Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2007-01-19

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INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY
2
Tribal Leaders Forum in
San Diego
Where are the Leech
Lake Million$?
NEWS BRIEFS
3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS
CLASSIFIEDS
4
7
page 4
page 4-5, 7
Leech Lake Band
Member protests
childcare rate increase
page 4
Let's Honor, Celebrate
All Graduates
page 4
Building on Sand:
Leech Lake Tribal
Council acts without a
firm foundation
page 4
Leech Lake Tribal Council authorizes $500,000 in
questionable "investment"
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
By Bill Lawrence
Money matters are the center of
attention at Leech Lake. Voices are
raised in protest. Fundamentally
the Leech Lake Chairman and
District Representatives are
ignoring the people. The issues
are: 1). A potentially illegal Tribal
Council Resolution authorizing a
$500,000 investment in a limited
liability corporation named
Keylime Cove of Gurnee. 2).
Receipt of a $1 million grant from
the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux
Community for "development of
the [Leech Lake] Band's Shingobee
Island property into a restaurant/
marina near Walker, Minnesota."
This project was put on the shelf
several years ago and deemed by
the present LL administration as
unworkable and too expensive.
Neither of these two money
matters was ever taken to the
people for approval.
The matter ofthe Tribal Council
putting up half a million dollars
in a questionable investment,
without input from the Band
members, is serious.
Secretary/Treasurer Arthur
"Archie" LaRose, in a memo to
Chairman George Goggleye, Jr.
dated 1-03-07, stated his concerns
regarding the Keylime investment
He noted that the Tribal Council
OST officials
rewarded
despite
questionable
record
Top officials at the Office of
Special Trustee have received
nearly $250,000 in awards
and bonuses, according to the
Government Accountability
Office, despite the agency's
questionable reform record.
Donna Erwin, the number
two in command at OST,
has received at least $25,000
every year since 1998 because
officials believe her "historical
knowledge and managerial
ability are needed to ensure
Interior's trust oversight and
reform success." Yet during
that time, the agency has
completed just three out of
eight key reform goals, the
GAO noted.
In addition to receiving
nearly $200,000 between 1998
and 2005, Erwin has received
time-off awards and a cash
award of $9,700. She was given
the Presidential Rank Award in
2002, an honor that came with
a cash award of 20 percent of
her base pay but it had to be
split up over two years "because
her total compensation was at
the maximum allowable for a
federal employee," the report
said.
Erwin, a member of the
Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma,
wasn't the only one who reaped
extra cash for working on
trust reform. Seven out of
13 Senior Executive Service
(SES) managers received about
$50,000 in performance awards
from 2001 to 2005, the GAO
RECORD to page 6
meeting (where the resolution was
passed 3-0) had essentially been a
secret since they failed to notify
him sufficiently in advance so that
he could attend. This is a violation
of open meetings standards and
one (we can only surmise) was
intended to keep the Secretary/
Treasurer from attending.
LaRose stated that the
"Confidential Private Placement
Memo" of 12-13-06, which was
mentioned in the text of the
Council Resolution, had also been
kept from him. He challenged the
validity ofthe investment, asking
where the $500,000 amount would
be coming from and pointed out it
had not been included in the Band
Budget Ordinance.
LaRoseexpresseddisappointment
with the Tribal Council in not
seeking advance approval from
Band members before committing
a large sum to what could be a
risky investment.
Lastly Secretary/Treasurer
LaRose objected strongly to the
fact that Donald "Mick" Finn
had signed the Resolution in
place of the Secretary/Treasurer's
signature. In fact, Finn's signature
appears over the line indicating:
"Arthur LaRose, Secretary/
Treasurer; Leech Lake Tribal
Council." (LLTC)
The legality ofthe authorization
is in question since the duly
elected Secretary/Treasurer ofthe
Band has not signed it.
The Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community (SMSC) grant
raises the specter of an idea that
was condemned vehemently by
Chairman Goggleye and District
Representative Finn during their
election campaigns. They declared
the idea preposterous and attacked
former Chairman Pete White
and Secretary/Treasurer LaRose
for any part they had played in
advancing the project.
Curiously, the Tribal Council
did not express concern at this
time over the worth of the idea
in accepting the grant from the
Sioux Community.
While still candidates, Chairman
Goggleye and Representative
Finn also assailed the former
Tribal leadership team for seeking
financial assistance from the
Shakopee community. Last
week, however, a SMSC press
release announced the new $1
million grant and recounted other
assistance granted to Leech Lake.
