JANUARY 10. 1978 PAGE 5
Favorable Legislation Moves Quietly
Through Capitol
First preference in place
dian Self-Determination Act by
adding a third title to that law ment would go to members of
(P.L. 93-638). It would enable the child’s extended family, then
tribes to be awarded single to Indian homes on reservations,
grants consolidating some or all or to tribally licensed homes.
of the BIA and IHS services Tribes would be able to request
currently contractable separate transfer of placement cases
from state to tribal courts.
ly.
Tribally - Controlled Com
According to Mark Phillips
of Jay Edwards Associates, the munity College Assistance Act -
single grant mechanism will eli The Senate bill was passed No
minate much of the red tape and vember 4 authorizing $125,000
paperwork that exists under the plus $5,850 for each full-time
current system which requires student for the operation of
single contracts for each ser eligible institutions. The total
three-year appropriation would
vice.
But Warm Springs’ Grants amount to $95 million. In addi
Planner, Art Tassie, feels that tion, the bill requires that a
the legislation is unnecessary Department of Interior study be
since this reservation is cur conducted on the need for facil
rently able, under one docu ity construction and renovation.
The House bill is similar,
ment, to process several con
tracts at one time. “It sounds but with less per student allo
revolutionary, but it doesnt cation and the authorization of
allow us to do anything we can’t such funds as may be necessary
to carry out a construction
do right now,” he remarked.
However, the legislation program. Phillips of Jay Ed
may be of benefit to other tribes, wards Associates said he expect
permitting better long range ed the House bill to eventually
planning. The bill has been reflect the Senate bill’s provi
referred to the Senate Select sion.
Hearings have been held by
Committee on Indian Affairs,
the Education and Labor Post
where it is pending.
Indian Child Welfare Act - secondary Education Sub-Com
mittee, with additional hearings
Passed by the Senate on Nov
discussed.
ember 4, this bill has been refer being Indian
Tribal Tax Act -
red to the Interior Sub-Commit
out of the House Ways
tee on Indian Affairs and Public Reported
Lands. Hearings were held Feb and Means Committee, there
has been as yet no floor action
ruary 9.
The bill establishes stand on this bill which would (a)
make contributions to tribal
ards for the placement of Indian governments tax exempt, (b)
children in foster and adoptive
people who pay taxes to a
homes and authorizes the estab enable
tribal government to deduct
lishment of family development
them from their federal taxes,
centers on reservations.
Dozens of moccasined feet
are beginning their “Longest
Walk” to the nation’s capitol and
delegations of Indian leaders are
meeting regularly and heatedly
among themselves and with
their congressmen to register
their opposition to numerous
“backlash” or anti-Indian bills
that now are before Congress.
In the meantime several
pieces of proposed legislation
generally considered to be favor
able to Indian people are quietly
making their way into commit
tees and onto the House and
Senate floors. Ranging from the
protection of Indian religions to
the extended life of the Senate
Select Sub-Committee on Indian
SENATOR ABOUREZK
Affairs, the bills cover a lot of
territory but in smaller, less
programs they are administer
dramatic steps.
Reviewed here are nine ing. These reports would be cir
soon-to-be-introduced and pend culated among the Indian tribes
ing bills and resolutions that for review and comment and
may bode well for the Confed submitted to the . Secretary and
erated Tribes and people Assistant Secretary of the Inter
throughout Indian country.
ior.
SOON TO BE INTRODUCED
Bill to Extend the Life of the
Tribal-State Compact Act of Senate Select Sub-Committee on
1978 - Written by Senator James Indian Affairs - The Sub-Com
Abourezk (D-S.D.) who plans to mittee on Indian Affairs was set
introduce it any time, the bill up at the beginning of the 95th
would authorize the states and Congress to handle Indian legis
Indian tribes to enter into lation only for the duration of
mutual agreements and com that session. An attached proviso
pacts regarding jurisdiction and specified that thé Committee
governmental operations in In would at the end of the 95th
Congress become a sub-commit
dian country.
