Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1996-01-05

              Financial problems could force Center
School to close
By Gary Blair
The Center School, Inc., is
experiencing financial trouble and the
school could be forced to close by
April if additional funding is not
obtained.
The school's financial position is
not readily known because accounting
records are not being made available
to the school's board of directors.
Although the school was reported to
have been solvent three years ago, the
present problems are being blamed on
mismanagement, nepotism and
insufficient fundraising since that
time. Inaction by school board
members during the past 10 years has
also been sighted as part of the
school's present predicament.
The 23 year old alternative school
serves primarily Native American
students. Many of the 70 students who
attend the school had difficulty in the
public school system. For those
students Center School has been their
last resort in obtaining a high school
diploma from the Minneapolis Public
School District.
Center School located at 2421
Bloomington Avenue South in
Minneapolis, is well known to
community members and if the school
were to close, it would be a
tremendous loss for the Indian
community.
Two years ago former director Ron
Otterson was charged with felony
theft of school funds. Reports at the
time indicated that some of the school
board members had been informed of
the fraud, but they did nothing to stop
it. More than $20,000 was alleged to
have been taken over a sixjear period.
During the time of the ongoing theft,
it was reported that the students were
using substandard text books.
Shortly after the school opened for
classes last fall, Carol Brieshke, the
another former director, was ousted
by a group of angry parents and
students. The protesters alleged that
Brieshke had fired both Indian ana
non-Indian teachers who were liked
by the students, and that she had
called certain female students names.
A student boycott of the school was
also held and the demonstrator.;
demanded that Brieshke be removed
by the board of directors. Rosalie
Clark, who was the board chairpersoi)
at the time resigned, saying she hail
already planned to do so. Clark''
resignation was soon followed by
other board member withdrawals unti'
only four of the original board
Center cont'd pg 3
Finan problems could force Cntr Sch to close/ pg
Gaming co. pleads guilty in Federal Court/ pg 1
NAP Publisher announces candidacy for 4A/ pg 1
Transcript of Finn's continuance ruling/ pg 5
Art In Space Explores new works at Inter Art/ pg 6
This Issue is dedicated to the memory of John Rain bird.
Gaming company pleads guilty in Federal
Co U rt To violations of federal gaming laws
Native
Fifty Cents
Ojibwe.
News
St. Paul, Minn (AP) _ A New Jersey
gaming company pleaded guilty in
U.S. District Court to violations of
federal gaming laws and activities
involving six Michigan Indian tribes.
Officers of Par-4 Inc. of Absecon,
N.J., pleaded guilty Dec. 19 before
Judge Richard Kyle to charges of
illegally transporting slot machine
parts and peripherals to Michigan
Indian casinos before compacts
legalizing gaming were signed
between the state and the tribes.
The 107-count indictment charged
violations of federal gaming laws,
including illegally transporting 900
slot machines to the Michigan tribes,
mail fraud, securities fraud and money
laundering. The indictment alleges
that the defendants attempted to
defraud the Nevada Gaming Control
Board and the New Jersey Division of
Gaming Enforcement by concealing
the Michigan destination of slot
machines through the listing of false
destinations on the documentation
associated with the shipments.
Gaming companies involved in the
indictment were Par-4, Thomas J.
Hardin, Alman Enterprises and
Nevada Novelty, all of Nevada, and
Lisa Inc. and International Gaming
Management of Minnesota.
The Indian tribes named, but not
charged, in the indictment are the
Keeweenaw Bay Indian Community,
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa, the Saginaw Chippew
Tribe, the Bay Mills Indian
Community and the Lac Vieux Deser;
Band of Lake Superior Chippew;
Indians.
The indictment means that IGM of
Minneapolis will likely fold, said chieC
executive officer Dan Zacharias. "I
don't see the company surviving in
any way, shape or form," he said.
Under the lease agreements IGM
received nearly $6 million from the
slot machine operations between 1991
and 1993, according to the indictment.
In an affidavit filed in federal court
in July 1994, authorities said IGM was
linked to organized crime figures and
Guilty cont'd pg 3
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded in 1988        Volume 8   Issue 12       January 5, 1996
Newspaper publisher to seek Republican
endorsement for State Representative
Bemidji, MN _ Bill Lawrence,
publisher of the Native American
Press/Ojibwe News, today announced
that he will seek the Republican Party
endorsement for the District 4 A State
Representative seat currently held by
State Representative Bob Johnson of
Bemidji.
Johnson, a 10-year veteran of the
House, is currently serving the second
30-dayjail sentence for driving under
the influence. He was arrested for
three separate DWI infractions which
occurred in a six and one half week
period last fall. He is expected to be
released from jail in time to represent
his district in the 1996 Legislative
Session, but following adjournment
in April will begin serving a 20-day
sentence under house arrest for a
parole violation in Dakota County.
"Johnson's behavior in this matter
has been reprehensible," said
Lawrence, "and it is for that reason
that I feel he must be replaced in the
Legislature. While I sympathize with
him for his alcoholism and hope that
he finds recovery for this illness, I feel
that the DWI arrests must be treated
as individual crimes and that he is no
longer capable of serving the residents
of this district.
