Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2005-01-14

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
To Leech Lake
Band members
regarding facts
page 4
Interest groups lining up in the 2005
expansion debate
Frank Reese: Cass Lake
teams doing well
page 4
U.S. Government still
dictating our spiritual
way of life
page 4
A Leech Laker's report
on the State of the Band
report
page 4
Melanie
Benjamin's
sharing of
gaming profits is
a good idea
page 4
gaming
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
By Bill Lawrence
Two, almost simultaneous,
announcements have created
some new wrinkles in the fabric
of Indian gaming. In tlie first,
Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of
Ojibwe, has proposed a revolutionary idea—tribal development
of a $50 million foundation.
funds from the project would
be used to address the needs of
poorer tribes. This suggestion
could slow down the interest
in development of a tribal/state
casino.
In the second, Citizens
Against Gambling Expansion
(CAGE) announced its opposition to legislative approval for
any expansion of gambling—
anywhere—in Minnesota.
Benjamin s proposal was
aired during her annual State of
the Band address in wliich she
reminded tribes of their tradition
of sharing and of taking care of
all members. She indicated the
idea for tlie foundation had been
evolving during past months,
and was not intended as a diversionary tactic to get around
Governor Pawlenty's interest in
securing a percentage of casino
gaming revenue to help balance
the State budget.
"As a band, we have an obligation to share with people who
do not have enough. We must
do this because it's what we've
been taught. We do diis because
we can - and we do it because it
is the right thing to do" Benja
min said. She added, "For some
reason, the citizens of Minnesota
don't believe we give. By starting this foundation, it would allow us to formalize our giving."
Reaction to her proposal has
been mixed.   The White Earth
band wdl continue to seek a
tribal/state casino according to
Ron Valiant, tribal executive
director. He said, "We do appreciate this offer, but we feel like
we would rather go and earn the
money ourselves..."
Tlie Shakopee Mdewakanton reportedly will support die
foundation. A spokesman for the
tribe indicated that the Shakopee
band has been involved in making loans and grants over die past
few years.
Details regarding the foundation are still incomplete. Methods for distribution of funds, who
will participate, and other issues
remain unformulated.
CAGE describes itself as a
grass roots organization with a
mission of stopping die Legislature from approving any form
of new gambling in die State.
The bi partisan organization is
chaired by Jack Meeks, a Republican National Committeeman.
He said the group includes both
conservative and liberal organizations, like tlie Joint Religious
Legislative Coalition, the Minnesota Family Council and the
.\ linnesota Taxpayers League.
Their union will raise money
and develop ways to thwart the
various gambling proposals diat
are before tlie legislaftire this session.
To get dieir message across,
die group intends to talk to
cljurches, lobby legislators, do
direct mailings, etc. Their first
publication, "Minnesota Nice
Meets Vegas Nasty" was distributed to legislators this week. It
talks of "Cabins and call girls;
hot dish and hot money; lutefisk
and lust."
Brian Rusche of die Joint
Religious Legislative Coalition
reports on a study that indicates
gaming costs every citizen $156
yearly in law enforce and other
social costs. He added 'There
is nothing inside gambling dial
produces good." Of tribal gaming, he said, "I consider it a
cockamamie scheme to somehow make die swindled the
swindlers."
Jack Meeks, CAGE's leader,
said "We all agree the social and
economic costs far outweigh the
benefits claimed by gmnbling
expansion proponents."
Erma Vizenor, White Earth
Chairwoman, in responding to
CAGE pronouncements said,
"They simply haven't walked
in the shoes of poverty. When
unemployment is 65 percent on
the White Earth Reservation,
when families do not have housing, when families are living two
or diree in a home... isn't that a
moral impact?"
Minnesota House of Represen-
DEBATE to page 3
Leech Lake State of the Band Address
By BiU Lawrence
Chairman George Goggleye,
in liis first State of die Band
address last Friday emphasized
what he called "outrageous"
spending by die previous administration. His speech, peppered
widi unfavorable comments
about his predecessors in office,
pointedly laid blame on Archie
LaRose and Pete White. He
said, "Because of dieir lack of
concern and refusal to listen to
other council members and staff,
diey jeopardized the band's ability to take care of itself and our
people."
Goggleye referred to a $6.5
million deficit his administration
inherited.
He laid blame primarily on
tribal referral spending but also
named the failed Shingobee casino project and die 100 houses
as being responsible for increased spending on operations
as well as for the Bands falling
into default on two loans, one
with the Bremer Bank and the
odier widi die Mdewakanton
Sioux.
Since taking office Goggleye
credits liis administration with a
tremendous turnaround citing an
improvement of $3.77 million
for the first four months of the
new administration compared to
the same period in 2002.
Arcliie LaRose, current can
didate for reelection and fonner
Secretary/Treasurer, took die microphone and publicly defended
his work while in office. He
pointed out die current administration had not approved a 2004-
05 budget. He indicated diat
without it, this administration
would not be publicly accountable.
