Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2000-08-18

              INDEX
News Around Indian Country 2
News Briefs 3
Commentary/Editorials/Voices 4
Smoke Signals of Upcoming Events 5
Classifieds 6,7
FBI responds
to letter about
to unsolved Pine
Ridge murders
pg4
Bureau of Indian
Affairs Director
Kevin Gover to
resign post this winter
pg2
Scott Kayla
Morrison 1951-
2000: Attorney,
activist, writer
dies
pg3
Vemon Bellecourt's
lawsuit against Native
American Press/Ojibwe
News discussed
pgi.4
Top lobbyists hired to
push for non-tribal
Twin Cities casino
pgi
Bellecourt sues
Native American
Press/Ojibwe News]
for defamation
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS—American Indian
Movement leader Vemon Bellecourt is
suing St. Paul-based NativeAmerican
Press/Ojibwe News publisher William
Lawrence for defamation, alleging tliat   j
several letters to tlie editor and articles
in the newspaper defamed him. The
suit, which also names the letter-writer,   ]
Joseph G. Geshick, as a defendant, will  J
likely go to trial after the first ofthe
year.
Filed in Hennepin County District
Court last month, tlie lawsuit alleges
that several letters to the editor and articles in tlie newspaper defamed
Bellecourt. The lawsuit will likely go to j
trial after tlie first ofthe year.
The lawsuit alleges tliat I^awrence
published defamatory articles and letters j
that claimed that Bellecourt was a dmg
dealer and had a role in the unsolved
1975 murder of native activist Anna
Mae Aquash. The articles and letters
also claimed that Bellecourt stole from " I
collection boxes of dead relatives' funerals" and abused elders and young
people, according to the lawsuit.
In the past year, Bellecourt's attorney
Jordan Kushner delivered two letters to   1
NativeAmerican Press/Ojibwe News
demanding retraction of tlie statements.
A retraction was not printed.
"I'm fed up with it," Bellecourt said.
"The Native American Press has been
printing outright lies about me for the
past six or seven years. What he
(Lawrence) is doing is not fair and objective journalism."
A motion by Lawrence to dismiss the |
case was denied July 26.
Lawrence said Bellecourt's lawsuit is
the third or fourth he has faced as a publisher. None has been successful.
"1 don't thin he (Bellecourt) has a
case either." said Lawrence.
Julie Shortridge, managing editor of
the Native American Press/Ojibwe
News, said, "Tlie ultimate defense in a
libel case is truth and what was written
is truth."
Lawrence, a Red Lake enrollee and
Republican candidate for state Senate,
has come under fire in the Indian community before. In 1994, community
members confronted Lawrence at the
Minneapolis American Indian Center
asking him to stop printing inflammatory articles about the community.
Lawrence's paper is no longer distributed at the center.
[For a report on tlie July 26 court
hearing, and commentary from the pub- •
lishcr, see page 4.]
	
Red Lake Band
gets $200,000
Brownfields grant
Excerpted from the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency
Tribal Communications newsletter
•
The Red Lake Bank of Chippewa in  ]
Minnesota is the first Region 5 tribal
recipient of an EPA Brownfields Site
Assessment Demonstration Pilot
Grant.
The Band plans to use the $200,000   \
grant to support environmental assess-  J
ment and redevelopment planning for
the Redby Industrial Park, site ofa
fonner BIA-run sawmill and fence-
post wood treating mill, and the Tribe's |
pine-seedling greenhouse. Funds will   \
be available to the Band this fall, and
the cooperative agreement will last at
least 2 years.
Historical uses ofthe site have
caused the Band to be concerned about |
possible environmental contamination, j
which could be a threat to the drink-
Mille Lacs Band to hold special
election for secretary- treasurer
Voice     o
he     People
Excerpted from Brett Larson
Mille Lacs Messenger
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
will hold a special primary election on
Sept. 18 to narrow down a field of
eight candidates for secretary-treasurer.
The secretary-treasurer position became open when Herb Weyaus
stepped down to run for chief executive. He finished third in the primary
behind Melanie Benjamin and Marge
Anderson.
