The Ojibwe News / Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1998-01-23

              RBC attempts to suppress White Earth
community council meeting
By Gary Blair
Despite excessive publicity to the
contrary, democracy continues to
elude members of the White Earth
Indian reservation. Marvin
Manypenny says the community
council he chairs at the village of
White Earth was denied use of the
Circle of Life School to hold a public
meeting on jurisdictional and
constitutional issues.
According to Manypenny, school
officials granted permission to use
the facility, then reversed themselves
under pressure from reservation
officials. He said the meeting would
proceed as scheduled at the nearby
church.
"We planned to use the school this
Thursday evening. Then we heard that
[tribal chairman Eugene] 'Bugger'
[McArthur] had sent a memo to the
school's principal telling him not to
let us use the school for our meeting,"
Manypenny said Wednesday.
Manypenny says the community was
denied the use of the school after
McArthur learned that they also
planned to discuss issues that involve
the reservation's tribal council.
"They want us to be their rubber
stamp committee, but we want to have
more input into their decision-making
process and they don't seem to
understand that," Manypenny said of
the reservation's tribal council.
Asked what type of tribal council
issues his group planned to discuss,
he responded, "We planned to discuss
the possible removal of'Bugger' that
is going to be discussed at a meeting
at the Shooting Star on Friday
morning. "There is a growing concern
here, that he needs to be removed.
After the TEC (Tribal Executive
Committee) censured Bugger, a lot of
our people are saying that they want
him out," Manypenny said of
McArthur.
PRESS/ON sources at White Earth
said Thursday that McArthur is
concerned about the Friday meeting.
However, an expected response from
McArthur was not returned by press
time.
Justice debates independent counsel's role
in Interior secretary's case
Michael J. Sniffen
Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) ~ Unable to resolve allegations against Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Justice
Department investigators are debating
whether some or all of their campaign
finance investigation should be turned
over to an independent counsel along
with the Babbitt case, officials say.
Of the inconclusive evidence gathered so far, investigators would have
to recommend an independent counsel be named at least to investigate
whether Babbitt perjured himself in
Senate testimony, Justice officials said
Friday.
The case involves the Interior
Department's 1995 rejection of a li
cense for an Indian casino opposed by
other tribes that contributed money to
Democrats.
Babbitt's sworn Senate testimony
was directly contradicted by a lawyer,
who had been a partner and close
friend of his. Babbitt has denied any
impropriety.
"The question is how much of the entire campaign finance investigation
goes along with the Babbitt issue to a
counsel," said one senior official, who
like the others requested anonymity.
"Theoretically, this could be used as a
basis for sending the whole campaign
finance investigation" to a special
prosecutor.
Some officials argue any investigation of Babbitt's testimony would have
to examine the role of key White
House aides, including former deputy
chief of staff Harold Ickes.
Other areas the Justice campaign finance task force is probing, including
foreign contributions, White House
visits by contributors and Democratic
National Committee spending practices, involve some of the same White
House aides.
These officials contend it would be
unworkable to have two different investigative staffs, one with an independent counsel and another at Justice, trying to deal with the same witnesses over similar issues.
Other Justice officials counter that
the department is investigating some
cases with witnesses who also are
JuStice/to pg. 5
Zuni schools sue state for allowing decay of
schools
ZUNI, N.M. (AP) - The Zuni
school district has filed suit against
the state for allegedly allowing its
schools to decay while other districts
thrive.
Zuni Pueblo is challenging the
state's so-called equalization formula
in the class action lawsuit announced
Thursday at Twin .-BuUes High
School. The pueblo feels it has been
shortchanged by the funding law
because other schools have so much
more.
State Sen. Leonard Tsosie, D-
Crownpoint, is supporting the tribe's
quest and is asking lawmakers to
change the equalization law.
"We began this fight because we feel
the equalization formula, in itself, is
not equal," Tsosie said. He said Zuni
schools find themselves battling for
every electrical outlet.
"Call that equal? Some people do;
we don't," he said. Joining the lawsuit
are the Gallup-McKinley County,
Grants and Central Consolidated
school districts.
The Zuni district says it needs $9
million more to build a new $14
million high school. It wants the state
to allow it to keep more — if not all ~
of the federal money allotted to it for
impact aid.
