The Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1993-02-19

              Ada Deer Discusses Political Future
Grandbois Appeals Venison Bust Case
Eagle Man Addresses Chief Seattle Speech
Messinger Announces Candidacy For County Commissioner
Healing Circle Teaches Values and Respect to Red Lake Children
AIRFA Meeting Scheduled For Minneapolis
Granbois sentenced in Beltrami County case
Photo by Gary Blair
Ms. Kathleen Messinger at her desk announcing her candidacy for County Commissioner.
Messinger announces "Party's Over" for
Bellecourt and Fairbanks
By Gary Blair similar to the county's other social
Kathleen Messinger, spokesperson service agencies," she said.
for the Detox Coalition, the group "RecenUy, Bellecourt received more
formed to address the detox center money to run the Peacemaker Cen-
abuse, has now decided to challenge ter," Messinger said. "The place is
Hennepin County Commissioner Pe- supposed to help our youth. How can
ter Mclaughlin atthe votingpolls. On Clyde Bellecourt help anyone, the man
Feb. 15,1993, Messinger announced needs help himself," shesaid. "Ifyou
she will run against Commissioner check into his operation you'll find
Mclaughlin in the next election. "I the same things there that are happen-
believe he has a 'RED FILTER', as do ing at the Minneapolis Indian Center,
other county officials when it comes Bellecourt and his staff receive high
to American Indians," Messinger wages and offer very little services,"
said.' 'He has only been in office since Messinger stated,
last fall and already he's responding "Many of our kids are scared to go
to Clyde Bellecourt and Francis to the Peacemaker Center and our
Fairbanks, twopeopledirecdy respon- Indian parents know the reason why,
sible for the continuing pain and
suffering in our Indian community,"
she said.
"There is going to be some ex-
leadership around this community
because those two people are going to
go," Messinger said. "Clyde
Bellecourt has had the nerve to tell a
yet nothing is being done about it.
Bellecourt has been just another Indian 'rip-off artist.' These people are
being paid to keep the Indian community quiet and they aren't going to get
away with it anymore," Messinger
said.
She went on to say, "The reason
reporter from the Skyway News that Fairbanks hasn't taken a stand on the
members ofthe Detox Coalition were detox center abuse issue isbecause she
paranoid." She continued, "The only has kicked many of those same vic-
onewho'sparanoidisClydeBellecourt tims out of the Indian Center. She
and God knows he has reason to be." doesn't care about that part of our
" As for Francis Fairbanks, she has population. The other day she invited
ripped-off American Indians at the Sharon No Heart and me to meet with
Indian Center and you're going to be her. The woman was more worried
surprised when you find out the salary about theDetox Coalition turning Gary
she receives along with the salary she Blair into a 'celebrity' for his cover-
pays her creative accountant. She con- age ofthe detox center abuse than any
trols her board of directors. None of real concern about the treatment people
them are willing to address any real have received at that place. When
issuesaffecting American Indians liv- Fairbanks didn't get the right reponse
ing in Minneapolis. They don't even from us at that meeting she then asked
know how much money she receives if we knew   The Native American
and neither do her funders,"
Messinger said.
"Why don't we have an Indian
Center that's willing to address real
issues affecting Indians? We should
have a 24-hour resource hot-line to
begin with. Instead, we have an 8:00
to 4:00 business designed to operate
Press has asked the Minneapolis
American Indian Center to open up its
books."
"Commissioner Mclaughlin knows
that people were abused at the old
detox center* because former detox
center staff and abuse survivors still
continue to come forward at public
meetings. He also knows that the same
abuse is still happening at the new
shelter. I am sure he is also aware of
the abuse at the recently opened chemical abuse unit located in the Hennepin
County Medical Center, but, has he
offered to do anything about it?"
"Instead, staff that were accused of
the abuse are still working for the
county at the new shelter and they
haven't missed a day of work,"
Messinger said. "Voters in District
Four need equal representation and
not someone who will tell you he's
going to do something about the abuse
before the election and then once
elected does nothing. As things stand
today, he's divided his own constituents and that division hasn't been
created between racial group because
many ofthe people that were abused at
the old detox center were not American Indians."
Messinger says her decision to run
against Commissioner Mclaughlin is
a result of a conversation she had with
a staff member of U.S. Senator Paul
Wellstone's office. She said that Senate aide Sue Aberholden told her,
"Your own leadership isn't supporting you on the detox center abuse issue
and you'll need to get someone in the
Indian community who has connections at the state capitol to help you
because it's a political game." "According to Aberholden, I was suppose* I
tokissuptothecounty commissioners
and try and make them my friends if I
wanted anything done," Messinger
said.
