Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2008-02-15

              :■••
■   ■
"■    . ■ .
■
INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4-5
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Spirit Lake ND grads
ask tribe for hold on
nickname vote
page 5
Cobell Case Showcases
How Corrupt Our
Government, Political
Pressure Has Become
page 5
Former Leech Lake
Legal Director Seeks
Restraining Order
Against Ojibwe News
page 4
Ethics Rath and
Indictments on
the Rez
page 4
Garbow vs.
Lawrence -
My Take
page 4
Notes from Rebuilding Native Nations:
Strategies Governance and Development
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
PartIV
With comments by Bill
Lawrence
This book, edited by Miriam
Jorgensen and published in
2007 by the University of
Arizona Press, contains some of
the most sensible advice, clearly
stated, for reforming tribal
governments. This is the fourth
installment of directly reprinted
material from the book. As
mentioned previously, we are
reprinting this information
because of its importance in
guiding candidates for public
office and for informing the
voting public what they should
be demanding of their elected
officials.
Up to this point, the discussion
has centered primarily on
reform—constitutional,
governance, judicial, etc.
There has also been valuable
discussion of a merit based
employment system and we
continue that at this point,
and then move on to a different
focus.
As in the past reprints, we
will italicize material that
seems especially pertinent and
meaningful, and my comments
will appear underlined.
"Key Considerations
in strengthening Tribal
Administrative Performance.
"One of the key features of
the evolution of contemporary
tribal governments has been the
gradual shift... from federal to
tribal administration [T]he
situation gradually changed
from one in which the federal
government managed most
reservation affairs to one in
which Indian nations manage
far more of their affairs for
themselves. Predictably, this
transfer of authority has been
accompanied by rapid growth
in tribal bureaucracies: more
offices, more programs, more
people, and more activity.
"Both developments—
the shift in administrative
responsibility from the federal
government to Native nations
and the subsequent growth
in tribal administrations—
have had important, positive
effects. While the extent of
administrative controls in
tribal hands has been limited
in some ways, Native nations
have significantly increased
their ability to determine what
happens in tribal communities.
"But improving
administrative performance
is not always easy. In some
cases, these same developments
have brought problems.
Some nations, for example,
have rushed to take over
administrative and service
provision functions without
thinking through how the
various pieces of their growing
government structure should
work together, leading to
bloated tribal bureaucracies
with little coordination among
offices. Some have built
tribal administrations using
an old model in which tribal
councils and chairs make all
the decisions, leading up to
crippling micromanagement
and political interference in
administrative functions. Some
have had difficulty finding and
keeping qualified people to
carry out administrative tasks.
"Such   problems   are
understandable.   Building
, NOTES to page 6
Ojibwe Considered World Language
ByJeanPagano
The Minnesota Education Act
of 2007 requires the Minnesota
Department of Education
(MDOE) to survey school
districts and charter schools in
order to report on the status of
K-12 world language education
in the state. Minnesota teaches
a combination of traditional
and less commonly taught
languages, and one of these
world languages is Ojibwe.
The survey was set into
three categories by grade:
K through 3, 4 through 8,
and 9 through 12. It gathered
statistics about staffing, details
about which students selected
what languages, enrollment
trends, and a number of other
factors. Demographics of the
respondent groups were Urban
(8.4% of respondent, Suburban
(19.4% of responders), and
Rural (69.1% of responders). An
additional 3.1% did not answer
this particular question.
Only 22% of districts had world
language education for students
in K-3. In these districts, Spanish
was the predominant language
studied, followed by Chinese,
French, and Ojibwe. Among
respondents to the survey
in grades K-3, there were 53
Spanish programs, 8 Chinese
programs, 2 French programs,
and 2 in Ojibwe. The two
Ojibwe programs are classified
as Exploratory Partial Year or
Introductory Sampling. Typical
Foreign Language in Elementary
School (FLES) programs requires
3 classes a week totaling 90
minutes. Exploratory Partial
Year programs do not run the
entire year and require less
class sessions and class time
than do FLES. Introductory
Sampling represents a minimal
introductory sampling of two or
more languages.
38 percent of districts offered
world language education for
students in grades 4-8. The
languages offered in these
districts were Spanish, French,
German, Chinese, American
Sign, Japanese, Arabic, Ojibwe,
and Latin. In grades 4-8, there
were 118 Spanish programs,
43 in French, 34 in German, 15
Chinese programs, 4 in American
Sign Language, 4 in Japanese, 3
in Arabic. 3 Ojibwe programs,
and 1 in Latin. The three Ojibwe
programs are categorized as
Exploratory Partial Year,
Introductory Sampling, and
Secondary Course - Partial.
Secondary Course - Partial
describes a language class that
is partially completed and then
continued in high school.
