Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2004-08-13

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
An open window
to tribe's history
page 6
Thoughts on Tyranny
page 4
Hope has come to
Leech Lake
page 4
Leech Lake Band of
Ojibwe announces
Election Notice
page 4
A fable for
our times
page 4
LaRose re-motions Tribal Court in wake of new civil
rights violations by LLRBC
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
By Bill Lawrence
In a surprising legal maneuver, on August 9,2004, recently
Removed Secretary-Treasurer
LaRose filed a Motion to Reconsider in Ixech Lake Tribal
Court. The motion focuses on
diree primary areas; new constitutional violations surrounding die Removal Hearing's due
process itself, misinterpretation
of the tape''transcript of the June
2, 2003 LLRBC meeting and
die validity of die Petition being
re-served and re-accepted by the
LLRBC on July 15, 2004.
Several load reporters (including myself) were present at the
Removal Hearing held at the
Palace Casino complex on July
30,2004. Shortly after die hearing began, as die charges against
LaRose were being read by the
Petitioners, LaRose told moderator Wally Humphrey diat he
had yet to be served or see any
charges from the Petitioners. Mr.
Humphrey expressed his surprise
and asked die RBC about providing charges, at which dme die
RBC's attorney Michael Garbow
promptly provided a diick packet
of papers in a folder to LaRose.
LaRose told die attendees diat
this was die first dme he had
ever seen the charges since the
original serving of die Petition
on die RBC December 2,2002.
LaRose also told the attendees
at the hearing that July 30,2004
was die 16di day after die RBC
re-accepted the re-served Petition in violation of the MCT
Constitution, but the Removal
Hearing proceeded anyway.
The Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe's Constitution Article X
provides diat die RBC "within
fifteen (15) after receipt of die
notice or charges [Petition] shall
in writing notify die accused
of die charges brought against
liim and set a date for a hearing." The notice of heaiing
and serving charges should be
a simultaneous action since die
RBC did not serve a copy on
LaRose die day the RBC re-accepted die Petition. Article X
also provides diat "die accused
shall be given opportunity to call
witnesses and present evidence
in his behalf." It appeals diat
die RBC was very good about
sending out press releases for die
Removal Heaiing, but failed to
take die simple due process steps
of serving the notice of charges
on the accused before the actual
hearing. LaRose argues in his
brief diat die lack of senice was
intentional saying that "the RBC
deliberately chose not to serve
Defendant Secretary-Treasurer
LaRose widi charges until after
die actual hearing began on July
30,2004, in order to gain unfair
advantage widi ambush tactics."
LaRose's Motion to Reconsider also asks die Tribal Court
to re-exarnine its own analysis
of the tape/transcript of die
June 2,2003 meeting in light
of "perceived misinterpretations of required and allowable
[procedural] process at die June
2,2003, Special Meeting by
the LLRBC." In the Order of
July 29, 2003, the Tribal Court
"concludefd] diat Judge Jone's
orders directing die RBC to vote
on the petition were circumvented by Arthur LaRose and [Chairman] Peter While." LaRose
argues dial die tape/transcript
clearly shows two diings; first,
that Chairman White "did not
LAROSE to page 5
Buck Jourdain takes oath as RL Tribal Chairman
Swears in Representatives Pemberton, Barrett, Sr., Desjarlait, May, and Martin
By Bill Lawrence
In a well attended ceremony,
Floyd "Buck" Jourdain was
sworn in as die fifdi Tribal
Chainnan of die Red Lake
Bmid of Chippewa Indians. It
is remarkable that he is only die
fifth Chainnan in over forty-
five years. Jourdain will serve
a two year tenn. He succeeded
George "Billy" King, a hereditary chief, who served as interim
chair following the deatii of Gerald "Butch" Bran.
His first official act was to
swear in incumbent Representatives Allen Pemberton
(Redby)and Richard Barrett,
Sr.(Litde Rock) and newly
elected Representatives Donald
Desjarlait and Donald "Dudie"
May of Red Lake; and Glenda
\ larlin of Ponemah.
The ceremony was held at the
Red Lake Humanities Center.
