The Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1993-08-13

              Leech Lake tribal officials called before federal grand jury
By Susan Stanich and Bill Lawrence
A federal grand jury in Minneapolis
has been hearing testimony during
the past week that could implicate a
state senator, the chairman of the
Minnesota Indian Gaming
Association and the chairman of the
Leech Lake Reservation.
According to a taped telephone
conversation last week between two
Leech Lake Reservation employees,
the federal government is
investigating the activities of Sen.
Harold "Skip" Finn, DFL-Cass Lake,
Myron Ellis, who also is a councilor
on the Leech Lake Reservation, and
Alfred "Tig" Pemberton, reservation
chairman. Ellis' attorney, Michael
Colich of Minneapolis, confirmed
Thursday that a grand jury has been
convened, and Ellis has been asked to
appear.
Finn is a Leech Lake member,
Walker attorney, and attorney for the
Bois Forte Reservation. He formerly
served as attorney for Leech Lake and
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and
as tribal judge. He's founder and
stockholder of a firm called
Reservation Risk Management, Inc.
Duluth News-Tribune and The
Native American .Press each received
a transcribed copy of a taped telephone
conversation between two Leech Lake
tribal employees who are accountants,
one of which had returned from being
interrogated by federal investigators
and was reporting to the other about
his experience. They apparently didn't
know they were being taped.
During the lengthy but focused
conversation, they said Ellis had been
paid $13,300 out ofthe reservation's
insurance fund, but hadn't declared it
on his federal income tax, and could
be charged with tax evasion. They
thought there wasn't enough wrongdoing for Ellis to be charged with
fraud. They said they think the federal
government has a small minded way
of looking for a victim, and chose
Ellis because, as Gaming Association
Chairman, he has been inthe national
eye. They surmised, however, that the
federal investigators were less
interested in prosecuting Ellis than
Finn.
The payment to Ellis came out of
the Risk Management fund and
represented the senior employee said,
the only loose end in a "masterpiece"
organization that Finn had set up:
"He must of spent a week solid, 24
hours a day plotting it and laying this
thing out. And little flow charts, you
know, with like yes's and no's if this
happens, what do you do if this
happens."
Risk Management had a 10-year
contract with Leech Lake, to expire in
1995, which paid Finn's firm $400,000
a year for insuring Leech Lake against
employee injuries and olher liabilities.
Finn was the only incorporator, and
Alfred "Tig" Pemberton, then Leech
Lake secretary-treasurer and now
chairman, was listed as a board
member of the firm.
Finn's attorney, Doug Kelley, of
Minneapolis said the firm was set up
to self-insure the reservation because
of skyrocketing insurance premiums.
The firm paid all claims properly and
"any scrutiny will be welcomed." "Skip
Finn has cooperated fully [with the
investigation] and I think that in the
end they will find that there has been
no wrong-doing whatsoever."
The money in the insurance fund
came from federal and state programs
on the reservation, as part of program
costs. The Bemidji Area Office ofthe
Indian Health Service questioned the
expenditure, which for IHS during
1987-88 was $17,900, and asked that
the reservation either explain it
satisfactorily or return the money,
said Marv Edevold, associate area
IHS director for tribal activities in
Bemidji. Neither occurred and the
case is still open, he said.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs,
represented at Leech Lake by Agency
Superintendent Roger Aitkin,
apparently did not question the
payouts. Aitken, a Leech Lake
member, is now the reservation
executive director.
In the taped conversation, the
employees discussed how Pemberton
had been insistent about payments
being made promptly to the insurance
fund. The employee who had been
questioned last week said the federal
investigators already knew Pemberton
had taken "personal leave" payouts
out of the insurance funds. They
guessed he owes about $20,000 in
undeclared taxes.
One of the employees said Ellis'
payment was in two parts: $5,600 in
May, 1992 and $7,600 in August.
The Leech Lake elections, in which
both Ellis and Pemberton were
candidates but not opponents, took
place within that period.
The same employee had just
returned from the Twin Cities, where
he said he had been questioned by
Mike Ward, assistant U.S. attorney;
and Tim Reed, a special investigator
for the U. S. Department ofthe Interior.