School districts in Minnesota
are required to offer students
the opportunity to take at least
two years of a single world
language. In grades 9-12,
Spanish was once again the
predominant world language
with 219 programs. German was
offered in 94 programs, French
in 83, American Sign Language
in 43, 35 Chinese programs, 13
in Japanese, 9 Ojibwe programs,
8 in Latin, 3 in Arabic, and 1 in
Hebrew.
There has been an increase in
the number of Ojibwe teachers
since the 2000-2001 school
year. During 2000-2001. the
total number of full-time
teaching positions for Ojibwe
was 2.44. In academic year 2006-
2007, the number of full-time
teaching positions had grown
to 7.8, signaling an increase of
220%. This increase in full-time
teaching positions represents
the greatest percentage of
growth of any world language
in Minnesota.
Not all languages experience
growth during this same period.
French and German, both taught
for many years in Minnesota
high schools, experienced a
19% and 18% drop respectively.
Russian language studies fell by
78%. In contrast, students taking
Chinese experienced an increase
of 164% and the number of
students taking Ojibwe grew by
the largest percentage of 272%.
309 students took Ojibwe during
the 2000-2001 school year. This
number increased to 1,150 in the
last school year. The growth in
students indicates an interest in
learning and perhaps preserving
Ojibwe as a language not only of
the Native people of Minnesota,
but of the world as well.
Defense wants
feds to turn
over Aquash
undergarment
for testing
By Carson Walker
Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A man
charged with killing American
Indian Movement activist Anna
Mae Pictou Aquash 32 years ago
wants federal prosecutors to turn
over evidence from the body for
DNA testing.
A Denver man is already
serving a life sentence in the
case.
John Graham was extradited
from British Columbia in
December, four years after he
was charged with killing Aquash,
a fellow AIM member from
Nova Scotia, around Dec. 12,
1975, on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation.
Graham pleaded not guilty
in federal court in Rapid City
to first-degree murder. His trial
is scheduled to start June 17 in
Rapid City.
Graham's lawyer, John Murphy,
asked a federal judge this past
week to make the government
reveal the location of and make
available to a defense expert for
testing Aquash's underwear and
a sanitary napkin taken at the
first autopsy.
A rancher found the
unidentified body Feb. 24,
1976, north of Wanblee. The
local coroner, Dr. W.O. Brown,
ruled she died of exposure to
the cold.
Brown found evidence of acid
phosphate in her vagina, from
which he concluded she had sex
shortly before her death, Murphy
AQUASH to page 7
Randy Finn for Secretary
Treasurer Leech Lake Band
of Ojibwe
My name is Randy Finn and
I am seeking your support for
the office of Leech Lake RBC
Secretary Treasurer. I have
worked in various positions
in our tribal government over
the years so I understand our
governmental system and have
the education, knowledge, and
experience to fulfill this elected
position. I first ran for tribal
office back in 1994, again in
2000, and now 2008. Since
I first ran in 1994 I have not
changed my positions on what
I have wanted to do or what I
believe in. I believe elected office
is a responsibility, and requires
morals and ethics.
I am aware of the many issues
we face from poor health care,
poverty, high unemployment,
housing, chemical dependency,
and the list goes on. These are all
things we need to talk about and
address. However, I am limited
in this position paper. So what
I want to focus on are critical
issues which if we address them it
will help improve the other issues
we struggle with.
I have argued for constitutional
reform and enforcement of the
current constitution. I have
argued for the development of
our own internal constitution
with a legislative body (general
council) to give people a voice
in their own affairs and to put in
place Checks & Balances. Also we
need to determine what, if any,
our relations should be to the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
Over the years I have fought
against corruption, bad business
deals, and the waste of resources
that plague our tribal government
We have wasted enough financial
Randy Finn
resources in the last decade
that could have been used to
solve many of our social issues."
We need to stop wasting our
resources and allowing outsiders
to siphon them off.
Instead we need to invest our
resources in our people; our
elders and youth, provide livable
wage jobs, fund education & job
training, focus on critical services,
and put in place a government
that serves our needs instead' of
oppressing us.
We have band law, tribal codes
and rules adopted by resolution
and ordinance, and they must be
upheld or enforced when there is
a violation by an employee or an
elected official. We must enforce
our ordinances such as our Tribal
Code of Ethics, Ordinance 1, and
Budget Ordinance. Not enforce
them only when convenient
then we are only playing at
government. No one, especially
FINN to page 7
web page: www.press-on.net
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.  Copyright, Native American Press, 2008
Founded in 1988
Volume 19 Issue 47
February 15, 2008
Buddie Greene Supreme Court Hearing March 6
On March 6, 2008 at 9:00
AM, at the Minnesota Supreme
Court Chambers in the State
Capitol Building in Saint Paul,
the Minnesota Supreme Court
will hear oral arguments to
decide whether Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
Minnesota residents have the
same civil rights as non-Indian
residents, off-reservation.
