Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2002-05-10

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY      2
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
SMOKE SIGNALS OF UPCOMING EVENTS 5
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Alison Senogles
matriculates into
Indians into
Nursing program
page 3
Isn't there a tribal
policy barring tribal
employees from
criminal activity?
page 4
Judy Roy stood
up for the people
page 4
Political candidates:
Tomas "Jambi"
Westbrook, Donald
"Dudie" May
page 6
Commentary
Publisher endorses
candidates
page 4
Federal grand jury indicts Wipf for child pornography
Investigation continues
By Bill Lawrence
On Wednesday a federal grand
jury in Minneapolis indicted Gary
Lee Wipf, 42, a Red Lake tribal •
member for possession of child
pornography. The one page
indictment states that "the defendant, Gary Lee Wipf, did knowingly possess one (1) or more
matters, namely video tapes, which
did contain visual depictions, and
the production of which involved
the use of a minor engaging in
sexually explicit conduct and the
depiction was of such conduct, all
in violation of 18 USC Sections
2252 (a) (4) aftd 2252 (b) (2)."
Wipf was arrested on April 12, at
his home in the Little Rock district
of the Red Lake Reservation on a
criminal complaint filed by the
FBI. He continues to be held
without bail in the Twin Cities.
According to Karen Bailey, media
coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's
office for the District of Minnesota,
it was necessary to bring Wipf's
case before the grand jury because
criminal complaints are only good
for 30 days. In Wipf's case since he
was arrested on April 12, the
charges against him would have
expired on Sunday. Bailey said the
charge against him is a felony. She
wouldn't comment on whether the
U.S. Attorney is considering
additional charges against Wipf.
She said he is being represented by
attorney Scott Tilsen ofthe federal
public defender's office.
Press/ON'has learned from
several sources that the investigation of Wipf continues at both the
tribal and federal levels.
Officer candidates make a strong showing at Red
Lake's Twin Cities forum
by Clara NiiSka
The Red Lake primaries are on
May 15 this year. The polls will
be open between 8:00 a.m. and
8:00 p.m. at each of the district
community centers, and at the
absentee polling site at the Red
Lake Agency. Members ofthe
absentee ballot committee will
also be available from 9:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 13 at
the Minneapolis American Indian
Center, 1530 E. Franklin Avenue.
All but two of the nine members
ofthe council are up for election
this year. There are only two   ,
candidates running for tribal
secretary - incumbent Judy Roy
versus Kathryn "Jody" Beaulieu -
and who the tribal secretary will
be for the next four years will be
May 15,2002 Red Lake
tribal election certified
candidates list
Chairman
Bobby Whitefeather, Incumbent
Gerald F."Butch"Bmn
Kevin F.CookSr.
Paul Smith, Jr.
Floyd"Buck"Jourdain
Secretary
Judy Roy, Incumbent
Kathryn "Jody"Beaulieu
Treasurer
Darrell G. Seki, Sr., Incumbent
LaNae Barrett-Pemberton
James "Gus" Strong
Rob Blue
Ponemah District
Clifford Hardy, Incumbent
Carolyn Whitefeather
Cheryle Stillday
Red Lake 4-year Term
Delores Lasley, Incumbent
Roman"Ducker" Stately, Jr.
Donna Morrison
RitaWeise
Jason Siddens
Donald Desjarlait
Mamie Rossbach
Edward Perkins, Sr.
Red Lake 2-vearTerm
Jim White
Rosie"Bee"Barrett
Charmaine Lussier-Sayers
Donald R. Cook, Sr.
Donald J. May, Jr.
Billie Jean Strong
Redby District
Julius'Toady'Thunder, Incumbent
Thomas"Jambi"Westbrook
JoeJohnson
Truman Schoenborn
Preston Graves
Little Rock 2-year Term
Richard Barrett, Sr.
