Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2008-03-15

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4-5
CLASSIFIEDS 7
King George blames
the LL victims in
hopes of getting their
sympathy votes
page 5
Leech Lake Council
Members George, Robbie
Abuse Credit Card
page 5
Leech Lake Chairman
Goggleye, Jr.'s
Administration Losing
Serf-governance
page 4
Press/ON endorses
Mike Bongo for Leech
Lake Tribal Secretary/
Treasurer: He's qualified
page 4
Leech Lake needs
a fighter—Archie
LaRose can do the
job of Tribal Chair
page 4
Excerpts from Rebuilding
Native Nations, Part VI
Comments by Bill Lawrence
We are nearing the end of the
material printed in this invaluable
book, Rebuilding Native Nations.
See end note for complete citation.
The book has been described by
reviewers as '. . .the basic desk
book that every leader will turn to
for guidance, inspiration, and the
hard empirical facts they need for
thinking about nation building.
(Robert A. Williams—Jacket
comment).
In its. announcement of the
book's publication, the publisher,
The University of Arizona Press,
provided this description of the
work: "Produced by the Native
Nations Institute for Leadership,
Management, and Policy at the
University of Arizona and the
Harvard Project on American
Indian Economic Development,
this book traces the contours
of that revolution as Native
nations turn the dream of self-
determination into a practical
reality. Part report, part analysis,
part how-to-manual for Native
leaders, it discusses strategies for
governance and community and
economic development being
employed by American Indian
nations and First Nations in
Canada as they move to assert
greater control over their own
affairs.
"Rebuilding Native Nations
provides guidelines for creating
new governance structures,
rewriting constitutions, building
justice systems, launching native-
owned enterprises, encouraging
citizen entrepreneurs, developing
new relationships with non-Native
governments, and confronting the
crippling legacies of colonialism.
For nations that wish to . . .
understand the transformation
now underway across Indigenous
North America, this book is a
critical resource."
I added the italics for emphasis
in the quote immediately above.
I will use this practice to indicate
a line or passage that holds
significant value. Any comments
that I may add will be underlined
to distinguish them from the
authors.
The ongoing theme throughout
this work is the absolute need
for tribes to establish a reliable
foundation for governance. The
authors' suggestion, uniformly,
has been the creation [or revision]
of a viable constitution that sets
forth powers and limitations, that
provides for checks and balances
and sets up or reforms tribal courts.
The establishment of societal rules
based on this document, they say,
is crucial/essential to developing
communities that produce self-
sufficient, productive citizens.
We have skipped material that
discussed entrepreneurship,
interaction with other tribal
governments and service delivery
systems. Although we see the
material as valuable, we believe
that until the foundation is laid
and leaders abide by the rules,
tribal communities will not evolve
to the level that produces citizen
entrepreneurs nor will tribal
governments have competency
to deal toe-to-toe with outside
governments will it be possible
for inter-governmental projects.
The subject of this week's
column is: "Seizing the Future
- Why Some Native Nations Do
and Others Don't
"A growing number of Native
nations in the United States and
Canada have taken action in
recent years to regain control
of their own affairs and build
societies that work. .. .Not only
are these nations taking control
of their own affairs, but they are
remaking the future according to
their own designs.
"Atthesametime, for every story
of successful self-determination
and governing power, there are
other stories that tell a different
tale. During these same years,
many other Native nations took
no comparable action at all to
restore effective Indigenous
control of their communities.
Some continued to languish in
dependency or spent their time
and energy in blame games and
internal conflict. Does any of this
sound familiar?
"Why? Why do some nations
act aggressively and effectively to
seize control of their situations
and reshape the world they live
in while others spin their wheels,
flail about, or do nothing at all?
fv E D u i iL l/ i n \j
Native nations
"These are intriguing questions.
We know of no systematic
research on this topic among
Native nations, but we have set
out in this final chapter to glean
such insights as we can from our
own experience and research	
Our thoughts are more suggestive
than conclusive, an attempt to
describe what we think happens
as we have seen it—
"Foundational Change.
"What kind of action do we
have in mind when we talk about
nation building? Our concern
is with Native nations' efforts to
reclaim power over their own
affairs, reorganize relationships
with other governments, rebuild
their institutional capacities for
effective governance, and move
vigorously toward improved and
self-determined economic and
community welfare. One might
say that our concern is with
purposive movement toward
foundational change in Native
communities and situations.
Here in my words, or their
words reused, are some examples
of foundational change listed in
the book. Training for council
members on details of federal
policy changes may be useful but
do not constitute "foundational"
change. "Foundational change.
. . . would include such things
as reforming the constitution to
lay the institutional foundations
of effective governance, or
establishing a politically
independent [tribal] court, or
placing controls on political
interference in [tribal] enterprise
management, or reorganizing the
NOTES to page 6
Slots Down At Both Casinos
By Heather Allen
An unsteady economy and
increased competition in the
Northeast are to blame, as slots
revenues declined in February at
both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods
Resort Casino, according to
casino officials.
