The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1993-07-02

              Lakota Nation declares war on exploiters of
their spirituality
By Wawokiye Win
The international gathering ofthe
U. S. and Canadian bands and tribes of
the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people
was held on June 7-12, 1993. The
Yellow Bear Community and Little
Wound School sponsored the event.
Many impressive delegates came
from all over but the Canadian delegates were the most impressive.
These direct descendents of Sitting
Bull and the other bands who roamed
the' 'unci maka", as the Lakota refer
to Canada, still maintain their traditional language, customs, and values
to a higher degree than most other
bands. I spoke to a few ofthe Canadian delegates in my Lakota dialect
and they responded in their Dakota
dialect yet we were able to communicate quite well. I commented on how
strong they were with their culture
and they pointed out that they had had
less non-Indian intrusion into their
way of life over the years. They still
had chiefs and many of them were
there with their people. It was obvious
that the people held their chiefs in the
highest respect. Arvol Looking Horse,
Spiritual Chief of all the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, was also present
with his wife.
The majority of the meeting was
held in one of the three dialects depending on which band or tribe the
speaker was from. The local radio
station, KILI, covered the five day
event with on the spot reporters. This
is very significant because many people
who could not attend were able to
know what was going on. KILI, the
Voice ofthe Lakota Nation, is unique
in that it presents the news and commercials in the Lakota language and
much ofthe music they play is traditional Lakota also.
On June 7 the delegates from the
U.S. and Canada signed a Unification
Accord for Peace, Alliance and Sovereignty and set forth very specific goals
to be accomplished by this agreement.
The following is the text of this Unification Accord:
RESOLUTION OF TIIE IKCE
WICASA TA OMNICIYE REGARDING THE PROTECTION
OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN
ALL TREATY LANDS
WHEREAS, the sovereign and independent Indian Nations signing
below have come together to form the
Ikce Wicasa Ta Omniciye, and
WHEREAS, we have established a
Unification Accord for Peace, Alliance and Sovereignty to assist and
support each other in the manners set
forth in the Unification Accord, and
WHEREAS, our traditional lands
have suffered and continue to suffer
from the degradation brought about by
unsustainable development and misuse of nature and her resources, such
development and misuse being within
and outside of our traditional boundaries, and
WHEREAS, the laws of the United
States and Canada and the agencies
charged with theiradministration have
failed to prevent the pollution of our
water and air, and destruction of our
lands and our health caused by ill-
conceived and careless misuse of our
land and the water and
WHEREAS, we the undersigned
have never relinquished, by treaty or
otherwise, the sacred duty of guardianship over the lands and waters
placed in our care by the Creator to
insure that the lives and health of our
children and all others who are sustained by our lands and waters are safe
from such destruction and despoliation,
Lakota/ See Page 3
New housing projectforelders in St Paul now
underway
By Gary Blair
Plans to build housing for Native
AmericanElders in St. Paul, Minnesota
is now underway. Sheila WhiteEagle,
Director, Department of Indian Works
says the development will cost
$3,000,000 and when completed the
three level structure will contain 43
units oflow-income housing. Thebuild-
ing will be known as the Earthstar
Edlers Lodge.
WhiteEagle says her organization is
part of a group called the Earthstar
Project, Inc., made up of other local
Indian organizations that put the venture together. She said, Perry Bolin, is
the project's housing director and the
Earthstar Project is located at 1885
University Ave., in St. Paul. Bolin, who
was contacted by The Press, says support has been favorable with some
resistance being felt at this time. However, "I am cautiously optimistic," he
said.
WhiteEagle explained that a local
citzens group known as the District 2
Council voted to send a letter to HUD
askingthemnottofundthe projectThe
twoacre site were the proposed housing
is to be built is located near the Phalen
Village Shopping Center on the east-
sideof St. Paul. The land was purchased
for $178,000 on a contract for deed,
with $ 18,000 already paid by monthly
payments. WhiteEagle says the Wilder
Foundation is now a co-sponsor for the
development, in addition to other grant
sources, such as HUD, church groups
and a company from Iowa.
If built, the structure would be the first
of its.kind to be located in a large urban
area. WhiteEagle says the building's
multi-use community room will seat
150 people and its apartments will have
one open living area. A moveable wall
will be used to create a bedroom to meet
HUD reguirements. She said, "This is
what the Elders say they want. They
want to live together.'' WhiteEagle says
what's most exciting about this housing is that it is something just for St.
Paul Indians. "In the past," she said,
'' they always used our numbers, but we
never received anything."
