The Ojibwe News / Native American Press (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1998-07-03

              State Republicans and Democrats both drop
ball regarding civil rights on reservation
By Julie Shortridge
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-
Labor Party (DFL), which has
traditionally been supportive of civil
rights for al 1 Americans, voted down a
resolution to the party platform
supporting extending civil rights
protections to Minnesota's
reservations.
The resolution read:
Support the guarantee of protections
established by the U.S. Constitution
and any and all civil rights enacted by
Congress for any and all U.S. citizens
living and/or doing business on
reservation territory.
It passed at the precinct level," but
was voted down at the Mille Lacs
County DFL convention on a vote of
5 for and 29 against. It was not
reintroduced at the district or state
caucuses.
"I felt that it was inappropriate for the
Democratic Party to adopt that sort of
resolution," said Scott Coffman, an
Isle school teacher and DFL party
activist who voted against the
resolution at the Mille Lacs County
DFL convention. Coffman said, "I
thought it might send the wrong
message that the Democratic Party is
critical of tribal governments, and that
the party thinks there's a problem with
Constitutional rights on or off the
reservation."
This reporter asked Mr. Coffman if he
was aware ofthe fact that people lose
many of theirConsitutional protections
when they enteronto tribal trust lands.
Coffman responded, "I know that rights
are lost when you enter onto a
reservation, but I don't feel endangered
by it. I'm not worried about that fact.
It's not a problem. I lose rights traveling
to a foreign country too, but I don't feel
endangered by that." When asked if it
bothered him that the people losing
their Constitutional rights are U.S.
citizens on U.S. soil, Coffman
responded that it does not bother him.
"I know that rights are lost when you
enter on a reservation, but I don't feel
endangered by it. I'm not worried
about that fact. It's not a problem." -
Scott Coffman, school teacherand DFL
party activist from Isle, Minnesota.
"I was very disappointed in the
Democratic Party for refusing to uphold
Constitutional protections and civil
rights," said Dave Oslund, a DFL
delegate from Isle who proposed the
resolution.    "I never dreamed the
Democratic Party would turn their
backs on civil rights."
Two people spoke out against the
proposed resolution at the Mille Lacs
County DFL convention, includingRed
Laker Leon (Lee) Cook who works for
the Mille Lacs Band's Corporate
Commission, and Sean Fahralander
who runs a drug and alcohol program
for the Mille Lacs Band.
"The problem I had with that
resolution is it would include military
bases, which are also classified as
reservation territories. It wasn't very
clear. We don't have jurisdiction
concerning military bases." said Cook.
Fahralander echoed Cook's statement,
expressing concern about the effect
such a resolution would have on
military reservations.
When this reporter asked Cook if he
would have supported the resolution
had it read "Indian reservation
territories" instead of simply
"reservation territories," Cook said no
because he thinks if anything is needed
to protect civil rights on reservations
it should be done through the Indian
Civil Rights Act.
The Indian Civil Rights Act, passed
by Congress in 1968 extended some,
Vizenor rebounds from reservation defeat, pg. 1
State Republicans and Democrats both drop ball regarding civil rights on
reservation, pg. 1
Minority advocates blast city's hiring of reservation recruiter as tokenism,
P9- 1
Sandra Gardening's resignation from MN Supreme Court will impact
Native community pg. 4
Voice ofthe People
1
State/to pg. 5
Minority advocates blast city's hiring of
reservation recruiter as tokenism
By Gary Blair
The Minneapolis Human Resource
Department plans to recruit
prospective Native American
firefighters from area reservations to
help integrate the city's fire department.
However, the city's choice of an
American Indian recruiter is being
challenged by advocates.
The latter plan is being questioned
by Ron Edwards, an African Ameri can
who has monitored the city's hiring
practices of minority fire fighters for
the past25 years. Edwards is chairman
of the Minneapolis Fire Fighters
Steering Committee, a group authorized
by a 25-year-old federal court order to
monitor the city's hiring practices of
minority fire fighters.