Another Interior investigator, James
Hanberry, also is working on the case.
The employee said he was scheduled
to appear before the grand jury this
week, and that Ellis already had been
questioned and was going to
Minneapolis to look for a new attorney.
He said Ellis couldn't use the
Reservation Tribal Council's attorney,
Paul Applebaum of St. Paul, because
of a conflict of interest. Colich, who
began representing Ellis on Friday,
said he Has advised Ellis not to discuss
the matter.
The employees who had been taped
declined to comment. Neither Aitken
nor Pemberton returned telephone
calls.
NIGA files suit against Donald Trump/ Page 5
Two Rivers Film Festival scheduled / Page 5
Manomin an Endangered Plant / Page 4
Have you see this elder, call the PRESS with his location
By and For the Native American Community
]
The
Fifty Cents
Native
?«*!fc
American
We Support: Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded In 1991    Volume 3   Issue 14      August 13, 1993
A Weekly Publication
Copyright, The Native American Press, 1993
Sisseton-Waphpeton chairman suspended
for 60 days
SISSETON, S.D. (AP) - Sisseton-
Wahpeton Sioux Tribal Chairwoman
Lorraine Rousseau said Wednesday she
has been suspended for 60 days But she
said she doesn't know why. "The
resolution that they passed cites
violations of the (tribal) constitution,
malfeasance in office, but it doesn't tell
me specifically what it is that I have
done," Rousseau said in a telephone
interview Wednesday night. "They say
I will be given some formal charges
later, and I will get a full hearing on
those charges."
The suspension came after Rousseau
tried to suspend Smiley Williams,
manager of Dakota Sioux Casino near
Watertown, amid allegations of
mismanagement of the tribal gaming
hall, she said. When Rousseau entered
the casino Tuesday to serve the
suspension order on Williams, she was
met by a security guard who handed her
a faxed documentfrom the tribal council
reinstating Williams and ordering her
off the casino premises, she said. Later
that night, Rousseau said, she learned of
the suspension.
Tribal council members originally tried
to suspend her without pay but reinstated
her salary after she complained, Rousseau
said. "I told them, 'I didn't get due
process here,'" she said. "You took
away my property right without due
process. That's wrong."
Tribal council members and tribai
Secretary Lyman Crawford could not be
reached for comment Wednesday night.
Tuesday was the grand re-opening of the
casino after a multi-million-dollar
renovation project Rousseau took over
leadership of the 5,200-member tribe in
January, after winning election on a
platform of political reform The tribe's
reservation is an elongated triangle that
stretches from a patch of southern North
Dakota and comes to a point west of
Watertown.
/ Photo by John Rainbird
Pictured is Ms. Marge holmes of Nett lake who listens intently to the speakers on treaty rights
Tribes gather for treaty rights border
crossing
Heart Warrior begins to rebuild
By Mike Chosa
On Saturday, August 7, a sunrise
ceremony on the shores of Fall Lake in
the boundary waters broke through the
silenceofthiswildernessarea, signalling
the start of an expedition by a small
group ofNative Americans and some
very worthy non-native supporters into
the Basswood Lake area.
The purpose of this trip was to begin
rebuilding the home of Heart Warrior,
whose cabin was burned to the ground
lastyear by yet "unknown" persons. The
real story of this area is one of deceit,
greed, and racism, all perpetrated by the
so-called friends ofthe wilderness and
the US Forest Service.
In the early 1870s, five Native
Americanbrothers journeyed from their
homes in the Keewenaw Bay area and
eventually settled on the shores of
Basswood Lake. They lived there for
many years, maintaining a very simple
lifestyle, and raising their families.
In the 1930's, as tourism began to
grow in the area, they opened a portage
business and built a store at Prairie
Portage on the northeast end ofthe lake.
They also operated the portage at four-
mileatthesouthendoflhelake, outsold
this business to Wilderness Outfitters.