Charlie Norris
Karen Barrett-Beaulieu
Herman Lussier
Chris Jourdain
Leo Beaulieu
Little Rock 4-year Term
Harlan Beaulieu, Incumbent
Gerald Blue
William"Billy"Greene
Robert"Bob"Barrett
Darwin Sumner
DuaneCobenaisJr.
JanisA.Kelly
Merrill Neadeau
Members ofthe Absentee Ballot
Committee will be available from 9 a.m.to 7
pmonMayBattheMINNEAPOUS
AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER, 1530 E. Franklin
Avenue,Minneapblis.
Polls will be open between 8:00a.mand
8fl0p.m.at each ofthe DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTERS and the ABSENTS
POLUNG SITEort May 15,2002.
The Absentee Ballot Committee will make
itself available at the Red Lake Agency.
Building each week day beginning on April
15 from 9 a.m.to 5 pmThey will also be
availableori the weekend days of Saturday
and Sunday from 1 p.m.to 3 pmduring the
last two weekends prior to the election to
receive in person absentee ballots. Absentee
ballots must be returned in person or mailed
to and received by the Chairperson, Absentee
BallotCommittee,POBox544,RedLake,MN
56671,onorberore8p.m.on May 15,2002.
Electronk balloting will be used again in
this election.We have all seen how important
every vote is and how every vote counts.
Please vote!!
determined in the primary. Since
the untimely death of Cheryle
Stillday, there are also only two
candidates running for Ponemah
rep: the incumbent Clifford Hardy
and challenger Carolyn
Whitefeather.
Candidates' active campaign
schedules included a series of
Candidates Forums in the four
districts on the reservation, as well
as in the Twin Cities. Absentee
voters - the majority ofthe Red
Lake electorate - may hold the
deciding votes in an election
which many see as strongly
influencing the direction taken by
the Red Lake Band for years to
come.
Last week, Press/ON published
a brief summary of the issues and
concerns raised by Red Lake
district rep candidates at the urban
Candidates Forum, held on April
27"' at the Minnesota Indian
Women's Resource Center in
Minneapolis. This newspaper is
also devoting space to candidates'
statements and to a steady stream
of letters to the editor expressing a
wide range of sometimes strongly-
held opinions.
Almost all ofthe candidates for
the three tribal council offices -
treasurer, secretary, and chairman
- also made presentations at the
urban Candidates Forums..
At the April 27"' forum, emcee
Tony LookingElk called on the
candidates for treasurer to begin
officer candidates' presentations.
Darrell Seki
Treasurer
Candidates LaNae Barrett-Pemberton and James "Gus" Strong did not
make presentations at the April 27,h forum.
Darrell G Seki, Sr., the
incumbent, was appointed on
March 12th to fill out the term of
Dan King, removed from office
by voter recall. In his campaign
literature Seki writes that he has
"uncovered many 'challenges'
needing immediate attention in
the Treasurer's Office." He
recommends the "hiring of a
new Controller who will
cooperate, direct, communicate,
and be accountable,'' and
conversion ofthe accounting
system. Seki describes the financial situation left by King as one of
"neglect, [which] [.as led ro_5n inability to genci ate accurate financial
reports, audits, indeed the Tribes' financial status is in question I expect
it may take up to eight to twelve months to put things in order."
Seki was sharply questioned by members ofthe audience concerned
about the financial "chaos" left by King. "It took three years to get into this
mess," Seki explained, and it is going to take time to straighten it out. He
said that a full "audit will be started shortly, once we get this turned around."
The crowd applauded his statement that he had "asked for a forensic fraud
audit" on April 9th.
Seki also stressed the importance of addressing the financial problems of
the tribal enterprises, so that those "investments are profitable and self-
sufficient without further investment of... tribal funds."
Seki's other major concerns include education, "housing needs," and the
"need to address the judicial system" at Red Lake. In his campaign
literature, he writes, "I support the Separation of Powers' initiative!"
Seki was among the candidates who noted that "blood quantum" is an issue
of increasing concern. "I'm a halfbreed," he said (the son of Lange Seki
and Elizabeth nee Stillday), "but fullblood at heart."