Tom Stillday, Spiritual Leader
was assisted by Greeting Spears
in leading die prayer and presenting the pipe ceremony. He
asked die Creator to help the Red
Lake Nation and its leaders. The
Black Bear Crossing dram group
sang honor songs and songs to
the four directions.
Jourdain emphasized protecting die culture of the Red Lake
Nation and restoring culuiral
losses in his acceptance speech.
He pledged to work to protect
tribal sovereignty, eliminate
gridlock and disharmony on the
reservation and address die many
problems facing the Nation, e.g.
drug/alcohol abuse, housing, and
unemployment.
The new Chainnan indicated
he would be initiating an assessment of tribal programs to assure
uibal members are receiving
needed services. He plans to establish separate advisory boards
of elders and youth.
Jourdain is die youngest person ever lo be elected Chainnan.
He asked Iii bal Coimcil members for dieir support in initialing
new programs and in working
with state and federal gaming
laws. I Ie made mention of the
future management of Red Lake
as needing a cooperative effort
although he did not have specific
infonnation or plans for dial
event.
Welcoming the crowd in
Ojibwe, Jourdain dien thanked
his opponent Roman Stately.
George "Billy" King received a
Pendleton blanket for his sen ice
as Interim Chainnan.
Minnesota Museums come to terms with NAGRA,
publish Guide to caring for Native American objects
By Bill Lawrence
The Minnesota Historical
Society recendy published a
reference book entitied Caring
for American Indian Objects:
A Practical and Cultural Guide.
The book is edited by Sherelyn
Ogden, Head of Conservation at
die Minnesota Historical Society.
She is trained in book and paper
conservation. She has more than
thirty years experience in her
field.
The book is a comprehensive
collection of procedures for
handling American Indian cultural and art items. The contents
include instruction in preserving,
restoring, repairing, and displaying such items as well as techniques for photographing, storage and cataloging ait objects.
The book's content is an assemblage of contributions from
sixteen individuals who have expertise in a variety of fields related to die collection, preservation,
restoration, etc. of Indian artifacts. American Indian people
of all walks of life participated
as consultants in the publication
effort.
Joseph D. Horse Capture
(Gros Ventre), Associate Curator
at the Minneapolis Institute of
Art, wrote die Foreword, "Our
Obligation lo die Past." There
he says, "The primary purpose
of diis book is to aid tribes by
providing additional methods
to preserve their past and future
generations." He ends his essay by telling us "I believe diat
it is our responsibility, as Indian
people, to preserve our culture,
including die items diat were
used by our ancestors. The role
of preservation is a very important part of diis responsibility.
Because most of diese items
were and continue to be made of
animal and plant materials diat
degrade, they can easily be lost
by neglect or improper preservation techniques. Special care
and storage are vital. Widi more
and more tribes taking a proactive approach to building facilities to house items from their
tribe and building collections,
die future of diese important materials is promising. Once these
items are gone, diis important
physical link lo our ancestors,
die items diat diey wore or held
in dieir hands, is gone forever."
The Acknowledgements list
many, many individuals who
contributed to the project. The
list includes several individuals
from our area. They are Kathryn
"Jody" Beaulieu of die Red Lake
Tribal Library; Victoria Raske,
Museum Project Coordinator at
Grand Portage; Nokomis Paiz,
a Red Lake School teacher (and
daughter to Katinyn "Jody"
Beaulieu); and Kenneth Weyous,
Sr., Site Technician at Mille Lacs
Indian Museum and Trading
Post.
In die Introduction, Ms. Ogden, editor, tells diat die book is
intended as a reference source.
"The primary audience for diis
book is the American Indian
people who are charged widi the
care of cul tural items.... The
goal of diis book is to make
available a body of practical
infonnation that focuses exclusively on die care of these
items."
Caring for American Indian
Objects is divided into diree
parts. Part I, entided "Culuiral
Considerations of Preservation,"
contains essays by five individuals who are bodi American
Indians as well as experts in
dieir respective fields. The first
five chapters offer insights into
die culuiral considerations that
should be observed in the handling of certain Native American
artifacts. These discussions illuminate the concerns and the
conflicts that have arisen over
museum ownership and display
of Native American Objects.
