Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2004-04-30

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Wadena responds to
letter by former U.S.
Attorney Lillehaug
page 4
Wadena's history shows a
lack of honesty, integrity
page 4
Where is
our leadership?
page 4
Now is the time for
Leech Lake to make
a stand
page 4
Press/ON endorses
Stately, R. Barrett,
Bee Barrett and White
page 4
Red Laker charged in drug raid
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
By Bill Lawrence
Bemidji police said they
seized marijuana mid a large
quantity of cocaine in mi early
morning raid at die Comfort Inn
Motel on Tuesday, April 27. A
Bemidji Police Statement placed
a $20,000 value on die cocaine.
Five adults and one juvenile,
all from Red Lake, were taken
into custody. The name of the
juvenile, a 17-year old, was
vvitiiheld. Arlan Maurice Thunder (date of birth (dob) 12/27/
73) was die only one of die five
charged. He was arraigned on
Wednesday mid charged with 1st
degree controlled substance possession. If convicted, Thunder
could be sentenced up lo thirty
yems in prison mid fined up to
$1 million. Bond was set at
$ 100,00. Thunder is being held
in die Beltrami County Jail.
Jeffrey Lee Oliver (dob 7/27/
82) mid Stm Lyn Graves (dob
5 26 79) were released. Charges
against diem are still under investigation.
Austin Robert Head (dob 3 16
84) mid Apryl I Ann I aftergrass
(dob 4/01/82) are still in custody
on unrelated matters. They are
also being held in the Beltrami
County Jail.
Police served die search warrant at 12:21 a.m. Tuesday. The
Beltrami County Sheriff's De:
partment, members of local law
enforcement, and Emergency
Response Temn participated
in the raid. Paul Bunyan Drug
Task Force was the lead agency
in the investigation.
In miother drug related arrest, three Minneapolis residents
were arrested April 20 in Walker,
Minnesota, following an investigation into cocaine trafficking
mid sales at ('ass I ake by I .eech
Lake Tribal Police . Saul C.
Sanchez, 37; Israel P. Sanchez,
31; mid Salina Kay Goodwin,
19, were charged with felony
first-degree conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime.
The}' were arraigned in Cass
County District Court April 22.
The trio were tracked in their
movements by police officers as
they traveled in a pickup from
Minneapolis to Motley, through
Ackley and on to Walker. Officers discovered 26 grams of a
substance believed lo be cocaine
under the vehicle dashboard.
The material has been sent to the
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension to be tested.
According to the criminal
complaint, it is believed the
cocaine was being sold out of a
Cass Lake residence after being
delivered weekly from the Twin
Cities. County .Attorney Earl
Mans said the case continues to
be investigated and additional
charges will be filed if investigation reveals they are warranted.
Tribal Executive Committee reviews Citizen
demand for censure of Leech Lake leaders
Bv Dimie E. White
( ASS LAKE, MN-At the
Wednesday, April 28, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
RegularTribal Executive Committee (TEC) meeting, the TEC
listened to concerned Leech
Lake tiibal members' demands
to censure die two Leech Lake
TEC members, Chairman Pete
White mid Secretary-Treasurer
Arthur "Archie" LaRose. No action was taken to censure either
member mid the TEC members
agreed to review die numerous
cited violations with supporting
documentation. No date was set
to reconvene. The following is
the meeting transcript:which will
allow die reader to make their
own decision about the process
involved.
The Demand is signed by District 1 Representative, Burton
"Luke" Wilson, tribal members
Randy Finn and Mindy Jones-
Ruby mid Grand Portage tribal
member, Johnny Jones. The Demand Petition is lengdiy mid laboriously oudines the violations
and the supporting documents.
Many of these documents have
been feature stories in die Native
Americmi Press/Ojibwe News
since September, 2003. A review
of diese documents will be in a
future NAP ON edition.
