The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1989-10-04

              RLTC votes down hospital contract
Vote was 7 against, 2 for and 1 abstention
By William J. Lawrence
Bemidji, Minn. - In an
unprecedented and historic vote
taken at a special tribal meeting on
September 16, 1989, the Red Lake
Tribal Council voted down the
attempt by Chairman Roger A.
Jourdain and Tribal Health Director
Monte Hammitt to take over control
of the Indian Health Services (IHS)
Hospital on the Red Lake Reservation. According to reservation
sources the hospital vote was the
first time in the 30 year tenure of
Chairman Jourdain that a Red Lake
Tribal Council (RLTC) voted down
a project that he strongly supported.
The vote tally of 7 against, 2 for and
1 abstention, is not only significant
for its heavy majority against, but
appears to represent what many
tribal members see as not just an
isolated incident, but as a major shift
in political power on the Red Lake
Reservation.
The seven council representatives
voting against the measure were
Gerald F. Brun, Roman P. Statley,
Jr., Lawrence Bedeau, Allen
English, Jr., Royce Graves, Sr.,
George F. Jones and Bobby
Whitefeather. Voting for the hospital
contract were representatives
Adolph Barrett and Dan Raincloud,
with Tom J. Stillday, Jr. abstaining.
Immediately following the vote,
Chairman Jourdain adjourned the
meeting and stormed out of the
room.
Tribal contracting of the Red Lake
IHS Hospital has been a
controversial issue on the
reservation since last November
when Tribal Health Director Monte
Hammitt notified the IHS by letter
that the RLTC intended to contract
the operation of that facility by May
of 1989. That notification was
followed by an application in
February 1989 requesting $ 11.7
million of IHS funds to operate the
hospital for fiscal year 1990, and
proposed a contract starting date of
July 1, 1989. It is now obvious that
the February 1989 application which
was signed by Tribal Health
Director Hammitt was not
authorized by resolution of the
RLTC and therefore should not have
been acted upon by the IHS. Instead
premature processing of the Red
Lake application by the IHS has
resulted in that agency expending
several months of staff work and
numerous meetings in Red Lake and
in Washington, D.C. in negotiation
and preparation for the contract.
The Red Lake IHS Hospital
employs a staff of over 80 persons
and has an annual budget of
approximately $ 5.5 million. In
addition the tribe is currently
contracting nearly $ 2.6 million of
IHS funds to operate the Red Lake
Comprehensive Health Program
pursuant to P.L. 93-638. That
program employs nearly 80 persons
on the reservation.
Tribal opponents to the contracting
are concerned that, like the Red Lake
Comprehensive Health Program, the
Hospital/Clinic would become highly
politicalized with an adverse effect
on reservation health care.
The main complaint against the
Comprehensive Health Program is
that it is operated by Tribal
Chairman Jourdain and his Chief
Lieutenant Monte Hammitt as a
personal fiefdom.
Tribal critics complain that the
program is rank with nepotism and
favoritism, and is plagued by the
misuse of funds.
They also complain that high
administrative costs, excessive
absenteeism, tardiness, and
unnecessary positions make the
program ineffective.
Waybenais's claim
Red Lake, Minn. - The claim filed in September under the Federal
Tort Claims Act by Bemidji Attorney Romaine Powell on behalf of
Darrell Waybenais, Red Lake, who was shot in the groin by a BIA
police officer was denied.
A lawsuit was filed for $1.5 million against the federal government in
U.S. District Court, St. Paul, 6th Division, soon after the federal
government denied the claim. The federal government has 60 days to
respond.
Directors promoted
Minneapolis, Minn. - BIA Area Director Earl Barlow announced the
promotions of Asst. Area Directors' Frank Annette and James Sansavor
to GS-15 positions. No reason was cited for their promotions other than
that they were due.
The starting salary for GS-15s are in the $55,000 range. Critics say it
is hard to justify these positions when approximately 40 BIA positions
were contracted by the Red Lake Tribe now under the supervision of
the Red Lake Tribal Council under the new government-to-government
agreement.
Criminal Justice board to meet
Bemidji, Minn. - The Criminal Justice Liaison Board will hold its
third meeting tonight, October 4, at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The board
serves those who have police-related problems in the Bemidji area.
Anyone is welcome to voice their complaints. Joe Sayers, Liaison
Board member, said people often "don't want to speak up because
they're afraid of retaliation." For more information call Sayers at
751-6808.
Investigator at White Earth last week
White Earth, Minn. - Sources have told the News that an investigator
employed with the Inspector General's Office in Washington D.C.
"took testimony" and listened to complaints from tribal members at
White Earth last week. Complaints were in regard to mismanagement of
federal monies and corruption within tribal government. "He seemed
sincere," sources said, "and listened to what the people were saying."
The investigating agent was one of 50 federal agents in the country.