In its monthly report to the
state Division of Special Revenue,
Foxwoods said its winnings
decreased 7 percent to $57.5
million from February 2007.
Winnings at Mohegan Sun
decreased 3.3 percent to $69
million from the previous year.
Coupled with a tightening
economy, casino officials point
to an expanding market, with
an increasing number of slot
machines in Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island and New York, as
another reason why revenues are
sliding.
And despite the continued
declines that both have seen
in recent months, Mitchell
Etess, Mohegan Sun's president
and chief executive officer was
optimistic about February's
numbers.
"This is a step in the right
direction, I think," Etess said.
"There's no doubt between the
increase in the units in the
Northeast, the economy and gas
prices, it's definitely having an
impact on our revenue."
Etess said he is "certainly
glad" to see that decreases in slot
revenues have stabilized after a
disastrous December.
Both casinos suffered after a
"free play" promotion offered at
Foxwoods caused both casinos
to see double-digit loses in slots
revenues.
The promotion contributed to
a 17-percent year-over-year drop
in slots revenue at Foxwoods
and a nearly 19-percent drop at
Mohegan Sun in the month of
December.
The Foxwoods promotion
rewarded patrons by mailing
them $5 to $500 vouchers, which
customers used instead of money
to play slots. The aggressive
promotion drew players away
from Mohegan Sun and affected
the revenue taken in, Etess said
in January.
Despite a tight economy, the
handle, or how much money
is put into the slot machines,
increased by about $8.7 million
from the previous year in
February at Mohegan Sun to
$815.8.
At Foxwoods, the handle
decreased to $662 million, down
$31 million from the previous
year.
The looming recession and
ever-increasing energy prices
continue to have an effect on slot
revenues at Foxwoods, according
to a spokesman for the casino.
"It's just a challenging time
right now with the economy," said
Saverio Mancini, a spokesman for
Foxwoods. "And with rising gas
CASINOS to page 7
S.D. trial on Parks, tribal band work to
1975 American   educate people about fish virus
Indian
Movement
slaying delayed
Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A
judge has delayed the trial
of a Canadian man charged
with killing a fellow American
Indian Movement member, but
it's unclear if the new date will
hold.
John Graham was scheduled
to stand trial June 17 in Rapid
City for the 1975 slaying of Anna
Mae Pictou Aquash on the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation.
Graham's lawyer asked for
another three months to prepare
because the evidence includes
112 audio tapes and about 5,000
documents.
A judge on Monday
rescheduled the trial for Sept.
23.
But about the time that order
was filed, prosecutors filed
a response opposing a delay
because a key witness would
not be available and the lead
investigator is retiring.
It's not clear if the new date
was set before that came in.
Duluth News Tribune
Four National Park properties
along Lake Superior and the
Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe
announced on Monday a
coordinated response to the
threat of VHS, the deadly fish
disease thats spreading across
the Great Lakes.
While the coalition has imposed
no new rules or regulations,
they are working to raise public
awareness of the disease and how
it spreads.
Efforts this year are expected
to focus on public education
about existing state laws and
suggestions on keeping boats on
trailers clean and dry to stop the
movement of any water between
lakes or waterways. Anglers will
be reminded not to move any bait
or caught fish between waters.
The parks include Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore, Isle
Royale National Park, Grand
Portage National Monument
VOICE      OF      THE      PEOPLE
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We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.  Copyright, Native American Press, 2008
Founded in 1988
Volume 19 Issue 49
March 15, 2008
Primary Election Forum in Minneapolis
Candidates for chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe participated in a candidates' forum
at the Lower District II community center at Isle, Minn., on March 3. Front row, I to r: Mushkooub,
Margie Ann Anderson, Devona Lee Haskin; standing, I to r: Vincent Hill, Melanie Ann Benjamin
(incumbent), Larry M. Nickaboine. (Not pictured: Kirstie Lee Davis Deyhle)
By Vincent Hill
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe:
(.'Primary Election Candidate
Forum in Minneapolis on
^February 23, 2008. Short
comments on presentations
of District 1 Representative
Candidates. Three out of five
District 1 Rep Candidates
showed. District 1 is located
on the west side of Mille Lacs
Lake, and it is the Band's
largest reservation district in
size and population. ALICIA L.
SKINAWAY: Incumbent District
1 Representative, finishing her
first term in office. She narrowly
defeated Sandy Blake in the 2004
Band election. Alicia is more
of a true political "populist" in
speech, and in advocating for
participatory government of the
people.
"My main goal is to reach, and
listen to tribal band members...
their needs," she explained at
the Bands election forum for
Mille Lacs Band urban residents
on February 23, 2008. Alicia
fights to break down, what she
calls, "barriers," between grass
roots tribal members and their
government.
