Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2004-09-24

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Per capita now
page 4
Truth continues to
come out at
Leech Lake
page 4
What's up Luke?
page 4
Open letter to
MCT-Constitutional
Reform
page 5
Education and
the information
revolution
page 4
Indian education 35 years later
VOICE      OF      THE       PEOPLE
By Bill Law rence
It's a long and commonly
held belief diat education is die
essential element in assuring a
responsible, productive and prosperous citizenry. Congress, in
recognition of this belief, made
education compulsory in die
I S in 1893. American Indian
children have not however experienced die same level of success
in public education as have white
children.
The numbers of cliildren are
small when compared to die
dominant culture, the money
spent is big, but not much positive has happened in the last 30
years. The problems are myriad
and complex, yet they are pretty
much the same today as are die
statements of die causes of the
problem.
All manner of legislation has
been passed in an attempt to
provide a system diat would be
effective for Indian children. Extensive studies have been done
by all kinds of entities try ing to
ascertain why Indian students do
not succeed at die same rate as
white cliildren do. Multiple articles have been written explaining
the research findings and making
declarations as to what the solution is.
About all diat's been accomplished is 30 years worth of hand
wringing. We have to ask, over
the years, how many bills have
been enacted, how many organizations have been created, how
many conferences held, how
much rhetoric, how many words
and how many dollars have been
expended trying to resolve this
issue?
The Coleman Study of 1966 for
die US Commissioner of Education "showed Indians were
behind white children in achievement." In 1969 die Indian principal of die Pine Point Elementary School (White Earth) cited
die system's failure as part of
die problem that resulted in his
school having two teenage suicides and eight attempts in one
year, 18 local youth in state correctional institutions and 27 more
on probation, a high school drop
out rate of 78% and an average
daily attendance of 51%.
In 1970, after very extensive
public hearings, Senators Walter Mondale and Ted Kemiedy
presented die report, Indian
Education: A National Tragedy,
A National Disgrace. The study
described abuses and deficiencies in Indian education and led
to passage of legislation designed
to correct die situation.
The Indian Education Act
was passed in 1972 and in 1974
die Indian Self-Determination
and Education Act was passed.
These laws uansferred authority
for Indian education to Uibes and
Indian coinmiuiities and brought
about substantial change in the
education of Indian children,
including the creation of all-
Indian School Boards and local
Indian Education Committees;
die establishment of four Indian
schools (four in Minnesota) and
encouraged use of Indian teachers. Cultural studies and Indian
language studies were incorporated into the curriculum and
many more federal dollars were
channeled into die system.
In 1977-78 an Indian Needs
Assessment stated diat of 100
Indian students starting 7di
grade, less dian 50% of rural
snidents graduated and only 40%
of urban students graduated. The
1980 census reported that 55% of
adult Indians were high schools
graduates and only 5% were college graduates.
The figures for 1981, according to die Minnesota Department of Education, show diat
503 of 10,972 students enrolled
in die State system graduated
high school, a ratio of .045; by
1997 only 447 of 16,956 Indian
students graduated from public '.
school, a ratio of .026, a significant decrease. Twenty four
students enrolled in Tribal and
Indian alternative schools graduated in 1981 but only 18 graduated in 1997.
The Minnesota Department of
REPORT to page 6
Leech Lake upcoming special election hints a snag
Election Board Members petition Tribal Court seeking relief
and to stop the election, stating,
"Place us back in our positions
until this issue is resolved by die
proper audiority, Tribal Executive Committee OR stop election
process as it has already been
tampered with and intervened by
Sally Morrison.
By Diane E. White
CASS LAKE-The Leech Lake
Band of Ojibwe (LLBO) Special
Election cunendy in
process hits major snag. Several
veteran members of die Election
Board (Board) were fired and
escorted out of the premises bv
Tribal Police on Monday, 9 20
after they held a meeting to inform candidates of hours of op-
eratioricil changes and absentee
ballot concerns. The dismissed
Board members filed for relief
in the Tribal Court on Tuesday,
9 21. Board Plaintiffs seek an
Emergency Temporary Restraining Order (FRO) against the
dismissal ordered by Interim Executive Director Sally Morrison.
