APRIL 7, 1978 PAGE 5
National Indian News Briefs
NORTH DAKOTA INDIANS DISPLEASED BY OLIPHANT DECISION: The Supreme Court
decision that Indian tribes had no criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians on reservations was called
unfair by tribal officials in North Dakota. Richard Fredericks, tribal judge on the Turtle Mountain
Reservation and vice president of the National Indian Court Judges Association, said: “I’m displeased
with it. For one thing, we’re not getting fair treatment. If we Indians commit a crime on state land,
we’re tried in state court. But if non-Indians commit a crime on Indian land, we can’t try them.” Pat
McLaughlin, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said: “Indian law when it was set up was
territorial law, not for persons. Anyone who came into that territory should be subject to that law. It
wasn’t made just for certain persons. I don’t think it’s fair . . . If any non-Indian comes on the
reservation, he’s not subject to nothing.”
GERARD ASKS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO FILL VOID OF JURISDICTION DECISION:
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Oliphant case has caused a “developing void in law enforcement on
Indian reservations,” Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Forrest Gerard informed the Justice
Department March 15. The ruling denied Indian tribes jurisdiction over non-Indians on the reservations.
Gerard, writing to Benjamin Civiletti, deputy attorney general designate, said that tribes had become
increasingly active in the area of criminal jurisdiction “because no government — the state probably
lacked jurisdiction and the U.S. exercised little or none — was enforcing criminal laws on
reservations,” Gerard said that prompt Federal action to correct the situation was needed and asked for
“á conference with your office to explore what might be done to provide this service.”
OKLAHOMA HAS MAJOR JURISDICTIONAL PROBLEM: A critical law enforcement problem
exists in Indian country in western Oklahoma. According to the state Indian Affairs Commission court
rulings have determined that Oklahoma has no sovereignty over approximately 1.5 million acres of land
controlled by tribal trusts. Because Oklahoma laws do not apply in those areas, local law enforcement
agencies are reluctant to extend protection to the Indians living within them, said Bob Gann, director of
the Commission. Gann said tribal governments are just beginning to apply for the Federal funds
necessary to begin the transition over to self-government in the areas in question. For years, Gann said,
the tribes did not question the power of the state to extend its sovereignty over Indian land.
NORTHWEST TRIBES SUPPORT FOUNDING OF INDIAN NEWS ASSOCIATION: One of the
resolutions adopted at the Winter Conference of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
acknowledged the value of the Indian news media as “a major source of distributing and expressing the
viewpoints of tribal councils and Indian organizations” and therefore supported “the establishment of
the Northwest Indian Ñews Association.” Unfortunately, the support voted was only moral, encouraging
“the continued search for funding to perpetuate and support Indian journalism which is beneficial to all
tribes and every Indian organization.” You can’t pay bills with moral support, but it is better than no
support.
USE OF TERM “NATIVE AMERICAN’’ DECRIED: The Northwest Affiliated Tribes also
passed a resolution against the use of the term native American in place of American Indian. There
should be cheers for an intelligent resolution. All persons bom in America are native Americans, but
most of them are not American Indians.
CROWS MAY SEEK TO EXTEND TAXING AUTHORITY BEYOND RESERVATION: An
agenda item for the April 8 Crow Tribal Council meeting would amend the tribal constitution to include
the Crow ceded area within the scope of the tribe’s taxation powers. The area was relinquished by the
tribe to the state, but the tribe retained the mineral rights. If the amendment is passed, it may mean the
25 percent mineral tax adopted two years ago by the tribal council will be imposed on the Westmoreland
Resources Coal Mine on the ceded area. At the present time this is the only Crow coal being mined. If
the 25 percent tax would be collected, Westmoreland would be paying a 55 percent tax on all coal taken
from the m ine. The state now collects a 30 percent servance tax.
OREGONIAN URGES FISH WAR COMPROMISES TO AVOID SETTLEMENT BY
OUTSIDERS: The Portland Oregonian has editorialized that it’s time for all parties in the Northwest
fish war to fish or cut bait - to quit standing on principle and settle down to some serious compromising
to implement the fish war peace plan” put together by the Federal Regional Fisheries Task Force The
ultunate alternative, the paper, argues, is to have a settlement imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court “It
would seem,” the paper wrote, “there is far more understanding of local conditions within the state of
Washington and on the reservations of the tribes than in Washington, D.C. where the Supreme Court
. e Indians might lose if the court reflects what many see as a growing ‘backlash’ against Indian
militancy; non-Indians might lose if further concessions are ordered by the court.” Interior Department
representative John Hough said of the need for compromise: f‘No m atter how you cut it every
participant in this fishery will have to give up something to make it work.”
Indian Studies Course
Offers Insight, Credits
School district staff have a
unique opportunity to become
acquainted with Indian history,
culture and government and
earn college credits at the same
time. A ten-part course in Indian
Studies sponsored by Oregon
State University was launched
this week with a session on the
history of Warm Springs, taught
by Mike Clements.
Future sessions, to be held
weekly, will focus on Indian
Culture, Tribal Government,
Tribal Sociology and the nitty
gritty of working with Indian
students and parents.
