Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2000-08-04

              INL»EX
Nel/vs Around Indian Country 2
Newvs Briefs 3
Coifnmentary/Editorials/Voices 4
Smloke Signals of Upcoming Events 5
Classifieds 6,7
Court rules in favor of
Nez Perce jurisdiction
pg2
New book on
Dakota culture
offers contest,
prizes
pg3
Author Louise
Erdrich opens
Minneapolis
bookstore
pgi
Last in series
Final interview
transcript on
Aquash murder
pg5
Cook, Pemberton win
Red Lake, Redby
tribal council seats.
Ponemah tied
pgi
 r-|	
<f 4 ok, Pemberton
wWn Red Lake,
Rjidby tribal
council seats
But Ponemah race tied
By Julie Shortridge
Fabian "Nickel" Cook beat challenger Gerald "Butch" Brun for District Representative in the Red Lake
district. Allen D. Pemberton won over
Preston Graves in the open Redby
seat.
Finishing in a tie for the Ponemah
District Representative seat were incumbent Bruce W. Stillday, Sr. and
challenger Rudy W. Johnson. Each
received 214 votes.
The Red Lake Tribal elections for
the three district representative seats
in Red Lake, Redby and Ponemah
were held Mon., July 24 for the St.
Paul/Minneapolis area, and Wed., July
26 forthe reservation. Results were
certified the afternoon of July 27. The
May 17 election narrowed the field in
tlie three districts from 16 candidates,
to two in each district.
A fourth district, Little Rock,
elected their representative at the May
17 election when Lawrence Bedeau
was the only candidate to receive 50%
ofthe vote or more, thereby avoiding
last week's run-off election. Bedeau
received 141 votes over Michael F.
Beaulieu's 94 votes, and Mary M.
Sumner's 46 votes; 140 constituted
50% ofthe vote in that race.
Cootand Stillday were incumbents
while the Redby District contest Was
an open race to succeed Councilor
Larry Dudley, who did not seek reelection.
Red Lake Treasurer Dan King was
quoted in the Bemidji Pioneer as saying the tie vote presents a legal quandary, "as there is nothing in the tribal
constitution to deal with tie votes."
King reportedly doubts that a recount would give different results,
saying the General Election Board
generally counts ballots two or three
times as it is, before certifying results.
The Tribal Council planned to meet
July 1 with the two candidates to decide where to go next. According to
reports in the Bemidji Pioneer, op-
. is mentioned, some perhaps
tongue-in-cheek, include a coin toss,
foot race between Stillday and
Johnson, or a second run-off election.
"The best option is probably another run-off," King was quoted as
saying. "But I don't know ifthey
want to go through another ninoff- it
can be emotionally and financially
draining."
If there is another run-off election,
it could be two to three months away,
including time for contesting the July
26 election and posting for a new
election.
All the positions are for four-year
terms. The tribe's reservation-wide
offices of chairman, treasurer and secretary will be before voters May 2002
when each district's second representative will also be up for election to
the 11-member Tribal Council.
The results of this week's elections
are:
Red Lake man practices art of
birch bark construction
RED LAKE:
Fabian "Nickel" Cook
486
Gerald "Butch" Brun
458
REDBY:
Allen D. Pemberton
281
Preston Graves
219
PONEMAH:
Rudy W. Johnson
214
Bruce W. Stillday
214
By Charmaine Barranco
Bemidji Pioneer
RED LAKE, Minn. -Sitting
outside under the trees along
tlie shore of Fuller's Lake,
Roger Neadeau carefully
threaded one ofhis latest birch
bark creations.
"It's all about patience," he
said slowly. "With patience
and perseverance a person can
accomplish a great deal."
Neadeau, who taught himself
the art of birch bark construction, recently imparted his
knowledge ofthe age-old
tradition at Kelliher School.
For nearly a decade, Neadeau
has constructed baskets, small
canoes and picture frames
using birch bark.
"It took me a few years to get
the hang of it," he said. "But I
learned from looking at pieces
of birch bark work in different shops. I
figured out what everything was and
then I just started trying it. I didn't have
anyone to teach me."
Neadeau estimates there are fewer
than 10 people in tlie Red Lake area
who are well-versed in the art.
Just why the art is dying out, he said is
somewhat ofa mystery.
"It's kind ofa slow process," he said,
shrugging. "Like 1 said, it takes
patience, and with persistence a person
will eventually get it. When they do.
they will find birch bark constniction to
be a peaceful experience."
For Neadeau, it is also a return to
nature.