"I have never before considered
myself a partisan in the political
arena," Lawrence added, "but I feel
that the Republican Party represents
the best hope for people residing in
northern Minnesota. The Republican
agenda calls for strong 1
government and decision making
authority which I feel are paramount
to the control of our own lives.
Therefore, I will seek the party
endorsement for this position."
Lawrence is a 1957 graduate of
Bemidji High School where he was
all-state in baseball, basketball, and
football. He earned a Bachelor of Arts
Seek cont'd pg 5
Non-Indian video games could be considered
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ Gov.
Tommy G. Thompson says he's open
to consideration of proposals to
legalize non-Indian video gambling
as long as it's proven to be
constitutional.
"The first hurdle is whether or not it' s
constitutional. If it's constitutional, I'll
take a look at it. If not, I won't,"
Thompson told the Wisconsin State
Journal in a late 1995 interview
reported in today's edition.
Thompson, questioned aboutavideo
gambling bill due for statewide
hearings early this year,
acknowledged theargumentthat video
gambling could even the economic
playing field between non-Indian
establishments and tribal gambling
halls.
"Now the only way to square it is to
make sure that when we negotiate
that tavern owners and restaurants
and resorts are able to economically
survive with Indian gaming,"
Thompson said.
"I don't think it's fair completely to
have just one group of people able to
survive when their survival damages
the income and wherewithal of other
groups."
Thompson also indicated he will
take a tough future negotiating stance
with Wisconsin's Indian tribes.
Voters in 1993 approved an advisory
referendum against any expansion of
legalized gambling in the state.
A weekly publication.
Community
loses John
Rain bird
John Rainbird, an Anishinabe
Ojibwe man who dedicated his life to
being an active member and voice for
his nation, died suddenly of a massive
heart attack at the age of 51.
Rainbird's death leaves an unfillable
void at the Native American Press/
Ojibwe News, but we owe it to John to
continue seeking the truth and the
will of the people, as he strove for up
to the time of his passing.
In many ways, John's life was a
microcosm of the indigenous peoples'
struggles against assimilation,
oppression and exploitation. He was
-emoved from his home and placed in
-i>*»r!-3hii(nvP   fo<;tpr  home*   and
boarding schools, from there
graduating to the academy of harder
knocks at juvenile institutions.
But the Christianity that had been
forced down his throat was literally
beaten out of him by the Church, and
John began to search for his true
identity and spirituality as an
aboriginal person. Guided by Jimmy
Jackson, he began to learn the ways of
the Midewiwin religion and to treat
Indian people everywhere as his
brothers and sisters. John would often
give more than the shirt off his back to
help a friend—or a stranger~in need;
he gave of himself.
From the shores of Wisconsin ceded
terrritory, where he stood against the
racist mobs of treaty rights opponents,
to protests at the offices of the BIA,
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and
the state government, where closed-
door conspiracies were and are
-I
Copyright, Native American Preee,  199E
hatched against the resources,
sovereignty, and human rights of the
Anishinabe people-John Rainbird
was on the frontlines.
Always searching, he was never lost.
His presence lent energy and spirit to
any gathering, in the best and worst of
times. He was motivated by love for his
own people, rather than antagonism
toward any others. Johnwouldpatiently
repeat to the descendants of settlers the
seemingly simple proposition that
indigenous North Americans seek only
to preserve the land of their origin, and
to live as free and independent
communities. Whetherasatribal police
Photo byNAC
officer in Nett Lake or a staff member of
the NAP, John truly lived up to the
term, ogiichidah.
Rainbird is survived by his companion
of sixyears, Sharon Skenadore, adoptive
mother Marie Rainbird, father Edward
Jefferson, daughters Jacquie Kingsbury
and Kim Hashey, two brothers, two
sisters, two grandchildren and
innumerable neices, nephews and
friends. He also left behind several
letters to President Clinton, which he
apparently did not have the chance to
send, and some of which we print here
(seepg. 4).
Migwetch, John
Budget shutdown hits reservations hard
Several Well-Known Minnesotans Ensnared by Law
By Pam Schmid
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ What do
a world-famous surgeon, a former
U.S. senator, a host of DFL
lawmakers and a longtime tribal
chairman have in common?
All had brushes with the law in
1995, facing charges ranging from
theft and bid-rigging to repeatedly
driving drunk.
Several high-profile Minnesotans
appeared in courtrooms across the
state, and while a few managed to
settle their legal troubles, others
will have to wait until 1996 to learn
their fate.
Among    the    prominent
Minnesotans ensnared by authorities
over the past year:
Dr. John Najarian. The
pioneering transplant surgeon was
charged with ignoring drug safety
rules, stealing from the university
and blocking the federal
investigation that led to his
indictment. Prosecutors have said
Najarian, who had been the chief
surgeon at the University of
Minnesota for 27 years, illegally
marketed an experimental drug
because he craved power and
prestige. While Najarian has
pleaded innocent, a colleague has
pleaded guilty in the case and is to
testify against the surgeon in a trial
starting in January.
