From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Sep 18 02:26:06 2002 Date: 17 Sep 2002 23:33:54 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews10.038 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 Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper 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 038 | Country than is reported in | O o o o o O | this weekly newsletter. For | O o O September 21, 2002 | For daily updates & events | O o O | go http://www.owlstar.com/ | O | dailyheadlines.htm | Choctaw hashi hoponi/cooking moon +-----------------------------+ Lakota 'can wape 'gi wi/moon of colored leaves <================<<<< >>>>================> 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 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.'" "The whites were always trying to make the Indians give up their life and live like the white men - go to farming, work hard and do as they did - and the Indians did not know how to do that, and did not want to anyway...If the Indians had tried to make the whites live like them, the whites would have resisted, and it was the same with many Indians." __ Wamditanka (Big Eagle), Santee 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! Peabody Coal Company, the world's largest coal conglomerate is denying it broke the law by engaging in secret talks with a former Reagan Cabinet member over stalled lease negotiations with the Navajo Nation. Peabody has since filed a "friend of the court" brief in the Navajo's case against the United States, seeking $600 Million in a breach of trust dispute. In South Dakota William "Wild Bill" Janklow is now running for Congress, after four terms as governor. He states in his press kit "I love representing people." Ask Native Peoples on Pine Ridge, Rose Bud, and Cheyenne River how well he has served them as governor and attorney general before that. Ask the parents whose daughter, 14-year-old Gina Score, died from heat stroke in one of his youth boot camps how he served them and their now-deceased child. He loves serving people, he says. It's been a little less than a century since Lakota and other Indians were finally granted the humanity that made them "people." Maybe South Dakota citizens need to be concerned about how else "Wild Bill" has failed to grow beyond 19th century attitudes, and what else he's forgotten about political reality besides the fact that Indians are allowed to vote now. And maybe we need to see how well his candidacy would fare with the strong participation of a block of voters who just happened to be Indian people. In Connecticut, incumbent politicians are mounting stronger and more vicious attacks against their tribes, even attempting to reverse recognition of those tribes that contribute most to the state's general revenue. What is surprising is the the anti-Indian crusade even outstrips the dominant society's well-known greed. State Representative Pettigrew had his nose rubbed in his proposal to kill the Oklahoma tribes with a state-imposed 50% blood quantum requirement, but do not for one moment believe this will be the last attempt to answer the "Indian Question." The next try may be far more subtle and possibly successful. There are two articles in this issue pointing out the need to get our brothers and sisters registered and at the polling booth. There is even a way to register by mail and a helpful guide. On the same site, there is also a list of bills before Congress right now that involve Indian people, tracking their progress through the legislative process, revealing their sponsors, supporters and opponents This is the eleventh hour for many of our people. There are many reasons to make our voices heard. Washington state Indians got Slade Gorton's attention in the last election. Clearly the message either went unheard, or has faded in Oklahoma and Connecticut. Another news item this week points out that Indian tribes are beginning to lobby their issue with campaign contributions. The surprise is that the media reporting this seemed to think this was some kind of less than honest or desirable practice. I can't imagine why. Look at the doctors in the AMA, the gun-owners in the NRA, the union members who manufacture our cars, the pilots who fly our commercial airliners, and many other respected citizens -- whose representatives also contribute to political campaigns Lobbying is a good start, but the surest way to get and keep legislators' attention is to consistently put disappointing or hostile office-holders out of work, and support those who prove to be our friends with our votes. ============ UPDATE ============== UPDATE ============= UPDATE ========= Sorry to have to say, "I told you so", but this late breaking news item from The Day makes the point of the need to control our own destiny better than anything I might ever say. Senator Dodd, along with Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal have gone through every legal machination possible in their efforts to reverse recognition the Historic Eastern Pequot Tribe of North Stonington after their initial attempts to prevent recognition failed. September 17, 2002 ALERT: Dodd expects moratorium to gain approval -- http://www.theday.com/news/ts-re.asp?NewsUID=E1726F59-2B69-455B-8DB3- 140C1EE3E164 Senate votes today on suspension of BIA tribal recognition - The Day Published on 09/17/2002 - New London - U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd said Monday he is optimistic a proposed amendment to suspend recognition of American Indian tribes will succeed on the Senate floor today. The amendment is attached to an appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior, and it goes before the Senate this afternoon. The amendment imposes a moratorium on tribal recognition until the federal acknowledgment process is reformed. Dodd said Monday he is trying to reach a compromise with opponents to the amendment, who are key members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. --- --- remainder of story at the above URL You can ignore Indian haters like Dodd and Blumenthal or you can vote the scum out of office. While they're in office, you can monitor their efforts and let other legislators who might want your vote know what you think of their attempts to undermine Indian tribes. I've heard the argument that voting and participating in the U.S. government's political process "isn't our way"--that it signals yet more assimilation and acceptance of the occupation government's authority, but that's nonsense. It is a way for our people and our nations to survive and retain our sovereignty using their own tools. Our ancestors didn't turn their backs on horses and repeaters when they provided a means to strike back; very few of us turn up our noses at telephones, radios, televisions, or automobiles. It is foolish and self- defeating to choose political participation and especially voting as the one dominant society tool we won't use. 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 ---------- - Bill Desonia - Freedom wants to - Crossings mark Cheyenne Battle - Native Vote: - Land-claim dispute United States Mail In Registration in Manitoba Park - Senate Indian Affairs Committee - B.C. gives Aboriginals Field Hearing say in Child Service - House Rules Chairman - Court told criticizes Pettigrew Natives' Blockade was Right - Tribes, Administration - Wrongful-death Suit: hit impasse on Trust Plankinton Boot Camp - Federal Judge holds Norton - Woman's Death a Hate Crime in Contempt - Men apologize - Protest planned at U.S. Border for shooting up Klamath Town - Hemp Crop defended - Tohono O'odham: Dealing with Border under Sioux Treaty - Cabazon Band sues over dying Sea - Tribe gets Agriculture Dollars - Town of Taos and Taos Pueblo - Tribes get HUD Grants craft Agreement - United Keetoowah Band - Carson 10 Witness: tries to intervene in Suit Group rushed into Room - BIA moves forward - Native Prisoner with Oklahoma Land Lease -- Wants Pen Pals from Home - LaDuke Tells of - History: Carlisle Indian School Rice Plight for Anishinaabeg - Rustywire: Grazing Permit - Ute Tribe dedicates - Poem: Friendship new Pond for Tribal Elders - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Nez Perce Battle site Dedicated - Native America Calling --------- "RE: Bill Desonia" --------- Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:08:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BILL DESONIA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.helenair.com "Indian elder Bill Desonia dies at age 68" September 14, 2002 By SHAWN WHITE WOLF, Staff Writer HELENA, Montana -- "Sadness fell over the Helena Indian Alliance Friday morning as the news spread that Bill Desonia, a loved and respected Little Shell Elder of the Chippewa Tribe, died of a heart attack at the age of 68. According to family members, he was found about 7 a.m. in his Helena residence on Phoenix Avenue. Lifelong friend, Mike Moorow, said he and Desonia were joking Thursday afternoon that he would live to be 80. "Mike, change your ways," Desonia told Moorow. "No, you won't like me," he replied. Family members describe Desonia as a man who made his own life and lived it. They say he was a rock for many people, and that if life's burdens got too much, he was a person they could hug and hold because he was always happy. Melva Newman, Desonia's sister, said that since his retirement as a maintenance worker at the Alliance, he planned to spend time with his son, Todd, and daughter, Starla, and his grandkids. "Thursday he started remodeling his daughter's bedroom; he had gotten as far as getting the floor stripped down," she said. Family friend Lori Ford added that Desonia raised four children on his own and was influential in getting her son through high school. "He had strong integrity and strong traditional beliefs, with a great love for his people," she said. According to family members Desonia was raised on the border of what used to be Helena and moccasin flats. Melva recalled, "All we had to do sometimes is walk from prairie to prairie." Both friends and family members say he enjoyed reminiscing about his earlier years on moccasin flats and that "he loved the Detroit Lions." "Actually anything to do with Detroit because his father was from there," added Moorow. "Bill Desonia was the hallmark of the Indian community," said the Helena's Indian Alliance Executive Director Antonia Wheeler-Sheehy. The Alliance just purchased a Pendleton blanket to honor Desonia's extensive time at the Alliance and the multitude of hours he just gave to the Alliance, she said. Desonia retired from his maintenance position in July, but still maintained a contract to prepare the Alliance's Colorado building for winter, according to Wheeler-Sheehy. He also assisted in the Alliance's Honor Guard, the Senior's Program, and numerous other activities associated with the Indian community, say Ted and Mary Walker, who sat Friday morning with others in the Alliance's community room. Former executive director Francis Belgarde remembers Desonia as an excellent employee who knew Helena's who's who all the way back to the '50s. Belgarde credits Desonia with remodeling the Alliance from the floors up, and said that if the Alliance wasn't sure that something could get done, he could count on Desonia to do it. Usually whatever it was would get done for about five times less than what it would normally cost. "Everyone that knew him, regardless of whether they just met him or not, loved his sense of humor and his good words," said the family in a memorial. "He just kept everyone smiling." Copyright c. 2002, Helena Independent Record. --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 08:10:52 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" September 17, 2002 Vivian Medicine Stone TWIN BUTTES -- Vivian Lone Fight Medicine Stone, "Ahii Piish," "Mad Bear Digging Turnips," 78, Twin Buttes, went to be with the Creator on Sept. 14, 2002. Services will be held at 11 a.m. CDT Tuesday at Twin Buttes School. Burial will be in Ernest Medicine Stone Cemetery. The Rev. Stephen Kranz, OSB, of St. Joseph Catholic Church will conduct the burial mass. Vivian's clan uncle, Maynard Fox, will conduct the traditional Mandan/Hidatsa tribal burial rites. Vivian Medicine Stone was born May 24, 1924, to Theodore Lone Fight and Mary (Young Bird) at Independence in her uncle Peter and aunt Lucy Standish's log house. Vivian was a member of the Low Cap Clan and a child of the Chicken Clan. She was given four Indian names by her grandmother, Calf Woman. She attended school at Independence Day School and lived in the area until she was united in holy matrimony to the late Ernest Medicine Stone. They made their home in Twin Buttes until her passing. Vivian was well-loved for her kindness to children. Her greatest joy was her family. Vivian was a life long member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Much of her time was devoted to the work and the mission of the church. Vivian enjoyed horseback riding, gardening and cooking, but her greatest love was her family. Vivian had many godchildren whom she loved and prayed for. Vivian is survived by her sons, Darcy (Clarice) Medicine Stone, Calvin Stone and Ted (Benny) Stone, all of Twin Buttes, and Tony Rubia, Bismarck; her daughters, Diana Medicine Stone and Anna Rubia, both of Bismarck, and Mavis Stone, Twin Buttes; her grandchildren, Vivian Hurkes, Bismarck, Mary Ellen Sun and Craig Hurkes, both of New Town, and Dennis Howling Wolf, Twin Buttes; her great-grandchildren, Dallas Anthony Reynolds, Terran Jay Medicine Stone, Breyana Brave Bull, Ernest Stone Grant, Jerrod Grant Jr., Donald Stephin Grant, Sierra Rain and Sheridan Paige Sun, Justice Calvin Howling Wolf and Samantha, Arrow and Craig Hurkes Jr.; her brother, Matthew Lone Fight, Mandaree; and her sisters, Lois Rosario, Mandaree, and Mabel Henry, Renner, S.D. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Medicine Stone, on July 30, 1998; her parents; three brothers, Ted Lone Fight, Fred Lone Fight and Roderick Lone Fight; three sisters, Martha Hale, Agnes Rubia and Eunice Lone Fight; one granddaughter, Stephanie Medicine Stone; and her great- great-grandfather, Sheke Sho Te, known in the United States as "Big White." (Seibel Funeral Home, Beulah) Copyright c. 2002 Bismarck Tribune. -=-=-=- September 12, 2002 Mary Louise Fox Mary Louise Fox, 80, of Fort Totten, ND, died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, in Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND. Mass of the Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday in Seven Dolors Catholic Church with Fr. Charles Leute, O.P. officiating. Burial will be in St. Jerome's Catholic Cemetery. A wake service will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Fort Totten Recreation Center with an 8 p.m. rosary and vigil service. Pallbearers will be Kenneth "K.J." Graywater, Jr., Cody Graywater, Brian McKay, Joshua Fox, Scott Jensen, Jerry Jensen and Sam McKay. Honorary pallbearers will be all the members of the St. Mary's Society, Mary Hill, Evelyn Greene, Gertrude Cavanaugh, Sally Lena, Sylvia Brownshield, Winifred Thomas, Evelyn Ross, Priscilla Touche, Myrtle Gillis, Verna McClusky, Rosemary McKay, Esther Fox, Dolly Azure, Irene Leftbear, Hermenia McKay, Molly Walker, Mary Ann Ginther, Charlotte Monette, Priscilla Cavanaugh, Eunice Whiteman, Stella Garcia, Aggie Littlewind, Monica Rosal, Angelita Bengtsson, Rita Jackson, Sadie Jackson, Lily Shaw, Elizabeth Robertson and Penny Knutson. Mary Louise McKay was born Dec. 12, 1921, in Fort Totten, the daughter of Alphonsus and Mary Jane Adams McKay. She attended the St. Michael Little Flower School and graduated from the Fort Totten High School. During World War II, she worked for Boeing Aircraft in the shipyards at Seattle, WA. She then worked as a matron in the Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, SD, and also in the Fort Totten Boarding School. She was united in marriage to William Roland Fox, Sr. in March 1962 in Crookston, MN. They established their home in Minot. In 1969, they moved to Fort Totten, where they made their home through the years. She worked for the Community Action Program and later for the Green Thumb Program, where she visited and cared for the elderly of the Spirit Lake Tribe. Mary Louise was a member of Seven Dolors Catholic Church, St. Mary's Society, where she served as a treasurer for many years. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Roland; sons and daughter- in-law, Robert "Bob" and Euretta McKay and Bruce McKay; daughters and son- in-law, Beverly and Kenneth Graywater, Sr. and Susie Fox, all of Fort Totten; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister and brother-in- law, Mildred "Midge" and Warren Chase; brother and sister-in-law, Aloysius "Fishy" and Rosemary McKay, all of Fort Totten; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; son, William "Billy" Fox, Jr.; grandchildren, Robert "Bobby" McKay, Jr. and Brent McKay; seven brothers and three sisters. Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake, is in charge of the arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 Devils Lake Daily Journal. -=-=-=- September 12, 2002 Victor Wounded OGLALA - Victor Wounded, 48, Oglala, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, in Rapid City. Survivors include one brother, Colby Iron Horse, Number 4 Community, and two sisters, Shirley Bell, Oglala, and Carol Wounded, Pine Ridge. A two-night wake will begin at 2 p.m. today at Native American Church in Number 4 Community. The second night will begin at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Oglala Recreation Center. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Oglala Recreation Center. Burial will be at the Brown Ear Horse Family Cemetery in Number 4 Community. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- September 13, 2002 Anthony J. Negahnquet Anthony J. Negahnquet, 85, Shawnee, died Thursday. He was born Dec. 14, 1916 in Pearson to Joseph A. Negahnquet and Minnie R. Couch. Negahnquet was born and reared in Pearson and lived in California most of his life. He had lived in Shawnee the past four years. He worked as a truck driver. In the World War II, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a member of the Catholic church, attending St. Gregory's and Sacred Heart in Konawa. He also was a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a VFW post member in California and a retired member of the Teamster's Union. Surviving are numerous nieces, nephews and friends including Madeline Smith of Long Beach, Calif., and Thelma Beeson of Indiana. Rosary will be 7 p.m. Friday at Cooper Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Konawa with the Rev. Matthew J. Brown, O.S.B., and the Rev. Justin Jones, O.S.B., officiating. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Pottawatomie County. Arrangements are under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home, Tecumseh. September 15, 2002 Paul Big Eagle Oklahoma City resident Paul Big Eagle, 19, died Friday at his home. He was born Nov. 13, 1982, in Santa Fe, N.M., to George and Peggy Big Eagle and graduated from Butler High School. He was a member of the Osage and Sac and Fox tribes. He was preceded in death by his father, George Big Eagle in 1996. Survivors include his mother, Peggy of the home; a sister, Janet Helms of Edmond; a grandmother, Peggy Acova of Denver, Colo.; grandparents, Darrell and Mary Nelson, and numerous other relatives. Tribal rites will be Monday evening at the Carol Patterson home, northeast of Shawnee. Burial will follow at the Wakolee family cemetery under the direction of Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel. Copyright c. 1997-2002 The Shawnee News-Star. -=-=-=- September 13, 2002 Franklin John Aug. 12, 1927 - Sept. 11, 2002 Franklin John, 74, of Mitten Rock passed away Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002, in Shiprock. He was born Aug. 12, 1927, in Two Grey Hills to the late John and Fannie (Police) Hoskie. Survivors include his wife, Mary Yazzie Pete of Mitten Rock; five daughters: Theresa Yazzie and husband, Arnold Sr., of Shiprock, Issy Billey and husband, Willard of Kirtland, Alberta Begay and husband Ronnie of Waterflow and Cornelia Pete and Zach Yazzie of Mitten Rock; five sons: Richard Yazzie and wife, Elsie of Farmington, Lester John and wife, Shawn C., of Spanish Fork, Utah, Everett John and wife, Judy, of Two Grey Hills, Sterling John of Roy, Utah and Casey John of Mitten Rock; three brothers: Earl Johnny, Jimmy Hoakie and Harvey Hoskie; 42 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Blanche John and son, Eugene John. Franklin attended the Toadlena Boarding School. He worked for the uranium mines in Colorado and Utah, the railroad and in the housing construction along with enjoying farming and ranching. He greatly loved being with his grandchildren while enjoying being outdoors. A visitation will be held Friday from 12-6 p.m., at Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home in Shiprock. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Toadlena. Branch President Leonard Yazzie will conduct the services. Interment will follow at the family cemetery in Toadlena. Pallbearers will be Casey John, Everett John, Sterling John, Lester John, Patrick John and Cory Manus. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Yazzie, Russell Deal, Johnnie Nez Jr., James Hunt Sr., Elliott Curley, Robert Dixon, Frank Washburn and James C. Johnson. A reception will be held at the residence of Franklin's sister, Helen Castillo, after the graveside services. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, Shiprock, (505) 368-4607. September 14, 2002 Juanita M. Blueeyes Sept. 13, 2002 Juanita M. Blueeyes, 55, of Ojo Amarillo died Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at Northern Navajo Medical Center. Funeral services are pending with Chapel of Memories Funeral Home in Kirtland, (505) 598-9636. Franklin John Aug. 12, 1927 - Sept. 11, 2002 Franklin John, 74, of Mitten Rock passed away Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002, in Shiprock. He was born Aug. 12, 1927, in Two Grey Hills to the late John and Fannie (Police) Hoskie. Survivors include his wife, Mary Yazzie Pete of Mitten Rock; five daughters: Theresa Yazzie and husband, Arnold Sr., of Shiprock, Issy Billey and husband, Willard of Kirtland, Carm Washburn and husband, Frank of Kirtland, Alberta Begay and husband Ronnie of Waterflow and Cornelia Pete and Zach Yazzie of Mitten Rock; five sons: Richard Yazzie and wife, Elsie of Farmington, Lester John and wife, Shawn C., of Spanish Fork, Utah, Everett John and wife, Judy, of Two Grey Hills, Sterling John of Roy, Utah and Casey John of Mitten Rock; one sister, Helen Castillo of Two Grey Hills; 42 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Blanche John; son, Eugene John; and three brothers: Earl Johnny, Jimmy Hoskie and Harvey Hoskie. Franklin attended the Toadlena Boarding School. He worked for the uranium mines in Colorado and Utah, the railroad and in the housing construction along with enjoying farming and ranching. He greatly loved being with his grandchildren while enjoying being outdoors. Funeral services will be held today at 10 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Toadlena. Branch President Leonard Yazzie will conduct the services. Interment will follow at the family cemetery in Toadlena. Pallbearers will be Casey John, Everett John, Sterling John, Lester John, Patrick John and Cory Manus. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Yazzie, Russell Deal, Johnnie Nez Jr., James Hunt Sr., Elliott Curley, Robert Dixon, Frank Washburn and James C. Johnson. A reception will be held at the residence of Franklin's sister, Helen Castillo, after the graveside services. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, Shiprock, (505) 368-4607. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Farmington, NM. -=-=-=- September 15, 2002 Harrison Naswood FORT DEFIANCE, Ariz. - Services for Harrison Naswood, 62, will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Our Lady of Blessed Sacrement, Fort Defiance. Burial will follow at Fort Defiance Cemetery. Naswood died Sept. 5 in Fort Defiance. He was born Feb. 3, 1940, in Chinle, Ariz., into the Edgewater People Clan for the Tangle People Clan. Naswood attended Window Rock High School and Baylor Business College, Dallas Texas. He was employed with the Navajo Nation Purschasing Department. He was a Champion Bullrider, athletics and referee. Survivors include his sons, Elton Naswood of Los Angeles, Calif., Elmer Naswood, Elbert Naswood, and Elroy Naswood all of Fort Defiance; daughters, Evangeline Naswood of Mesa, Ariz., and Evangelita Samora of Pueblo, Colo.; brother, Wilson Naswood of Fort Defiance, Ariz.; sisters, Louise Naswood of Chinle, Ariz., and Judy Armstrong of Whiteriver, Ariz., and three grandchildren. Naswood was preceded in death by his parents, Rufus Naswood and Yanabah Naswood and son, Eldon Ebba Naswood. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Saint Dominic Hall, Fort Defiance. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 the Gallup Independent. -=-=-=- September 16, 2002 Darrel I. Dillon Darrel I. Dillon, 67, a resident of Albuquerque, died Wednesday, September 11, 2002. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lisa K. Dillon of Albuquerque; son, Ken Dillon of Albuquerque; daughter, Emily K.T. Dillon of Albuquerque; son, Lyle I. Dillon of Wasila, AK; daughters, Carolee K. Dillon Petrillo of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, Dawn E. Dillon and Jeanne M. Dillon, both of Denver, CO; seven grandchildren, Ilia K. Egan of Denver, CO, Max Petrillo and George Petrillo, both of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, Virgil Lackey and Trista Lackey of Denver, CO, and Stephanie Oglesby and Ronnie Oglesby of Denver, CO; stepmother, Mary Jane Green of Rapid City, SD; cousins, Frances (Frankie) Wilcox of Long Valley, SD, and Maria E. (Lani) Cole of Lincoln, NE who were like sisters to him. He was also survived by his wife's family and a host of other relatives and friends who will deeply miss him. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Peter Dillon and Emily Standing Bear; mother, Julia Dillon Green; stepfather, Douglas T. Green; and brother, Douglas T. Green Jr.; and his aunt, Stella Green. Mr. Dillon was born in Rosebud, SD and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His early years of poverty and other reservation hardships led him to join the USAF on February 3, 1952. Mr. Dillon remained on active duty for several years as an aircraft mechanic at several duty stations including Laughlin AFB in San Antonio, TX, Lowry AFB in Denver, CO, Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, SD, Chaunte AFB in Chicago, IL, and Kepljavik AFB in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 1961, as a participant in the Native American Relocation program, he moved to the Los Angeles area where he completed his degree in electrical engineering and worked for Hughes Aircraft and Space Program. In 1968, he moved to Ogden, UT to attend BYU. It was there he achieved one of the highest scores ever posted in Physics. In 1971, he moved to Denver where he worked for the State of Colorado Employment services and then the United States Civil Service Commission in 1973. His greatest career satisfaction came from working with various native tribes. He loved working with them, helping them do employment analysis. Mr. Dillon also worked with numerous Native tribes helping to develop their own staffing and economic needs. He spent 11 years in San Francisco and retired from Civil Service in 1992 in Albuquerque as director of Personnel for Indian Health Services for the Albuquerque region. Mr. Dillon belonged to the Mile High Optimist Club and was also active in Stay-In-School Programs. He loved golf and fishing. A rejoicing service celebrating his life will be held Tuesday, September 17, 2002, 11:30 a.m., at French Mortuary, Lomas Blvd. Chapel, 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE, with Pastor Rick Donaho officiating. Interment will take place at 2:30 p.m., at Santa Fe National Cemetery. A traditional Irish wake will be held at 5:00 p.m. at the family home. Pallbearers will be Sam Gershin, Mark Smith, Jim Bohlken, Ron Zawistowski, and John Matte. Honorary Pallbearers will be Meritt Hutton, Scott Hutton, John Hutton, Ted Hutton, Tim Rounds, Ed Gaeto, Sam Gaeto, Harold Dillon, George White, and Bob Smith. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to any organization serving youth such as Albuquerque Youth Symphony or Choir, Albuquerque Concert Band, Mile High Optimist Club, or your school's fine arts program. Arrangements by French Mortuary, 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE. Copyright c. 1997 - 2002 Albuquerque Journal: Albuquerque, New Mexico. -=-=-=- September 11, 2002 LaVern "Bernie" James Edmo FORT HALL - LaVern "Bernie" James Edmo, 53, passed away Sunday, September 8, 2002, at a local medical center. He was born January 31, 1949, in Pocatello, Idaho, to Leonard U. and Faye Tindore Edmo. LaVern graduated from Highland High School. He enjoyed playing football at HHS. He then attended Haskell Indian Junior College for a year. On March 26, 1969, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He married Jacqueline Rambeau December 31, 1971. They were blessed with three children, two daughters, Janelle and Florinda, and a son, Telly. LaVern worked as a heavy equipment operator most of his life. He was a member of the Fort Hall Episcopal Church and the Native American Church. He enjoyed basketball, softball, bingo, relay riding and hunting. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Edmo; daughters, Janelle and Florinda "Saucy" Edmo, grandchildren, Darryus, Talia, and Avery; siblings, Robert "Bob" Edmo, Norma Osborne, Laura Edmo, Christine Edmo, and Rick Edmo I., all of Fort Hall, ID. He was preceded in death by his parents and son, Telly. The viewing will be at the home of his daughter, Janelle Edmo, W. Agency Road, on Tuesday, September 10, 2002, until the time of services Wednesday. Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 11, 2002, at Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S. 4th Ave., with the Reverend Richard Mendez officiating. After the service he will be taken back to his daughter's residence for viewing until the time of burial. Burial will be on Thursday, September 12, 2002, at 2 p.m. at the Fort Hall Episcopal Mission Cemetery. Military rites will be provided by the Fort Hall Veterans Honor Guard. Copyright c. 2001 MyWebPal.com/Idaho State Journal/Pocatello, ID. -=-=-=- Golden Triangle On-Line Obituaries The following obituaries appeared in the Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter or Glacier Reporter this week. Se[tember 12, 2002 Philomena Aimsback Philomena "Thelma" (Weaselhead) Aimsback, 74, of Browning, died of cancer on Sept. 5, 2002 at the Aimsback residence. Funeral was held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002 at the Aimsback Cemetery. Day Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. Aimsback was born June 22, 1928 in Browning. She married Samuel J. Aimsback in 1947 in Cut Bank. She earned her teaching degree and AA degree in Heart Butte and Browning. Aimsback enjoyed bingo, handgame, horseracing, and being with her children and grandchildren. She is survived by, her husband Samuel J. Aimsback; her daughters Mary Louise Aimsback, Sylvia Aimsback, and Myrna Salois; her sons Joseph P. Aimsback, Samuel F. Aimsback, Robert T. Aimsback and Thomas L. Aimsback; adopted children Leroy Aimsback, Francis Aimsback, Travis Aimsback, Wilber Calf Robe and Peter S. Aimsback; a sister Mary Aimsback; brothers Charles Weaselhead, Jr., Abyiousus Weaselhead and Eugene Headcarrier; 22 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Charles Weaselhead, Sr., and Minnie Comesatnight; grandparents Double Charge Comesatnight, Joe Lauarro and Cecile Comesatnight; Phyllis Mary Aimsback and Phyllis Marie Aimsback. Copyright c. 2002 Golden Triangle Newspapers. -=-=-=- September 13, 2002 Isaac L. Goes Ahead Isaac Lemuel Goes Ahead, 27, died due to a car accident in Billings, on Sept. 11, 2002. He was born in Billings on June 2, 1975, to Karen Goes Ahead. His Indian name "Ishu'ux-ehcheesh" (One Who Walks With the Lamb) was given to him by his grandmother, Katherine Big Hail. He was a great-great-grandnephew of Chief Plenty Coups and was a member of the Ties the Bundle Clan and a child of the Greasy Mouth Clan. He was a beloved husband to his wife, Angela Cravens-Goes Ahead, and a caring father to his 4-year-old son, Isiah Brandon. He was looking forward to the birth of another child due in March 2003. Isaac lived his life in Billings and attended grade school at Holy Rosary and high school at Central. He graduated from Plenty Coups High School in 1994. During high school, he played football. He was named Isaac (Laughter) and Lemuel (Delights in God) by his auntie, Rhea Goes Ahead. Isaac lived up to these names as he was soft-spoken but always greeted everyone with a smile and he had faith in his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. His favorite scripture was Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." This helped him to accomplish many things in his lifetime. He was a very friendly person and had many friends. After high school, he worked to provide for his family and was currently employed by the Crow Tribe as a tribal game warden. He carried on the love of baseball and softball from his late grandfather, Vincent Goes Ahead, Sr., and was an avid baseball and softball player. He played with several men's city league teams, and the Goes Ahead/King Transfer Coed Softball team for the past 10 years. He also played fast-pitch softball and was on the Life Center Church League. While participating in the Big Sky State games for softball, he won two gold medals, one bronze for coed, and one silver for men's. He played basketball and flag football. Because of his love for various sports, he was a good fan and supporter of his brother, Brandon; nephews; nieces; and cousins in all their sports activities. He was a chaperone for his brother's high school football team's trip to Hawaii in 2000. He was proud of his son's participation in soccer league this season. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Vincent Goes Ahead, Sr., on Aug. 14, 2002; and his grandmother, Melda Crystal Cloud; sisters, Melda Little Light and Adelle Goes Ahead; and his best friend, Byron Dean Dawes. Survivors include his wife, Angela; son, Isiah; mother, Karen; mom, Beulah Goes Ahead; brother, Brandon Covers Up: favorite niece, Brandalyn; adopted sister, Tracey Dawes; adopted sons, Jordell, Sport, Trindel and Baby Bryon Dawes; uncles, Marlan (Thelma) and Vincent Jr. (Abigail) Goes Ahead; aunties, Wyma (Richard) Little Light, Natalie Little Owl, and Mary (Todd) Volk; adopted uncles, Richard (Holly) Furber and Benjamin (Jolene) Cloud; an adopted aunt, Irma Jane (Edward) Bird Hat; and a step-uncle, Eymard (Sarah) Left Hand; and numerous cousins, relatives, and friends that held a special place in his heart. He is also survived by his grandparents, Anna Jean Stands Over Bull, Charles (Gladys) DeCrane, Sylvester (Ruby) Goes Ahead, and Clement (Regina) Goes Ahead, and Josephine Whiteman, Gloria Cummins and Agnes (Larry) Pretty Weasel, David (Lenora) Turns Plenty, Sr., Charlene Laverdure and Art (Clisty) Lozon. A rosary will be held on Friday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m. at the Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings. Funeral Mass will be at St. Charles Mission in Pryor, on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10 a.m., with burial at the Goes Ahead Family Cemetery. September 14, 2002 - 1:40 am Vernon Henry Tall Bull (Ma'taa'ohnee'estse) LAME DEER - Vernon H. Tall Bull, 57, of Lame Deer, passed away Sept. 11, 2002, at St. Vincent Healthcare. Vernon was born in Lame Deer on April 1, 1945, to Clara Littlebear and Henry Tall Bull. Vernon's family belonged to the Dog Soldier Society. After graduating from Busby High School in May of 1964, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving with the 173rd Airborne Division. While serving during the Vietnam War, he earned a Parachutist Badge, Nat'l Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Vietnam Service Medal. He served from September 1964 until he was honorably discharged September 1970. During his lifetime, Vernon worked for the Northern Cheyenne Police Depatment as a police officer and laborer for various programs on the reservation. He enjoyed reading, spending time with his grandchildren and attending powwows and gatherings where color guards were needed. Survivors include his wife, Hilda, with whom he spent his last 10 years. Vernon loved his wife very much and she will miss him and all the good times they shared. Also surviving are his three sons, Adrian Spang of Michigan, Frank (Susan) Spang of Lodge Grass, Tyrone Woodenlegs-Tall Bull of Lame Deer; six grandsons; one granddaughter; brothers, Raymond (Emma) Littlebear of Busby, Edmund Tall Bull of Billings, Cleve Littlebear of Lame Dear; Littlebear Families, Tall Bull Families; and his special friends, Floyd "Bucky" Glendmore, Jack Threefingers, Winfield Russel, Rock Redcherries; and many other friends and relatives. Wake services will be held at 8 p.m. in the Lame Deer Catholic Church on Sunday, Sept. 15. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, at the Boys & Girls Club in Lame Deer. Interment will follow in the Busby Cemetery. Rausch Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Vernon was one of the first soldiers to arrive in Vietnam. He no longer will answer the military roll call for he has now gone on to serve the Supreme Commander. September 17, 2002 Eliza 'Babe' Half Red Lambert POPLAR - Eliza "Babe" Half Red Lambert went home to be with the Lord on Sept. 13, 2002, at the St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings. She was born on Aug. 15, 1947, in Poplar, to Loyal Lloyd Half Red and Eunice Feather Earring Half Red. Eliza graduated from Poplar High School in 1966. She then attended Bacone College, Muskogee, Okla., for one year and transferred to Cook Christian Training School in Tempe, Ariz. Eliza and William Lambert also both attended United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, N.D., for Human Services Course to personal development course. She was currently employed with Tribal Health and enjoyed working there for 23 years. On June 5, 1970, she was united in marriage with William Lambert in Poplar at the First Presbyterian Church. She was a lifelong member of the Lindsey Memorial Presbyterian Church. Born of this marriage were children: Willette Marie, William "Duta" Lambert Jr., Tonya Lee and Loyd Lewis. Eliza was a kind and considerate person who, along with her husband William, was raising her special grandson, William Lambert III. She enjoyed collecting Elvis Presley memorabilia, attending bingo, and spending time with her family and friends, especially her children and grandson. She was preceded in death by her father and mother Loyal Lloyd Half Red and Eunice Feather Earring Half Red; numerous aunts, uncles and nephews. Eliza is survived by her sister, Sybil (Robert) Summers, with nieces and nephews, Melissa (William) Black Dog, Terri (Monty) Summers, Angela Summers, Robert Jr. and Ben Summers; her sister, Aurelia Bets His Medicine and her children; also aunts, Elsie King and family and Arleda Feather Earring; cousins, Monica LaRoque and girls, Brenda, Byron, Bruce Bauer, and Irene Bighorn, Trivian (Norman) Nault and family, Marva (Harry) Three Stars Jr., and boys, Lynette (Eugene) Boyd and boys, Dorrine, and Noble Drags Wolf, all of Poplar. Survivors also include her mother-in-law Helen Lambert; brothers-in-law, Carl Lambert of Poplar, Edward (Dee) Lambert of Sioux Falls, S.D., Joseph (Marge) Lambert, Casper (Mary) Lambert also of Jerome, Idaho, and Robert Lambert of California; sisters-in-law Anna Lambert of Jerome, Idaho, and Carol (Nino) Contreras of Blackfoot, Idaho; and her good friend Iris Greybull for always being there for the family in their time of need. Visitations will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 18, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Poplar Cultural Center with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Poplar Cultural Center with Rev. Enright Bighorn officiating. Interment will be in the Chelsea Cemetery. Clayton Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- September 13, 2002 Alex Matthew Shell, Avery Kane Shell BROWNING -- Twins Alex and Avery Shell, sons of Rocky Shell and Shelly Mad Plume of Browning, were stillborn Saturday at a Browning hospital. Visitation is at Glacier Homes Community Center in Browning until the funeral, which is noon Saturday at the center; burial is in Willow Creek Cemetery. Day Family Funeral Home of Cut Bank is handling arrangements. In addition to their parents, survivors, all of Browning, include a sister, Alexis Teia Rose Shell; brothers Rocky Elgabriel Renzo Shell Jr., Harlan Mad Plume and J.J. Headley: and grandparents Roy and Celeste Shell and Cheryl Heavy Runner. Copyright c. 2002 Great Falls Tribune, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- September 16, 2002 Jennie Bullis Jennie Bullis, 84, of San Carlos died Aug. 21 in Globe. She was born in San Carlos and worked as an assistant at Older Adult Care in Bylas. She was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church and the Catholic Church of Bylas. Survivors include two daughters, Joann Newton of Bylas and Carmelita Victor of Cutter; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today (Wednesday, Aug. 28) at St. Charles Catholic Church in San Carlos. Interment will follow in San Carlos Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Lamont Mortuary. Copyright c. 2002 Arizona Silver Belt/Apache Moccasin. --------- "RE: Native Vote: United States Mail In Registration" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 08:18:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REGISTRATION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm Native Vote 2002 - United States Mail In Registration The Native vote does count and recent elections show that each one of us can make a difference by just getting out and voting. From the efforts of Tribes in California to pass an important tribal referendum in 1998 to the defeat of Senator Slade Gorton in Washington state in 2000, the political power of Native people has been demonstrated and our elected officials are listening. It has been proven time and again that elected officials will respond to the power of the vote. By organizing efforts to "get out the vote", Tribes will have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the political strength of the Indian voter. However, the first thing you have to do before you vote is register, but now that process is easier than ever. After passage of the National Voter Registration Act, known as the "motor voter" law, registering to vote has become a convenience. Now, all states must allow citizens to register to vote by mail and must accept a universal mail-in voter registration form designed by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). To register go to the NCAI (National Congress of American Indians site: http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/issues/other_issues/nativevote.asp Fill out the simple registration form and mail in per state specific instructions. Frequently Asked Questions About Voter Registration Where can I register in my community? Registration applications may be obtained from the local election official in your county, city, or Tribe. In addition, you can also register to vote when applying for a license or identity card at state DMV or driver's licensing offices, state offices providing public assistance, state offices providing state-funded programs for the disabled, and at armed forces recruitment offices. Many states also offer registration opportunities at public libraries, post offices, unemployment offices, and at public high schools and universities. What is the Deadline? Registration deadlines vary in each state, but the earliest date in any state is 30 days prior to an election. Some states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Wisconsin even allow you to register on the day of the elections. Click here to view state voter registration deadlines. Click here for your state voter registration office. Now that you have registered, exercise your right to vote and make a difference. Invite a friend or family member to vote with you or get involved in get out the vote efforts in your community. National Congress of American Indians . 