There were many audience
members who support this document mid they slimed their concerns with Kevin Dupuis, Sec-
re tar}'-Treasurer (Fond du Lac)
following die meeting. He was
the only member who took the
time to listen to their concerns.
The key to this demand is 1)
whether the IIX" can or will
identify constitutional violation
issues, mid 2) whether miy action will lie taken should constitutional violations be found.
At die meeting, all of the II i('
members gave opinions indicating the I .eech I .ake matter is
mi internal matter, wliich they
should not become involved
with.
Transcript of N1CT Regular
Meeting, 4/28 (U [Note: In the
following transcript, at times a
v oice could not be identified.
Readers may answer the questions at the end of the transcript
to contemplate the importance
of this discussion.1
Norm Deschampe: You have
giv en us a lot of information that
to try and make some sense out
of mid I think a lot of that information I don't really think, I mn
not really comfortable having.
A lot of that is none of my business. The other thing is. is that if
we are going to make a decision
here. I would like to, 1 usually
consult with my tribal council
to make these kinds of decisions. Otherwise, I am making
it on my own mid when we push
through something in a couple
of days, what happens is, is that
we make a decision without
being able to consult who we
should. I don't know how other ,
people feel aboul dial, but diat's
the way I like to do tilings.
Archie LaRose: RegmdiiH!
uibd matters, it's a Leech Lake
issue mid it's the smne similar issue from some people who were
unhappy with their local government. I wouldn't get involved
with their issue. 1 would let diat
council settle their issues on their
own. It's an inner tribal matter
mid I think we, all.
Randy Finn: 1 think it needs to
go to your attorney to find out
whether or not, there's constitutional violations in there or not
and at that point if not.
TEC member voice: 1 am
certainly trying to do that. I certainly plan to do that, not from
.\ lark, but from our lawyer.
Pete White: [Provides letter
dated April 28, 2004 to (larj
1 ia/ier with copies to II.('
members.]
Before in our last meeting, our
subcommittee meeting, allow
ing it to come forth. I made
that motion for that reason for
everybody to take a look at it.
To me again, a lot of that stuff is
mi internal mailer and you guv s
can have copies of what I gave
to Mark there. I think as tar a
die question that is coining forth
from the membership, 1 lliink
thai will answer a lot of it more.
Take a look at il. I mn setting up
some kind of Question mid .Answer session, whatever they want
to call it regmxling some oilier internal matters. Was it intentional
as fm' as [muffled sentence] legal
mid asking for a legal opinion,
[muffled] for now that should
MCT to page 5
New allegations of wrongdoing at Interior:
Destruction of trust records may be ongoing
By Jean Pagano
New allegations were presented to U.S District Court
Judge Royce C. Lamberth today
concerning the ongoing destruction of Individual Indimi Money
(IIM) account records at the Department of Interior (DOI)The
plaintiffs in the landmark Cobell
v. Secretary of.Interior case have
presented two letters to the Court
that detail poor storage conditions for IIM records that may
contribute to the destruction of
trust information.
The first letter is from individuals that allegedly work
for the Office of die Special
Trustee, Office of Trust Records
(OST/OTR). These individuals
contacted plaintiff Eloise Cobell
direcdy as opposed to reporting
their complaints to more senior
staffers within the DOI for fear
of retaliation.
According to the first letter,
there are six storage warehouses
for IIM records in the Albuquerque mea. OST/OTR officials in
Albuquerque are trying to consolidate all of the records from
the six sites into one larger warehouse in Lenexa, Kansas. Four
of die current sites also store
other documents and records.
Two of die warehouses are allegedly 'bad sites' mid were chosen
not for their ability to protect
documents but instead for their
low cost.
As related in the letter, rain
in the Albuquerque area on
February 23, 2004 produced
a roof leak in one of the 'bad'
warehouses. Currently, OST
OTR has 90 to 100 pallets in
this warehouse with each pallet
containing approximately 50
boxes. One of the pallets containing records from the Cobell
case became soaked. Although
the standard procedure would
have been to call a hazardous
materials company to salvage
and protect the damaged documents. Instead , OTR turned up
the heat to dry out the records.