In the late 1940s, the five brothers
passed on to the spirit world, leaving
their homes and business to their
survivors. In the early 1950s, under
pressure from environmentalists and
the U.S. Forest Service, a bill was
introduced in Congress to make the
boundary waters area a limited access
recreation area and lo eliminate the
homes and businesses on the Basswood
Lake. A special provision in the
Iegislationallowedforlifctime residence
of the existing homes that were owned
by the Chosa family. The legislation
also stated that once the homes were
abandoned or legislation also stated that
once the homes were abandoned or
destroyed, the lifetime clauses would
expire. DURING OUR WEEKEND
TOUR OF THE BOUNDARY AREA,
WE FOUND THAT WHITE PEOPLE
NOW OPERATE PRAIRIE
PORTAGE UNDER A SPECIAL
"DEAL" WITH U.S. FOREST
SERVICE, AND NUMEROUSWHJTE
HOMES AND BUSINESSES
ABOUND IN THE FALL LAKE
PORTION OF THE WILDERNESS
AREA!!
On the night ofthe cabin fire, it was
known by several witnesses that U.S.
forestry personnel were in the Basswood
area. The U.S. forestry claimed that
lightning hitlhecabin,butinvestigators
who visited the site ascertained that the
fire was not caused by lightning, but was
probably intentionally set.
Heart Warrior and her father Tom
Chosa have been at odds with the U. S.
Forest Service for many years. Tom
Chosa, who is an heir to one ofthe
Rebuild/See Page 4
By Mel Rasmussen
On Thursday, August 5, 1993, over
1200IndigenousNativesfrombothsidc
of the Canadian, United States border
gathered in International Falls,
Minnesota, to bring attention to their
rights and sovereignty. The issue at
hand was that there is no artificial
barrier such as a international border
that separates their tribes and nations.
In this staged demonstration of tribal
sovereignty, members ofthe Chippewa
nation marched across the bridge at the
Falls into Canada without stopping at
Canadian Customs. According to a
Tribal Chief from the Koochiching
Reserve, if one of our people got
questioned foranything then they would
comeback throughagain. It was brought
to the attention of the Customs Agents
that they woul d pi ug the border crossi ng
up if necessary. Organizers ofthe group
indicated that there were no incidents at
the border by Customs at all.
However, on a separate note, it was
noted by group organizers that two
Indian Women were denied service at a
local restaurant in International Falls.
This was at Jim's Eat Shop in
International Falls and occurred prior
to the march from Smoky Bear Park.
This occurred about 11:00 a.m. on the
day of the march. When march organizer
asked why they were refused service,
the people in the restaurant would not
say why Ihey were doing this. It was not
clear why they were not served.
In an interview with the owner of this
establishment, he stated that he was
surprised by the allegations. Mr. Jim
Davis said that he would never deny
service to any individuals unless they
were out of control or severely
intoxicated. In either case, he would
have come to some type of solution to
thisproblem. Davisstatedthathe Would
check with his staff and if there was an
issue he would correct this matter. He
appreciated being informed of this
allegation and would follow up on his
end about any possible problems that
may have occurred.
The organizing committee from Nett
Lake who sponsored the rally said that
they ran out of materials prior to the
march and lost track after over 400
individuals were registered. Over the
Border/See Page 3
Jimmy Weaver fund-raiser scheduled
Tatanka talk part of Prairie Day
Bloomington, MN- Gray Eagle looks
forward to Prairie Day August 14th at
the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. It's his opportunity to help
inform others of the importance of
Tatanka (Great Buffalo) to his People.
Gray Eagle, known to hisrefuge friends
and co-workers, as Joey Fiddler, is helping to bridge the gap. He often acts as a
link between two worlds, helping people to understand and care about each
other and their traditions.
Gray Eagle, a Minnecoujou, merely
smiles when the uninitiated ask if he
would like to tell about the buffalo, or
the eagle. His smile masks a deep
knowledge that someday, somehow,
some way, the people in both his
worlds will learn. And maybe they
will learn from him.
Gray Eagle will speak about Tatanka
10:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m.
on Saturday, August 14th. He joins
olhcrprcscntcrsatlhcLouisvillcSwamp
unit ofthe refuge. Gary Cavender will
tell Stories...with a Prairie Perspective.