In spite of having been removed from office, LaRose was
the top vote getter in the past
December primary. The general
election for Secretary/Treasurer
is scheduled for February, 2005.
Goggleye reported that the
Leech Lake Reservation Business Committee had recendy
completed a three-day retreat,
setting priorities for meeting
the needs of the Band. He used
the opportunity to once again
cast blame on the fonner Tribal
Council, "That's where past
councils have failed," he said.
In other business, Chairman
Goggleye reported on the proposed Minnesota Gaming Equity
Act, the bdl that would allow
Leech Lake, along widi the Red
Lake and White Earth bands, to
operate a casino in cooperation
with the State of Minnesota in
die Twin Cities, hi his view,
this venture would increase tlie
band's gaming revenues from the
$10-12 million range to $30-40
milhon per year.
Health issues for Native women
Part 2: Symptoms, Solutions
By Jean Pagano
In Part 1 of Health Issues
for Native Women, the most
serious health issues affecting
Native women, specifically
obesity and diabetes, were
examined. Also of particular
interest are the serious health
issues of alcoholism, suicide,
and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Alcoholism is a disease affecting all American populations, yet the mortality rate
among Natives is much higher.
Native peoples are five times
more likely to die of alcohol-
related causes than dieir white
counterparts. In addition, liver-
disease, such as cirrhosis and
liver failure, are also much
higher among Natives.
The National Institute of
Health (N1H) lists the following symptoms as indicative of
alcoholism: a) the craving or
strong need for a drink; b) loss
of control when drinking, such
that one cannot control the
amount consumed; c) physical
dependence, widi symptoms of
withdrawal, once die drinking
has stopped; and d) tolerance,
as in the need to consume
more alcohol to achieve the
same 'buzz' as before. Health
issues related to drinking are
even more serious for Native women, especially those
who are pregnant or trying to
become pregnant. They risk
many of the same problems
as those women who smoke
during pregnancy: low birth
weight chddren, premature
births, stillborn births, and
birth defects, including Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome, which has
a higher percentage among
Native people dian many odier
racial groups.
NIH has issued the following guideline for safe
drinking: up to two drinks
per day for men and up to
one drink per day for women
and seniors. NIH also identified those who should not
drink under any circumstance:
women who are pregnant or
trying to become pregnant,
diose who drive or engage in
activities that require alertness
or skill, diose taking prescription or over-the-counter medications which advise alcohol
avoidance, recovering alcoholics, and those under the age of
21.
Suicide is anodier serious health concern for Native peoples. It isone of the
leading causes of deadi in
America, and in some Native
communities, suicide is more
prevalent that in non-Native
populations. Suicide trends
among Natives differ from
the general population, widi
statistics showing higher
suicide rates in young people
while fewer seniors end their
own lives. Sadly, many Native
people that commit suicide do
so without ever attempting to
see a mental health provider.
HEALTH to page 2
Chairman Goggleye reported on
the Nelson Act setdement, the
Leech Lake Medical Benefits
Program and constiUitional refonn.
Smdeiits-from the Bug O Nay
Ge Shig school questioned the
Chainnan about blood quantum
requirements for tribal membership, saying diat, aldiough
many cliildren had lived only
on die Leech Lake Reservation, they were ineligible for
tribal membership. Goggleye
responded tiiat die issue would
be addressed, along with other
problems, during proposed constitutional refonn talks. When
asked, by a smdent what his
annual salary was, he answered,
$80,000 a year. The student
then asked if he would reduce
liis salary in order to meet die
budgetary needs of the tribe.
Goggleye replied diat he would
cut liis salary for diat purpose.
Odier Tribal Council members
nodded affirmatively, indicating
they too would accept a pay cut
if necessary.
He ended die State of the
Band address by quoted from liis
inaugural speech of July 2004
saying, "It is important diat. we
come together, united in our efforts to fight those who will seek
to destroy our sovereignty, our
way of life and our future generations."
Roadside bomb
in Iraq kills GI
from Cass Lake
By Lany Oakes
Star Tribune
He had guts, a good heart
and a winning smile, and those
diings were going to take
Dwayne BeUanger McFarlane
far in life, people who knew
him said
Monday.
But on
Sunday, the
20-year-old
soldier from
Cass Lake,
Minn., who
had risen
above a difficult early life and joined the
Army to earn money for college
and a career, was on foot patrol
near Baghdad when a roadside
bomb went off next to him.
He died instantly, along widi
all of liis resilience, plans and
promise. He was the 14th Min-
nesotan to die in military operations related to the war. Having
served in Iraq since 2003, he
expected to be sent back to the
states later this year.
"He was one of die best guys
in our class," said a friend from
high school, Kyle Fairbanks,
who was in regular e-mail and
instant-message contact with
the computer-savvy McFarlane
in Iraq. "He was one of those
who was going in a positive
direction with his life. And he
was so close to getting out."