Weyaus has filed for office along
with seven others: Clifford Churchill,
Peter Gahbow, Diane Gibbs, Kathleen
June Shingboe-J ohnson, Mushkooub,
Arlene Weous and former secretary-
treasure David Matrious.
The primary will narrow the field to
two candidates who will compete in a
run-off election on Nov. 8.
Other open positions are the District I and District II school board positions, and the school board chairperson position.
Running for District I school board
are Irene B. Wade Benjamin, Nancy
Gahbow, Beverly Nayquonabe,
Pamela E. Pewaush and Ruth A. Sam.
Up for District II school board
member are incumbent Mary S.
Bohanon and challenger Carmen M.
(Johnson) Pratt Green.
Running for school board chair are
incumbent Frances Davis and challenger Beatrice J. (Sam) Mitchell.
Top lobbyists hired to push for
non-tribal Twin Cities casino
Excerpted from Pat Doyle
Star Tribune
Signaling a serious, behind-the-
scenes drive for a casino in the Twin
Cities, Nevada gambling developer
Don Laughlin has hired some ofthe
bigger names in lobbying and politics
to push for expanded gambling.
His stable includes Wayne
Simoneau, a prominent DFL legislator for two decades and an administrator under Govs. Ame Carlson and
Jesse Ventura; Carlson's son. Tucker;
and two other lobbyists for tobacco or
Hollywood interests.
Laughlin isn't the only person eyeing the Twin Cities as a possible site
for a casino. Billionaire oilman
Marvin Davis of California has made
discreet inquiries about building a casino, said Rep. Henry Todd Van
Dellen, R-Plymouth. Van Dellen said
Davis' representatives contacted him
during the last legislative session
about prospects for a casino.
Legislators in recent years have
beaten back other bids for a major expansion of gambling, and a nontribal
casino would face opposition from
American Indians and possible legal
challenges.
But Laughlin, who founded a gambling town named after him in Nevada, says he thinks the mood is receptive to a casino that would send 90
percent of its profits to the state. I le is
laying the groundwork for a campaign to convince legislators after the
November elections.
"There are some serious names"
lobbying for Laughlin, said John
McCarthy, director ofthe Minnesota
Indian Gaming Association.
"Simoneau is pretty much respected.
If he's getting advice from Simoneau
... they're going to put a full-court
press to it. We take it very seriously."
Laughlin says he doesn't have a location for a casino, but the possibilities include the northwestern comer
of the Twin Cities, the Mall of
America in Bloomington and east of
St. Paul. He said the location and
other details could be up to the Legislature if it decides to approve a casino.
The city of Bloomington hasn't
taken a formal position on a casino,
but officials oppose it, said city manager Mark Bernhardson.
Simoneau said Thursday that he is
helping direct the legislative effort by
lining up lobbyists and eventually will
introduce Laughlin to committee
members.
"1 spent 26 years in state goveniment and sort of know how things
work." he said.
Simoneau said the chances ofthe
Legislature approving a non-tribal casino have improved steadily.
"Legislators arc becoming aware
that we didn't get the best deal out of
the Indian gaming," he said, alluding
to arrangements elsewhere in which
tribes pay states millions of dollars in
casino profits. Minnesota tribes pay
the state 11 small amount tool
regulation costs. "Wc should probably
be looking at ways to maximize income to the state with casino gambling."
I aughlin's proposal for giving 90
percent of profits to the state allows
LOBBYISTS to pg. 6
Leech Lake Band catches up with
computer age
GRANT topg. 6
By Judy Mcrritt
Cass Lake Times
Until now Leech Lake Tribe was
about 10 years behind in its use of
these systems. Casino operations have
speeded up the process of catching up
to the computer age for the tribe.
Richard Schulman, the man in
charge of bringing the Leech Lake
Tribe into the 21" Century as director
of Management Infonnation Systems,
is working very hard with a staff of
seven to "leap frog" into providing
Internet and digital telephone services
to all members ofthe Leech Lake
Tribe.
Approximately 8,000 tribal members live on a reservation that covers
approximately 160 square miles. Currently most points on the reservation
are a long distance phone call away.