It is hoped that the informa
tion presented in the course will
enhance understanding and
communication among staff,
students and the Warm Springs
Community.
Several members of the
Confederated Tribes have been
invited to conduct classes. All
sessions will be tape recorded
for future use in district cur
riculum.
About thirty people have
signed up for the course. En-
rollment is not limited to district
personnel and more students are
welcome.
The cost of the Indian Stud
ies course is $48 for three un
dergraduate credits and $108 for
three graduate credits. Classes
are being held at the Madras
Junior High School Library
every Thursday., night at 7-9:30.
except for the April 26 session
which will be on Wednesday.
Following is a list of classes,
dates and instructors.
1. History of Warm Springs,
4-6-78, Mike Clements.
2. Indian Culture, P a rt I,
4-13-78, Warren R. Clements.
3. Indian Culture, P art II,
4- 20-78, Warren R. Clements.
4. Tribal Government, Part
I, 4-26-78, Nelson Wallulatum,
Robert Macy and Clayton Earl.
5. Tribal Government, Part
II, 5-4-78, Irene Wells, Jeffrey
Sanders.
6. Tribal Sociology, 5-11-78,
Charles Calica, Rosella Phillips,
Ramona Tanewasha.
7. Turning on the Tuned Off,
5- 18-78, Sylvia Tucker, Mary
Hall.
W ater F o r
O reg o n ’s F u tu re
That was the theme for a
state-wide conference held at
Portland State University Fri
day, March 31.
> Governor Robert Straub was
the key-note speaker for the
day’s event. Straub’s speech re
flected on Oregon’s future and
the Columbia River, the main
resource for the State of Oregon.
The river serves as a multi
million dollar source for the
state, Straub said. Forestry,
fishing and tourism rely heavily
on the Columbia River.
The uses of the water from
the river should be well planned
in the best interest of future
generations.
Oregon should establish a
competitive equity to the up
stream states in irrigation, pow
er, fishing etc. Competition is
there and can increase in the
near future. There are several
different types of w ater users
today. There have been pro
posals to set aside some water
for use at a future time said
Struab. His speech was short
and to the point.
The Pacific Northwest River
Basin which consisted of repre
sentatives from the states of
Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana were in attendance at
the meeting.
Participants agreed that the
states should coordinate a com-
prehensive joint plan; by doing
this they could all project the
amount of water used and also
its source. The entire region
should combine forces and agree
on the various uses of water,
legal or otherwise, also consider
those who have certain water
rights such as the Treaty In
dians and other users.
Objectives- and alternatives
should be established; for in
stance the ability to adjust as
problems arise and avoid prob
lems that could cause alarm
among all the water users.
Domestic, Fish and Wildlife,
Irrigation and Industry appear
to be the primary water users.
Each group has historically had
the idea that their group is the
most important. It is apparent
that the states will have to come
to an agreement with each other
on the use of the w ater, other
wise the Federal Government
can step in and take the case to
the Supreme Court.
The southwest is trying to
get w ater from the Columbia
River because there is some
thought that there is surplus
water here in the northwest, but
this is not so. The northwest is
engaged in a continuing struggle
to protect its water rights. The
solution is not here at the pre
sent time and will not be for
some time yet.
TOE NESS
There were these two guys talking about marriage, the first
guy said, “I can say this about marriage, It gives a guy something to
do when all the girls are out of town.” “YIKES”
SS SS SS
There was this guy that met one of his poker playing friends.
Because being all beat up his poker playing friend wanted to know
what happened to him. “Well said the first guy, I was really living it
up, just like my rich friend.” “Well than what happened?” “My rich
friend returned home unexpectedly.” “YIKES”
SS SS SS
This young couple were at this country farm dance and after
it was going for a while they decided to get some fresh air so they
went out to his car and decided to get in and sit for a while. After a
little conversation the shy farm boy layed his head back'on the seat
of the car and said. “ Gee its so peaceful here you can hear the
crickets so clear.” His more aggressive girl friend sits up and said.
Thats not crickets, its my teeth, its so cold out here, put your arms
around me.” “YIKES”
SS SS SS
and the first said. “I’ve got a new patient, young and beautiful, her
problem is everytime she see’s a young handsome boy walk by she
wants to kiss.
The other doc asks. “What are you doing for that problem?”
“Well,
said
the first, I made arrangements with a bunch of young
8. Discipline and Control,
guys to pass by the window at two minute intervals everytime she is
5-25-78, Sylvia Tucker.
9. Communication Between in the office.” “YIKES”
SS SS SS
Teachers and Students, 6-1-78,
There were these two newly weds at their reception so the
Sylvia Tucker.
10. Wrap-up Session, Reac bride cuts the cake and in doing so she cuts the cake into 200 pieces
tion, Evaluation, 6-8-78, Dr. and the mother asks her why she cut so many pieces? “Her reply was
Wood, Dr. Weber, Charles Cali that she didn’t know how to shut off the knife.” “YIKES”
SS SS SS
ca.
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