As a means of resolving tee df the Senate Full Committee
jurisdictional disputes, the on
( Human Resources.
mechanism suggested by the bill
However, Senators Abour
would allow mutual agreements ezk, Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)
at a local level without the and George McGovern (D-SD)
are sponsoring a bill that would
restrictions of federal law.
Background language of the keep the Sub-Committee active
bill reads: “There is need for through the next Congressional
clarification of the jurisdiction Session.
of the respective tribes and the
PENDING
state and local governments;
American Indian Religious
but this clarification need not be Freedom (S.J.R. 102) - The in
premised on the destruction of troduction of this resolution in
one government to clarify the the Senate by Sen. Abourezk
authority of the other. By the December 15 during Human
same token, the tribes and the Rights Week was a ceremonious
states cannot continue to meet occasion attended by a delega
their respective governmental tion of religious leaders from the
responsibilities in total isolation
Nation.
from each other. In recent years Yakima
The resolution ensures the
there have been cooperative rights of American Indians,
agreements between states and
Eskimos and Native Hawaiians
tribes regarding the operations
to access to religious sites, use
of their governments, and there
and possession of sacred objects
are increasing expressions of
and the freedom to worship
interest from state and tribal
through ceremonial and tradi
authorities to enter into com
rites.
pacts and agreements respect tional
Recognizing Indian religious
ing their mutual authorities and
practices as “integral parts of
responsibilities. It is the respon their culture, tradition, and heri
sibility of the Congress to facili tage....forming the basis of In
tate this process.”
dian identity and value sys
The Tribal-State Compact
tems,” the resolution intends to
Act is presently being circulated
for the “lack of a clear,
among Congressmen for com ‘ adjust
comprehensive, consistent fed
ment and co-sponsorship, said
eral policy” that “has often
Mark Phillips, a member of Jay
resulted in the abridgment of
Edwards Associates lobbying
religious freedom for traditional
firm in D.C.
American Indians.”
Indian Program Evaluation
S.J.R. 102 was co-sponsored
and Needs Assessment Act of
by
Sens.
Hubert Humphrey
1978 - Also written by Sen.
(D-MN), Edward Kennedy
Abourezk and being circulated
(-MA), Daniel Inouye (D-Ha-
for comment and cosponsorship
waii), Spark Matsunaga (D-
is a bill that would require all
Hawaii), Mike Gravel (D-
federal agencies doing Indian
Alaska), Ted Stevens (R-Alas-
business to make annual reports
ka), Mark Hatfield (R-OR),
on what they did and how much Dewey Bartlett (D-OK), and
they spent on grants and con
Barry Goldwater (R-AZ).
tracts for Indian services.
The resolution protecting
Reports would be submitted
and preserving American Indian
by July 30 of each year to the
religious freedom will be intro
Secretary of the Interior and the
duced in the House later this
Assistant Secretary for Indian
month by Rep. Morris Udal
Affairs, to be collected into one
(D-AZ), chairman of the House
single annual report to Congress.
Interior
Committee.
The second part of the bill
would require all federal agen
cies to draw up needs assess *
ment reports on the projected
needs of the Indian tribes with
whom they do business and the'
Self Determination Act Amend-
mentj(S-2460)
Introduced by Sen. Abourezk
on January 31, this piece of
legislation would amend the In-
and (c) allow tribal govern
ments to issue tax exempt bonds
(except for industrial and com
mercial activities other than on-
reservation utility services and
industrial development.
A similar bill has been
introduced in the Senate by Sen.
Bob Packwood (R-Oregon) and
is now pending in the Senate
Finance Committee’s Sub-Com
mittee on Taxation and Debt
Management.
The National Energy Act -
Small Hydroelectric Projects -
Of particular interest to the
Warm Springs Reservation be
cause of tentative plans to in
stall generators in the Pelton
Re-regulating Dam, this small
portion of the bogged-down
energy bill would authorize a
Department of Energy loan pro
gram to encourage the develop
ment of small hydroelectric
facilities at existing dams.
