Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2001-01-05

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'
INDEX
News Around Indian Country 2
News Briefs 3
Commentary/Editorials/Voices 4
Smoke Signals of Upcoming Events 5
Classifieds ' 7
Commentary
Tribal happenings on
Red Lake Rez shows
discord, conflict
pg4
Leech Lake teen
named to U.S.
Senate Youth
Fellowship
Program
pg3
LMD
Tribal colleges
discussing
student
boycotts
pg5
$27 million
financing
package
secured for Red
Lake expansion
pgi.4
i
American
Indian activist
Loretta
Gagnon
dies at 45
pgi
Newspaper,
Geshick,
Bellecourt
settle
lawsuit
Over the past number of
years, the Native American
Press/Ojibwe News has
published a number of opinion
letters authored by Joseph
Geshick that have expressed
Mr. Geshick's opinions and
allegations regarding Vernon
Bellecourt. Those letters
resulted in litigation that has
been resolved by the parties
whereby none of the parties
admit any wrongdoing.
This publication wishes to
make it clear that it did not
extensively investigate the
allegations of Mr. Geshick
concerning Vernon Bellecourt
and did not then, nor does it
now, represent that the
allegations made by Mr.
Geshick as to Mr. Bellecourt
were true or false.
Governor Ventura joins
land trust foes
Voice     of     t he     People
By Patrick Minelli
Shakopee Valley News
Three area local governments got a strong ally the
end of Dec. when Gov.
Jesse Ventura announced
his opposition to a plan by
Shakopee Mdewakanton
Dakota Community to
place land in Shakopee and
Prior Lake into trust.
Ventura joined the cities
of Shakopee and Prior
Lake and Scott County in
opposing the plan, which
would place 776 acres -
670 in Shakopee and the rest in Prior
Lake - in trust status. The federal Bureau oflndian Affairs (BIA). which
will decide the issue, is taking comments from local entities over the proposal. Granting the trust status would
take tlie land off the trust status would
take the land off die tax rolls, and remove it form local zoning and environmental regulations.
"The state cannot encourage tribal
activity that may hann local governments and other citizens," Ventura said
in a letter released Dec. 21. "It is my
belief that granting this trust request
will harm the local governments and
the citizens within those governmental
jurisdictions." Ventura's letter was sent
to Sharon Blackwell, deputy BIA commissioner.
The tribe said it is seeking the land
for future residential purposes for its
Gov. Jesse Ventur;
growing tribal population. The BIA rejected
a similar request in
1998, when it sought
to place 597 acres in
Shakopee in trust. Unlike the current proposal, the previous application to the BIA
indicated the land was
sought for both commercial and residential
development.
But Ventura was
eptical ofthe housing need. He said
housing could be built
on land already owned by the tribe.
"There is no imminent or apparent
future pressing need for additional
lands to be placed into trust status," he
wrote to Blackwell.
Ventura also noted that the state
owns mineral rights under the land in
question, and that placing it into trust
could limit the state's right to explore
it.
When the land-trust application was
rejected in 1998, the decision was
made by the BIA's local director, who
noted that the tribe owns the hugely
successful Mystic Lake Casino and did
not require commercial development
on the land.
This time, the tribe is appealing directly to the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. Local
VENTURA to pg. 6
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American
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We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2000
Founded in 1988
Volume 13 Issue 7
January 5, 2001
State-run casino faces long odds
Associated Press
ST. PAUL     A proposal for a
state-owned casino could be one of
the sleeper bills of the legislative session that begins Jan. 3.
A Nevada casino owner and some
lawmakers critical ofMinnesota Indian tribes' monopoly in casino gaming are betting that the Legislature
might authorize a state-owned casinoi
or perhaps schedule a statewide vote
in 2002 on a constitutional amendment to authorize one.
But it's an emotionally charged is-
:nd the proposal faces l<
" 1 know the bills are going to be
inUoduccd, and 1 know that there is a
growing feeling that some competition needs to exist, " said House
Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon.
" My sense is it would be very, very
emotional, " said Sviggum, who said
he probably would vote against a casino bill.
In the Senate, Majority Leader
Roger Moe has opposed non-Indian
casinos. Sen. Jim Vickerman, DFL-
Tracy. chairman ofthe committee
that oversees gaming legislation, also
strongly opposes the notion ofa
state-owned casino.
"I'll be right up-front with you. it'
s not going to pass the committee I
chair, " said Vickerman, who heads
the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee. " I get
no pressure out here where I live for
more gambling."