He is a descendant of Chief Mazomani,
after whom the Mazomani Trail is
named. Dale Bohlke, a descendant of
the Ehmillcrs, will tell about the family
history at the Ehmillcr Farm. Prairie
Walks and a Mullein Stalk Pulling
Contest complete the activities there.
Louisville Swamp Trailhcad is located
about four miles south of Shakopee on
Highway 169. Since this is near the
Renaissance Festival, people planning
to attend should allow enough lime to
get through the traffic.
Prairie activities and exhibitors will
also be featured at the Visitor Center,
3815 East 80th Street, Bloomington.
Topics include Prairie Walks, Prairie
Bugs, Prairie Gardens, and more. Two
special features are the Old-fashioned
Prairie Spelling Bee and the Buffalo
Chip Toss. Participants in the Spelling
Bee can obtain the words by call 335-
2323; they are encouraged towearprai-
rieclothing. The "chips" will beprovid-
cd. Just bring a strong throwing arm.
Prairie flyers are available by calling
335-2323.
Prairie Day is a day to celebrate our
past, learn more about our history,
and help preserve prairies for future
generations.
By Mel Rasmussen
Jimmy, "Ironlegs", Weaver left Lake
Itasca, the head ofthe Mississippi River
on July 10,1993, to walk to Washington.
D.C, to meet with President Clinton.
Weaver started out on his journey with
no support oilier than the few close
friends who had gathered lo support
him and encourage others along his
trail to come to his assistance. Slowly
but surely this support has started to
come about from many corners of the
United States
On August 26, 1993, at the Walker
United Methodist Church, 3104 16th
Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN. there
will be a fund-raiser to support Weaver's
Walk for Justice. According to some of
the fund-raisers, there will be a $10/
Adult and $3/low income & children
suggested donation for all who can
attend. There will be a feast and an
evening of poetry by Larry Cloud
Morgan and traditional storytelling by
Anne Dunne of Cass Lake, Minnesota.
Weaver, who is a seventy-two year old
elder from the White Earth Reservation
started his walk to protest the treatment
that his brother and sister Native
Americans at the White Earth
Reservation have experienced at the
hands of a ruthless and corrupt tribal
government that is currently in place in
the far north reservation in Minnesota.
Weaver is averaging about 150 miles
pcrwcckinhislrck.Hcwalksaloncand
has a supporter who drives a car and a
trailer and meets him at the end of each
day's session. Weaver walks alone with
nothing but a old rucksack and his eagle
staff. Occasionally somesupporters will
come and walk with him. but for the
most part he insists that he must walk
alone on this journey and will not let his
goals be blemished by others.
I n Wca vcr's letter to Prcsi dent CI i nlon.
he stated the following. "I carry only a
little soil and a muddied container of
Mother Water..for you sec. Mr.
President, that is in reality all we have
left." The letter goes on lo criticize
documcnlcdclcclionfraudand repeated
violations of the tribal constitution on
the part ofthe White Earth Reservation
government, ledsince the 70 sby Darrell
"Chip" Wadena.
"Believing he alone represents our
community", ' the letter continues.
"Chip Wadena has entered into
agreements and compacts with no
direction from the people, indeed,
completely ignoring the traditional
value system, choosing instead the
advice of self-seeking lawyer men
who profit from the land and its
people's loss... We have come to expect
little from your government," says
Weaver, referring to the "deaf ears"
on which previous appeals have fallen.
Weaver hopes the walk will bypass
the gatekeepers at the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.
Diane Warner, who along with
husband Jack took a week to cook and
drive for "Ironlegs", said, "When I saw
Jim walking on the highway past my
house, I thought, 'there goes a spiritual
man', I can't put my finger right on it,"
Warner continued, "but there's
something real powerful about Jim when
he's walking." Asked why he goes to
such extremes, Weaver replies, "I have
lo do it. It's just that simple. I have had
clear signs and I know that the
Grandfather wants me to."
Support of all types is welcome to
support Weaver's walk. Support letters
may be sent to President Clinton or to
other elected officials along his route.
Financial donations may be sent to
CALC Foundation. 122 W. Franklin,
Minneapolis. MN 55404. For further
information contact Larry Cloud
Morgan or Michael McNally at 612-
871-8033.