Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1996-08-16

              , -    \   ' .mj.
Native firefighters contest ruling   Leonard
Thompson disciplined for lashing out at mayor Belton
are now additional allegations being   told Thompson that she was offended
By Gary Blair
The reaction to a recent no probable
cause finding by the Minnesota
Department of Human Rights
(MDHR) in favor of the City of
Minneapolis has taken a n unexpected
turn.
The ruling appears to have
heightened, rather than settle, the
controversy over allegations that the
City's fire department is
discriminating in its hiring practices
of American Indians.
The August 1, 1996 decision by
MDHR Commissioner David
Beaulieu came as no surprise to the
Native American community in
Minneapolis, where past city jobs
have only gone to a few chosen Indian
people. Indian firefighters Mike
Beaulieu and Leonard Thompson,
assert that the City claims to have
nearly 30 Native American
firefighters employed, but that most
cannot confirm their lineage or tribal
enrollment.
They further assert that once these
individuals were hired as firefighters,
they were allowed to remain on the
fire department and reclaim their
white status. At the same time, the
city's civil service department and
affirmative action office records
identify them as Native American
employees. The city then used those
numbers to meet their affirmative
action standards.
The PRESS has learned that there
made against the City's hiring of
Native Americans. Ron Edwards, an
African American who is chairman of
the American Indian Fire Fighter's
Advisory Steering Committee, says
his committee now plans to question
the enrollment numbers used by some
of the questionable fire department
employees. "That surprise will come
at our regularly scheduled 1:30 P.M.,
bi-monthly meeting to be held on
August 23, on the fifth floor of the
city's public health building," the
longtime community activist said.
Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles
Belton, who attended the August 9th
meeting of the American Indian
firefighters steering committee,
appeared to be hoping to put the
highly charged issue to rest. However,
Belton was met with an unexpected
outburst from Indian fire fighter,
Leonard Thompson, who lambasted
the first-term black Mayor with
criticism that she had forgotten her
roots.
Thompson, from the White Earth
reservation included in his remarks the
use of the N-word, as he explained the
plight of Native Americans living in
Minneapolis. "I am sick and tired of
going to the scene of a shooting as a
firefighter (paramedic) and finding
Native American children who are in
pampers living in houses that have
bullet holes in the ceiling," Thompson
blasted.
"Yet the city only hires 'white trash
and niggers,'" he said. Mayor Belton
by his use of the N-word. She then
tried to explain what steps the city
would make in its future recruitment
of Native American firefighters—
stopping short of explaining how their
verification would be made.
Outside in the hall, Mayor Belton
told the PRESS that she was offended
by Thompson's remarks. Thompson
said later that he was angry when he
learned that the City fire officials had
been downstairs laughing about the
MDHR's decision just before the
meeting. "I wasn't directing my
remarks at anyone," Thompson said.
Edwards said later that he wasn't
offended by Thompson's remarks,
however. "The guy was mad, he was
just expressing his feelings. I think it
served as a shocker for the mayor.
There were three other black people
in the room; they didn't seem to be
insulted," he said.
The City of Minneapolis presently
has over 80 firefighters who are
African American, five of whom were
recently promoted to Captain as a
result of a lawsuit settlement.
After the meeting, Mayor Belton
was seen and heard downstairs in the
City's civil service department
reprimanding fire department officials
who were at the same meeting.
Apparently, sources said, she felt she
had been set up for what had occurred.
Thor.ir';on told, the PRESS
Wednesday evening that he has since
Ruling cont'd on 5
Native firefighters contest ruling/ pg 1
US Officials look to Shooting Star/ pg 1
WE officials oust casino management co./ pg 1
Benefit album for Honor the Earth/pg 6
Letter to Leech Lake band members/ pg 8
Voice of the People
1
US Officials look to Shooting Star
Firm accused of taking excess profits to be probed
By Pat Doyle
Minneapolis Star Tribune Staff Writer
Gambling regulators will look into
allegations by White Earth Chippewa
officials that a firm that managed their
Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen,
Minn., took profits beyond what was
allowed in a federally approved
contract.
"We are certainly interested in what
is taking place and ... [will] decide if
we need to conduct an investigation
of our own." said Michael Cox,
general counsel for the federal
National Indian Gaming Commission
in Washington, D.C.
He reacted Tuesday to reports that
the newly installed White Earth Tribal
Council accused Gaming World
International of Ellwood City, Pa., of
cutting a deal with a previous Tribal
Council that gave the firm excessive
profits. On Monday the new council
and its supporters evicted managers of
Gaming World from the Shooting Star.
Cox said Gaming World disclosed
to the Securities and Exchange
Commission that it has been taking 35
percent of casino profits 5 percent
more than allowed under its 1992
contract. Gaming World began taking
the extra percentage in 1993 while the
National Indian Gaming Commission
reviewed its request to change the
contract to allow the higher
percentage. The company said it
would refund the extra 5 percent in
profits to the tribe if the agency turned
down the request.