Alicia feels, that she is well
qualified to represent the best
interests of urban Mille Lacs
Band residents, because she
lived, worked, and raised her
daughter in Minneapolis, during
the 1980s. She is fully aware
of the needs of urban Indians,
and how they struggle to live.
She has fully supported Band
services for urban Mille Lacs
tribal residents. "During my
term in office, I have traveled a
lot to Minneapolis to participate
with staff at the Mille Lacs Band
urban office on East Franklin,"
she told the urban Indian crowd.
SANDRA L. BLAKE: Past District
1 Representative, and currently
employed with the Mille Lacs
Band in Education. She has a
four year College degree, and is
working on a Master's degree.
She talks well, but tends to
be reactive and defensive. She
claimed "responsibility" for the
popular supplemental security
income for elders, and the
Grand Market Grocery Store. I
am still connected to the East
Phillips Neighborhood in south
Minneapolis, since my wife
continues to live and work in the
Vincent Hill, candidate for
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
chief executive, speaking at a
pre-primary election forum in
Minneapolis Feb. 23. (See inside
for Vince's political platform.)
area; and during my attendance
at monthly Band meetings for its
urban members in the early years
of 2000,1 seldom saw, or do not
recall Sandy's presence at these
meetings. ARLENE R. WEOUS.
She has been a candidate for
tribal council positions before.
ELECTIONS to page 6
Study suggests Native Americans Judge finds no
can trace DNA back to 6 women    misconduct
By Malcolm Ritter
AP Science Writer
NEW YORK - Nearly all of
today's Native Americans in
North, Central and South
America can trace part of
their ancestry to six women
whose descendants immigrated
around 20,000 years ago, a DNA
study suggests.
Those women left a particular
DNA legacy that persists to
today in about about 95
percent of Native Americans,
researchers said.
The finding does not mean that
only these six women gave rise
to the migrants who crossed
into North America from Asia
in the initial populating of the
continent, said study co-author
Ugo Perego.
The women lived between
18,000 and 21,000 years
ago, though not necessarily
at exactly the same time, he
said.
STUDY to page 2
Tribal college leaders bow out of
parks to page 2 photo shoot, citing nickname
Federal inquiry clears tribe in
flap over education conference
By Susan Montoya Bryan
Associated Press        <
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -The
leader of one of the nation's
largest American Indian tribes
says he never had any doubt that
sending several dozen employees
to an education conference in
Hawaii was the right thing for his
tribe to do, and now the findings
of a federal review are backing
him up.
The U.S. Department of
Interior's inspector general has
determined that the Navajo
Nation was not out of line when
it sent employees to the National
Indian Education Association
conference in Honolulu last
October and that the tribe did
not misuse federal funds in doing
so.
The inspector general's findings
were made public Wednesday by
Sen. Pete Domenici, a New Mexico
Republican who had requested
an inquiry after accusations of
misuse of funds were leveled
against tribal officials.
Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.
said Wednesday it was important
INQUIRY to page 2
Associated Press
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Five
current and former tribal college
presidents have decided not to
take part in a photo shoot for
a University of North Dakota
student recruiting campaign
because of their opposition to the
Fighting Sioux nickname, a UND
official says.
The first round of the Beyond
Beads and Feathers campaign
began about two years ago with
posters of nine American Indian
UND graduates who went on to
successful careers. The posters
were distributed to reservation
high schools and tribal colleges
and displayed in the American
Jndian Student Services house
' m campus, said Bob Boyd, a UND
vice president.
Forasecond round ofthe poster
campaigns, UND had planned to
take a group photo ofthe 14 UND
graduates who are past or present
tribal college presidents. Boyd
said five graduates declined to
take part, citing UND's continued
use ofthe nickname.
"These are all people for whom
I have a great deal ,of respect,"
Boyd said. "(The photo shoot)
is something that would have a
great deal of impact on Native
American students as they think
about their own university careers
and the kinds of things they can
accomplish. These are people
who have worked very hard to
NICKNAME to page 6
in Foxwoods
labor union
vote
By Dave Collins
Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. - A federal
judge has upheld a vote by
Foxwoods Resort Casino dealers
to unionize, ruling that there
was no misconduct by the
United Auto Workers before
the election in November.
Administrative Law Judge
Raymond P. Green concluded
that Foxwoods did not prove
union organizers intimidated
casino workers to get them
to vote in favor of joining the
UAW.
Green threw out Foxwoods'
complaint to the National Labor
Relations Board's regional office
and ordered the election results
certified.
"To a large extent, the evidence
presented by the employer
related to statements and
conduct by unidentified people
or unidentified employees,"
Green wrote in a decision dated
Tuesday and released Friday.
"And in the case ofthe alleged
threat to cause deportations,
this was based on unadorned
hearsay allegedly heard by an
unidentified friend who told
VOTE to page 6