In the House, any casino bill would
face opposition from two sides:
Democrats who want to protect In
dian gaming as an economic development tool for tribes, and Republican
religious conservatives who view
gambling as morally wroi
Rep. Jim Rhodes, R-St. Louis Park,
chairman ofthe Governmental (>p-
erations committee that would be the
first stop for any casino bill in the
House, said no lawmakers ha
talked to him about a casino bill.
Nevertheless. Rhodes said ho expected a bill to surface and to become
a significant issue.
One factor that could turn legislative sentiment toward a casino would
proved.
If it appeared that a Hudson casino
would draw gamblers across the border, Minnesota lawmakers would be
more likely to support a state-owned
casino to keep the business at home.
The 18 casinos operating in Minnesota are all owned by Indian tribes.
They are operated on reservations
and are permitted by federal law and
agreements between the state and the
tribes.
Private casinos are banned under a
provision in the state constitution that
has been interpreted to mean that casino games of chance are lotteries
and can only be operated by the state.
In 1997, the Minnesota Senate narrowly defeated a proposal for the
Minnesota Lottery to build a state-
owned casino at Canterbury Park
racetrack to raise money for a new
baseball stadium. Last year, the Legislature approved a poker room at
u
$27 million financing package secured
for Red Lake water park, casino expansion
PRNewswire »
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Miller
& Schroeder Financial, Inc., Minneapolis, announced Dec. 27 the closing of approximately S27 million in
financing for Red Lake Gaming Enterprises, Inc." s Casino Facilities/
Water Park Project in Thief River
Falls, Minn. The new facilities will
be connected to the Red Lake Band
of Chippewa's Thief River Falls Casino and will include a 40,000
square foot water recreation park, a
151 -room, all-suite hotel, an arcade,
a child care center, a business center,
three new restaurants and a completely remodeled and expanded Casino floor.
Dan King, Tribal Treasurer ofthe
Red Lake Band of Chippewa, stated,
"We are very pleased to have closed
this transaction to revitalize and further enhance our facility. This is a
very important project for our tribal
community and will heighten the enjoyment of our guests and visitors.
We sincerely appreciate the effort,
service and commitment of Miller &
Schroeder with this transaction."
Construction of what will be one
ofthe world's largest indoor water
parks has already begun, with a
grand opening scheduled for May
2001. For the casino, the project will
add 5,400 square feet of additional
gaming floor space to house an additional 250 gaming machines.
MaiVHanson, Chief Operating
Officer of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises, commented, "We are delighted to move this project forward.
The indoor water park will be a major attraction to the area and a wonderful, multi-faceted recreation destination."
King also said, "This is a great
project for the Red Lake Band of
Chippewa. It is also important to
note that the water park is the first
deal done as tax-exempt financing
on tribal land."
Miller & Schroeder Financial has
a long, successful history of financing American Indian-owned casino
Once-injured eagle soars again
Canterbury, but a bill authorizing a
larger state-owned casino with slot
machines and blackjack tables at
( anterbury did not receive a floor
vote m either house.
This year1 s casino proposal is being pushed by 69-year-old Don
Laughlin, an Owatonna native who
once operated slot machines and pin-
ball games in southern Minnesota. "
It wasn't really legal, but in those
days if there were any laws against it,
they weren't enforced. "Laughlin
said.
laughlin moved in the 1950s to
operated a large casino and motel complex in Laughlin, Ncv., a town named
alter him.
Last spring, Laughlin visited a
number ofMinnesota legislators to
promote his idea for a Minnesota casino run by a private operator that
would pay 90 percent of its net profits to the state. Recently he estimated
the state's share ofthe take could be
$100 million a year.
To promote his plan, Laughlin
hired six lobbyists, including Wayne
Simoneau, a former lawmaker and
slate Ii nance commissioner.
So far, only one legislator has publicly said he would sponsor a casino
bill.
Senate Minority Leader Dick Day,
R-Owatonna, who was an outspoken
advocate for the 1997 Canterbury casino proposal, said he told Laughlin'
s lobbyists that they should try to find
a DFL sponsor in the Senate, but that
he would sponsor it if no one else
would.
**tl "ariaamii
Photo by Bill Lawrence
Red Lake water park, casino expansion under construction
properties and adjacent venues. The
Company has worked with more
than 50 tribal governments and has
been responsible for more than $1.3
billion of financing for Native
American casinos and other essential
governmental purposes.
