The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1995-06-23

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Plans for Madison Bingo Hall Unveiled
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Ho-Chunk
Nation on Tuesday unveiled plans for
a bingo hall being built at a site in
southeast Madison.
JoAnn Jones, tribal president, told
reporters that the De Jope Bingo Hall.
which will seat 1,500 players, should
be open early next year.
"This is a new economic opportunity
for Madison and the Dane County
area." Jones said.
Jones stressed that the nation is not
building a casino in Madison, though
she said the tribe would be interested
in one if the governor or any future
governor would allow it.
The governor must approve the
building of any Indian-run casino.
and Gov. Tommy Thompson has
stated that he doesn't want any more
casinos in Wisconsin.
The $10 million bingo hall, near
Interstate 90 and Highway 12-18, will
be a one-story, 72,000-square-foot
building made out of wood, stone and
tile. It is expected to employ about
300 people.
Tribes,   Developers   Plan   Casino   in
Abandoned Department Store
DETROIT (AP) A partnership of
Indian tribes and developers unvci led
its plans to turn a.vacant 2.2 million-
square-foot department store into a
casino and entertainment complex.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa
and Chippewa Indians and'Lac Vieux
Desert Band of Lake Superior Indians
joined Full House Resorts Inc. and
GTECH Corp. on the project to put
gambling in the empty Hudson's store.
Like other plans to put casinos in
Detroit, the plan depends on state
approval. Gov. John Engler is
considering whether to permit off-
reservation casinos in Michigan.
The towering and sprawling
Hudson's department store closed its
doors in 1983 after year's "of declining
patronage forced Dayton-Hudson
Corp.'s hand.
For Tuesday's announcement, the
developers temporarily reopened two
rooms on the ground floor of the 25-
story building, which opened in 1891
and occupies a full block ofthe mostly
shuttered downtown retail district.
Red-vested valets, a wide red carpet
and a top-hatted doorman greeted
those attending the announcement.
Inside, the smell of fresh paint blended
with that of mildew.
The developers put on a buffet for
about 150 dignitaries, and expressed
optimism about the project.
"We're very excited to be part of a
plan that will restore and preserve a
Detroit icon aiid help contribute to
the economic recovery of Detroit,"
said Full House Resorts Chairman
Allen E. Paulson.
Former Chrysler Corp. Chairman
Lee Iacocca is a major investor in
Full House Resorts.
"We think the building is in
excellent condition," said GTECH
executive Robert Vincent. The
renovation would cost about $128
million and create about 1,100
construction jobs, he said.
The plan calls for tearing out most
of thebuilding's lower floors to create
an 11-story atrium. The casino itself
would take up the first floor, with
food service and other operations on
floors two through five.
Above that, a recreation area with
bowling alleys, billiard tables and
other diversions is planned. A hotel
with a mixture of moderately priced
and luxury rooms also will be part of
the project, he said.
The casino would employ 5,000
people and take in about $ 150 mill ion
in its first year, Vincent said. He said
it should be able to recapture a good
share of the about $350 million a year
being wagered at the Windsor Casino
across the Canadian border.
The developers plan to create a
Woodward Avenue Entertainment
and Cultural District in an effort to
revive nearby business properties as
well, Vincent said.
Several other casino plans are
pending, including an Indian-
sponsored project in the Greektown
neighborhood, a riverboat casino and
one proposed for the Detroit River
bank.
The fate of all hinges largely on
Engler. The governor said last week
that casinos are not a panacea for
Detroit. He said Tuesday he will
announce his decision next week.
"The decision is complicated by the
fact that it really involves money and a
lot of money and where there's a lot of
money, it seems like everybody is
showing up and saying 'I want a part of
this,"' Engler said.
Sen. Henry Stallings, D-Detroit,
attended Tuesday's announcement.
"It's wonderful Uiat they've got a
bunch of gaming institutions out tiiere,"
he said, adding the interest shows the
support in die city for casinos, he said.
"The governor can't ignore that,"
Stallings said.