OTR allegedly shrink-wrapped
the pallets and moved them from
this first 'bad' warehouse to
anodier location wliich is a food
storage warehouse located al 2nd
and Montano. The concern of
the letter writer is that mold from
die water damage combined
with potential rodent contamination from the stored food may
further damage the records that
OST/OTR is supposed to be
safeguarding.
The second letter was presented lo Michael M. Billings, die
Labor Relations Officer for the
Minerals N lanagement Service, a
division of the DeparUnent of die
Interior. The letter was drafted
by the Indian Educators Federation of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and asks Mr. Billings to treat
the information contained in
the letter as protected under the
Whistleblower Protection Act.
The letter addresses concerns
that the boxes containing Tnist
data may be damaged during (lie
move from OST/OTR warehouses in the Albuquerque area lo the
facility in Lenexa, Kansas. The
letter details 16 issues relating
to the records and their storage.
These issues me:
1) the conditions of the boxes
are often poor, and the records
contained therein me torn or
crumbled or both
2) many of the records are still
bound together by use of metal
clasps or clips wliich have begmi
to rust and ruin the records to
which they are attached
3) the handling or records has
caused damage to the records
and no protocol exists for the
repair of these records
4) there are allegedly cases
where documents have ended
up in the 'shred' box, a box of
papers which arc to be shredded.
Documents may be permanently
destroyed in this manner
5) due to time constraints, the
content of boxes in not neces
sarily checked against inventory
before being shipped
6) many of the boxes have
mold on them. Mold destroys
records
7) some of the boxes arc
contaminated with mice feces, •
wliich presents health concerns
to workers not only in Albuquerque, but also in Lenexa
8) some boxes are not labeled
or do not contain an inventory
9) mmiy of the boxes are old
and should be replaced with
newer boxes
10) contract workers are poorly trained and therefore present a
hazard to the records
11) records removed from
boxes in the early stages of the
case are no longer considered to
be a part of the cases since tiiey
were not properly labeled
12) die stacking of boxes puts
undo pressure on lower boxes
13) water from a leaky warehouse roof damaged records in
storage
14) records stored at 2"d mid
Montano are in close proximity to food stuffs in the same
warehouse, thereby leading to
concerns over cleanliness
15) inventory may not be correct, due to faulty practices
16) the records database has
quality issues
According to both letters,
there me skilled record handlers
that are aware of the contents
of the boxes mid are capable of
handling the records in Albuquerque. Wliile some workers
have been offered incentives to
move to Lenexa, Kansas, many
of theses skilled record handlers
would prefer to remain in the
Albuquerque area. With the departure of the records will also
come the loss of expertise and
familiarity in the handling of
IIM Trust data. Not only may
records be lost, but a way of
reconciling long-questioned accounting records may be gone
forever.
web page: www.press-on.net
man
Amman
Press
. We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2004
Founded in 1988
Volume 16 Issue 45
April 30, 2004
Delana Smith of Red Lake was crowned Miss Indian World at the Gathering of Nations.
Delana is the daughter of Norine and Paul Smith. The event took place in Albuquerque, New
Mexico on Saturday, April 24, 2004.
Red Lake woman named Miss Indian World
Associated Press
RED LAKE, Minn.
- When Delana Smith was
6. her parents took her to
the Gathering of Nations,
a great convocation of
North American Indians.
The event draws more
than 100,000 native people each yem- to Albuquerque, N.M., for powwows,
workshops, seminars mid
the crowning of Miss Indian World.
That first experience at
the C 'lathering of Nations
made a strong impression
on Smith, who made a
crown and sash out of paper when she came home,
said her mother, Norine
Smith.
"It was a dream of
mine. I dreamed of it since
I was a litde girl," Delana
Smith said.