"The city's present plan contains a
budget of$ 143,000 for recruitment. A
large part of that will be kickbacks that
go to recruiters of non-minority
women; and the Indian and Hispanic
communities will only get from one to
two positions on the fire department.
Edwards continued: "Each recruiting
$250,000 for each applicant. Agencies
who recruit women who fall below the
poverty guidel ines can receive as much
as $2,250 for each applicant. The
Minnesota Women's Fire Fighters
Association has already been
recruiting women from all over the
country, and Edwards questions the
city's choice for the Indian recruiter.
He says the city's choice of Native
American liaison Valarie Sheehan as
the Indian recruiter indicates a real
insincerity. "Sheehan doesn't have the
support of her people. She hasn't done
anything in the past to address the
lack of hiring of Native Americans by
the city," Edward explained.
Sheehan could not be reached for
comment, nor has she returned your
writer's phone calls in the past.
Edwards is not the only steering
committee member who lacks faith in
Sheehan. Senior Native American
firefighters Mike Beaulieu and Leonard
Thompson say they believe Sheehan's
role with the city is nothing more than
tokenism.
"She's just someone the Mayor can
point to when she needs a 'handy
"When has Sheehan taken a stand on
any real Native American isses? All
she does is draw her paycheck and she
is seldom in her office. How can she
say she is helping the Indian
community?" Beaulieu asked.
Edwards alleges that Sheehan has
attended only one of the minority
steering committee meetings — and
that was four years ago. "She has
never been back since," Edwards
claims.
Sheehan told Edwards and your writer
two years ago at a conference held at
the College of St. Thomas that she was
not going to do anything abou the
hiring problems that Indians were
having with the City of Minneapolis.
"I am not going to do anything about
that, until I can get the support ofthe
Indian community," Sheehan saidjust
beli i the conference.
Edwards says his committee will
oppose Sheehan's involvement in the
fire fighter recruitment on reservations.
"What really should be done, is for
Indian people to file a lawsuit against
the city for discriminatory hiring
practices."
organization is scheduled to receive   Indian,'toshowotherbigcity leaders.
Federal agency and tribal officials at odds
over enrollment list
SOLDOTNA(AP) - Investigators
with the federal Bureau of Indian
Affairs have ended their probe at
Ninilchik, but they're involved in a
dispute with tribal leaders over their
refusal to release some documents
related to government contracts.
An agency official said the BIA will
cut off all federal funding to the tribe
this fall ifthe information isn'treleased.
Ninilchik's tribal attorney saidMonday
the tribal council plans to turn over
most ofthe requested documents. But
the two sides remain at odds over
release ofthe tribe's enrollment list,
which tribal officials want to keep
confidential.
The federal investigation into internal
tribal affairs stems from an orderby the
Department ofthe Interior's inspector
general. He was following up
accusations by tribal dissidents
alleging mismanagement, nepotism
and conflict of interest.
Ten dissidents were removed from
the tribe's official rolls, which cost
them the right to take part in tribal
affairs. The move was part ofa fight for
control of the Ninilchik Traditional
Council. While the federal agency's
ability to inspect records ofa sovereign
tribe may be limited, the agency can
insist on seeing the records under its
funding contract, BIA area director
Niles Cesar said.
Most of the tribe's budget _ some
$700,000 a year, according to tribal
officials comes from federal funding,
he said. Among the agency's particular
concerns is whether the tribal council
used federal funds improperly to pay
for a lawsuit against its opponents,
and whether the incumbent council
was elected according to the tribe's
own laws, Cesar said. "We've seen a
pattern of non-cooperation," Cesar told
the Anchorage Daily News.
As many as 11 BIA officials were in
Ninilchik, a roadside Kenai Peninsula
community, for a week-long
investigation that ended last Friday
Federal/to pg.8
Governor approves casino near Spokane
SPOKANE (AP) - Gov. Gary Locke
has approved a huge casino proposed
by the Kalispel Tribe in the suburb of
Airway Heights.