Loans of up to 90 per cent of the
cost of feasibility studies for
hydro projects could be granted
to the owners of a dam.
House and Senate conferees
have agreed on this portion of
the bill but are hung up on crude
oil and natural gas segments of
the energy bill. If it becomes
apparent that the whole energy
bill cannot be reported out of
conference as one big package,
the section containing the hydro
electric projects may be separ
ated out, according to Phillips.
(Thanks to Jay Edwards
Associates, Vince Lovett’s In
dian News Notes, and the Sho-
Ban News for much of the above
information.)
American Indian Programs
Via NASA Satellite
Crow .Agency, Montana — Canadian governments, has
■
The
first practical demonstra-- , transmitting power levels 10 to
tion of a communications satel 20 times greater than previous
lite’s ability to provide televised communications satellites. Pro
educational material program gramming can be beamed to all
med exclusively for American 50 states and all areas of
Indians will take place at the Canada. CTS has a stationary
Crow Agency, Montana, and a orbit, renfaining above a point
off the west coast of South
second site (still to be selected)
America.
in early April, 1978, according to
According to NASA engineer
a joint announcement by the
Jerry Elliott, an Osage Indian,
Crow Agency here and the
American Indian Communica “We want to see American In
dians benefit from space-age
tions Center (ComCenter), Los
technology and CTS is one-of the
Angeles.
According to the announce most advanced forms of com
munications satellites in exist
ment, demonstration broadcasts
ence. The potential for education
lasting up to three hours each
is virtually unlimited.” Elliott,
will take place on April 10, 12
who has been involved in the
and 14, with the programming
CTS project from the outset, was
beamed from the Communica
the first to see potential in the
tions Technology Satellite (CTS)
to the Montana and other loca concept for American Indians.
Jerry Thompson, (Chero
tions, where representatives
kee), founder of the American
from many tribes are expected
Indian Communications Center,
to gather.
noted that the ComCenter is
The National Aeronautics
currently working on acquiring
and Space Administration ’s
relevant program material for
(NASA) CTS satellite, a joint
the demonstration. “We’re work-
development of the U.S. and
ing with the Crow Agency’s
Central Education Commission
to present programs which will
expose the full range of com
munications potential.” Subjects
can include general education,
health care, cultural heritage,
agriculture, weather and techni
cal instruction. Also possible,
due to CTS’s two-way communi
cation capabilities, are inter
tribal conferences.
“By making it ultimately
possible to reach the broadest
number of reservation, urban
and rural Indians with a single
broadcast,” noted Elliott, “com
munication by satellite repre
sents the most exciting method
on the horizon for improving the
quality of American Indian life
through education and commun
ication.”
For further information,
contact Sam Windy Boy, (Chip
pewa-Cree), demonstration site
coordinator, at Box 370, Crow
Agency, Montana, 59022. (406)
638-2337.
Get Stuck? Here's Some Advice
Many people, and you know
who you are, have been getting
stuck recently on or near the
reservation. One of the many
ways to prevent getting stuck, is
to be familiar with the area
you’re going to and know the
condition of the roads you’ll be
using.
For anyone who is planning
to travel on uncertain roads or
gets stuck on them, Terry Lu
ther of the Natural Resources
department has some advice.
TRIP PREPARATION
Leave a note or tell some-
one the route you plan to take
and what time you will return.
Equip your vehicle with
emergency gear: shovel, jack,
axe, flashlight, first aid kit,
blankets, food, matches, etc.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
If you have a C.B. radio
monitor channel 9.
If you can walk out “safely”
do so. Leave a note with your
vehicle stating what time you
left the vehicle and the road or
directiorf you took.
Take notice of landmarks in
the immediate area. This infor-
mation is important to pinpoint
your location.
If you are injured or do not
know what direction to go to get
help - STAY
WITH THE
VEHICLE.
Do not try to walk out
during the night.
If you walk out notify the
Police Dept, as soon as possible
that you are safe.
Individuals who are looking
for lost persons should coordi
nate with agencies involved in
the search and rescue opera
tions.