From gars@speakeasy.org Wed May 29 12:31:06 2002 Date: 29 May 2002 01:04:00 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews10.022 WOTANGING IKCHE -- Lakota -- Common News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2002 nanews.org ==>If you want your Nation represented in the banner of this newsletter<== email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation O +-----------------------------+ O o O | Much more happens in Indian | O o O VOLUME 10, ISSUE 022 | Country than is reported in | O o o o o O | this weekly newsletter. For | O o O June 1, 2002 | For daily updates & events | O o O | go http://www.owlstar.com/ | O | dailyheadlines.htm | Ponca hot weather begins moon +-----------------------------+ Blackfeet ito'tsisamssootaa/moon when the long rains come <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.pechanga.net; www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; ndn-aim, Chiapas-I, Minnesota Indian Affairs and Iron Natives Mailing Lists; UUCP email IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> As historian Patricia Nelson Limerick summarized in The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, "Set the blood quantum at one-quarter, hold to it as a rigid definition of Indians, let intermarriage proceed as it had for centuries, and eventually Indians will be defined out of existence. When that happens, the federal government will be freed of its persistent 'Indian problem.'" "We're sitting on our blessed Mother Earth from which we get our strength and determination, love and humility-all the beautiful attributes that we've been given. so turn to one another; love one another; respect one another; respect Mother Earth; respect the waters-because that's life itself!" __ Phil Lane, Sr. Yankton Sioux +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Journey | In the summer and early fall | The Bloodline | of 1998 the Treaty Unity Riders | | rode a thousand miles on horse- | For all that live and live by law | back, carrying a staff and | We Stand, we Call, We Ride | praying each step of the way. | For All that fear and fear by sight | | We Hear, we Listen, we Ride | These prayers were offered for | For all that pray and pray by strength| each of us, and that the Unity | We Feel, we Move, we Ride | of all Peoples might happen. | For all that die and die by greed | | We Hurt, we Cry, we Ride | Tatanka Cante forwarded this | For all that birth and birth by right | poem on behalf of all the Unity | We Smile, we Hold, we Ride | Riders that we might stop and | For all that need and need by heart | ask if the next words we say, the | We Came, we Went, we Rode. | next act we make is for the good | | of the People or is it from ego | Treaty Unity Riders | for self. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! Who is Cheyenne? Who is Lakota? Who is Cherokee? Until now, that question was answered to a large extent by Cheyenne, Lakota and Cherokee tribal enrollment offices, based on criteria established by the tribal nation served by each office. The determination of who qualifies for rights of citizenship within any nation is one of the most basic and sacrosanct duties which defines that nation as sovereign. If a just-proposed trust reform bill makes its way through the various mazes of U. S. Government and becomes law, a national formula will be established that defines, outside the control of individual tribal nations, a rigorous set of criteria for determining the right of land inheritance within that nation. If a nation cannot decide for itself who will inherit its land, how long will it take for their right to decide citizenship to follow? This is just one more "well meaning" tool to end tribal sovereignty and one more way of hastening the "last bottle club" effect of blood quantum legislation that will eventually result in nonexistance of indivduals who meet the "legal definition" of who is or is not Indian. All you Cheyenne, Charokee and Lakota (and all other tribal nations) party hardy. Last round is coming sooner than you realize. Sonn you will be just another brownish skinned Amerikkan. ===== Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 19:42:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Susanna Shreeve Subj: Rez Rolling Homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation (fwd) >To: Gary Smith ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 18:30:21 -0600 From: Alice Perkins I am currently working on bringing much needed affordable housing to the reservation. A donor directed loan fund was set up to help those individuals that could not qualify for a loan through a bank to purchase a mobile home. The payments are set according to their income. Since my husband and I begin working with project-we have placed 80 homes on the reservation. These 80 homes housed children, adults and elderly. The individuals need $500.00 for a downpayment on a mobile home. They are placed on a list and will recieve a home in 6-8 weeks. Sometimes less, depending on the weather. Included in the cost of the mobile home is-hall, set and level. The Oglala Lakota College Students, with the instructor come and go thru the mobile homes inspecting the pipes, hotwater heaters and furnaces. Many Elderly are happy to get into a mobile home that will be theirs in a short period and time. They are also happy to be able to utilize their own land now. Many Elderly and young families are finding it hard for the initial downpayment. If anyone is interested in directly donating any monies to help a family. Please contact me. If you would like more information-please call (605) 685-3362 or (308) 862-6208. Our e-mail address is rezrollers@gpcom.net Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Night Owl gars@nanews.org (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@speakeasy.org (`-') Marietta, GA 30007, U.S.A. gars@olagrande.net ===w=w=== gars@sdf.lonestar.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Crossings - Anti-Indian Act - Commissioner: Parliament Hill March Closing Whiteclay gains Little - Nault skips another AFN Meeting - BIA Trust Fund is - Three Zapatista Prisoners Indian Country's Enron freed in Chiapas - Trust Fund Monitor - Sovereignty Symposium 2002 hit with Roadblock to be held in OKC - Audit: No One in charge of - Indians object to Indian Trust Data Gene Research with Wild Rice - Indian Affairs Official told to Quit - Cowlitz Tribe Sues - Tribal Leaders debate - Seeking Justice against BLM Trust Reform Bill - Fort Hall Jurisdiction Issue - Mortgages scarce on is still Unresolved Native American Lands - Native Prisoner - No Windfall for Tulalips -- Update on Alex Montana - Tribes proud of Veterans -- Oregon Native Prisoners - Native American Women Vets -- Manuel Redwoman Update seek Recognition - History: Carlisle Indian School - Treaty Ride Starts - Rustywire: The Other Brother - UN: Indigenous Peoples - Poem: Dear Great Spirit living in Cities - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Six Nations Chief's Fiery - Native America Calling call for Action --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 08:10:52 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" Golden Triangle On-Line Obituaries The following obituaries appeared in the Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter or Glacier Reporter this week. Sharlon Willows Sharlon Linda Willows, longtime Montana environmental activist and consultant, died at the home of her sister, Bonni Quist in Creston, on Thursday, May 9, 2002. A celebration in honor of her life was held at Rob and Bonni Quist's Sweetwater Ranch in Creston on May 19. She was born the oldest of four children to James and Laverne Willows on Mar. 22, 1948, during the wild early dam construction days of Hungry Horse. She attended schools in Hungry Horse and Columbia Falls and graduated with honors from the University of Montana with degrees in history and political science. She continued her education in Denver, Colo., becoming a licensed paralegal which enabled her to work as an environmental legal consultant. During the 1970s, she received her teaching credentials and opened the first private kindergarten and grade school in Hungry Horse. Willows was known for her vision, her tenacity and her unerring dedication to the environment. She was the original founder (with Bradley Chase) and president of the Coalition for Canyon Preservation. She will be remembered for her work preserving the old growth timber at Avalanche Campground as well as her work protecting the elk wintering grounds and grizzly bear denning areas in Glacier National Park. She worked on protecting the wild and scenic rivers, particularly, preventing a proposed housing development on the Middlefork. She was an advocate of preserving the integrity and historic values of the park, especially the Going-to- the-Sun road in Glacier Park. She also worked diligently with the highway department to develop a modest design for the highway leading up to Glacier Park and just before her death, was actively involved in helping develop a highway design to save the historical Berne Memorial Park in the Canyon. She was great supporter of the Native peoples in the state, working tirelessly with the Blackfeet, Kootenai and Flathead tribes on land issues and, in particular, working to stop mining and preserve the Sweet Grass Hills as sacred ceremonial grounds for all Native peoples. Willows had a great love of music and dance and will always be remembered for her ability to lose herself in the joy of the moment while dancing. She spent many summers hiking the trails of Glacier National Park as well as her beloved Columbia Mountain. She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Columbia Falls. She is survived by a daughter, Willow Dean of Spokane, Wash.; her companion, Craig Thomas of Coram; her sister and brother-in-law, Rob and Bonni Quist and their children, Hallady of Creston, and Guthrie Quist of Malibu, Calif.; a sister, Jamey Faun Willows and her son, Harley Hanks of Whitefish; a brother and sister-in-law, James and Jaekyung Willows and their children, Josiah, Esther and Abe, of Columbia Heights; and her father and mother-in-law, James and Gladys Willows of Malibu. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Coalition for Canyon Preservation, P.O. Box 422, Hungry Horse, MT 59919. Lee Joseph Matte Lee Joseph Matte, 71, died at his home at Two Medicine on May 16, 2002, of natural causes. Rosary was said Monday at the Matte residence. His funeral was held Tuesday at Little Flower Parish with burial in the Matte Cemetery. Born April 7, 1932, in Harlem, he attended Harlem High School. He graduated from Northern Montana College with a certificate in auto mechanics. He entered the Army and served in Germany in 1953 and was honorably discharged. Matte worked at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls for several years, in Seattle as a sanitation technician, in Spokane at Fairchild Air Force Base, on Expo '74 and in maintenance at Chemewa Indian Boarding School in Oregon. He had a passion for working on automobiles, was a great mechanic, loved walking the hills around his home and enjoyed rodeos and TV. He is survived by children, Steven Matte, Alan "Bubby" Matte, Marsha Matte, Quintin Carlson, Edwin "Sooney" Little Plume, Gerald "Chee Chee" Whiteman, Edith "Squie" Carlson, Marilyn Rider, Linda "Boozie" Bertelsen and Billy Little Plume; grandchildren; brothers, Edward Matte, Jr., and Warren Matte; sisters, Roberta Popisal, Torchy Matte, Selma Matte, Billie- -Ray Yellow Owl and Dolly Johnson; and several nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents, Edward Matte, Sr. and Vernie Ereaux-Matt; a daughter, Brenda Kay Matte; his wife, Delores "Betty" Matte; a brother, John Matte; and sisters, Cecelia, Theresa and Baby Girl Matte. Day Family Funeral was in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 Golden Triangle Newspapers. -=-=-=- May 21, 2002 Frederick P. Whiteface RAPID CITY - Frederick P. Whiteface, 80, of Rapid City, died Sunday, May 19, 2002, at his home. Frederick was born May 9, 1922, in Martin, S.D., to Frederick Whiteface Sr. and Margaret (Clifford) Whiteface. He was one of four children born to this family. Frederick served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Margaret Pearl Whiteface of Rapid City; six children, Charmaine Whiteface, Wayne Iteska, Lorraine Brave Heart, Elaine LaMere and Dalaine Bloom, all of Rapid City, and Germaine Hughes of Fort Collins, Colo.; one brother, Clifford Whiteface of Rapid City; 27 grandchildren; and 37 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and two grandchildren. A Christian wake and rosary service will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2002, at the Mother Butler Center in Rapid City. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, at the Mother Butler Center, with Fr. John Hatcher as celebrant. Burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Full military honors will be provided by the VFW Post No. 1273 in Rapid City. Kirk Funeral Home of Rapid City is in charge of the arrangements. Roselind Poor Bear WANBLEE - Roselind Poor Bear, 49, Wanblee, died Sunday, May 19, 2002, in Wanblee. Survivors include five daughters, Julia Swift Hawk, Emma Swift Hawk and Geraldine Swift Hawk, all of Wanblee, Stephanie Waters, Hisle, and Lucille Crane, St. Francis; six sons, Jerry Swift Hawk, Eugene Swift Hawk, Dennis Swift Hawk, Cody Poor Bear, Carl Moran and Butch Standing Bear, all of Wanblee; two sisters, LaDonna Poor Bear, Wanblee, and Juanita Bear Stops, Pierre; two brothers, Lester Poor Bear, Norris, and Lyle Poor Bear, Wanblee; and 38 grandchildren. A two-night wake will begin at noon Wednesday, May 22, at the Roselind Poor Bear residence in Wanblee. The second night will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Wanblee CAP Office. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, May 24, at Wanblee CAP, with the Rev. Daniel Makes Good officiating. Burial will be at Gethsemane Episcopal Cemetery in Wanblee. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Delphia M. Day Boy PINE RIDGE - Delphia M. Day Boy, 60, Pine Ridge, died Sunday, May 19, 2002, in Rapid City. Survivors include her mother, Emma Lane, Pine Ridge; three sons, Gary Mills and Jodi Lame, both of Pine Ridge, and Marty Tobacco, Rapid City; four daughters, Cindy Mills, Marla Day Boy and Natalie Lame, all of Pine Ridge, and Heidi Sitting Holy, Chadron, Neb.; two brothers, Ted Lame Sr. and Richard Broken Nose, both of Number Four Community; two sisters, Mary Jane Broken Nose, Pine Ridge, and Etheline Lame, Santa Cruz, Calif.; and 15 grandchildren. A two-night wake will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9 a.m. Friday, May 24, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Bill Pauly and Richard Broken Nose officiating. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. May 23, 2002 Angila B. Poor Bear PINE RIDGE - Angila B. Poor Bear, 27, Pine Ridge, died Tuesday, May 21, 2002, in Pine Ridge. Survivors include her parents, MacArthur and Mary Belle Poor Bear, Pine Ridge; one son, Jerome Poor Bear, Pine Ridge; six sisters, Julie Poor Bear, Brookings, Tina Poor Bear, April Leftwich and Marsha Poor Bear, all of Pine Ridge, Miriam Jealous Of Him, Wounded Knee, and Irene Poor Bear, Rapid City; and seven brothers, Francis Poor Bear, Denver, Mike Poor Bear Jr., Isaiah Poor Bear and Daniel Poor Bear, all of Pine Ridge, and Aaron Poor Bear, Eric Poor Bear and Teddy Poor Bear, all of Brookings. A two-night wake will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at Allen School Gym. The second night will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 26, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, May 27, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Don Mink officiating. Burial will be at Wolf Creek Body of Christ Cemetery in Pine Ridge. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. May 25, 2002 Lawrence He Crow OGLALA - Lawrence He Crow, 68, Oglala, died Thursday, May 23, 2002, in Oglala. Survivors include one daughter, Debbie Mendoza, Rapid City; one sister, Norma Lone Elk, Oglala; two brothers, Francis He Crow, Pine Ridge, and Abraham He Crow Sr., Oglala; many grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He served in the U.S. Army. A one-night wake will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at Makasan Presbyterian Church in Oglala. Services will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at the church, with the Rev. Asa Wilson and Mr. Clyde Red Shirt officiating. Mr. Richard Broken Nose will officiate for a Lakota prayer. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- May 23, 2002 Nora Norberto Nora Norberto, 88, of Farmington died at her home Saturday, May 18, 2002. She is survived by one son, Lee Norberto of Nageezi; three daughters, Rose Harrison, Patricia Harrison and Dorothy Norberto, all of Farmington; one brother, Raymond Torrivio of Nageezi; and two sisters, Betty Norberto of Bloomfield and Marion Norberto of Farmington. She has 26 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one daughter and one great-granddaughter. Nora was a gifted rug weaver and a Pentecostal Church follower. Funeral services are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Friday, May 24, 2002, at Bible Baptist Shepherd Navajo Church, 1105 S. Miller Ave. in Farmington. Evangelist George Toledo will officiate. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Alvin Norberto, Derrick Norberto, Rudy Norberto, Scott Wilcox, Jamal Joseph and Troy Harrison. Funeral arrangements are with Chapel of Memories Funeral Home of Kirtland, (505) 598-9636. George E. Yazzie George E. Yazzie, 76, of Carson passed away Tuesday, May 21, 2002, in Dzilth-na-o-dith-hle. He was born Aug. 19, 1926, in Carson to Etcitty and Susie Yazzie. He is survived by his sons, Irvin Yazzie and Jackson Yazzie, and three daughters, Rose Yazzie, Terrie Yazzie and Bernice Harris, all of Carson; two sisters, Maxine Napie of Carson and Marie Curley of Prewitt; and five grandchildren, Brandon Tsoi, Justin Tsoi, Ryan L. Benally, Shaldon Chavez and Natasha Chavez. He was predeceased by his wife, Lola Mae Yazzie, and a grandson, Nathaniel Petago. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2002, at Brethren in Christ Mission in Otis. Interment will be at Brethren in Christ Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Benjamin Willie, Clint Begay, Lindy Pierce, Franklin Pierce, Christopher Yazzie and Wayne Harrison. Alternate pallbearer will be Terrence Frague. Funeral arrangements are with Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington, (505) 325-8688. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Farmington Daily-Times. -=-=-=- May 22, 2002 Byron L. Tsingine Sr. TUBA CITY, Ariz. - Services for Byron Tsingine Sr., 89, will be held at 2 p.m.. Friday, May 24 at First Southern Baptist Church, Flagstaff, Ariz. Pastor Larry Tsingine will officiate. Burial will follow at Flagstaff Veterans Cemetery. Tsingine Sr. died May 20 in Tuba City. He was born Jan. 13, 1913 in Coppermine, Ariz. into the Deer Water People Clan for the Black Wood Streak People Clan. Tsingine Sr. attended Tuba City Boarding School, Albuquerque Indian School and Arizona Teachers College. He served in the U.S. Army, during World War II, with the 158th infantry regiment and the army reserves. Was employed as a teacher supervisor, counselor, Eduaction Specialist and Principal in Nazlini, Ariz. He was a member of the disabled Veterans Association and received many numerous awards, American Defense Service, American Theater Service, Asiatic Pacific Theater Service and Philippine Liberation Service, and Purple Heart. Survivors include his wife, Pauline Tsingine; sons, Byron Jr., Lawrence, Willard, Raymond of Tuba City, Ward of Gallup and Glenn Tsingine of Ganado, Ariz.; daughters, Barbara Joann Ashley and Janet Tsingine of Tuba City, Ariz.; brothers, Peter Tsinigine; 22 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. Tsingine was preceded in death by his parents, Lola Nez and Alvin Tsingine; brothers, Steven and Clau Tsingine; sisters, Nonaluch Wilson, Lilly Wilson, Molly Tsingine and Sally Lane. Pallbearers will be Olin Tsingine, Michael Lomakema, Dan Tsingine, Kyle Ashley, Nolan Tsingine and Craig Tsingine. Copyright c. 2002 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Commissioner: Closing Whiteclay gains Little" --------- Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 20:25:43 -0700 From: mikola 18 Subj: "Liquor commissioner: 'Closing Whiteclay stores gains little'" Mailing List: ndn-aim http://hoovnews.hoovers.com "Liquor commissioner: 'Closing Whiteclay stores gains little'" By MARK THIESSEN May 25, 2002 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- "Yanking the beer licenses from four stores in Whiteclay would do little to address the problem of alcohol abuse on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, a member of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission said. It would be like "putting a Band-Aid on a compound fracture," Rhonda Flower of Gering said Friday, a day after commission members visited the small community near the South Dakota border and the South Dakota reservation. The visit was made at the request of Nebraskans for Peace, an advocacy group seeking to curtail the liquor sales in Whiteclay. "Nebraska officials like Rhonda Flower are part of the problem," said Tim Rinne, the advocacy group's state coordinator. Commissioners Flower, Richard Coyne and Robert Logsdon were joined on the tour by the commission's executive director, Frosty Chapman, and Sen. Ray Janssen, chairman of the Legislature's General Affairs Committee. The committee oversees legislation dealing with alcohol sales. Nebraskans for Peace and others have complained for years that the four stores in the tiny town sell millions of cans of beer annually to residents from the nearby Indian reservation in South Dakota. Alcohol is banned on the 5,000-square-mile reservation that is home to 15,000 Oglala Sioux and has one of the nation's highest alcoholism-related mortality rates. While there is no easy solution to the problem, Flower said Nebraskans for Peace could help find one by addressing what she called the root problem. "Quit blaming the commission and go to the core of the problem, and that is the truly impoverished lifestyles these people lead on the reservation," she told Scottsbluff radio station KNEB. Flower did not return a phone message left at her home Friday night by The Associated Press. "I'm appalled, horrified that she would have the chutzpah to say such things," said Rinne, also a native of Gering. He said the state has profited by about $250,000 a year in taxes from the sale of beer in Whiteclay, and didn't give a dime to the Oglala Sioux tribal government to address the problem of alcohol abuse. "The state of Nebraska needs to get out of the business of profiting from Indian misery," he said. "This is blatant racism on the part of the state of Nebraska as they are targeting this minority population and if Rhonda Flower refuses to acknowledge the reality of this and the Liquor Control's responsibility in it, we need to have a new commission," he said. Flower said closing Whiteclay businesses would not keep those with alcohol problems from finding another source for the product. The commission has in the past disciplined Whiteclay stores that have violated the law, just like it would any other liquor dealer in the state, she said. An attorney general's opinion last year said the state has little authority to block the sale of beer to the Oglala Sioux in Whiteclay. Gov. Mike Johanns and other state officials have said they can do nothing to stop licensed establishments from selling alcohol unless laws are violated. Critics, however, say those laws, such as consuming alcohol on public property, are consistently violated in the village. Nine American Indians, including activist Russell Means, were arrested in July 1999 as hundreds of Oglala Sioux marched from the reservation to Whiteclay to protest the beer sales and the unsolved murders of two Indians whose bodies were found just across the South Dakota border." Copyright c. 2002 The Associated Press. ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe to this group,send an email to: ndn-aim-subscribe@egroups.com Archived on line at: http://www.eScribe.com FREE LEONARD PELTIER --------- "RE: BIA Trust Fund is Indian Country's Enron" --------- Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 08:09:51 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN ENRON" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://indiancountry.com/?1021987517 Sen. Tom Daschle: BIA Trust Fund is Indian country's Enron May 21, 2002 - 9:00am EST by: Tom Daschle / Senator / U.S. Congress In recent months, news of corporate mismanagement and its consequences for the pensions of individual American workers has sent shock waves through the country. Legislators, economists and academics, appalled by the Enron experience, have called for swift and decisive action to strengthen corporate accounting practices and protect employee pension accounts. Unknown to many of these legislators, economists and academics, a similar injustice is occurring out of the public spotlight to many American Indians. And the responsible party is not corporate management, but rather the federal government. For generations, Indian country has seen first-hand how persistent and devastating accounting mismanagement can be. Today, the BIA may owe as much as $10 billion to as many as 500,000 Indians. Tex Hall, President of the National Congress of American Indians, refers to the trust debacle as the "Indian Enron case." The restoration of the administrative integrity of Indian trust funds and assets must be a higher national priority. And tribal leaders must be part of a timely solution. That is why I joined Senators John McCain and Tim Johnson in introducing legislation designed to jump-start the process of fixing the long-standing problem of mismanagement of Indian trust assets. Our legislation, based in significant measure on the ideas of Tex Hall, Lower Brule Chairman Mike Jandreau and other tribal leaders across the country, would establish a Deputy Secretary for Trust Management and Reform in the Department of Interior to provide oversight of all the trust fund and trust asset administration. In our view, it is essential that a top Interior Department official be assigned the sole responsibility of fixing this longstanding problem. Last fall, after years of insufficient attention and under the pressure of court action, the Secretary of the Interior hastily unveiled plans to reorganize the Bureau of Indian Trust Asset Management and segregate the oversight and accounting of trust-related assets in a new Bureau of Indian Trust Asset Management. This plan was presented to the court with minimal consultation with the tribes or individual Indian account holders, not to mention Congress. In South Dakota, tribal leaders communicated to Tim Johnson and me their observation that the Secretary's solution appeared to be a fait accompli and their concern that it could actually hurt those it was supposed to help. They asked how this shuffling of bureaucratic boxes on an organization chart would improve the management of trust funds and whether this new structure would impact other BIA programs. To a person, they felt strongly that this proposal should not be implemented without further consultation with the Indian people affected by the management changes. In response, the Administration assured the Indian community and Congress that its reorganization plan was not set in stone and that the views of Indian country would be solicited before final action was taken. Yet, the Interior Department then proceeded quietly to request that $200 million from the BIA and $100 million from the Office of the Special Trustee be reprogrammed to "a single organization that will report to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary, Indian Trust." This contradiction set off red flags in Congress, and a clear message was sent to Secretary Norton by Senators Inouye, Campbell, Byrd, Johnson, and others that no action should be taken to implement her proposed reorganization plan administratively. Given these developments, Senators McCain, Johnson and I felt that Congress must be more assertive in helping shape action on trust reform. Our bill is intended to refocus this debate and provide further opportunity for the suggestions of tribal chairs and other representatives from Indian country to be incorporated into the final trust reform plan. An effective long-term solution to the Indian trust problem must be based on government-to-government dialogue. I hope that the discussion the McCain-Johnson-Daschle bill generates will not only provide the catalyst for meaningful tribal involvement in the search for a solution to this very serious problem, but also form the basis for effective trust reform. Tom Daschle, a democrat, is the senior senator from South Dakota and serves as the Senate Majority Leader. In addition to his leadership post, Daschle also serves as a member of the Agriculture, Finance and Rules Committees. In past Congresses, he has served on the Veterans Affairs, Indian Affairs and Ethics committees. Daschle is a native of Aberdeen, S.D. Copyright c. 2002 Indian Country Today. --------- "RE: Trust Fund Monitor hit with Roadblock" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BLOCK EFFORT" http://www.indianz.com/News/ Government moves to delay trust fund monitor FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2002 The Department of Justice is refusing to allow top Indian trust officials to appear before a court investigator accused of disparaging Secretary of Interior Gale Norton. Trust fund monitor Joseph S. Kieffer III was informed on Wednesday that an upcoming deposition would be delayed at least a month. Sandra Spooner, a government attorney who also faces a court probe, said Bert T. Edwards would not be available to testify under oath about efforts to tell 300,000 Indian beneficiaries how much they are owed. "This is not to intimate any intent to not cooperate," Spooner wrote in a May 22 letter. But the announcement, delivered hours after Kieffer expanded his ongoing investigation to include Spooner's handling of the trust fund case, represents just that. Although the delay was tied to the completion of the Department of Interior's comprehensive accounting plan, due June 30, the government made clear its objections to unfettered court oversight. "Postponing the deposition would also lessen the jurisdictional complications caused by the premature insertion of the judicial branch into the Interior's decision-making process," Spooner wrote. Additionally, Kieffer was informed that the department would stop providing him with information. Even though he was given a set of documents last week -- "in the spirit of cooperation," according to Spooner -- the department now refuses to turn over memos, records and e- mails "relating to matters beyond the scope of the court monitor's duties and even beyond the court's jurisdiction to review." Spooner's letter is the latest development in an ongoing battle the Bush administration has waged against trust reform oversight. After insisting upon, and obtaining, limitations on Kieffer's investigations, the government sought to have his latest report rejected, charging that it was filled with unsubstantiated and damaging accusations against Norton. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth hasn't responded to that request but he may be forced to intervene to prevent his official from being hampered. Spooner in her letter suggested only a court order would compel the government's full cooperation. In addition to Edwards, Kieffer is planning to interview Special Trustee Tom Slonaker and his top deputy Tommy Thompson under oath. He also indicated he would depose Ross Swimmer, who is overseeing the department's "trust transition" effort, because the former assistant secretary was evading his questions. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Audit: No One in charge of Indian Trust Data" --------- Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 08:09:51 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DOI AUDIT" http://www.indianz.com/News/show.asp?ID=2002/05/22/security Audit: No one in charge of Indian trust data WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2002 The Department of Interior's information technology systems could be plunged into chaos again based on the findings of a team of federal computer security experts. More than five months after numerous security problems were first exposed, the audit has highlighted significant obstacles to an effort flagged as "high risk" by the White House. Lack of accountability, limited funds and little direction are among the major challenges cited, according to a 294-page draft report completed last month. "Management commitment to computer security exists on paper, but not on practical implementation," the computer security expert assist team (CSEAT) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology wrote on April 1. The most damaging finding, however, affects the status of computer systems that process $3.1 billion in annual payments to tribes and individual Indians. Shut down by a federal judge's order in December, a court investigator has allowed the gradual reconnection of dozens of Indian trust systems based on sworn declarations by department officials and employees under an effort overseen by Associate Deputy Secretary Jim Cason. But according to the audit, no one is in charge of Indian trust data despite appearances otherwise. Senior officials, including Special Trustee Tom Slonaker and other top leaders, have failed to take the initiative to define this very basic concept, the experts reported, a problem that permeated the department to its lowest levels. "Individuals that have responsibilities for processing trust information state that their job does not involve such information," the report stated. "Other individuals that know they process Indian trust information are unsure of which pieces of information are Indian trust information and which are not." The lack of a clear meaning of Indian trust data was at the center of intense and slow-moving negotiations between Cason and special master Alan Balaran, whose investigation uncovered risks to hackers. After months of talks, the last major system which processes payments to tribes and Indians was restarted in March. In all the cases, Balaran gave his nod based on assurances to the protection of trust data. Based on the NIST review, the certifications offered by the Interior would be in doubt because of failures of top officials to define a key term. The department acknowledged the review's shortcomings in its most recent status update. "Indian trust information is not safeguarded due to inconsistent and ineffective leadership," Cason wrote in a section of the report that discussed a briefing received by NIST. Cason also reported the results of a January 2002 audit by SRA International, a computer security firm that has been retained by the department and whose reports have documented long-standing problems went largely ignored until recently. The company identified nearly 600 vulnerabilities, 96 percent of which were classified as "high" risks. SRA and NIST, which is part of the Department of Commerce, made similar findings about the lack of program planning, according to the Interior's 9th quarterly report. Cason said the department would provide comments to NIST this month in preparation for a final analysis. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Indian Affairs Official told to Quit" --------- Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 08:17:32 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BIA DEPUTY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60463-2002May22.html Key Indian Affairs Official Told to Quit, Sources Say By Ellen Nakashima Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, May 23, 2002; Page A31 Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs Wayne R. Smith, the focus of two federal inquiries centering on influence peddling, has been asked to resign, sources said. He has been given until 5 p.m. today to resign or he could be fired, they said. Smith, 52, who was appointed in October, has been placed on administrative leave. He has hired an attorney and maintains that he has done nothing improper. Interior Department spokesman Mark Pfeifle said yesterday: "It's a personnel issue and, therefore, I can't discuss the matter any further." The FBI and the Interior Department inspector general are conducting investigations into whether Smith, who before coming to Washington ran a short-lived consulting business with a friend, Philip M. Bersinger, sought to help Bersinger win Indian tribal consulting work by allowing him to exploit their relationship. Smith referred calls to his attorney, Nancy Luque. Bersinger, a Sacramento consultant, did not return several calls for comment. "Mr. Smith has always acted with the highest ethical standards and in the public interest," Luque said yesterday. "Any action taken against him will be vigorously and exhaustively contested." Last month, several letters on old Bersinger & Smith stationery with February dates began to circulate in Washington. They appeared to show Bersinger trying to drum up business by exploiting his ties to Smith. All boasted of Bersinger's "tremendous access and influence" with the Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where Smith is the No. 2 official. In one letter, to the chairman of the Chinook Tribal Council, Bersinger touted his business and personal relationship with Smith -- "Wayne and I still vacation together and he stays with me at my house whenever he comes to Sacramento" -- and said that, for a $1,000 monthly fee, he would assist the tribe with its federal tribal recognition effort. A second letter, to the California Valley Miwok tribe, said much the same thing, but requested $5,000 a month. Bersinger has admitted writing letters to those two tribes that look "very similar on the front page, but the back page [where the fee is mentioned] is completely different," Smith said in an interview last week. A third letter, to William G. Worfel, vice chairman of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, sought a $250,000 payment. Bersinger, in a signed, April 11 declaration "under penalty of perjury," denied sending that letter. Smith, who has recused himself from any dealings with these tribes, adamantly denies that he knew what Bersinger was doing. He said Bersinger was guilty of bad business judgment. None of the tribes has hired Bersinger. Smith contends that the letters were fabricated to frame him out of "retribution, pure and simple" for his refusal to acquiesce to a California tribe's desire that a decision on tribal membership be made by BIA headquarters in Washington, not by the Sacramento office. In December, a regional BIA superintendent in Sacramento ruled that the current leader of the Buena Vista Me-Wuk tribe could not prove, by birth or otherwise, that she had the legitimate right to head the tribal government. If that ruling stands, it will thwart the tribe's quest to open a casino. The Buena Vista issue is linked to another element of the investigation. On Feb. 19, Smith met in Sacramento with Buena Vista Me-Wuk representatives, at the request of Scott Reed, their Washington lobbyist. Smith brought Bersinger, whom he introduced as "a friend" and who never spoke, participants said. In mid-March, Bersinger contacted John Peebles, an attorney for the tribe who had been at the meeting, and said that he could "solve the Buena Vista tribe problems at the BIA" and that he wanted a meeting, said Jean Munoz, a spokeswoman for Cascade Entertainment LLP, a partnership trying to build the casino. At the meeting, Bersinger asked Peebles for a monthly fee of $25,000 and a percentage of the gross from the prospective casino, she alleged. The information has been provided to federal investigators, she said. Smith has said that he knows nothing about any business offer or approach by Bersinger to Peebles. Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report. Copyright c. 2002 The Washington Post Company. --------- "RE: Tribal Leaders debate Trust Reform Bill" --------- Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 08:17:32 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WHO IS INDIAN" http://www.indianz.com/News/ Tribal leaders debate trust reform bill THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2002 Tribal leaders expressed concern on Wednesday about a provision in a trust reform bill that would define who is and who isn't an Indian. Saying thousands of Native Americans would be negatively impacted, they asked the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to strip the language from the legislation. In its place was offered an expansive alternative that would allow anyone who can demonstrate Indian ancestry -- but not necessarily tribal membership -- to inherit individual allotted lands in trust. "This definition will harm Indian Country, cause jurisdictional problems and cut off far too many people who are Indian, yet not enrolled for a variety of reasons," said Ben Speakthunder, the president of the Fort Belknap tribal council in Montana. Agreeing were two other tribal leaders who testified that the issue has already divided their communities. Maurice Lyons, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians of California, said tribal members are being forced to choose who will inherit their land based on the restriction. "It is breaking her heart that she cannot leave her non-enrolled grandchildren any of her property as it would pass out of trust," he said of an 82-year-old elder confronted with the dilemma. "We are taking a stand on our Indian land," added Austin Nunez, an official of the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona who testified on behalf of a national coalition of tribal interests. But not all on the panel thought expanding the meaning of Indian would preserve and protect the 56-million-acre trust estate, which has grown fractionated over the years as lands get passed onto a new generation. Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said legal challenges by non-tribal members could "further erode tribal sovereignty." The debate came on a bill drafted by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R- Colo.), the vice chairman of the Indian panel, to address inheritance of Indian lands. The measure would create one Indian Country standard in order to streamline the probate, or will, process and eliminate thorny ownership issues. Currently, Indian probates are resolved by state law, which differs greatly from state to state. According to Campbell, the lack of one standard creates unfair hardships on tribes and individual Indians. Tribal leaders agreed but zeroed in on the Indian issue as one of their key concerns. Lyons suggested adopting the Indian Health Service definition in order to ensure that land passed onto those lacking tribal membership would remain in trust status. Like Hall, however, Campbell said doing so could create more problems. "Wouldn't you suppose those people at some time challenge tribal jurisdiction over themselves," he questioned. Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb said the Bush administration supports the bill and pointed out that some Indians hold interests in reservations in more than one state. "The effect of applying up to 33 different state laws," he said, "results in disparate and unfair treatment." Campbell promised a quick resolution of the issues in order to get the bill approved. He said the committee record would remain open for another two weeks. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Mortgages scarce on Native American Lands" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MORTGAGE PROBLEMS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/personal_finance/article/0,1406,KNS_327_1164359,00.html Mortgages scarce on Native American lands By HOLDEN LEWIS May 23, 2002 Demand exists for mortgages on Native American lands, usually referred to as Indian country. According to one study, 38,000 households on reservations and other Indian land have sufficient income to qualify for conventional mortgages. But the number of mortgages in Indian country is a fraction of that - a consequence of the special legal status of much Indian land. As a result, many Native Americans on reservations just have to make do. Many build their homes bit by bit, adding onto the structure as they can afford to, says Gary Gordon, executive director of the National American Indian Housing Council. Others resort to more desperate measures. Overcrowded housing is rife in Native American communities. For a report that the housing council issued in February 2002, researchers found as many as 30 people living in three- bedroom houses. Some homes lacked sufficient heat and plumbing. With a desperate need for housing in Indian country, and with thousands of families who could qualify for mortgages, you would think that lenders would line up to underwrite home loans on Indian lands. But they haven't, for two reasons. First, much land on Indian reservations and tribal areas is owned by the federal government and held in trust for the tribe. A mortgage borrower on tribal trust land doesn't own the parcel that the home sits on. The borrower has a long-term lease. This limits the amount of money the lender can recover in case of foreclosure because the lender can't sell the house and the land it's on. Another reason for the scarcity of mortgages in Indian country is that many tribal lands fall under the jurisdiction of tribal courts, which have their own laws and procedures governing foreclosure and eviction. When an off-the-reservation lender wants to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage borrower, it has to pursue the matter through a civil tribal court. Some lenders have been reluctant to trust tribal courts to carry out the eviction and foreclosure process without favoring tribal members over the outside lenders. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has several programs to increase homeownership on Indian reservations and other Native American lands. The most important is called the Section 184 loan guarantee. Under this program, if a borrower defaults and the lender has to foreclose, the government pays the lender for any financial loss. Before a Section 184 loan goes through, it has to be approved by HUD and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The borrower has to obtain a long-term lease from the tribe. That's on top of the loan paperwork. With all the red tape, Gordon says the Section 184 program hasn't attracted many lenders, "and I think part of it is the bureaucracy that's involved with that. It takes a long time to approve and process these mortgages." The Section 184 program has existed for 10 years. As of March 31, some 916 of these loans were outstanding nationwide, for a total of $89 million borrowed. With less than 1,000 mortgages in 10 years, it would take quite some time to satisfy that demand for 38,000 mortgages. To be fair, it took years for the Section 184 program to gain traction, and most of those loans have been originated since 1999. A mortgage through the Section 184 program isn't necessarily an ideal loan. Native Americans have long complained that high-interest, sub-prime mortgages are too common in Indian country. "More tribes are trying to establish and develop financial literacy courses for tribal members so they can become more aware of predatory lending," Gordon says. -=-=-=- Mortgage rates headed down this week, pushed by renewed fears of terror attacks. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 12 basis points to 6.79 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. The mortgages in this week's survey had an average total of 0.47 discount and origination points. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. e-mail Holden Lewis at hlewis(at)bankrate.com Copyright c. 2002 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: No Windfall for Tulalips" --------- Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 18:42:17 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TILALIP MONEY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/02/5/19/15490664.cfm#top No windfall for Tulalips By Todd C. Frankel Herald Writer Sunday, May 19, 2002 TULALIP -- Tulalip tribal members appeared to hit the jackpot Saturday when they voted to give each member a one-time, $10,000 payment. But there was one very important catch. "The money's not there," said John McCoy, the tribes' director of governmental affairs. The tribes decided two months ago to plow all revenues back into providing services and investing in development projects, such as the Quil Ceda Village commercial center. No money was left to fund the per capita payments, McCoy said. The conflicting message -- voting for payments, but not funding them -- shows a rift within the 3,425-member Tulalip community over how to spend tribal funds. And as casino cash enriches more tribes across the nation, there is growing debate within American Indian communities over whether to resort to per capita payments. McCoy offered a simple explanation for the fuss. "Whenever there's money, people want at it," McCoy said. "It's no different from any other society." On the Tulalip reservation outside Marysville, money tensions reared up during Christmastime 2001 when the tribes, to much fanfare and publicity, announced that for the first time tribal members and employees would share a $3.3 million bonus package. The bonuses were distributed on performance and longevity, among other factors. For example, casino workers got an average $2,000 bonus. Indian government workers received bonuses averaging $1,170. That led to problems, McCoy said. "Tribal membership thought everyone should get the same amount." Some members started a petition drive to force a vote on a $10,000 one- time, per capita payment. They got enough signatures to put it to the membership. But before that could be voted on, another vote took place. At a general council meeting in March, Tulalip members voted overwhelmingly to dedicate all proceeds to services and economic development. It was ratification that members wanted the tribal leadership "to keep going the way we're going," McCoy said. And that direction is aimed at investing in ambitious economic development projects. The Tulalips became the first American Indian tribe in the nation to incorporate its own city with Quil Ceda Village, which is home to a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot store just outside Marysville. And the Tulalips are in the process of building a new $72 million casino nearby. In addition, the Tulalips pay for many services related to self- governance, such as law enforcement and family services. They also pay for tribal members to attend technical schools or college. "Sovereignty isn't cheap," McCoy said. But at a meeting on Saturday, the membership voted for the $10,000 payments. Afterward, tribal chairman Herman Williams Jr. tried to explain why the payments couldn't be honored. "The problem is that our constitution states that we cannot give out a 'per capita' unless we've met all our financial obligations," Williams said in a prepared statement. "The second problem is that our monies are already allocated, and we have no reserves for per capita at this time." But Williams didn't totally preclude payments occurring in the future. "If there's money left over, then we'll disburse it to the shareholders, " he said, adding, "it will be some time before this takes place." Adding pressure to the Tulalips' situation is what happened with the Puyallup Tribe to the south. The Puyallups recently started giving monthly per capita payments of $2,000 to tribal members. Only 47 of 201 gaming tribes across the nation make per capita revenue payments to their members, according to Indian Country Today. But the Tulalips have a minor salve to sooth for the sting of not getting a $10,000 payday. On Monday, all tribal members got the first of quarterly payments from the tribes' natural resource fund, which includes old timber holdings. Each check was for $437.50. You can call Herald Writer Todd C. Frankel at 425-339-3429 or send e-mail to frankel@heraldnet.com. Copyright c. 2002 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, Wash. --------- "RE: Tribes proud of Veterans" --------- Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 00:15:09 -0700 From: "mikola 18" Subj: "Tribes proud of veterans" Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.greatfallstribune.com "Tribes proud of veterans" Monday, May 27, 2002 By JENNIFER PEREZ Tribune Staff Writer "These are the stories of four men from the Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck and Rocky Boy's reservations who have made their people proud by serving in the military. These men exhibited extraordinary bravery in the face of the enemy and in, one case, made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. **Edward Arthur Connelly Sr., Blackfeet Reservation Technical Sgt. Edward Arthur Connelly Sr., a well-known bull rider, rancher and rodeo stock contractor, served with distinction as part of a cavalry unit in the Pacific theatre, including a stint under the renowned Gen. Douglas MacArthur. In one interesting quirk, the lifelong horseman put together a rodeo performance in Japan after the war was over, playing to an audience of 10,000 that included the Japanese emperor. Here is his story. Connelly was born April 30, 1925, in Meriwether to Brian and Ida Johnson Connelly and died March 22, 2001, at age 75. Connelly entered the U.S. Army from Glacier County in 1943, and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., with the Troop C. 8th Cavalry as a machine gunner with the last horse-trained cavalry. Connelly went overseas to New Guinea and fought from island to island to the Philippines, where they fought in the jungle. When all of the officers in his company were killed, he had the highest ranking and was in charge until a replacement arrived. Connelly, who was honorably discharged Jan. 8, 1946, received the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, two Bronze stars, a Purple Heart with the 73 HQ 1st. Calvary Division 45, Bronze Service Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal and Combat Infantry's Badge. The battles and campaigns he engaged in were the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, South Philippines Luzon and the final occupation of Japan. "Ed had no fear and was often the first to try something new. After WWII broke out, Ed couldn't wait to join up with the fighting forces of the United States," said his niece, Alvina "Viney" First Rider, in his eulogy at his funeral. "It was Ed's love of the cowboy way of life that led Ed to choose the cavalry for his military career," she said. Connelly applied his cowboy heritage to the countries where he was stationed in the South Pacific -- he rode a water buffalo in New Guinea and the Philippines. He was with Troop C of the 8th Cavalry Regiment when the war ended and was with U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Tokyo when he was detailed to hold the Japanese emperor under house arrest. After military action was over, Connelly helped organize the first rodeo in Japan, which was witnessed by more than 10,000 people, including the emperor. Connelly chose to get in the bulldogging event, quickly turning his steer and pinning it to the ground. A picture of him as he came up holding both steer horns in his hands was printed in the military newspaper "Stars and Stripes. After returning home by Christmas in 1945, he married Bernice Lafromboise and had nine children and worked in construction, ranching and as a stock contractor. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1989, he lived life to the fullest -- traveling around to rodeos, concerts, dances and to visit family and friends. He had an Indian Relay Team and provided stock for and acted in the movie "War Party." In 1998, at age 72, he won an arm wrestling championship in the 50-and-over category at the Kalispell Fair. He had numerous brothers and sisters, many of whom live in Browning. His children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren mostly live in the Browning-area. **Joseph Longknife, Blackfeet Reservation Pvt. Joseph Longknife, a.k.a. "Joe Geeb", a full-blood Assiniboine, left a swashbuckling image in the minds of the Japanese through his heroic actions in the Philippines. Portrayed in an American news magazine as one of the stealthy Indian raiders who would sneak up on bands of Japanese and take them out with deadly accuracy, Longknife appeared in a wartime comic book, legendary for his skill and shooting accuracy. Here is his story. Longknife was born May 15, 1915, and grew up in Big Warm on the Fort Belknap Reservation. His name, "Skunk toga jakota," means Gray Wolf. Florence Longknife Capture, 82, is his sister in the Indian-way, because their fathers were brothers and the children were raised together by their grandparents, Elbow and Old Old Longknife. She remembers quite vividly the winter of 1940, when "Joe Geeb" came to her house by the Milk River dressed in a long heavy coat, rubber overboots and a hat with earflaps. After she visited with him and fed him, his last words to her were, 'Well sister, I might not come back. I'm going to join the Army,' " she said, adding that she watched him as he was on the road hitchiking to Missoula. "It was a dreary day, the snow blowing slightly over the highway," Capture said. "I felt bad and lonely because we were close growing up and I thought 'what if they don't accept him,' but they must have because he never came home." After Longknife, 26, enlisted in the U.S. Army Jan. 27, 1941 at Fort Missoula, he was sent to Angel Island near San Francisco, where he boarded a ship and sailed to the Far East. He arrived in Manila, Luzon Island, in the Philippine Islands assigned to company "K" in the 31st infantry regiment. Hours after the air strike at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Air Force was attacked at its bases in the Philippines and was largely. On Dec. 10, 1941, Japanese troops landed on Luzon Island. On Christmas Eve 1941, Gen. Douglas MacArthur retreated from Manila to the Bataan Peninsula. Meanwhile, U.S. troops in Bataan received their first taste of tropical warfare, battling not just the Japanese, but diseases such as hookworm, beriberi, dysentery and malaria. In early March 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to escape to Australia. The defenders, now the self-styled "battling bastards" of Bataan, fought on for another month, eating monkeys, horses and iguanas to survive. Press coverage of the day indicates Longknife made his presence known: The fearless, sharp-eyed jungle fighter searched the jungle for Japanese patrols. In a March 9, 1942, article in Time magazine, Longknife was mentioned as one of the American Indian scouts in the 31st infantry regiment The article read in part: Another is tall, lean Joe Longknife from a Montana reservation. On a recent raid he rose up out of tall grass, killed 10 Japs with 16 shots, dispersed the rest with hand grenades. When he was a youngster he listened to tales of raiding parties told to him by his father, (Abe) Longknife, and his grandfather, Old Old Longknife. Even a comic book was circulated in Japan that had Army pictures in it featuring Longknife as the "Indian Joe," who had killed 10 Japanese. Longknife was such a threat to the Japanese that he was mentioned by WWII radio personality Tokyo Rose, whose program the "Zero Hour" Japanese propaganda broadcasted to Allied troops. Tokyo Rose was a woman used by the Japanese to try to wear down the will and take the heart and spirit out of the Allied soldiers. When Longknife escaped and the Japanese were looking for him, they put Tokyo Rose on the radio, saying, "Indian Joe, they're going to get you. You can run but you can't hide." He became a prisoner of war in April 1942 and survived the torturous Bataan Death March, a brutal nine-day trek when 12,000 American soldiers marched in units 55 miles on crushed rock and loose