Native American Press / Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2001-03-30

              INDEX
News Around Indian Country 2
Commentary/Editorials/Voices 4
Smoke Signals of Upcoming Events 5
Classifieds 6-7
Commentary
Sen. Johnson state
casino proposal
deserves serious
consideration
pg4
There's justice in
tribes having the only
casinos
pg4
Commentary
If you think there were
election problems in
Florida, look at Indian
reservations!
pg5
Two Clinton aides made
questionable, last-minute
rulings favoring casinos
pgi
Leech Lake announces
special election to
replace White
pgi
Tribal Injustice, State Courts
JAWNIE HOUGH CUSTODY UPDATE
By Bill Lawrence and Clara
NiiSka
Jawnie Hough appeared in the
Ninth Judicial District Court in
Bemidji, Minnesota before Judge
Paul T. Benshoof on Monday, March
26. She is charged with the felony of
"depriving another^of custodial or
parental rights." Ms. Hough's attorney, public defender Kristine Kolar,
asked for a continuance—pending
"resolution" of custody by the Red
Leech Lake
announces Special
Election to replace
White
The Leech Lake Tribal council
will hold a Special Election July 10
to replace District 1 Committeeman
Peter D. White who resigned
March 19.
Candidates may file with the
Leech Lake Tribal Council Secretary/Treasurer at the Tribal offices
in Cass Lake during regular business hours beginning Thurs.,
March 29 at 8 a.m. through Fri.,
April 6 at 4:30 p.m.
There will be a May 21 Primary
Election if there are more than two
eligible candidates for this position.
Lake tribal court. Ms. Hough, a
Leech Lake enrollee, resides on the
Leech Lake reservation.
Press/ON attempted to contact Ms.
Kolar and ask her why she decided
to ask for a continuance, and subject
her client Ms. Hough to the jurisdiction ofthe Red Lake tribal court, but
Ms. Kolar was out of town until Friday.
Press/ON contacted prominent
Twin Cities defense attorney
Frederic Bruno, and asked how he
would advise a client under similar
circumstances. He responded that
his advice to his client would be to
get the felony charges dismissed a
soon as possible, and to appeal the
Beltrami Court order giving custody
to the father, Donald Brun, Jr. Defense attorney Bruno also told Press/
ON that from what he had read about
the Red Lake tribal court, he would
never advise a client who was not a
Red Lake tribal member to subject
themselves to Red Lake jurisdiction.
Jawnie Hough was awarded primary custody of her 4 year old
daughter Meghan Brun in June 1999
by a divorce decree from the district
court in Beltrami County. Both parties were residing in Bemidji, Minnesota when Jawnie Hough filed for
divorce. It is clear from the court
records and informed sources that
Ms. Hough complied with the provisions ofthe divorce decree and made
reasonable accommodations for visitation. Then, after a weekend visita
tion in April 2000, the paternal
grandparents, who had taken
Meghan with them to Red Lake, refused to return the little girl to her
mother. While Ms. Hough was unsuccessful in her attempts to recover
her daughter or serve legal process
on the Red Lake reservation, her ex-
husband was taking legal action in
the Red Lake tribal court—in which
his family has undue political influence.
In July 2000, by an ex parte order
of the same Minnesota district court
which had originally granted her custody, Ms. Hough's custody of her
daughter was taken away. The State
court reversed itself by recognizing a
May 2000 Red Lake tribal court order granting custody to Meghan's father and his parents, who were the
sole parties present at the Red Lake
tribal court proceedings. Beltrami
County's recognition of Red Lake's
assertion of jurisdiction over
Meghan was in violation ofthe State
court's own order: that the Bruns not
be allowed to remove the child to
Red Lake "for the purpose of changing her place of residence."
Ms. Hough was reportedly not
properly notified ofthe Red Lake
tribal court hearing, and she was not
infonned ofthe State court's ex
parte proceedings. The State's recognition ofthe Red Lake court order
was based on "principles of comity":
CUSTODY to pg. 6
Two Clinton aides made questionable,
last-minute rulings favoring casinos
Excerpted from Sean P. Murphy
Boston Globe
In the final days
before leaving office, two Clinton
administration officials quietly reversed the findings
of Interior Department stafFhistori-
ans to recognize
three groups as Indian tribes, thus
giving them the
right to open casinos, a privilege often worth hundreds
of millions of dol-        —	
lars.
