The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1993-07-09

              Cronick resigns from AIM Patrol
By Gary Blair
It appears that Clyde Bellecourt, the
self appointed local AIM leader, is
getting a taste ofhis own medicine. Last
week Kathleen Messinger, spokesperson for the Native American Coalition
for Civil Rights, asked for his resignation. She also asked for the removal of
Ron "Bear" Cronick from Bellecourt's
AIM Patrol operation.
In Messinger's letter to the 57- year-
old Bellecourt, who drives a car with a
personal license plate that reads "AIM
ONE", the message was clear.
Messinger wrote, "We would expect
for this issue to be dealt with in a
professional manner, rather than the
attacks we are accustomed to receiving
from you. We further ask foryour resignation, as your judgement is a danger to
anyone who does not follow your line of
thinking."
Messinger also told Bellecourt she
wanted Cronick removed from contact
with youth. She wrote, "As long as Ron
Cronick stays in denial he is a high risk
to our youth and women."
Messinger's remarks about Cronick
stem from arrest records obtained by the
PRESS from the Minneapolis Police
Department that outline an earlier arrest of Cronick (a single foster parent at
the time even though he was on parole
for aggravated robbery) for sexually
abusing a teenage boy that was placed in
his custody. However, those charges
were later dropped because no one in the
family would come forward to press the
charges.
On July 7,1993, Messinger says she
received a phone call from Bellecourt
and he made the following request. "I'd
like you to come to a board meeting
tonight and bring your board minutes,
board reps and membership list. There
are several board members here now,
and we would like to hear your resolution."
Messinger says she called him back
close to the time the meeting was supposed to be held to tell him no one from
the coalition could attend on such short
notice. She said, "I was told Bellecourt
wasn't there." Messinger went on to
say, "I understand the pain that goes
along with the distrust in our community, but the permission cycle of abuse
must stop. We are oppressed by people
who say they're our leaders. However,
more people are coming forward now
to report the abuse they've received
because they're starting to see that if we
work together we can accomplish
things."
The PRESS spoke with coalition
member Joe Geshick about Bellecourt's
last minute invitation to his board of
directors meeting. Geshick said, "We
are past the time to talk with him. We
will gladly meet with the Peacemaker
board of directors, but first they need to
get rid of Clyde."
Many people feel that it's time for
Bellecourt to move on to another community. Right now, it appears that he's
like a person trying to get out of quicksand. State, county and city officials
have begun to question his judgement.
He is having trouble maintaining his
funding sources. He can't keep Indian
people quiet anymore with his "bully"
tactics which he used on anyone who
dared to disagree with him, and he has
very few Indian people who still support
him. The AIM patrol, or what's left of
the AIM patrol, is made-up of mostly
white people and "wannabes."
Just before press time on July 8, the
PRESS received notification that at the
July7boardmeetingpreviouslyreferredto
in this article, Ron Cronick resigned from
his position on AIM Patrol. A source close
to Cronick reported to the PRESS voice
mail that it was very emotional for the
peoplewhosupporthimandwouldlikethe
community to know that he was really
trying to deal with his personal problems.
They feel that people should not judge him
only on what his police record reflects
because he has done some truly positive
things for the benefit of others.
It was also expressed that this incident
has caused dissension within Clyde's supporters because, according to the source,
some feel that "Clyde really let Bear
down." It appears that now even more
people are questioning Clyde's judgment.
Zenos Baer writes about legal aspects/ Page 4
GEIS impact statement process disscussed/ page 8
Heartwarrior Chosa speaks out on Indian Issues/ Page 4
Bear Kronick resigns from AIM Patrol as Clyde feeds wolves/Page 1
Grand Casinos appear to be dabbling in Tribal matters and control/Page 1
Voice ofthe Anishinabeg
1
The
Fifty Cents
Ojibwe
News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded in 13BB Volume 5   Issue 9 July 9, 1993
1
A weekly publication.
Copyright, The Ojibwe IXIewa, 1 993
Mille Lacs Urban Group discusses further issues
By Mel Rasmussen
Dave Sam, one ofthe main driving
forces in the on-going struggle for
equality for all Mille Lacs Band
members discussed the impact of their
strategies upon the Mille Lacs
Reservation Business Committee.
According to Sam, there have been
several developments that are
important to note at this time.
The first point that Sam" discussed
was the pamphlet and leaflet
distribution at the Grand Casino Mille
Lacs Pow Wow. According to Sam 2
women proceeded to distribute leaflets
concerning a recall of the current
Mille Lacs Band elected officials and
a referendum recall process. Sam
stated that these 2 individuals, Irene
Wade and Roxanne Sovigney were
told to leave the Pow Wow and the
Grand Casino grounds. However both
of these individuals are Mille Lacs
Band members and they refused to
leave the Grand Casino grounds as
the land was tribal land.
