Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews12.026 From: gars@speakeasy.org (Gary Night Owl) To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Message-ID: _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 12, ISSUE 026 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2004 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island June 26, 2004 Kiowa pai ganhina p'a/summer moon Cree sagipukawipizun/moon when the leaves come out +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People 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 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 Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> 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.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; Frostys AmerIndian and Rez_Life 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 | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Elder Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "Something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there." Black Elk's Lament; "You see me now a pitiful old man who has done nothing, for the nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead." __ Black Elk, Lakota Holy Man +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! My half-side, Janet, responds to an opinion piece in Native Times that discusses the mentality that lead to the raid on the Coyote Valley Rancheria near Ukiah, CA. That opinion piece is featured as the lead article in this issue. Please take the time to read both to have a better understanding of what your sovereign and civil rights really mean to the dominant society. ---- I have ambivalent feelings about Indian gaming. That ambivalence is one reason I cede most gaming news to Victor Rocha (http://www.pechanga.net), who covers it well. It is undeniable that the tribes who have successful gaming operations now suffer less poverty, have better infrastructure, and more political influence with governments around them. Their children are going to college, and returning with medical, legal, and business degrees that help their own people, and often other tribes, avoid some of the misfortunes visited upon them in past years. Many are restoring their tribal language and culture, and supporting Native arts, which had been all but eradicated by the surrounding dominant culture. Unemployment is reduced (or irrelevant - like white investors, some tribal members have sufficient income through their share of casino ownership to make ditch digging for a wage unnecessary). It is also undeniable that in some tribes (and their situations are well known, so I'm not going to point fingers) greed has taken over. Tribal are "thinning" rolls, with some councils finding ways to exclude even their own relatives, something that hadn't been considered before individual profit percentages became a factor. The casinos and their backers have been accused of subverting legitimate government in some tribes. In worst cases, elders accuse officials who have risen to power in gaming tribes of oppressing traditional people. And there are accusations of graft, corruption, criminal influence, fraud, mismanagement, money laundering and worse -- what I'd expect of most communities dependent on a single profitable business with a lot of money rolling through it. Similarly, I have mixed feeings about Indian smoke shops. I'm not real happy that the abuse of tobacco happens to be the activity their chosen business encourages, but it's their country and their business. And in most cases, tax-free sale of a "premium" item like tobacco is one of the few advantages Indian merchants have over their better-heeled, more established non-Indian colleagues off the rez. So that said -- why am I concerned about a series of enforcement activities, such as the most recent assault on tribal officials at the Coyote Valley band of Pomo Indians? The editorial below explains it well. It doesn't matter whether or not I approve of the business involved. If Indians who felt abused from those tribes had asked for help from me as an individual or as a person who spreads news, I'd do that. I have done it. It's my right to have an opinion and voice it, and even my right to encourage other Indians to find ways to encourage But I do NOT support a federally-sanctioned armed assault by state and local law enforcement on tribal officials and their families in their homes or businesses such as that described as happening in several recent cases. For Federal agencies to cede their authority to a state or local agency is an evasion of the sovereign relationship between the U.S. and the tribe, and if it is tolerated for any reason (regardless of how unsavory the activity in question might be), these incidents may become a precedent to support similar dealings with other activities -- at the whim of any government, local, state, or federal. This is not a precedent Indians can afford to let stand, and it's time for Indians, regardless of whether or not their personal or tribal toes have been stepped on, to rise and support the sovereign rights Indian nations do have. Janet Smith +/// owlstar@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 /*/+ OwlStar Trading Post Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. + / * http://www.owlstar.com * + ---- Dohiyi Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) gars@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Opinion: Legacy - Seneca-Cayuga Land of Supreme Court's Inyo County Gaming in New York - Indian Vote could decide - ABA announces Presidential Election "Native America" expansion Team - Johnson promises 'meaningful' - Native-American-only concept OST Iinvestigation in need of tweak - Nez Perce upset over plan - YELLOW BIRD: for Hatchery Students blossom with the flowers - Tribal Elder keeps Salmon Ceremony - AFN Chief going strong on National Day of Solidarity - Complaints prompt probe - CBC VIEWPOINT: into BIA Education Aboriginal vote can matter - Judge rules Blumenthal - Veteran Mohawk leader retires wrong to meet with BIA - Lubicon supports - Nipmuc Chief: place hopes in Radio Ads Federal recognition long overdue - Native issues - Nipmuc Nation denied more important than Votes - Peabody loses another round - First Nation - Chaco: a Gathering Place continues to sing to Killer Whale for the Solstice - Mohawk Police - NARF and Boulder likely to regain Authority celebrate Sacred Sites - Sask. Police Probe - Editorial: finds Anti-Native Prejudice Settle Brule Tribal Land Issue - Family shocked by Sentence - Ways of the Past - Video documents Jail horrors help shape the Future on Reservations - Congress prepares - Aquash remains for Sacred Site debate won't provide key evidence - CRST to hold grand opening - Final salute to Aquash for Slaughter House - Native Prisoner - Opinion: -- Penpal Requests: Apology isn't too much To Ask Montana State Prison - Op-Ed: Obstacles between the Rez -- Update on Justin Wing and Ballot Box -- Spiritual Gathering - Western Shoshones - Rustywire: Can we go? may finally get paid - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Rustywire Poem: I am Desolate and Barren --------- "RE: Opinion: Legacy of Supreme Court's Inyo County" --------- Date: Wed, 16 June 2004 08:33:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COYOTE VALLEY RAID" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm nativetimes.com/ index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=4573 Opinion: Coyote Valley The legacy of the Supreme Court's "Inyo County" decision builds Harold Monteau June 11, 2004 In my last article, I asked the question, "Who's next?" to receive overly aggressive police state tactics in the name of law enforcement. Well, we now know the answer, it is the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians Rancheria in California. The "Inyo County" atrocity has happened again, right before the national holiday dedicated to remembering the soldiers who have fallen while fighting to retain the freedom of this country and when our people honor the Indian men and women now serving in combat zones around the world in disproportionate numbers in comparison to our representation in the overall population. We honor these gallant men and women because we, as Indian people, believe in the cause of freedom and the promises made to us. Promises guaranteed not only in Indian treaties, but also in the United States Constitution. Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure is one of the fundamental rights granted citizens in the Bill of Rights. Yet the current attitude of federal, state and local governments of this country, emboldened by the recent decisions of the Supreme Court, seems to be that Indians have no rights with regard to the protections found in the U.S. Constitution. In the early morning hours of May 25, 2004, nearly 100 federal, state and local police, in storm trooper fashion, converged on the Coyote Valley Rancheria near Ukiah, CA. Under the guise of executing federal search warrants authorizing the seizure casino records and computers, law enforcement agents stormed the offices and homes of tribal leaders and their families. In doing so, the agents with guns drawn held tribal members, their families and other innocent bystanders handcuffed for several hours with no ability to leave or have access to adequate food and water. Were these detainees so violent that police were afraid for their own personal safety? No. In fact not one bit of resistance or lack of cooperation by the tribal members or others who were detained occurred. Certainly if it had, it would have been reported. Several of the desperados who were detained by the agents were no more than six years old. In fact, at one home some of the "really scary" detainees were all of two and four years old, another was an 80-year-old tribal elder and grandmother. All of the detainees including the children were forced to have their mug- shots taken while holding identification placards. We have, in recent months, seen a proliferation of Gestapo-like tactics used when the state has to deal with an Indian tribe. From the Rhode Island police raid on a tribal smoke shop, to the closing of the Wyandotte casino in Kansas City, jackbooted thugs have no problem in coming in, waving their guns in innocent people's faces, detaining people unjustly, and in short, acting like the Secret Police of the old communist countries. In this case, in a development that should be alarming to Indian County, the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Department of Interior Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney capitulated their primary, and supposedly exclusive, jurisdiction to the State of California Department of Justice, Division of Gambling Control. The state provided the affidavit which was used as a basis for the search, seized the items and gave the tribal leaders receipts for the search on state forms. City and County law enforcement agents also participated in the raid which was purportedly an operation of the Department of Interior. It seems our trustee, the United States, has decided that though secret joint jurisdictional agreements with the states, it is going to totally capitulate their exclusive federal jurisdiction under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to state law enforcement agencies. In the process the state was allowed to violate with impunity the provisions of the Tribal-State Gaming Compacts requiring that tribal representatives must be allowed to accompany them on inspections and searches pertaining to the gaming operations on Indian lands. Any subterfuge of this requirement under the guise of assisting federal law enforcement under some joint jurisdictional agreement, to which the tribes are not a party, should not be acceptable. The feds had jurisdiction to conduct the search and it was a violation of IGRA and the Tribal State Compact for them to allow the state to take the lead without any regard to the requirements the state agreed to in the compact. Across America we are seeing violations of civil rights across the board. It isn't just Native Americans who are in jeopardy of being unlawfully detained and unreasonably searched. If we tolerate this then eventually all of us can anticipate that we will awaken to guns and police dogs charging into our children's bedrooms and putting our children through the trauma of watching parents and grandmother cuffed and forced to sit for hours while our home is ransacked. For the federal government to allow state law enforcement to carry out such a violent search for "documents" in this fashion is inviting disaster. Eventually someone will resist and someone will be killed. The public, and our United States Congress, seems to be of the mind that the government is only going after bad guys, who must have done something wrong or they wouldn't be in trouble. But, it doesn't matter if a person is guilty or not. The Bill of Rights gives us certain guarantees from things like unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, "unreasonable" search and seizure and it also gives us the right to an attorney, etc. At Coyote Valley on May 25, 2004, most of these rights went by the wayside in this state law enforcement led search for "documents". Not a search for drugs or weapons mind you, but harmless documents. You want to be concerned about the searches and interrogations that are going on in Iraq. Look closer to home my relatives. In the words of Reverend Martin Niemoller, "First they came for communists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me." If we all stay silent when we witness the violation of someone's rights, who do we think will be there when our own rights are violated? Right now, Indian country is witnessing the violation of personal rights, as well as the violation of tribal sovereignty, by federal, state and local governments. It may not be happening to you or to me, it may not be happening to my tribe or your tribe, but it is happening. How long are we going to stand idle as silent witnesses doing nothing? How long will our senators and congressman stand by while the confrontations build? Until someone dies? I hope not. Harold Monteau is an enrolled member of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Box Elder, Mont. He is also a partner at Monteau & Pebbles, LLP, a national law firm specializing in Indian law, complex governmental negotiations, business transactions in Indian country, land acquisition, administrative law and issues relating to Indian gaming. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2004 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Indian Vote could decide Presidential Election" --------- Date: Tue, 22 June 2004 08:09:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN VOTE" http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/062204L.shtml [Thanks to Ben Seipman for forwarding this article.] Indian Vote Could Decide Senate Majority, Presidential Election Jerry Reynolds Indian Country Today Friday 18 June 2004 It is still early for the 2004 presidential elections, early enough that every crystal ball is bound to be cloudy. Even so, this much can be said with certainty: events have fallen out in such a way as to position the Indian vote for decisive influence on Nov. 2. In fact, the Native vote has never been so crucial to the prospects of a president, nor to the majority party in the Senate. This is due to two factors: a polarization in American politics that has led each presidential candidate to concede the electoral vote in about 30 states to his rival, as a foregone conclusion; and an anticipated tight election in which the winner, as in 2000, may be crowned by only a handful of electoral votes. Those votes will come from 16 or 17 so-called "battleground states," states that were decided by 6 percent of the vote or less in 2000. (Another three or four states, namely Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana and perhaps New Jersey, lean Republican or Democrat now, but could become battleground states if the other party focuses resources on putting them into play.) Among the current battleground states, where the candidates are concentrating a majority of their time and money, Indian people hold the "swing vote" - the key few percentage points of total popular votes that could swing electoral votes whichever way they are cast - in a handful of them. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan - in each of these, the presidential race is expected to be exceedingly close, as they were in 2004 with Bush taking the electoral votes of Arizona and Nevada by 5 and 4 percent respectively, and Democratic candidate Al Gore landing the others, New Mexico, Oregon and Wisconsin by less than 1 percent, Minnesota by 2 percent, Washington by 4 percent and Michigan by 5. And in each, the Native population is positioned to provide the few percentage points of the total popular vote that would deliver electoral votes to the victor. In several of these states and South Dakota as well, Senate races will also be close-run. South Dakota provided a presage of that scenario on June 1. Stephanie Herseth, a Democrat, defeated Republican Larry Diedrich in a special election to fill the seat of William Janklow, forced to resign from the House of Representatives following his conviction for felony manslaughter in a traffic death. Herseth's margin of victory was 2, 981 votes out of 261,773, or 51 percent to 49. Indian voters cast ballots in record numbers, more than doubling their turnout in several Indian- populous counties that include the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River Sioux and Standing Rock reservations. The Indian vote is widely credited with delivering a Senate seat to Democrat Tim Johnson, by only 524 ballots, in 2002, and both parties said it delivered again on June 1. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican in the House, said that without the Indian vote, the Republican candidate would have prevailed. Tom Daschle, Democratic Minority Leader in the Senate, called the special election "yet another race where the Native vote made the difference." Herseth will fill the remainder of Janklow's term before facing the voters again for a full term in November. In the meantime, she becomes the 205th Democrat in the House, joining 228 Republicans and one Independent. The Senate is still more closely divided, with 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and one Independent. Though the presidential race will be the focus of the Nov. 4 elections, the House and Senate contests are no less important. In both chambers, the majority party dominates committee structure, deciding which bills come up for a vote and which are tabled, which "riders" get a hearing and which do not. In addition, the more votes a minority party can count on, the more likely it will be to keep majority bills from coming to a vote through parliamentary maneuvers such as the filibuster, or deliberately prolonged debate. As the current 108th Congress so far proves on several counts, even the fate legislation favored by a sitting president, in a Congress his party controls, may come to depend on good will from the minority party. The unprecedented potential impact of the Indian vote in 2004 can be reckoned from the simple fact that in some states, Indian voters can swing the vote for both the presidency - and the majority party in the Senate. The National Congress of American Indians is spearheading efforts to turn out more Indian voters in 2004 than ever before. NCAI takes note of the following figures: - In Alaska, Alaska Natives make up 16 percent of eligible voters. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican appointed to fill the Senate seat of her father, Frank Murkowski, after he became the state's governor, is up for re-election. - In Arizona, almost 300,000 Indians make up 5.7 percent of the state's population. - In Colorado, Indians make up 1.5 percent of the population. With Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell retiring, one Senate seat is open. - In Michigan, Indians make up 1.3 percent of the state's population; in Minnesota, 1.6 percent. - In Nevada, where Republican Sen. Harry Reid is up for re-election, the Indian percentage of the population is 2.1. - In New Mexico, Indians are 10.5 percent of the population. - In North Dakota, where Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat, is up for re- election, Indians are 5.5 percent of the population. - In Oklahoma, where Republican Sen. Don Nickles is up for re-election, Native people make up 8 percent of the total population. - In Oregon, where Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is up for re-election, Indians make up 2.5 percent of the state population. - In South Dakota, 9 percent of the state population is Indian. Sen. Tom Daschle, the Democratic Minority Leader, is up for re-election. As mentioned above, Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth, winner of a special election to the House of Representatives June 1, will face the voters again in November. - In Utah, where Republican Sen. Robert Bennett is up for re-election, Indians make up 1.8 percent of the population. - In Washington, where Democratic Sen. Patty Murray is up for re-election, Indians are 2.7 percent of the state's population. - In Wisconsin, where Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold is up for re-election, Indians make up 1.3 percent of the population. Of course, none of these races will be decided on Indian issues alone. In Arizona and New Mexico, the Hispanic vote will play a large role. In Nevada, President Bush's decision to make Yucca Mountain, northwest of Las Vegas, the national nuclear waste dump is not expected to play well with the state's Republican-leaning electorate. In the industrial economy enclaves of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, jobs are said to be the major issue, but President Bush's approval rating is declining almost commensurate with a resurgent job market. In Oregon and Washington, Democratic challenger John Kerry is expected to benefit from the coastal states' environmental concerns. And throughout the battleground states, recent polls have found Arab citizens abandoning Bush. But the closer the 2004 elections become, the more prominently loom Indian people as holders of a decisive swing vote. If there is one issue that unites all Indian voters as they weigh the different candidates, NCAI has suggested it: "We will not support candidates who do not support our sovereignty." Copyright c. 2004 Indian Country Today. Copyright c. 2004 Truthout.Org. --------- "RE: Johnson promises 'meaningful' OST Iinvestigation" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GAO/CONGRESS/OST" http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/003036.asp Johnson promises 'meaningful' investigation of OST June 21, 2004 A wide-ranging investigation of the Office of Special Trustee is moving forward, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) said last week. Johnson asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to look into the "entire management and administrative system" of the agency Congress created to address failures in trust mismanagement. He made the request in a May 3 letter. During a conference call last Thursday, Johnson said the GAO has accepted the request and will be providing a briefing to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, of which he is a member. To make the investigation more manageable, it is being broken into separate areas, including financial management, information technology and staffing, he said. "It's our hope that by breaking up our request into some smaller packages, - with a greater focus on specific issues - that we can get a more meaningful investigation by the GAO," Johnson said. The investigation centers on a number of concerns tribal leaders have raised in recent years as OST has expanded its mission from one designed to oversee trust reform efforts at the Interior Department to one implementing most major fixes. Under Bush administration, the agency's budget has dramatically increased while funds for other Indian programs are being cut or flat-lined. Congress has responded, in part, by restricting OST's growth. Just last week, the House passed an Interior appropriations bill that strips money from OST and funnels it to Indian schools and hospitals instead. Special Trustee Ross Swimmer, a Bush administration appointee, has contested the characterization that his office is becoming a major bureaucracy. In response to complaints aired by tribes at a Senate hearing in March, he said that most of the money going into OST is being used for historical accounting projects. But even that pot of funds is being viewed with skepticism. The bill that passed the House last week cuts the Bush administration's historical accounting request by $51.4 million. Funding for the Office of Historical Trust Accounting is capped at $58 million in the bill. In his letter to GAO, Johnson questioned why OST keeps receiving more money despite having "carryover" funds every year. He said the agency's management of its funds "gives rise to suspicious activity of impropriety." Independent audits also outline discrepancies in the way OST handles $3. 1 billion in Indian trust funds. One audit showed that OST is holding back at least $121 million, up from $62 million previously reported, from individual Indians. Congress created OST in 1994 to provide oversight of the BIA's trust management duties. The agency stumbled in its first few years under the Clinton administration - former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt initially refused to fund the office and the first Special Trustee resigned in a dispute with Babbitt. During the Bush administration, the agency has seen unprecedented growth and has slowly taken over programs formerly managed by BIA, including cash management, appraisals, probate and accounting. Tribal leaders and some lawmakers say this expansion violates the intent of Congress in creating the office. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. Indianz.Com is a product of Noble Savage Media, LLC and Ho-Chunk, Inc. --------- "RE: Nez Perce upset over plan for Hatchery" --------- Date: Wed, 16 June 2004 08:33:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SALMON" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/story/5194643p-5127528c.html Nez Perce upset over plan for hatchery June 15th, 2004 By Anna King Herald staff writer State officials agreed Monday to release 200,000 young salmon from Lyons Ferry Hatchery in June after the Nez Perce Tribe threatened legal action. The fall chinook were being fed heavily so they would grow rapidly before their release in early summer. But tribal officials allege the state cut back the feed about three weeks ago in a plan to make the fish grow more slowly and release them next spring instead. The tribe said holding the fish back until next year would violate a 2003 management agreement that called for the 200,000 fish to be released before they were a year old, and for 450,000 more fish to be released as yearlings next year. Tribal officials said it's critical to release the younger fish so hatcheries can mimic the natural river systems as closely as possible. Jeff Koenings, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a letter to the tribe that was released late Monday that holding the young fish back was intended to bolster salmon numbers that will be taxed by reduced summer spill over the dams in late July and August. Koenings said releasing the fish when they are older would increase their chances of surviving to adulthood. State officials agreed last week to reduce the amount of water spilled over the dams during the summer months, when fish migration slows, so the water can be used instead to generate power. The spill program had been intended to help young fish get downstream, but regional power officials have argued it benefits few fish and costs the region millions of dollars in lost power sales. David Cummings, attorney for the Nez Perce Tribe, said the tribe only had learned of the new plan for the 200,000 fish last week. Becky Ashe, a fishery coordinator for the Nez Perce, said trying to manage the juvenile salmon in a different way midway through their life cycle would be dangerous. "Washington state has been starving these fish to slow their growth down," she said. "That's not healthy for the fish." In his letter to the tribe, Koenings said he had ordered full feeding to resume immediately. State officials said the exact date in June when the fish will be released still is unclear. "We want to release the fish when the release conditions are best, but also want the fish on more feed than they are now," said Ross Fuller, fish management division manager for the state agency. Tribal officials, however, said the fish should be released now, when recent rains and cool weather will help them survive. "We believe the conditions are optimal right now to release those fish," said Charles Hudson, spokesman for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Other strategies to reduce the effects of the lost summer spill, like stabilizing water flows in the Hanford Reach, also are under attack by the tribe, who wants the summer spill to continue, Hudson said. He said the tribe hasn't seen meaningful improvements on the Reach this year and doesn't feel it should be considered a viable replacement for the lost water. Copyright c. 