Then the two officials stepped directly
from their high-level administration posts   uting about S300,000 in soft money to
The Nipmuc.. .are
represented by two of the
most powerful Indian-
gaming law firms, Robins
Kaplan Miller & Ciresi and
Dorsey & Whitney, both of
which have political action
committees that give
heavily to Democrats.
into lucrative positions representing
gaming tribes.
Those decisions,
plus two other last-
minute rulings in
support of tribes already operating casinos, gave one final
boost to tlie Indian
gaming industry,
which in the 1990s
allied itself with the
Clinton administration by generously
contributing campaign money.
Among the beneficiaries were
"  Florida's Seminole
tribe, which gained approval for electronic gambling machines after contrib-
the Democratic Party. Another was
Massachusetts' Nipmuc tribe, which
wants to open a casino along the New
York-Boston axis, on Connecticut's border with Massachusetts.
The extent ofthe Clinton
administration's departing nod to the Indian gaming industry has gone largely
unnoticed. But records examined by the
Boston Globe and interviews show that
the two appointees, Bureau oflndian
Affairs head Kevin Gover and his
deputy, Michael Anderson, made crucial
decisions on behalf of tribes on their last
days in office, then took jobs with fimis
promoting Indian gaming. Gover and
Anderson were co-chairmen of Native
Americans for Clinton/Gore.
As head ofthe Bureau of Indian Affairs, Gover had final responsibility for
♦ CLINTON to pg. 6
Crappies replace
walleyes as talk of
Red Lake
Excerpted from Pat Miller
Cass Lake Times
For the past few years Upper Red
Lake has been the talk of winter fishing
in Minnesota. A lake once renown for its
excellent walleye fishing has now received headlines for crappies measuring
over a foot in length.
Red Lake has always held its share of
huge crappies but tlie fishery was a well-
kept secret among the locals who knew
where to go and how to catch them.
Earlier this decade, however, the fishing trends on Red Lake changed. Overfishing had depleted tlie lake of its walleyes, so much so that a ban on netting
and angling was declared.
It is hoped that by eliminating fishing
and by implementing a vigorous stocking program, the once-bountiful Red
Lake walleye fishery will return. So far,
early results seem to indicate that the
walleye is making a comeback but DNR
CRAPPIES topg. 6
Three face murder, kidnapping, assault
charges from Prairie Island Dakota community
Excerpted from Amy Becker
Pioneer Press
RED WING, MINN — Three males
face charges in two states for murder
or attempted murder,
kidnapping and assault in connection
with the March 9
beating death of Ron
Ross of Oakdale,
Minn.
Criminal complaints
filed March 26 in
Wisconsin charged
Noah Charles White
HI, 19, of Red Wing,
Minn,, and Jeffrey
Daniel Burr, 15, of
Welch, Minn., with
first-degree intentional homicide. Arlo Waylin White,
22, of Welch is charged with being
party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide.
All three lace related charges in
Minnesota and are being held in jail
and a juvenile facility in Red Wing.
All three
defendants are
members ofthe
Prairie Island
Dakota
Community
...[and include]
the son ofthe vice
president ofthe
tribal council.
They appeared in court in Red Wing
on the afternoon of March 26.
Ross, 51, was at the Treasure Island
casino near Red Wing around 12:30
a.m. March 9, according to court
documents. Security cameras at the casino showed
Ross leaving in a group of
about eight men and one
woman, apparently to play
pool at the home of Noah
White III. Officials said
they believe he left the casino voluntarily, and none
ofthe people charged appeared on the surveillance
tape.
His body was found
near a logging trail in
Pepin County, Wis., about
seven hours later with little
clothing and no identification. The
only explanation for the violence in
the criminal complaints was Noah
White Ill's alleged remark that he had
beaten Ross "because he made me
drag him up the stairs."