The PRESS received a copy of the
Edlers Lodge Issues now being used by
the District 2 Community Council to
resist the project. The list was prepared
by Earthstar Project, Inc. and some of
the objections are as follows:
1. The $3,000,000 new investment
dollars in the Phalen Village area may
compete with other dollars.
2. They see the Edlers Lodge site,
currently zoned RM-2, as a RT-2
p
Ada Deer Hearings Scheduled for July 15th
Senator Paul Wellstone addresses Editorial on his work/ Page 4
Joanne Stately is brought up to speed on her activities/ Page 4
National CALC meeting occurs in White Earth/ Page 1
Down for the Count on accountants is an issue /Page 8
White Earth business booms as Indian products sell/ Page-51
The
Voice ofthe Anishinabeg
i
Fifty Cents
OJIBWE
MEWS
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded in 1988       Volume 5   Issue 1
July 2, 1993
1
Copyright, The Ojibwe IMewe, 1993
Townhouse site as perferred use. Since
the site is presently undeveloped, they
want to control the use beyond their
authority for site plan review.
3. They have a political problem endorsing this project when other needs to
upgrade existing apartment complexes
are a higher priority to them, but solutions have not yet been reached.
Maywood and other apartment projects
are overcrowded, run down and have
drug and crime problems.
4. They want to down zone our property from RM-2 presently to RT-2
Townhouses. We could only build 6
units per building and not provide certain services.
5. Thereare too mant low-income people
in the neighborhood already in their view.
6. They want to move us to another site,
since thereare no othersitesaroundPhalen
zoned RM-2, that means out ofthe Neighborhood
7. They propose to tear down most of the
Phalen Shopping Center and replace it
with wetlands.
WhiteEagle concluded, "Mostof itis
against Fair Housing Law and our right to
self determination
At press time Richard Kramer, Chairman ofthe District 2 Community Council
in St. Paul, had not returned our request for
an interview.
Photo by Mel Rasmussen
Jimmy "Ironlegs" Weaver sits and ponders his upcoming journey to the East Coast to meet the President
Jimmy   "Ironlegs"   Weaver  walks   to
Washington
By Mel Rasmussen
Jimmy "Ironlegs" Weaver is a
respected elder from the White Earth
Reservation. According to "Ironlegsd"
he has been given this thought and
encouragement to do this walk by the
Creator. His mission is to walk to
Washington, D.C. to deliver a message
to the "Great White Chief about his
concerns These concerns are about the
issues that are ragi ng through the White
Earth Reservation and across the
country.
According to "Ironlegs" he will start
his walk in the morning of July 4th. He
will start at the headwaters of the
Mississippi in Itasca State Park. In
support of "Ironlegs" there will be several
groups who will meet in conjunction
with his starting of this journey.
The groups that will be supporting his
walk will be the the members of CALC,
Anishinabe Akeeg, members of Camp
Justice, ALF (Anishinabe Liberation
Front). It is expected that as "Ironlegs"
continues to the east that there will be
more groups and organizations who
will come to his aid and support.
Presently theextentoftheorganizational
part of this walk has been in setting up
thelnitial start point. There hasbeen no
advance work prior to this initial date.
Ironlegs was asked if he had anybody
doing the front work in assisting him on
this walk or in seeing the President. He
said that he had no support at this time
from the legislators about this issue. He
is requesting that has state Legislators,
Congressman, Senators help him in
arranging his meeting with the
President. After all they will have
approximately 19 weeks to arrange this
meeting prior to his arrival in
Washington, D.C. "ironlegs" plans to
temprarily interrrupt his walk on July
7th so that he can return to White Earth
to meet with Senator Paul Wellstone.
Weaver indicated that he will give
Wellstonea letterthat he wants delivered
to the President announcing his coming
andwill demandhis supportin obtaining
a meeting with the President through
the Senator's offices and through his
political contacts.
An Interesting parallel to this current
day story is that Chief Buffalo from
Lapointe, Wisconsin also travelled to
the Nation's capital to meet with the
Presidentbackinthe 1800's. His mission
was to stop the relocation of the
Anishinabe from their reservations in
Wisconsin to Minnesota's White Earth
Reservation for the final solution.
History has started to repeat itself again.
Jimmy "Ironlegs" Weaver asked for
help on this journey. He said that he
needs lots of help on this journey and
knows that the Creator and his trust and
belief in the poeple in this country will
be there to support him in his journey.
Further information as to the contact
points for this walk will be brought to
light and the attention of others as they
become available.