Jourdain's tax case won't be appealed
Duluth, Minn. - According to the Assistant Attorney General, the
State of Minnesota declined to appeal Jourdain's tax case. The decision
was made on the basis that the Commissioner of Revenue decided it
wasn't a good case to appeal, and this was concurred by Attorney
General "Skip" Humphrey.
Weatherford to speak at MIEA meeting
St Cloud, Minn. - Everyone knows that Indians have contributed corn,
moccasins and wild rice to the world. However, Jack Weatherford
traveled the globe and discovered that American Indians have
contributed much more to the world than people have thought; so much,
in fact, that he was able to publish a book on his findings.
Weatherford, associate professor at Macalester College, is the author
of Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the
World. He will be a guest speaker at the 5th Annual Minnesota Indian
Education Association conference being held in St. Cloud at the
Sunwood Inn, November 2-4,1989.
The public will find his presentation both informative and interesting,
as Weatherford tells about freeze-dried potatoes, farming, mining, and
the government and how these technologies or practices became
popular world-wide.
For more information on the Minnesota Indian Education Conference
call Sharon Romano at (612) 422-3470 or flo wiger at (612) 255-4076.
In addition other critics have
pointed out due to declining federal
funds available for health care
services, growing shortages of
professional medical personnel,
along with the steady increase in
medical costs, make timing of the
contract inappropriate. According to
information obtained by the News,
the IRed Lake IHS Hospital ended
FY 1989 on September 30, 1989,
with a $ 700,000 shortfall of funds
which must be made up out of FY
1990 funds.
One source told the News that
Tribal Chairman Jourdain has been
trying to arrange a special council
meeting to reconsider the Hospital
vote but has been unable to put one
together. That source also indicated
that Jourdain had set a meeting for
September 27, 1989, and was trying
to bring in former IHS Director
Emery Johnson, who is a tribal
consultant, but the meeting never
materialized.
Several tribal representatives who
talked to the News about the vote
indicated that their vote was made in
the best interest of the Red Lake
people and they weren't about to
change their minds.
Fifty Cents
Founded in 1988
—
Volume 2 Issue 6
October 4, 1989
Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1989
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Dr. Eddie
Brown met
with leaders
at Leech
Lake and
Red Lake,
Sept. 19th
Dr. Eddie Frank Brown,
the newly appointed
Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Indian Affairs
appeared at the Cass
Lake Bingo Palace and in
Red Lake on Sept. 19.
Brown took office on
June 26, and has been
traveling to various
reservations in the United
States, meeting leaders
and getting to know his
constituency firsthand.
He has gained many
new ideas and has been
presented with many new
proposals. He's been
very well received in the
Indian communities he's
visited.
He has met extensively
with Darrel "Chip"
Wadena, and plans to
maintain his contacts with
the various Indian leaders
in order to better
implement policy that will
aid Native Americans.
(photo by Monte Draper)
Education conference held in Brainerd
By Mark Boswell
Contributor
About 150 students and instructors
from area Indian schools gathered at
Cragun's Resort in Brainerd on Sept
26-28 for the First Annual Indian
Youth Leadership Skills
Development Conference. The
conference was scheduled in unison
with American Indian Youth Day,
which was signed into an official
holiday by Gov. Rudy Perpich.
Funded by a Indian Education
Grant from the Blandin Foundation ,
the three day event included
workshops and activities designed to
aid students in developing their
leadership abilities and broaden their
horizons. "The intent," according to
conference organizers, "was to
provide a holistic approach
encouraging Indian students to
challenge the education system."
Highlights of the conference
included speeches by Darrell "Chip"
Wadena, president of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Senator Hubert
"Skip" Humphrey III, and the 1989
Indian Miss America, Bobette
Wildcat.
Scheduled workshops examined
things as diverse as domestic abuse,
AIDS prevention, alcohol and
substance abuse, peer support
groups, a historical perspective on
tribal government, and career
development.
Senator Humphrey's address
emphasized the importance of drug
Porky White. (Photo by Mark Boswell)
prevention as the front line to the
current War on Drugs campaign
launched by the Bush
administration. "The War on
Drugs," said Humphrey ."will be a
failure unless you, the youth of
America, take the first step to saying
'No to Drugs'".
"Porky" White, a spiritual leader
from the Twin Cities was present to
officiate the conference, give the
invocation, and present a statement
on   cultural preservation. This
significant speech to the youth at the
conference on the importance of
retaining the Ojibwe culture in the
wake of modern American culture
seemed to highlight the conference.
He told of his own life-long journey
to find himself and his place in the
Ojibwe religion and stated that a
person could not "truly become
whole" without the necessary
guidance that the Ojibwe religion
encapsules.
There was also a Career Fair,
where representatives from about 30
universities, colleges and vocational
schools presented information about
their programs to the students.
About twenty dancers and three
drum groups took part in an evening
powwow at the lakeside resort. The
powwow, honoring Indian youth
was hosted by the Chief
Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Drum Group
and Dancers. Two other drums were
present including one representing
Mille Lacs Lake.