The diree Election Board Members fired were April Greene,
serving as Clerk, Kay Jackson,
serving as Teller, and Luella Novak, serving as Chair.
The odier two members of
the Board are Sharon Northbird
and alternate Bev De Vault. At die
Leech Lake
Reservation
Election Board
members removed
On Tuesday, three Leech Lake
Reservation Election Board members were removed by elected
Leech Lake Reservation Business
Committee (LLRBC) members
following allegations of gross
misconduct. Later that same day
the three Leech Lake Reservation
Election Board members filed an
Emergency Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to be returned
their appointed positions on the
Election Board and to stop the
election process for alleged tam-
peringby Sally Morrison, Director
of LLRBC for interfering with the
election process.
The thee Leech Lake Reservation Election Board members also
allege that two currently seated,
elected members of the LLRBC
Donald "Mick" Finn and Burton
"Luke" Wilson (who is also a
candidate) have verbally abused
and made inappropriate contacts
and demands of the three Leech
Lake Reservation Election Board
members.
As part of the filing for the
Emergency TRO, Kay Jackson,
fired Administrator of LL Election Board wrote in a September 21,2004 letter to Norman
DesChampe, President of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
that "we feel that Luke Wilson
violated the election process
when he called three Election
Board members after hours and
placed demands on ihem to carry
out functions to assist him in him
campaign." Kay Jackson wrote to
DesChampe because the election
process is governed by the MCT's
LEECH LAKE to page 5
meeting, PRESS/ON sources state
die Board reported diat diey didn't
know whether De Vault would return to die Board after she left the
Board's office on 9/17 following
an incident widi DisUict 3 Representative Donald "Mick" Finn diat
left her visibly upset.
Candidates were informed and
given short notice of die meeting held at die Boad office. The
meeting started aid proceeded
for 30 minutes before
Burton "Luke" Wilson aid his
assistant, Claudia Lyytinen cane
in. Wilson angrily demanded
to know what the meeting was
about and his demeanor was
argumentative toward the Board.
Prior to his arrival, the Boad
informed die caididates of die
current situation of die absentee
ballots being sent out
per Wdson's direction. They
reported dus was irregular and
not following proper procedure.
They also explained how to
properly request a ballot for
the primary and the general elections. The Board felt diey needed
to defend themselves against
memos coining from the RBC
implicating them to be unfair and
biased. Wilson left, but his as-
sistant aid District 1 caididate,
Claudia Lyytinen remained.
Sally Morrison aid Mike Garbow, Tribal Attorney, entered die
meeting asking what was going
on and later accused the Boad of
fraternizing widi die caididates
stating the meeting was illegal.
Morrison reportedly made a big
presentation out of writing everyone's nane down before she aid
Garbow left. During the meeting,
die Boad asked die candidates
for volunteers to be bodyguards,
because they feared physical
harm would happen to diem.
Sources sent PRESS/ON a letter dated 9/17/04 from Burton
"Luke" Wilson addressed to die
Board, die Tribal Council, aid
Executive Director. Wilson resigned his position as District 1
Representative to run for
Secretay'-Treasurer in this elec
tion. lie is cunendy holding die
District loffice (employed) by
die Band until his resignation
takes effect in December
after the General Election.
In Wilson's letter, he writes, "I
had received a call from Dennis
Wakefield on 9-14-04 concerning the ballot request cad. Dennis told me diat he received a
letter from die Election Board
refusing my card, I called Kay
Jackson approximately 5:15 PM
that evening aid told her that was
my card and stated diat I did not
diink it was fair. Kay stated diat
diere were a number of diem. She
also stated that she also sent a pa-
ELECTION to page 3
Yakama tribal officials dispute
federal jail report
Associated Press
TOPPENISH, Wash. - A federal report that found widespread
deficiencies in Indiai prisons nationwide was unfair in citing the
Yakama jail as ai especially bad
case, Uibal leaders say.