They also contain commentary
on die Native American Grave
GUIDE to page 5
Banned from LL gaming facilities, LaRose files
candidacy to complete term as secretary treasurer
By Jeff Armstrong
Ousted Leech I^ake secretary
treasurer Archie I .aRose filed for
candidacy diis week in an effort
lo regain the office of which he
was stripped by his fellow RBC
members halfway through his
term. His most fervent opponent,
Luke Wilson, also filed as a
candidate for secretary treasurer
after resigning his district I seat,
which he will nonetheless be allowed to maintain until die Dec.
5 special election.
The upcoming election could
dins serve as an opportunity
for the people of Leech Lake lo
directly register dieir opinion on
the two competing leaders since
LaRose's controversial removal
by four RBC members in die absence of a popular vote.
On die day of his removal-,
July 30, LaRose was also barred
from all gaming-related facilities for two years in a certified
letter signed by gaining director
Brace Baird and director of security Rocky Papsadora, whose
credentials as chief reservation
law enforcement officer LaRose
questioned early in his tenn.
The basis for the exclusion order
was sketchy at best, citing an
unspecified act at an unspecified
location on an unspecified date.
The letter states: "The Leech
I.-ake Gaming Division has reason to believe you, Arthur D.
I^aRose, committed...an act dial
direatened die reputation and/or
personal safety of person(s) of
Leech Lake Gaming in general.
Asa result of your act acts... you
are not allowed on die premises
known as Northern Lights/Palace
Casino Hotel/White Oak Casino/
Gaming Office for a period of
Two (2) Years. This exclusion
covers all Leech Lake Gaining
Casinos. Failure to comply widi
diis notice of exclusion could
subject you lo arrest for trespassing as defined by Minnesota
State Statute 609.605 as a misdemeanor"
LaRose denounced die letter as an unwarranted personal
insult, as well as a sign of the
RBC's increasing tendency
towards dictatorial rale. Since
many official Leech Lake
meetings are held on casino
properties, enforcement of die
order would severely constrain
LaRose's ability to participate in
Uibal decision-making whedier
or not he was elected secretary
Ueasurer.
'They're making me sound
LAROSE to page 3
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Founded in 1988
Volume 17 Issue 9
August 13, 2004
from left to right: Leah Loud (Red Lake Ojibwe), Willard Malebear, Sr. (Standing Rock Lakota), and Jessica
Green (White Earth Ojibwe), at Waubun Park near Minnehaha Falls, with Ojibwe and Dakota children participating in the language and cultural immersion camp project. The Dakota and Ojibwe collaborated to sponsor
Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance
By Vincent Hill
Mille Lacs Anishinabe
Elder & Activist-Mpls
Sixty Dakota and Ojibwe
preschool age children sal
quietiy and reverently in
circles at die Waubun Park,
near Minnehaha Falls, in
South Mpis last Thursday, as
Lakota Elder, instructor Willard Malebear walked about
in military fashion speaking
Dakota words to them. On
cue, die Dakota and Ojibwe
Anishinabe kids would repeat what was said-words in
a near forgotten language.
This day was "Dakota Day"
for purpose of a beginning in
stopping the loss of die Dakota language in Minnesota.
Even Ojibwe in Minnesota
is on the borderline loss list
of extinct American Indimi
languages in the United
States. Instructor Malebear
is from the huge Standing
Rock Sioux or Lakota
Reservation diat, encompasses both, North and
South Dakota.
The Dakota and Ojibwe
preschoolers present on Dakota Day liad also received
Ojibwe language instruction
on die previous day called
"Ojibwe Day." A dozen
toddlers were included on
Wednesday. It is fascinating
to behold children of ancient
historical enemies learning
some of the other's language,
wliile simultaneously learning dieir own. The choice
to have used the Waubun Park
in South Mpis for the Dakota
Ojibwe language immersion
"kiekoff" is significant: the location is juxtaposed between the
historical Fori Snelfing, and the
equally historical Minnehaha
Falls diat, was made famous by
"The song of Hiawatha," written
by Henry Wadswordi Longfellow, die most celebrated poet
of die 1800s. (The epic poem
was based on Indian legend.
Hiawatha, a young Ojibwe lead
er, marries Minnehaha, die most
beautiful of Dakota women, etc.)
