Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2004-09-10

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Letter regarding
Red Lake
Tribal Court
page 4
Response to article
"CERA-the Ku KIux Klan
of Indian country"
page 4
Indian civil rights
violations on Leech Lake
reservations
page 4
It's election time
once again on
Leech Lake
page 4
Leech Lake
RBC chooses
"rule of man ■
over rule of law
page 4
SAT score data released:
Gains made by Native American students
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
By Jean Pagano
The College Board, administrators of the SAT examination
taken by over a million high
school students each year, has
recently announced the results
from die Class of 2004. The SAT
scores are based on a scale of
800 points, and the exam is divided into two parts, verbal and
math.
Overall, verbal scores increased 1 point last year to 508,
following a 3-point increase die
year before. Prior years verbal
scores had been flat. Math scores
decreased last vear by 1 point to
518.
Scores for Native American
students registered larger dian
average gains in bodi verbal and
niadi. Verbal scores rose 3 points
to 483 while madi scores leaped
6 points over die previous year
to 488. College Board President
Gaston Caperton stated, "Among
the most promising findings diis
year are the SAT madi and verbal score gains among ... Native
American students."According
to College Board, 46% of Native
American SAT test takers last
year are first generation college
students.
Over the last 10 years, madi
scores among Native students
have increased at die second-
highest rate overall - a total of
18 points, second only to Asian-
American students whose math
scores increased 24 points. Madi
scores increased from 470 in
1994 to 488 in 2004. Further de
mographic trends among Native
American students explain the
dramatic increase in madi scores
over die last 10 years. In 1994,
25% of Native students were
enrolled in precalculus classes;
by the year 2004, the percentage
had grown to 38%. Additionally,
Native enrollment in calculus
classes increased from 12% in
1994 to 19% in 2004, mirroring the almost 50% increase in
precalculus classes. Currently,
42% of Native students are enrolled in physics classes. College
Board attributes the higher madi
scores to attendance in physics, calculus, and precalculus
classes.
Overall verbal scores for Native smdents over the 10-year
period of 1994 through 2004 increased from 473 to 483 in 2004.
This represents the diird highest
increase among racial groups,
just behind Asian Americans'
18-point gain and Puerto Ri-
cans, 13-point increase over the
smne period.
Inversely indicated, however,
is die downward trend across
die board for students taking
English composition in high
school. Among all students, die
enrollment in English composition classes dropped from 76%
in 1994 to 64% in 2004. 'Similar
numbers are found in Native students widi die percentage taking
English composition dropping
from 71% in 1994 to 60% in
2004. For students diat indicated
race in dieir demographics, only
Lawless George
Commentary by
Wally W. Storbakken
Leech Lake Reservation member
In the first year of die reign
of King George Junior, after
removing the Archie Bishop of
die Treasury, die Imperial Comicil decreed diat die citizens of
die Kingdom were too stupid to
make decisions for themselves.
The judiciary had ruled against
die King, so Junior simply ignored the Court, In George's
kingdom there would be no role
for an independent judiciary. The
Ex-Archie Bishop of die Treasury would not be allowed to run
for his fonner position. After all,
die King knew diat die people
were so stupid diat diey might
re-elect die Archie, mid diat was
unacceptable. King George Junior knew what was good for the
people much better than diey did
themselves. He would rob diem
of dieir right to decide die matter
in mi election mid they had damn
well better not say a word, diat is
if diey wmited to avoid the wrath
of die Imperial Council. This all
should ensure diat die King's
favorite candidate should win.
If not, dien the Election Board
would have to fix the results.
As in mv'letter printed in
die NAP on August 13, 2004,
entided Thoughts on Tyranny,
the above paragraph again reads
like a fictional novel and again it
clearly describes die situation on
die Leech Lake Reservation.