sand to a prison camp in San Fernando. He was among 750 soldiers who boarded a Japanese freighter headed to Manila and arrived at the port of Zamboanga Aug. 24, 1944. After 10 days, the POWs were transferred to the "Shinyo Maru" freighter on the second leg of the trip sailing toward Liloy Point, Sindangan, Mindanao. The Shinyo Maru was torpedoed in September 1944 by American forces and sank within minutes. Longknife, then 29, died. The last time his sister, Florence, whose Assiniboine name is Na do maz, or Iron Braid, heard from him was a postcard he sent her before boarding a ship from Angel Island, Calif., to the Far East. Longknife, who had a great sense of humor, liked to Indian dance, ride horses, rodeo and swim in the Milk River. Just recently, his niece, Beverly Gardipee, received his medals, which include, a Bronze Star, Prisoner of War, Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, Combat Infantry Badge, American Defense, Philippine Independence, Philippine Defense and a WWII victory. **Francis Two Bulls Fort Peck Reservation Francis Two Bulls was one of the most highly decorated Vietnam War veterans in Montana, and among the most decorated in the nation. One published account in Montana gives an idea of the scope of Two Bulls' heroics, but no additional information is available from the government. In a move that suggests his importance to American's war effort, Two Bulls' file with the Department of Defense is stamped "Top Secret." Here is his story. Two Bulls enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1962, then later joined the Green Berets. He spent three years in Vietnam and left the military in 1974 as a master sergeant. Two Bulls completed 210 parachute jumps, was a Ranger Green Beret and ex-Marine and received four Silver Stars, seven Bronze Stars with combat valor insignia, eight Purple Hearts and eight air medals and various other campaign and commendation medals. "I personally am very proud of who he was and what he had done for his country," said his son, Technical Sgt. Willie Buck, 37, a Fort Belknap Assiniboine and Fort Peck Sioux from Lincoln, Neb., who this year has 20 years in with the Air and Army National Guards in Montana and Nebraska. Charlie James from the Flathead-area wrote the following article in a publication on decorated veterans in the mid-1980s. In part it read: "Two Bulls, an old-fashioned warrior and modern day soldier, was a full- blood Sioux from Poplar. He maintained a family tradition of patriotism that stretched back to the days of the Little Big Horn. Many of his family members had served in the wars prior to Vietnam. "A fighting machine, he ripped and tore them apart at every opportunity; wounding and killing them or driving them from the battlefield. He rescued other Americans from the clutches of death and the hordes of enemy like so many army ants on the move. The number of times he was wounded and returned to battle is beyond imagination. "After the war for unknown reasons, Two Bulls did not remain in the service. He was an electrician by trade and a very intelligent person but also very restless." No one can say exactly what happened to him in the service, since he didn't talk about it and the Department of Defense has stamped "Top Secret" on everything but his basic service and medical records. Two Bulls died of combat-related wounds and possible alcoholism at the Veterans Hospital in Seattle in May 1985; he is buried in Poplar. He was 44. He has three sons and a daughter who live in New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska and Denver. **James Ironmaker Sr., Rocky Boy Reservation James Ironmaker Sr., a Chippewa Cree WWII U.S. Army veteran, distinguished himself with courage during his years of service, cataloged by his numerous awards and medals. In an intriguing contribution, Ironmaker used the Cree language with other soldiers from Rocky Boy to talk code for the Army. Because the Native American languages were unfamiliar to American's WWII enemies, Indians in the service could talk to each other and pass messages back and forth without being understood by others. Here is Ironmaker's story. He was born on July 1, 1923, during the sundance on the Rocky Boy's Reservation. His Cree name translates to "the sky is his body," When he was 2, his parents, John Ironmaker and Answering Chief Goes Out, died, and he was raised by his uncle and aunt, Charles and Edith Writing Bird. A cowboy, artist, rancher and saddle bronc rider who also had Crow, Blackfeet and Assiniboine ties, Ironmaker spent his life in Rocky Boy and died Oct. 9, 1993 of a heart attack at age 70 in Great Falls. Ironmaker enlisted in the Army April 10, 1943, and served as an anti- aircraft gun crewman in the Battle of Normandy and campaigns in Northern France and Rhineland before his Dec. 23 1945 honorable discharge and return home. He received numerous medals, including a Purple Heart, Bronze Service Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, American Theatre Service Medal, European, African, Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal, ADR-Score and three overseas service bars. "We are proud that he served his country so we could be free," said his daughter, Kay Azure, 46, of Havre. Ironmaker once cut the hair of General George S. Patton, the WWII Army officer who commanded the 3rd Army in its sweep across Northern France into Germany in 1945. Ironmaker said that General Patton had called him "chief," Azure said. He also told family that he used the Cree language with other soldiers from Rocky Boy to talk code for the Army. But, after volunteering to serve their country, Indian veterans didn't get much recognition and had to fight for basic rights when they got back to the states, Azure said. Throughout his life, Ironmaker had trouble sleeping and always had nightmares, Azure said. "He did that all his life from that war," she said. Before entering the service, he married Margaret Wind Chief; they had eight children together. After he returned, he helped his nephews ranch and danced Crow-style until he was in his 30s. His legacy now lives on through his grandchildren, as some dance that same style. Ironmaker's children live in Havre, Fort Belknap and Great Falls. He has four sisters and a brother and other relatives who live in the Rocky Boy-area. [Jennifer Perez received considerable help from the friends and family of veterans featured in this article. She appreciates the cooperation in telling their stories, and the photographs shared by their loved ones.]" Copyright c. 2002 Great Falls Tribune. ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe to this group,send an email to: ndn-aim-subscribe@egroups.com Archived on line at: http://www.eScribe.com FREE LEONARD PELTIER --------- "RE: Native American Women Vets seek Recognition" --------- Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 08:19:15 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WOMEN VETS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/922 Native American Women Vets Seek Recognition Run Date: 05/27/02 By Maya Dollarhide WEnews correspondent On this Memorial Day, countless Native American families will remember their grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who served in the United States armed forces--even without an official record of their service. (WOMENSENEWS)--Native American women have been supporting the United States in wartime since the American Revolution. Little has been documented about them, historians say, and thousands of their stories have been lost or forgotten. Now, an organization, with the help of retired Lt. Colonel Brenda Finnicum, is working to gather the names and stories of Native American women who served in U.S. armed forces for a memorial exhibit opening in Washington, D.C. in the fall. According to Finnicum, the United States Defense Department tallied a total of 2,726 Native American women currently serving in the armed forces, including the Coast Guard, as of last March 2001. Finnicum, a retired army nurse and member of the Lumbee Nation, has dedicated her retirement to locating the Native American women veterans. Finnicum says historians estimate that 800 Native American women served in the armed forces in the past. "But I don't believe that is correct," she said, having served over 20 years in the Army Nurse Corps. "When you are talking about women who served during World War I and II, the classification system of race was limited to three choices: black, white, and other. Native American women and men were not counted as individuals; they were passed on as white. So many Indians were not even correctly classified." Tom Anderson, a researcher in the Office for the Deputy Assistant for the Secretary of Defense, agreed, noting that "government officials do not have any concrete statistics for living or dead Native American women veterans." The confusion is compounded by the reluctance of many Native Americans to identify themselves as such. "They could pass themselves off as white," said Finnicum, who says she knew women who concealed their identity in the armed forces for years. "Women who hid their Indian identity make it even more difficult to trace what women from which tribes served in battles," she added. "Many women are not registered by tribal nation, so you have to really know Indian family names," she said, "and read the Indian newspapers." 'These Women Felt Compelled to Serve This Nation' One of the oldest documented cases of Native American women serving the United States military is that of four Lakota nuns from South Dakota who worked as nurses in Cuba during the Spanish Civil War. Their story has been documented by historians at the Women in Military Service for America's memorial and by Finnicum for an article she wrote for the Indian Country Today newspaper. During World War I and World War II, Native American women served in a variety of roles, from nurses to pilot's assistants in the Air Force. The Korean and Vietnam Wars brought fewer women to the services, but Native American women continued to be active in the medical corps. Native American women more recently served in Desert Storm. Native American women veterans have been urged by historians and activists alike to register with the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington. An exhibit scheduled to open at the memorial in October is expected to draw new attention to their contributions to the United States. "It's a tremendous challenge to document all of these women, but we are trying to develop what we know," said Judith Bellafaire, the memorial's chief historian and curator. Historians have documented the efforts of 111 such women, but Bellafaire says thousands of stories are still missing. Those working on the exhibition are especially eager to find recent Native American women veterans or Native American women who are still on active duty. "We need to communicate the importance of these women to America," Bellafaire said. "They served a country, which didn't necessarily support Indians, yet these women felt compelled to serve this nation, anyway." Both Bellafaire and Finnicum believe that many Native American women veterans will be missing from the records this Memorial Day and that an exhibit to honor their work and courage will only be fulfilled if the these women are found. "It is important that these histories get documented and told," Finnicum said. "Indian people are never mentioned in the statistics. We are uncounted, and when that happens, your voice remains unheard." Maya Dollarhide is a freelance journalist based in New York. Copyright c. 2002 Women's Enews Inc. --------- "RE: Treaty Ride Starts" --------- Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 20:25:43 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TREATY RIDE" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.zwire.com/site/news Treaty ride starts today By: Molly Miron, Staff Writer May 25, 2002 The Red Lake Nation in its original form covered the northwest corner of Minnesota and a portion of northeast North Dakota. Since then, the tribe has ceded millions of acres. The 1889 treaty outlined Red Lake with borders running through Beltrami, Clearwater, Red Lake, Pennington, Marshall, Roseau, Lake of the Woods and Koochiching Counties and into Canada. The current diminished borders were set up by the 1904 treaty. Treaty ride Beginning with a send-off ceremony at 8:30 a.m. today at the site of the signing of the 1889 treaty on Pike Creek near the shore of Red Lake, Mick Humbert and his 16-year-old daughter, Teresa, will ride a tandem recumbent bicycle around the approximate borders of the 1889 Red Lake land base. Overnight stops will be at churches in Thief River Falls, Roseau, Baudette and a motel in Little Fork. The total distance is 376 miles. "Given the history of the Anishinabe specifically, and the Native Americans generally, I feel very strongly that some form of restorative justice is necessary on the part of the white culture who heaped economic, emotional and spiritual oppression upon the native peoples of the Americas," Mick said. He said the bicycle ride is his and his daughter's token of personal reconciliation. Common ground "The reason that 1889 is so significant is that it set Red Lake apart because we refused allotment and our chiefs wanted us to hold our land in common," said Jody Beaulieu, Red Lake tribal archivist. Common land rather than individual ownership was in keeping with the understanding of all indigenous people, she said, but only Red Lake has maintained that philosophy as a reality. She said the current Red Lake Reservation borders laid out in 1904 were intended to include all of Upper and Lower Red Lake, but when the maps were drawn, a portion of Upper Red Lake was included in the ceded territory. She cites a statement written by the Rev. Thomas Borgerding, a priest fluent in Ojibwe who served St. Mary's Mission from 1889 to 1923. He recalled the Red Lake people's determination to keep their lakes intact. "... So that they would have that as their warehouse, as they expressed themselves or At-tas-soh-we-cum-ig, as they called that," he wrote in a statement for the U.S. Court of Claims in 1930. He wrote that the Ojibwe word for warehouse was the same as the word Red Lakers used for government provisions stores. Beaulieu is part of a campaign to have the Red Lake borders redrawn to include all of Upper and Lower Red Lake. Mick said he could do nothing to return land to Indians, but he could draw attention to the history of oppression white culture has imposed. Church connections For several years as deacon at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Hastings, Minn., sister parish with St. Mary's, Mick has brought students of Cretin Durham Hall High School to the reservation for immersion experiences. Beaulieu presents history discussions to the youngsters who participate in the trips. Mick said he learned about the challenges of Red Lake people in the past and present from Beaulieu's talks. In addition to a gesture of reconciliation, he said he and Teresa are using the bicycle tour as a fundraiser for the archives office and for Beaulieu to write and publish the history of the Indians in this area. He said he expects to raise about $5,500 from his parish and other donors and later work with Beaulieu on grants. History education Beaulieu said she intends the history writing and her work in the archives as an adjunct to Red Lake Reservation students, as well as general education. She said Indian students respond enthusiastically to her presentations. "They were all pumped up. They just wanted to do something that makes a difference," she said. "This is a history that's giving you pride to make a difference for the Red Lake Nation." Teresa said the cultural experiences and workdays for St. Mary's Mission made a big impression on her, especially the powwow, which she never before experienced. The trip also is a time for father and daughter to bond in an important endeavor. "I was doing the Habitat 500 last year and it was really enjoyable," Teresa said. "I realized with training, it was something I could do and it was time I could spend with my dad. And I think it's important to have the history written down for the young people." Mick said he drove the route, setting up food caches and places to sleep in the major communities along the route. Meanwhile, father and daughter have been putting miles on stationary bicycles and on the road. The expect to make the circle and return to the Red Lake Tribal Office Wednesday afternoon. Copyright c. 2002 The Pioneer. --------- "RE: UN: Indigenous Peoples living in Cities" --------- Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 21:02:49 -0700 From: "mikola 18" Subj: Problems Of Indigenous Peoples Living In Cities Should Be Addressed Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.unitednations.org Tue, 21 May 2002 "Problems Of Indigenous Peoples Living In Cities Should Be Addressed, Permanent Forum Told United Nations" HR/4600 21 May 2002 (Reissued as received from a UN Information Officer.) NEW YORK, N.Y.