Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2000-11-24

              INDEX
News Around Indian Country
News Briefs
Commentary/Editorials/Voices
Smoke Signals of Upcoming Events
Classifieds
Vernon
Bellecourt
criticizes
publication of
interview
pg4
Family's land at issue in
Red Lake Band's plans for
Warroad resort/casino
pgi
Commentary
Gov. Ventura just
stating the obvious,
tribal sovereignty
makes no sense
pg4
States consider giving
tribes representation in
legislatures
pgi
Mappy.
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Lawmaker
proposes adding
tribal delegates
to S.D. legislature
AssociatedPress
PIERRE, S.D. - State Rep. Ron
Volesky, D-Huron, is looking at a plan
that would give Indian tribes some limited representation in the South Dakota
Legislature.
The plan, patterned after a similar
proposal in Wisconsin, would give each
tribe one or two non-voting delegates to
the Legislature, says Volesky, who will
become a state senator when lawmakers
convene in January.
The tribal delegates could give lawmakers a better idea of tribal governments' views on economic development
and other issues, he says.
"I think it would do a lot to improve
relations between state and tribal governments," Volesky says.
Volesky, a member ofthe Standing
Rock Sioux Tribe, is one of four or five
Indians elected to the South Dakota
Legislature.
DELEGATES topg 8
Plan to give American Indians
representation in Wise, legislature
By Gregg Aamot
Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A plan to give
American Indians limited representation
in the Wisconsin Legislature would give
tribes a say about public policy that affects reservation life, a tribal president
said Nov. 16.
The legislation, likely to be introduced when Wisconsin lawmakers convene for their 2001 session, would allow the state's 11 Indian tribes to place
one nonvoting delegate on the state Assembly and another in tlie Senate.
"Oftentimes, there may be apiece of
legislation that has a direct impact on
our community, but tribes have thus far
been cut out ofthe debate," Robert
Chicks, president ofthe Stockbridge
Munsee Band of Mohican, said Thursday at the National Congress of American Indians, a weeklong conference that
has drawn leaders and officials from
more than 200 tribes.
The proposal was outlined along with
other strategies for improving relations
between states and Indian nations, who
throughout the conference have stressed
their commitment to protecting sovereignty rights.
Even though American Indians already vote for legislative candidates,
Chicks said promises often go unfulfilled and that the delegates would bring
immediate Indian concerns to the Legislature.
Maine is the only state with such delegates to its Legislature. Maine has had
the delegates since it became a state in
1820.
Susan M. Johnson, a program principal for the National Conference of State
Legislatures, said a recent report suggests that the delegates in Maine have
been effective. But she said she doesn't
expect many states to adopt such liaisons, in part because about 40 American
Indians have been elected to state legislatures across the country.
The relationship that each state has
with its tribes will dictate whether delegates are needed, said Bobby
Whitefeather, chairman ofthe Red Lake
Band of Chippewa in northern Minnesota.
Whitefeather said he would prefer
that Indians get elected to the Legislature. He said the Indian community in
Minnesota has a positive relationship
with the Legislature, noting that Senate
PLANtopga
Babbitt may let Indians hunt
in national parks
By Shawn Perich
Outdoor News
Washington, D.C. - A pending special rule drafted by the Interior Department may open the door to fish and
wildlife harvest in national parks by Indian tribes, charges the environmental
watchdog group Public Employees for
Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
PEER released a draft of a proposed
rule that is expected to be published in
the Federal Register within a month.
The draft proposal would allow the
Hopi Indian Tribe to collect golden
eagles from Wupatki National Monument in Arizona. PEER claims the legal
rationale for the rule, written specifically for the Hopis, could justify opening any unit ofthe National Park System to hunting by Native Americans.
"Interior contends the proposed rule
will apply just to Wupatki," says PEER
board member and former National
Park Service manager Frank Buono.
Photo by Associated Press
Eaglets are used in Hopi ceremonies.
"But the justification is so broad that it
can be used to open other parks to Native American harvest one at a time."
PARKStopg5
Diabetes reaches epidemic proportions
on Minnesota Indian reservations
AssociatedPress
CASS LAKE, Minn. — Five ofthe
nine people who work at the chemical-
health center on the Leech Lake Reservation have diabetes.
Receptionist Sharon St. John, 41, was
diagnosed with the disease 10 years
ago. One of her friends with diabetes
has lost her eyesight, others have lost
toes. All four of her grandparents and
her parents also couldn't escape.
"Two shots of insulin a day is a way
of life here. That, and the fear that
comes with wondering who it's going
to strike next," St John told the StarTri
bune of Minneapolis.
Haifa century ago, diabetes was virtually nonexistent in American Indian
communities. Now the disease has
reached epidemic proportions across the
country and on Minnesota's reservations. One of three adults living on Minnesota' s reservations will leam that they
have Type II diabetes — a rate six times
higher than among the state's general
population.
