Native American Press / The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 2002-08-23

              INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
Letter to Leech
Lake People-
Leech Lake Rez
or...?
page 4
City Pages staff
writer wins 2nd
place for "No
Reservations"
page 3
Governor appointee
announces
candidacy for open
house seat
pages
Looking ahead
to next Red Lake
election
page 4
Democracy means
letting the people
decide
page 4
Leech Lake law enforcement chief a former convict
ineligible for state licensing
By Jeff Armstrong
It is perhaps fitting that a reservation police department widely considered illegal and unconstitutional
by Leech Lake MCT members is
headed by a public safety director
whose 1988 criminal conviction
precludes him from obtaining state
certification as a police officer.
Samuel (Rocky) Papsadora
pleaded guilty March 28,1988 to
felony charges of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon,
compelling him to surrender his
Minnesota Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) board
license and agree to "never practice
law enforcement in Minnesota."
Although Papsadora's conviction
was later conditionally recorded as
a misdemeanor, POST board and
state rules prohibit law enforcement
licensing to officers convicted of
Leech Lake public safety director
Samuel "Rocky" Papsadora
far less serious offenses, including
fifth degree assault and disorderly
conduct.
While state regulatory laws are
not directly applicable to the reservation, they are incorporated into a
"Cooperative Law Enforcement
Agreement Between the Leech
Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians and
the Counties of Beltrami, Cass,
Hubbard, Itasca, and the City [of]
Cass Lake" signed by Papsadora,
Eh Hunt and Linda Johnston. The
agreement stipulates that "no officer who is not duly licensed as a
peace officer by the Minnesota
POST board shall exercise authority under this agreement" and further provides that "The State,
County and City shall have authority to enforce civil regulatory law
under tribal law."
Papsadora also serves on the
Bug-o-nay-ge-shig school board
CONVICT to page 6
Forensic audit, Red Lake gaming
enterprises, part II
by Bill Lawrence
The "Preliminary Report" from Red Lake forensic auditors was published in the July 12lh issue of Press/ON. At the Red Lake tribal council
meeting on August 13th, tribal treasurer Darrell Seki distributed copies of
the Forensic Audit of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises, Part U, which was
contained in a letter dated July 29,2002 from the auditors, RSM
McGladrey, Inc.
The text of that letter is reproduced below.
Press/ON will request a copy of the fieldwork that is supposed to be
prepared and submitted to the Red Lake tribal council one week after
they complete the fieldwork, and will make that report available to our
readers.
Wl McGladrey, Inc.
" Business Solutions
July 29, 2002
Mr. Darren Seki, Tribal Treasurer
Red take Nation
P.O. Box 959. Highway 1 East
RwiUke, MN 56671-0959
Subject ~ Fsreiwk AadM, Red L»ke Guming Enterprises - Part U
Dear Darrell;
Thank you for allowing «s lo continue the Forensic Audit of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises. This letter
includes our project outline and work plan for the review requested by you, including an estimate of time
and tees.
Project Approach and Scope
The scope of this audit will be to interview key employees and analyze information on significant
purchase* widi ihe tiiteni of;
• Completing the reviews of the construction cost ofthe expansion at the Wurroad Casino, expansion of
Red Lake Casino, and costs of the proposed "new casino" at Red Lake
• Completing the review of ihe Lakevtew Restaurant purchase   '
• Reviewing the overall Business Plan used to manage the project (physical inspections, financial
updates)
• Reviewing Tribal Council Minutes - There are instances above where the council should have been
notified, we need to determine whether that occurred
• Reviewing history of pay menu and approvals
After the fieldwork we will prepare a supplemental report to preseni to the Nation outlining the
procedures performed, the business issues and their impact
Documents
The documents we will need at a minimum are:
* 'the entire history of invoices, change orders and payments including those processed by Miller
Schroeder
»    The overall project plan for the expansion approved by the Tribe
* Tribal Council minutes for 2000 through 2002
* Contract for purchase ofthe Lakevtew Restaurant and the resort
Schedule and Fees
The fieldwork is scheduled for the week of August 19* and is expected to last one week. We will deliver
a draft report no later one week after the fieldwork for your review. The fee for this engagement will not
exceed $12,000 plus travel and out-of-pocket expenses billed at cost. This fee estimate may be subject to
adjustments based on unanticipated changes in the scope of our work that you authorize. We will submit
our bill at completion, due on receipt.
Client Responsibilities
The client is responsible for providing documents, information and resources within its control and which
are necessary to complete this review. The fee above assumes the staff of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises
will devote the time necessary as outlined in the work plan, and wilt make this review a priority in order
to complete this project as scheduled.
Business issues and recommendations in our reports are for the internal use of the Red, Lake Natron and
are not to be shared with outside third parties without written consent hy RSM McGladrey. Inc.