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services --------- "RE: Tribal Elder keeps Salmon Ceremony going strong" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SALMON/CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.registerguard.com/news/2004/06/20/a1.salmon.0620.html Tribal elder keeps salmon ceremony going strong By Karen McCowan The Register-Guard June 20, 2004 RUCH - "Grandma Aggie" is in her element: a meadow along the Applegate River where her ancestors once lived, presiding over a rite once common among Western Oregon Indian tribes. At 79, Agnes Pilgrim still leads the annual sacred salmon ceremony she helped revive a decade ago. An honored elder with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, she normally uses a motorized wheelchair because of a herniated disc and an atrophied foot. But she is so energized by this event and this place that she gets around here with only a cane. Rising at dawn, she hollers a wake-up call to summon sleepy campers to a sunrise prayer circle. Pointing with her crooked cane, she directs details of a 200-person feast, down to making sure there are clean white tablecloths and vases of flowers. Raising her hand and chanting a prayer, she waves a smoldering braid of sweet-grass over ceremonial utensils. As granddaughter Tonya Nevarez Rilatos watches closely, Pilgrim blesses the freshly spaded fire pit, the obsidian blade to cut the fish, the sharpened redwood stakes used to bake it. Later, as the first cooked salmon comes off the fire, Pilgrim slices a bite for each of the participants, who return the bone and skin to her. Drums thump as four young men emerge from a sweat lodge, skin flushed by the heat of the purification rite. Each holds cedar boughs to wrap up the bone and skin offering. As they run to the frigid river to dive in and leave their bundles on the bottom, the women dance in a circle. "We bless the female salmon," Pilgrim prays, "for her long, dangerous journey up the river to spawn, still nurturing as she dies." Sharing traditional values Pilgrim has a passion for this ceremony once conducted here by her forebears. She sees its values as crucial for today's tribal descendants - and all whose future depends on respect for the interdependence of species. "This is beautiful ground," she says. "This spot was occupied by the First Nation People of the Takelma for over 20,000 years. Our people have a legend that salmon were people like us, who lived in beautiful cities below the ocean floor and chose to come back every year in the form of salmon to feed us." The ceremony acknowledges that sacrifice - and humans' duty to ensure the survival of salmon in return. "I teach reciprocity," Pilgrim says. "Our people used to do things in moderation. They loved the salmon, so didn't fish them out. We've gotten away from that. We've made garbage dumps of our rivers and streams." Salmon were important to the survival of dozens of Northwest tribes, including the Kalapuya who lived in the Eugene-Springfield area. More than two dozen bands formed the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, and many of their descendants conduct salmon ceremonies, says Selene Rilatos, the tribes' cultural activities coordinator. "The salmon is held very sacred to the native people," she says. But she knows of no other ceremony that is open to the public. Pilgrim, in fact, has been criticized for including non-Indians, as she did at last weekend's 11th annual ceremony just below Applegate Dam, south of Grants Pass. "One woman said to me, `If this is a sacred ceremony, why are all these people here?' " she recounts. "I said, `Because everyone eats salmon nowadays, so we need to teach everyone to give back.' " Salmon matriarch Pilgrim is affectionately known as "Grandma Aggie" - not only to her 18 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren - but to dozens of regulars who make up her salmon celebration "family." Her role as matriarch is evident around the campfire the night before the ceremony. Her sharp eyes notice a new arrival, a mother with a young child, behind the fire-lit circle. "Give her a chair with that baby, Shay," Pilgrim directs her grandson. "Move it up to the fire - she looks cold." Though clearly in charge of the ceremony, Pilgrim makes a point of involving others to ensure it will survive her. Son Keith Taylor, a Eureka, Calif., attorney, assists his mother in slicing the $1,060 worth of salmon donated for the ceremony by the Siletz tribes' Chinook Winds Casino. As eager young people thread each 3-inch filet onto a redwood stake, Pilgrim reminds them how to do so - "belly meat up, so the oil runs down," and shows them how to slip the sharpened stake just between skin and meat. "What if I died tomorrow?" she asks her apprentices at one point. "Could you guys go ahead and do this without me? Sure you could!" Rilatos, 37, says her grandmother has long trained family members to become leaders one day. "When I was little, she'd have us walk across the room with Webster's dictionary on our heads," Rilatos recalls. "She said, `Oppression is still alive and well, and you will face prejudice, but stand up strong and tall, and never be ashamed of who you are.' " Latecomer to tradition There was a time, however, when this ceremony would have felt as foreign to Pilgrim as it still does to most Oregonians today. Yes, her great-grandfather was chief when the Army marched his Takelma tribe 150 miles north to the Siletz reservation. Yes, her grandfather, Jack Harney, was the first elected chief of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. But by 1924, when she was born on the Lincoln County reservation, her family no longer celebrated a formal salmon ceremony. The ranks, languages and practices of individual tribes had been decimated by disease, intermarriage and schools bent on assimilating Indian students into white culture. And so, after graduating from Taft High School, Pilgrim embraced a more urban life. She worked as a nurse in Portland and Vancouver. She married and raised six children. But something about Southern Oregon felt like home. At 52, she moved to Grants Pass and enrolled at Ashland's Southern Oregon University. Studying local tribal culture while earning a degree in psychology and American Indian history, she learned something shocking. "A lot of people around here thought all the Takelma people were gone," she says. With her late husband, Grant Pilgrim, a member of Northern California's Yurok tribe, she set out to resurrect her heritage. She has since traveled all over the world as an expert on traditional culture and environmentalism. In 2002, she was Southern Oregon's alumna of the year for her work reviving traditional ways. With Northern California resident Dennis Martinez, an O'odham tribal member, the Pilgrims created the Takelma Intertribal Project. The goal was to teach native ways of managing forests and streams. They set out to find a natural setting where they could do it. "Keep it up" When the three found this meadow on public land just below Applegate Dam, Aggie Pilgrim immediately recognized its suitability. She tells and retells a story that seems to confirm the power of the first revived salmon ceremony here in 1994. "A guy from Fish & Wildlife came to me the next spring and said, `We don't know what you've done, Aggie, but keep it up - there's more fish in that river than ever before!' " she remembers with relish. Charles Fustish, the current state salmon enhancement biologist for the area, has no idea who might have made the remark. But department fish counts back it up, he says. The 1995 spring chinook numbers at nearby Gold Ray Dam set a record that still stands: 81,845 salmon passed through the Applegate that year, up from 14,000 in 1994. Fish runs fluctuate because of factors ranging from water volume and temperature to previous years' commercial fishing limits. After Grant Pilgrim died in 1996, Aggie Pilgrim assumed sole leadership of the salmon festival. "For years, she even paid for it herself," says Patricia Ciminelo, a Grants Pass neighbor who volunteers on the salmon committee. "A few years ago, we started seeking donations, and next year we hope to get a grant- writing committee going." As the feast winds down, Pilgrim moves among the tables in her tribal regalia, greeting old friends and meeting newcomers. What would her grandparents and great-grandparents have thought of such a gathering here? "I wish they could have seen it," she says, surveying the crowd. "They would have been so proud. But they know. They know." CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ - Who: 27 bands originally ranging from Northern California to southern Washington - Reservation: 3,666 acres in Lincoln County - Federal recognition: Terminated in 1955; restored in 1977 - Members: 3,399 Administration: Tribal headquarters in Siletz; satellite offices in Eugene, Salem and Portland ---- Copyright c. 2004 The Register-Guard/Eugene, OR. --------- "RE: Complaints prompt probe into BIA Education" --------- Date: Thu, 17 June 2004 08:54:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PROBE INTO BIA ED" http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/002973.asp Complaints prompt probe into BIA education June 17, 2004 Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado) announced on Wednesday that he has requested an investigation into allegations that the Bureau of Indian Affairs reorganization is hurting the education of Indian children. At an oversight hearing on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee said he has received numerous complaints about the reorganization process. The list included forced retirements, unfair firings, nepotism, mismanagement of funds, ethics violations and civil rights violations. "We have no way of knowing, in the committee, if these accusations have any merit or not and maybe they don't. Maybe some are just disgruntled employees," Campbell said. "But I don't take them lightly." Campbell noted that he spoke with Aurene Martin, the BIA's principal deputy assistant secretary with direct authority over Indian education, when he first heard about the problems. "She assured me that she would look into it but we're still getting complaints," he recalled. After discussing the issue with Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the vice- chairman of the committee, Campbell said both agreed that a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation is needed. "Anything that hurts our Indian children and prevents them from being [in] a safe and healthy education environment is a great distress to both of us," he said. Campbell, who is retiring this year, said the probe would focus on whether the reorganization process has been "objective, fair and impartial. ." He didn't offer a timeline for the release of a report. Bureau of Indian Affairs officials who attended the hearing seemed surprised by the announcement. Theresa Rosier, counselor to the assistant secretary and a close associate of Martin, and Ed Parisian, director of the Office of Indian Education Programs, testified before the committee. As part of the Bush administration's reorganization of the BIA, OIEP reports to the principal deputy assistant secretary rather than the assistant secretary, a post requiring Senate confirmation. Although tribal leaders questioned whether this change complied with NCLB, administration officials said there would be no difference. In recent months, OIEP has been the target of internal criticism. Three reports from the Department of Interior's inspector general found problems with the construction of new schools, a priority of the Bush administration, misuse of emergency school funds and background checks of employees who work with Indian children. Rosier, a political appointee who was not confirmed by the Senate, said Martin has maintained close contact with the inspector general's office and is implementing recommendations made in the reports. Two were completed while Martin was acting assistant secretary but investigators said BIA was slow to respond even after given extensions. The third report, on financial mismanagement, was finished shortly after Dave Anderson, the new assistant secretary, took office in February. Parisian, who became director of OIEP last August, said he has sought to impose greater accountability. "I came in stressing accountability, particularly financial management," he told the committee. "We're looking at those recommendations and implementing the recommendation that were in the report, particularly the contingency funds." The report found that the contingency money was used for non-emergency purposes, including televisions, bean bag chairs, puppets, furniture, computer software, retreats for staff members and other items and services. Rosier sought to tie the problems uncovered by the report to Bill Mehojah, the former director of OIEP who was reassigned as part of the reorganization. But Parisian was deputy director of the office from February 2002 up until his promotion and served as an "education line officer" -- the equivalent of a regional director -- for two years prior. Anderson was unable to testify yesterday due to a previously scheduled personal commitment. Martin, a former committee staff member, did not appear either. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Judge rules Blumenthal wrong to meet with BIA" --------- Date: Fri, 18 June 2004 08:11:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SCHAGHTICOKE" http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/~story?coll=hc-headlines-local-wire Judge rules Blumenthal wrong to meet with BIA in March Associated Press June 18, 2004 BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A federal judge has chastised Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for his private meeting with the secretary of the interior to discuss tribal recognition issues. U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey Thursday sided with the Kent-based Schaghticoke Tribal Nation in a complaint about Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's March meeting. Blumenthal met with Gale Norton to ask for a moratorium on future federal recognition decisions while investigating the actions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Federal Acknowledgment. "Such conduct, at the very least, appears improper and threatens to subvert the integrity of the appeal process itself. Further, it permitted no opportunity to the tribe to counter the presentation to Secretary Norton," Dorsey ruled. The tribe complained the meeting violated a court-arranged agreement between the state and the tribe that precludes both sides from meeting with top Indian Affairs officials without notification to each other. Blumenthal mailed the tribe a letter he presented to Norton on the day of the meeting and faxed it a day later. Judge Dorsey amended the court order to include the words "two business days prior" before notification. Blumenthal issued a statement saying the sole effect of the decision is to clarify that two days' notice is required prior to contact with Department of the Interior. --- Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com Copyright c. 2004, The Associated Press Copyright c. 2004 Stamford Advocate, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc. --------- "RE: Nipmuc Chief: Federal recognition long overdue " --------- Date: Fri, 18 June 2004 08:11:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NIPMUC" http://www.indianz.com/ http://www.boston.com/~/tribal_status_is_not_just_about_casinos?mode=PF Tribal status is not just about casinos By Walter Vickers June 18, 2004 NEARLY 25 YEARS have passed since our tribe, the Nipmuc Nation, began the arduous process of gaining federal recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Back then I worked at Bay State Abrasives, my family was much younger, and our tribe's bid for federal recognition seemed inevitable, if not imminent. Now I am retired, and much of my time is spent on my duties as chief of the Nipmuc Nation. My daughters are married, and my wife and I have nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Yet there still is no decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and a dozen deadlines have come and gone with a decision finally expected today. With official recognition, we will be able to focus on helping our people and neighbors build and sustain better lives. What concerns us is that this bid has somehow become totally about casino gaming. Paying attention to the potential gaming aspect of federal recognition is legitimate. The two casinos in Connecticut are tribe-based, and the attorney general in that state is practically making a public career out of challenging Native American tribes in their recognition efforts because of gaming. While gambling in earlier years had a less savory image, casinos have long since been transformed into entertainment venues with theater, music, and entertainment for entire families. It is somewhat ironic that a Native American casino here is controversial given the fact that legalized gambling last year produced $750 million in local aid to the state's 351 cities and towns thanks to the Massachusetts State Lottery. But the main point is that regardless of what our tribe does upon recognition, it will never be all about gaming. Are we looking at developing a gaming destination resort if we win recognition? Yes, but what happens much more quickly for us is that we become eligible as a tribe for an array of federal programs that are not available to us without recognition. We would have access to agricultural programs, defense contracts, educational grants, and scholarships and housing programs. Recognition is also an affirmation from the US government that our people have rights that were denied to our ancestors. To understand the federal recognition process and the benefits it extends requires a deeper understanding of tribal history and the legacy that Native Americans endured on their own land. Our tribe was no different and in many cases was treated more harshly than other tribes throughout history. Our ancestors were marched from their lands to Deer Island by the Colonialists in the winter of 1675, and internment there led to the deaths of between 500 and 1,000 people. Tens of thousands of acres of our land were summarily stolen from our ancestors, leaving our tribe with 3.5 acres in Grafton (out of the 1.8 million original acres) where we maintain, as best we can, a reservation to host tribal activities, powwows, and the like. When we began the federal recognition process in 1980, there was no such thing as "Indian gaming." It wasn't until eight years later that President Reagan signed legislation that allowed Native American tribes to develop casinos under certain conditions. But to become recognized, a tribe must satisfy seven extremely demanding criteria, beginning with the requirement that the tribe has been identified as an American Indian entity continuously since 1900. The criteria regarding genealogy, community, and government involvement are even more difficult to satisfy, and relatively few tribes succeed. Our road has been long and difficult. While we have had to endure obstructions put in our path by those who don't even live in our state or community, we have been fortunate to have the support of legions of elected officials in Massachusetts. Many of our ancestors have gone over to the other side during this journey, but we are a hopeful people, and we continue to witness the birth of new Nipmucs into our community. Regardless of the federal decision, we know who we are, and we will never be less than that. Walter Vickers, Chief Natachaman, is chief of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Nation Tribe. Copyright c. 2004 The New York Times Company --------- "RE: Nipmuc Nation denied" --------- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 22:56:02 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NIPMUC REJECTED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.milforddailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=50264 Nipmuc Nation denied: Bureau of Indian Affairs rejects tribal recognition petition By Laura Crimaldi / News Staff Writer June 19, 2004 SUTTON - For the second time in more than three years, the federal government yesterday rejected tribal recognition for the Grafton-based Nipmuc Nation. The decision came as a stunning blow to tribal leaders who expected the Bureau of Indian Affairs would end its refusal to recognize the tribe after 24 years. However, in Connecticut where Nipmucs have ancestral lands, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal applauded the decision as a "milestone victory for the public interest." For now, the BIA's decision also silences questions about the tribe's interest in developing casino gambling operations. "We are extremely disappointed in this news, but that does not change who we are. We are Nipmuc people. We are Indian people. We will continue to be Indian people. We are confident in our petition. We are going to continue to move ahead," said Tribal Council Chairwoman Frances Richardson Garnett at a press conference at Nipmuc Nation headquarters. Though optimistic about the tribe's chances on appeal, Nipmuc Nation Chief Walter Vickers cited the death of hundreds of Nipmucs because of starvation and cold during King Philip's War when asked by a reporter about fairness. "Our people were marched out to Deer Island - 1675. I guess that's when we started getting in their way," said Vickers, 67, of Northborough. Aurene Martin, principal deputy assistant secretary of the federal Department of Interior, notified the tribe of the decision shortly after 3 p.m. The tribe expects to receive the decision in the mail next week, said Christopher P. Sullivan, an attorney who represents the Indians. Sullivan said the BIA rejected the tribe on the grounds it did not meet four of the seven criteria for federal recognition: political influence; genealogy; community influence and history. Those criteria mandate a tribe maintain political influence over its members from historical times to present and prove it is made up of members who descend from a historical Indian tribe. The requirements also call for proof the tribe has identified as American Indian since 1900 and comprises a "distinct community." Tribal leaders said they could not comment on the specific criteria because they have not seen the decision. "Why should we be the only people who have to prove who we are?" asked Vickers. During a press conference, Blumenthal hailed the decision as "right on the merits," saying the tribe failed to meet each of the key criteria in recognition. "We believe, very strongly, that an appeal will be rejected if one is brought," he said. "We will be ready and willing to fight it if one comes." A vocal critic of the tribal recognition process, Blumenthal went on the offensive, calling the process "broken" and in need of repair. "There is such powerful and compelling evidence for reforming the system," he said. "We need to ensure that the important influence of money and politics are countered and that an independent agency (is created) that is impervious, or at least protected, from improper influence." Once the BIA files its decision with the federal register, the tribe has 90 days to initiate the appeal process. If the tribe is approved, it would be eligible for grants for education, health, business, housing, land, employment and transportation. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, federally recognized Indian tribes have the right to develop casino gaming operations on Indian land. In many cases, the land is exempt from most state taxation and regulation. The tribe is backed by Minnesota-based Lakes Entertainment, but Sullivan refused comment when asked by a reporter if the Nipmucs would be required to repay any loans. The Nipmuc Nation stepped up its fight for federal recognition two years ago by filing 800 pages of new research about the tribe gathered since 1996. The lengthy response came after the Clinton administration approved preliminary recognition during its last days in office. That decision was quickly overturned by the incoming Bush administration without explanation. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at 508-626-4416 or lcrimald@cnc.com. Copyright c. 2004 Milford Daily News of CNC and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems, Inc. --------- "RE: Peabody loses another round" --------- Date: Thu, 17 June 2004 08:54:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO COAL LEASE FIGHT" http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/002968.asp Peabody loses another round in Navajo coal lease fight June 16, 2004 The world's largest coal company lost another round to the Navajo Nation on Tuesday when a federal appeals court tossed its lawsuit against the tribe. Peabody Coal has battled the tribe for more than a decade over a controversial coal mining lease approved during the Reagan administration. The agreement, whose royalty rate is in dispute, has spawned several lawsuits, including one that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the latest suit, Peabody sought to enforce a settlement reached through an arbitration clause in the lease. The settlement left intact the lower-paying royalty rate that tribal leaders say is unfair. But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Peabody lacked standing to bring the case. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel said the company has not raised a "federal question" requiring resolution in the federal courts. The problem, Judge Richard C. Tallman observed in the 14-page ruling, was that the settlement was not approved by the federal government. In contrast, both parties agreed that any arbitration award would not require involvement by the Interior Department. The clause came back to bite the company more than 10 years later. "Peabody seeks enforcement of the arbitration royalty award, not the lease, " Tallman wrote, "[y]et the final arbitration award for which Peabody seeks enforcement was not federally approved." The decision is the latest in a series of setbacks Peabody has suffered in the courts. More than once, the company has been criticized for legal tactics seen as attempts to avoid liability for its role in the controversy. Last year, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed another lawsuit Peabody filed to force the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe into arbitration. During oral arguments, the judges chastised the company's lawyer for trying to "double-talk" them. The Navajo Nation accuses Peabody of conspiring with government officials to deny the tribe a 20 percent royalty rate on its coal deposit in northeastern Arizona. After a Peabody lobbyist met with then-Interior secretary Donald P. Hodel in June 1985, a Bureau of Indian Affairs decision in favor of the high rate was suppressed and the tribe was led back into negotiations. The lobbyist, Stanley Hulett, happened to be a personal friend of Hodel. Unaware of the meeting, the tribe -- facing severe economic distress financial pressure -- accepted a royalty rate of 12.5 percent. The tribe responded with a breach of trust claim against the federal government. Through the course of this litigation, the secret meeting come to light -- only because Peabody made public its internal memos outlining the lobbying. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled last year that the laws the tribe cited were not enough to hold the U.S. liable. But a federal appeals court has kept the suit alive. The tribe claims damages of $600 million, the amount it would have received under the 20 percent royalty rate. Separately, the tribe filed a case against Peabody under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Under the law, the tribe could be awarded up to three times the amount lost in the coal lease. The RICO case is moving forward in a federal court in Washington, D.C. The judge handling the case once threatened to hold the company in contempt for filing "frivolous" motions seen as mere delay tactics. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Chaco: a Gathering Place for the Solstice" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHACO CANYON" http://www.daily-times.com/artman/publish/article_12057.shtml Chaco: a gathering place for the Solstice By Lillian Kelly/The Daily Times June 21, 2004 CHACO CANYON - As the sun rose over the rocks of Casa Rinconada Sunday, Andy Garcia, Sr., of San Juan Pueblo, sang a prayer in his native Tewa tongue. "The sun, it gives life to everything. It gives me my life. I appreciate Father Sun for giving me aid and strength," Garcia later explained. In 1968, after experiencing a coma, he said he "sobered-up" and felt he was given a second chance at life. So, each morning, he greets the sun with a prayer. "During the summer, that's the beginning, when the warm months start. The changing of the sun, it's a beginning," said Garcia. Hundreds of people gathered at Chaco Culture National Historic Park to observe the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. The Chacoan ruins in the canyon are known for their alignment with the heavens. Garcia, his children and his grandchildren from San Juan Pueblo, about 30 miles north of Santa Fe, were invited to sing and dance in an open area of Pueblo Bonito, first constructed in A.D. 850 and considered the center of the Chacoan world. "Our ancestors were once here. My grandfather used to talk about this place. Our people were here. Many of their footprints are here. This is where they danced, played, worked, weaved, and cooked," explained Garcia. As the sun approached noon, Garcia and his son, Andy Garcia, Jr., pounded their drums and sang as the feet of five dancers pounded the dry earth. During the Zuni-Tewa Deer Dance, three young women wore bright colored shawls of the traditional female Zuni dress as two young men wore antler headdresses that are the Tewa traditional costume for deer. Garcia's grandchildren, he explained, are born of both groups, and this dance incorporates the two traditions. During the Buffalo Dance, which Garcia said originated with the Hopi, the young men wore white, woolly headdresses. In one hand, they carried a bow and arrow. In the other, they shook a black rattle. The young women wore white, long-sleeve shirts over their native Tewa "manta," or black dresses. In their hands, they shook four black and white feathers, held together with red yarn. "We honor the buffalo for the same reason we honor the deer. Their hide was used for clothing, shelter, to warm our people. The meat was used to nourish our people, to go on with life," said Garcia. "What we share here is the breath of our grandfathers. We dance to show the ways, so we will no forget," said Garcia. He said it is important to pass on the traditional Puebloan dances to his grandchildren, who each started learning at a young age. "We want them to pass on this beautiful thing. We don't want these things to be covered, to go underground. Our ancestors want us to continue these traditions," said Garcia. The Tewa Dancers from the North, Garcia's group, is the fourth native group in as many years to be invited to Chaco to observe the solstice. "Every year we invite a different pueblo whose ancestors were here to come here. It's an emotional thing for some of the dancers because many of them have not visited the park before. Some feel the presence of their ancestors. It rekindles a connection with this place," said Russ Bodnar, chief of interpretation for the National Park Service at Chaco. "Today, we have visitors from all over the Four Corners, all over the country and world travelers, too," Bodnar explained of the crowd of more than 100 people that had gathered to watch the midday performance. Roselie Wendt drove from Albuquerque after hearing about the event from a friend. "I couldn't see not coming. It's such a special place to have the Solstice. I've only been here once before, but each time I come it's a magical experience," said Wendt. Pueblo Bonito is considered the canyon's cultural hub and an intersection for major trading routes, as well as a focal point for astronomy. Bodnar explained that a major wall at Pueblo Bonito runs east to west and points to sunset during the Summer Solstice. He pointed to a large wall that runs from north to south and said it points to the North Star. "This was a cultural center. It was the New York City of the Southwest. It has such a spiritual quality to it, and it's appreciated as a spiritual place," said Wendt. "It's a gathering place today, just like 1,000 years ago. It's a reflection of what Chaco has always been: a place for people to share, meet acquaintances and learn about the world," said Bodnar. Lillian Kelly: lilliank@daily-times.com Copyright c. 2004 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: NARF and Boulder celebrate Sacred Sites" --------- Date: Tue, 22 June 2004 08:09:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HONORING THE SACRED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2004/06/22/news/news03.txt NARF and Boulder celebrate sacred sites By CHRISTOPHER GALLEGOS Colorado Daily Staff June 22, 2004 The members of the Lakota tribe stood in a circle facing a drum. One member came forward to recite an opening prayer as other members began to beat on the drum and chant in Lakota. As the sun attempted to poke out from behind the clouds early Monday morning, celebrants of the summer solstice joined Native Americans to welcome a new season, many with smiles and quiet expressions of joy. The smiles originated from the unspoken bonds that brought the celebrants, some curious and uninitiated, others old and experienced in the ritual, to the Native American Rights Fund building at the corner of 15th and Broadway. The bonds, simply put, were the desire to welcome nature to Boulder, and perhaps preserve it. One of the new faces at the ceremony was Mary Chavers of Boulder, who came, she said, "to honor the spirit of the land." Chavers said it is very important to honor all the people before her, no matter their origin. "I came here today to honor that shared humanity," said Chavers. "To honor the mixed tapestry of heritage." The ceremony lasted a little more than an hour. The smell of incense and the sound of the drum resonated between the buildings, making the grogginess of the early morning seem irrelevant. In all, about 30 people attended the ceremony, the second annual celebration of its kind in Boulder. Following the prayer, Ron Ragona, an attorney and head of NARF's Development House Council and Division of Plan Giving, gave an emotional speech about the history of the fight for sacred sites. Ragona, of the Mattinicock nation in New York State, cited numerous examples of where American Indians have fought for the preservation of religious freedom. He mentioned that most of those efforts center upon geographical areas - lakes, mountains and land. "We need to protect this land if we are to survive," said Ragona, speaking about small interest groups destroying the nation's natural habitats. "It's up to all of us to protect the areas and to protect our home for our children," Ragona said. Ragona, speaking passionately and at times with a hint of anger, stressed the lack of respect for treaties with American Indians demonstrated over the centuries by the United States government. He also highlighted the strides American Indians have made over time in their quest to become fully recognized and respected. Last, he stressed the value of education in schools and for people in general. A closing song by Troy Lynn Yellow Wood, a Lakota, followed Ragona's speech. She sang the "Morning Star Song," a Lakota prayer that gives thanks to the universe and all of its components. The prayer was a fitting end to the ceremony, which happened to fall upon World Peace and Prayer Day - a United Nations sponsored effort to help create a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world. Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe of Peace, began this journey in 1994, with the birth a white buffalo calf. To the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota, the birth was a sign of the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. She is believed to have appeared to the nations, bringing instruction about sacred ceremonies and how to live in balance with all life. David Ross, one of the participants in Monday's ceremony, said he came out to universally "support the fight to maintain all of the different prayer sites." Ross cited an incident at Bear Butte in the Black Hills of South Dakota in which the city of Sturgis wanted to build a shooting range near the mountain. The Lakotas prevented the site from being built and won the right to perform a religious ritual called "hamblecha" - a vision quest - there. The tribe is now granted privacy during certain times of the day without having the overwhelming feeling of being watched or gawked at by tourists, he said. Vickie Leigh Krudwig, a children's author and author of "Searching for Chipeta: The Story of a Ute and Her People," came out Monday morning because she "had to come." "My biggest fear is that kids will grow up not knowing the history," said Krudwig of why her novel on the Ute people is important. "If you don't have a history, you don't have a future." Theresa Halsey, a Lakota from South Dakota and radio personality at KGNU in Boulder, came to the celebration to pray. "I love to pray for the earth, especially on this national day of prayer, " said Halsey. "We need to preserve the earth for the next seven generations; we need to recognize the future to come as well as the past generations." The number seven, to many American Indians, is sacred. Many link the saying of "seven generations" to Red Cloud, the legendary 19th century Lakota leader who explained the belief in his negotiations with the federal government. He used it to sanctify the importance of the security granted to his people into their future - for at least seven generations. Many of the organizers thought the ceremony a success, regardless of the motivation of the attendees for being there. Monday's ceremony was one of eight ceremonies across the nation celebrating the summer solstice over a two-day period. Other cities include - Washington, D.C.; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lawrence, Kansas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Pit River Country, California; Snoqualmie Falls, Washington and Mount Fuji, Japan. Ragona believes that continued education and preservation of native culture and sacred sites are keys to helping others understand the differences and similarities between cultures. "Educate yourselves," he said. "Ask questions." Copyright c. 2004 Colorado Daily/Boulder, CO. --------- "RE: Editorial: Settle Brule Tribal Land Issue" --------- Date: Fri, 18 June 2004 08:11:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LOWER BRULE LAND" http://www.argusleader.com/editorial/Fridayfeature.shtml Settle tribal land issue Editorial Board Argus Leader June 18, 2004 Rounds should take tax deal offer from Lower Brule chairman Lower Brule Sioux Chairman Michael Jandreau says he's willing to work out a tax deal with the state, so all the revenue wouldn't be lost if the tribe gets its way and places 91 acres near Oacoma into trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Gov. Mike Rounds should take him up on that offer and then quit fighting in court. There's just too much at risk for all sides in this if the U.S. Supreme Court eventually rules on the dispute. The 14-year-old case already has been to the high court, which sent it back down the line for further review. That's when U.S. District Judge Richard Battey ruled the Interior Department was following the law by taking the land into trust. What that means is fairly simple. Lower Brule already owned the land. But by the BIA taking it into trust, the land went off the tax rolls. And, it was open to just about any development the tribe wanted, just as though it were on the reservation - which is about 8 miles to the north. Originally, the tribe said it wanted to build a casino on the land. Now, Jandreau says it's only planned for tourism development. But if the essence is simple, the implications are not. Drawn into this are gambling expansion, tribal sovereignty, state control and lost revenue to local and county governments. At issue is the meaning of the Wheeler-Howard Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. That guaranteed tribal self-rule with limitations and allowed the BIA to take land into trust. The purpose of that was to restore reservations, devastated by the Dawes General Allotment Act of 1887. That gave Native Americans title to individual parcels of land on reservations and allowed other parcels to be sold to non-Indians. The result was a patchwork of tribal-private property on reservations. Some tribes, though, are seeking off-reservation land for the trust designation. It's been argued that the BIA only approves trust applications for land bordering or near reservations, but there's concern those restrictions could be loosened. If 8 miles from a reservation is close enough, maybe 20 miles is close enough. Or 40 miles. Or 100 miles. The federal government makes provision for the restoration of lost tax revenue when land is taken into trust, but Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., says that program never has been fully funded. "Payments thus far are typically about half what they ought to be," Johnson said. The state is arguing that the 1934 law was intended only to restore land on reservations. The Interior Department and tribes across the country argues the law goes further than that. So in that respect, the battle lines are simple. But if the state wins, tribal sovereignty across the nation will be eroded and a valuable tool for economic development - such as what Lower Brule is seeking - will be lost. If the Interior Department wins, that might start a fear of land anywhere being put into trust, without adequate compensation to taxing bodies such as school districts, could become a reality. That's why it would be best for both sides, for now, at least, to avoid a high court ruling. The risks are too great. Jandreau says he's willing to negotiate, just as tribes did to reach a deal recently on state gasoline taxes. Rounds should take him up on the offer. It's the only move that makes good sense - for both sides. Copyright c. 2003 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Ways of the Past help shape the Future" --------- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 22:56:02 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LAKOTA BASICS http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/~/local/news04.txt Back to basics: Ways of the past help shape the future By Dick Kettlewell, Journal photographer June 20, 2004 HILL CITY - Like those of her ancestors, the