GI to page 3
Dwayne McFarlane
web page: www.press-on.net
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American
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Founded in 1988
Volume 17 Issue 30
January 14, 2005
Melanie Benjamin, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, is shown in the Grand Casino Mille Lacs after she delivered the 2005 State of the Band address in Vineland, Minn., Tuesday,
Jan. 11, 2005. Benjamin called for the band to face their future with a sense of hope.
Mille Lacs leader suggests foundation to benefit
other tribes
By Patrick Condon
Associated Press
VINELAND, Minn.
- Minnesota's most prosperous American Indian bands
should join together to provide financial help lo less fortunate bands, die head of die
Mile Lacs Band of Ojibwe
said Tuesday.
Cliief executive Melanie
Benjamin, in her annual address to band members, urged
tribes to revive their tradition
of sharing their wealth. She
envisions contributions to a
foundation dial would distribute grants, and said she's already sent a proposal to odier
tribes.
" As a band, we have an
obligation to share widi
people who do not have
enough," Benjamin said.
"We must do diis because it's
what we've been taught. We
do this because we can   and
we do diis because it is die right
thing to do."
The White Eardi, Red Lake
and Leech Lake tribes, all in far
northwestern Minnesota, have
discussed partnering widi the
state of Mmiesota to open a new
casino in die Twin Cities area.
The Mille Lacs band and odier
tribes with casinos already established in die area oppose die
idea, worried diat it would hurt
dieir business.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said
the wealthy tribes could maintain
their monopoly by paying the
state $350 million from dieir
gambling revenue. Tribal leaders
have so far rebuffed Pawlenty's
suggestion.
Benjamin said she'd been
working on her proposal for several months and it isn't a direct
response to Pawlenty. But she
admitted many band members
would rather see money go to
help other tribes instead of to the
state's general fund.
"For some reason, the citizens of Minnesota don't believe
we give," Benjamin said. "By
starting this foundation, it
would allow us to fonnalize our
giving."
Such a foundation wouldn't
dissuade die White Earth band
from seeking to operate a joint
casino widi the state, executive
director Ron Valiant said.
"We do appreciate this offer, but we feel like we would
rather go and earn the money
ourselves instead of taking the
money from other tribes," Valiant said.
Brian McClung, a spokesman
for Pawlenty, was noncommittal. Pawlenty remains interested
in a way to make tlie casino
gambling system more fair to
northern tribal members, he
said.
MILLE LACS to page 4
Supreme Court justice fears
governmental "chaos" if tribe
wins tax case
By Devlin Banett
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - In trying
to determine where die modem Indian reservation ends
and where old-fashioned lax
laws begin, a Supreme Court
justice worried Tuesday diat
a niling in favor of an upstate
New York tribe would create
governmental chaos in the region.
The court heard arguments
in die fight between the New
York Oneidas and the tiny city
of Sherrill, N.Y. over unpaid
taxes on a gas station, convenience store, and defunct
T-shirt factory purchased by
tlie tribe widi profits from a
casino. The city foreclosed on
die properties in 2000, and tlie
tribe sued.
Tlie court's niling will have
far-reaching implications for
New York, where more tiian
330,000 acres are subject to
Indian land claims.
Tlie Oneidas claim because
tlie Sherrill properties were
once part of a vast 300,000-
acre swadi of tribal land, it is no
longer taxable by state and local
officials since diey purchased die
properties in 1997. Lawyers for
the city and state argue the properties have been in other hands
for about 190 years, ending any
tribal claim.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals sided with the tribe, a
niling die state claims will lead
to "regulatory chaos" if allowed
to stand.
Justice Antonin Scalia voiced
diose concerns in questioning
Oneidas lawyer Michael Smith.
"What you're asking the court
to do is sanction a very odd
checkerboard system of jurisdiction... It would just create a chaotic situation in New York state
if we say you have jurisdiction
over any piece of land you buy,"
said Scalia.
Sherrill's lawyer Ira Sacks
urged die court to reject die appeals court decision, saying die
tribe lost its claims to tribal land
in die town tlirough an 1838
CHAOS to page 3
Broad coalition
revives fight
against more
gambling
By Brian Bakst
Associated Press
ST. PAUL - A recendy dormant group in the fight against
expanded gambling in Mnnesota recharged its campaign
Tuesday, saying it would press
its anti-casino case in churches
and through mass mailings.
The adoption of a more aggressive strategy by Citizens
Against Gambling Expansion
- wliich has membership ranging from the Joint Religious
Legislative Coalition to die Taxpayers League of Minnesota _
comes as proposals to introduce
new casinos to Minnesota gain
steam.
"We all agree the social and
economic costs far outweigh
tlie benefits claimed by gambling expansion proponents,"
said Jack Meeks, die coalition's
chainnan. "Gambling is not the
answer to Minnesota's prob-
FIGHT to page 5