The National Indian Gaming
Commission never ruled on the,
request, but Gaming World "has been
operating since 1993 as if been
approved," Cox said. Since the extra
5 percent has been worth more than
$856,000.
Gaming World recorded the money
as a liability that would become
revenue federal government allowed
the firm to take 35 percent of the
profits, said Steve Exley, a
Minneapolis accountant retained by
the new Tribal Council.
Although the new council referred
to "secret" agreements between
Gaming World and the old Tribal
Council, Gaming World president
Angelo Medure said Tuesday that the
firm reported its contract arrangement
publicly.
"Any mention of a 'secret' contract
with the White Earth band is
outrageous," Medure said in a
statement. The company also said it
"fully performed its obligations under
the management agreement that it has
with the tribe and is fully prepared to
defend its contractual rights and assert
its remedies."
The management contract was set
to expire in March 1997. The proposal
favored by the former Tribal Council
would have extended it to 1999.
The former council led by chairman
Darrell (Chip) Wadena supported
giving a higher share of profits to
Gaming World, but the new council
under Eugene (Bugger) McArthur is
moving to withdraw that proposal.
Erma Vizenor, secretary-treasurer
of the band, said tribal officials ended
the contract before its expiration
because they concluded that Gannno
World had violated terms by taking an
additional 5 percent in profits.
Gaming World, in a statement,
described its ouster from the casino
as temporary and said it has been
"caught in a political cross-fire
between divisions within the Native
American community."
It's unusual for a tribe and its casino
management firm to seek permission
to change a contract to give the firm a
larger share of profits, Cox said. And
he said the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act assumes that most contracts will
provide no more than 30 percent in
profits to casino management firms.
This article is reprinted from the
Wednesday, August 14, 1996, edition
of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Young hits BIA on trust fund management
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _
More than $111 million in Alaska
Native Funds are unaccounted for in
Bureau of Indian Affairs records and
Alaska's lone congressman has formed
a committee to find the missing money.
That committee, the Task Force on
Indian Trust Fund Management, met
Saturday to hear from Alaska Natives
and other Native rights advocates..
"I just want to know where (the
money) is," Don Young said at the
hearing, the first to be held in Alaska.
"This whole thing is a mess if you
really want to get down to it."
In June Native rights advocates sued
the BIA on behalf of more than 300,000
American Indians after an audit
showed widespread mismanagement
of Native funds. The federal agency
cannot reconcile more than $2.4 billion
worth of transactions involving
American Indian accounts. At least
$111 million of the missing money
came from accounts belonging to
Alaska Natives.
"We view this as the largest and
longest-lasting financial scandal in
U.S. government history," said Robert
Peregoy, an attorney for the Native
American Rights Fund. The group is
one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit
against the BIA.
"It's time long overdue to make the
situation right," Peregoy said.
As chairman of the House Resources
Committee, which oversees Indian
affairs, Young said he is concerned
for the financial health of all American
Indians.
But he is particularly concerned for
Alaska Natives. Young, a Republican,
promised to ask for a separate
investigation for Native trust fund
accounts in Alaska.
The General Accounting Office,
Congress' investigative arm, would
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handle the request.
That was good news to Eric
Davenport, chairmanof the Intertribal
Monitoring Association for Indian
Trust Funds and a speaker at Saturday's
hearing.
"That Alaska Escrow Fund is so
confusing and so screwed up, what we
needed to do was get the GAO
involved," he said. A separate
investigation would speed the process
and perhaps help Alaska Natives get
their money sooner, he said.
Young said Saturday's meeting is
the beginning of a months-long process
to clean up the BIA's tangled finances.
"We're going to pursue this with
great vigor," Young said, vowing to
work as long as it takes to resolve the
matter.
Young, a 12-term House veteran, is
defending his seat against Democratic
state Sen. Georgianna Lincoln, a
Native from Rampart.
New White Earth tribal government takes
over casino
MAHNOMEN, Minn. (AP) _
Officials of the White Earth Band of
Chippewa said Monday they have
taken control of the band's Shooting
Star Casino.
Officials and security staff on
Monday escorted out officials of
Gaming World International, the
Pennsylvania-based company that has
managed the casino for the past four
and a half years.
White Earth Tribal Chairman
Eugene "Bugger" McArthur said in a
news release Monday that the change
will not affect day-to-day operations
at the casino.
Tribal officials accused the
management company of working
under a secret, illegal contract with
the former tribal council.
Angelo Medure, head of Ellwood
City-based Gaming World, told the
Star Tribune of Minneapolis that the
accusations were "totally false" but
would not elaborate Monday night.
McArthur defeated former Chairman
Darrell "Chip" Wadena in a June
election. Wadena is in jail pending
sentencing on federal corruption
charges for plundering money from
the White Earth band.