Besides birch bark. Neadeau uses
pieces of basswood willow and spruce
roots he finds in the woods near his Red
Lake home.
The process, he said, begins with
collecting bark from area trees. To be
used effectively the bark must be
Photo Credit: Charmaino Barranco, Bemidji Pioneer
Roger Neadeau, who will teach classes at
Kelliher School, works on one of his birch bark
creations at his home near Red Lake.
flattened. Clothespins are then used to
form each piece and hold it together.
Small holes are then punched in the
sides, readying each piece for threading.
Bringing out a few ofhis creations
and setting them on a table. Neadeau
expbined that birch bark art has been in
existence for thousands of years. .
"It's been here as long as we've been
here," he said pointing at one ofthe
baskets. "This (birch bark) was all they
used before they had ceramic plates.
They used to cook in these baskets.
They made them watertight by putting
pitch from spruce trees and jack pine on
the baskets and sealing them with heat."
Teaching classes on the art of birch
bark construction and sharing its
history. Neadeau said, will hopefully
usher in its return.
"It's a connection to the past that
shouldn't be broken." he said. "It
should be continued and enjoyed for
generations to come"
Sundance 2000 to be held at Red
Lake despite controversy
Excerpted from Michael Barrett
Red Lake Tribal newspaper
On June 28. 2000. Red Lake Tribal
Treasurer. Dan King, received a fax
from Clyde Bellecourt, Executive
rector of the Peacemakers Center in
Minneapolis and American Indian
Movement founder, requesting Treasurer King to "please see that all council
members receive the fax. Sundance
should be allowed, but without non-Indians." The letter fixed was directed to
Chainnan Bobby Vv lute feather and all
tribal council members.
"I'm writing this letter and praying,"
Bellecourt stated in the letter, "that the
Red Lake Tribal (buncil will take
whatever action is necessary to protect
its sovereignty, and put a stop lo travesty and desecration of our lifelong tra-
CI\ Ol tllC NuiKkllkV . iiLl to t.ike
place July 7-18,2000, within the
boundaries ofthe Red Lake Nation. I
have discussed this issue with traditional Elders and spiritual leaders of
both the Sundance way of life and the
\lediw iw'in ofthe Anishinabe, and let
me assure everyone that (here is no such
prophesy ofthe lour races of man com-
SUNDANCE fopg. 6
Comment period begins for casino
in Hudson
Excerpted from Pat Doyle
Star Tribune
HUDSON, WIS. —After five years
of spending, accusations and investigations, tlie battle between gambling developers who want to build a casino in
Hudson and their opponents has
reached a pivotal stage.
The U.S. Department ofthe Interior
on July 31 gave the public 30 days to
comment on the impact of converting
55 acres at St. Croix Meadows dog
track into an Indian reservation for a
tribal casino.
The comment period, running Aug.
1-30, will pit the upbeat predictions of
the developers against warnings of opponents who say tlie casino would become the biggest in the Midwest and
V   O   1   C   E
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'Ojibwe News
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A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2000
Founded in 1988
Volume 12 Issue 41
August 4, 2000
"Mission Mini Workers" cleanup ditches
Photo Credit: Cass Lake Times
A group of Leech Lake youth, who identified themselves as the Mission Mini Workers, were busy cleaning the
Mission area roads and ditches recently. Pictured, in front, is James Raisch. In back, are Marya Jenkins, Christopher Romero, David Dioulliard, Edward Romero, Natasha Bowstring, Samantha Bowstring and Autumn Bowstring.
Red Lake DNR will likely recommend
closed moose hunting season for 2000
would be a nuisance.
The casino developers     the Florida
owner ofthe track m partnership with
three \\ isconsin Indian tribes — say
their project wouldn't be out of place in
a city that is a rapidly growing neighbor
ofthe Twin Cities.
Municipal services "were designed to
accommodate the kind of facility being
proposed," said gaiashkibos, chairman
ofthe Lac Courte Oreilles, one of tlie
three tribes seeking tlie casino.
The debate will help determine
whether Interior gives the tribes, whose
reservations are 80 to 200 miles from
Hudson, rare permission to create a res-
ervation for gambling. Congress in
1988 prohibited Interior from creating
gambling reservations far from rcserva-
HUDSON to pg. 8
Author Louise Erdrich opens
bookstore in Minneapolis
Birchbark Books showcases Native art
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS —Author Louise Erdrich
has opened an independent bookstore.