OnAugust23,2004,the
Leech Lake Reservation Business Committee (LLRBC)
passed Resolution #05-32, which
bars certain people from being candidates in die upcoming
election. This resolution was
passed in a secret meeting widi
no opportunity for input from
tribal members. Then on August 24, 2004, at the meeting to
certify candidates, the LLRBC
announced die resolution and refused to certify three of the candidates. Chainnmi Goggleye and
District III Committeeman Finn
did the dirty work, wliile Luke
Wilson mid Lyman Losh sat
smugly by. At one point I raised
m> hand in order to point out
that the actions they were taking
were in violation of (lie MCT
Constitution. Goggleye ignored
me mid attempted to belitde me
in public. He made reference to
the phrase that: Power corrupts
mid absolute power comrpts absolutely, which I had used in die
Thoughts on Tyranny letter I had
written. I stand by diat phrase
GEORGE to page 5
Direst Service Tribes reps meet
By Jomay Steen
Rapid City Journal
RAPID CITY-Like hundreds of Uibes across die LTniled
States, Indian Healdi Service
hospitals in South Dakota me
regularly under-funded, but widi
a voice in how die money for
Indimi health care is spent, that
may be changing.
American Indimi representatives from nine of die 12 IHS
regional administrative meas
were in Rapid City diis week to
discuss health care.
They conclude a two-day
planning meeting today.
The Direct Senice Tribes gathering in Rapid City brought 18
men mid women representing
more than a dozen tribes from
I tali, Arizona, New Mexico,
Minnesota, Oklahoma, Idaho
and elsewhere to Soudi Dakota
in hopes of strengdiening medical mid healdi-care delivery to
the reservations.
Escalating costs of health care
often means delaying advances
in technology, equipment mid
prevention education to stay
within budgets, group members
said.
The LIS. Department of
Health mid Human Services says
diat because of diat, Indians have
a higher rate of disease mid mortality, and die at mi earlier age
than the general population.
But tribes are collaborating
to change diose statistics mid
lengthen lives.
Recendy, the director of Indimi
Health Service called for placing Direct Service Tribes on all
of bis workgroups. IHS Tribal
Affairs specialist Stacey Ecoffey
calls that a giant step for tribal
health.
'Dr. Charles Grim (national
director of Indimi Health Service) is committed to putting
Direct Service Tribes on all of
his workgroups,"Ecoffey said.
"He's committed to having anodier meeting."
Carole Anne Heart, Direct
Service Tribes planning committee chairperson, described direct
sen ice tribes as those diat had
binding mid legal treaties widi
the Llnited States government.
The Aberdeen Area^ of IHS
has made it a priority to increase
spending on healdi care by creating awareness with congressional
conunittees.
Heart said that tribes have a
staggering lack of support in
medical and health care, funding
constraints and healdi disparities
diat continue to grow.
"We're trying to detennine if
die government is forcing tribes
into a contract diminishing the
trust obligations of our treaties,"
Heart said.
In a morning session, Mario
Gonzales, a Rapid City attorney,
walked die group dirough his
session of treaties mid healdi-
care obligations.
With care, Gonzales noted the
language of the 1851 treaties
signed by die Lakota specified
diat each tribal member woidd
receive medical care.
Widiin the document, exchanges were made for Sioux
hunting rights, honored mid upheld by the Lakota. For diat exchange, die federal government
would provide all aid necessary
for die Lakota's civilization
including relief of distress and
conservation of health.
'This is a legal obligation, it's
not an entidement," Gonzales
said.
Gonzales said to battle for bet-
DST to page 6
WSU agrees to sell Camp Roger Larson
Associated Press
PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State University will sell
Camp Roger Larson on Idaho's
Lake Coeur d'Alene to the
Coeur d'Alene Indimi Tribe for
$ 1.4 million.
The agreement, which will
be voted on Friday by the WSU
Board of Trustees, includes a $1
million fund from the tribe to be
paid over five years to WSU to
support Indian scholarships mid
education programs.