MURDER to pg. 6
Senator arranging meeting between Indians, Bush
By Frederic J. Frommer
Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The vice
chairman ofthe Senate Indian Affairs
Committee says he's working to arrange a meeting between American Indian leaders and
President Bush,
but urged Indian
officials to
make the meeting more than a
"photo opportunity."
Sen. Daniel
Inouye, D-Hawaii, brought up
the subject at a
hearing called
March 22 to discuss American Indians' legislative goals for the year. He
told Susan Masten, president ofthe
National Congress of American Indians, that a meeting held with former
President Clinton included 250 people
but served no substantive purpose.
Sen. Daniel Inouye
"I suggest a meeting of no more
than 15 people," Inouye said. "Can
NCAI come up with 12 leaders to sit
down with the president?"
Masten said that could be arranged.
In a brief interview after the hearing, Inouye said the White House has
already agreed to such a meeting but a
format has yet to be determined.
"As to when and where, it will be up
to the president," he said. "I was just
hoping that it would not be just a
photo opportunity, with 500 people in
attendance, pounding the drums and
all of that."
In the hearing, Masten outlined 14
"critical issues" facing Indian country
today, including tribal sovereignty, recovery of tribal lands, economic development, health care, education and
trust funds.
Among the goals the group supports:
• The elevation ofthe director ofthe
Indian Health Service to assistant secretary of health and human services,
so that Indian health needs are ad
dressed at the highest level of government;
• Increased federal funds for Indian
programs;
• Passage ofa new rule, adopted by
the Clinton administration but under
review by Bush, that would establish
clear-cut standards and timelines for
placing Indian land into tax-exempt
federal trust.
Also testifying was Thomas R.
Ranfranz, president ofthe Flandreau
Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota,
on behalf of the Great Plains Region.
He urged the federal government to
increase funding to improve the quality of lite for American Indians, many
of whom live in poverty.
"Historical underfunding has been
the main factor contributing to the current economically-depressed environment of our people," Ranfranz said.
National Congress of American Indians: http://www.ncai.org/
Voice     of     the     People
web page: www.press-on.net
Native
American
Press
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Ojibwe News
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A weekly publication.   Copyright, Native American Press, 2001
Founded in 1988
Volume 13 Issue 19
March 30, 2001
Daryl No Heart with his most recent buffalo hide painting, "You Told Me," at his studio in St. Paul, Minn.
Daryl No
Heart -
Painting
History
& Spirit
by Judy Archibald
"The civilization ofthe Indian is impossible while the buffalo remains
upon the plains," said the U.S. Secretary ofthe Interior in 1873 when the
government came close to exterminating both American Indians and buffalo.
For centuries the lives of American-
Indians have been intertwined with
buffalo.
Artist, Daryl No Heart, a Lakota
from the Standing Rock Nation in
South Dakota, continues that alliance
by painting on buffalo hides as a way
to preserve Lakota history, culture and
tradition.
"Buffalo hides were the original
canvas for Indian artists," he said. "I
can show more about Indian ways
with one painting than ten thousand
lectures."
Daryl's most recent buffalo hide
painting, "You Told Me," portrays an
Indian man on a horse with his arms
raised in prayer. Filled with symbolism, the 7' x 7' painting can be read on
many levels. Hidden in the colorful
markings ofthe horse is an elder
woman giving instructions to a young
girl. Written in the blue ofthe river is
Mni Wiconi to honor the sacredness
of water. The background landscape is
a tribute to burial mounds, "which
should be respected, maintained and
guarded as any cemetery," said Daryl.
A self-taught artist, Daryl uses
acrylic when painting on buffalo hides
which he finds more challenging than
canvas. "Hides don't have smooth surfaces," he said. "The color ofa hide
isn't consistent and can sometimes
stretch or change shape."
When working on paper or canvas,
Daryl uses acrylic, watercolor, oil or
pen and ink. He has illustrated several
books and several ofhis over-size murals hang in public buildings.
Whatever his medium, Daryl's
paintings consistently show the power
and strength of mother earth; reverence and respect Lakota have for nature. "It is important to honor animals
and plants," he said. "I frequently include significant relatives such as
eagle, buffalo, blacktail deer, redtail
hawk, meadowlark, turtle and otter in
my paintings."