The report prepared by Earl
Devaney, die Interior Department's inspector general, who
appeared Tuesday before die
Senate Finance Committee in
Washington, cited at least 11 fatalities, 236 suicide attempts aid
632 escapes since January 2001.
The Yakama lockup was highlighted diroughout the report,
especially for die case of Ricky
Owens Sampson, 39, who used
a towel to haig himself from a
broken light fixture on June 25
aid was not discovered for eight
hours.
According to die report, the
only staff on duty that night was
a dispatch officer who could not
conduct routine cell checks because of a heavy volume of calls.
VVI don't think it's fair to grade
die whole (Yakama jail) system
on one incident," Tribal Council
chairman Jerry Meninick said.
At the same time, he added,
vs We're going to take this report
in one way _ positive constructive criticism."
Jaded for violating a domestic
violence no-contact order, Sanp-
son was housed alone after striking another inmate and haiged
himself out of view of surveillance cameras, according to the
DISPUTE to page 6
Tribe voices land-trust concerns
to committee
Associated Press
ROSEBUD, S.D. - The Rosebud Sioux Tribe wants a state
legislative committee to step into
a federal court case about how
American Indiai laid is placed
into tnist.
Steve Emery, a lawyer representing die tribe, told die State-
Tribal Relations Committee
Tuesday that if die stale were to
win its appeal of die federal case,
the only trust actions that could
take place might require acts of
Congress.
vvTlie entire tax base of Soudi
Dakota originally came from the
constituent tribes of die Great
Sioux Nation," Emery said. vvl
diink diis is exactly die time
when we need to get together aid
talk about die future of Soudi Da
kota."
Committee members traveled
to die Rosebud reservation for
die meeting, held during a break
in the Uibal council's regular session.
Driving die issue is a 14-year-
old case involving the Lower
Brule Sioux Tribe and its purchase of 91 acres of laid near
Oacoma, south of die Lower
Bnrle boundaries. The Interior
Department agreed to place the
laid in tnist, which removes die
property from the tax rolls.
The case has been to the U.S.
Supreme Court aid back, and
in April a federal district court
mled in favor of die tribe. The
state said it would appeal.
TRIBE to page 6
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Volume 17 Issue 15
September 24, 2004
Cheyenne River Sioux
ICSCI VdLIUl I Ul   OUUUI l_y<
kota, perform at the Native Nations Procession on the National Mall in Washington, Tuesday,
Sept. 21, 2004 for the start of the dedication ceremony for the Smithsonian's National Museum
of the American Indian. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Crowds witness opening of newest historical
treasure on National Mall
By Frederic J. Frommer
Associated Press
WASHINGTON-A colorful Native Nations procession heralded die opening
Tuesday of die Smithsonian
Institution's Museum of die
Americai Indiai, die newest addition to die historical
treasure-trove dotting die
National Mall.
A group of five White
Mountain Apache Indiais
from White River, Ariz.,
drew a crowd widi their
exotic dress. Four had their
chests painted black widi
white lettering wliile the
fifdi was painted white with
black lettering. Pine needles
were wrapped around dieir arms
aid waists, aid wooden headgear reached two feet above dieir
heads, which were covered in
masks. As diey daiced, metal
balls around their shoes added to
die sounds of ai accompanying
drummer.
Nearby, Aztec Indiais from
Sai Francisco daiced with head-
feathers that reached as high as
six feet above their heads.
Onlookers cheered as die procession made its way to the new
museum near the LIS. Capitol,
aid die air was filled widi die
smell of burned sage aid die
sounds of dnuns, bells aid mu
sic.