Locke on Friday concurred with
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's
August ruling that a casino would
benefit the tiny tribe and not hurt the
surrounding community.
The Kalispels can now begin
negotiations with the Washington
State Gambling Commission for an
agreement to allow gambling. The
Kalispel Tribe has just 238 members
and a tiny reservation nearUsk, about
50 m i les north of Spokane.
Tribal chairman Glen Nenema said
they were grateful the governor finally
concurred with Babbitt. "We've been
waiting since August," Nenema said.
"We're patient." Nenema said the tribe
does not plan to deviate much from the
gambling commission's standard
gambling compact with other tribes,
and said he would not predict a lengthy
negotiation.
"We don't anticipate any long period
of time here," Nenema said. A divided
Airway Heights City Council approved
the venture last year, although some
residents fear a casino will increase
crime and other social problems.
"I voted against it," Mayor Brian
Grady said Friday. "But I will go with
the flow now."
The tribe predicts the $17 million
casino will be one of the largest
businesses in Airway Heights, which
is just west of Spokane and has 4,100
people. The tribepredicts it will employ
as many as 500 people, with an annual
payroll of $ 12 million.
Unlike many tribal casinos, which are
in remote, rural areas, this casino would
be just a few miles from downtown
Spokane. TheSpokaneTribeoflndians
had asked Locke to kill the proposed
casino because it would directly
Governor/to pg. 6
Judge:   Compact void unless ratified by
legislature
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Tribal
leaders applauded a judge's ruling
requiring Gov. Pete Wilson to get
legislative approval forany agreement
regulating Indian casinos. But the
Republican governor said the ruling
will have little effect, if any.
"The court has ruled that I have the
authority to negotiate tribal-state
compacts and has simply required
legislative ratification before the
compact can take effect. That is
precisely what my administration is
doing,"
Wilson said in a written statement.
Sacramento County Superior Court
Judge Lloyd Connelly said Thursday
that an agreement between Wilson
and the Pala Band of Mission Indians
_ a tribe that does not currently operate
a casino but wants to do so _ is not
binding without the consent of
lawmakers.
"This court concludes that the
Judge/to pg. 8
-iKfM-prBsson@bji.nBt
Fifty Cents
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American
Press
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mews
Wo Support Equal Opportunity For All People
Founded in 1888
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A weekly publication.
Copyright Native American Press, 1888
Tiie Red lake Inbil Council took possession of the 1977 Cessna Tilon 404 aircraft (pictured above), from the General Services
Administration last November and it still sits on the tarmac at the Bemidji Airport in Bemidji, MN.   A Red Lake tribal spokesperson
!,ici! would He making an as.. -pair and operating costs ofthe p!u
what to do with it. Press/ON has estimated that it would cost S50.000-S100,000 to bring the aircraft up to a safe operating condition.
Il is time the RLTC inform the membership what they intend lo do with this plane or give it back to the Federal government. We don't
need another tribal council folly at Red Lake.
Vizenor rebounds from reservation defeat
Fineday appointment as appeals judge challenged
By Jeff Armstrong
RBC-backed candidates swept to
victory this week in the final
installment ofthe controversial June
9 elections, which were ultimately
decided by replacement absentee
ballots sent to non-resident voters
whose ballots had been removed from
the election board office.
Incumbent Erma Vizenor made up for
a one-vote deficit on the reservation
by claiming nearly 3/4 of absentee
votes cast in the race for secretary
treasurer. Vizenor added 496 absentee
ballots to the 454 she received at
reservation precincts, while challenger
Darwin (Darb) McArthur obtained just
192 non-resident votes.
Similarly, Irene Turney outpolled
District I challenger Arthur Lang in
the recast absentees by a 159-83
count, adding to her 36-vote
advantage on the reservation. Terry
Burnette also increased his majority
share of the District II vote by
swamping longtime RBC nemesis
Tony Wadena by a margin of 98 to 24
votes in absentee balloting.