Even though Commissioner
Mclaughlin's term isn't up for another three years, Messinger said she
plans to start her campaign against
him as soon as possible. The Press
called Commissioner Mclaughlin's
office for his response to Messinger's
remarks and was told that he would be
out of town until next week.
By Larry Adams
In acourt case held Wednesday morning at the Beltrami County Courthouse
in Bemidji, Minnesota, the case of Roy
Granbois versus the State of Minnesota
was heard.
Ninth Judicial District Judge Paul
Rasmussen charged Roy Granbois with
a petty misdemeanor and a $131 fine
and stayed the sentence on the condition
that Granbois is going to appeal the
case.
' T read your decision and I got it in the
mail. My blood was boiling and I was
furious. My wife was crying. I felt like
crying this morning knowing I had to
come here for this. I didn't find one
good piece of rationale in that decision."
You claimed that fact that I did state
"Our deer" was sufficient to find me
guilty," said Granbois.
Granbois went on to state to
Rasmussen that he married Norma
BeaulieuonDecember30,1992. Before
that point, their assets were divided
equally. However, Beaulieu, atthe time,
was not legally married to Granbois
when she brought the deer home.
However, theMinnesotastatutes states
that all deer in Minnesota require a tag
to be transported. The Red Lake Tribal
Code defines legal possession as the
"taking (RL. Tribal Code Subdivision
10,) actual and constructive possession
of a "wild animal" [the deer] during
the "Open Season" (RL. Tribal Code
Subdivision 6, which states that "the
period of time during which protected
wild animals may be taken.''
Red Lake laws state that a native Red
Laker must get a tag deer obtained
during deer season. However, a major
ity of hunters that live off of the Red
Lake Nation cannot get a deer tag until
either the next day of two to get the
necessary tag to legally transport the
deer.
Another important factor the courts
overlooked was that DNR officer Jeff
Granger, now on vacation in Jamaica,
wastippedoffbyarelativeofGranbois-
Beaulieu. She told the Native
American Press that when she got the
deer, a relative of hers disagreed with
Granbois and told Granger that
Granbois had a "moose'' was in their
' 'freezer,'' yet Granbois said he never
had a moose, much less see one. The
Granbois's do not even own a freezer
for the "nonexistent moose,"
Granbois said.
Beaulieu-Granbois said that the deer
Grandbois/Page 6
The Largest: Weekly /Vaftive IMewvsoaoer in North America
U
The
Native
Wm
Founded in I331     Volumes B issue 41      February 13, 1333
I
American Indian Religious Freedom Act
hearings set for Minneapolis
By Mel Rasmussen
A local group of Native American
activists have been hard at work setting
up the framework for the upcoming
scheduled hearings by the Senate
Select Committee On Indian Affairs.
The local group in conjunction with
the Native American Rights Fund
based in Boulder, Colorado have been
instrumental in providing a forum for
educating and setting up witnesses
for testimony at these hearings.
There will be a ongoing campaign
to educate people about the need to
protect the rights of the Native
American community, specifically,
their First Amendment Rights under
the United States Constitution. There
will be a number of events occurring
in the Minneapolis area from March
4, 1993 to March 8, 1993. With the
final round of events culminating with
the Senate Select Oversight Hearings
on Religious Freedoms, this hearing
will be chaired by Senator Daniel K.
Inouye, (D-Hawaii). Tentatively
scheduled to join him will be other
committee members, Senator Paul
Wellstone, (D-Minnesota) and newly
elected Senator Ben Nighthorse
Campbell, (D-Colorado).
AIRFA/page 3
Photo By Mel Rasmussen
Ms. Ada Deer, Contending Political Appointee to the Clinton Administration
Ada Deer attends "Turtle Island Blues"
performance and discusses issues
Drum Day proposal brought to council
By Jim Ortiz
In December of 1991, Mr. Francis
Oakgrove appeared before the Red
Lake Tribal council with a proposal
to establish a Drum Day for the
Indigenous People that would be
synonymous with the Flag Day that
the United States observesyearly. Mr.
Oakgrove informed the Council that
if such a day were to established for
observance, that the Indigenous
People would be able to re-establish
some of the culture and the former
ways of the Aboriginal People. Mr.
Oakgrove recommended that June
15th be established as the day to be set
aside for the Drum Day. The motion
carried with a vote of 8 for 0 against.