hands of Daynetta Bald Eagle are seldom idle. Methodically they move, pushing the bone needle through the deerskin, pulling the sinew tight and repeating the motion as she sews a knife sheath. There is little wasted motion. At the same time, she continues to talk with her guests. "I do wish that I could have raised my children 200 years ago, in a place like this," she says. "I think it would have been a lot easier. Nowadays, there are so many distractions - gangs, drugs, so much violence - too much is asked of them and much too early." Bald Eagle sets her sewing aside for a moment and begins to stroke the hair of her 7-year-old daughter, Brenna, who has fallen asleep on a thick buffalo hide rug with her head in her mother's lap. This is Wicoti Living History Lakota Encampment, on the southern edge of Hill City just off U.S. Highway 16/385. It is a replica of a 1804 Lakota village and a reflection of life from that bygone time. The Lakota woman is seated on the floor of a tipi made from the brain- tanned hides of buffalo cows, in the way of the old Lakota. This hide tipi is different from the canvas ones that compose the rest of the village. Though the afternoon is quickly growing hotter, the inside of the tipi is still cool and comfortable. When the inevitable winds come up, the sides of a canvas tipi billow and flap noisily, but the hide tipi stands rigid and still. And the soft and soothing light in this house of hide invites peace and calm. Bald Eagle's guests are a grandmother, mother and five children from Washington state. All are interested in everything Bald Eagle has to say. The children ask many questions and obviously have done some reading about American Indian ways. "My husband, children and I lived in a tipi like this one for about a year and a half," Bald Eagle tells them. "When we moved back into a house, it was quite an adjustment for the children. They couldn't get used to sleeping in a room where you couldn't look up and see the stars." Outside the hide tipi, Bald Eagle's brother, Jay Red Hawk, rides about the encampment on Buffalo Boy, a huge and beautiful American paint stallion. Wearing the clothes and paint of the old Lakota warrior's society that honored the swift fox, Red Hawk answers the questions of other visitors. His personality is bright and infectious. Red Hawk says the mission of Wicoti goes much deeper than being merely another tourist attraction. "Our purpose is to educate people, especially young people, from both cultures, to build better relationships between them," Red Hawk said. "I never know when I might be talking to some kid who will grow up to be a leader, maybe even president, or the CEO of a major corporation. He may make decisions that will have a major effect on my people. Something he learns here may help him to better understand the effects of his decision." Red Hawk said young Lakotas also need to know more about their history. "It's hard to know where you are going if you don't know your past. If the kids don't get plugged into their cultural identity, I fear for their future," he said. Copyright c. 2004 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Congress prepares for Sacred Site debate" --------- Date: Thu, 17 June 2004 08:54:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PROTECTING SACRED SITES" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=4598 Congress prepares for sacred site debate Amendment offered to Department of Interior Budget WASHINGTON DC June 16, 2004 A Virginia Democrat says that sacred Indian sites are at risk and he is offering an amendment to the Department of Interior's Fiscal Year 2005 budget to protect them. Nick Rahall, the ranking Democrat on the House Resources Committee, says his amendment is needed to keep the sites safe from developers. According to Rahall's office, his legislation "prohibits any funds appropriated in the FY 2005 Department of Interior budget to be used to adversely affect the physical integrity of Indian sacred sites on federal lands. To clarify the definition of Indian sacred sites, the amendment points to an Executive Order signed in 1996." "The battle is joined this week. Indian Country will be watching as I call on my colleagues to put the religious and cultural freedom of Indians above industry interests to drill, cut and desecrate public lands," Rahall said. Rahall said that despite laws aimed at protecting religious freedom for American Indians and respect for traditional land, there is no enforceable law currently on the books that protects the lands from energy development. Sites that have historic significance span from the Zuni Salt Lake in New Mexico to the Medicine Wheel in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. Rahall said he has introduced similar laws before but has been unsuccessful in getting them passed. It is unclear what position DOI has the amendment; Interior officials did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the issue. Regardless, Rahall is presenting the debate in stark terms. "Stay tuned to this vote, as Congress will show its true colors in its relationship with our first citizens, and so-called friends of Indian Country will be asked to show where their loyalties truly lie," he said. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2004 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: CRST to hold grand opening for Slaughter House" --------- Date: Fri, 18 June 2004 08:11:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PACKING PLANT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/06/18/news/local/news03.txt CRST to hold grand opening for slaughter house By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer June 18, 2004 LA PLANT - The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has opened a meatpacking business on its reservation that combines its agricultural roots with future value-added industry. The tribe will host the grand opening of Pte Hca Ka Inc., a tribally chartered and owned beef and buffalo meatpacking plant, beginning at 11 a. m. today at the plant, 46 miles east of Eagle Butte on U.S. Highway 212. "We slaughter beef and buffalo," Roy Lemmon, executive director of the plant, said. "Our future plans are to develop a cold-cut jerky plant. Hot dogs and lunchmeat already are processed at Bad River Pack in Pierre." After receiving its U.S. Department of Agriculture seal of approval on Dec. 16, the plant began operations with one full-time and two part-time workers carving up three animals a week. Now, the plant employs nine times its original workforce and grosses $180,000 a month. Currently, Pte Hca Ka turns out 50 processed cattle and 12 buffalo a week. The plant is composed of a mobile slaughter unit built in Sweden under a USDA grant, a processing unit and carcass distribution cooler. Because of the grand opening, Lemmon said the plant would suspend regular operations so people could tour the slaughter and processing units. Staffers will be on hand to answer questions, he said. Guest speakers at the event will be tribal Chairman Harold Frazier, Pte Hca Ka board of directors president Zach Ducheneaux, Annabel Romero of the USDA and others. A dinner will also be part of the celebration. The 27 staff members at the plant work either in the processing unit, cutting meat or packing it for storage in the coolers, or in the slaughter unit. In the slaughter unit, nine people work at the kill box, skinning bench, gutting station and the assembly line, where carcasses are split, trimmed, inspected, weighed, quartered and sprayed with lactic acid to reduce harmful bacteria. "They've got a good little pace going there," Lemmon said. He said the operation currently delivers processed beef and buffalo to 27 businesses and restaurants in the area, including the Black Hills, Pierre and North Dakota, and as far away as Gila River Casino and Resort in Arizona. The plant follows USDA regulations to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease, Lemmon said . Spinal cords, intestines and brains, which are considered high risk for mad cow, are removed from the carcasses before they are butchered. Being locally raised ensures the health of the animals, he said. "We can trace every beef and buffalo back to its original owner," Lemmon said. Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com. Copyright c. 2004 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Opinion: Apology isn't too much To Ask" --------- Date: Fri, 18 June 2004 08:11:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="APOLOGY" http://www.ctnow.com/news/opinion/0618.artjun18,1,1465155,print.story Apology Isn't Too Much To Ask June 18 2004 It utterly amazes me that people opposing an apology to Native Americans [editorial, June 15, "An Apology For What Purpose?"] apparently have not come to terms with the fact that the U.S. government pursued explicit policies to exploit, enslave and exterminate Native Americans. There is no debate on this subject - it is outlined in various legislation that anyone can read in a library that contains government documents. Even today, almost one-quarter of Native Americans are below the poverty line, and unemployment on some reservations surpasses 80 percent. Still, Native Americans are only asking for the government to say "I'm sorry." No money, no memorials, no parades; just a simple written apology passed by Congress and signed by President Bush. But it appears some people are not sorry, such as North Stonington First Selectman Nicholas Mullane [Page 1, June 11, "Indians Ask U.S. To Say `I'm Sorry'"], who - like the rest of his town's residents - lives on the same land from which the Pequots were sold as slaves and had their land carved into a small reservation that was eventually stolen from then. It's easy to see right through anti-Indian organizations such as One Nation Inc., whose rhetoric about "leveling the playing field" and "property rights" mirrors the populist rhetoric of some familiar hooded characters from the South. No, an apology will not physically change the detrimental policies our government has pursued, but it could change the climate of hate and selfishness toward Native Americans. An apology will not raise Native Americans out of poverty or give them health insurance, but it will be another step toward the self-determination they have always sought. Alex Pickett New Haven Copyright c. 2004, Hartford Courant --------- "RE: Op-Ed: Obstacles between the Rez and Ballot Box" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL: INDIAN VOTE OBSTACLES " http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/21/opinion/~5062&partner=GOOGLE New York Times Editorials/Op-Ed - EDITORIAL OBSERVER Indians Face Obstacles Between the Reservation and the Ballot Box By ADAM COHEN June 21, 2004 When Edna Weddell, a Yankton Sioux tribal elder who gets around with a walker, tried to vote in South Dakota this month, a poll worker stopped her. She had to produce a photo ID first, she was told. Ms. Weddell's granddaughter pointed out that South Dakota law allows voters who do not have an ID with them to sign an affidavit instead, but the poll worker would not budge. Ms. Weddell was forced to retrieve her ID from home before she was allowed to vote. That story is one of many circulating in South Dakota about Native Americans illegally turned away or harassed when they tried to vote on June 1. Another woman says that when she voted on the Pine Ridge reservation, she saw an Indian walking out of the polling place visibly upset. "They won't let me vote because I don't have a photo ID," he told her. There are more reports like this, and at least one of white election officials improperly opening a ballot box in an Indian area after the polls closed. South Dakota has a long history of anti-Indian voting rights violations, involving many of the same tactics that were employed against blacks in the pre-civil-rights-era South: county officials who try to prevent Indians from registering, district lines deliberately drawn to keep Indians from being elected to public office, and harassment and intimidation of Indian voters and candidates. These battles have traditionally been local, but they have begun to reverberate beyond South Dakota. The state's roughly 16,000 Indian voters, who lean heavily Democratic, have become an improbable national political force. Tim Johnson was elected to the United States Senate in 2002 by 524 votes, on the strength of late returns from Pine Ridge. Another Democrat, Stephanie Herseth, won a hard-fought battle for the state's at-large Congressional seat this month by less than 3,000 votes. This fall, when the re-election battle of Tom Daschle, the Senate minority leader, will likely be the highest-profile Senate race in the country, the Indian vote will again be pivotal. The Indians' struggle for voting rights in many ways parallels the experience of black Americans. In the Dakota Territories, the law originally restricted the franchise to white men. After the 15th Amendment was passed, removing racial barriers to voting, the Dakotas still regarded most Indians as noncitizens, and therefore ineligible to vote. As late as 1939, South Dakota law prohibited Indians from voting or holding office. Even when the laws changed, South Dakota still found ways to deny Indians political rights. In 1975, Indians in two counties - Shannon, home to the Pine Ridge reservation, and Todd, home to the Rosebud reservation - had to sue in federal court before they could vote for county officials. Until this year, Buffalo County's three county commissioner districts were drawn so that one had just 101 people, none American Indians; a second had 353 people, with a functional white majority; and the third had 1,493 Indians jammed into it. This sort of discriminatory line-drawing has been unconstitutional since 1962, when the Supreme Court handed down its "one man, one vote" ruling. South Dakota's Indians complain that white election officials regularly put up obstacles to their attempts to register and vote. County auditors have limited the number of registration cards they give out to Indians, forcing them to drive repeatedly between the reservations and county offices to get more cards. Registration forms have been rejected for failing to have a proper street address, even though there is no address numbering system in many rural areas. Indian voting activists have often been falsely accused of voter fraud, charges that some suspect are intended to discourage them from being politically active. Last year, after Indians had made the