One of these women then went into
the casino and proceeded to pass out
literature within the Casino proper,
much to the chagrin of the security
people. However, it was discovered
that the Pow Wow is on private land
owned by Lyle Berman. Berman was
the previous President of Grand
Casino, Hinckley.
Sam went on to state that
information has reached their group
that the Mille Lacs Reservation
Business Committee is in constant
meetings concerning issues and that
these meetings have been closed to
the band members. Also it was noted
that the Business Committee is
planning to meet with the "Mille
Lacs 12", of ALF fame this spring.
This is the group of spearers who
were busted by the Minnesota DNR at
Mille Lacs Lake for alleged illegal
spearing.
Information has come to light that
the RBC plans to meet at Lake Lena
Urban/See Page 5
Remember when Mankato hung 38!
MSU and their new age Buffalo Soldier is trying to hang 4 more!
By Mel Rasmussen
In the 1860s the city of Mankato
hung 38 Dakota because ofthe alleged
Dakota uprising. Over the years this
issue has become a sore spot in the
history of this village and ofthe state.
However, today at the quiet stately
campus grounds of Mankato State
University there appears to be a
different type of lynching occurring.
All of it done under the auspices of
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Studies.
At issue is the pending litigation
between Richard Rush, president of
Mankato State University and
Michael Fagin, a Black Assistant Vice
President for Cultural Diversity at
Mankato State University versus four
university professors who have filed
charges and a number of past
employees and students who have
been for the vast majority, all Native
Americans.
Wellstone Meets with White Earth Elders
According to numerous individuals
who have previously worked withii^"J
the Ethnic Studies Department ofthe Senator Wellstone meets with PRESS staff and discusses issues.
university there have been many
instances of perceived and viewed
racial disparity towards the Native
American professors, instructors,
professional personnel who have come
to this University to work. Interviews
with various witnesses and previous
Mankato/See Page 3
Photo by Francis Blake
By Bill Lawrence
On Wednesday, July 7th, Senator
Paul Wellstone and staff members
Diane Seeger and Harland LaFontaine
listened to the concerns of about 50
White Earth elders and other tribal
nembers in the basement ofthe Epis-
;opal Church in White Earth,
vlinnesota. The elders meeting fol-
owed a meeting with the White Earth
RTC, closed to the public, at the plush
Shooting Star Casino headquarters in
Mahnomen, MN.
Several elders presented Senator
Wellstone with a list of grievances
about the deplorable conditions on
the White Earth Reservation. Elders
who addressed concerns included
Marv Manypenny, Erma Vizenor,
Larry Cloud Morgan, Jim "Iron
Legs" Weaver, John Buckanaga, and
others. The most often heard complaints included lack of accountability
of the RTC for tribal and gaming
funds, lack of civil rights on the reservation, poor quality or non-existent
health care, unemployment, housing
problems, juvenile suicide rate, and
legal aid problems.
John Buckanaga asked Wellstone
Elders/See Page 5
Mille Lacs band member is evicted by Grand
Casino staff at Pow Wow
fhoto by Mel Rasmussen
Margaret Adamek ponders the direction ofthe organization will be going.
Minnesota CALC director discusses issues
By Mel Rasmussen
Ms. Margaret Adamek of
Minneapolis, MN, has been the
Executive director of Minnesota
CALC (Citizens and Laity
Concerned) for the last two and a half
years. In an interview Ms. Adamek
talked about the beginnings of CALC
and the future of this organization.
CALC in Minnesota has started to
begin a new growth and direction and
there appears to be a new recognition
by the National CALC in the
understandings of the needs and
problems that exist in Indian Country.
Ms. Adamek was asked about her
involvement with CALC and how did
she get involved. She said that she
had seen a position opening in the
Want Ads and applied for the position.
She stated that CALC was in the
midst of growing pains and in
changing their direction. According
to Adamek CALC was a basic grass
roots peace and justice multi-issue
organization that was having an
identity crisis and then focused their
mission statement    to just racial
injustice in the United States then on
global issues.  The organization   By Mike Chosa
originally started out as a peace activist
group against the war in Viet-Nam.
Even with the changes in time the
By Mel Rasmussen
In an unusual scenario and situation,
two Mille Lacs women Band members
were evicted from the Grand Casino,
Hinckley 2nd Annual Pow Wow. It
appears that the Grand Casino
management staff is now involved with
the terms and conditions of Tribal
operations and reservation business.
In an interview with Ms. Irene Wade
who was physically intimidated and
afraid for her safety she told the PRESS
the following frightening story. Ms.