The story begins in July
2004, when Buddie Greene,
a 19 year-old single mother
living in Malmo, Aitkin County
, Minnesota, applied for
Minnesota Family Investment
Plan (MFIP) grant funds for
her and her daughter. As a
condition of receiving MFIP
funds Buddie, like any other
person, was required to
participate in an Employment
Services Program to help her
find employment.
When Aitkin County asked
Buddie to complete a Tribal-
Reservation Membership form
(likely based upon her physical
appearance), she identified
herself as an enrolled member
of the MCT. Because Greene
acknowledged she was an
Indian on a single-page
form, she was referred to use
the Employment Services
available for some Indians
through the MCT. The MCT
service offices are located in
Cass Lake, Duluth, Virginia,
Cloquet and Bemidji.
However, Greene promptly
requested to be referred back to
the Aitkin County Employment
Services program, which was
only 17 miles from her home.'
But Greene was denied and
was informed that because
"Aitkin County has referred
you to the . . . MCT [which]
is mandated to provide you
service and can not refer you
elsewhere." Buddie Greene
wanted to use the same state
services as her neighbors, but
Aitkin County would not serve
her and Greene and her young
daughter were sanctioned
30% of benefits for not using
the MCT services to which she
was now mandated.
Greene appealed to the
Minnesota Department of
Human Services and Aitkin
County District arguing she
was a resident, tax-paying
citizen of Aitkin County,
Minnesota and the United
States, and as such she should
enjoy the same civil rights
and access to public services
as any other resident, tax-
paying citizen under the Equal
Protection clauses of the
United States and Minnesota
constitutions.
On June 19, 2007, the
Minnesota Court of Appeals
held that "because the
channeling of appellant's right
of access to her tribal service
occurs as part of her tribe's
GREENEtopage5
Report cites high rate of
violence against Native women
Indianz.com
American Indian and Alaska
Native women suffer from
the highest rates of domestic
violence, according to a new
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention report.
In the largest-ever survey of
its kind, 39 percent of Native
women said they were victims
of intimate-partner violence.
This was by far the highest rate
among women of all racial and
ethnic groups.
The survey also showed that
nearly 19 percent of Native men
were victims of intimate-partner
violence. This was the second-
highest rate, behind African-
American men.
Government studies have long
shown that Native women suffer
from high rates of domestic
violence. But the data published
in the current issue of Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report
provides the most up to date
information about an issue
that is gaining national and
international attention.
"In Alaska, an Alaska Native
woman has a likelihood of rape
that is four times higher than a
nonnative woman in the state,"
said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-
Alaska), the vice chair of the
Senate Indian Affairs Committee,
VIOLENCE to page 7
Former Leech Lake chairman
indicted for allegedly taking bribes
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS - A former
chairman of the Leech Lake
Band of Ojibwe is accused of
taking bribes from a man who did
business with the tribe's casino.
Former chairman Peter D.
White is named in a new 47-
count federal indictment that
accuses him of accepting bribes
from Craig Keith Potts.
A case against Potts has been
pending in court for some time,
but a superseding indictment
expands the charges to include
White.
The indictmentsays Potts made
several payments to White while
White was tribal chairman from
2003 to 2004. White allegedly
accepted those payments.
During the period covered by
the indictment, Potts co-owned
a company called Cash Systems,
which provided check-cashing
and other services in Leech Lake
casinos.
An attorney for Potts says his
client is innocent.
Phone listings for a Peter D.
White were either disconnected
or had busy signals and he could
not immediately be reached.
Minn, tribe
revokes
daycare
license after
sex assault at
casino
By Patrick Condon
Associated Press
ONAMIA, Minn. - The Mille
Lacs Band of Ojibwe has revoked
the vendor license of a business
that operated child care centers
at two of its casinos after a
reported sexual assault of a 3-
year-old by an older boy.
The tribe announced Thursday
that New Horizon Academy will
not be able to operate its Kid
Quest centers at Grand Casino
Mille Lacs and Grand Casino
Hinckley for at least a year. The
tribal board determined that
Kids Quest workers were not
adequately supervising the two
children involved in the incident
in January, after finding the
victim and the alleged assailant,
who has been identified as being
between ages 8 and 10, were left
alone by employees for about an
hour.
"The Kids Quest employees
behavior was misconduct and
out of line ... and outside of
any reasonable expectations for
supervising children," according
to a report issued by the band's
Office of Gaming Regulation and
Compliance.
LICENSE to page 5