difference in Senator Johnson's election, the Republican-controlled State Legislature passed a new voter ID law that posed a particular hardship for Indians, who often do not have driver's licenses. They were assured that the new law would not present a problem, since it stated that any voter without ID "may complete an affidavit" instead. But many Indians were concerned that poll workers, who are often hostile to them, would ignore that provision. That seems to be precisely what happened on June 1, and voting rights activists do not believe the mistakes in applying the law were accidental. As evidence, they have produced instructions used in Corson County on Election Day, apparently written by the Corson County auditor, saying: "Some voters are reporting that ID is not required. Please inform the voters that ID is in fact required." South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson insists that county auditors were all properly trained on the new law. In Corson County, "the auditor chose to add some additional instructions," he says. "I don't know why." Indian voting rights are often seen as a partisan issue - that in order to win, Democrats should maximize Indian votes and Republicans look for ways to reduce them. But the mistreatment of Indian voters is simply a discredit to American democracy. Given the poor performance of South Dakota election officials this month, the South Dakota state government and the United States Justice Department should say now how they plan to ensure that Indian voting rights are protected in November. Copyright c. 2004 The New York Times Company. --------- "RE: Western Shoshones may finally get paid" --------- Date: Tue, 22 June 2004 08:09:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WESTERN SHOSHONE BUYOUT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/~/News/106220002/-1/rss02 Western Shoshones may finally get paid Cory McConnell June 22, 2004 More than 25 years after being awarded $26 million for land lost to settlers and the federal government throughout the course of U.S. history, it looks like the Western Shoshone people will finally get paid. A bill ordering the money's release to an estimated 6,000 tribal members passed the U.S. House of Representatives Monday, and is expected to sail smoothly through the Senate. "Everybody is so elated," said Nancy Stewart, a Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribal member who heads a steering committee lobbying for the distribution of the quarter-century-old award. "It's been very difficult for our people throughout this whole process." In recent years, Nevada's congressional delegation has introduced several bills calling for release of the money, which has sat in a trust fund since 1979 and ballooned with interest to about $145 million. All previous bills have failed amid protest from tribal members who want land rather than money. "Throwing money at the issue does nothing to solve the legitimate complaint of the Western Shoshone for a land base, for justice," Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Executive Director Bob Fulkerson said in a statement released earlier this month. Stewart said those opposing the distribution are a vocal minority made up mostly of ranching interests that would benefit from millions of acres of Nevada land. "We had to do a vote just to straighten out all that misinfomation," Stewart said. Ninety-two percent of tribal members who voted in a 2002 straw poll on several Western Shoshone reseverations favored taking the money. In 2003, a distribution measure introduced by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., died in a backlong of unfinished senate business. This year, both Reid and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., introduced similar bills and Reid's passed through the Senate while Gibbons' was stymied in the House. To overcome Democrat opposition in the House, Gibbons amended his bill to be identical to the senate version, said Gibbons' spokesperson Amy Spanbauer. Reid's bill clearly states the awards won't be taxed, and that accepting it would not affect a recipient's ability to get federal aid. Spanbauer said awards under Gibbons' bill wouldn't have been taxed, but the Senate bill is more explicit in saying it. After changing the House bill to reflect the senate version, it passed quickly. Reid's version of the Western Shoshone Distribution Claim Act had already passed through the Senate, so Nevada's federal lawmakers expect the made-over House bill will have no trouble getting sent off to the President's desk. "...this bill will ensure the Western Shoshone receive the funds due to them," Gibbons said in a statement Monday. If the bill does become law, about $130 million would be divvied up among tribal members. Each Western Shoshone would receive between $20,000 and $25,000 depending on how many members prove eligible. The remaining $15 million would be set aside in educational trust funds. Copyright c. 2004 Lahontan Valley News/Fallon, NV. --------- "RE: Seneca-Cayuga Land/Gaming in New York" --------- Date: Wed, 16 June 2004 08:33:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SENECA-CAYUGA" http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/002966.asp Seneca-Cayuga Tribe asks Pataki for gaming rights June 16, 2004 The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma wants gaming rights in New York to settle its portion of the Cayuga land claim. The tribe was not included in the recent announcement to settle the lawsuit. But Chief LeRoy Howard said the tribe is asking Gov. George Pataki (R) for the right to build a Class III casino in Rochester and to resume construction of its stalled Class II facility in western Cayuga County. A federal judge awarded the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe and the Cayuga Nation $247.9 million for 64,000 acres of stolen land. The decision is on appeal. ---- http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20040616/localnews/651494.html Upstate politicians rail against Cayuga land claim deal AP AUBURN (AP) -- While top county officials are taking a guarded approach to the state's proposed settlement of the Cayuga Indian Nation land claim, some who live and work in the disputed territory are taking a strong stand in opposition. "Apparently (Cayuga Nation Representative) Timothy Twoguns was holding both guns to the governor's head in order to have reached such a lopsided arrangement," said Ed Ide Jr., a local businessman and the supervisor in the Town of Aurelius. Gov. George Pataki and the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York announced last week a tentative agreement to settle the nation's claim to some 64, 000 acres of ancestral land in Cayuga and Seneca counties. In exchange for dropping their 1980 lawsuit, the Cayugas would receive $247.9 million from the state over 14 years and win approval to operate a Las Vegas-style casino in Monticello, about 90 miles northwest of New York City. "I liken that to paying to be mugged," said Ide. In 2001, a federal judge jointly awarded $247.9 million to Cayuga tribes from New York and Oklahoma to settle their land claim after ruling the state illegally acquired the former reservation land more than 200 years ago. The award and several earlier rulings are now under appeal. Under the deal, both counties would each get $3 million annually for an estimated 21 years to offset the loss of property and sales taxes. Additionally, the Cayugas said they would enter into a tax parity agreement for all sales of alcohol, tobacco and gas to non-Indians. The tribe could acquire and exercise sovereignty over a total of 10,000 acres. The pact must be approved by the state and federal governments, the two counties and the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, which is party to the land claim. The Oklahoma tribe says it is continuing to negotiate with the state. Meanwhile, the top elected leaders in the two counties said they were studying the proposed settlement and were "cautiously optimistic" about it. However, two Cayuga County legislators whose districts lie in the land- claim area said they opposed the proposed pact. George Fearon and Raymond Lockwood, both Republicans, spoke against the tentative deal at a special meeting Monday night of the county legislature. Lockwood, who owns 65 acres in the claim area, said he spoke over the weekend to many of his constituents about the offer. "None of them are happy ... and if it were to come to a vote tonight, I would not support it," said Lockwood, who drew applause from the approximately 50 sign-toting members of the Cayuga-Seneca chapter of Upstate Citizens for Equality at the meeting. On Tuesday, about 40 UCE members continued a three-day protest outside the Seneca Falls office of state Sen. Michael Nozzolio. UCE, which represents hundreds of property owners in the claim area, is pressing to fight the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Copyright c. 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Copyright c. 2004 The Utica Journal. ---- http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/~6/1087375094220150.xml Oklahoma tribe asks state for casino in Rochester Seneca-Cayugas look to settle claim, hope to keep bingo hall in Cayuga County. June 16, 2004 By Scott Rapp Staff writer The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is negotiating with the state for permission to build a casino in Rochester to settle its share of the Cayuga Indian land claim, Chief LeRoy Howard said Tuesday. Howard said landing a casino in Rochester represents only one of his tribe's demands in its ongoing land claim settlement discussions with the state. The Seneca-Cayugas also want to resume building their high-stakes electronic bingo hall in western Cayuga County and are seeking other financial concessions that he declined to disclose. The chief offered few details about his tribe's hopes for a Rochester casino, other than to say the gaming hall would not conflict with the state's Class III gambling compact with the Seneca Indian Nation, which has two Las Vegas-style casinos in Western New York. "Negotiations (for a settlement) are continuing. We hope to have this resolved in the near future," said Howard, whose nation owns and operates a high-stakes bingo hall in northeastern Oklahoma. The proposal doesn't sit well with Rochester Mayor William A. Johnson Jr., though, who said he opposes the plan and feels insulted for being left out of the negotiations between the tribe and the state. In March, the Seneca-Cayugas floated a proposal to run a casino with video lottery terminals and board games but no slot machines at an undisclosed location, a state official said at the time. The state's gambling compact with the Senecas gives that Indian nation exclusive rights to operate slot machines in the state west of Route 14, which runs south from Sodus Point on Lake Ontario through Elmira to the Pennsylvania border. The Seneca-Cayugas of Oklahoma is a co-plaintiff in the 231/2-year-old Cayuga Indian land claim, which has seen substantial movement lately toward being resolved. Last week, Gov. George Pataki and the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York announced they had reached a non-binding agreement to settle the Cayugas' share of the land claim. That "Memorandum of Understanding," in part, would allow the Cayugas to have a Las Vegas-style casino at Monticello Ra 20. Copyright c. 2004 The Post-Standard. Used with permission. Copyright c. 2004 Syracuse.com. --------- "RE: ABA announces "Native America" expansion Team" --------- Date: Tue, 15 June 2004 09:04:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALL NDN TEAM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/~/2004/06/14/daily3.html ABA announces "Native America" expansion team NMBW Staff An Albuquerque-based team called "Native America" and composed of American Indian players is about to become the American Basketball Association's 24th expansion team. The ABA will make the announcement at 3:30 p.m. today in the Tiwa Lounge of the Isleta Casino & Resort, located south of Albuquerque on the Isleta Pueblo. ABA co-founder Joe Newman said the league has been working with Spider Ledesma, president and CEO of the new expansion team, for more than a year to try to put together an organization and team for Native America. "With diversity a key ABA goal, we can't think of anything more fitting. We are proud to have a team named 'Native America' in the ABA and playing in the great city of Albuquerque," Newman said in a statement. According to league officials, average ticket prices will range from $5 to $45. A $10,000 due diligence fee is required from expansion teams looking to play in the ABA. Today's official announcement will also cover marketing opportunities, tryout schedules and where the team will play its home games. Ledesma is well-known throughout the American Indian sporting community. When he played in the Pan Am Games, Ledesma was the game-high scorer vs. the United States and scored 22 points against David Robinson (former San Antonio Spurs center, and former NBA Champion and league MVP). Ledesma first gained national attention within the American Indian community in 1991, after winning the first of five national championships and three MVP awards as a center for the Santa Clara Itashans. He has been called the greatest Native American player ever. Ledesma is the only American Indian ever to have been one of the top 10 scoring leaders in Europe. Ledesma said team officials will start looking for possible playing venues in Albuquerque in the near future and will meet with he state's tribal governors about potential sponsorships. The ABA expects all franchises to play in arenas that seat a minimum of 2,500. There is no restriction on the maximum seating capacity of the arena, although it is suggested that the venue hold no more than 10,000. The playing venue must be capable of providing the ABA franchise a minimum of 30 home dates (including play-offs and finals) with the venue requiring approval by the league office. The city of Albuquerque is currently in the process of negotiating the details with private developers who want to build a public/private 10,000-seat arena Downtown near First Street and Central Avenue. Copyright c. 2004 American City Business Journals Inc. --------- "RE: Native-American-only concept in need of tweak" --------- Date: Wed, 16 June 2004 08:33:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ABA TEAM" http://www.indianz.com/ http://www.abqjournal.com/paperboy/text/sports/186379sports06-16-04.htm Native-American-Only Concept in Need of Tweak By Rick Wright Of the Journal June 16, 2004 A whites-only professional basketball team? Unacceptable. A blacks-only professional basketball team? Some already are that, though not by policy. A Native Americans-only professional basketball team? Personally, I have no problem with the concept. Only with the application. It might seem logical, even reasonable, to suggest that an all-Native American pro basketball team - an idea being pitched for Albuquerque - is a racist notion. Certainly, someone promoting the idea of a whites-only team would get run out of town faster than a snake-oil salesman with leprosy. Yet, consider the history. For centuries, Native Americans were killed, tortured, imprisoned, evicted from their homelands, force-marched thousands of miles and relegated to reservations. Could a Native American individual be guilty of racism? Of course. But if members of the much-discriminated-against, oft-excluded Indian Nation want to establish their own team within a diverse entity - the American Basketball Association - I don't find that a racist concept. Only an unworkable one. According to the ABA's Web site, its current or former players include Ed O'Bannon, Corey Benjamin, Joe Crispin, Richie Frahm, Anthony Goldwire, Darrin Hancock, Donny Marshall, Oliver Miller, Pete Mickeal, Doug Overton, Anthony Pelle, Olden Polynice, Jason Sasser, Shea Seals, Duan Simpkins, Reggie Slater, Doug Smith and Vladimir Stepania. Many of the above have played in the NBA. The ABA has announced plans to expand from seven teams to 24. Clearly, there'll be a watering-down effect. Yet, could any team exclude black players like O'Bannon and Seals - or white players like Crispin and Frahm - and be competitive? I don't see how. Are there not some fine Native American basketball players? Sure. Former Lobo Notch Neves (1992-94) was one, though he probably wasn't good enough to have played in the current ABA. And who knows who might turn out to be a quarter or an eighth Native American? Still, a far better idea would be an ABA team under Native American management with a Native American presence on the sideline and the court - but a team otherwise open to everyone. Everyone loves a winner, regardless of race or ethnicity. ELSEWHERE: ESPN recently aired an "Outside the Lines" program on the missing-in-action American white men's basketball player. It seems, to the surprise of no one, that white high school athletes are abandoning basketball and pursuing other sports because they perceive that basketball has become a black man's sport. But why? Unless I tuned in late and missed it, the ESPN segment dealt with sociological factors and skirted the issue of physiology. It's a fact that track athletes of West African descent dominate the sprints. It's a fact that virtually no athletes of West African descent excel at the world level in distance races of longer than a mile. Such things can't possibly be explained as rooted in culture or sociology. Yet, they rarely are talked about - perhaps because it's felt that such discussions demean the accomplishments of individual athletes. They don't - or, at least, shouldn't. Michael Jordan was the world's greatest basketball player based on his physical and mental makeup. Neither Larry Bird nor Magic Johnson could jump. Brent Barry won the NBA All-Star slam-dunk contest in 1996. Individual differences always are more important than racial distinctions. But that doesn't mean the latter shouldn't be discussed. ---- Rick Wright's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Albuquerque Journal. E-mail him at rwright@abqjournal.com Copyright c. 2004 Albuquerque Journal. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Students blossom with the flowers" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: PRARIE WALK" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/news/opinion/8961596.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Students blossom with the flowers on prairie outing June 19, 2004 About three months ago, I had a visual field exam that tested my peripheral vision. I scored 100 percent. I attribute my good peripheral vision to roadside deer. They keep my eyes sharp trying to spot them before they leap onto the highway in front of my car. On my return trip from Turtle River State Park on Thursday, I perked up when I spotted tawny brown movement in the grass between the field and highway. A doe was jumping through the tall grass at a fast clip, coming toward the road. I know that when they're moving that fast, they usually don't stop until they're across the road. But for some reason, when this doe reached the leggy rushes and cattails, she stopped, turned and bounded back into the open field. This doe may have been the same one that left tracks in the prairie I had visited earlier that day. I went with students from the Dakota Science Center to the prairie west of Grand Forks. The program is for students from rural and reservation areas, and they are at UND for a summer science program. They set up a home base in the beautiful new Turtle River community building for a day of prairie exploration. The group walked the deep, grassy prairie with Richard Crawford, UND biology professor; his wife, Glinda, environmentalist; and Francis Country, Dakota spiritual leader. They were there to identify and teach about prairie grasses and plants - Crawford, the botanical names and uses; Country, the spiritual and medicinal sides. As we started, we followed deer tracks that disappeared into the matted prairie. And only minutes into the prairie, the mosquitoes found us. The little pests seemed to rise up from the prairie grasses like fog on a late summer evening. Their arrival was followed by slapping and spraying. Luckily for us, a wind came up and the mosquitoes headed for cover, leaving us to a more pleasant outing. When you look across open grasslands such as the ones we walked, it looks as if the grass and vegetation might be shin deep. When you actually get into the prairie, it's deeper - some grass reaches above the knee. It is matted and uneven and there are holes from prairie critters. In certain areas, the ground is soft, rubbery and watery. Near to the road, we found a small patch of prairie smoke. It either was just blossoming or near the end of its cycle, because when it is full - as I have seen it at other prairies - it looks like a prairie fire smoldering with a soft smoke rising. Although the prairie smoke is an exceptional plant, it surely is overshadowed by the yellow lady slipper. These flowers are a rich yellow with a drooping head. They have a tiny opening in the flower head that makes it look like a shoe or slipper. Insects entering that opening usually don't get out. The students tried the slippers on by poking their little fingers into the opening. They were hesitant at first; I think they thought the flower might grab them and suck them into that tiny hole. They must have watched "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" too many times. I caught the pungent fragrance of sweetgrass, but couldn't find the plant. Students found the plant with the help of Wayne Fox - counselor Fox, who is a teacher and is aware of the traditional uses of sweet grass. We reached a ridge - one of the shorelines of Lake Agassiz, the lake that once covered most of the Red River Valley. It is hard to imagine that this whole area once was a lake and that I was standing on one of the shorelines. The top of the ridge was dotted with white-leafed Canadian anemone. They're a simple but pretty flower. They always remind me of a flower my grandmother called buttercup. The sky was full of thunderheads that didn't form anything solid, and we only got a sprinkle. We ended the day with drum songs from Country and a meal of fried bread, stew and home-baked pies, served in the Turtle River community center. One of the goals of the Dakota Science Center is to whet the interest of students in the areas of science. When it comes time for these young people to make decisions about careers, I hope these trips into the prairie will help produce scientists who study prairies, prairie critters, mosquitoes and other fields. Hopefully, these students can help make our world a better one. ---- Yellow Bird writes columns Tuesdays and Saturdays. Reach her by phone at 780-1228 or (800) 477-6572, extension 228, or by e-mail at dyellowbird@gfherald.com. Copyright c. 2004 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: AFN Chief on National Day of Solidarity" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ABORIGINAL DAY" http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2004/21/c6973.html Assembly of First Nations National Chief Comments on June 21, the National Day of Solidarity for Indian People (National Aboriginal Day) OTTAWA, June 21 /CNW/ - "The genesis of National Aboriginal Day came from First Nations. In 1982, a resolution by Assembly of First Nations Chiefs called for the establishment of the "National Day of Solidarity for Indian People". In 1996, Rome'o LeBlanc, the Governor General of the time, proclaimed June 21 as the first federal National Aboriginal Day. June 21st is a day to celebrate the contributions First Nations and Aboriginal peoples have made to this country. June 21 is the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. It represents a change and the best part of the growing season. As the original resolution calling for the National Day of Solidarity proclaimed: "it is...the time when the seeds of our future sustenance have been sown and grow in this land which has belonged to us since time immemorial." "The National Day of Solidarity is a celebration of First Nations histories and cultures. It is a time to reflect on the original relationship between the First Peoples of this land and the newcomers, a nation-to-nation relationship based on mutual recognition and mutual respect; a relationship codified in the sacred Treaties, the wampum belts and the Covenant Chain. Today is a day to remember and reflect on the inherent Aboriginal and Treaty rights of First Nations in Canada, and to talk about how we can move forward together. Now, as we face a looming election, which results might lead to great change in our lives, we must reflect on how far we have come and on where we want to go as First Nations. We must harness our great power to not only vote for our futures, but to work together to make those futures better." The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada. ---- For further information: Don Kelly, AFN Communications Director, 613-241-6789 ext. 320 or cell 613-292-2787; Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer, 613-241-6789 ext. 336 or cell 613-859-4335; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the National Chief, 613-241-6789 ext. 243 or cell 613-298-6382 Copyright c. 2003 Canada NewsWire Ltd. --------- "RE: CBC VIEWPOINT: Aboriginal vote can matter" --------- Date: Mon, 21 June 2004 08:29:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOLIDARITY" http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_walker/20040621.html KATHERINE WALKER: Aboriginal vote can matter CBC News Viewpoint June 21, 2004 This is the day that aboriginal people made. The National Indian Brotherhood, the precursor to the Assembly of First Nations, ca Today is a day tlled for a National aboriginal Day back in 1982. After much politicking by aboriginal leaders, it became a reality in 1996. Now, anyone can have their bannock, and eat it too, at myriad activities across Canada celebrating aboriginal cultures and contributions to Canada. But how many Canadians, besides aboriginal people and federal and provincial government employees, will actually take part in the activities, or acknowledge this day in some way? I'd guess about the same number of aboriginal people who will be celebrating St. Jean Baptiste Day, which is to say, very little. Most people pay little attention to events or issues that don't directly affect their daily lives. According to a recent election poll, less than three per cent of Canadians rank aboriginal issues as the most important issue in the federal election campaign. And it's probably a lot less than three per cent. Given this fact, you would think that aboriginal people would be motivated to get to the polls to advance their interests with an 'X' by the name of the most aboriginal-friendly candidate. But if past trends are any indication, this will not be the case. While the number of Canadians choosing not to vote has been at an all-time low, Elections Canada reports that the number of aboriginal non-voters is still lower. In the 2000 election, the turnout rate for aboriginal voters on reserves was less than 50 per cent, or 16 percentage points lower than for the general population. There's no conclusive data, but chances are this number is representative of the off-reserve aboriginal population as well. So this year, Elections Canada and organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations are urging aboriginal people to vote in the federal election. With an aboriginal population that now sits at 3.3 per cent, up 22 per cent from 1996, the message is that aboriginal people can have more of an impact in this federal election, especially in key ridings. Besides measures like putting polling stations on reserves and hiring more aboriginal electoral officers, Elections Canada has identified 26 constituencies where aboriginal voters represent at least 10 per cent of the electorate. The AFN says the First Nations vote can have a real impact in at least 63 of the 308 federal ridings. According to one Liberal Party insider, the aboriginal vote will be significant in the election of Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan in her Edmonton-Centre riding. McLellan has had a tough time winning in her old Edmonton-West riding ever since she decided to run in 1993, and won by one vote (which became 12 votes after a recount). In the last federal election, "Landslide Annie" narrowly won her seat with a 733-vote margin. Although the boundaries of Edmonton-West have been redrawn, and it is now Edmonton-Centre, McLellan still has a tough fight ahead of her. According to one recent poll, McLellan and Conservative candidate Laurie Hawn are virtually tied, with the deputy PM registering 42 per cent support, and Hawn at 41 per cent. The aboriginal population in Edmonton-Centre is just under 10 per cent. Even if only half of this pop