- "The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues should discuss the situation of indigenous peoples living in urban areas, an indigenous representative told the Forum today, as it continued its review of United Nations activities relating to indigenous peoples. According to the representative from the Ainu Association of Sapporo (Japan), many Ainu had settled for economic reasons in industrial centres away from their native communities, where traditions were not handed down from the elders. A 1997 law to protect the Ainu culture mostly benefited Japanese scholars, while the Ainu culture was being 'Japanized', a cultural invasion that could be seen as a new form of colonization. Stuart W. Leslie (Belize), speaking on behalf of the 14 Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the Permanent Forum should provide "critical advice" to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). CARICOM members were aware of the contribution to sustainable development made by indigenous peoples, and realized the need to strengthen their human and institutional capacities to allow them to better participate in decision- making. The CARICOM countries were committed to improving the quality of life of their indigenous populations, who were among the most vulnerable. It was all too easy to be politically correct on this issue and say the right sort of things, "but none of these words will improve the lives of our indigenous groups unless we translate them into action," he said. The representative from the Teton Sioux National Treaty Council (United States) recommended to the Forum that the studies of the United Nations special rapporteurs be utilized as a guide for making recommendations on the enforcement of treaty rights for indigenous nations. Also, the International Court of Justice should be consulted to preserve treaty rights, and the studies on land and culture by Special Rapporteur Erica Irene Daes should guide the Forum's recommendations on indigenous peoples' sovereignty. The representative from the Curyung Tribal Council (Alaska, United States) spoke of the inability of the State of Alaska to resolve hunting and fishing rights, and asked whether this new United Nations body could assist in overcoming this impasse. The right to subsistence hunting and fishing was a human right, guaranteed under such international instruments as the International Labour Organization Convention No. 169. The representative from the O'odham from Northern Sonora and southern Arizona expressed concern about the militarization of their lands, which overlay the United States-Mexico border, by both the military and drug- enforcement officers. Indigenous peoples must be allowed access to their traditional lands, as well as unrestricted freedom of movement across national borders that had been established without their involvement. Indigenous peoples should act against the misuse of cultural practices. For instance, an 'eagle feather' should not be used by just anyone, and instead required a long period of rites of passage to validate its use. The representative of the L'auravetl'an Indigenous Information Center said the main idea behind the United Nations and the Permanent Forum was security. Culture was "a profound notion of why and how we are here," and the highest form of our common security was guaranteed by passing one's culture on to future generations. The Permanent Forum should consider how to involve community elders, and how to build connections from the grass roots up. Connie Taracena (Guatemala) said her country's experiences, both negative and positive, in shaping a multi-ethnic society could significantly help the Forum's work. The establishment of the Forum was the beginning of a process which would help to provide guidelines, so that indigenous peoples could overcome situations of discrimination and exclusion which too often affected them. The Forum's mandate recognized that indigenous peoples' issues went beyond human rights, encompassing questions such as health, education, work, the environment, gender issues and decentralization. To give stability to the Permanent Forum, it was essential to guarantee resources from the United Nations regular budget, as well as to establish a support secretariat allowing Forum members to work between sessions. The representative of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (Australia) stressed the push for greater autonomy of the Torres Strait Islanders, a Melanesian people of some 8,000 spread across 17 island communities in north-eastern Australia. The establishment in 1994 by the Australian Parliament of the Torres Strait Regional Authority, a statutory body, was a step towards greater autonomy that had allowed his people to negotiate directly with Australia and Queensland on key matters. However, the time had come to take the arrangement a step further and broaden the decision- making ability to issues such as service delivery and resource control, including land recognition. John Van Buerden (Australia) said it was clear from the statements made that expectations from the Forum were high. Australia fully supported the call for appropriate support and adequate funding, but it was important to know what required funding. The Forum, with the support of all, should make clear what it intended to do between now and its next session, and outline activities for the following year. This would help to determine the necessary funding, and provide a basis for States to ensure that funding was available from the regular budget and other sources. As decided by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2000, once the Forum had held its first annual session, ECOSOC should review all United Nations mechanisms, procedures and programmes concerning indigenous peoples with a view to rationalizing activities, avoiding duplication and promoting effectiveness, to ensure that the Forum would be the success all hoped it would be. The representative from the American Indian Law Alliance (United States) requested the Permanent Forum to submit a number of recommendations to ECOSOC. Namely, the Forum should have a separate secretariat; should hold its annual session by rotating the venue among the seven regions of the Forum members; should call for the adoption by 2004 of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; should regularly receive detailed reports from United Nations agencies on their programmes for indigenous peoples, including budgetary allocations; should secure funding from the United Nations regular budget; should recommend the establishment of an independent fund for the Permanent Forum; should call for a World Summit on Indigenous Peoples at the end of the International Decade on the World's Indigenous Peoples, 1995-2004; should establish strong relationships with the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations; and should recommend that the Inter-Agency Support Group, recently established under the auspices of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), convene a meeting on the health of indigenous women. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga (Ecuador) said the Ecuadorian Constitution recognized the collective rights of indigenous peoples, and putting into practice such rights was a task that the Government had taken up in earnest. A spirit of dialogue had been the guiding principle in Ecuador's relations with its indigenous peoples. The country's interest in indigenous issues was due to the fact that a large share of the country's population was indigenous, and it was in the national interest to contribute to improve their social and economic situation. In this spirit, Ecuador fully supported the functioning of the Forum. The representative of the Partnership for Indigenous Peoples Environments said there could be no international cooperation if indigenous peoples were constantly in situations of conflict with States. Peaceful coexistence was not impossible, but much would depend on the Forum's leadership in promoting respect for indigenous rights and fundamental freedoms. As an indigenous person from Ogoni, Nigeria, he had experienced the struggle for survival. The Ogoni land, with its oil and natural gas, had helped enrich individuals and countries around the world, yet the Ogoni were extremely poor. Ken Saro-Wiwa, a prominent Ogoni environmentalist and writer, had been hanged along with eight others for daring to demand indigenous rights. The Ogoni land had been devastated and polluted, and the subsistence economy had been paralyzed for over 40 years. Given that indigenous peoples around the world faced similar situations, the Permanent Forum could best protect indigenous peoples if its mandate included the competence to urgently intervene in cases where irreparable damage was about to occur. To exercise such competence, the Forum should be given the authority to deal with all matters relating to the rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. Statements were also made by the observers for the Interior Alliance, Te Kawau Maro, African Indigenous Women Organization (Sudan), Indigenous/Tribal Peoples Development Centre, Programme d'Integration et de Developpement du Peuple Pygme'e, Alliance of Indigenous People of Archipelago for Sulawesi Tengah, United Native Nations, Taungya, Tonatierra, Voices for Peace, World Blind Union Indigenous Caucus, Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network, and Saami Parliament in Norway." Copyright c. 2002, UnitedNations.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe to this group,send an email to: ndn-aim-subscribe@egroups.com Archived on line at: http://www.eScribe.com FREE LEONARD PELTIER --------- "RE: Six Nations Chief's Fiery call for Action" --------- Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 08:17:32 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SIX NATIONS CHIEF" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Coon-Come-Upstaged.html Matthew Coon Come loses assembly spotlight to chief's fiery call for action May 22, 2002 OTTAWA (CP) -- Canada's most prominent native leader, Matthew Coon Come, was upstaged Wednesday by a chief whose fiery call to fight planned Indian Act changes brought her audience to its feet. "Being united is not enough," Roberta Jamieson, chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory near Brantford, Ont., told the Assembly of First Nations. "If you're standing on the deck of the Titanic, saying . . . your rights are protected by the Constitution, you better be prepared for a pretty cold bath." Jamieson is a former ombudsman for Ontario and the first woman to lead the country's most populous reserve. Her speech riveted more than 500 chiefs and observers from across Canada who packed a hotel conference room as she spoke. "We must also take clear, vigorous and principled action," Jamieson said. "We're in a situation that won't wait until the powwow season is over, or until we have the free time and funds." She called on the chiefs to do much more to challenge Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault's "unilateral" bid to overhaul the 1876 Indian Act. Coon Come, the assembly's national chief, has been criticized for failing to inspire a strong, unified response to the minister. He recycled well-used phrases to stress his concern about the pending legislation, drawing muted applause compared to Jamieson's standing ovation. She said the proposed bill, to be introduced in June, will impede aboriginal and treaty rights. "If we as chiefs allow it to happen, we will have to be accountable to (future generations) for our unwillingness or our inability to oppose this move with much more vigour than we've shown up until now. "I've always been known as a real moderate. But enough is enough." Critics should at least wait until they've seen the bill, Nault said later Wednesday in an interview. The proposed legislation would tighten administration, clarify legal status and increase fiscal accountability on Canada's 600 First Nations, he says. Nault denies the bill will curtail native rights, but it is expected to set standards for how bands select leaders, for example. The minister will send the bill earlier than usual to an all-party Commons committee for study to allow First Nations more time to recommend changes, he added. "I'm looking forward to the debate. It's one that's long overdue." Chiefs attack the archaic Indian Act while at the same time fighting efforts to change it, Nault added. "It's probably the worst piece of legislation in the modern world." Jamieson called on the chiefs to fill committee hearings and Parliament's public gallery. They must decry the "dismal failure" of Nault's five-month consultation with First Nations last year, she said. At most, just three per cent of about 700,000 status Indians turned up to discuss the proposed bill during the rushed process, the assembly says. Many native leaders say they welcome improvements -- but not changes imposed by Ottawa without a respectful effort to include them. Only 154 of 633 chiefs made it to Wednesday's assembly. As well, 66 proxies and more than 300 observers attended. "We have to regain the spirit and strength we showed" in 1980 when