The Grove of Joy
By Nick Van Dcr Puy
On the old Tonight Show, several
years ago host Johnny Carson sat
behind his desk and asked Truman
Capote, "Who's the most important
twentieth century woman writer?"
Capote replied, "Isak Dinesen."
Carson flipped his pencil in the
air. He was, well, mindboggled.
Under the name Karen Blixen,
Dinesen penned Out of Africa about
her sojourn in Kenya from
1913.193.1. The book celebrates the
land, the animals, and the lives of
native people. It was made into an
award winning film, released in
1986 starring Meryl Streep and
Robert Redford.
You may remember a scene from
the movie: the white hunter, played
by Redford, shampoos the Danish
Author's hair near a water fall and
she smiles for what seems like the
first time in many, many years.
You may not remember the
previous clip: the heroine talks
wistfully about her father's earlier
voyage to America.
, Johnny Carson would be more
astonished to find that Karen
Blixen's father, Wilhelm Dinesen
actually traveled in Nebraska and
Wisconsin up the Wolf River in
Wisconsin in 1873. He settled on
Swamp Creek near the Mole Lake
Sokaogon Chippewa, and lived with
the Indians.
Thus an alliance was formed
between the Danes and Chippewa.
Mole Lake tribal member Joe Ackley
is one ofthe progeny of this alliance.
Examination of BIA records
disclosed that he is a great grandson
of this Danish Soldier of Fortune.
Joe Ackley lives here in an
apartment on the Mole Lake
Sokaogon Chippewa Reservation
Oppression defined
Truth and justice the Shinaabe way
By John Rainbird
Staff Internist
It seems oppression rears its ugly
head again, as another Native
individual had been charged with
shop-liftinng.
On June 2, 1995, one of our elders
had been shopping for a $390.00
lawnmower, and some fishing
equipment. What he hadn't expected
however, was that on that day he
would also be expected lo clear himself
for a fish-hook that was in his shirt-
pocket, which he was going to pay
for. But a store attendant felt that this
shopper was about to take the item
without paying for it. Even after he
(our elder) had said he would pay for
it since he was not out ofthe store al
the time, yet the answer was no.
What is it to be guilty before one
leaves an establishment? To the
surprise of the store, this individual
had enough money to by a lot more
than just a lawnmower and a small
fish-hook at the time.
The elderly gentleman had to go to
court on Wednesday, June, 21, 1995,
al9:am. Standing before Judge Holler,
our elder had his day. Judge Holler
was about to hear the facts ofthe case,
when the prosecution withdrew its
motion to prosecute and the case was
dismissed.
In so much as the case had been
dismissed, the presumption of guilty
had already been made. It's no wonder
why our native community feels
threatened by not only the police, but
Red Lake child removal battle continues/ pg 1
Chief Woodtick, Joe Ackley's past is revealed/ pg 1
Turmoil continues on Leech Lake Reservation/pg 1
Ann Dunn's new book hits the press/ pg 3
Darrell Johnson provides commentary for youth/ pg 5
Yankton Sioux Reservation lines baffles officials/ 6
Voice of the Anishinabek (The People)
n~
1
Fifty Cents
ajibwi
News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded   in 1988 Volume E    Issue 52 June 23, 1995
\
A weekly publication.
Copyright, The Ojibwe News,  1 995
here in northeastern Wisconsin.
Somebrightly decorated turtle shells
grace the wall. A fringed deerskin
apron rests on the chair. A pair of
cedar ricing sticks with bear
emblems lean against the end table.
Tools and supplies cover the place.
Ackley is watching a video about
Africa. You see a tiger retrieve an
Eland from a water hole, the big cat
smoothly lifting its prey and gliding
back to shore.
A little while later, several Native
Americans in dance outfits appear
on the screen singing on the drum.
The drum was built by Joe Ackley.
Among his other gifts, Ackley is
well known on the Pow-Wow circuit
and is one of their respected elders.
