRESS has also
learned that the FBI has received three
criminal complaints from a federal
judge to investigate the client abuse
that closed the county's old detox
center once dubbled the "chamber of
horrors."
In addition, the Minneapolis American Indian Center has been put on
probation by the State Department of
Human Services, Division of Chemical Dependency, American Indian
Sendees, for their poor performance
in handling program funding and
record keeping involving the center's
Whitefeather
inauguration as
Reprinted w/ Permission
of The Pioneer
By Monte Draper
Red Lake ~ "Things take time, but
if we move as a united nation it will
happen," Bobby Whitefeather said
last week in his inaugural address
as newly elected tribal chairman of
the Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Indians. *»
More than 400 people attended
Thursday night's inauguration and
feast held in the Red Lake
Humanities Center.
Whitefeather issued a series of
challenges to his fellow councilors
and the members of the Red Lake
Nation. "We must retain our culture,
language and traditions. Sovereignty
is tough to find when it comes to
chemical dependency program.
Sources say the state has given
Francis Fairbanks, the center's director, a list of things they want the
Indian center to do if they are to keep
their chemicial dependency program
funding.
Attorney Doug Hall, former head of
the Legal Rights Center located on
Chicago and Franklin in Minneapolis, has signed a contract with the
county that reads as follows:
"SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED,
A. PROVIDER shall review all current security procedures used at the
DETOX FACILITY (facility) located
at 1800 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota and indentify areas
deemed necessary for improvement.
B. PROVIDER shall make recommendations regarding establishment
of a protocol for the appropriate handling of behavioral incidents that may
occur at the Facility between staff,
contact staff, and clients.
C. PROVIDER shall use his direction in the interviewing of individuals
and communication with Native
American agencies in the community
for purpose of providing the senices
herein.
D. PROVIDER agrees to limit the
scope of his review to incidents that
occurred on or after March 29, 1994.
E. PROVIDER shall prepare a written report setting forth his findings
and recommendations as set forth in
the scope of senices herein. This report shall be delivered to Mr. Vern
Genzlinger.
Detox/ cont'd pg 3
looks to future during his
Red Lake tribal chairman
Indian tribes. Sovereignty is
continually under attack and being
eroded. We must protect it from
intruders and encroachment to
protect our young."
"This resenation is left for our
grandchildren and their
grandchildren, we must make sure
we stand proud and united to
continue as it is," said Whitefeather.
"Youth is our business; it is not a
problem but it is our business. We
must protect our children's
environment of drugs and violence."
Whitefeather, who believes in a
strong family background, told the
group they must work together. He
called himself a consensus builder
and said he will not make sweeping
changes but encouraged tribal
council members to speak freely and
help build a new future.
Whitefeather plans to form boards
and different committees with youth
sening on them to help build future
leaders and give them more voices.
Whitefeather mapped out areas
he'd like for future gaming revenues.
He would like to see revenues for
small business opportunities, saying
that small business is the backbone
of the economy and that the
resenation must diversify. Gaming
revenues are under attack by the
government, he said, adding that he
fears a proposed amendment further
regulating Indian gaming and
promised the group he would fight
the proposal "with all his being."
Whitefeather would also like
Future/ cont'd pg 4
Center School fires popular teacher
By Gary Blair
Paul Hegre, who has been Center
School's Director of Education and
also their science and math teacher for
the past nine years, has been fired.
In a memo dated June 27, 1994,
Carol Brieschke, the school's interim
director, terminated the teacher who
colleagues describe as a person who
was at the school by 6:30 a.m. most
mornings and who gave alarm clocks
to students that overslept.
In a subsequent letter dated July 5,
1994, Brieschke spelled out her reasons for the termination. The letter
reads as follows: "Paul, in response to
your request, the reason for termination is failure to follow directives to
submit reports and share information
necessary to mn the agency." (Signed)
Carol Brieschke, Executive Director.
However, PRESS sources say that is
not the real reason behind the unexpected dismissal. Hegre, who has retained legal counsel, says he doesn't
knowwhatBrieschke is referring to in
her July 5th letter to him. Others who
work at the 12 year old alternative
school for Native American youth located in south Minneapolis say they
don'tknowwhattothinkabout "Paul's
leaving."
"I don't know what we'll do without
Paul's leadership," the PRESS was
told by one ofthe remaining teachers.
The school'sboard of directors doesn't
want to hear what the staff has to say."
They say Hegre was fired shortly
after he tried to present a letter from
the staff to the school' s board of directors. That letter requested that the
board start a national search for a new
director.
" Hegre says, "Carol's contract as in-'
terim director was to last until July of
1995, and the staff felt the school's
board of directors should use that time
Center/ cont'd pg 3
Chippewa treaty rights case goes to judge
By Patrick Sweeney
Staff Writer
St. Paul Pioneer Press
After three weeks of testimony by
historians and anthropologists, the
questions remain: How much did the
Indians gathered on the dusty parade
ground at Fort Snelling in July 1837
understand about the treaty in which
they sold millions of acres of their
land?