While the Dakota and Ojibwe
were ancient enemies, they
formed pacts of peace and cemented dieir agreements widi
marriages. Religious and cultural
beliefs were shared, particularly,
widi the Mille Lacs Ojibwe.
And some Ojibwe words were
directly transfused from the
Dakota language. The famous
Ojibwe and Dakota chiefs, Hole-
iu-die-Day and Little Crow were
in communique prior to die 1862
Sioux or Dakota insurrectioh in
Minnesota. An unusual celestial
eclipse was known by these two
great war chiefs to be forthcoming in August, which would be
die signal for both, lo attack die
white settlers.
I lole-in-the-Day failed lo deliver due to die reluctance of the
Mille Lacs Ojibwe to fight the
whites; die other Ojibwe bands
were, thus, dissuaded because a
unified stance was needed.
The Dakota Ojibwe Language
Revitalization bill was passed in
April, 2004, by die Minnesota
Senate Early Childhood Education Committee. The third Whereas states "Whereas, die traditional
languages of American Indians
are al die core of dieir identities
and form the basic medium for
die transmission and survival of
American Indimi heritage, cultures, oral histories, spirituality,
and cultural values..."
Traditional leaders, usually Elders in "Indian country"
that are fluent in Ojibwe and
Dakota here in Minnesota are
in the vanguard to keep our indigenous languages alive. The
fear is that once they pass on,
dien, die language will, also, die
because so few of die younger
generations speak fluent Ojibwe
mid Dakota. I think that, leaders
spearheading hands-on endeavors, such as Language camps for
preschool Anishinabeg kids is a
promising start. But more is
needed, such as manpower,
resources, finances, and public
awareness.
In Longfellow' s epic poem,
Hiawatha greets die white settlers led by a Catholic priest
introducing Christianity. Hiawatha has a vision mid foresees
the loss of Anishinabe laud to
white settlers. He sads westward in his canoe to escape. Ihe
Song of Hiawatha may well be
prophetic for our day-indicating
a marriage between die Dakota
mid Ojibwe uibes to preserve
our language, religion, culture,
and ancient lands.
New American Indian Law Program in Michigan
geared to assisting tribal governments
By Jean Pagano
The Michigan State
LJniversity College of Law
announced on Monday the
creation of a new American
Indimi Law program. The
University, mi American
Bar Association accredited
law school siuiated in East
Lansing, Michigan, will
become only die second institution east of die Mississippi River to offer a formal
program in American Indian
Law.
The program's goal is to
"assist tribal governments
widi dieir policy-making
objectives, including conducting research to create,
implement mid enhance
their legal infrastructures,
on a regional, national, mid
international level."
Professor Donald "Del"
Laverdure, mi enrolled
member of die Crow Nation, will head the program.
Laverdure is currently the
Chief Justice of the Crow Nation and also serves as Appellate
Judge of die Keweenaw Bay
Indian Community of Baraga
Michigan. Laverdure's mea of
expertise is the taxation of indigenous peoples mid the Uibal
court system.
The new program will allow snidents the opportunity to
establish expertise in matters
such as policy mid practice, mid
indigenous law. Some of the
courses that will be offered are
Advanced Topics in Indian Law,
Federal Law and Indimi Tribes,
mid State and Local Taxation.
An Indigenous Law Clinic will
offer both theoretical mid practical learning experiences. Various symposia will be offered
including a conference on tribal
constitutions scheduled for October 29th.
In a nation of many lawyers,
very few attorneys practice in
(he field of Indian law. Additionally, old} one-fifth of one
percent of lawyers in America is
Native American.
In a press release announcing die fonnation of the new
program, I .averdure stated
"...lawyers mid judges ran into
questions of Indian law such as
gaming, child welfare, zoning,
water rights, criminal jurisdiction and taxation of gas mid
cigarettes. It will become more
difficult lo practice law... without understanding the basics of
Indian law, including the concept of tribal sovereignty."
In addition to die American
Indian Law program, Michigan
Stale University also offers a
program in American Indimi
studies. The College of Law
is acknowledged as die oldest
continually operating independent law school in America. The
State of Michigan is home to
12 federally recognized Indian
tribes.
Professor Laverdure cmi be
reached at the College of Law
(517) 432-6909 or via email al
del.laverdure@law.msu.edu