Oakgrove stated that the ordeal
began on June 15, 1989, early in the
morning around day break he heard
a drum out in the woods were he lives
in Ponemah, Minnesota. Then after
the drum stopped, he heard an old
man speaking about the drum. He
spoke about how disrespectful many
Anishinabe people are toward the
drum. That some people know nothing
about the different kinds of drums
that there are, their uses and purposes.
Oakgrove stated,' 'Another thing the
old man spoke of was the fact that
many Anishinabe don't know how to
speak Anishinabe." As the old man
was speaking Oakgrove said he came
to the realization that "it was meant
for me to hear this." Also that
something should be done to educate
people both on the reservation, the
area and the nation for our sovereignty
and unity of our people.
A proposed resolution has gone
before the Red Lake Tribal Council
for final approval. Portions of the
resolution reads: The Red Lake Tribal
Council is cognizant of the importance
of the importance of the Drum1 as
part of our aboriginal culture and
ceremonies. It is the desire of
concerned involved reservation
residents to educate the people ofthe
Red Lake Indian Reservation
Anishinabe ofthe clan system ofthe
Anishinabe as well as the different
types of drums and their uses and
purpose.
"The Red Lake Tribal Council has
authorized the establishment of a 'Red
Lake National Drum Day' to be
observed on the 15th day of June of
each year by recognizing those persons
and families that possess drums to
display a red flag at their residences
from sun up to sun down. Also that
the drums are to start at 12:00 noon on
the 15th day of June each year. A
reservation pow wow be held every five
years commencing on June 15,1993, to
be held in the community of Red Lake
and a reservation powwow to be held in
the community ofPonemahon June 15,
1998, with pow wows to be held in
alternate reservation communities
every five years thereafter."
By Mel Rasmussen
Ms. Ada Deer of Madison,
Wisconsin, was recenUy in Bemidji
to visit with relatives and to see the
production of "Turtle Island Blues."
As has been recently reported in the
PRESS, Ms. Deer is currently being
considered by the Clinton Presidency
for an administrative position.
In an interview with Ms. Deer prior
to her departure back to Madison
where she is a Professor at the
University of Wisconsin, she
discussed the play. She stated, "A
wonderful production, which presents
a interesting viewpoint. If I were
running the world everybody would
have to see the play."
Ms. Deer was asked about any
information about her selection
process that may be coming out of
Washington. She stated that she has
not heard anything definite about the
selection process. She stated that she
has received numerous letters of
support from various tribal groups for
her being appointed to a position in
the current administration.
Deer went on to talk about the new
Secretary of the Interior, Bruce
Babbitt. She stated, "I'd like to tell
everyone that Mr. Babbitt has a very
impressive background. I think he
will be one of the outstanding
secretaries in the Department of the
Interior. He has some sensitivity and
understanding of Indian issues. His
role as steward ofthe nation's natural
resources. His willingness to recluse
himself from a number of issues such
as the Navajo-Hopi land dispute I
think all point very positively to a
good administration under him."
Deer was asked about the apparent
overloading ofthe Department ofthe
Interior and the related agencies with
personnel from the Southwest. Deer
commented that there were a number
of qualified Indian people who have
been involved in the transition team
and process by the Clinton/Gore
transition team. She stated that we
have to push for this involvement in
the process.
When asked about the ongoing
selection process for federal positions
she stated, "I have interviewed at
other federal agencies, Health and
Human Services, HUD is a possibility.
I'd like to point out that I'm not
shopping for a job. I have a job already
that I basically like, a senior lecturer
at the University of Wisconsin in
Madison in the American Indian
Studies and Social Work. However I
ran for Congress because I wanted to
make a difference and I wanted to be
a part of the Clinton Administration
in a important policy position that
would make a difference."
When asked about the
environmental and strip mining issues
in Wisconsin and around the Great
Lakes, she made the following
statement: "The dominant society
needs to look at the values and the
practices of the American Indian
people and live in harmony and
balance. Strip mining without taking
care of the land is a very poor
procedure. All of us on the planet
need to understand that what one
person or company does to-the land
affects all of us. The land, plants,
animals, air and the water. I would
urge Indian people and all citizens to
inform and to pressure the companies
and the state governmental agencies
involved and any other groups maybe
the federal groups to do the right
Ada Deer/Page 3
To Report Instances of theft, embezzlement and misuse of your gaming funds, call the U.S. Department of Interior
Inspector GeneraVs Hotline at 1-800-424-5081. Your calls will be kept confidential