1301 Connecticut Ave NW . Suite 200 . Washington D.C. 20036 (202) 466-7767 . (202) 466-7797 (fax) --------- "RE: Senate Indian Affairs Committee Field Hearing" --------- Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 08:22:25 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL CONCERNS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.yankton.net/stories/091602/new_20020916032.shtml Tribal Leaders Bring A Variety Of Concerns To Senate Indian Affairs Committee Field Hearing Monday, September 16, 2002 RAPID CITY (AP) - American Indians frustrated with the federal government should join the decision-making process by speaking out and voting, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee said. "It is the height of patriotism to speak up," Sen. Daniel Inouye, D- Hawaii, told nearly 300 people who turned out Saturday in Rapid City for a field hearing on tribal issues. The senator cited one study that showed voter turnout in tribal elections at 85 percent. But Indian voting falls to 8 percent when the elections involve state and federal elections, he said. "That has to change. (Voter clout) is what they recognize in Washington. That and money," said Inouye. South Dakota tribal leaders told Inouye and Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., a member of the Senate committee, that their people are discouraged and desperate. They talked about health care, education, economic development, desecration of sacred sites, social ills of reservation life and the need for nursing home care on reservations. "At Pine Ridge, our priorities are too many to name," said John Yellow Bird Steele, chairman of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Gregg Bourland, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said Indian people want the United States to return the Black Hills to the tribes. "These Hills have never been bought and paid for, and our people will never take money for them." Bourland said Indian people also want their treaty lands back. They want a full accounting of what is owed, and they want to be repaid with interest. Andrew Grey, chairman of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribe, talked about plans to reform the Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal trust land accounting system. "As a tribe, we are suspicious of reform," he said, citing a history of programs called reforms that have proven disastrous. Tribes need to be consulted before any reforms are enacted, he said. Thomas Ranfranz, president of the Flandreau Santee Tribe, said the $3 billion a year the federal government spends on Indian health care is not enough. "We need five times that," he said. "We're not asking for a handout. we're asking the government to live up to its treaty obligations," Ranfranz said. William Kindle, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, talked about money to better fund ambulance services, schools, family services programs, and juvenile detention. The tribe must have more housing and money to improve the reservation's 126 miles of highway, he said. Several tribal officials spoke about the need to build nursing homes on the reservations. Currently the reservations are caught in a bind involving the rules that govern federal reimbursements and a state of South Dakota moratorium on construction of new nursing homes. "At Pine Ridge, we have more than 2,200 elders on the reservation. It is a top priority of my administration to develop long-term health care facility for our elderly," said Steele. Steele also spoke about the National Park Service's digging for fossils in the South Unit of Badlands National Park, which is on the Pine Ridge reservation. The work violates an agreement between the tribe and the NPS, he said. Copyright c. 2002 Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. --------- "RE: House Rules Chairman criticizes Pettigrew" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 08:18:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PETTIGREW REBUKED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.news-star.com/stories/091302/New_40.shtml Roach criticizes Pettigrew comments By MICHAEL DODSON SNS Staff Writer September 13, 2002 The chairman of the Oklahoma House Rules Committee says there is absolutely no way an Oklahoma lawmaker will be successful with a stated goal of raising membership requirements to 50 percent Indian blood for tribes based in the Sooner state. Rep. Wayne Pettigrew, R- Edmond, told the News-Star last week that is his goal. Pettigrew said he knows such an effort is counter to U.S. Supreme Court rulings and federal law. But, he said, he would hope for enactment of the law and a court case that would reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The News-Star interview with Pettigrew followed a Rules Committee hearing on tribal taxation issues. After reports of Pettigrew's comments gained wide circulation in Indian Country across the U.S., Rep. Roach called the News-Star to comment. "If he had told us that was his intent, we probably would not even have heard the issue," Roach said. "The issue of who is a tribal member is absolutely the decision of the tribe." Roach added, "They are sovereign. And, there is nothing more fundamental to sovereignty (than) the tribe deciding...who is a member of their tribe." Reacting to Pettigrew's stated desire to pass a law and have its constitutionality tested in the courts, Rep. Roach said, "That is an expression that he knows that he is on extremely thin legal ice. As Rules Committee chairman, I don't hear bills that are knowingly illegal or knowingly unconstitutional. I don't hear bills for the purpose of inviting lawsuits." Rep. Roach also had pointed comments on Pettigrew's saying he would back away from the tribal membership legislation if negotiations over tribal- state compacts on tobacco taxes and gaming go the state's way. "If the tribes negotiate in good faith and give us a compact that gives us oversight over tobacco, the grocery (sales tax) situation and a gaming compact whereby we can evaluate games before they go into (Indian casinos) ...there may not be a need," Pettigrew said. "The issue may kind of go away." Roach said the committee meeting was meant as a forum for examining what Indian land is and how the state government should interact with tribes. "It's quite another (thing) to say, `As a negotiating tool or a club, we, the state of Oklahoma, are going to come in and tell you who is an Indian.' That is absolutely and unquestionably not in our legal right. It's not in our moral right." Roach hammered one final nail in the coffin lid, burying Rep. Pettigrew's idea. "Politically, it will never ever happen," he said. The Tulsa lawmaker noted a bit of irony in Rep. Pettigrew's going public with his idea. "Pettigrew's proposal has generated a great deal of discussion. But...he is gonna have the same result, if he introduced that bill, as Gen. Custer did." Copyright c. 1997-2002 The Shawnee News-Star. --------- "RE: Tribes, Administration hit impasse on Trust" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 08:43:23 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST IMPASSE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ Tribes, administration hit 'impasse' on trust WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2002 Tribes have ended talks with the Bush administration over a critical aspect of trust reform, citing resistance of government officials worried about litigation stemming from a century of Indian money mismanagement. Eight months of intense negotiations broke down this week when tribal leaders voted unanimously to pursue support in Congress. The key issue was legislation designed to implement, for the first time, standards governing the management of billions of dollars in trust funds. "Trust standards are important to implementing trust reform," said Jacqueline L. Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. Tribes developed a draft bill to ensure the Department of Interior carries out its trust responsibilities. But the Bush administration failed to provide "acceptable" input, Johnson said, due to ongoing court disputes. "We recognize that DOI will not be able -- because of litigation -- to address this issue," she said. Tribes plan to continue discussions on other areas of trust reform, and additional meetings of a tribal-federal task force have been scheduled. Departmental reorganization, budget and Indian land issues are still on the table. But tribal leaders and government officials admitted they hit an "impasse" over trust standards. "It's disappointing," said Interior spokesperson Dan DuBray yesterday, "but we go back and tackle the areas in which we can reach consensus." Tensions boiled over during a conference call last Friday in which tribal leaders complained about the Bush administration's obstinance. Notes taken by NCAI point to the disagreement among the two groups. "I'm frustrated that Interior seems to just object and never give us anything to work with," said Rachel Joseph, chairwoman of the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of California and a member of the trust reform task force. Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles, according to the notes, blamed the lack of agreement on the Department of Justice. "I don't know that we're ever going to get something that will be ok with Justice," he said. "We talked long and hard with DOJ, but at the end of the day we were not able to speak with one federal voice," noted Phil Hogen, an Interior solicitor whom President Bush has nominated to oversee Indian gaming. On Monday, tribal leaders agreed to end talks on the standards. During another occasionally terse conference call yesterday afternoon, they informed Bush officials of the decision. With the Supreme Court set to hear two trust cases that deal directly with trust standards, tribes are anxious to ensure their legal rights are protected. But key members of Congress have warned that passing legislation by the end of the year would be difficult. The Bush administration has been hit with nearly 20 lawsuits from tribes alleging mismanagement of their funds. The landmark Cobell class action affecting 500,000 American Indians is also making its way through the court system. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Federal Judge Holds Norton in Contempt" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 08:18:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CONTEMPT" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28579-2002Sep17.html Federal Judge Holds Norton in Contempt for Failing to Fix Indian Trust By Helen Rumbelow and Neely Tucker Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, September 17, 2002; 2:08 PM A federal judge today held Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton and a senior aide in contempt of court for decieving him about the agency's failure to reform a trust fund for Native Americans, echoing the contempt findings he made against a trio of Clinton administration officials in the same case three years ago. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said the Interior Department handled the case in the same manner as they managed hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from Indian land: "disgracefully." He found four instances where Norton and Neal McCaleb, assistant secretary for Indian affairs, had committed fraud on the court, and the judge also held them in contempt for failing to abide by a three-year old court order to begin major reform of the trust. Lamberth's rulings are the only ones in modern history to hold Cabinet level officials in contempt of court. Former President Clinton's treasury secretary, Robert Rubin, and interior secretary, Bruce Babbitt, were also held in contempt in 1999. In today's 267-page opinion Judge Lamberth today said that at the end of the previous case, "I stated that 'I have never seen more egregious misconduct by the federal government;' now at the conclusion of the second contempt trial, I stand corrected. The Department of Interior has truly outdone itself this time." Over a two-year period the judge said that the "fraudulent conduct" of Norton and McCaleb led him to believe that they were taking steps to fix what has become one of the worst accounting messes in U.S. history. In reality, stated Lamberth, the agency has barely improved since the last contempt trial three years ago, and in the 18 months after the first trial did "virtually nothing" of what the court had ordered. "The agency has indisputably proven to the court, Congress, and the individual Indian beneficiaries that it is either unwilling or unable to administer competently the trust," Lamberth wrote. "Worse yet, the department has now undeniably shown that it can no longer be trusted to state accurately the status of its trust reform efforts. In short, there is no longer any doubt that the secretary of Interior has been and continues to be an unfit trustee-delegate for the United States." The trust fund, called the Individual Indian Money trust, begun in 1887 when many Indian tribes were moved off 90 million acres of their land. At the time, they were granted royalties from the leasing of oil, mineral or access rights to a remaining 11 million acres. This fund, now generating about $500 million per year to 300,000 shareholders, has been chronically mismanaged by the Interior Department. The Native American Trust Fund and Elouise Cobell, treasurer of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana, sued the government alleging mismanagement in 1996. The Indians say they are owed at least $10 billion in lost, stolen or inappropriately billed accounts. In December 1999, Lamberth ruled that the government was in breach of its fiduciary role as trustee in the Indian accounts. He ordered the program, complete with more than 12,000 backlogged probate cases, to be placed under his jurisdiction for five years so that he could ensure that Interior complied with his orders. Today the judge ruled that "the Individual Indian Money trust has served as the gold standard for mismanagement by the federal government for more than a century. As the trustee-delegate of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior does not know the precise number of IIM trust accounts she is to administer and protect, how much money is or should be in the trust, or even the proper balance for each account." He ordered the defendants to pay all costs, which Keith Harper, counsel for the plaintiffs, estimated at several million dollars. Harper said that the contempt finding against Norton would be a "stain on her administration." "You just cannot routinely commit fraud on a court as a trustee or an attorney," said Harper. "Indian people will be delighted today, there is no secret in Indian country that the Department of Interior has abused them for over a century, now . . . a federal court judge has held them accountable." The Interior Department did not immediately respond to the judge's ruling. Norton had inherited many of the problems with the trust fund. During a 29-day trial that ended in late February, she asked Lamberth for more time to make fixes but the judge refused. Rep. James Hansen (R-Utah), whose committee has oversight of the Interior Department and Indian issues, said that Norton "inherited a trust management problem that has plagued the federal government for decades." "I personally believe this slap from the judge is patently unfair