_Darrell "Chip" Wadena. A
federal indictment charged the
chairman of the White Earth Band
of Chippewa with stealing more than
$400,000 by bid-rigging on the
band's casino. An indictment
returned in August also accused
Wadena and two otherband officials
of using a tribal fishing commission
to illegally pad their salaries.
_Dave Durenberger. The former
Republican senator settled his long
ethics case _ which had forced him
out of office _ by reaching a deal
with prosecutors. Durenberger
pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor
charges that he stole public funds by
abusing his congressional expense
account. He was sentenced to a year's
probation and a $1,000 fine.
By Amanda Davis
PHOENIX (AP) _ While politicians
fight over the budget impasse, the
nation's Indian reservations are just
trying to hang on.
Without federal money, the Hopi
Reservation, for example, can't buy
gas for police cars or food for its five
day schools. As a result, hundreds of
children may not be able to return to
classes on Tuesday after the holiday
break.
Police layoffs and an increase in
already rampant unemployment are
also looming, Hopi Chairman Ferrell
Secakuku said Thursday.
Secakuku and other tribal leaders
in Arizona      where the-Indian
population of 285,000 is the nation's
largest _ say reservations are
especially hard hit by the lack of a
budget agreement because of their
heavy reliance on federal money.
Congressional Republicans and
President Clinton cannot agree on
how to balance the budget.
Perhaps the only people happy about
the shutdown are those in the Hopi
Reservation Detention Center: They
may be released because there is no
money for heat.
"We have 1.6 million acres to
oversee, and there's about 11,000 to
12,000 people living on this land and
needing services. But those services
will be drastically" reduced without a
budget agreement, said Secakuku,
who hopes to go to Washington this
weekend with other tribal leaders.
The Hopis are living off money
carried over from last year's budget.
The money will run out sometime in
early January, Secakuku said.
The Navajo Nation is faring better,
said Thomas Atcitty, vice president
of the tribe. The Navajos have the
largest reservation in the country,
covering about 17 million acres and
spreading into parts of New Mexico
and Utah. Navajos account for
207,000 of the Indians in Arizona.
"By using some carryover funds,
most of our workers are prepared to
work into the middle of March,"
Atcitty said.
The Navajos have been helped by
Budget cont'd pg 3
Law cont'd pg
Backyard sweat lodge prompts neighbors' complaints
MCLU appeals ban on 'Crazy Horse' malt liquor name
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ The
Minnesota Civil Liberties Union has
appealed a state ruling that bans the use
of the Crazy Horse Malt Liquor brand
name.
The MCLU filed the appeal Thursday
on behalf of Hornell Brewing Co. of
New York.
Minnesota Public Safety
Commissioner Michael Jordan last
month revoked the brand name
registration for "The Original Crazy
Horse Malt Liquor" and banned its
sale, following an administrative law
judge's recommendation.
In 1994, the state Legislature passed
a law allowing the state to reject or
revoke registration of a malt liquor
brand label if it states or implies a false
or misleading connection with an actual
American Indian leader, living or dead.
Many American Indians are offended
by the use of the 19th century Sioux
leader's nameonabeerlabel, especially
because he opposed alcohol
consumption and predicted devastating
consequences for his people if they
drank.
The estate of Crazy Horse,
administered by Seth Big Crow Sr. of
Rosebud, S.D., has opposed using the
Crazy Horse brand name for the malt
liquor since it went on the market in
1992.
The MCLU will ask the state Court
of Appeals to reverse the ban and
overturn the statute, saying it is an
"unconstitutional restraint on freedom
of speech."
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Wiley
Merritt, a member of the Porch band
of the Creek tribe, has built a sweat
lodge in his back yard, and some of
his neighbors are complaining.
"They have said, 'Five hundred
years ago, this was all forest,'" said
Mark Krumrey, one of Merritt's
neighbors. "Well, no matter what it
was 500 years ago, this is a city now."
Merritt burns an open fire to heat
rocks, which are used to warm the
lodge and create steam in a process
some American Indians view as a
spiritual cleansing ritual. He insists
that  his  freedom  of religious
expression would be trampled on if he
were not allowed to have the lodge in
his back yard.
"This is where I live," he said. "I
don't see why I have to travel to
perform the ceremony."
Merritt's lodge and complaints
about it have evolved into a
neighborhood squabble that
highlights the problems that can
develop when centuries-old cultures
and traditions clash with modern law.
His neighbor Krumrey has
complained to the police, the Fire
Department and the office of City
Council Member Kathy Thurber _ all
to no avail, Krumrey said.
Minneapolis Fire Chief Tom
Dickinson said Merritt might not be
violating any fire codes. He said he
has written Merritt a letter outlining
the codes he believes apply.
"As long as he complies with the
fire code, I don't have a problem with
it," Dickinson said.
Minneapolis has strict laws about
bonfires, which are defined as large
fires with a surface-area dimension of
greater than 25 inches in diameter.
Such fires require a $25 permit fee
and can't be located within 50 feet of
any structure. Laws governing the
Lodge cont'd page 3