The press release states: "In fiscal
year 2006 the SMSC also awarded
Leech Lake a $1 million grant to
fund a gas station at the Northern
INVESTMENT to page 6
Improved Indian health care
discussed
By Sadie Jo Smokey
The Arizona Republic
Health care is not a legal right
at birth, unless you're a member
of a federally recognized American
Indian tribe. The U.S. government,
which signed treaties promising
health services in exchange
for land and natural resources,
provides health care to more than
1.5 million American Indians and
Alaska Natives who belong to more
than 557 federally recognized
tribes in 35 states.
Dr. Don Warne, president and
CEO of American Indian Health
Management and Policy in Tempe,
says Indian Health Service, the
agency responsible for providing
federal health services, receives
inadequate funding and its
resources suffer as a result.
AIHMP hosts the first American
Indian Health Policy Conference
on Thursday and Friday at the
Fort McDowell Reservation to help
Arizona tribes find creative ways
to improve services and access to
health-care funding.
Warne, 40, also teaches American
Indian health policy at the Sandra
Day O'Connor College of Law at
Arizona State University.
Why focus on American Indian
health policy? Many conferences
either focus on specific diseases
or specific issues in health care.
Our goal is to work with tribal
programs to improve access
to quality health care. Policy
determines what kind of funding is
available and priorities. We have to
know these to improve access.
What is the funding for Indian
Health Service compared with
other federal agencies? Per capita,
for Indian Health Service, it's
about $1,914 per person per year.
Federal prisons is about $3,803 per
person per year. Medicaid is $3,879
per person per year. If you're a
convicted federal prisoner, you
have double the (health) resources
than if you're a Native American
child. There's no way policymakers
would accept this for their own
families.
Is one segment of the Native
American population at more of
a disadvantage than another due
to underfunding? We have unique
issues for urban Indians. A lot
of people moved to the cities for
education and occupational
opportunities. About 60 percent
of American Indians live in urban
settings; only 40 percent live on
reservations. We have a whole
segment, a majority, of enrolled
American Indian members that
have decreased access to health
care because they live in cities.
Nowhere is it written that once
they move to the city, they forfeit
their access to health care.
What resources are available for
urban Indians? Do they have
to return to the reservation to
receive health services or medical
treatment? You don't have to live
on the reservation, but the funding
for urban clinics is terribly low,
about $1 million per year per
clinic. There are currently 34
Urban Indian Health centers.
Three are in Arizona - Flagstaff,
Phoenix and Tucson. We have a
lot more (tribal) members who
have private insurance. We need
to charge (private) third-party
insurance, to charge Medicare and
Medicaid. It's increasing resources
to increase provision of care.
Why should American Indians
with health or dental insurance
HEALTH to page 6
Report on January Red Lake
Tribal Council meeting
By Chunky Brun
At the January 9, 2007, Tribal
council meeting Holly Cook
Macaro and Aurene Martin
presented a proposal to lobby for
the Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Indians. Their firm Ietan
Consulting, LLC, is a government
affairs advocacy and consulting
firm located in Washington D.C,
with particular expertise in federal
Indian policy.
After a lengthy presentation
by Holly and Aurene, the Red
Lake Tribal Council approved
Ietan's consulting agreement
for a term of one year, effective
January 1, 2007, with a monthly
retainer of $5000. In addition
to the monthly retainer, the Red
Lake Band also agrees to pay or
reimburse Ietan Consulting for
any significant expenses incurred
during the representation of
the Red Lake Band, including,
but not limited to, air travel,
car rental, lodging, meals, and
entertainment expenses incurred
to further the interests ofthe Red
Lake Band.
According to Holly, Phillip
Baker/Shenk, attorney with
the Holland/Knight law firm
will continue to provide legal
representation for the Red Lake
Band as he has done in the past.
She also indicated that Baker/
Shenk is paid on an hourly rate
over and above the monthly
retainer fee paid to Holland/
Knight.
Chairman Floyd "Buck"
Jourdain questioned how this
consulting agreement will impact
the on-going Legal Contract with
Holland/Knight Law Firm. It
appears the legal agreement with
Holland/Knight will have to be
renegotiated or terminated.
Holly Cook Macaro formerly
worked with Holland/Knight and
resigned 11-30-06. Aurene Martin
was formerly Acting Assistant
Secretary for Indian Affairs.
They are currently providing
consulting services to 18 tribes
with an average $20,000 retainer
per month.
The proposed start-up of
the Red Lake Fishery was also
discussed with staff person Joel
Rhode of the Red Lake DNR
delegated the spokesman. His
first comment was that the Red
Lake Nation Foods (wild rice,
jellies and jams) will have to be
moved from the Fishery. He
requested that the Water Bottling
Plant vacant building be used for
sales of Red Lake Nation Food
Products. The Council agreed to
MEETING to page 6
Deaths from
hospital errors,
mishaps still
rise
By Maura Lerner
Star Tribune
In spite of a major push to
improve patient safety, 24 people
died from medical mistakes or
accidents at Minnesota hospitals
last year, twice as many as the
year before, according to a report
by the Minnesota Department of
Health.