Rob Blue said that he supported, "not just financial integrity but moral
integrity." He also told the crowd that, "Red Lake, to me is a passion, it is
family and friends, it is
warmth of heart and
generosity of spirit."
Blue said that his main
priority was to "cut the fat
out ofthe budget." He
urged that financially
floundering tribal enterprises need, among other
things, "better marketing,
market studies, and also...
to teach our people how to
be business-oriented and
customer-friendly.'
Rob Blue
Both Blue and Seki expressed concern about the top salaries that current
tribal enterprise managers command. "We need to train our people to take
over from the [white] managers, but they need to be accountable."
The forum audience took advantage ofthe opportunity to address their
concerns about the financial problems left by the King, and much of the
CANDIDATES to page 2
VOICEOF       THE       PEOPLE
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isces
Native
American
Press
Ojibwe News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2002
Founded in 1988
Volume 14 Issue 23
May 10,2002
Congratulations to the 80 graduates
At the Sixteenth Annual Graduation Dinner for American Inctian Graduates for 2001-2002, held on May 3, in
Minneapolis, 80 young people were
honored for their achievements. We
congratulate the following graduates:
American Indian 0IC School of
Business and Office Technology.
Dominic Archambault, Standing
Rock, Human Services; Jack
Auginash, White Earth, Human Services; Alicia Barnes, Mille Lacs, Human Services; Jessica Bennett,
Mille Lacs, Administrative Assistant;
Rhonda Christensen. Lac Courte
Oreilles, Financial Services; Nicole
Diaz-Romero, Red Lake, Administrative Assistant; Lee Gamer, White
Earth, Human Services; Alana
Gross, Leech Lake, Administrative
Assistant; Mary Guernsey, Leech
Lake, Human Services; Sterling
Howard, Leech Lake, Human Services; Conrad King, Boise Fort, Administrative Assistant
Clarissa LaRoque, Standing Rock,
Human Services; Lindy Liphart, San
Carlos, Human Services; Philip Lie
Thunder, Rosebud, Human Services; Victoria Pierson, Little Black
River, Human Services; Chelsea
Ponte, Grand Portage, Financial
Services; Lynn Powers, St. Croix,
Human Services; Chiana Roberts,
Leech Lake, Financial Services;
Yolanda Strong, Red Lake, Human
Services; Ellsworth Ten Bear, Red
Lake, Information Technology Specialist; Robert Vilas, White Earth,
Human Services; Laura Vizenor,
Leech Lake, Human Services; Terri
Welch, Stockbridge Munsee, Human Services.
Anoka-Ramsey Community
College. Jessica Bittner, White.
Earth, A.A. Degree; Royce
Renteria, Lumbee, A.S. Degree.
Augsburg College. Patricia
Davis, EBD Licensure; Jeff Edberg,
Leech Lake, B.A. in Business Management; Jeremy Josephson,
Winnebago, B.A. in Communications; Kelli Murphy, Grand Portage, ■
B.A. in Management Infonnation
Services; Dawne Lott, Mille Lacs,
B.A. in religion; James Van Wert, White
Earth, B.A. in Business/Communications; Steven Williams, Kiowa, B.A. in
Elementary Education
College of St. Catherine. Renae
Davis, Red Lake Ojibwe, Masters in
Social Work (in a joint program with the
University of St. Thomas)
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Urban Outreach Pro-'
gram. Valerie Bice, White Earth,
Ojibwe, Associate of Arts Degree
Niibin Headbird. Leech Lake Ojibwe,
Associate of Arts Degree; Leah Loud,
Red Lake Ojibwe, Assxiate of Art Degree; Colin Novack, White Earth
Ojibwe, Associate of Arts Degree
Ricki Parker, White Earth Ojibwe,
Associat of Arts Degree; Mercedes '
Sigana, Red Lake Ojibwe, Associate of
Arts Degree
Metropolitan State University.
