Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2000-05-26

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INDEX
News Around Indian Country 2
News Briefs 3
Commentary/Editorials/Voices 4
Smoke Signals of Upcoming Events 5
4*-*'
Not enough tribal
Commentary
Commentary
Two reports
*f£—
-s. <w   Red Lake tribal
^^1   election results
members willing
White guilt about past
Mille Lacs pollution scare
from Leech Lake
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to take census jobs
wrong is misplaced,
just a tactic
candidates forum at
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on reservations
easy way out
Palace Casino
Classifieds
6,7    pg 3
pg4
pg4
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Leech Lake candidates forum
held at Palace Casino
Voice     of     the     People
web page: www.press-on.net
By Jeff Armstrong
With less than a month remaining before the June 13
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) elections, about 100
Leech Lake tribal members gathered at the Palace Casino
May 23 to question candidates in the runoff elections for
chairman and District 111 representative.
In response to a question from the audience on per-
capita payments, incumbent chairman Eli Hunt quipped,
"That's a $9 million question." The Leech Lake chairman
said he favored the proposal in principle but that there is
insufficient casino revenue at this time. Hunt said gaming
funds, which he said are being used to supplement and
maintain state and federally-funded reservation programs,
would have to be doubled to allow for distribution to reservation enrollees. Until then, Hunt said he would continue to favor investing casino proceeds in post-secondary
education scholarships and other areas.
However, Hunt said he would consider allowing per-
capita payments from a S20 million MCT land claim
settlement pushed by the U.S. Justice Department," which
the chairman agreed to support in 1997 in return for half
the money being distributed to Leech Lake. After Hunt
reversed his opposition to the settlement and sponsored a
controversial "non-constitutional" tribal referendum, the
TEC voted to distribute the funds equally between the six
reservations.
Chairman challenger Lenee Ross said he would personally oppose distributing gaming profits to tribal members,
but would submit the question to a referendum vote to allow the people to decide. Ross said he would instead favor investing the funds into a reserve fund to build for
self-sufficiency from external government funding.
"If each Leech Laker got SI,000, that would amount to
$8 million," Ross said, an amount equivalent to the
reservation's entire annual net gain from gaming.
CANDIDATES to pg. 6
By Diane White
Over and over again, the theme ofthe Leech Lake
candidates forum was about equality, oppression, nepotism, per capita payments, and constitutional reform.
There were about 75 constituents present, mostly politically astute tribal members who are concerned about tlie
future ofthe reservation. Noticeably absent were the
reservation's top administrative employees. Noticeably
present was Alfred "Tig" Pemberton, who was not allowed to run for chairman because ofhis criminal history of felonies when he last held the office in the mid-
1990s.
Tlie candidates for chairman ofthe Leech Lake Band
of Chippewa are incumbent Eli Hunt and challenger
Lenee Ross. The candidates for District III Representative are incumbent Richard Robinson and challenger
Arthur "Archie" LaRose.
All candidates affirmed they graduated from High
School. Eli Hunt has graduated from the Brown Institute
in Minneapolis for Radio Broadcasting. Lenee Ross
graduated from Bemidji State University in 1983 with a
Bachelor of Science degree in History, graduated from
University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1989 with a Masters degree in Science Education, and is currently in the
final stage of completing a Doctorate from the University ofMinnesota in Education Administration. Richard
Robinson graduated from Bemidji State University in
1975, but did not state the emphasis or level ofhis degree. Archie LaRose has not gone on to post-secondary
education.
Casino personnel issues
Tribal members have been voicing their concerns
about abusive treatment by gaming managers, namely
Brian Mayotte, Mel Hunt and Rodney White. In Febru-
LEECH LAKE to pg. 6
Native
American
Press
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Ojibwe News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2000
Founded in 1988
Volume 12 Issue 32
May 26, 2000
Red Lake
tribal election
results
By Julie Shortridge
The Red Lake Tribal elections for
four district representative seats were
held XVednesday, May 17.