Please sign and date acceptance of this project and return to us. We appreciate the opportunity to be part
of your business sotutioa
RSM McGladrey, Inc.
Don Romero
Business and Technology Consultant
AM.%
(Name, Title, Signature)
■3/ ,2002
Fewer students
dropping out in
Minnesota:
Native dropout
rates at lowest
level in six years
By Jean Pagano
The Minnesota Department of
Children, Families, and Learning
(CFL) released their Class of 2001
Completion Study this week. Overall, the percentage of children
graduating or continuing on after
four years of high school stands at
90.2%. Overall dropout rates for all
students feU from 11.3% in 1996 to
9.8% in 2001.
Students were broken down into
three major categories: those who
graduated, those who dropped out,
and those who continued their education past the fourth year on the
way to graduation. While white
graduation, dropout, and continuance rates are the most favorable
among all groups at 82.5% graduating, 10.2% continuing, and 7.4%
dropping out, other groups lagged
behind these numbers. While the
number of minority students is less .
than 10% ofthe number of white
students, minority students lag behind in graduation and continuing
rates while their dropout rates are
traditionally, and in some cases
markedly, higher.
The percentages of Native students graduating from high school
in 2001 were 42.8% ofthe 1297
enrolled. These numbers represent
the second highest percentage of
Native students graduating since
the 1996. Only in 1998 were there
a higher percentage of graduation
Native students, 43.4%. The number of Native students dropping out
has decreased approximately 16%
from a high of 39.9% in 1996 to
33.9% in 2001. While these numbers are still too high, the decrease
represents movement in the right
direction. The number of Native
students continuing on with their
studies was also at a high in 2001,
at 23.4%. In the past five years, at
least 20% of Native students continued on with their studies past the
four-year mark.
It is significant to note that the
number of Native students has increased steadily since 1996 when
only 945 Native students were enrolled. Indian enrollment at Minnesota schools has increased almost a
third, from the 945 mentioned to
this past year's total of 1297.
Relative to other ethnic groups in
the state of Minnesota, Native students ranked fourth with 42.8%
graduating, compared to percentages of 82.5% for whites, 68.3%
for Asians/Pacific Islanders, 46.7%
for Hispanics, and 38.5% for African Americans. Indian students
have the highest dropout rates of
any ethnic group, as compared to
STUDENTS to page 6
Murder suspect's attorney withdraws
Head of Indian
gaming panel
resigns
The chairman of the National
Indian Gaming Commission,
whose conservative approach to
gambling on reservations often
conflicted with gaming tribes, has
resigned effective September 5.
Richard Schiff, the commission's
acting chief of staff, said Montie
Deer is leaving to pursue other
career opportunities in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. In recent appearances before the Senate Indian
Affairs Committee, Deer testified
that the commission's $7.8 million budget has made it impossible to keep pace with the rapid
growth in Indian gambling.
There are more than 300 tribal
gaming operations nationwide,
generating $12.7 billion annually.
According to the August 15,
2002 Redwood Gazette, when
Dennis William Pendleton Jr.,
20 and Christopher Richard
Sander, 25, residents ofthe
Lower Sioux Indian Community, waived the omnibus
timeline requirements in the
court proceedings against them
in connection with the June 9
murder of Frank Irving Parker
II, of Red Lake, they did so to
allow their attorneys time to prepare a vigorous defense.
It now appears one of the two
must find another attorney to
represent him.
Minneapolis defense attorney
SUSPECT to page 6
Fisher, White, Smith indicted for
murder of Ronald Wayne Long, Jr.
Minneapolis—A federal grand
jury returned new indictments on
Thursday, August 15,2002, charging Frederick Duane Fisher, age 23,
from Minneapolis; Shaun Emery
White, age 18, from Minneapolis;
and Anthony Ray Smith, age 17,
address unknown; in connection
with the murder of Ronald Wayne
Long, Jr., on or about December
15,2001, on the Red Lake Indian
Reservation.
Fisher, White, and Smith were
charged with assault with the intent
to commit murder, assault with a
dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily harm, and discharge of a firearm. Fisher and
MURDER to page 6
VOICE        OF        THE        PEOPLE
web page: www.press-on.net
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication.    Copyright, Native American Press, 2002	
Founded in 1988
Volume 15 Issue 12
August 23,2002
David E. "Ed" Larson was endorsed by the Independence Party at their 3rd Congressional
District Convention on Tuesday, August 20th, as the IP candidate for State Representative,
District 42A. [Larson's positions related to Indian issues are detailed on page 5.]
Tribal attorneys running tribal courts: Are Indians
contracting for banal 'third world' bureaucracies?
by Clara NiiSka
Marcella Blue Stone, Harvey
Owns, and Lawrence Larson
have been wrangling with the
Prairie Island tribal court since
November 1999 over tribal enrollment, and, eighteen months
after their case was finally
heard, the three elders are still
waiting for the tribal court to
make its decision.