Hearings set for Ada Deer appointment
Photo by Mel Rasmussen
Roger Jourdain addresses the National CALC gathering at the White Earth Reservation
Jourdain hosted as keynote speaker at
National CALC conference
By Mel Rasmussen
Roger Jourdain, former Red Lake
Tribal Chairman, was met with warm
welcomes and applause as . he
approached the gathering of CALC
national delegates from across the
country. Jourdain delivered one of his
quintessential speeches that brought
many outbursts of laughter to the
delegates. As one local Indian stated,
"Roger is the George Burns ofthe Indian
world and can make anybody laugh."
In his speech Jourdain brought to
light many issues and actions that are at
the crux of many problems occurring in
and across Indian country. These issues
ranged from sovereignty, allotment acts,
destruction of the hereditary chief
systems, and boarding schools. Jourdain
then expounded upon this ongoing
problem and how it has impacted this
society and the relations that have
occurred with the current dominant
society.
Jourdain went on to describe his
childhood and how he was taught by his
elders and how they prepared him for
the future. This trip through history was
one of many dreams and views that
enlightened the delegates. It was a true
living history lesson about the Native
Jourdain/Seepage3
By Mel Rasmussen
Ada Deer, a Menominee band
member who has recently been
nominated as the Assistant Secretary
of the Inferior now faces the
confirmation hearings portion of her
appointment. According to
Washington sources, she will meet
with the Indian Affairs Committee
for her first round of hearings
Deer's confirmation hearings are
scheduled to start on July 15, 1993,
Thursday. The site of this
confirmation hearing will be in the
Russell Building in room 485 and
will start at 9:30 a.m.
It is expected that Ms. Deer will
be confirmed without any major
problems. However, there have
been rumors on the hill that there
is a small group of individuals
who have started a quiet vendetta
against Deer. But, sources indicate
that these individuals do not have
any damaging information that
would affect this appointment.
Their anger is based on
personalities and past perceived
grievances.
More information concerning
the hearing will be published as it
becomes available to the PRESS.
BIOIC to get $281,400 Bush grant
Two Red Lake employees found guilty of
embezzlement
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA The
United States Attorney, District of
Minnesota, announced today that two
members of the Red Lake Band of
Chippewa Indians were sentenced
today in United States District Court
for embezzling funds from the Tribe.
Marie Wilson, 60, and her daughter,
Marian King, 43, were sentenced to
two years probation and fifty hours of
community service. In addition, U.S.
District Judge Diana Murphy ordered
Wilson and King to pay a total
combined restitution of $3,515 to the
Licensing Bureau.
Wilson and King pled guilty in
January to embezzling $3,515 over a
oneyearperiodbeginning in February
1990 from the Licensing Bureau
where they were employed. The
defendants converted the proceeds to
their personal use.
The case is the result of an
investigation by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and was prosecuted
by Assistant United State Attorney
Mark R. Pitsenbarger.
By Monte Draper
The continuation of partnership
and collaboration between the
Bemidji Indian Opportunities
Industrialization Center and
Northwest Technical College -
Bemidji got quite a boost Monday
afternoon with announcement of a
Bush Foundation grant of $281,400
to the BIOIC.
BIOIC director Erv Sargent
announced the grant and said it will
help to develop a functional
organization that can offer quality
assessment, training and educational
programs to Native Americans in
Bemidji and the surrounding area.
The grant will be used toward
operating expenses over a three-year
period.
"This will pay the rent to keep the
doors open, enabling people coming
in the door (to have) a physical
organization that can give them the
basic skills to contribute to the
Bemidji economy," Sargent said.
BIOIC became a member of the
Opportunities Industrialization
Center national network in 1990. It
exclusively serves Native Americans
who are economically disadvantaged
according to U.S. Department of
Labor income guideline.
This collaboration effort between
BIOIC and NTC will, over the three
years, focus on training and develop
strategic planning, management,
marketing and financial systems for
the BIOIC.
According to Sargent, the BIOIC
and the Customized Training Center
at NTC have worked together on
many programs in the past,
including nursing assistant training.
Recently the two collaborated to
offer three retail sales courses and a
three-week course on orientation to
the world of work.
State Senator Majority Leader
Roger Moe was the guest speaker at
the noon luncheon at NTC, where
the announcement was made. He
called the project an easy, win-win
partnership and a necessary
collaboration for success. "The labor
force is more mobile than ever
before," he said. "We have the
talented labor pool; that's why this
collaboration is what is needed to
stay ahead of the pack."
"This partnership is for the long
term; it's mutually beneficial," NTC
President Ray Cross told those
attending. "We're in a rural
renaissance revolution; the
opportunity is there to grab ... We're
committed for the long term to make
programs reality and keep them
growing."
[Reprinted with permission of
The Bemidji Pioneer]