In races where no candidate received 50% ofthe vote or more, the
two top vote-getters will compete in a
run-off election, to be scheduled in
mid-July or early August.
Lawrence Bedeau in the Little Rock
district is the only candidate to win his
race with more than 50% ofthe vote,
and so will not face a run-off election.
Bedeau received 141 votes; 140 constituted 50% ofthe vote in that race.
Those in bold will compete in a runoff election.
RED LAKE
Becker County, White Earth Tribe
pursuing jail plans
Fabian "Nickel" Cook
377
Gerald "Butch" Brun
327
Ronald L. Cobenais
66
REDBY
Allen D. Pemberton
84
Preston Graves
73
Thomas "Jambi" Westbrook
72
Robert G. Head, Sr.
70
Collins W. Oakgrove
44
Roger "Spank" White
44
Joyce Oliver-Roy
42
LITTLE ROCK
Lawrence Bedeau
141
Michael F. Beaulieu
94
Mary M. Sumner
46
PONEMAH
Rudv W. Johnson
95
Bruce W. Stillday
79
Randall "Jiggs" Kingbird
67
Thomas Stillday, Jr.
48
Myron Kingbird, Sr.
25
Robert Earl Fairbanks
17
Excerpted from Nathan Bowe
Detroit Lakes Tribune
Both Becker County and the White
Earth Tribe continue to pursue plans for a
regional jail, in spite of Gov. Jesse Ventura's
recent veto of SI .75 million earmarked for
new regional jails.
The $ 1.75 million would have been used
as a competitive pool of money for county
regional jail projects, said tlie author of the
bill, Sen. Randy Kelly, DFL-St. Paul.
Tlie White Earth Tribe, which wants to
build a regional jail on the reservation, and
several counties involved in their own regional jail effort have been holding talks,
but have not come to any agreement on a
cooperative effort.
"We're still aggressively pursuing tlie
tribal theory of putting thejail up on the reservation and renting space out to the counties," said interim White Earth Police Chief
Rusty Pavey. "We want to have a partnership with foe counties. We want facilities
that are accredited by the American Correctional Association - that's the highest accreditation you can get for a jail - and we
still want full drag and alcohol treatment in
it"
The tribe lias talked with Cornell, a private corrections company in Houston,
Texas, about building a facility on the reservation, perhaps in the Waubun area, Pavey  ■
said It would be run by an administrator
hired by a governing oversight board,
which would operate independently ofthe
Tribal Council.
Tlie Tribal Council has not approved any
of these provisions. They remain in the
talking stage, Pavey cautioned
Cornell runs a correctional lacility in
SanteFe, N.M.,thathasahighAmerican
Indian population and emphasizes treatment programs, Pavey said "Cornell seems
to lead the industry in having treatment in
jail. It's not just 'stack and rack,'" he said
And Cornell would cover building costs
if the tribe and surrounding counties commit to a certain occupancy level, he said
"I'd like to see some strong commitment
from tlie counties," he said "Kind of parallel to what we did on the law enforcement
agreement We certainly lived up to what
we said we'd do - ifyou look at
Mahnomen County it's just woiked out
wonderfully this last year"
But Becker County SheriftTom Hunt
said there are legal issues with the county
paying for jail construction on tlie reservation outside tlie county borders.
Tlie tribe could just as easily commit to
tlie counties' regional jail effort he said
"We would put treatment in," he said "We
have in-house treatment here now, but it's
limited and we could expand that"
That isn't to say the country wouldn't
use a tribal jail if one is built
"Would we use the lacility? "If it's built
and beds are available we could use it as
long as legal issues are taken care of"
Hunt said he is pursuing plans for a
minimum security jail, though it may not
be in tlie former Evans grocery store building.
"We will probably try to do something
locally here with the Economic Development Authority," he said. "They're talking
about a stand-alone building that we could
put anywhere."