With a long term goal to become
it's own Internet provider, Schulman
hopes to have the technology in place
to provide all tribal members with no
long distance telephone charges any
where within the boundaries ofthe
reservation.
"Wireless communication busted
down a lot of doors," Schulman said.
"We don't have to deal with laying
ground wires or following FCC regulations."
The concept of becoming their own
Internet service provider then becomes a sovereignty issue, which the
FCC is beginning to recognize.
"We believe that the right to communicate among ourselves within our
boundaries should be a sovereign
right," Schulman said.
The project is designed in three
stages, which are projected to be
completed in four years.
Work has been underway on the
first for the past 16 months and
should be completed by the beginning
of 2001. That will establish local area
networks to connect all tribal offices
LEECH LAKE to pg. 6
Native
American
web page: www.press-on.net
ft
'tee'
Ojibwe News
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2000
Founded in 1988
Volume 12 Issue 43
August 18, 2000
"AW(dktoBemem})er"(mMndLc^
About 60 people left from the shores of Lake Superior on the Bad River Indian Reservation on June 29. on A Walk to Remember"
around Lake Superior.
•iJv Mel Ka«mu^
Some two years ago. people met at
Saul! Ste. Mane to discuss the issues
occurring around the (Steal I .akes.
These people were concerned by the
grow mg destruction occurring to their
homelands along tlie shores of Lake
Superior. Something had to be done to
protect their homes and ways of life.
It was decided that some type ot action was necessary to enlighten and
hear the words ofthe I ake Superior
community. It had to be an action that
would attract the attention ofthe
people ofthe lake and share the knowledge ofthe teachings ofthe
Anishinabe. It was decided that there
should be a walk amund the lake to attract the attention ofthe people. It was
a walk that had never been undertaken
before.
The premise of this walk is to honor
and protect the lake and the communities on its shore and its people. The
walk strives to identify the bike Superior people ofall nations as one people
and community. The walk further
strives to break down all the superficial
boundaries imposed upon these people
ofthe lake by governments and politi
cal < ire tlie inppmgs of
an imaginary world that has no place
within the natural order and instnic-
tions ofthe Mother, the earth.
Butch Stone, Ogitchidaa from Bad
River best stated it with these words.
He said, "I think it is time for all nations. Black, Yellow, White and Red, to
work tow aids preserving and protecting the land and the water." It is a
voice that is constantly echoed by the
brothers and sisters who walk side by
side with Butch Stone around the Great
Lake called, "Gitchee, Gummee." lt is
the voice ofa people reaching out to
protect their heritage, home and their
waj of life. It is a voice ofa Nation
thai is "Protecting the Earth" and
teaching the four races.
The walk began on the Bad River
Reservation at Waverly Beach on tlie
twenty seventh of June. It started with
morning ceremonies, water ceremonies
and the carrying ofthe "Protect the
Earth" staff in the forefront. Tlie staff
was created some 12 to 14 years ago
by the late Walt Bressette, an activist
and member ofthe Red Cliff Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa. Walt never
had the opportunity to go on diis walk
but his spirit has been a guiding light
from its 'nception and all along the
route around Lake Superior.
Many people have come and gone
on this walk, but their footsteps have
been one of unity and understanding.
The walk started with some one hundred people at Waverly Beach on the
Bad River Reservation. By the time
the staff had reached Duluth there
were some thirty people walking in
support ofthe Protect the Earth Staff.
With time the numbers dwindled,
but the spirit of tlie walkers grew as
they began to understand the complexities and simplicities ofthe life of
the Lake and of its people. Many
people came out to the road and
greeted the walkers. One such story
is of an 80 year old woman who
wished she could go on the walk as it
was something she believed in and
that something had to be done to save
the waters. She wanted to carry the
staff on this walk and participate with
the spirit of tlie people she was meeting.
She was given the staff so she
could carry it and be part of the walk,
even if it was the width of her driveway. She laughed out loud and with a
SUPERIOR to pg. 5
Clinton alters political landscape, declares
National Monuments by decree
AIM leader Dennis Banks tries the business world
Associated Press
FEDERAL DAM, Minn. - Dennis
Banks' life has been one of political
action: He helped found the nation's
best-known American Indian activist
organization and once organized a
takeover of U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs offices.
