Ish
Fri, 13 Aug 1999 17:26:49 -0700
And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "Graves Meets with Haskell Officials on Trafficway Project," http://www.ap.org/ The president of the Haskell Indian Nations University Board of Regents was encouraged after a meeting with Gov. Bill Graves on completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway. "It was more than I knew before," said Mamie Rupnicki of what she learned in a three-hour meeting this week with Graves and other parties involved with the project. A similar presentation is scheduled Oct. 8 before the entire Haskell Board of Regents. Haskell officials oppose completion of the loop highway as planned because it would run close to the campus, to Indian spiritual grounds and to the Baker Wetlands. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gregg, B.G. "Tribe Split Over Who Runs Casino: Winner of Standoff Will Control Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleasant," http://www.detnews.com/ MT. PLEASANT -- Two factions of the tribe that runs the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort clashed Wednesday over control of the gambling facility. Eight members of a Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe council, placed into power by the federal government this week, remained locked Wednesday night inside tribal offices. Members of the ousted council, which has lost the last four tribal elections, were unable to enter because locks at the one-story office building had been changed. Ronald Jackson, a spokesman for those who locked themselves inside, said the group is determined to assume posts that the federal government says belong to them. Casino operations were not affected by the standoff, which began Tuesday, officials said. "It has been business as usual," said Bill Masterson, Soaring Eagle spokesman, who added that no one wants to close the casino. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Indictments Could Come in White Earth Investigation," http://www.ap.org/ MAHNOMEN, Minn. -- Federal indictments could be handed down after a three-year investigation into allegations of fraud in the housing program on the White Earth Indian Reservation. Current tribal government officials say millions of dollars intended for housing were misappropriated during the administration of Darrell "Chip" Wadena. Wadena, who in December finished a two-year federal prison sentence for corruption, denies the allegations. John Buckanaga, chairman of the White Earth tribe, said 50 houses could have been built with the $ 4.5 million that was allegedly misused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Judge Considers Environmental Review of Site Where Ancient Bones Found," http://www.ap.org/ SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The discovery of 8,000-year-old bones at a six-acre construction site that some claim is an American Indian burial ground could lead to an environmental review delaying the Bolsa Chica wetlands development. Orange County Superior Court Judge William McDonald decided Wednesday to schedule a Sept. 8 hearing to determine if the Huntington Beach site requires a full review. In the meantime, the developer is prohibited from building anything except a perimeter wall until the next hearing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Muckleshoots Set Nets For Chinook," http://www.seattletimes.com/ Against a backdrop of downtown Seattle lights, Muckleshoot tribal fishermen aboard a gill-netter wait to set their nets in Elliott Bay last night during a 12-hour chinook-salmon fishery declared by the tribe. The action was criticized by sports fishermen who complained that net fishing will further harm depleted salmon runs in the lower Green River. The Muckleshoots and other tribes have a treaty right to take fish in "usual and accustomed places" such as Elliott Bay, where they have fished for centuries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pickler, Nedra. "Ousted Tribal Council Still Vowing to Regain Power," http://www.ap.org/ MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe police stood guard outside tribal headquarters for a third day Thursday, hoping to ward off a confrontation between recently expelled council members and their replacements. The dispute boiled over late Tuesday when the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs recognized a new governing tribal council. BIA officials said the ousted tribal leadership lost four elections starting in 1997, yet refused to step down. That forced the U.S. government to take the rare step of intervening to recognize the new tribal government . . . About 100 people backing the ousted council camped anxiously outside while their leaders discussed plans for a return to power. The group maintains that, although the federal government recognized the new council, the ousted council still has jurisdiction over most tribal matters, including the casino. But officials at The National Indian Gaming Commission, which regulates Indian gaming, said! ! Thu rsday that they also recognize the new tribal council in their dealings with the tribe and its casino. The tribe's Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort is a huge source of income for the wealthy tribe, which makes more than $ 200 million a year from its business operations . . . Ousted Chief Kevin Chamberlain contends that the BIA recognition means the new council controls only federal programs run by the tribe, not the tribe's other operations. Federal dollars make up only 1 percent to 2 percent of the tribe's annual revenues. But federal officials apparently disagree. With both the BIA and the gaming commission recognizing the new council, the matter is headed for the courts.On Friday, a date will be set in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to hear arguments on whether a preliminary injunction should be issued to the new tribal council to stop it from governing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pickler, Nedra. "Feds Recognize New Tribal Council for Saginaw Chippewa," http://www.ap.org/ MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- A federal government-backed tribal council has taken control of the headquarters of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian band, which operates the popular Soaring Eagle Resort casino. But the ousted tribal council vows to regain power. "We're hopeful we can be back in there by midday," ousted Chief Kevin Chamberlain said this morning . . . Tensions eased temporarily Wednesday night after the ousted faction put off its fight until morning. About 150 people from the rival factions had gathered earlier Wednesday at the headquarters, a day after the federal government recognized a new tribal council. "The first duty of this council is to maintain law and order on the reservation and to respect the rights of all tribal members," newly installed Chief Phil Peters said in a news release.Chamberlain and his council said Wednesday that they were considering asking tribal police to move away from the building so they could reseat themselves.But the new council remained in! ! the building Wednesday night and said it had no intention of giving up control to Chamberlain. Eventually, nearly everyone outside the building went home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Van Kampen, Todd. "Legal Issues Hold Up Murder Case," http://www.omaha.com/Omaha/ Federal and state prosecutors said Wednesday they must sort through a complicated legal web to determine who should try a 38-year-old Indian man charged with murdering a woman Friday in Pender, Neb. The allotment and sales of Omaha Indian Reservation lands between 1854 and 1916 holds the key to whether Damon Picotte will appear in state or federal court, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Wellman and Thurston County Attorney Albert Maul. It also could affect how future criminal cases involving the reservation are handled, Maul said. Picotte was arrested early Friday near Walthill, Neb., and charged later that day in Thurston County Court with the first-degree murder of Nancy Napolitano, 37. She was found dead in a Pender home from an apparent gunshot wound . . . Typically, tribal and federal courts handle cases in which Indians are accused of committing crimes on tribal land. Wellman said tribal courts try cases where the potential sentence is one year in jail or less, si! ! mila r to county courts in Nebraska's state court system. Federal courts try more serious cases, including murder. But very little land within the Omaha reservation's official boundaries remains under direct tribal control, Maul said. Pender is the county seat of Thurston County, which is divided between the Omaha reservation on the south and the Winnebago Indian Reservation on the north. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&