An EDA proposal to convert tlie former
Evans building into a minimum security
jail and county office complex met with a
firestorm of protest from resident ofthe
north side of Detroit Lakes, and the idea
has been put on hold
"We're not going to back off from that
(pursuing a minimum security jail)," Hunt
said. "I just can't wait on this. That's one of
Ihe reasons I went after the situation with
Evans."
The county will continue to pursue its
regional jail plans, he added But for the
short term, the focus will be on securing a
minimum security jail in the Detroit Lakes
area.
Pictured: (Above)
Annie Humphrey at CD
release concert on May
18; (Left) l-r: Chuck
Robertson, Annie
Humphrey, member of
Ulali!, Dennis Banks
and Floyd Westerman
join in a song
Photo credit: Myron Wolf, image one studios
Singer/
Songwriter
Annie
Humphrey
releases new
CD at gala
event
By Julie Shortridge
Anishinaabe singer-songwriter
Annie Humphrey released her new
CD, "The Heron Smiled," (Makoche
productions) at a star-studded evening
music event May 18 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.
Several hundred people attended the
standing-room only music spectacle to
hear musical group Ulali!. singer/
songwriter/guitarist Bill Miller, flutist
Brent Michael Davids, drummer/singei
Dennis Banks, singer/guitarist Haley
Peterson, singer Floyd Westerman,
among others, celebrate Humphrey's
latest work as a rising star on the Native music scene. Chuck Robertson
served as M.C./comedian.
"I hope you win Grammys," said a
member of Ulali! to Humphrey.
Humphrey, of Cass Lake, began writing songs as a child and has been performing for over 14 years. On her latest recording, friend John Trudell con
tributes poetry and vocals.
(Music Review on page 5)
School racial
complaint
under
investigation
Oglala Sioux struggle to resolve
dispute over tribal government
Pine Point School project
awarded state funding
Excerpted from Nathan Bowe
Becker County Record
White Earth tribal officials were celebrating May 16 after
Gov. Jesse Ventura gave his blessing to the $4.1 million Pine
Point School project in Ponsford
Lawmakers last week passed a capital improvements bill
that included funding for a new K-8 school for the Pine Point
School District, tlie geographically smallest school district in
the state.
"This is a great day for the White Earth Tribe and the Pine
Point community," said Tribal Chairman John Buckanaga.
"We worked long and hard to lobby, testify andjustify our
great need fora school with the appropriate legislators.
Tlie Pine Point School was built in 1937 and expanded in
1956 and 1978. It has no gymnasium, art room, science lab or
music room. The architectural firm working on the project said
the building is obsolete, a tire hazard and does not comply with
building codes or handicapped-accessible requirements.
"This school is for a community that is developing additional housing and moving ahead," Moe said. "Without the
taxing authority to build a new school, a strong state commitment was needed to get this project off the ground."
The Legislature also approved S11.2 million for a new
school building for the Red Lake School District and S7.5 million for a new building for the Cass Lake School District as
well as $4 million for a new building for the Ulen-Hitterdal
School District.
Buckanaga pointed out that tlie new community center to be
built at Pine Point will abut the new school.
The community of Rice Lake is next in line for a community center, followed by the village of White Earth, he said.
EPA awards grant to Red
Lake to study potential
contamination at sawmill
Excerpted from Brad Swenson
Bemidji Pioneer
A federal grant will help the Red Lake Band of
Chippewa assess potential contamination problems at its
former sawmill in Redby.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced May 18 that the tribe was awarded a §200,000
Brownfields Site Assessment Grant, one of 20 grants totaling S5.6 million given to local communities and organizations in the EPA's Region 5 of Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The Red Lake Band is the first tribe to receive a
Brownfields grant in Region 5, EPA said. The grant will
be used to assess the extent of contamination at the
former sawmill and wood treating facility operated by
the U.S. Bureau oflndian Affairs for more than 75 years
in Redby on the shores of Lower Red Lake.
The tribe applied as a pilot program for Indian nations, Red Lake Tribal Chairman Bobby Whitefeather
said the night of May 18.