Election board chairman Earl
Hoaglund said the certified June 30
absentee vote was composed of 449
ofthe 716 replacements sent by mail,
along with 149 ballots received at the
post office on the June 9 election day
and the day previous, and another 110
cast in person on election day at the
absentee voting station. Hoaglund
explained that 745 ballots were seized,
but 29 of those voters filled out
substitute ballots in person on June
9, reducing the number of mailed
ballots to 716.
A second election board member said
Hoaglund had given instructions not
to release the absentee breakdown by
district, but said the total number of
ballots recorded was 694. The election
worker could not account for the
discrepancy between the latter number
and the totals given hy Hoaglund,
which add up to 708.
Hoaglund said all three defeated
candidates have filed election
protests, which are scheduled to be
heard July 10 before conservation
court judge Anita Fineday.
Lang, who filed his electoral protest
within the prescribed 10-day period
following the June 9 elections, said
the appointment of Fineday will not
raise the electorate's confidence in the
thoroughly discredited elections.
"There's a conflict of interest,
definitely," said Lang of Fineday's
assignment to the election appeal. "If
they let this stand, they're going to
have turmoil on White Earth for the
next several years...The [voting]
process itself has lost credibility."
Lang said the election protest should
have been heard prior to the
improvised absentee voting
procedure, which was itself a major
issue in the appeal.
"There's no provision in that election
ordinance for them to resend those
ballots." said Lang. "They think they
can do whatever the hell they want
and they got no one to answer to."
Lang said he would consider filing
an ethics complaint with the
Minnesota Lawyer's Professional
Responsibility Board against Fineday
if he is denied a fair hearing in the
White Earth court. A registered state
attorney, Fineday has twice been
reprimanded by the board.
Chairman   candidate   Marvin
Manypenny said the actions of the
Vizenor/to pg. 5
Tribe prohibits oil exploration near Chief
Mountain
BROWNING (AP) - The Blackfeet
Tribe has decided to prohibit oil and
gas exploration on 37,000 acres around
Chief Mountain, a landmark that some
tribal members consider sacred.
In a unanimous decision during the
past week, the tribal council imposed a
10-year moratorium on exploration in
the foothills of Chief Mountain, which
straddles theborder of Glacier National
Park.
The vote reverses an earlier decision.
An oil company with a petroleum lease
will get the opportunity to explore
elsewhere, said Earl Old Person,
chairman ofthe tribe.
The moratorium comes as an
increasing number of Blackfeet
rediscover the traditional way of life,
Old Person said.  "They're very
concerned about these areas,
especially the elders we have," he said.
"They consider this area a place that
should be left alone."
Many Blackfeet consider the 9,000-
foot Chief Mountain sacred because
of time-honored rituals that have been
performed there. K2 Energy Corp. of
Calgary, Alberta, leased 290,000 from
the Blackfeet last winter, including land
along the foothills of Chief Mountain.
The agreement requires K2 to drill
five wells a year for five years. Jim
Livingstone, chief executive officer of
K2, said Friday he was happy to comply
with the tribe's decision. "It had good
exploration potential, but a good
relationship with the Blackfeet is more
valuable to us than what might be
below Chief Mountain," Livingstone
said.
The original agreement already called
fora 3,000-foot bufferseparating Chief
Mountain from any oil and gas wells,
he said. With the tribe's decision, the
buffer increases to 40,000 feet. The
Blackfeet granted K2 a 120-day
extension on exploration.
K2 has encountered delays getting
permits from the BIA to lease certain
lands in the central part of the
reservation, Livingstone said.
A second Calgary oil company,
Conwest, has leased 300,000 acres on
the Indian reservation. While the
moratorium is in place, the federal
Bureau oflndian Affairs will conduct
environmental and cultural studies of
the area, said Jim Kennedy, the tribe's
natural resources director.