Experts with the Indian Health Service say genetics, the daily stresses of
reservation life and struggles to adapt to
DIABETES topg3
In victory and defeat, American
Indians make strides on Election Day
By Pauline Arrillaga
AssociatedPress
PHOENIX - Last month, as the voter
registration deadline in Montana drew
near, a band of musicians launched a tour
ofthe state's Indian reservations with one
goal in mind: Election Day. "Make me
happy," singer Bonnie Raitt challenged
concertgoers on the Blackfeet Reservation. "Vote!"
That message resounded at the polls as
an unprecedented six American Indians
won election to the Legislature.
In Oklahoma, the chief of the Cherokee Nation sent letters to tribal members
reminding them to vote, then provided
vans to ferry people to the polls. The re
sult: A Cherokee was elected to the U.S.
House in the tribe's congressional district.
And if Republican Slade Gorton loses
his hotly contested U.S. Senate seat in
Washington state, Indians can claim
some ofthe credit.
In an election reminding all Americans
that their votes really can matter, Indians
made their voices heard at the polls in
what some are declaring the beginning of
the end to electoral indifference among
the nation's first inhabitants.
"One vote does make a difference. I
think we're finding that out now," said
Linwood Tall Bull, a Northern Cheyenne
who saw more Indians heading to the
ELECTION to pg 8
Tribe pleased by
appellate court
ruling on land claim
Associated Press
Sandia Pueblo, N.M. - Sandia Pueblo
Gov. Stuwart Paisano declared a victory
for the pueblo Nov. 17 after a federal
appellate court ruling on the pueblo's
claim to much ofthe west face of
Sandia Mountain.
"The legal remedies ofthe opponents
in this case are running out, if not already exhausted," Paisano told a quickly
called Nov. 17 news conference at the
pueblo north of Albuquerque.
"And the mountain, sacred to the
pueblo beyond anything, is closer now
to being protected and preserved from
further development and desecration
forever," he said, standing in front ofthe
mountain lit red by the setting sun.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C, on Nov. 17 dismissed all
appeals to die pueblo's land claim,
sending the case back to the U.S. Interior Department. The word arrived in
New Mexico after hours in Washington,
and a message was left on a department
answering machine for comment.
At issue: 9,890 acres ofthe Cibola
National Forest on the mountain, one of
the pueblo's most sacred sites and one
the tribe has used for more than 400
years.
"The mountain is like an altar to us.
It's a place of prayer, a place of spiritual
healing and a place that we worship,"
said an emotional Paisano.
Much ofthe land is a wilderness area,
but the claim also includes an aerial
tramway and hiking trails used by thousands ofpeople.
Three neighborhoods of luxury
homes are on private land on the
mountainside, which looms over north
Albuquerque.
The tribe exempted that private land
from its claim, but the homeowners
have fought a proposed settlement, saying they do not want to be surrounded
by Indian land. They also fear the tribe
will have too much control.
The settlement reached earlier this
year by Sandia Pueblo and federal officials would keep the claimed land in
U.S. Forest Service hands. The plan
would give pueblo members unrestricted access to the mountain for religious reasons as well as a say in its
management and veto power over new
development
Current uses such as hiking, picnicking, rock climbing, hang-gliding and the
tramway would continue.
The settlement requires congressional
approval.
The tribe wants to be able to conduct
religious activities on the mountain
without having to ask permission ofthe
RULING topg3
Family's land at issue in Red Lake Band's
plans for Warroad resort/casino
By Ryan Bakken
Grand Forks Herald
WARROAD, Minn.—The Red Lake
Band of Chippewa had grandiose plans
for a resort/casino complex here, an expansion probably even bigger than the
$22 million it is investing in its lacility
near Thief River Falls.
Blocking its way, oddly, is a Chippewa
family whose ancestors were expelled
from the tribe 50-some years ago. The
Red Lake Band hasn't been able to come
to terms with the KaKayGeesick lamily
in negotiations for shorefront property,
negotiations that have turned nasty, with
accusations of disrespect leveled by both
sides.
The KaKayGeesicks own 14 acres of
land on the eastern bank ofthe Warroad
River where it empties into Lake ofthe
Woods, a prime location for any enter
tainment endeavor.
But what makes this plot of land most
attractive for such an enterprise is its status. It's entrusted land from the U.S. government, meaning the Red Lake Band of
Chippewa could build immediately. Locating a gaming lacility on other acquired land would require a court fight
and government approval.
Under its current leadership, Red Lake
has been aggressive in development in
gaming and otherwise. Under way is a
$22 million expansion ofthe River Road
Casino near Thief River Falls that will include a motel and water park. Its development in Warroad would be even bigger, with an all-purpose resort that could
include a hotel, convention center, marina, townhomes and 9-hole golf course
in addition to the casino.
Red Lake has Lake ofthe Woods casino here, but it's a small building on a
small lot on the river. To add more slot
machines, it has added a heated tent to its
grounds.
The plan was to move across the channel, build a new casino on the
KaKayGeesick property and then build
the rest ofthe complex on adjoining
land. Red Lake lias recently purchased
160 adjoining acres for $590,000.
Non-price issues
Money is one issue, but not the only
one. For one thing, the KaKayGeesicks
want to become Red Lake enrolled tribal
members, a status lost by their ancestors.
