Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1982)
Traditional, modem American Indian panel confronts major issues By Mike Anderson And Dave Banks Of th» CmtrtM Issues confronting American Indians brought lecturers and panelists from around the country for a symposium entitled "Tribal Governments in Transistion: Coming Full Circle." held Friday and Saturday at the University Sponsored by the Native American Student Union. Oregon Law Review, and eight other University and community organizations, the conference concentrated on traditional tribal governments and Indian law The governments are going through a "form of evolvement," said Russell Jim, president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and a representative of the Yakima Tribe The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 created three separate orders — the Indian Reor ganization Act Governments (IRA), the executive order, and treaty tribes, he said There Is a dichotomy between what the Indians know is sacred ground and what the Federal Government has sectioned off to various tribes, said Wayne Little Whiteman of Montana's North ern Cheyenne tribe Before the coming of the white man, there was a strong treaty between the Arapahoe, Sioux, and Cheyenne tribes, Little Whiteman said The three nations have just recently started a new cycle in their relationship, he added Traditional as well as modern tribal govern ments are headed by the chief, Little Whiteman said The six tribes,” of which his is a member, represent the "oldest continuously operating governing body in the world," said John Mohawk, a member of the Seneca trjbf jtpd, edUor of Akwesasne Notes His tribe has no IRA government and is ruled by the Great Law of Peace, he said In his tribe, the women choose the chief according to clans, and the chiefs represent the women s families, Mohawk said All decisions are reached by consensus," he said But they must be in accordance with the great law " In his government, women have power as women, they don't have to scrape and bow like men." he said We pick our leaders on the basis of their ability to offer spiritual leadership." Mohawk said The IRA government was created by the white man because he needed it He saw that there were profits to be made by exploiting the Indians and their land “Congress can abrogate Indian rights with the stroke of a pen," he said "Today, we (native Americans) have one foot on a banana peel and one foot in the middle of nowhere We are sitting on the edge of extinction." Panelists representing commercial, sport, and Indian fishermen presented conflicting opin ions Saturday, on Indian treaty fishing rights. These rights, which guarantee native Americans the right to fish and hunt have raised political and environmental questions. Government is the problem, said Bob Hud son. former executive director of the All-Coast Commercial Fisherman s Union The conflict between the users is "a lot of horseshit," he said. "Our ancestors knew when to quit fishing, and they knew when to save They were natural economists,” said Leonard Tomaskin, chairer of the Yamikma Nation General Council. The Indians have been wrongly accused of overfishing, he said, adding that constant turmoil has been caused by dam construction and by legislation approved without Indian consent. "Today the Indian is always on the defen sive," he said The Indian's fight to fish is a fight for all things, including protection of the water, timber, and grazing, said Nathan Jim of the the Columbia River Intertribal fishing commission Many sport fishermen believe it is unfair that Indians maintain the right to 50 percent of the fish caught when this minority group does not consti tute 50 percent of the fishermen, said Jim Reid, an author and conservationist representing sport fishermen. “I hope we can all cooperate. I really don’t want to be around when we harvest the last fish and have to decide who gets it," Jim said Federal legislation is imposing on the In dian's right to regulate and govern their resource development, said Peter Maxfield, University of Wyoming law school dean, in another Saturday session on mineral resources “The Indians have suffered a terrific loss because of the inadequacy and federal oversight of mineral operations on Indian lands,” he said Because of the federal mismanagement of resource development, the Indians need to regulate their own oil production, Maxfield said “The resources are theirs, the power and authority are theirs, and they couldn’t possibly do worse than their trustees in managing their af fairs," Maxfield said The federal government's method of govern ing, calling for one representative per every 350 to 1000 persons is absurd and should be one for 50 persons, said Vine Deloria. politxal science professor from the University of Arizona and author of the best-selling book Custer Died For Your Sins Indian sovereignty will greatly help the cause, he said "Sovereignty is a unified expression, a con sensus of viewpoints by Indians and a communi ty-minded attitude," Deloria said "It is not hiring an attorney to go to court and say these people are sovereign 20-50%off SAVE NOW on downhill and cross-country: • skis • boots • bindings • clothing All the top brands — at end-of-season savings RENTALS Downhill or Cross Country U par i«y Downhill package includes Salomon bindings with brakes, skis, boots and poles Running Wednesdays. 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