The state equalization law allows
New Mexico to take 95 percent of
those federal impact aid dollars and
redistribute them among all 89 school
districts. But 41 districts are located
on federal-jurisdiction lands, mostly
reservations, which cannot levy bond
issues to support schools. Arizona
school districts are allowed to keep
100 percent of their impact aid, the
plaintiffs say.
Some have referred to New
Mexico's alleged inequities as
systemic racism.
A month ago, the complaining
districts asked Gov. Gary Johnson's
administration if the state would
support a funding study. Gr;nits
Superintendent Tom Jackson said that
request got nowhere.
"I keep saying we're the richest
people on this earth as Native
Americans, and we should have every
opportunity, not only the Native
Americans but the Hispanic brothers
and sisters that we have out there,"
said Acoma Pueblo school board
member Lloyd Tortalita.
Isham prevails in Bois Forte election
Drift calls tribal criminal charges politically motivated
NETT LAKE (AP) ~ The chairwoman of the Bois Forte Reservation
in northeastern Minnesota has won a
special election that was called after
an election she lost was invalidated.
In a special election Thursday, Doris
Isham, who had been serving as acting chairwoman, defeated Mark Drift.
Unofficial results showed Isham with
367 votes, or 54 percent, and Drift
with 310 votes, or 46 percent.
Isham had lost an election to Drift
last October by 25 votes. But Isham
alleged irregularities in the election.
A judge declared the first results invalid after finding that incorrect information was mailed to voters, that the
general reservation election board
counted ballots that were invalid and
that there was evidence of tampering
with ballot boxes.
Earlier this month, the Bois Forte
Band of Chippewa filed criminal
charges in tribal court against Drift and
three others for the short-lived takeover of Fortune Bay Casino and Resort last fall.
After the disputed election, Drift
fired the casino manager, attorney, engineer and head accountant. During
his campaign, Drift alleged corruption
and mismanagement at the casino. The
Bureau of Indian Affairs restored
power to Isham three days later and
returned the casino to its previous
management, Saying that only the
tribal council, not the chairman, has
the authority to replace casino employees.
Drift has called the charges — injury
to public property and theft ~ laughable and politically motivated.
Johnson administration to try again to close
gas-tax loophole
SANTA FE, NM (AP) - Gov. Gary
Johnson's administration says it will
try a third time to close a loophole
allowing Indian tribes to distribute
gasoline without paying state taxes.
Johnson's administration has
insisted for the past two years that the
loophole threatens the state highway
department's road fund, but
lawmakers haven't been convinced.
Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley is leading the
effort to apply the taxes. He said four
petroleum marketers told him the tax
advantage to Indian distributors
amounts to "a lot of money."
Gasoline taxes are imposed when
gasoline is received by a distributor.
If the distributor is on Indian land,
then the gasoline cannot be taxed.
Distributors pay 17 cents a gallon for
state taxes. Tribal distributors don't
pay those taxes, but they do pay gross
receipts taxes-about 6 cents~on sales
to non-Indians.
Total state revenue from the gasoline
taxes is about $ 117 million.
Total tax-free sales increased from
250,000 gallons, in May 1996, to
Johnson/to pg. 6
Professors say little accomplished since
South Dakota's 'Year of Reconciliation'
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - In the
eight years since Gov. George
Mickelson declared 1990 the Year of
Reconciliation between Indians and
non-Indians, not much has been
accomplished, two professors say.
"There generally is a better
understanding," and respect seems to
be growing, but few legal and political
gains have been achieved, Frank
Pommersheim, of the University of
South Dakota, said Sunday.
Pommersheim made his comments
during a forum sponsored by the
South Dakota Peace & Justice Center,
South Dakota Humanities Council
and the Brookings Area
Reconciliation Council. The event
was held to assess reconciliation
efforts in South Dakota.
Mickelson, who died April 19,1993,
when a state-owned plane smashed
into an Iowa farm silo, is remembered
by many as the man who began
reconciliation in South Dakota. The
late governor proclaimed 1990 as a
year of reconciliation and amended
the proclamation in 1991 to a Century
of Reconciliation.
The social, governmental and
spiritual movement promised a time
when Indians, who make up more
than 7 percent of the state population,
and non-Indians could try to settle
their differences.