Half the deaths were blamed
on falls. Another patient died
after an unidentified "foreign
object" was left behind during
surgery, and two other deaths
were attributed to medication
errors.
Overall, there was a 50 percent
increase in the number of
"adverse events" reported by
hospitals and surgical centers
between October 2005 and
October 2006, according to the
third annual state report, which
will be released today.
The report, which tracks the
mo! st common and serious
threats to patient safety, found
154 incidents statewide, up from
106 the year before. Most caused
no permanent harm, officials
DEATHS to page 3
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Volume 19 Issue 21
January 19, 2007
,ndJ0H wars are
Mrs. RICE.
Palestinians dressed as native Americans hold a sign in English addressed to visiting U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
during a protest at the Hewara checkpoint in the West Bank town of Nablus Sunday, Jan. 14,2007. Palestinian President Mah-
moud Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday he opposes the establishment of a provisional Palestinian
state in temporary borders, a key part of the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)
Judge orders reconsideration of commission's
casino approval
Associated Press
BUFFALO, N.Y. -A judge ruled
Friday that a federal agency
erred in 2002 when it approved
the Seneca Indian Nation's
proposal for a Buffalo casino,
and the decision should be
reconsidered.
The Senecas, who already have
two casinos in western New York,
say they hope to begin operating
a temporary casino in the city
in April. In a statement Friday,
tribe officials said they remain
confident a new federal review
will permit the project to go
forward and construction will
continue.
In a 45-page ruling, U.S.
District Judge William Skretny
rejected the National Indian
Gaming Commission approval of
the tribe's gambling ordinance,
ordering the commission to
reconsider it. He found that the
commission chairman failed to
properly examine whether the
property the Senecas purchased
can be legally considered Indian
land where a casino can be
operated.
Casino opponents said
Skretny's ruling prevents the
Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
from opening.
Skretny also threw out
the lawsuit filed by Citizens
Against Casino Gambling in
Erie County and other casino
opponents, saying the issues
raised in it are moot because the
federal government now has to
reconsider the casino project.
Their original suit argued that
the project would have negative
environmental, health and social
consequences for Buffalo.
The Senecas operate casinos,
in Niagara Falls and Salamanca,
Cattaraugus County. A 2002
compact between the Senecas
and then Gov. George Pataki
provided for construction of three
casinos in western New York. In
exchange, the Senecas must
give 18 percent of slot machine
profits to the state to share with
the host communities.
In late September, they
delivered $68 million to the
state, representing its 2005 share
of profits.
Stone tools
found in Walker
may be among
oldest on
continent
Associated Press
WALKER, Minn.-Archaeologists
have discovered stone tools atop
a hill in this northern Minnesota
town that may be 13,000 to 14,000
years old, according to a published
report
From the rough stone tools,
archaeologists are speculating
that "we're looking at certainly
the relatively earliest occupants of
the North American continent,"
biologist and archaeologist Matt
Mattson said in a Star Tribune
of Minneapolis report Thursday
night. He worked on the project
for the Leech Lake Heritage Sites
Program, which is based near
Cass Lake.
Britta Bloomberg, Minnesota's
deputy historic preservation
officer, said it may be among
the oldest known archaeological
TOOLS to page 6
Tribes sue federal government,
alleging poor trust fund
management
By Alicia P.q. Wittmeyer
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho - Nearly a dozen
Indian tribes, including the Nez
Perce of Idaho, have filed suit
against the federal government,
asking it to account for billions
of dollars held in tribal trusts.
The lawsuit is the latest legal
challenge to the government's
handling of American Indian
trust money, which tribal
representatives contend has been
shoddy and inadequate.
The Native American Rights
Fund, a B.oulder, Colo.-based
nonprofit law firm, is seeking
to represent about 240 tribal
governments that have trust
accounts with the United States.
The firm says the U.S. Department
of the Interior, which manages
the accounts, has failed to provide
a complete accounting despite
several congressional orders.
The government holds about
1,600 trust fund accounts for
more than 300 tribes. Their total
worth is estimated at about $3
billion.
Tribes have been worried about
the state of their trust funds since
the early 1980s, when several
government agencies issued
reports showing the accounts
were in disarray, said John
Echohawk, executive director
of the Native American Rights
Fund..
"The reports detailed records
lost or never kept, systems
that didn't work or weren't
coordinated, and policies that
were deficient or never even
existed," Echohawk said.
The funds _ some of which
date back to the 1800s _ contain
money awarded to tribes from
judgments against the United
States for unlawful appropriation
of American Indian lands. They
also hold revenue from oil,
gas, timber and other natural
resources on tribal lands that
have been tapped by the U.S.
FUND to page 3