But these days, Banks is back on his
native Leech Lake Indian Reservation,
off the front lines of activism and try-
i ing his hand in the business world.
The American Indian Movement
leader has formed a company where
one ofthe main product lines is maple
syrup. An official with a national association says it has the potential to become the biggest maple-syrup business in Minnesota.
The Dennis Banks Wild Rice &
Natural Organic Foods Co. also sells
wild rice, candy cakes and sugar.
"Native people love wild rice and
maple syrup," Banks said. "Joe Blow
could probably sell it because our
'»wwip love it. Because Dennis Banks
Dennis Banks
is selling it, my name adds a little sales
value."
Banks' name could be the key to tapping into a national, even worldwide,
market for such foods, say some experts familiar with the company.
"Dennis Banks is a celebrity, an
American hero," said Horst
Rcchelbacher, a friend and business ad
viser who founded Aveda, the multimillion-dollar beauty products company based in Blaine.
Banks' rice is quality food that could
have wide appeal as a gourmet product, Rechelbacher said, and he envisions restaurants around the country
featuring "Dennis Banks wild rice" on
their menus.
Banks began meeting last weekend
with five Japanese businessmen interested in putting Banks' syrup and wild
rice in 800 grocery stores in Japan.
Tiiis is heady stuff for Banks, who
once went underground for eight years
to avoid prosecution.
"I'm 65 - that's when people retire,"
he said. "I'm going strong.... I am going to use all the contacts that I have."
Bom on the Leech Lake Reservation, Banks went to Indian boarding
schools in several states before running away, later moved to Minneapolis
and in 1968 became one ofthe
founders of AIM.
BANKS topg. 6
I By David Foster
I AssociatedPress
RICHLAND, WASH. — For 35 years,
1 Steele had fought to protect this free-
flowing stretch ofthe Columbia from development. Now, by presidential decree,
it had become the Hanford Reach National Monument, and Steele could
barely contain himself.
President Clinton has created or added
to 10 national monuments covering
nearly 4 million acres in the West — and
administration officials have signaled
more may be on the way.
Tlie monuments protect an unprecedented array of natural wonders, from
giant sequoias in California to archaeological sites in Colorado to ancient iron- '
wood trees in Arizona. The Hanford
Monument, one of four created June 9,
protects 51 river miles of critical spawning grounds for salmon and 195,000
acres of surrounding grass and bmsh
land.
Clinton is relying on the Antiquities
Act of 1906, which gives a president unilateral authority to create national monuments on federal land to protect "objects
of historic and scientific interest."
Tlie monument designation, first used
by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect tlie Grand Canyon, can remove land
from mining, logging, grazing and other
extractive uses that are allowed on much
ofthe nation's 630 million acres of federal land.
Today, more than 100 monuments in
24 states and
the Virgin Islands cover
about 70 million acres.
President
Jimmy Carter
holds the
record for the
most land set
aside in
monuments,
having protected 56 million acres in
Alaska—
much of
which went
on to become
parks and preserves by order of Congress.
In tlie lower 48 states, however, Clinton
has put more land into national monuments than any other president, even
Teddy Roosevelt.
But the monument designations have
raised controversy of their own.
Critics complain that the designations
bypass the nomial give-and-take ofthe
political process because they require no
congressional approval.
Even environmentalists, as pleased as
they are, have expressed surprise at some
ofthe new monuments because they
have been shut out ofthe decision-making process.
Clinton and Interior Secretary Bmce
Babbitt consider many factors, officials
Associated Press
In January, President Clinton and Interior Secretary Bruce
Babbit dedicated a national monument along the north rim
of the Grand Canyon.
say: Does the land have a diversity of
wildlife? Is it important historically? Is it
threatened by development? How strong
is opposition to protecting the area? And
perhaps most importanL is there at least
some local support for creating a monument?
"All ofa sudden, one individual in the
United States makes the determination
of how tliat land is going to be protected," said Max Bcnitz, a Benton
County commissioner. "Why do we
even have local governments?"
A similar refrain can be heard
throughout the West in places where
Clinton has designated monuments.