He is the keeper and lead singer of
the Woodland Woodticks drum. For
some thirty years the Woodland
GrOVe cont'd on Pg 3
Exploitation without representation: Leech Lake activist wait in vain' for an answer to demands for political
democracy and financial accountability.   (L-R)   Lawrence Gotchie, Franklin (Doc) LaRose, Warren Tibbetts,
and Walter (Frank) Reese. Staff Photo by: John Rainbird
Leech Lake's Summer of Discontent
by the area's busincssesas well. "Just
because we are Indian's, it doesn't
mean we are all thieves," the elder
said.
He recognizes and understands why
they put buzzers at the doors. Still, he
doesn'tundcrstand why when offering
to pay for the object he would be
thought guilty. He was not given the
chance to pay for the object in the first
place.
"I guess they'll just have to work on
that one, since a two dollar item can
be bought over and over with
$1,100.00 at your disposal for court
cost. It also shows that there are some
businesses that have a negative view
when it comes to Indians. Yet, there
still are many good people around.
Indians and non-Indians as well."
by Jeff Armstrong
Two weeks after the announced
indictment of the Chairman, the
Secretary Treasurer, and the former
tribal attorney and public defender of
the Leech Lake Reservation Business
Committee, Anishinabe Leech Lake
members have virtually exhausted all
appeals for justice. Callingforanend
to outside support for RBC officials
implicated in the $1.5 million pseudo-
insurance scheme concocted by MN
Senator and former Leech Lake
attorney Harold (Skip) Finn, Leech
Lake activists have been shrugged off
with solemn pronouncements of
deference to tribal sovereignty by those
who have most undermined it.
Reservation members have called
on the Slate ofMinnesota lo withhold
the nearly $2 million in payments due
in July to the Leech Lake band under
a lnmu^igand fishing agreement never
approved by tribal members.
Advocates charge that the money
would only feed RBC corruption at
the expense of Anishinabe treaty
rights.
RBC leaders under indictment have
answered the charges against them
only with threatening memos to
reservation employees. "Be cautious
about believing rumors and do not
participate in this type of activity,"
said a June 14 memo signed by
Chairman Tig Pemberton and
Secretary Treasurer Dan Brown. "A
lot of misinformation will be passed
around during the next few months,
and may only do harm to our
community." A June 9 memo signed
by Pemberton warned employees not
to speak with the press, while assuring
them, "This Leech Lake policy is in
no way intended to infringe upon
individual rights..."
The Tribal Executive Committee of
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, of
which both Leech Lake Chairman
Alfred (Tig) Pemberton and Secretary
Treasurer Dan Brown are members,
itself announced, "This is clearly a
matter that involves only the Leech
Lake Reservation. The six individual
member Bands are recognized
sovereign tribal governments." TEC
President Norman Deschampe refused
to call a special meeting to address
the inherent flaws of a constitution
whose safeguards are as illusory as
Finn's insurance benefits.
Vice-President Darrell (Chip)
Wadena of White Earth and that
reservation's Secretary Treasurer,
Jerry Rawley, are also expected to be
indicted soon, a development which
would bring to 1/3 die percentage of
TEC members implicated in
corruption. For the TEC to censure
its members, a majority would have to
find the officials guilty of any of
several grounds for removal. If tribal
officials can be expected to vote their
own interests—and they have shown
little inclination to do otherwise-
seven ofthe remai ning eight members
would have to vote against their
colleagues.
In this unlikely event, the matter
would be turned over to the respective
RBCs to vote for removal or to hold a
recall election. Removal would require
the vote of 2/3 ofthe RBC, or four of
the five council members. Even if
they are convicted of the charges,
there are no constitutional provisions
for automatic impeachment, and the
same procedure would need to ensue.