Among diose celebrating was
Nicole Soulier, 19, aOjibwa
Indiai from Bad River, Wis.,
who wore a blue dress widi 365
metalv jingles" _ one for each
day of die year _ aid an eagle's
feadier on her head.
vvIt's very important to represent where I cane from, to
celebrate with all die odier nations," she said.
Leading die procession was
museum director Richard West,
wearing a Cheyenne Indiai
headdress, along with Sen.
Daiiel Inouye, D-Hawaii, aid
CROWDS to page 6
Girl's death is blamed on senior BIA officials
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. - Senior Bureau of Indiai .Affairs
officials ignored warnings
diat jail cells at Americai Indiai boa-ding schools could
prove leuTal, aid should
be held responsible for the
death of a 16-year-old girl at
ai Oregon school last yea-, a
federal inspector testified.
Earl Devaney, die interior
Department's inspector general, told die Senate Finance
Coinmittee on Tuesday diat
die Department of Justice
should take action against
senior Indiai Affars official for the deadi of Cindy
Gilbert Sohappy, who died
after she was incarcerated
wliile dmnk.
vv There were senior peo
ple in the BIA who knew about
this years before,"Devaney told
The Oregoniai after die hearing
in Washington.
According to federal records
the newspaper reviewed earlier
this yea; on die night of Dec. 6,
Sohappy was placed in one of
the Chemawa Indiai School's
holding cells after staff found
her dmnk. A domiitory worker
stationed outside the cells was
supposed to check on her every
15 minutes but did not.
The worker finally checked on
Sohappy about diree hours after-
she had been placed in the cell
aid discovered that she was not
breathing. She was declared dead
a few minutes later.
Bill Williams, an assistant LIS.
attorney in Oregon, declined in
June to prosecute school staff
members, saying he lacked evi-   >
dence of a crime.
Devaney said after Tuesday's
hearing that he would be looking beyond staff members aid
focusing on school aid national
administrators.
He said the bureau's law
enforcement and education divisions were Mailing each other
for die deadi.
Sohappy's case was one of
11 deadis, 236 suicide attempts
aid 631 escapes documented in
Devaney's report to the committee. The report condemned the
BIA's operation of 72 detention
facilities as avv liability time
bomb" aid compared conditions
to those found in Third World
jails.
BIA to page 6
Agency watchdog, senators find Indian prison
conditions deplorable
By John Heilprin
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Indiai
prisons are "a national disgrace" in which 11 people
have died aid hundreds
have tried to kill themselves
or escaped over the past
diree years, government officials said Tuesday.
.4n Interior Department
report likened die jails to die
U.S. military's mistreatment
of Iraqi detainees at Abu
Gliraib prison near Baghdad.
Earl Devaney, the department's inspector general,
painted a grim picture for
the Senate Finaice Committee. His report, capping a
vear of investigation, found
at least 11 fatalities, 236 suicide
attempts aid 632 escapes since
the Bush administration took office in January 2001.
The report's release coincided
with the opening Tuesday of the
Smidisoniai Institution's National Museum of the American
Indian.
The Interior Department's Bureau of Indian .Affairs had 2,080
people in 70 Indian jails, detention centers aid other correctional facilities as of mid-2002,
according to the latest figures
from die Justice Department.
One jail in six held twice its recommended maximum of prisoners.
Problems chronicled by Devaney included mixing of juve
niles with adults diat resulted
in die raping of a youdi; poorly
trained aid inadequate numbers
of staff; "coundess" assaults on
detention officers; aid broken
toilets, showers and sinks. His
staff toured 27 jails arid interviewed 150 BIA aid tribal officials.
NVI reject the notion that it's
simply a matter of money. I
think it's a matter of will," he
said in answering senators' questions. Congress has increased
BIA's yearly budget for law-
enforcement, including prisons
and other detention facilities, to
$170 million from S149 million
three years ago. Another $150
AGENCY to page 5
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