As Press/ON reported last
February, Marcella Blue Stone,
at that time age 78, was bom at
Prairie Island when it was still
Strom's Crossing whistle-stop,
the daughter of the first I.RA.
tribal chairman at Prairie Island,
Walter Jesse Leith. She is listed
on the I.R.A. "base rolls" at
Prairie Island - one of those Indians whose 1934 membership
influenced the federal
Marcella Blue Stone
government's determination that
the Prairie Island community is
"federally recognized." Larson is
her son.
Harvey Owens, the third litigant in this enrollment case, was
also bom at Prairie Island, the
son of Julia W. Owens, a
"fullblood" on the base rolls, and
the full brother of renowned Prairie Island spiritual leader Amos
Owens. According to Owens,
Bluestone, and Larson's attorney,
Gary Montana, Harvey Owens
was not listed on the 1934 B.I.A.
census because he was working at
the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) camps.
He later joined the army, and is
reportedly a "decorated World
War II veteran."
While researching the articles
published last February, this
BLUE STONE to page 6
Veterans run
from Leech Lake
to Ft Snelling
By Marin e V. Eidsvig
Veterans participating in an
Honor Walk/Run arrived in the
Twin Cities area on Thursday, August 22nd, after six days on the
road from Leech Lake. Bernard
Rock Sr., a Korean War veteran
and a member of the Leech Lake
Band of Ojibwe, organized the
Veterans Walk/Run for a memorial to be erected in Washington,
D.C. The walk began August 16th
from the Veterans Memorial Powwow Grounds on the Leech Lake
Reservation in Cass Lake. Ceremonies were conducted along
the way at the Leech Lake Reservation, Camp Ripley and Fort
Snelling. The group was scheduled to arrive at Fort Snelling on
Friday, Aug. 23rd. From there,
they planned to go to the state
Capitol to present their message.
Veteran's organizations along
the way were informed of the
walk and would offer support
The walk and run was intended to
raise funds for the memorial.
Rock designed T-shirts to sell for
the fund-raising but was also hoping for pledges and donations.
The Red Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars joined with Leech Lake
and other veterans in the walk and
run. World-class runner Emmett
Eastman, a Sisseton-Wahpeton
veteran, was scheduled to join the
group on the 19*.
While the veterans from the
Leech Lake, the Red Lake VFW,
as well as the Marine Corps
League and veterans from Bois
Forte and other area reservations
will take part in the Walk/Run,
Rock emphasized that the project
was designed for veterans of all
racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Children of veterans who lost their
lives overseas were also encouraged to participate.
Joseph William Howard indicted for
aggravated sexual abuse
Minneapolis—Joseph William
Howard, age 37, from Red Lake,
was indicted on Thursday, August
15, by a federal grand jury for aggravated sexual abuse.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, Howard allegedly caused another person to
engage in a sexual act by using
force against that person. The alleged incident occurred on July 14,
2002 in the Redby district ofthe
Red Lake Indian Reservation.
If convicted, Howard faces a
maximum potential penalty of life
prison and/or a $250,000 fine. Any
sentence would be determined by a
judge based on federal sentencing
guidelines.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and Red Lake Law
enforcement. Assistant United
States Attorney Clifford Wardlaw is
prosecuting the case.
577-signature petition to recall Leech
Lake chairman Hunt turned in to RBC
According to elder Josie Lee,
spokesperson for the recall petition drive at Leech Lake, the petition to recall Leech Lake chairman Eli Hunt was turned in to
the Leech Lake RBC with 577
signatures at a special meeting
of the RBC on Thursday morning, August 22nd. Under the provisions of the Revised Minnesota Chippewa Tribe constitution, the petitioners need 427
signatures for a valid recall petition.
Article 14 §2 of the MCT
constitution provides that such
petitions must be signed by "20
percent of the resident voters of
the Reservation," which would
be 427 voters.
The petitioners list three
charges against Hunt:
• Charge No. 1: violation of
Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe Article X, Section 2(a), Malfeasance in the
Handling of tribal affairs.
• Charge No. 2: violation of
Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Article X, Section 2(b) Dereliction or neglect
of duty.
PETITION to page 6
Ojibwe want DNR to curtail Mille
Lacs walleye harvest
Associated Press
ST. PAUL— Ojibwe Indian
conservation officials have asked
the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources to curtail the
walleye harvest on Mille Lacs
Lake as soon as possible.
In a conference call Thursday,
they also asked Ron Payer, DNR
fisheries division director, to con
sider ways for the state to pay
back the bands for walleyes that
sport anglers will harvest this
year in excess of their 300,000-
pound quota.
The discussion was the first
step in a dispute resolution process intended to resolve conflicts
DNR to page 6