On Saturday at the University of New Mexico
Arena, Smith, a Red Lake
member, received the real
beaded crown mid sash mid die
title of 2004-2005 Miss Indimi
World at this year's Gathering of
Nations.
"Dreams come true," said her
father, Paul Smith.
More than 50 Red Lake members waited Tuesday to welcome
home the new Miss Indian
World. After hugs mid handshakes in the rain, a milelong
motorcade led by a police car.
a fire truck mid Delana's family
proceeded to the Red Lake I lead
Start where Delana teaches 4-
and 5-year-olds.
'"This is a first for Red Lake,"
said Jackie Defoe, who teaches
widi Smith.
Smith, 23, grew up in Maple
Grove and moved back to'the
northern Minnesota reservation
when she was 19. She has twice
been honored as Miss Red Lake,
but Miss Indimi World is an international title.
VT told her she is like Miss
Universe," Norine Smith said.
Delana Smith, a jingle dress
dancer, said she applied for die
contest in February, downloading a fonn from the Internet.
She said she had lo write a
five-page essay, submit a photo.
proof of age and uibal enrollment and two letters of recommendation.
She received notice in Mmch
that she was among 17 finalists.
She also received financial
backing from the Red Lake
Tribal Council mid Gmning Division mid raised money herself
to pay for the trip.
Contestants went through
interviews, judging of their
essays, public speaking, dancing and a demonstration of
traditional talent. Smith won
the dancing category mid essay
contest.
"For her traditional talent,
she told the story of the dream
catcher," her mother said.
Delana Smith said the story
involves a spider who comes
to Nookomis, the grandmother.
Xookomis saves the spider mid,
SMITH to page 5
Four guilty
in Wabasha,
Parker
murders
By Troy Krause, Staff Writer
Redwood Gazette
Redwood Falls, MN
The epic known for
mondis as the Redwood
County murders came to an
end last week, as the final
verdicts were read mid pleas
were accepted relating to
the June 9,2002 murder of
Frank Parker and the July
12, 2003 murder of Jarvis
Wabasha.
The list of those who have
received verdicts mid sentences or look pleas included
Itanca Henry, Todd Skip-
intheday, Kim Berry, Jesse
Sander and James Mata.
The story actually unfolded three weeks ago when the
trial of Mata began in Lyon
MURDER to page 7
Gambling referendums loom
for Navajo, Hopi tribes
Associated Press
PHOENIX - For the third
time since 1994, the Navajo
Nation will hold a referendum
to detennine if the tribe should
start gambling enterprises on
their sprawling reservation.
The Navajo Nation Council
decided last week to let tribal
members decide the issue at the
polls on Aug. 3.
Two prior gmnbling referendiuns failed - by 4,623 votes
in 1994 and by 2,873 votes in
1997.
A similar referendum is
scheduled May 19 by the neighboring Hopi Tribe, which rejected gambling in a 1995 vote.
Navajo President Joe Shirley
Jr. said he thinks his uibe will
approve gmnbling eventually.
"Last time it lost by (about
3,000) votes out of 90,000 registered voters. It's gaining support each time," he said.
Proposition 202, wliich state
voters passed in 2002, allotted
the Navajo rights to 2,400 slot
machines and four casinos and
granted the Hopi rights to 900
machines and three casinos
as part of a broader gmnbling
expansion measure for Arizona
tribes.
The Navajo and Hopi emi
open casinos or lease their
rights to gmnbling tribes elsewhere in the state.
The two tribes rely heavily on
royalties from coal mined from
the Peabody Coal Black Mesa
mine in northeastern Arizona.
The coal powers Southern
California Edison Co. 's >. lohave
Generating Station.
There's speculation that the
station could close at the end
of 2005 because of the cost of
retrofitting it lo meet clean-air
standards, shutting off major
sources of the tribes' revenue.
NAVAJO to page 3