Did they understand that the rights
they retained to hunt, fish and gather
wild rice on the land could be revoked
at any time by the president of the
United States?
And 18 years later, at a treaty conference in Washington, D.C, did a
Chippewa leader really mean for hsi
peopel to give up hunting and fishing
and to take up farming as a way of
life?
Five lawyers presented four hours
of closing arguments on those ques
tions Wednesday in U.S. District
Court in Minneapolis.
The treaty rights trial, which began
July 13, grew out of a lawsuit filed
against the state of Minnesota in 1990
by the Mille Lacs band of Chippewa.
In the suit, the band is seeking special hunting and fishing rights in a
nine-county area of central Minnesota. The band wants a filling that its
members are exempt from many state
consenation regulations, such as the
laws that bar spear fishing and gill
netting of walleyes in Lake Mille
Lacs.
A verdict in the case may be months
away. District Judge Diana Murphy,
who heard the trial without a jury,
gave no indicaiton of how—or
when—she will rule in the case. She
gave lawyers two weeks to file additional written arguments.
If Murphy rules in favor of the Indians, she will hold a second phase
of the trial to determine how to di-
Gaming bill seeks solutions
By Bunty Anquoe
With permission from
Indian Today
WASHINGTON — Long
awaited legislation to resolve heated
disputes over who controls high-
stakes gaming in Indian country is
finally on the table.
Senate leaders last Thursday
unveiled a bill that would refine the
embattled Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act—a 1988 law which
has pitted state and tribal
governments in legal and political
battles over sovereignty and
jurisdiction.
The act set up a framework where
states and tribes negotiate for the
quantity and types of games to be
operated on tribal lands, guided by
state gambling laws.
The new amendments, crafted by
leaders ofthe Senate Indian Affairs
Committee, addresses a host of
changes suggested by both dueling
parties in the politically-charged
issue.
The new bill would:
• Establish minimum federal
standards for casino and non-casino
gaming on tribal lands.
• Increase federal involvement in
the regulation of high-stakes gaming
by expanding the National Indian
Gaming Commission
• Set up a process where states
may "opt-out" of the negotiations
process for casino-type games where
the Interior Department would
assume a pivotal role.
• Set guidelines for federal courts
to determine "scope of gaming"
issues.
Sens. Daniel K Inouye, D-Hawaii,
and John McCain, R-Ariz.,
introduced the legislation after
negotiations between state and tribal
officials stonewalled and failed to
settle differences on consensus
amendments.
Sen. Inouye, chairman of the
Indian affairs committee, said the
amendments should not be seen as a
vide limited hunting and fishing resources between members ofthe band
and non-Indians. And if she rules for
the Indians, she might allow the state
to appeal that ruling before beginning
the second phase ofthe trial. A similar treaty rights lawsuit in Wisconsin
dragged on for more than a decade.
A key issue in the trial before
Murphy was whether the Mille Lacs
Indians understood what they were
surrendering to the government in
treaties signed in 1837 and 1855.
Much fo the testimony came from
modern-day historians and other social scientists.
The 1837 treaty gave Indians the
continued right to hunt, fish and
gather rice on the land they had sold
"during the pleasure ofthe president
ofthe United States."
Marc Slonim, a Seattle lawyer representing the Mille Lacs band, argued
Treaty/ cont'd pg 5
panacea to all the disputes between
states and tribes, but "as a foundation
upon which additional solutions
might be built."
"Indian gaming is not the engine
that will drive the national debate
as to whether gaming is an
acceptable means of funding
essential government functions," he
said. "What we do know is that
Indian gaming brought to
historically impoverished Indian
communities across the country,
something that the federal
government has never been able to
provide in a meaningful way"
including: job opportunities,
hospitals, clinics, schools, roads,
housing and fire and police
protection.
Scope of Gaming
The most heated point of argument
between tribes and states has been
the "scope of gaming" issue. Under
current law, states and tribes
Gaming/ cont'd pg 3
Ex-casino employee accuses supervisor of sexual harassment/ pg 4
Casinos adopting, considering drug-testing policies/ page 8
Prescott to appeal decision to revoke his tribal gaming license/ pg 8
Detox issues addressed by federal authorities/ page 1
Voice ofthe Anishinabeg (The People)
I
Fifty Cents
Founded  in 1988
Ojibwe
News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Volume G   Issue 2
July 8, 1994
A weekly publication.
Copyright, The Ojibwe Mews, 1994
Clifford Monroe Skinaway Sr. discusses spearing rights with fellow members of Anishinabe Liberation Front
Hereditary Chief Hole-in-the-Day VII passes on
Clifford Monroe Skinaway Sr.,
54, (Hereditary Chief Hole-in-the-
Day VII) passed away at St. Mary's
Medical Center in Duluth on July 5,
1994. He was born in Cloquet, MN.
He resided at Sandy Lake most of
his life and is a descendent of Chief
Hole-in-the-Day of the Mississippi
Ojibwe.