Wade and her friend Roxanne Sivigney,
both Mille Lacs Band members, were
distributing literature at the Grand
Casino Second Annual Pow Wow.
Wade's story started out after she had
initially gone through the pow wow
grounds passing out leaflets. She was
approached by two Grand Casino guards
who told her that she had to leave the
pow wow grounds. When Wade asked
for what reason she was told that it was
because that this was private property.
This took Wade by surprise as she
thought that all of this land was
Reservation land. According to the
guards the land underneath the Pow
WowwasownedbyLyleBerman, former
President of Grand Casino, Inc.
Wade was then told that she had to
leave and she was surrounded by five
Grand Casino guards at this time. The
guards became very abrasive and
threatened to take her papers away. To
this she said absolutely not. She stated,
"You will touch nothing on my body. I
am not under arrest. I took there names
down...One of the first guys who
approached me was Tim. I was shaken
at the point when the three other guards
came up I was in the process of writing
their names down. In one sense this
seems like overkill as MS. Wade only
stands approximately five foot and
weighs about 110 pounds.
Wade stated that the order for her
Wade/See Page 6
Anishinabe Ojibwe declare war on mining
Adamek/SeePage3
Native American woman files Human Rights
charge against Clearwater County sheriff
By Mel Rasmussen
The Minnesota Department of
Human Rights has recently had a
charge filed in its office against the
Clearwater county Sheriffs
Department. According to the
perfected charge a Native American
female has allegedly been
discriminated against because of her
race and sex.
According to the face ofthe charge,
on March 7,1993, respondent Deputy
Pat Ward was at her residence for a
domestic intervention. She was in the
back seat of a squad car and told
Deputy Ward that she wished to go
back into the house. Her husband was
in the house talking with another
deputy who was attempting to settle a
domestic dispute.
When the woman tried to get out of
the squad car the deputy allegedly
told her that if she didn't get back into
the car then he would put her back in,
in his own way. When the woman
tried to get out Deputy Ward grabbed
her arm at the elbow and the shoulder
and jerked it up, breaking her arm.
The charging party, the Native
American female, was then taken to a
Thief River hospital where she spent
three days before being released.
While in the hospital she was visited
by Deputy Norm Mader who was
investigating the incident. At this
time the woman told the Sheriffs
Rights/See Page 3
As a result of planning meetings at
White Earth, MN., during the month
of June, some twenty-nine Native
Americans and over fifty non-Indian
supporters gathered at the headwaters
ofthe Mississippi, and declared war
on the upcoming mining efforts in the
Midwestern areas, especially in the
watershed regions, which make up
some ofthe most spiritual gathering
places ofthe Anishinabe peoples.
A pipe ceremony was conducted,
including a blessing of the waters,
and several persons delivered oratory,
including Heart Warrior, the recent
gubernatorial candidate for the State
ofMinnesota. The son ofBug-a-nay-
geshig VII, principal chief of the
Mississippi Ojibwe.also delivered as
fine address to those gathered.
Mr. James Weaver, an Anishinabe
elder from White Earth, announced
that on July 8, 1993, he will begin a
LONE walk to Washington,D.C, in
order to challenge the President ofthe
United States to declare a moratorium
on Mining in the Midwest. He has
invited the President to intervene at
any point during the walk, in order to
not force this elder to walk the whole
distance.
During the visit, two noteworthy
incidents occurred. The gift.shop was
visited by the Anishinabe, and it was
discovered that items for sale
purportedly "Indian-Made" were in
fact either manufactured by non-
Indian companies or individuals, and
some items came from Asian
countries. This was vigorously
protested, but the shopkeeper refused
to take any action. Before leaving,
two ofthe Anishinabe were ticketed
for not paying the $4.00 fee for setting
foot in the park, these people were
Ms. Sharon Vizenor ofthe Otter Tail
Band of Ojibway. and Mr. Dale
Kakkak, a photographer for the
CIRCLE newspaper in Minneapolis,
who is also a member of the
Menominee Nation.
Before departing, the group heard a
plea from Heart Warrior, who has
uncovered very important
documentation regarding the boundary
waters closings, and the association of
this with pending mining efforts. She
has had her cabin burnt to the ground,
and her tepee destroyed in the past year.
She has asked that volunteers assist her
in beginning a new cabin, on Basswood
Lake, the site ofthe old one. This effort
will takeplaceon the weekend of August
6,7, and 8th, 1993. Many in the group
have pledged support for this effort.
After departing Itasca, most ofthe
group had lunch at Lake Alice
Restaurant, and many thanks go to
Dale Hanks, who paid for most ofthe
meals.