and deliberately disregards her excellent work." Copyright c. 2002 The Washington Post Company. --------- "RE: Protest planned at U.S. Border" --------- Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 08:22:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BORDER PROTEST" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/regina/news/story Protest planned at U.S. border Scott Foster The Leader-Post Wednesday, September 11, 2002 About 100 First Nation leaders are expected to gather at North Portal's Canada-U.S. border crossing Thursday to protest alleged restrictions on their basic constitutional rights to practise their religion. American-enforced restrictions on the transport of eagle feathers from Canada into the U.S. means Canadian First Nations people traveling to powwow celebrations and religious ceremonies in the U.S. are often denied entry or told their eagle-feathered headdresses must be confiscated at the border, says Darcy McKenzie, spokesman for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN). Eagle feathers play an integral role in the religious practices of Plains Indians, such as the Blackfoot Confederacy, which has about 35,000 members in Canada and the U.S. Regular religious gatherings on either side of the border mean both groups are subject to frequent cross-border travel. But under the U.S. Bald and Golden Eagle Regulation Act, the import and export of eagle feathers or eagle parts is prohibited. Members of federally-recognized tribes in the states are granted "eagle transport permits" allowing them to take eagle feathers across either Canadian or Mexican border for religious purposes. This group does not encounter any problems because their permits are recognized by Canadian customs officials, said McKenzie. The problem arises when Canadian First Nation people attempt to cross into the U.S. because there is no Canadian equivalent to the U.S. transport permits, said officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). In June, Kainaiwa Nation Chief Chris Shade was denied entry into the U.S. with his eagle feather warbonnet despite the fact that he had documentation identifying him as a chief and saying the headdress would be used for ceremony. McKenzie said formal status or tribal identification should be sufficient to enable Canadian First Nations to cross into the U.S. with eagle feathers. Thursday's protest will include a "symbolic" cross-border eagle feather exchange between Canadian First Nation leaders and their U.S. counterparts. FSIN Chief Perry Bellegarde is expected to attend, as are leaders from Manitoba and Alberta. Copyright c. 2002 The Leader-Post (Regina). --------- "RE: Hemp Crop defended under Sioux Treaty" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2002 08:18:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEMP" http://www.indianz.com/News/ Hemp crop defended under Sioux treaty MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 Enforcement of drug laws on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota violates tribal sovereignty, a family whose industrial hemp crop has been targeted for destruction argued recently in court papers. Alex White Plume has grown industrial hemp on tribal land for three years. Two years in the row, federal agents have destroyed his family's entire crop, saying the plant is no different from marijuana, an illicit drug. With the latest harvest facing the same fate, the White Plumes are back in court. A federal judge last month temporarily barred the family from growing, selling or manufacturing hemp, which can be used for a wide variety of purposes. But the family contends the farm is legal under treaty and tribal law. Court papers point to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and a resolution passed by the Oglala Lakota Tribe authorizing hemp development. "The defendants' cultivation of industry hemp," an August 30 court filing stated, "is a protected activity within 'Indian Country' by agreement between the United States and the sovereign Lakota Nation." Federal prosecutors are moving to shut down the hemp operation. According to a test performed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), traces of marijuana and cocaine were found on a sample taken from the White Plume farm. The test, however, didn't state how much of the illicit substances were allegedly found. The distinction is crucial because hemp and marijuana can be differentiated by the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) they contain. The amount of THC in marijuana gives users a "high." Hemp doesn't have the same effect. Nevertheless, the U.S. Attorney in South Dakota argues that federal law abrogated the Sioux Nation treaty. The Controlled Substances Act makes it illegal to manufacture, possess or distribute drugs in Indian Country, an August 9 court document stated. According to Bruce Ellison, an attorney for the White Plumes, the issue needs to be resolved once and for all. "The issuance of an injunction against the United States would be in the public interest of promoting sustainable and viable agricultural development by members of the Lakota Nation," he wrote. Two companies are seeking to intervene in the case. Tierra Madre, incorporated in Delaware, and Madison Hemp of Kentucky have entered into contracts with the White Plume family to buy industrial hemp. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Tribe gets Agriculture Dollars" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 08:43:23 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AG MONEY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.ruidosonews.com/Stories/0,1413,165%257E9426%257E850574,00.html Tribe gets agriculture dollars By Dianne Stallings ruidoso news staff writer September 10, 2002 The Mescalero Apache Tribe is one of three Native American groups in New Mexico selected to receive money to bolster food and agriculture homeland security protections on tribal lands. In addition to $30,000 for the Mescalero, the Jicarilla Apache were tapped for $20,000 and the Navajo Nation for $50,000 as part of a $328 million appropriation approved earlier this year by the Congress to strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture's homeland security preparedness. "It is crucial that we not forget Native American communities as we continue on the path of increased homeland security efforts," said U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M. "The USDA will work closely with tribal land officials to develop plans for these funds. As we near the conclusion of the annual appropriation process, I remain determined to steer more funding back to New Mexico for similar efforts." The money can be used to expand tribal members' ability to conduct foreign animal disease surveillance on tribal land, to enhance foreign animal disease preparedness and response, to develop emergency management plans, to communicate effectively with stake holders as well as state and federal counterparts and to conduct test exercises for training and development purposes. The disbursement of the money was based on livestock value and risk factors of each tribal land. Livestock value was determined by census figures applied by the intertribal Agricultural Coalition, the Montana/Wyoming Indian Stock Growers Association and Land Grant Extension Service input. Risk factors considered included the proximity to a port of entry into the United States, the size of the tribal lands and the tribal lands commerce activity level at ports of entry and borders. Udall serves on the Native American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the House Committee on Resources. Copyright c. 1999-2001 MediaNews Group, Inc/Ruidoso, NM. --------- "RE: Tribes get HUD Grants" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 08:18:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HUD GRANTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.com/~/hudgrants.inc Tribes get HUD grants September 13, 2002 HELENA - The Blackfeet Tribe, Chippewa Cree, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority will receive a total of $3,149,549 in federal assistance to stimulate their economy and promote affordable housing, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez announced. "These Indian Community Development Block Grant funds do so much good for so many people," Martinez said. "This money helps Native American communities do the critical work of providing affordable housing and helping our most vulnerable neighbors." The funding includes: + The Blackfeet Tribe will receive $800,000 in Indian Community Development Block Grant funds. + The Chippewa Cree will receive $800,000. + The Northern Cheyenne Tribe will receive $749,549. + Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority will receive $800,000. HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant program provides Native American communities with direct grants that offer economic opportunities, primarily for low- and moderate-income persons. Native American or Alaskan Native communities can use the funding to improve roads, water and sewer facilities and to build community buildings. These communities can also use the funds to rehabilitate housing, purchase land for new home construction and, under certain circumstances, to construct new homes. For more information about HUD's ICDBG Program, visit http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/ih/grants/icdbg.cfm. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: United Keetoowah Band tries to intervene in Suit" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 08:43:23 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ARKANSAS RIVER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=915323&pic=none&TP=getarticle Tahlequah-based tribe tries to intervene in suit 2002-09-10 By Bob Doucette The Oklahoman TAHLEQUAH -- An American Indian tribe in Oklahoma is trying to intervene in a federal lawsuit concerning land along the Arkansas River, even though three other tribes involved in the lawsuit are supporting legislation that could settle it. The proposed legislation could put an end to the decades-long dispute over ownership of the riverbed of the Arkansas River by giving the Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws $50 million and thousands of acres of land. But the United Keetoowah Band, a Tahlequah-based tribe, says its claims to the land have been ignored by the federal government and the three tribes involved in the lawsuit. The tribe, a band of the Cherokees but independent of the Cherokee Nation, wants its share of any settlement, its chief, Dallas Proctor, said. "The proposed settlement unfairly treats the modern CNO (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) as the sole owner of the claim and sole participant in any award when, in fact, the United Keetoowah Band and its members were a significant component of the historic tribe," Proctor said. The lawsuit stems from Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw claims of ownership of the riverbed between Fort Smith, Ark., and Muskogee, a 96- mile stretch. Much of those 26,000 acres have been bought and sold to private owners. A portion of the riverbed also has been used by the U.S. government so the McClellan- Kerr Navigation System could be built. The three tribes protested all the transactions. With no resolution at hand, the tribes sued. U.S. Rep. Brad Carson stepped in, hoping to offer a solution. "It's important to my district," said Carson, D- Claremore. "It's been festering for three decades now." House Resolution 3534 -- The Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations Claims Settlement Act -- would pay the three tribes for past use of the land. Half of the $50 million cash settlement would go to the Cherokees. Another 37.5 percent would go to the Choctaws while the Chickasaws would get 12.5 percent. The Keetoowahs have filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The Keetoowahs' motion seeks to have the tribe included in any settlement involving the riverbed of the Arkansas River. Copyright c. 2002, Produced by NewsOK/KWTV NEWS 9/The Oklahoman. --------- "RE: BIA moves forward with Oklahoma Land Lease" --------- Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 08:22:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LAND LEASE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ BIA moves forward with Okla. land lease THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002 The Department of Interior plans to lease a commercially viable plot of land in Oklahoma despite a state court ruling affirming the rights of a group of Indian beneficiaries. An auction is set to take place tomorrow morning at a Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Ada, Oklahoma. According to a public notice, interested parties can seek a two-year lease on the property. But last week, Judge D. Fred Doak, a probate judge handling the estate of a Choctaw Nation man who died more than 40 years ago, rejected an attempt by Secretary Gale Norton to assert jurisdiction over the case. In a short September 4 ruling, he said the descendants can decide what to do. Court filings made on behalf of Norton, however, dispute that notion. Robert McCarthy, an Interior attorney based in Oklahoma, asked the court to let the BIA take control "in the best interests" of the landowners. The BIA, he wrote in an August 29 filing, "has undertaken to lease the property pursuant to federal regulations and the federal trust responsibility." According to McCarthy, the descendants have been unable to agree on the future of the property. Located in Oklahoma City, the land was allotted to Clifton Cass, whose heirs currently number around 30. Timothy Heefner, an attorney who represents the estate on behalf of Frank Cass, the son of Clinton Cass, disputed the claim. In an interview, he said Doak's ruling gives the family to ability to "bring the most favorable lease" to the court. Doak -- and not the BIA -- will ensure the descendants are protected, Heefner said. The BIA's insistence on being involved has drawn criticism from the court, attorneys involved and other observers. At a proceeding in late August, Doak questioned why the Interior waited so long to act like a trustee. Former assistant secretary Kevin Gover said the circumstances don't appear to warrant overriding the wishes of the individual Indians. "I can't imagine the BIA would do this," he said. The majority of the heirs also oppose the BIA's presence and have come to an agreement with a company called Many Nations, LLC, to open a smoke shop. A casino was considered but doubts over its legality led the descendants to reconsider. One vocal dissident to the process is Barry Cass, a grandson of Clifton Cass. In letters to BIA officials, he accused other family members of allowing the land to be exploited. Under existing federal law, probate of members of the Five Civilized Nations of Oklahoma, which includes the Choctaw Nation, goes through the state court system. Federal law also imposes a 50 percent blood quantum requirement on allottees. But Doak granted permission to Frank Cass to pursue a one-year lease. He plans to hold an October 10 hearing to consider whether the agreeement is "beneficial" to the heirs. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: LaDuke Tells of Rice Plight for Anishinaabeg" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2002 08:18:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WILD RICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.dailycal.org/article.asp?id=9352 Former Vice Presidential Hopeful Says Tribes' Welfare in Peril LaDuke Tells of Rice Plight in UC Berkeley Speech By AMELIA HEAGERTY Contributing Writer Monday, September 9, 2002 Native American tribes are being shut out of the profitable wild rice market, said former vice presidential candidate Winona LaDuke in a speech at UC Berkeley Friday. LaDuke, who ran for vice president on the Green Party ticket alongside Ralph Nader in 1996 and 2000, is a Minnesota Anishinaabeg Native American. She founded the Indigenous Women's Network and the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which works to reclaim and purchase tribal lands. The Anishinaabeg tribe and its surrounding tribes make a large portion of their income from the harvest and sale of wild rice. But recently the rice was patented by a large company, thereby threatening the tribes' livelihood, LaDuke said. "This is an example of globalization," LaDuke said. "Their process is about creating monocrops, while our rice is about biodiversity." The tribe is undergoing a legal struggle with the company over rights and ownership of the wild rice, she said. In her speech, LaDuke also focused on U.S. policies, criticizing the U.S. government for its spending policies. While the United States was fighting a war on terrorism in Afghanistan, it was funding terrorism in other parts of the world through dealings in small arms, LaDuke said. "If we do not support terrorism, let us not fund it," she said. LaDuke also said nuclear power is superfluous and harmful. "There are a hell of a lot of better ways to boil water than with a nuclear reactor - that's like cutting butter with a chain saw," she said. "The solution is don't make the mess if you don't know how to clean it up." LaDuke said she became politically active because of her heritage's importance to her and her dedication to motherhood. "To be a responsible parent, I have to engage in a higher level of political activism," she said. UC Berkeley graduate student Sonya Atalay, a member of the Anishinaabeg tribe who was instrumental in bringing LaDuke to the campus, said the speech was "inspiring." "She is a powerful role model, not just for Indian students and the larger Native American community but for all concerned members of this 'global village' we've created," Atalay said. "Seeing Winona so gracefully handle the demands of motherhood, activism, writing and politics while still following our traditional Anishinaabeg teachings and practices is powerful and inspiring for me." Ann Begay, a Navajo and UC Berkeley alumna, said LaDuke's speech may move some students to become politically active. "Tonight was an experience in reality for how an indigenous woman makes a difference in her everyday life,"Begay said. The talk was the first in a series of speakers sponsored by UC Berkeley's American Indian Graduate Program. Copyright c. 2002 The Daily Californian/Berkeley, California --------- "RE: Ute Tribe dedicates new Pond for Tribal Elders" --------- Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 08:35:33 -0700 From: "mikola 18" Subj: "Ute Indian Tribe dedicates new pond for tribal elders" Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.ubstandard.com September 9, 2002 "Ute Indian Tribe dedicates new pond for tribal elders" "The Northern Ute Indian Tribe invites the public to help dedicate its newly constructed Elders Pond at a ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 18, beginning at 10 a.m. near the Senior Center at the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The ceremony will include presentations from tribal and government officials and will culminate with the release of water from Bottle Hollow Reservoir to fill the pond. Located downstream from Bottle Hollow Reservoir, the three-acre pond will provide a range of recreational opportunities to benefit the tribal elders. "We are delighted to have this pond for our tribal elders to enjoy," said Irene Cuch, director, Northern Ute Indian Tribe Senior Citizen Center. "Many of our seniors can't get out into the mountains to fish like they did when they were younger. Having this pond so close to our senior center will make it possible for our elders to walk down to the pond or just go for a stroll around it. We're going to put in some tables and benches and make it accessible for those with disabilities. We have dreamed of having a pond for several years." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 106 Special Projects Grant funded the pond construction. The pond is designed to improve the water quality of the flows out of Bottle Hollow Reservoir downstream into the Uintah River. Grant funds also purchased water monitoring equipment and fish rearing tanks for aquaculture students at the Tribe's Uintah River High. "The students have the opportunity to observe and monitor the connection between water quality and fish health," said Ute Indian Tribe Fisheries Biologist Mike Montoya. "The pond is located within a few hundred yards of the school and provides students with a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn about fisheries management." The Ute Indian Tribe's Water Settlement Program provided funds through its Fish and Wildlife Department to enhance recreation for the seniors. "We are very proud to be able to join in this effort to provide our Tribal elders and youth with this opportunity," said Water Settlement Director Pat Wyasket. In addition to funding, several private businesses donated time and expertise. Hal Marshal and Robert Kay of Uintah Engineering and Land Survey donated over $5,000 in services to conduct a field survey, develop pond blueprints and provide technical assistance. Jim Trusdale, from AIA Archeological Contractors, donated over $3,000 in services to conduct a cultural resources survey to meet federal guidelines. Next spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will work with the Tribe to transfer nonnative sportfish, such as channel catfish, smallmouth bass and northern pike, from the Green, White and Duchesne rivers. The fish will be relocated to reduce their threat to two species of endangered fish - the razorback sucker and Colorado pikeminnow. The work will be conducted in cooperation with the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (Recovery Program). To ensure that sportfish stocked in the fishing pond do not escape into the river where they could interact with the endangered fish, the Recovery Program cost-shared with the Tribe to install a $28,000 fish screen and trap at the pond's outlet. "We're working closely with the Recovery Program to recover the fish and hope that someday the fish will no longer need protection under the Endangered Species Act," said Montoya. "Without the fish screen and trap, we could not have stocked the pond with sportfish because of their potential threat to endangered fish. The screen has also enabled us to expand our fisheries management strategies in Bottle Hollow Reservoir." Uintah River High students will gather scientific data from the fish captured at the screen for the Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "It is extremely rewarding to the tribe to see so many people and agencies cooperating on this project," said tribal councilman Roland McCook. "Working together, we've found a way to turn the dream of an Elders Pond into a reality. We're simultaneously providing recreational opportunities to our elders, creating an outdoor classroom for our tribal youth and assisting with recovery of endangered species." Copyright c. 2002 Uintah Basin Standard --------- "RE: Nez Perce Battle site Dedicated" --------- Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:08:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEZ PERCE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/ Nez Perce site dedicated By JIM GRANSBERY Of The Gazette Staff September 15, 2002 NORTH OF LAUREL - Under a hot sun Saturday, unlike the weather 125 years ago, ground was blessed and broken to commemorate the site of a skirmish between the Nez Perce bands fleeing to Canada and the forces of the U.S. Army. On Sept 13, 1877, U.S. Cavalry under the command to Col. Samuel Sturgis encountered the rear guard of the Nez Perce as they moved up Canyon Creek. It was a miserable day, wet and cold with heavy winds. Sturgis and his forces were attempting to intercept the Nez Perce, who had left their ancestral lands in Oregon and Idaho in July and had crossed through western Montana, eastern Idaho, Yellowstone Park into Wyoming and north again into Montana pursued by the forces of Gen. O.O. Howard, who had been ordered to force the Indians onto a much reduced reservation in central Idaho. The ceremony Saturday morning was to remember the killed and wounded on both sides and to begin the construction of an interpretive shelter, one of 38 sites along the national Nez Perce Trail that runs 1,700 miles from the Wallowa Valley in Oregon to the Bear's Paw Battlefield, south of Chinook. "This could be a model to use on other sites along the trail," said Julia Davis Wheeler, secretary of the Nez Perce Tribe in Lapwai, Idaho. "I want to remember today especially the women and children who were here," she said. "Coming over we were complaining that it took a whole day (600 miles) to get here. For our ancestors it took days and days and days." Wheeler then asked that the ground be blessed before it was broken so that "all the good feelings here carry over." Charlie Axtell, a pipe carrier for the tribe, in a short ceremony sang a healing song so that "all would be mindful of their way of life and the well-being of all peoples." The blessing was performed by Wilfred Scott who called on the Creator to protect all there. He then blew notes from a eagle-bone whistle to the four points of the wind. The project to place an interpretive center at the site was initiated in the mid-1950s by the Friends of Canyon Creek who placed a stone marker in 1958 at the intersection of Lipp and Buffalo Trail roads just before it winds into Canyon Creek. Milt Wester, publisher of the Laurel Outlook and president of the Friends of Canyon Creek, hosted the ground-breaking event attended by about 100 people. Representatives of the National Park Service, Yellowstone County and the Yellowstone Historic Society were on hand. Wester said that "we are very lucky people to be in this place which is not too much different from 125 years ago." Rich Pittsley, of the Yellowstone Historic Society who has been instrumental in the preservation of other historical sites in the county, in a prepared speech said, "Our shared heritage is defined by the locations that bring us together, today in a sense of peace and healing. This location is hallowed ground. The soil is mixed with the blood and tears of those who came before us." He paid homage to the Nez Perce, the 7th Cavalry, and the Crow, Shoshone, Blackfeet and Sioux, all of whom used the surrounding sandstone breaks as sites for prayer, vision quests, and their way of life. He also recognized the homesteaders, cattlemen and sheepmen who put their lives into the soil. "In the challenge of diverse cultures learning to live and work together harmoniously, this healing place is important," Pittsley said. Several people took part in the ground-breaking including a descendant of Chief Joseph. Agnes Broncheau, of Spokane, related to Joseph on her mother's side of the family, turned a shovel of dirt at the site. Later, the Nez Perce hosted a Pipe Ceremony, which was opened with the presentation of the U.S. and Nez Perce flags and eagle-feathered coup sticks. A rifle squad and flag bearers from the Laurel VFW Post took part. The entrance song was the flag song of the Nez Perce that members of Looking Glass's band sang in 1855 during the Walla Walla treaty talks that set the original boundaries of the lands of the Umatilla, Yakima and Nez Perce tribes. One hundred twenty-five years ago this summer, the flight of the Nez Perce bands of Indians became one of the most tragic epics in the history of the American West. Nez Perce warriors along with women, children and old men evaded capture by some of the Army's most skilled generals in a 1,700-mile chase through Idaho, Montana and Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. They crossed into Montana in late July 1877. For many, including Chief Joseph and war leader Looking Glass, their journey ended in a cold and snowy October on the north side of the Bear Paw Mountains, almost within sight of their goal, the Canadian border. Beginning Sunday, September 28, and continuing and every Monday through Oct. 7, Gazette writers will examine major episodes of that tragic year. Join us on this journey. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Freedom wants to mark Cheyenne Battle" --------- Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:08:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FREEDOM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.news-star.com/stories/091502/New_7.shtml Freedom wants to mark battle September 15, 2002 FREEDOM, Okla. (AP) -- More than 120 years ago, a band of determined Northern Cheyenne fleeing to their homeland battled with the U.S. Cavalry in the last battle between the cavalry and American Indians in Oklahoma Territory. Dull Knife and his 500 Northern Cheyenne fought the cavalry in a two-day battle north of Freedom 124 years ago, Sept. 13-14. Freedom residents plan to memorialize the Battle of Turkey Springs with a statue of Dull Knife and an educational park telling the story of the battle. The life-sized statue titled "Going Home," is Freedom's project for the state's Centennial, and the park will depict the struggle of the band, composed mostly of women, children and the sick. But the city needs $70,000 to cast and install the statue. The city's chamber of commerce is hoping to raise money by selling tabletop replicas of the statue. Brett Smith, chamber of commerce board member, said a memorial, park and visitor's center are key to preserving the pioneer history of the small town, located in rural northwestern Oklahoma less than 20 miles south of the Kansas border. While the town's pioneer history may be well-known, the exact historical details about the Battle of Turkey Springs are not. The town received a $7,000 grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council to research the battle. "The exact location of the battle is not definitely known," organizer Kay Decker said. "This was not a stationary battle. It was a running battle over two days." Military records and oral histories from the Northern and Southern Cheyenne tell that the band escaped from Cantonment, now Canton in Blaine County, Decker said. They crossed the Cimarron River and encountered the cavalry north of the present day site of Freedom in Woods County. Sculptor Mary Spurgeon's creation shows Dull Knife facing the wind with his buffalo robes billowing around him. The ghostly faces of some of his band appear in the folds. "It was a very traumatic thing that they were doing," Decker said. "You can really feel the sense of despair." Copyright c. 1997-2002 The Shawnee News-Star. --------- "RE: Land-claim dispute in Manitoba Park" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2002 08:18:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CLEARWATER LAKE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/WesternTicker/CANOE-wire.Cottagers-Land-Claim.html Land-claim dispute in Manitoba park could lead to calls for referendum September 9, 2002 THE PAS, Man. (CP) -- The Manitoba government is scrambling to douse a growing dispute that has a group of cottagers threatening to push for a provincewide referendum over allowing First Nations to claim land within provincial parks. The cottage owners have property in Clearwater Lake Provincial Park and the Opaskwayak Cree Nation has made a treaty land claim within the park boundaries. It could become a political hot potato for the NDP government and Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin, who not only represents the area in the legislature but is a former chief of Opaskwayak and owns a cottage in the park. "This is a multicultural, multi-racial society and we believe that all Manitobans should be involved in deciding this issue," said Terrance Kane, spokesman for the Clearwater Lake Cottage Owners' Association. "A referendum is definitely something we're considering. How else will we know what the people of Manitoba think about the issue?" Under the terms of the federal treaty land entitlement protocol, First Nations who were deprived of land allocated in treaties signed between 1871 and 1912 can claim other Crown lands as compensation. Opaskwayak has claimed about 30 parcels of land, including 920 hectares within the existing park boundaries. After several failed attempts at brokering a consensus with the band, the Clearwater Lake cottagers formed a coalition with cottage owners in provincial parks across Manitoba to lobby against the land claim. It's unlikely Opaskwayak leaders would welcome a provincewide vote. Vince Sinclair, co-ordinator of The Pas Band Development Authority, said the vast majority of non-aboriginal Manitobans have little sympathy for aboriginal land claims. "No matter what we do, no matter how we address everyone's concerns, we will never get it passed in a vote," Sinclair said. Lathlin said he will consult with his department to determine how best to bridge the gap between the two groups. He also strenuously objected to suggestions that he is in a conflict of interest. "I think it would be beneficial for both sides if we could get together," said Lathlin. "I'm still of the belief that we can reach a consensus." The idea of a referendum affecting aboriginal land claims is not a new one. Earlier this summer the British Columbia government conducted a controversial referendum seeking direction for negotiating treaties. It included a question on excluding parks and protected areas from treaty talks. And it's not the first time the Manitoba government has had to deal with a land-claim dispute. In 2001 the rural municipality of Headingley faced off with the Swan Lake First Nation, which proposed to create an urban reserve in Headingley for a casino development. The government ultimately quashed the Swan Lake proposal when Headingley residents voiced their opposition in a plebiscite. (Winnipeg Free Press) Copyright c. 2002, CANOE, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: B.C. gives Aboriginals say in Child Service" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2002 08:18:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHILDREN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Aboriginal-Children.html Agreement gives B.C. aboriginals say in service to First Nations children September 9, 2002 VANCOUVER (CP) -- The province of British Columbia has failed native children, says Premier Gordon Campbell. Too many of B.C.'s aboriginal children are in government care, Campbell said Monday in announcing an agreement that gives B.C. native groups direct control over the care of First Nations children. "The old system simply did not work," Campbell said. "It didn't provide for the support, for the love, for the sense of community that was so critical to any young person as they build their lives and their future." Forty per cent of the 10,000 children in care in B.C. are aboriginal although First Nations represent just eight per cent of the province's child population. The new agreement will involve native communities in planning and delivering services for their own children. A 13-member committee representing B.C. native groups and government will guide the Children's Ministry in areas affecting native children as the government transfers child protection and family development resources to regional authorities. "The present system does not serve aboriginal children well -- the numbers make that clear," Children's Minister Gordon Hogg said in a statement. "If we give the aboriginal community the responsibility and the resources, they will be able to do the job better." Campbell said it's a step towards improving the quality of life for aboriginal families. The agreement has the support of native leaders who have agreed on little else in recent years, including Chief Ed John of the pro-treaty First Nations Summit and Chief Stewart Phillip of the anti-treaty Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Aboriginal organizations and the province "have decided that it's time to set aside political differences, personal differences, ideological differences for the sake of our children," Phillip said during the signing ceremony held at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Having 4,482 aboriginal children in care is too high, said John, who served as children's minister briefly in the former New Democratic Party government. The objective is to return children and youth to their families and communities where they will be best cared for, he said. Unemployment, dependence on welfare and alcohol and drug abuse contribute to the problem, John said. "Those are difficult issues that we have to deal with," he said. "In some communities we have a significant percentage of children from that community in government care." Both Saskatchewan and Alberta have for years had agreements with individual First Nations for control over their own child and family services. The recent beating of a 20-month-old Saskatchewan boy just over a month after he was returned to his mother from a foster home has raised questions about the effectiveness of child services at the Montreal Lake First Nation. The boy's mother and another man were charged with aggravated assault by endangering the life of a toddler. One criticism of the plan is the lack of new government money, in the face of government spending cuts "The cutbacks that are coming ministry by ministry are going to have a severe detrimental impact on the aboriginal community," said Scott Clark of the United Native Nations. Campbell made it clear there won't be any new money under the agreement. Copyright c. 2002, CANOE, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Court told Natives' Blockade was Right" --------- Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:08:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SUN PEAKS BLOCKADE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/search/site/story Natives' blockade was right, court told September 14, 2002 Robert Koopmans kamloops Protesters who barricaded the highway to Sun Peaks Resort are not guilty of criminal offences because they honestly believe they own the land, a defence lawyer said Thursday. In his closing submissions, defence lawyer Reider Mogerman told the court that aboriginal protesters believed drivers held up by a blockade on the highway to Sun Peaks on Aug. 24, 2001, were trespassers on Secwepemc territory. Because they attempted to prevent a trespass across lands over which they believe to be their own, they did not commit a criminal act. "In fact, they were absolutely right to do it," said Mogerman. The submissions came at the end of the four-day provincial court trial of Beverly Manuel, Nicole Manuel and Miranda Dick, three members of the Neskonlith Indian Band charged with blocking the highway. The route was closed to vehicle traffic for more than three hours after several protesters, some clad in battle fatigues and wearing face masks, erected a wooden structure across the road and sparked a bonfire. Mogerman said the question of ownership of the land is still very much in question and the Neskonlith band may one day establish aboriginal title to the area. He said that fact means this issue should have been dealt with by a civil court ? not by the RCMP enforcing Canada's Criminal Code. When confronted by the protesters' assertion of ownership and public trespass, Sun Peaks Resort and the Crown should have sought an injunction instead of calling the police. "Until the issue of ownership is settled, the place to deal with it is in the civil court," Mogerman said. "It could be that at the end of the day, they will be successful (in establishing title). The result could well be that (the public) has been trespassing there for years." But prosecutor Stephen Harrison said strongly held convictions do not mean the protesters honestly believed they had a legal right to block the road. He said the evidence shows they knew they were likely to face criminal sanctions for their acts. "It's hard to believe their assertion they believed closing the highway would not bring them into conflict with police," Harrison told the judge. He went on to say the Crown does not deny the sincerity of feeling the protesters have for their claims of ownership of the land. He added that's not enough to defend the criminal charges. "A firm moral conviction, however sincerely held, is not the same as a belief in legal justification. "Each of these accused must have known their actions on Aug. 24 were not supportable in law, in spite of their belief in the righteousness of their cause. "They had no right in law to prevent the public from going about its lawful business. There is no air of reality to their assertion that they believe they have a legal right to stop traffic at their pleasure," Harrison said. He asked the court to convict all three defendants. Judge Eugene Sather reserved his verdict until Monday, saying he needed time to review the evidence and consider the lawyers' submissions. Warrants remain outstanding for three others who were also charged. Amanda Soper, Joseph Romandia and Dustin Eberle did not show up for the start of the trial. Copyright c. 2002 Kamloops Daily News. --------- "RE: Wrongful-death Suit: Plankinton Boot Camp" --------- Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 09:22:33 EDT From: ErthAvengr@aol.com Subj: SD: Wrongful-death suit to be argued at SDSM&T: Plankinton Boot Camp Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.rapidcityjournal.com Wrongful-death suit to be argued at SDSM&T By Chet Brokaw Sept.16,2002 Associated Press Writer PIERRE - More than a year after the main case was settled, the state and a former reform school worker are still fighting about legal fees related to a lawsuit over the death of a girl at the State Training School. The South Dakota Supreme Court will hear arguments Oct. 9 in the dispute between Tamara Wagaman and the Public Entity Pool for Liability fund, which pays legal fees and damages for state employees. The case is one of nine that the high court will hear Oct. 7-9 at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. Wagaman and Raelene Layne were in charge of a group of girls at the Plankinton boot camp when 14-year-old Gina Score died of heat stroke in July 1999 after a forced run. The two women were acquitted of criminal charges of child abuse, but they were included in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the girl's parents, David and Viola Score. The suit was settled in February 2001. The state and Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, which provided medical care at the school, each paid half of the $1.25 million settlement. The PEPL fund, which covers public employees up to $1 million per incident, had argued that it should not cover legal fees for Wagaman and Layne because they disregarded rules and policies in their handling of Score the day the girl died. The fund does not cover damages that result from state employee misconduct. Lawyers for the PEPL fund sought a court ruling to determine whether the fund was responsible for paying legal fees and any damages on behalf of Wagaman and Layne. Circuit Judge Arthur Rusch of Yankton ruled last year that the PEPL fund had to pay legal fees for Wagaman and Layne in the Scores' lawsuit. Wagaman's lawyer, James Abourezk, then sought to have the PEPL fund also pay for his legal work in getting the ruling that required the fund to cover Wagaman's legal expenses in the main lawsuit. But Rusch ruled that the fund did not have to pay Abourezk's fees for that part of the legal wrangling. Wagaman also is appealing another ruling by Rusch that required Abourezk to pay $350 to a Sioux Falls law firm. The judge ruled that Abourezk had acted in bad faith in issuing a subpoena seeking financial information from the law firm, whose partners include Russell Janklow, son of Gov. Bill Janklow. The $350 was to compensate the law firm for its work in dealing with Abourezk's subpoena. In the lawsuit, the firm of Johnson, Heidepriem, Miner, Marlow and Janklow represented some of the corrections officials who supervised Layne and Wagaman at the State Training School. Russell Janklow said he was not involved in the case and did not receive any of the PEPL payments for defending the school supervisors. Abourezk had said he wanted information from the law firm to show his own fees were reasonable. But Judge Rusch ruled that Abourezk had not given a sufficient reason for trying to find out if the governor's son received any of the money because that information was not relevant to whether Abourezk's fees were reasonable. Wagaman also sought compensation from the PEPL fund for Abourezk's work in trying to compel Gov. Bill Janklow to provide information about the case. Janklow had said he did not have to testify about the decision to deny PEPL coverage to Wagaman because those discussions were confidential talks between an attorney and client. --------- "RE: Woman's Death a Hate Crime" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 08:43:23 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HATE CRIME" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/09/10/hatecrime_020910 Woman's death a hate crime, native group alleges Tue, 10 Sep 2002 16:19:17 PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. - Crown prosecutors are considering laying hate crime charges in connection with the death of a native woman in Prince Albert, Sask. Cynthia Sanderson, 24, died after being run over by a pickup truck on Aug. 31. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations said witnesses allege the driver of the truck shouted racial slurs at Sanderson before running her over. The federation said the case should be treated as a hate crime. "These things are happening (regularly)," said federation vice-chief Lawrence Joseph. "What they really are, are hate crimes." Anthony Barr, 43, has been charged with criminal negligence causing death, impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit. He made his first court appearance Monday and is scheduled for a bail hearing Friday. Crown prosecutor Cynthia Alexander said laying hate crime charges hasn't been ruled out. But she stressed that such charges require specific evidence. Sanderson's sister Linda Pechawis, 38, said she is certain the crime stems from racism. "It's not right for somebody to hate somebody because their skin colour isn't the same," Pechawis said. Sanderson was a student at Universal Career College. She is survived by a seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright c. 2002 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Men apologize for shooting up Klamath Town" --------- Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 08:22:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RACISM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/klamathwater-racism.html Men apologize for shooting up town to intimidate Klamath Tribes By Jeff Barnard ASSOCIATED PRESS September 10, 2002 KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Three men stood in court on Tuesday as their attorney read their apology for firing shots and shouting racial slurs in the hometown of the Klamath Tribes last year. Their actions in the town of Chiloquin last December came at a time when racial tensions were strained over water being withheld from farmers to protect fish held sacred by the Indians. Klamath County Circuit Judge Roger Isaacson went even further than the text of the apology, denouncing the Bonanza men as racists, symptomatic of a deeper racial problem in the Klamath Basin. "The same might be said of white guys in the 1950s who put sheets on and intimidated black people," the judge said. "Your actions aren't any different than what they did." George Curry, 23, a ranch hand; Richard Sharp, 26, a logger; and Adam Lee, 27, occupation unknown, each pleaded guilty last July to felony charges of conspiracy to commit criminal intimidation, unlawful use of a weapon, and misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. In a sentence worked out between the tribes and the district attorney's office, the judge ordered the men to serve 30 days in jail plus three years on probation, do 30 days of community service work in Chiloquin, and pay a $1,000 fine, plus $464 in fees, and restitution of $239 for damaged property. They must also attend classes given by the tribes on their history, culture and goals for the future and stay away from firearms and alcohol. "If you guys get together in any way that violates probation, I'll send you to prison," Isaacson warned. "You've had your chance. You won't get any more from me." The men did not say anything in court other than to acknowledge that they agreed with the contents of the letter, which had been approved by defense and prosecution attorneys. They refused to comment after court. "We ask for the forgiveness of the people of Chiloquin and the Klamath Tribe for our actions," the letter said. "Although it is difficult to admit, we realize that our actions were motivated to a large extent by a racial bias toward members of the Klamath Tribe." Authorities said the men were drinking while goose hunting last December when a snowstorm led them to decided to take their guns to Chiloquin, the site of an ancient fishing village for the Klamath people as well as a new tribal administration building for the Klamath Tribes. The men drove around shouting racial slurs, accusing the tribes of stealing their water, and firing their shotguns at signs and an outhouse. They harassed teenage boys on a school bus heading for a basketball game, singling out tribal members and calling them "stupid Indians." They also called out, "Sucker lovers, come on out and fight." The taunt was a reference to two endangered fish held sacred by the tribes. During the 2001 drought, water was withheld from farmers to assure the fish would survive. Tribal Vice Chairman Joe Hobbs said he was satisfied with the sentence, and hoped it would lead to a new era of racial tolerance in the Klamath Basin. "I sure did appreciate the things Judge Isaacson said," Hobbs said. "I hope this will lead to quelling some of this prejudicial feeling in the community, on both sides." Copyright c. 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. --------- "RE: Tohono O'odham: Dealing with Border" --------- Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 22:08:25 -0700 From: "Chris Milda (_Akimel O`odham_)" Subj: TOHONO O'ODHAM: DEALING WITH BORDER: Smugglers pathway: Clandestine movement of drugs, people engulfs area (Fwd) - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Date: Monday, 12 August 2002 http://www.azstarnet.com/star/mon/20812OODHAMSMUGGLING2fmai2f.html Tucson, Arizona Monday, 12 August 2002 TOHONO O'ODHAM: DEALING WITH BORDER Smugglers pathway Clandestine movement of drugs, people engulfs area As a community By Tim Steller ARIZONA DAILY STAR MENAGERS DAM Smugglers are endangering this border village and much of the Tohono O'odham Nation by tempting residents with cash for helping move people and drugs, residents say. The creeping corruption has even overcome some children, who have dropped out of school to join the smugglers' payroll as spies, said resident Ray Mattia. "These kids get paid a lot of money to watch the roads for them. They sit on the mountains over here," Mattia said, waving to a range east of this village, which is about 100 miles southwest of Tucson. The same temptations that have co-opted some Menagers Dam residents are available across this vast reservation west of Tucson, which has a 75-mile border with Mexico, said residents and law-enforcement officers. It is the hottest area in Arizona for illegal border crossings, and marijuana seizures are at a record pace on the reservation this year. Apprehensions of illegal entrants made by the two Border Patrol stations that serve the Tohono O'odham Nation nearly doubled in the first six months of this year over the same period last year, rising from 34,522 to 60,270. Marijuana seizures way up In the first nine months of this fiscal year, U.S. Customs Service agents working on the nation have seized more marijuana than in all of last fiscal year, 94,956 pounds compared with 76,285 pounds last year. "That is a hotbed of activity out there," said Kyle Barnette, associate special agent in charge of customs' Tucson office. Increases in smuggling activity anywhere create an increased demand for certain services from local residents, said Carlos X. Carrillo, assistant chief of the Border Patrol's Tucson sector. Smugglers are willing to pay locals for stashing illegal entrants or drug loads in their houses, for driving people or drugs across the border or into the interior, and for spying. Unemployed people are especially vulnerable to the suggestion, Carrillo said. The Tohono O'odham Nation has an unemployment rate of about 25 percent, Chairman Edward D. Manuel said. It also suffers from social ills such as alcoholism, he said. "There's a lot of people who are willing to do anything - money is the issue," said Wilbert Thomas Sr., a rancher in Vamori, a village about 60 miles southwest of Tucson, who has been overrun by border crossers. "They want the easy money." A cash incentive In the most recent marijuana-smuggling case to come out of Menagers Dam, two local men said they were planning to split the $500 they were to be paid for stashing 320 pounds of marijuana in a house, according to a criminal complaint filed against them June 6. One man, Tony L. Mattia (a distant cousin of Ray) said on a financial affidavit that he has nine dependents and hasn't worked since 2000. The other man, Felix F. Aguila, said on a financial affidavit that he hadn't held a job since 1972. Both have pleaded not guilty. On July 28, Border Patrol agents arrested two Sells residents who were transporting five siblings, including three children under age 9, in the trunk of a Dodge Stratus, according to a criminal complaint filed against them. The driver, Leigh C. Miguel, told agents she was to be paid $800 for the trip, and front-seat passenger Norman J. Johnson said he was expecting to make "beer money," the complaint said. They too have pleaded not guilty. Teen took up with smuggler Young women in Menagers Dam have faced temptations beyond money, said resident Katherine Moreno, 64. Smugglers have professed their love, then moved into the village with the women, then used their houses for smuggling people or drugs, she said. One 18-year-old village resident, Trinette Buterbaugh, took up with a young smuggler from Mexico two months ago, then disappeared across the international line, said her grandmother, Juanita Mattia, who is Ray's aunt. "She left her newborn baby," said Mattia, 72. The last time Buterbaugh was seen in Menagers Dam, she was in a pickup that came north up the 3/4-mile, sandy road that connects the village to Mexico, then turned back, apparently checking the road for law-enforcement vehicles, Juanita Mattia said. "As a community council, we tried to kick these smugglers out, but that didn't work because they have people who will defend them," Ray Mattia said. What has convinced smugglers to move to the Tohono O'odham Nation and adjacent lands is the focus that the Border Patrol has put on other Southern Arizona corridors, near Nogales, Douglas and Naco, Carrillo said. The "west desert," as the patrol calls the area between Sasabe and Yuma County, is comparatively unguarded. "You've got some Border Patrol presence, but not a lot, and some of our presence but not a lot," said Barnette of customs agents. "The smugglers have just been taking advantage of our weaknesses." Vast area to patrol The Tohono O'odham police have 48 of their 71 officers assigned to patrol the reservation, an area the size of Connecticut, acting chief Richard Saunders said. The department has tried to avoid becoming an enforcer of immigration laws while at the same time responding to community calls about illegal entrants or drug smugglers. To Ray Mattia and other residents of Menagers Dam, the nation's police haven't been patrolling the western parts of the reservation enough. "I feel there's no protection here," Mattia said. "We either go to the Border Patrol or protect ourselves." Saunders told a hearing in Gu Vo last week, "We're doing the best we can with the limited number of people we have." He and the nation's director of public safety, Richard Clifton, noted that officers may be doing work there that residents don't notice, and that residents do not always learn the results of investigations in their areas. The solution, tribal chairman Manuel said, lies in improving roads and fences along the international border on the Tohono O'odham Nation. "We're trying to get Border Patrol to deploy on the international boundary so they can deter the drug smugglers and illegal aliens that are coming through," Manuel said. The Border Patrol is limited not just by its numbers but also by the fact that the international boundary established in 1854 cuts across traditional O'odham lands. System of informal crossings Under federal law, agents can make tribal members go to the official ports of entry at Lukeville or Sasabe, rather than crossing the border through unofficial border gates on the reservation. But for years agents have allowed tribal members to pass through the gates after questioning them on their tribal status and travel plans, agents said. "It's up to the agent's discretion to use a little common sense," said Edward "Bud" Tuffly, president of the Border Patrol agents' union local in Southern Arizona. Tribal members working for the smugglers have taken advantage of that informal system, Ray Mattia said. "They would come to the border, drop all their people (illegal border crossers) off, come through, and have their people walk around," Mattia said. Saunders, the nation's acting police chief, said tribal members make up a small minority of smugglers working on the reservation, most of whom are from Mexico or other parts of Arizona. Of 138 drug arrests his department has made since the beginning of the year, 35 were of tribal members, he said. Role of tribal members unclear What's unclear is how many of the nation's approximately 17,000 residents have helped smugglers. The main police forces arresting smugglers of people and drugs on the nation are federal agencies, and they said they do not keep records of how many tribal members are among the people they arrest or prosecute. Even if they did, that figure might be misleading because a traffic stop of a vehicle containing illegal entrants does not necessarily lead to a prosecution or even an arrest. "We'd stop tribal members all the time with 10 or 15 people in the car. We'd call Border Patrol, and they wouldn't do anything. They would say the U.S. Attorney's Office won't prosecute," said Joseph A. Patterson, a former tribal police officer. Patterson said he was fired in June 2001 after he punctured the tires of a vehicle parked at Little Tucson, in an effort to keep people-smugglers from using it. "There are a whole lot of people stopped down there with illegal aliens who over the long run are not prosecuted for smuggling," said John M. France, who was the patrol agent in charge of the Border Patrol's Casa Grande station from October 1995 until February last year. LImited number of prosecutions Casa Grande agents patrol much of the Tohono O'odham Nation. France, who is now the deputy chief of the patrol's Detroit sector, said the reason for the limited prosecutions was that federal prosecutors had such large caseloads they could accept only strong cases. "The U.S. Attorney's Office vigorously prosecutes alien-smuggling cases, " said office spokeswoman Camilla Strongin. But she acknowledged each case is accepted or rejected on its own merits. During the first five months of this year, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tucson filed 144 alien-smuggling cases. Over the same period, agents of the Border Patrol's Tucson sector apprehended 187,583 people. That's one smuggling case per 1,303 apprehensions. Sudden change in lifestyle Residents of the tiny, isolated villages that dot the Tohono O'odham Nation say they know when a neighbor has gone to work for smugglers, with or without an arrest. Involvement tends to run in families, and it often becomes apparent through their activities, said Delma Ga