"We want to demonstrate how we will perform an assessment and the cleanup of an area that was utilized as
an industrial site," he said. "It's an attempt by an Indian
tribe as to how we're going to proceed -1 understand
there are a lot of sites on Indian reservations throughout
the country where industrial activity has taken place
EPA to pg. 5
The Fargo Forum
BEMIDJI, Minn. - The U.S. Department of Education Office for
Civil Rights has opened an investigation into alleged racial discrimination condoned by the Win-E-Mac
School District.
The northwestern Minnesota
school district, comprised ofthe
communities of Winger, Erskine and
Macintosh, is about 50 miles west of
Bemidji.
The civil rights complaint alleges
the district subjected two American
Indian students to discrimination on
the basis of their race.
Specifically, the complaint alleges
that the two students were repeatedly
harassed by other students using racially derogatory terms against them
during the current school year.
The complaint also accuses district
employees of dressing as "cowboys
and Indians" during a March 17 pep
fest at the district's high school in
Erskine. The pep fest was held prior
to a section final game against the
Red Lake Warriors boys' basketball
team.
The complaint quotes one staff
member as saying at a pep fest,
"There's been an uprising on the reservation and it's up to Win-E-Mac to
send them back."
On the same day, the complaint
says, the two Indian brothers were
verbally and physically assaulted by
other students both in the school and
on the bus ride home.
Win-E-Mac Superintendent Gail
Sells did not return phone calls.
By Chet Brokaw
Associated Press
PINE RIDGE, S.D. - Dale Looks
Twice gets angry when he considers
why people on the poverty-stricken
Pine Ridge Indian Resen'ation don't
share in the nation's prosperity, don't
share in the American Dream.
Tens of millions of dollars, much of
it from federal agencies, is spent on
government programs on the southwestern South Dakota reservation
each year, he says. Yet the Oglala
Sioux have a high unemployment rate,
and government reports have tagged
Shannon County as the nation's poorest county.
"What do we have? Nothing."
Looks Twice
says.
Looks
Twice and
others believe the
Oglala Sioux
Tribe's government
structure is a
big part of
the problem.
That's why
they took
over the tribe's headquarters building
Jan. 16. Four months later, they still
refuse to let the tribe's elected leaders
back into their offices.
The protesters allege tribal officials
are corrupt and have mismanaged
money. They say they will not leave
until audits are completed and tribal
Treasurer Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs is
removed from office.
Independent audits are being done,
but Jacobs has not been fired.
Jacobs and tribal council members
say tribal money has not been mismanaged. They say the dispute arose
because budget problems forced them
to cut spending on some programs.
Robert Ecoffey, the Bureau of ln-
"It's not the individuals we dislike, but it's
the system they're in
that has made them
the way they are."
dian Affairs superintendent in Pine
Ridge, says the current system is
based on democracy and does not foster corruption.
"If some of tlie people have done
something wrong, that will come out
and they will be dealt with," Ecoffey
says. "To say the whole system is corrupt is totally untrue."
Meanwhile, the protesters have
been working with a council of elders
on a plan to get rid ofthe government
structure set up under a 1934 federal
law. They want to replace it with a traditional form of government similar to
what tlie Lakota had before they were
confined on reservations.
The dispute also has created uncertainty for a variety of economic development programs proposed
by President Clinton during
a visit to Pine Ridge in July.
Four months after tlie protesters took over the Red
Cloud Building, Looks
Twice and others use the offices usually occupied by the
tribe's president, council and
other officials. The electricity and telephones remain
working.
The group keeps a supply of
crackers, cold cuts, salad and other
food on two tables in a hallway. Meals
are cooked on an electric hot plate.
Tribal President Harold Salway
tried to suspend Jacobs last year, but a
tribal judge reinstated the treasurer.
Salway now has been suspended by
the tribal council, which alleges he
mishandled money meant for tornado
victims.
Salway tried unsuccessfully to suspend all but four members ofthe
council after he said they were meeting illegally.
Vice President Wilbur Between
Lodges now runs tribal government
from an office in tlie comer ofa bingo
sioux to pg. 6