Called Birchbark Books, Herbs, and Native
Arts, the store " is a community endeavor. This
store has been a family, ncighboriiood project all
the'way around, " Erdrich said.
"In a sense, this needed to be here in this city,
which may have the largest concentration of urban Natives in the United States," she said. "In
other bookstores, only small sections would be
Native books. Here we don't segregate our
books. Indian books here are not ghettoized."
Erdrich .has written several books, including
"The Antelope Wife," "Love Medicine," 'The
Blue Jay's Dance," and 'Tracks."
Erdrich's husband, author Michael Dorris,
killed himself in New Hampshire on April 11,
1997.
Birchbark Books is also a retail outlet for Peta
Wakan Tipi, a local alcohol recovery program.
Revenues from herb sales go directly to Peta
Wakan Tipi to continue its support of Native gardens, elders and traditional healers.
Dorris was the author of several acclaimed
novels, including "The Broken Cord," an account of adopted son Abel's struggle with fetal
alcohol syndrome.
Excerpted from Michael Barrett
Red Lake Tribal newspaper
In a report authored by Jay T.
Huseby, Wildlife Biologist for Red
Lake's DNR, they will most likely
approach the Red Lake Tribal Council in July to recommend a moratorium on moose hunting for Red Lake
lands during the 2000 big game season.
According to the report, winter
surveys conducted within the reservation, as well as reduced hunter
harvest and moose sightings, indicate declines in overall moose numbers and local moose reproduction
since 1994. Similar surveys conducted throughout northwestern
Minnesota documented declines in
the entire regional population and
have prompted closure ofthe state's
moose hunting season since 1997.
The Minnesota DNR and Agassiz
National Wildlife Refuge are currently conducting research to identify possible causes for this decline.
In this study, initiated in 1995, 152
moose (101 cows and 51 calves)
were equipped with radio collars and
monitored. Seventy-eight (78) radio-
marked animals have died during tlie
study, with disease, parasites and/or
starvation accounting for over 70%
ofall deaths. Sixteen percent ofthe
calves that had died were depredated-
by bear or wolves.
Although the Minnesota DNR has
not allowed hunter harvest since
photo credit: Pictures Now
1997, numbers throughout northwestern Minnesota continue to decline, suggesting factors other than
hunting are negatively impacting
populations ... but continued hunting will delay and may prevent recovery.
Shunned Indians plan tribal takeover in
California
Author Louise Erdrich
By Brian Melley
Associated Press
TABLE MOUNTAIN
RANCHERIA, Calif. — Joe Casillas
and his siblings want to go home to
tlie American Indian reservation they
left 32 years ago, before a cash-flush
casino is built on land their family
once owned.
The Casillas and 115 other disenfranchised tribal members had
planned to take over the Table Mountain Rancheria and possibly shut
down the casino August 1.
But the action was put on hold
when a tribal leader offered to meet
with the estranged faction for the first
time in years.
Robbie Castro, one ofthe tribal
leaders, said it was time to talk.
"I want to face my accusers because
I've done nothing wrong to you," he
said. "I don't know if things were
done incorrectly. We've been working
to change things."
A small band of Mono and
Ghukchansi Indians still living on the
small reservation that regained federal
recognition in 1983. They set up a
constitution recognizing those who
had been living continuously on the
rancheria nestled in the Sierra foothills
about 20 miles northeast of Fresno.
It was one of many cawed out in the
early 1900s for homeless Indians. But
after losing federal recognition, in the
1950s, many members deserted the
parched land to find work.
"We didn' t move off to move off, we
just moved off to work. We had to eat,
" said Larry Lewis, whose father was
a tribal chainnan before the family
moved away to become loggers.
Lewis, 57, living on disability pay in
a dilapidated trailer without a phone
or electricity, said he applied to rejoin,
but his efforts have been met with silence.
Tribal lawyers have said none ofthe
disenfranchised group took advantage
of an open enrollment period in 1981.
The Bureau oflndian Affairs rarely
intervenes in these matters, and says
tribal councils can decide who is a
member.
,   The disenfranchised families
formed the Coalition ofthe Original
Descendants of Table Mountain
Rancheria three years ago. On July
18, the group of about 120 — twice
the size ofthe voting membership
recognized on the rancheria — voted
to oust all five tribal councilors.
Some opponents say tlie coalition is
making a greedy dash for casino
money.
It's unclear how much is at stake
financially. Coalition members say
voting members get $168,000 a year.
Nationwide, the Indian gaming industry earns $9.6 billion a year from
309 casinos in 28 states, according to
the National Indian Gaming Commission.
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