In the absence of changes to the
constitution oran agreement to accept
monitors, any new elections would be
under RBC control and thus likely
tainted by allegations of bribery and
fraud. In 1988, the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe created an appeals
Leech cont'd on pg 8
Voters Oust Leader of Lac Courte Oreilles Appeals Court Wants Treaty Rights Case
Speeded Up
Chippewa
RESERVE, Wis. (AP) Ousted aficr
13 years of leadership with the Lac
Courte Orci lies Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa, Gaiashkibos said Monday
he was proud of bringing stability and
honesty to the job. Gaiashkibos
finished fifth in Saturday's election
for four, two-year scats on the tribal
council. He was the only incumbent
lo loscamong foursccking re-election,
said Pamela Johnson, chairwoman of
thctribalclcctioncommiltcc. Thirteen
candidates were on the ballot.
Gaiashkibos, 44, has served on (he
tribal council since 1983 and the
governing board had elected him
chairman for the past seven years. He
currently is chairman ofthe National
Congress of American Indians, a
group that represents all tribes in the
United Stales. His second term expires
in November. Gaiashkibos said he
was surprised he lost his re-election
lo the t riba 1 counci 1 because he "could
always count on that silent majority
out there." But he said he was
critici'/cdfortravclingandbcinggonc
from the reservation so much.
He also opposed making direct
payments to tribal members from
profits from the tribe's casino. "I don't
believe in per-capita payments. I feel
it is another form of welfare, another
form of dependency," he said. "In this
job, you make a lot of friends and you
make enemies. It just happens to be at
this time I made a lot of enemies."
The top vote-getters for the tribal
council vacancies were incumbent
ConnicCorbinc, 500 votes; challenger
Michael Isham Jr., 403; incumbent
Ray Wolf Sr., 375; and incumbent
Art Tainter, 320. Gaiashkibos had
296 votes, Johnson said.
Last fall, Gaiashkibos
unsuccessfully sought the Republican
nomination for the state Senate, losing
to Russell Korpela, a former aide to
Gov. Tommy G. Thompson. Korpela
later lost to incumbent Sen. Robert
Jauch, D-Poplar. Gaiashkibos, who
said the newly elected tribal council
would take office by the end of the
month, also said he was proud for his
role in restoring 8,000 acres of land to
the northwest Wisconsin reservation.
Saturday's election defeat wasn't a
political funeral for him, he said.
"The creator makes no mistakes. I
believe in the Indian way of life and
he laid this road out for me,"
Gaiashkibos said. "He wants me to do
other things."
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A federal
appeals court wants a speedup in the
Mille Lacs band orChippcwa's treaty
rights case. Judge Donald Lay ofthe
U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
today asked both sides in the case to
meet within 30 days lo try to work out
an accelerated schedule.
The second phase or the case had
originally been scheduled to begin
next March. But that was pushed
back to September of 1996 after six
Wisconsin bands were allowed to
intervene in the case. "Sounds lo me
like nobody really wants to bring this
to an end," Lay said. Lay asked both
sides to sec if it would be possible to
begin the next phase of the trial
sometime later this year. "What if the
court ordered that this matter be
expedited and tried this fall?" Lay
asked.
In the trial last summer, a federal
judge ruled that the Mille Lacs band
still enjoys special hunting, fishing
and gathering rights across a large
area of cast-central Minnesota.
The next phase ofthe trial is meant
to divide resources in the area between
Indians and non-Indians.
An attorney for the band, John
Arum, said this fall would be a little
soon, but that the band would not
oppose sticking to the originally
scheduled starting dale in March.
Attorneys for landowners who arc
allied with the state in opposing the
band's treaty claims said a starting
date earlier than September of 1996
would be difficult. Randy Thompson,
an attorney for the landowners, said
that the intervention ofthe Wisconsin
bands has created much more work
for his side.
This morning's hearing was on a
motion by the landownersand affected
counties for a preliminary injunction
requiring band members to comply
with all state fish and game laws
pending a final decision in the next
phase ofthe case. Former U.S. District
Judge Diana Murphy denied that
request last October, nil ing that the
landowners and counties had failed
to prove they would suffer irreparable
harm without the injunction.
Attorneys for the band pointed out
that their own fish and game laws are
similar to the state's laws. The state
attorney general's office did not join
with the landowners and counties in
requesting the injunction, saying it
did not believe one was necessary.