Gaming World International owner Angelo Medure's former Shooting Star casino parking lot sign, torn off
by angry White Earth members. Citing contract violations costing the reservation $22 million, the RBC
terminated a contract which gave Medure 35% of profits and prepared to file suit for the money.
White Earth unites against takeover, ousts
casino management company
By Jeff Armstrong
During the summer of 1991,82 tribal
members were arrested on White Earth
by state law enforcement officers for
non-violently occupying tribal offices
and a casino construction site. Five
years later, many of the same people
came together-to block a threatened
violent takeover by relatives and
supporters of ousted chairman Darrell
Wadena and to remove a casino
management company with alleged
ties to organized crime figures.
"They saw our numbers today and
they would not come. That's people
power," said Joe LaGarde, who helped
organize the security force.
About 100 Anishinabe people
gathered in the early morning hours of
Aug. 12 at the RBC building in White
Earth to defend the reservation's first
legitimate government in many years
from a planned assault by Wadena
loyalists. A group led by Wadena's
son, Tony, a member of White Earth's
governing Business Committee, had
threatened the takeover at an Aug. 8
Tribal Executive Committee meeting
on Grand Portage. The TEC at the
time capitulated to the group's demands
not to swear White Earth chairman
Eugene "Bugger" McArthur and
secretary treasurer Erma Vizenor in as
committee members, despite heated
protests from many Wadena opponents
present.
In a letter dated Aug. 12, Tony
Wadena sounded a more conciliatory
note. "[I] cannot as they demand state
that I recognize them as the lawful
leaders in the positions they occupy. I
can, however, insure them my
cooperation and discussion of tribal
business." Wadena had previously
refused to attend RBC meetings under
McArthur's leadership.
McArthur, who was voted in as
chairman last June, is widely believed
to have won several previous elections
thrown out or falsified during the 20-
year Wadena dictatorship.
After a prayer and pipe ceremony led
by Mushkoub (Steve Aubid), a
hereditary war chief and leader of the
unrecognized Rice Lake band, the
volunteer Anishinabe Security Patrol
spent several tense hours awaiting a
confrontation which never
materialized, then took the offensive.
Backed by a tribal council resolution
terminating the casino management
contract with Gaming World
International and its employees, about
Unite cont'd on 3
Governor wants village site preserved
By Grant Gross
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) _ Gov.
Bill Janklow hopes the Blood Run
village southeast of Sioux Falls will
soon be a place where visitors can
hike trails and learn about the tribes
who once lived there.
"It's a national resource _ it's not
just a South Dakota resource," Janklow
said of the 300-year-old site, which
archaeologists believe was a trading
village in the 1600s and 1700s.
"I want to see it preserved, I want to
see it used as a historical and
educational resource for people," he
said.
The drive to preserve the historic
site, encroached upon by urban
development, took a step ahead this
week.
Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.,
persuaded fellow senators to include
$ 150,000 for a National Park Service
study of the site in a committee
appropriations report of the
Department of Interior.
While the full Senate hasn't passed
the appropriations bill yet, Daschle's
staff is confident the money will stay
in when the Senate votes on it in
September.
An aide to Daschle said the study
would determine the village's national
significance.
It is believed to have been a thriving
Oneota and Ioway settlement with a
population of 10,000 covering up to
1,200 acres.
Janklow, who requested Daschle's
help, said he hopes the study will lead
to federal funding to help South Dakota
and Iowa preserve Blood Run.
The site straddles the Big Sioux
River, which separates the two states.
In 1988, Iowa purchased 620 acres.
Janklow said South Dakota is in the
final stages of buying 200 acres of the
village on its side of the river.
"I want to see it developed as a state
resource," Janklow said. "I don't want
a national park, because then the feds
will run it under federal rules."
Janklow envisions a visitor center
on the Iowa side of the river, with
trails and historical markers
throughout the village.
The Republican governor praised
Daschle for his help, saying the study
will be a "significant step" forward.
Archaeologist Adrien Hannus of
Augustana College in Sioux Falls said
he was heartened by congressional
interest in Blood Run.
"It'd be good to have this done now
before any further building projects
take place on both sides of the river,"
said Hannus, one of a group of people
that has fought to preserve the site
since the early 1980s.
"There will be a point when the
integrity might be so compromised
the National Park Service might not
be interested."
Hannus said thousands of artifacts exist
at Blood Run, named from a reported a
battle between tribes that made the
water in a nearby creek run red.
French explorer Pierre-Charles Le
Suer mapped the village when he was
scouting the area to build a trading
post, Hannus said, and the site
appeared on a map published in Paris
in 1701.
"I've wished we would've had some
research fund available to find out
more about the people who lived
there," he said.< End advance for
Monday, Aug. 12, and thereafter