Valerie Norris, Red Lake Ojibwe, B.A.
in Computer Information Systems
Victoria Prince, White Earth Ojibwe,
B.S. in Elementary Education;
Kathleen Strangeman, Passama-
quoddy/Micmac, B.A. in Ethnic Studies;
Alberta Swinson, Red Lake Ojibwe,
B.S. in Elementary Education
Minneapolis Community and
Technical College. Daryl Baumann,
Leech Lake, A.A.S. in Machine Tool
Technologies; Douglas DeFoe, Fond
du Lac Band of Ojibwe, A.A.S. in
Cabinetmaking; Michael Fairbanks,
White Earth Band of Ojibwe, A.S. De- •
gree in Computer Support & Network
Administration; Oneka Hauge, Lac
Courte Orielles Band of Ojibwe, A.S.
Degree in Law Enforcement; Sheila,
Johnson, Turtle Mountain Band of
Ojibwe, A.S. Degree in Addiction Counseling; Wanda Shell Track, Standing
Rock Sioux Tribe, A.S. Degree in Human Services; Shawn Smith, Leech
Lake, A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts; Anthony Stewart, White Earth Band of
Ojibwe, Automotive Technician Diploma; Mark Twiggs, Standing Rock
Sioux Tribe, A.S. Degree in Addiction
Counseling
NAES College. Timothy Genia,
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa, BA
in Public Policy; Flora White, Leech
Lake, BA in Community Studies
Normandale Community.
Francisca Smith, White Earth Ojibwe,
Associate Arts Degree in Liberal Arts;
Jaclyn Oein
North Hennepin Community College. Katie Heyda, Fond du Lac
Ojibwe, AA in Graphic Design; Allison
Basina, Red cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, A.S. in Graphic Arts
St. Mary's University of Winona
Angie Harper, Nett Lake, Masters in
Education.
University of Minnesota. Graciela
Avina, Sisseton/Wahpeton Dakota,
B.A. in Psychology; Lucy Arias, White
Earth Chippewa & Blackfoot, B.S. in
Child Psychology; Jay Bad Heart Bull,
Oglala Lakota, B.A. in American Indian
Studies; Carolyn Blackdeer, Ho Chunk,
B.A. in American Indian Studies; Melissa Buffalo, Sac & Fox, Meskwaki,
B.A. in Child Psychology; Pauline
Danforth, White Earth Ojibwe, Ph.D. in
American Studies; Danielle Doro,
White Earth Chippewa, M.D. in Medicine; Margaret Flanagan, White Earth
Ojibwe, B.A. in Child Psychology;
Oneida Hayes, Gila River Pima, B.A. in
History; Shawnee Hunt, Leech Lake
Chippewa, B.A. in American Indian
Studies; Vincent Kurta, Red Cliff
Ojibwe, B.A. in American Indian Studies; Dennis Olson, Fond du Lac
Ojibwe, B.A. in Individually Designed
Interdepartment; Yvonne Ortiz,
Omaha, B.A. in American Indian Studies; Alexandra Pierce, Seneca, Ph.D. in
Sociology; Anna Sherwood, Aleut,
B.A. in American Indian Studies; Marcy
Van Horn, Turtle Mountain Chippewa,
BEE in Electrical Engineering; Alexis
Vaubel, Qawalangin Tribe, B.A. in
Spanish Studies; Azra Babar Weber,
Chippewa/Mohawk, M.D. in Medicine
University of St. Thomas. Renae
Davis, Red Lake Ojibwe, Masters in
Social Work (in a joint program with the
University of St. Catherine); Nicole M.
Cobenais, B.A.; Angela K. Patsy, B.A.
Hearty Congratulations to All
Senate approves
Indian casino plan
By Scott Thomsen
Associated Press
PHOENIX—The Senate on
Monday approved a plan that could
extend casino operations on Indian
reservations for up to 29 years, but
the proposal failed to get enough
votes to protect it from a possible
referendum election.