>vWe are looking forward to
working with the Coeur d'Alene
Tribe to develop educational
opportunities mid programs
diat enrich the lives of tribal
members and contribute to die
well-being of the tribal conununity," said WSU Provost Robert
Bates.
The sale includes 40.55 acres
on Cottonwood Bay on Lake
Coeur d'Alene near Worley,
Idaho. Seven of die acres are
developed with 25 buildings,
cabins, a dining hall, recreation
mid administration buildings,
and a boat dock.
In March 2003, WSU officials closed the camp, citing
its poor condition. The school
estimated it would cost $5 million to bring the facilities up to
standards mid comply with the
Americans with Disabilities
Act.
The camp was named for former director Roger C. Larson, a
longtime WSU physical education faculty member. Over the
years it has sen ed as a cmnp for
youdi with handicaps and for
teacher training.
"Roger Larson built a cmnp
for children that served the
web page: www.press-on.net
whites had better English composition participation at 69%
dimi did Native students.
Students taking grammar in
high school showed a similar
decrease in die percentage of
participation. Overall, grammar
class enrollment chopped from
80% in 1994 to 67% in 2004.
Among Native American smdents, the same drop in percentages is evident with 76% enrollment in 1994 compared to 65%
in 2004. Once again, only whites
had a higher participation rate
dimi Native students at 72%.
In bodi madi mid verbal
scores, Native students ranked
diird, on the average, behind
white and Asimi American students. Their mean grade point
average was 3.18 (out of 4.0).
The percentage of female test
takers among Native Americans
is 58%, much like their racial
counterparts.
Over the last decade, Native
American students have represented 1% of all SAT test takers.
Wliile diis percentage has held
steady at 1 %, the scores for
Native Americans have made
significant increases over die last
10 years. Additionally, the percentage of students taking key
madiematic classes has increased
over the same period. Perhaps
an increase in English composition mid grammar classes would
translate into even greater gains
in the verbal component scores.
Native
American
Press
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2004
Founded in 1988
Volume 17 Issue 13
September 10, 2004
Roxanne Gould, director of the U of M American Indian Learning Resource Center (right) speaks
with first-year Native students during the U's Multicultural Kickoff Days.
U of M hosts Multicultural Kick-off Days for
students of color and parents
About 250 incoming students of color at the Llniver-
sity of Minnesota mid dieir
parents attended Multicultural Kick-off Days Friday
and Saturday, Sept. 3 mid 4,
on die Twin Cities campus.
The event was organized
by the U of M Office of
Multicultural mid Academic
Affairs (OMAA) to welcome die new students mid
their parents and celebrate
the diversity of die university. On Friday, the students
and parents attended sessions in Coffinan LJnion's
Great Hall on scholarship,
financial aids, work study,
research and volunteer
programs. They were also
introduced to the various edinic
units on campus such as the
student cultural centers mid the
departments of African American and African studies, Cliicmio
studies, Native American studies
mid die new minor progrmn in
Asian American studies.
Mr. And Mrs. James mid
Jonna Carter came all die way
from Lexington, Ky., to attend
the event mid they were glad
diey did. Their daughter, Sara, is
a first-year student at the U of M
and the Carters feel better after
getting a first-hand look at die U.
"It really does help a lot,"Mr.
Carter said. "It actually brings
togedier everything mid all the
questions diat we had being
diinking about the LIniversity
of Minnesota. Also, we get a
chance to meet other snidents
mid parents."
'This is going to be her
home, so attending diis event
gives us a better feeling,"Mrs.
Carter added.
Incoming students attending
die event were also pleased
widi what they learned.
'The Multicultural Kickoff
Days provided me with what I
needed to survive my first year
mid in the future years at the
University," said Ser Xioing.
"It was a lot of fun," said
freshman Jimmy Yang. 'The
information I received was very
helpful."
Navajo enterprise shows $3.3 million profit
Associated Press
FARMINGTON, N.M.