Martin Brokenleg, a professor at
Augustana College, told the group
Professors/to pg. 6
Casino manager charged with sexual misconduct/ pg. 1
The limits of White Earth democracy/ pg. 1
Interior Dept. testimony contradictory/ pg. 4
Deceased NAP columnist violated by Red Lake/pg. 4
Drift files Bois Forte election protest/ pg. 3
Natives enter MN wolf debate/ pg. 5
Voice of the People
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the body-mind-spirit. The free workshop will be held at Headwaters School of Music and the Arts, 519 Bemidji, MN 56601. Enrollment limited
to first 20 women that apply. For more information, call Kristine at 751-7517.
Northern Lights manager charged by
Cass County with sexual misconduct
By Jeff Armstrong
The Cass County Attorney's office
filed sexual misconduct charges this
week against Frank Michaud, general
manager of Leech Lake's Northern
Lights casino in Walker.
Already one of the subjects of a federal probe into casino finances, the 49-
year-old Michaud was charged with
fifth degree criminal sexual conduct
for allegedly physically and verbally
abusing a Leech Lake woman at a
Walker restaurant last December.
Michaud denied awareness of the
charges or the incident. "That's the
first I heard of it," said Michaud, who
declined to comment after receiving a
copy of the criminal complaint.
The complaint, dated Jan. 7, alleges
that on Dec. 22, Michaud groped and
sexually harassed the woman at Sweet
Momma's restaurant in front of about
six witnesses, causing her to feel "violated and humiliated."
A gross misdemeanor, the charge
carries a maximum penalty of 1 year
jail time and/or a $3,000 fine.
Requesting anonymity, the victim
urged former and present casino employees and others who may have
been subjected to such conduct to file
sexual harassment complaints with
prosecuting attorney Karlene Melhus.
"I know I'm not the only one this
happened to," the Anishinabe woman
said. "A lot of women who work there
are going to be afraid to say anything
for fear of losing their jobs. I hope
more women come forward now and
put a stop to this."
She called on Leech Lake to take im
mediate action to protect the human
rights of its female employees.
"I would ask that they take a look at
this more seriously," she said. "He's
got a problem, and he's a sick human
being."
The Leech Lake woman said she
would be appearing in court Monday
to seek a restraining order againt
Michaud.
Outgoing reservation gaming director Joanne Mulbah said reponsibility
for any disciplinary action would fall
to her successor, Brian Mayotte, or
executive director Lenee Ross. "I
won't be dealing with the issue," she
said.
Neither Mayotte, Ross, nor any RBC
member could be reached for comment.
Dog track owner says Clinton-Gore official
took credit for killing Hudson casino
Larry Margasak
Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In
surprise testimony, a business partner
of three poverty-stricken Indian tribes
said Wednesday that Clinton-Gore
fund-raiser Terry McAuliffe took
credit for killing the partnership's
proposed gambling casino.
The testimony by businessman Fred
Havenick was a key development in
the House campaign fund-raising
investigation, which is trying to
determine whather politics influenced
the Interior Department's rejection of
the casino in Hudson, Wis.
Three tribes who opposed the casino
proposal hired lobbyist Patrick
O'Connor, a former Democratic Party
treasurer, to press their case with the
government, and they gave the party
$286,000 after the Interior
Department rejected the project in
July 1995.
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and
his aides insist that politics played no
role in the decision.
Havenick owns the Hudson dog
racing track that he and the three Lake
Superior Chippewa tribes sought to
turn into a Las Vegas-style casino. He
testified that a month after the
rejeciion, he spoke with McAuliffe at
a Florida fund-raising event.
"I said that we were having an
enormous problem with an Indian
gaming project in northern
Wisconsin," Havenick said. He said,
'I took care of that problem for you. I
got (the) Indian casino project
killed'" by working with then-
Democratic Party chairman Donald
Fowler and others.
Havenick said he suddenly realized
McAuliffe didn't know the track was
his own project. "I told Terry ... I was
the one who owns the track in
Hudson. His face dropped. He clearly
was in shock," Havenick said.
McAuliffe's office said he was
traveling and not immediately
available for comment.
Havenick also testified that an
Interior Department official, George
Skibine, said in his presence that
politics influenced the decision,
comments that supported earlier
testimony by a tribal partner of the
businessman.
He said Skibine, who headed the
Interior Department's Indian
gambling office in 1995, commented
at a meeting in December 1996:
"Look, don't blame me. We would
have approved it. When it got upstairs,
politics took over."
Democrats on the House
Government Reform and Oversight
Committee defended the Interior
Department, citing opposition to the
project by Hudson area residents,
Wisconsin's   Republican   Gov.
Dog track/to pg. 6
'*