native leaders fought for and won constitutional recognition of aboriginal and treaty rights, Jamieson said. Coon Come later said he has tried to unify the fractious assembly to challenge Nault's approach. But internal rifts and the wait to see the proposed legislation have slowed momentum, he said. The assembly's two-day meeting was to wrap up Thursday with a march on Parliament Hill to protest Nault's approach. Copyright c. 2002, Canoe, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Anti-Indian Act Parliament Hill March" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANTI INDIAN ACT MARCH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Native-March.html Parliament Hill march 'first of many' if new Indian Act is introduced May 23, 2002 OTTAWA (CP) -- Two masked native men in army fatigues flanked the steps to Parliament on Thursday as more than 300 marchers protested planned changes to the Indian Act. New legislation to be introduced in June will impose rules on more than 600 First Nations without their consent, leaders said to cheers from the crowd. Back off, they told Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault. "If you do not, this is the first of many events," said Roberta Jamieson, chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory near Brantford, Ont. "And we will be bigger. We will be in the House of Commons, in the committee rooms, and in the galleries." Demonstrators will take to the streets, schools, churches and parks, she said, "because in this we stand firm." The masked men conjured up images of the land dispute that rocked Oka, Que., in the summer of 1990 when natives stared down soldiers during a 78- day standoff. On Thursday, marchers were led by drummers and elders hoisting eagle- feather staffs and tribal flags that snapped in a stiff breeze. They emerged from a hotel less than a kilometre from Parliament Hill where 160 Assembly of First Nations chiefs and more than 300 observers had wrapped up a two-day meeting. The fractious assembly pledged renewed resolve to fight the planned legislation together. On Parliament Hill, speakers urged Nault to rethink legislation he argues will improve band administration, elections and fiscal accountability. It's time to modernize the 1876 Indian Act, says Nault, who did not meet the demonstrators. "One does not modernize colonialism," countered Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the assembly. "One rejects it." The assembly, made up of 633 chiefs representing more than 700,000 status Indians across Canada, has rejected Nault's approach. "You're repeating the mistakes of the past and trying to dictate our future," Coon Come said. "It's time to listen to our people." Leader after leader took the microphone to urge Ottawa to implement long ignored treaties, and to nix the proposed bill they say will infringe aboriginal rights guaranteed in the Constitution. But Pam Paul, president of the National Aboriginal Women's Association, said they're on the wrong track. She and other native people who advised Nault on the legislation took pains to protect aboriginal and treaty rights, she said Thursday in an interview. "I would suggest that people just wait and see (the bill) and then make their decision." Preliminary drafts of the legislation offered bands new powers to govern themselves, Paul said, adding she has concerns about membership and other issues that will be raised once the bill is introduced. Pedestrians and drivers stuck in traffic waiting for the march to pass said they'd heard little of the ongoing clash between Nault and the assembly. "I don't think it's been covered," said David Knox, 28, a photographer and self-described news junkie. "I think life is pretty bad for them," he said of Canada's native people. But he thinks $7 billion in federal funds spent each year on related programs could be better managed. Canada needs a wake-up call about under-funding and the history of Canada's often neglected obligations to First Nations, said Coon Come. Most don't know, for example, that the land on which Parliament sits is traditional Algonquin territory that was never ceded or sold, he said. "I challenge the government to show the bill of sale." Copyright c. 2002, Canoe, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Nault skips another AFN Meeting" --------- Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 08:09:51 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAULT NO-SHOW" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Nault-Chiefs.html Nault skips another AFN meeting, says he doesn't want to distract chiefs May 21, 2002 OTTAWA (CP) -- Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault denies he'll miss another meeting of chiefs from across Canada this week because he fears hard questions and confrontation. The opposite is more true, he said Tuesday outside the Commons. "I think people might argue that I come across as being too tough. I'm not looking to be the toughest guy on the block. I'm looking to improve the lives of people in the (native) community." Nault hasn't met with a full gathering of elected leaders of the Assembly of First Nations since December 1999. He has since clashed with the country's largest native advocacy group over his contentious bid to update the 1876 Indian Act. The assembly promotes native rights on behalf of about 700,000 of Canada's 1.4 million aboriginal people. Nault sent regrets for a two-day meeting that starts Wednesday in Ottawa, citing a scheduling conflict. "The AFN needs to structure itself so it can work with us -- not to have a little fun with Bob Nault and banter back and forth," he said. "That's not going to solve anything for anybody." New legislation to tighten administration, better regulate elections and enhance fiscal reporting on Canada's 600 native reserves is expected in early June. Most chiefs say Nault is imposing changes that could weaken native rights -- in violation of Supreme Court of Canada judgments that instruct meaningful consultation in such matters. Nault counters that he offered to consult, albeit briefly, last summer with the chiefs. He says his legislation will lay the ground work for better run reserves that could attract investment and jobs. And he said he has no place at chiefs' meetings. "There's no reason for me to be an interloper in an assembly when, really, I might be a distraction from what they need to do." In Nault's opinion, the assembly needs to find a way to work with Ottawa to improve often dismal living conditions on reserves. He has also been frustrated by the 10-member assembly executive's failure to get the chiefs to support his legislative agenda. A much touted agreement between Nault and the executive to work together on new governance legislation -- in exchange for a separate focus on pressing social and economic issues -- derailed in December when the chiefs voted 126-49 against it. More than 400 chiefs are expected at this week's meeting, which includes tentative plans for a march on Parliament Hill to protest Nault's approach. Charles Fox, the assembly's vice-chief for Ontario, says Nault doesn't want to be held directly accountable to the chiefs. Nault denied that, too. "I don't do politics that way. This isn't about taking your lumps." The minister has instead met one-on-one with about 100 chiefs each year across the country since he replaced Jane Stewart in 1999, he said. Still, Nault can't escape the "confrontational" climate he has created, said Stewart Phillip, head of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, which represents 70 leaders. "I can't help but think that if Jane Stewart were still minister, we'd have been able to create ... a climate of mutual respect," Phillip said in an interview. "That didn't happen with Nault. "He basically said: 'I'm minister, I'm going to do this. I don't give a damn what the elected chiefs say.' " Nault's approach will end up costing millions of dollars in court challenges to the planned legislation, should it pass, Phillip said. Copyright c. 2002, Canoe, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Three Zapatista Prisoners freed in Chiapas" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 +0200 From: dana.aldea@t-online.de (Dana) Subj: AP,3 Zapatista prisoners freed in Chiapas,May 24 Mailing List: Chiapas-I Three Zapatista prisoners freed in Chiapas AP - 5/24/2002 SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Chiapas - Mexico's government released three Zapatista sympathizers Thursday who were sentenced to eight years in jail in the southern state of Chiapas. Rafael Lopez Satis, Gustavo Estrada and Alejandro Mendez were found guilty of drug trafficking, weapon violations and criminal association. Their release was the latest attempt by President Vicente Fox to bring the Zapatista rebels back to the negotiating table. Fox made bringing peace to troubled Chiapas a top priority after taking office in December 2000. He has closed seven army bases built to surround Zapatista strongholds, freed nearly 100 rebel prisoners and sent a Zapatista-backed Indian rights bill to Congress. But the rebels refused to resume formal peace talks with the government after legislators watered down the bill. "I am happy to leave prison and be reunited again with my family," Mendez said. "I will join (rebel) ranks to continue the armed fight, and if it is necessary give my blood and life for the improvement of Mexico's Indian villages." Luis Alvarez, Fox's peace envoy, said he hoped the rebels saw the release as a good will gesture by Fox's government, but Mendez said the only reason he believed he was being freed was because he had served more than half of his sentence. Zapatista guerrillas staged a bloody 12-day rebellion in the name of Indian rights in 1994, but since then their conflict with the government has been mostly a war of words -- Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists. --------- "RE: Sovereignty Symposium 2002 to be held in OKC" --------- Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 08:17:32 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOVEREIGNTY SYMPOSIUM" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.okit.com/education/2002/mayjune/sovereignty.html Sovereignty Symposium 2002 to be held in OKC OKLAHOMA CITY, OK --- The largest forum concerning Native American legal issues in the United States, The Sovereignty Symposium 2002: A Language of Law & War of Worlds will be held in downtown Oklahoma City, June 10-12 2002. Now in its 15th year, The Sovereignty Symposium provides an educational forum in which ideas concerning Native American and indigenous peoples common legal issues may be exchanged in a scholarly, non-adversarial environment. "Native American law is constantly changing. We have attorneys, judges, government officials, tribal leaders and other participants who return each year to The Sovereignty Symposium to be updated on what has changed and to be informed of possible issues and changes coming in the future," said Julie Rorie, coordinator of The Sovereignty Symposium. Those attending The Sovereignty Symposium come from throughout the United States, as well as from other countries. Among the topics on this year's agenda are: Language Preservation, Gaming, Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage Protection, Criminal Law and Environmental Risk Assessment in Indian Country. Along with respected and renowned panelists, scholars and moderators, The Sovereignty Symposium, celebrating its 15th year, is proud to announce this years guest, The Honorable Neal McCaleb, (Chickasaw), United States Assistant Secretatary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. McCaleb oversees the BIA, a 176-year-old federal agency with almost 10,000 employees nationwide that provides services to which carries out its federal responsibilities for and promotes the self- determination of the 558 federally recognized Tribal governments and approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. Prior to his selection by President Bush as Assistant Secretary, McCaleb served as Secretary Of Transportation as well as Director of the Oklahoma Transportation Authority and Department Of Transportation under Gov. Frank Keating. He is the eighth Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs to be sworn in since Congress established the position in 1977. His appointment followed a professional life i n Oklahoma where he enjoyed several careers including civil engineering, business, state government, politics and as a proponent of tribal self-determination through sustained, successful economic development. Registration to attend the Symposium is $195 if paid before May 20, 2002. After that date, registration for the Symposium will be $210. A few Edmondson tuition-only scholarships are still available for applicants demonstrating an interest in and dedication to Native American law issues. For scholarship information, The Sovereignty Symposium 2002 details or to register, contact The Sovereignty Symposium 2002 at (405) 521-2450 or log on to www.oscn.net and click on the SovereigntySymposium side bar button. Sovereignty Symposium 2002: A Language of Law & War of Words is sponsored by The Oklahoma Supreme Court, The Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, The Sovereignty Symposium, Inc., The Oklahoma Arts Council, The University of Tulsa College of Law, Oklahoma City University School of Law, The University of Oklahoma School of Law and theIndian Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Symposium was established to provide a forum in which ideas concerning common legal issues may be exchanged in a scholarly, non- adversarial environment. The Oklahoma Supreme Court espouses no view on any of the issues or any of the positions taken by participants. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2000-2001 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Indians object to Gene Research with Wild Rice" --------- Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:40:11 -0500 From: Chris Spotted Eagle Subj: Native Wild Rice Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs Indians object to gene research with wild rice Sharon Schmickle Star Tribune Published May 19, 2002 Evoking an age-old tension between spirituality and science, some Minnesota Indian tribes and activists in the green political movement are demanding a ban on University of Minnesota research into the genes of wild rice. The rice is "one of our most sacred ceremonial foods," said Winona LaDuke, an Ojibwe and a former Green Party vice presidential candidate. Taking the plant for genetic research is akin to taking sacred land, she said at a recent briefing for 200 supporters. They plan to protest on Monday at a national food science conference on the university's Minneapolis campus. University scientists who started mapping the wild rice genome in 1993 defend the research by saying it is intended to improve understanding of the plant -- its needs in nature and its food and crop potential. "There are different value systems at work here," said Ronald Phillips, director of the university's Center for Microbial and Plant Genomics. For one side, stewardship of the rice may mean blocking the research, he said. But scientists and farmers who grow the rice in paddies say the studies make them better stewards. California has led wild rice production since the 1980s, but Minnesota is a major producer, selling 4 million to 6 million pounds a year. And growers are funding the university's research through a trade group. Phillips said the studies are an extension of efforts the university started 40 years ago to produce high yielding disease-and insect-resistant plants. Researchers are locating genes linked to such traits. Phillips said he has no plans to genetically engineer rice; the findings could assist conventional breeding. Another goal is to compare wild rice with other members of the grass family, especially Asian rice. "If a new disease were to pop up in wild rice in Minnesota, we could look to see what's happened in [Asian] rice and respond more quickly," he said. Indeed, the Great Lakes Indian Fishing and Wildlife Commission -- representing tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan -- has done genetic studies of natural wild rice stands in order to learn how the plants differ from bed to bed and what could be done to protect them, said Peter David, the commission's wildlife ecologist. Opponents of the research echo themes from the movement against biotech crops, and some non-Indian groups that led that movement are helping organize the wild rice protest. When it comes to wild rice, the protesters are "raising some valid concerns," David said. Conventional breeding also is a form of genetic engineering, and there hasn't been enough research, he said, to learn whether wild rice hybrids grown in paddies are affecting native stands. "Genetic tools can be used for good purposes and bad purposes," he said. Phillips met with concerned Indians on the White Earth Reservation last year to explain the research. But tribes aren't ready to trust the scientists. Many argue that the studies open the door to genetic engineering whether or not Phillips' team does it. Leaders of an organization representing six Minnesota tribes wrote to university President Mark Yudof in 1998 saying that the research abuses treaty rights and that the tribes are prepared to take legal action to stop it. This year, tribal councils at White Earth, Leech Lake and some other reservations have passed resolutions opposing the research. "We are unsure of what genetic research may do if [the scientists] develop different strains of rice, and they were introduced intentionally or nonintentionally to our natural beds," said John Annette, White Earth's director of natural resources. "Wild rice is important to us from birth to death," said Gerald White, commissioner of resource management for Leech Lake. "We use it for our naming ceremonies when we are born. We eat it during our lives. When we pass on, we need wild rice when we have the final feast with the people." The Minnesota groups also have targeted the Nor-Cal Wild Rice Co. in Woodland, Calif., which holds patents on a method for breeding wild rice and on some varieties of wild rice created in paddies using the company's breeding techniques. The company grows about one-fourth of California's wild rice. LaDuke cast patenting of the rice as "biopiracy." It is a new form of colonialism, she said, to presume to own rights to wild rice. Nor-Cal's president, Ken Foster, said his patents are based on 15 years worth of research that helped improve the crop and expand the market for all types of wild rice. The varieties that Nor-Cal has developed are for use in California, he said, and the company doesn't plan to release its seed in natural stands in Minnesota. "I don't understand why what we are doing would interfere with the spiritual aspect of wild rice," he said. "We are not trying to stop them from doing what they do." Radiocarbon dating of wild-rice pollen has shown that a stand in Minnesota predates by 1,000 years the prehistoric cultures that were known to have used it here, according to a study by retired university agronomist Ervin Oelke. Experts have presumed it is a native plant of the Americas. But the genome research suggests that it is closely related to Asian rice. "It doesn't belong to anybody, but we are the caretakers of this plant," White said at the Leech Lake reservation. -- Sharon Schmickle is at sschmickle@startribune.com . --------- "RE: Cowlitz Tribe Sues" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COWLITZ" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=051902&ID=s1148880&cat=section.Tribal_news Cowlitz tribe sues Sunday, May 19, 2002 Associated Press After winning federal recognition in January, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is suing the state Fish and Wildlife Department, saying the agency has given other tribes special hunting rights on Cowlitz land. The tribe says the government has no right to let the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually and Squaxin Island Indians use the prime elk-hunting grounds south of White Pass Highway in Lewis and Skamania counties. Historically, those areas were exclusively occupied by the Cowlitz, said Robin Torner, chairman of the Cowlitz Tribal Council. "Basically, the Nisquallys and Squaxins want to hunt the Packwood and Lewis river areas," Torner told The News Tribune of Tacoma. "They want to hunt there because that's where the elk are." The flap has its roots in the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854, in which the Muckleshoots, Puyallups, Nisquallys and Squaxins signed over ownership of their lands but retained hunting and fishing rights on them. The department and four tribes entered mediation to fix the boundary of the treaty-based hunting area. In December, that boundary was adopted. The Cowlitz objected to being left out of the discussion and said the state had no business interpreting a federal treaty. The agency says the tribe never signed the Medicine Creek Treaty, so it has no special hunting rights. Copyright c. 2002, The Spokesman-Review. --------- "RE: Seeking Justice against BLM" --------- Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 08:21:33 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEVADA/BLM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.elkodaily.com/display/inn_news/news1.txt Seeking Justice: Ranchers, Indians appeal to county sheriff By JEFFRY MULLINS, Associate Editor ELKO -- Nevada Live Stock Association wants the sheriffs of Nevada to take a stand for private property rights and against confiscation of cattle by federal agents. Several members, including cowboy poet and former rancher Waddie Mitchell, met Wednesday with Elko County Sheriff Neil Harris seeking his support in the event of an impoundment attempt by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Association Chairman David Holmgren of Mineral County and his wife, association secretary Jackie Holmgren, traveled to Elko after hearing that Western Shoshone ranchers at South Fork were served an impoundment notice last week by the BLM. Raymond Yowell of the Te-Moak Livestock Association called for the meeting with Harris and was joined by the Holmgrens and Mitchell, along with association members Pete Mori and Kent Howard. They presented their legal arguments to Harris and Deputy District Attorney Kristen McQueary. After the meeting, the Holmgrens described for the Elko Daily Free Press how they believe brand laws have been circumvented in order to take cattle from ranchers who do not pay the federal government for grazing permits. Yowell also claimed the BLM has been increasing its surveillance of his cattle on the Mitchell Creek allotment, which includes a section of unfenced reservation land. On one occasion, BLM agents watched for three and a half hours as tribal ranchers worked to repair a water tank on their own property, he said. The association quit paying grazing fees to the federal government 19 years ago, Yowell said, to protect Shoshone rights under the Ruby Valley Treaty. If they had continued to pay them, he said, it would have been conceding ownership to the government. "In order for the United States to charge us for grazing, we felt they had to show us how they acquired the territory," Yowell said. So far, no federal agency -- including the BLM -- has been able to do that, he added. Meanwhile, the federal government is attempting to dole out millions of dollars to Western Shoshone to settle their claims on the land. The Holmgrens believe county sheriffs are the key to protecting ownership of branded cattle. David Holmgren said when brands originated, they were considered the equivalent of putting cattle under a "lock and key." The Holmgrens produced an April 12, 2001, letter from Assistant Director Don Henderson of the Nevada Department of Agriculture explaining how transfer of ownership can only be accomplished through the issuance of a brand inspection certificate. In Nevada, "the department has a firm policy not to issue a brand inspection certificate to the BLM (or any federal agency) unless it is first authorized by court order from an appropriate jurisdiction," Henderson wrote. But last year cattle confiscated from two western Nevada ranchers were transferred by the BLM without a court order. The Holmgrens said this was achieved by the state entering a "memorandum of understanding" (MOU) with the federal agency under a law that was designed to allow cooperation on work projects, not to take property from citizens. "You can't take somebody's property just because you write an MOU," Jackie Holmgren said. Sheriffs have a legal and moral obligation to protect citizens' private property rights, she said. Instead, many rely on their district attorney for legal advice. The attorneys cite an alleged Nevada Attorney General opinion supporting the brand inspector's action, but the Holmgrens' copy of the letter from Attorney General Frankie Sue del Papa says it is not to be considered an official opinion of her office. Some sheriffs are coming around to see their side, they said, including their own in Mineral County where the Holmgrens themselves have been served notice by the BLM. They also said Sheriff Ken Jones is opposed to any impoundment attempts in Eureka County, where the Dann sisters also have been served notice by the BLM. State BLM Director Bob Abbey made it clear last year that he believes ranchers who graze cattle without a permit are trespassers and the agency has a legal right to seize their property. Those who lost their cattle in last year's roundups say they stopped paying grazing fees because the BLM is allowing wild horses to multiply and compete for forage. Nevada Live Stock Association and other groups such the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood have pledged to "peacefully obstruct" the removal of cattle, the Holmgrens said. If a civil disturbance results, the sheriff has the power to clear the area. After their meeting, Harris said he would rely on whatever the district attorney decides. "A lot of it appeared to me to be a political statement," Harris said. David Holmgren is running for governor and Jackie Holmgren has filed for her Assembly district. Harris also faces a re-election challenge this year. The BLM impoundments "may or may not be a taking without due process," Harris said. "It's not my place to interpret state or federal law." But the Homgrens believe county sheriffs have a duty to uphold citizens' constitutional rights, because they are the only elected law enforcement agents in the county. "This is a civil case," Harris concluded. "It belongs in court, not out on the range." The Holmgrens agree. They would like to see a court order the next time the BLM attempts to take branded cattle from their owner. Copyright c. 2002 Elko Daily. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Fort Hall Jurisdiction Issue is still Unresolved" --------- Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 08:09:51 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JURISDICTION ISSUE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/669/public/news304808.html Jurisdiction issue is still unresolved Tensions ease, but problem persists 05/21/02 By Emily Jones - Journal Writer POCATELLO - The issue of jurisdiction on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation remains unsolved, but both tribal and county officials believe there can be a solution to the problem. Tensions were high earlier this month when Bannock County Sheriff's deputies attempted to arrest two suspects on the reservation. Tribal police told the officers they were outside of their jurisdiction and ordered them off the reservation. Tribal officials have said Public Law 280 gives the tribal police and state and county law enforcement concurrent jurisdiction on roads maintained by the county or state, but because the suspects were arrested off county-maintained roads, the officers did not have jurisdiction. Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen said Monday that he believes the officers were justified because they were in pursuit, and because of a 2001 Supreme Court Case, Nevada vs. Hicks. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the tribal court did not have the jurisdiction to charge a Fish and Game officer with trespassing when he entered tribal land to serve a search warrant against a suspect. Nielsen and Tribal Council Chairman Blaine Edmo both said they planned to meet with the U.S. Attorney's office to discuss the matter. The two men have not met in person since the incident, but both say they hope the matter is resolved soon. Edmo said he is meeting with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for advice. "Hopefully, we can get things ironed out," he said. Nielsen said he wanted to meet with the tribal council to discuss the matter. "I want some closure on this," he said. "There's a place for that to be done and it's not on the street." Edmo and Nielsen said the two police departments are still cooperating on a day-to-day basis and have a good working relationship. "Whoever needs help on the reservation will get it," Edmo said. Emily Jones covers Bingham County, Fort Hall and environmental issues for the Journal. She can be reached at 239-3175 or by e-mail at ejones@journalnet.com. Copyright c. 2002 MyWebPal.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Mon, 26 May 2002 08:19:12 -0600 From: Janet Smith Subj: Native Prisoner Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 3:27 PM From: Brigitte Thimiakis Subj: Latest Update on Alex Mailing List: Iron Natives From Valerie Scott ==================================================== Further Update on Alex Montana, Eastham, TX Alex had the opportunity to meet with Warden Stacks on 15 May 2002, in the Office of Major Harris. It is obvious where his investigation is headed now that officials have had excessive time in which to collaborate stories. Apparently, Warden Stacks doesn't seem to think that his officers have violated any policies to date, so the outcome of his investigation is predictable. Therefore, the need to maintain pressure on officials for an independent, impartial investigatio