The land is considered sacred, the
home to sweat lodge ceremonies and
other traditional rites. Family members
grew up on the land, and one lamily
member, Karen DeFrang, still lives there.
It's been in the family for almost 100
LAND topg 6
Voice     of     the     People
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Volume 13 Issue 2
November 24, 2000
Photo by Associated Press
Miss National Congress of American Indians
Miss National Congress of American Indians 1999 Emily Washines and candidates for the 2000 scholarship
pageant represent their native tribes during the opening ceremony Nov. 13 at the National Congress of American Indian 57th Annual session at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minn. Leaders from more than 300 tribes convened at the week-long conference to discuss issues facing American Indians and to work to preserve the sovereignty and cultures oflndian nations.
BIA director Gover urges
Indian tribes not to engage
in political quarrels
By Pat Doyle
Star Tribune
Warning Indian tribes not to abuse
their new power, the head ofthe U.S.
Bureau oflndian Affairs urged tribal
leaders Nov. 14 to avoid playing politics in fighting each other over choice
casino markets.
"The Creator did not spare us" from
annihilation "only for us to build casinos and use political tricks against
one another," BIA Director Kevin
Gover told the 57th annual conference ofthe National Congress of
American Indians at RiverCentre in
St. Paul.
"Several times in the current Congress, we have seen tribes propose
limitations on other tribes," said
Gover, a member ofthe Pawnee tribe.
"Where once we could count on such
efforts being pursued only by state
and local governments, we now see
such efforts being pursued by tribes
against one another.
"The irony of this is overwhelming:
We make enemies of one another at
tlie very moment that our unified effort could secure the fiiture for all of
us. Greed is still greed, whether it is
red or white."
Kevin Gover
Gover received a
standing
ovation.
Ftis remarks
came as
tribes in
Wisconsin
and other
states seek
to expand
gambling to
new and
better markets against
the wishes
of other tribes that fear casino competition. The Menominee Tribe of east-
central Wisconsin wants to put a casino in Kenosha over the objections of
the Potawatomi of northeastern Wisconsin, who have a casino in Milwaukee.
Three other Wisconsin tribes want to
build a casino in Hudson, Wis., 80 to
200 miles from their existing reseya-
tions, to tap the Twin Cities gambling
market. Minnesota tribes oppose the
venture. The BIA rejected the proposal
in 1995, but is reconsidering it in the
GOVER topg2
Administration's
point-man on
Indian policy
claims successes
By Steve Karnowski
AssociatedPress
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Tlie top Clinton
administration officials for Indian policy
said Nov. 14 he knew his job would not
be easy when he took it three years ago.
"I was told I was taking the worst job
in the federal government," said Kevin
Gover, assistant secretary of tlie interior
for Indian affairs, who heads the Bureau
of Indian Affairs.
Gover addressed the National Congress of American Indians, which has
brought leaders and officials from more
than 200 tribes to RiverCentre this
week. One ofthe goals ofthe group's
annual session this year is to influence
tlie appointment of Gover's successor
and other key officials ofthe next administration.
z "I was told the bureau was too far
gone to be turned around, and that the
Congress and the White House were so
hostile to the bureau tliat there would be
nothing but headaches, and that it was
only a matter of time before the problems would lead to professional disas-
SUCCESS to pg2
Plymouth Thanksgiving event, once focused on
settlers, now embraces the world
AssociatedPress
PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Three
years ago, when Plymouth's annual
Thanksgiving re-enactment exploded
into protest and violence, one group
was the focus ofthe town's official
Thanksgiving parade: the pilgrims of
Plimouth Plantation.
This year, 27 different countries
and American Indians nations from
across tlie nation will be represented
at the event, in addition to those who
protested in 1997 and began a process
that radically
changed the
yearly
event.
This
year's
event,
which also will include a weeklong
"First People Pavilion" before Thanksgiving and an intertribal drum and
dance contingent in the parade, is a very
different event than the one that collided
with the National Day of Mourning in
1997.
Yet while the Thanksgiving commemoration has changed, the issues that
sparked the protest in the first place, the
killing of American Indians by settlers,
and ongoing conditions of poverty, remains the same, according to Mahtowin
Munro, a leader of tlie United American
Indians of New England that protested
three years ago.
This year, organizers say they expect
some 200,000 people for the event. The
spirit of Thanksgiving applies to anyone
who has something to be grateful for,
according to Joseph McStowe, president of America's Hometown Thanks
giving Celebration.
Though the National Day of Mourning is about 30 years old, the protest
changed in 1997 to march through Plymouth on Thanksgiving Day. The
march erupted into a melee with police,
and a total of 25 people were arrested
and charged with disorderly conduct
and unlawful assembly.
The following year, Plymouth
reached a settlement with the protesters,
agreeing to dismiss all charges in return
for protesters' pledge not to pursue misconduct charges against police.
The town also agreed to put $ 100,000
into an education fund focusing on
American-Indian history, pay protesters'
legal fees and spend $15,000 on
plaques that explain history from the
point of view of native peoples. The
protesters were also allowed to hold
PLYMOUTH topg6
I