Clifford formerly resided and
worked in Bemidji where he owned
and operated an automotive repair
shop. Clifford also owned and
operated the Big Chief Construction
Company in Pequot Lakes. He was
involved in reservation politics.
Clifford also participated in stock
car racing in Minneapolis,
Mahnomen and Bemidji.
Clifford is survived by his wife,
Gloria Jean Sayers Skinaway, of 32
years; daughters Sandra (Ken) Perry
of Sandy Lake, Lorene Skinaway of
Bemidji, Elizabeth Skinaway of
Duluth, Jean (Keith) Pendleton of
Fort Bragg, NC, Julie Skinaway of
Sandy Lake, Emma Skinaway of
Sandy Lake and sons Kenneth Roy
Skinaway of Sandy Lake and seven
grandchildren; brothers Monroe
Skinaway, Jr., Raymond Skinaway,
both of Minneapolis and sister, Linda
(Sergio) Moreno of Minneapolis.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. on
Thursday, July 7, 1994 until 10:00
a.m. Friday. Funeral Services will
be held in the traditional Ojibwe
custom at the East Lake Community
Center. Burial will be held at the
burial grounds of Sandy Lake
Village, north of McGregor, on
Friday, July 8, 1994.
The balance must be recreated between the earth
and our people
By Denise Wakefield
Last fall, over the Columbus Day
weekend, a candlelight vigil was held
in Washington, D.C, to bring people
of many nations together to pray for
the next 500 years and for the seventh
generation.
People from many tribes such as the
Hopi, Ojibwe, Lakota, Aztec, Navajo,
Dine, and Cheyenne, as well as people
from Washington and other countries, came together. Gathered around
a white tipi, the people prayed with
the Sacred Pipe ofthe Lakota Nation
offeredby pipe keeper Dr. Arvol Looking Horse and an offering of sacred
corn meal offered by Hopi spiritual
leader Thomas Benyaca.
At dawn the morning star greeted a
crowd of 75 dedicated spiritual leaders who prayed for the world's children who are facing the choice of
which path the world will take. The
question is: Will the people choose the
path of destruction—greed, technology, selfishness—known as the Black
Road? Or can we lead our families on
the path ofthe sacred Red Road, a way
of life filled with reverence for woman
and the earth; holding her as lifegiver
and goddess?
Benyaca spoke of Hopi prophecy
dealing with the state ofthe world at
this time in history. Looking Horse
told the creation story of the Lakota
people. In effect, we were reminded of
the balance that must be recreated
between the earth and the people in
order for our world to survive.
The leaders instructed us to go back
to our our people and teach the old
ways to all who will listen and never
let the history of our peoples before
the whiteman be forgotten.
For northern plains tribes one of
the most important is that ofthe White
Buffalo Calf Pipe, the Sacred Pipe
now looked after by Dr. Looking Horse
and his family.
The story, as told by Lame Deer in
1967 at Winner, South Dakota, be
gins 19 generations ago. It was the
summer season and the Oceti
Shakowin, the Seven Council Fires of
the Lakota Oyate, the nation, came
together and camped. The sun shone
all the time but there was no game and
the people were starving. Everyday
they sent scouts to look for game but
the scouts found nothing.
Among the bands assembled were
the Itazipcho, the Without Bows, who
had their own camp circle under their
chief, Standing Hollow Horn. Early
one morning the chief sent two of his
young men to hunt for game. They
went on foot because at that time the
Lakota didn't have horses. They
searched everywhere but could find
nothing.
Seeing a high hill they decided to
climb it in order to look over the whole
country. Halfway up, they saw something coming toward them from far
off, but the figure was floating instead
of walking. From this they knew that
Balance/ cont'd pg 3
Human rights commissions nationwide struggle under growing
caseload
By Glen Johnson
BOSTON (AP) _ "Growing
astronomically," says a Massachusetts
official. "We're just about at the
saturation point," is the word in
Pennsylvania. Rhode Island has the
worst backlog in 45 years.
In the past three years, the agencies
charged with fighting discrimination
across America have seen caseloads
increase dramatically. And then some.
Experts say sex, disability, and race
bias cases are leading the way,
accelerated by the Supreme Court
nomination hearings for Clarence
Thomas and passage ofthe Americans
With Disabilities Act.
Age discrimination complaints also
are rising, with older workers
complaining they have been unfairly
targeted during layoffs.
And as agencies that investigate
bias resolve more and more
complaints, more people are
encouraged to file them, said Michael
Duffy, chairman ofthe Massachusetts
Commission Against Discrimination.
"Once people figure out that the
commission is working more
efficiently, the word spreads and more
complaints get filed, so we're a victim
of our own success," Duffy said.
f