Miller & Schroeder Financial,
Inc., Minneapolis, specializes primarily in fixed income investment
banking, including public finance,
mortgage banking and constniction
lending, gaming finance and corporate debt securities. It employs approximately 200 people in nine offices in seven states.
Photos by Joseph W. Jackson, Associated Press
Marge Gibson, left, of Raptor Education Group Inc., Antigo, Wis., released one of two rehabilitated American
bald eagles Dec. 28 near the Mississippi River in Prairie due Sac, Wis. Art Shegonee, right, of the
Menominee tribe, gave a traditional Indian blessing before the release.
American Indian activist
Loretta Gagnon dies at 45
Associated Press
ST. PAUL - Education
advocate Loretta Gagnon, a
cornerstone of Minnesota's
American Indian community, has died after an eight-
year battle with breast cancer. She was 45.
Gagnon, who died Dec.
25, last served as director
of the American Indian
Education Program for St.
Paul Public Schools. She
had returned to Rollo, N.D.,
where she grew up, to be
with family after she became too ill to work.
An Ojibwe spiritual service was held Dec. 28 at
the Turtle Mountain Ceremonial Lodge in Belcourt,
N.D.
Gagnon, referred to by
many friends as a "Martin
Luther King ofthe American Indian community," made her mark on the
Twin Cities serving on various community boards, helping establish several
community centers and pushing for more awareness of American fndian issues throughout the state.
"Humanity has lost an individual who cared about families, who cared
about children so much," said local American Indian activist David Glass.
"She truly was a saint. She was about love."
Gagnon is survived by her former husband, Twin Cities criminal defense
attorney J. Anthony Torres, and their daughters, Jennifer and Angela.
Red Lake Band opens temporary
expansion of Warroad casino
Loretta Gagnon
AssociatedPress
WARROAD, Minn. - The Red
Lake Band of Ojibwe has spent
nearly $1 million to build a temporary 180-slot machine addition to its
casino facility as it tests tlie market
for a possible new casino.
The addition, which opened Dec.
26, brings the total number of slot
machines to more than 500 at Seven
Clans Casino-Warroad, formerly
known as Lake ofthe Woods Casino.
If 500 machines aren't enough, as
band officials suspect, they will use
the profit from tlie temporary expansion to pay for a new casino, said
Red Lake Chainnan Bobby
Whitefeather.
"We needed to find out how many
machines will work," Whitefeather
said. "This was the most cost-effective
way in the short term."
The new addition was constructed
of aluminum and vinyl, mostly temporary building materials. From a distance tlie structure resembles the roof
ofthe Hubert H. Humphrey
Metrodome in Minneapolis.
The structure has a life expectancy
of 10 to 15 years. Red Lake officials
expect a plush, top-of-the-line casino
to be built in its place before tliat.
WARROAD to pg. 5
Occupation of
tribal building
may be winding
down
Associated Press
Pine Ridge, S.D. - Protesters who
took over the Red Cloud Tribal Administration Building in Pine Ridge early this
year are thinking about leaving the building and turning it over to the new tribal
council.
Tlie protesters, calling themselves
Grassroots Oyate, said the tribal government was corrupt and took over tlie building on Jan. 16. They wanted a full financial audit and tlie removal of Treasurer
Wesley 'Chuck" Jacobs.
"I think the Grassroots Oyate proved
their point," said Dale Looks Twice, a
group spokesman. "Now it's time to support the tribal council... and hopefully the
problems tliat happened in the last administration don't happen again."
After the takeover, federal agents took
tribal financial records. Also, three tribal
council members were indicted in federal
court stemming from alleged corruption
in the tribal housing office.
Tlie council had told tribal police to remove the protesters, but the order never
was carried out. Some officials said they
didn't want to provoke violence in what
has remained a peaceful takeover.
After this fall's election, only three
fonner tribal administration officials were
returned to office. Former President
Harold Salway was replaced by John Yellow Bird Steele, and a new treasurer,
David Rabbit, took over early this month.
Grassroots Oyate would like to be recognized by the tribe as a viable group,
Looks Twice said. "1 think this adminis- •
nation is willing to work with the group,"
he said.
Group members want to meet with
Steele early next month, Looks Twice
said. "I think our job is done now. It's
time for us to move on with our lives."
But some Grassroots Oyate members
are not ready to give up the building,
Looks Twice said.