Senators approved the bill
(SB 1001) by a 19-8 margin, one
vote short ofthe two-thirds super
majority needed to enact an
emergency clause that would give
it ballot protection and put it into
effect immediately upon Gov. Jane
Hull's signature.
"If you're interested in limiting
gambling in Arizona this is the
most practical way, it is the most
achievable and it is the most
reliable," Sen. Herb Guenther, D-
Tacna, said. "It is probably the
most limiting of any bill or
initiative we will see this year. This
is the best we can achieve."
The plan is the outline of an
agreement among Hull and the
tribes that would put more slot
SENATE to page 3
When the child is separated from school: Expulsion
in Minnesota Schools
By Jean Pagano
1998 brought the issue of
violence in the nation's schools to
the forefront of the national press:
students were no longer just the
victims; they were now also the
predators. Arkansas, Mississippi,
Kentucky, student-on-student
violence screamed out in these
states, and a nation held it's
collective breath.
Violence in the schools became
a very hot topic: the nation's press
held the incidents out for all to see
and for all to react. According to
the Justice Policy Institute, crime
among youth is down to its lowest
level in decades, yet as a people,
we are all concerned about the
growing rates of violence in our
schools.
Minnesota is not immune to the
issue of violence and students: it
happens everywhere, it happens
.here. What are the numbers
associated with students and their
expulsions from school in
Minnesota? Does race play a
factor in student expulsions? What
exactly is an expulsion?
According to the State of
Minnesota, an expulsion is a
dismissal from school that exceeds
ten consecutive school days but not
more than one year. The Department of Children, Families, and
Learning's Division of Accountability and Compliance currently
lists data on expulsions for the last
ten years. What are the statistics for
the expulsion of students?
Statewide, in 1990,88 students
were expelled from school; in
1991,58; 1992,96. The year 1993
saw the number jump to 160,
followed by jumps to 231,274,
and 303, in 1994,1995, and 1996
respectively. The jump from 58 in
1991 to 303 in 1996 represents a
rise of 400% in just 4 years. The
statistics do not indicate if the
increase in numbers represents a
related increase in awareness, or
just better reporting on the school
level. The expulsion numbers for
1997 through 2000 are 308,264,
314, and 245, respectively.
The reasons that students are
expelled vary widely, but the
majority of infractions fall into
three categories: knives, violence,
and controlled substances. Other
categories include guns, weapons,
pyrotechnics, and bomb threats.
For the years 1996 through 1998,
knives were the causes of expulsion
in 85,87, and 74 of cases respectively. Violence ranked second in
42,76, and 53 cases respectively.
Controlled substance rounded out
the top three with 27,57, and 44
cases in 1996,1997, and 1998.
Interestingly, the numbers of
incidents involving knives, guns,
violence, and other weapons have
actually dropped in the same time
frame.
The greatest number of expulsions came from the school districts
with the greatest number of
students: Anoka-Hennepin led the
group with 133 expulsions,
Rosemont-Apple Valley-Eagan
was second with 93, and Saint Paul
had 71. On the average, 85% ofthe
perpetrators are male, and roughly
two-thirds of those expelled come
from grades 9,10,11, and 12.
Another 20% come from grade 8.
Racial numbers are also
available to complete the picture.
SCHOOL to page 3
Tribes study
possible power
plant
Associated Press
DANBURY, Wis.—The
chairman of the St. Croix
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
sees a tribal power plant as a way
to become less dependent on
casino revenue.
"We need to start diversifying
from gaming," said Elmer Jay
Emery.
The St. Croix Chippewa own
two casinos, one in Danbury and
one in Turtle Lake.
Last month, the tribe announced
plans to study the feasibility of
building a gas-fired power plant
that would generate 70 to 100
megawatts of electricity. It would
be built on tribal land next to the
band's new St. Croix Waters
Fishery.
If the power plant is built, the St
Croix Chippewa would become the
first tribe in the Midwest to
generate electricity. So far, only
two other American Indian tribes
have generating capacity, and both
STUDY to page 3