- The tribal-owned Navajo
Agricultural Products Industry is reporting a S3.3
million profit, substantially
above last year's $1.9 million profit.
The enterprise's general
manager, Tommy Lewis,
credited a strategic plan for
the improvement in the fiscal vear that ended Mav 31.
The'NAPI Board of Directors last week accepted an
audit of the fiscal year.
The latest financial report
marks three consecutive
years of profits at NAPI,
Lewis said.
He said the venture also
has generated enough working capital to sustain annual
operations.
"The credit goes to our work
force mid our crop managers,"
he said. vvWe asked everyone
to dig in mid they did with a
personal commitment to excellence. It shows in our on-fann
safety record, our quality crops
mid our profit margins."
NAPI farms more than
70,000 acres mid produces such
crops as alfalfa, potatoes, com,
wheat, barley and pumpkins,
all marketed under the Navajo
Pride brand.
The top revenue-generating
crop last year was alfalfa. NAPI
recendy added 2,000 acres of
alfalfa, expanding die planting
to 12,000 acres.
NAPI has faced challenges
including drought, ongoing water rights challenges mid a soft
commodities market.
"Despite die obstacles in
this industry mid on our organization, the NAPI profits me
tremendous news," NAPI board
member Ervin Chavez said.
NAPI officials said they me
trying to focus on stronger relationships mid contracts with
customers. For exmnple, NAPI
this year finalized a supply
contract with an Arizona-based
dairy farm which will purchase
more than 20,000 tons of com
__ more thmi a third of NAPI's
total com production.
Crop mmiagers have signed
agreements to sell Navajo Pride
products to such companies as
Del Monte mid American Italian
Pasta Corporation.
The farm is finalizing a
32,000-ton granary expansion
project that will nearly double
grain storage capacities.
needs of the handicapped community for over diree decades,"
said Christine Larson, daughter
of Roger Larson.
"Our family lived and
worked at the cmnp during diat
entire time, mid we me saddened by its closure. But we me
also pleased that the university
has chosen a way for Rogers
legacy of helping people to live
on."
Coeur d'Alene tribal Chairman Ernie Stensgar said the
camp will be used to enhance
the tribe's cultural and educational goals.
%vOur plan is to utilize die
facility in a variety of ways that
include traditional and social
activities as well as learning mid
healing a source for the renewal
of our spirimal strength," he
said.
Theodore Roosevelt park has new bison
distribution plan
Associated Press
MEDORA, N.D. - Bison
culled from herds in Theodore Roosevelt National
Pmk this year wdl be distributed dirough a tribal
bison cooperative, but die
future of elk in the pmk is
less certain.
Excess pmk bison in die
past have gone lo the Fort
Berthold Indimi Reservation. The park suspended
the agreement with the
Three Affiliated Tribes in
May, after complaints diat
die animals in the tribe's
herd were mistreated. Tribal
officials denied die allegations but agreed to manage
ment changes to help improve
pasture conditions.
Pmk Superintendent Valerie
Naylor said this year's roundup
of about 200 bison will be distributed through mi arrangement
with the intertribal Bison Cooperative based in Rapid City,
S.D. The co-op represents dozens of uibes across the country.
Naylor said die pmk likely
will know exactly where the bison are going by the end of die
roundup, wliich will be held in
late October in the park's North
Lrnit near Watford City.
It could take as long as two
yems to detennine die fate of
die park's elk.
There me about 550 elk in
the South I iiit, nearly 200
more than what die habitat cmi
handle, officials said.
The pmk has not been able
to transfer excess elk to odier
states mid agencies for several
years because of a moratorium
prompted by chronic wasting
disease, the elk mid deer equivalent of mad cow disease.
Chronic wasting disease has
been found in several states and
Cmiada, but it has not been detected in Nordi Dakota.
Elk in Theodore Roosevelt
National Pmk typically stay
within fences, but "diey cmi
mid do go," Naylor said.
The National Pmk Service
PLAN to page 5