Sometimes, as in the painting Respect and Wisdom, the animals are
shown in the sky as a spiritual connection to the Indians in the foreground
while other times as in Respect the
Buffalo, the animal is dominate with
warrior spirits in the background. "We
are still connected to Mother Earth.
Daryl's art also frequently honors
women as a painting he did ofthe
Bear Butte Mountain range which is
almost subliminal in its depiction ofa
pregnant Lakota woman lying on a
buffalo robe - Mother Earth giving
Daryl describes his
painting "You Told Me"
You told me, if I carried the pipe
and walked the good Red Road, my
people will live healthy and happy.
You told me, to take care ofthe
Natural Gifts from Mother Earth.
You told me, Mni Wiconi, giving life
to the spirit to become physical, has
to be respected.
You told me, the same Supreme
Law applies to the land in which our
Ancestors are buried.
You told me, it will be a hard life to
be a Dakota, Lakota, Nakota Wicasa
{Red Man).
This Warrior knows it and loves it,
for I want no other way.
birth. "Women raised the great
Lakota leaders," said Daryl.
Daryl's personal journey is as colorful as his paintings. While only a
third grader, he was taken from his
family and confined at the Pierre Indian Boarding School. "I did not see
my mother again until she was on
her death bed and I was in the
Navy," he said.
Daryl also attended Flandreau Indian Vocational High School and the
Academy of Art College in San
Francisco on a one-year scholarship
before enlisting in the service.
Though he showed artistic talent at
an early age he did not take art seriously until a dying aunt told him,
"use your gift to help our people."
"Her words gave meaning to my
art," said Daryl who currently lives
in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife
PAINTING to pg. 3
Casino bills being
heard, no vote
likely this session
Excerpted from Star Tribune
Sensing that his bill (S.F. 525) to
authorize the Minnesota Lottery to
operate a Twin Cities casino was
likely to be defeated in a committee,
Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, R-
Owatonna, did not seek a vote on it.
Sen. Doug Johnson, DFL-Tower, introduced a somewhat similar bill (S.F.
1841) that would authorize a state-
owned casino that would split its profits with Indian tribes.
There may be a committee hearing
yet this year on Johnson's bill, but final action on all the gambling proposals is likely to be put off until 2002.
Johnson's bill could be more attractive to some lawmakers than Day's
because it would especially benefit
northern tribes left out ofthe Indian
gaming boom.
Remember to Vote: MIAC elections
in process, close April 10
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, which is the official advisory body
on Indian Affairs to the Minnesota
State Legislature is currently holding
an election to fill two at-large council
positions. The two open positions are
to represent Indian people who live in
Minnesota but are not members ofa
tribe in Minnesota.
The following candidates are on the
ballot: Norman Benson, Mandan
Tribe; Betty Bissonette, Oglala Sioux;
Linda Bowman,Oneida; Iva Jean Bunker, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa; Gene
Couture, Anishinabe-Ojibwe; Clara
Ann McArdle, Sisseton Wahpeton
* Sioux; Christine McDonald, Lac
Courte Oreilles Objiwa; Lyle Iron
Moccasin, Cheyenne River Sioux;
John Poupart, Lac du Flambeau
Chippewa: Kristine Rhodes, Bad
River Band Lake Superior Chippewa;
Gabrielle Strong, Sisseton Wahpeton
Sioux; Gordon Thayer, Lac Courte
Oreilles Objiwa; Patricia Virginia Th
ompson, Ho-Chunk Nation; Noya
Woodrich, Alaskan Native/
Athabascan.
To be eligible to vote in this election, you must live in Minnesota; provide identification or verification of
tribal enrollment; and be a member of
a tribe located outside ofMinnesota.
The Council is currently mailing
ballots. In addition, ballots may be obtained by writing, calling or visiting
the Council office at: 525 Park St.,
Suite 303, St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-
284-3567.
Ballots will be counted on Tuesday,
April 10, 2001 by Election Judges
Sharon Romano, Nancy Masiello and
Joe Day who are paid staff of the Indian Affairs Council and Marilyn
Quail, selected by the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. Names ofthe
new Council members will be announced, Thursday, April 12,2001.