Page 6 April 30,1982
April 30,1982
Foresters, loggers gather in Spokane for symposium
“If we do not think a proposed project will be
profitable over the long haul, we will not invest
in it. It is that simple. The project has to be good
enough, with the help ot our seed money, to
attract private financing. We will not expend
more than 25% to 75%. The balance will have to
come from other sources, the private sector. No
other BIA funds.”
Concluding his statement, Smith stated, “This
administration will encourage, assist and
support self-determination for Indian tribes. We
know this is not something we can wrap up and
put on a platter for thé tribes, but rather it is
something the tribes, have to, and can, achieve.
We will not create a new form of paternalism by
trying to do for the Indian tribes what they must
do for themselves. The policy of self-determina
tion is only a decade old. The Indian people have
already accomplished much, and they are going
to accomplish much more. We are going to do
what we can to help tribes develop strong tribal
governments and we are going to help promote
true economic development in Indian country.
This is the policy that President Reagan and
Secretary Watt have endorsed and I plan to
implement.”
BEHIND THE MIC, IN FRONT OF THE CAM ERA—Assistant Secretary of the Interior Ken
Smith was in Spokane, Washington to attend the sixth annual Timber Symposium. Following his
speech to conferees, he was interviewed by the three local TV stations and one local newspaper.
by Donna Behrend
Forestry and logging representatives from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribes from across
the nation and Alaska gathered last week in
Spokane, Washington to attend the sixth annual
Timber Symposium. This year’s symposium was
entitled, “Treegonomics: Accountability and the
Management of Indian Forest Resources.”
“Forests are among the most valuable
resources owned by the Indian people and sound
management is vital to the welfare of many tribal
and non-Indian economies.” states the welcome
statement of the symposium. “The importance
of Indian forest results not only from its
prominent position as a cornerstone supporting
the income and employment structures of local
communities, but also from its significance in
sustaining the cultures of tribal societies.”
The welcome concluded, “The values that
flow from Indian forests cannot be adequately
;xpressed in monetary terms alone, yet
management decisions are often reduced to a
single dimensional question of dollars: Do the
benefits jusitify the costs?”
Keynote speaker for the meeting was
Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Ken Smith.
In the three days of meetings, said Smith, “you
will be considering such things as the country’s
present economic situation and the depressed
timber industry, in particular: the BIA’s budget,
this administration's Indian policy and their
effects on your operations.
“And of course the future is considered.
Timber, unlike coal and oil and some other
resources, is a renewable resource and always
has a future. What will be the needs, the
problems, the resources of the future and how
will our tribes use this great asset of timber as a
base for further development?”
Smith continued, “I was asked to give a
perspective on National Indian policy....the
basic Indian policy of the United States is still
self-determination, which over the past ten years
has meant a lot of different things to different
people. Self-determination involves being tough
and independent and determined to make
progress on your own.
“In looking at this policy of Indian self-
determination, we must remember that it has
been the policy of the United States for only the
past decade. The 200 years before that were all
aimed the other way, at creating dependency. In
the first century, the United States was busy
conquering the west and makine treaties to
confine the Indians to reservations. This was
followed by about sixty years of Indians being
treated like wards of the government and then,
following the Indian Reorganization Act of
1934, about 40 years of Federally-controlled
tribal governments. So, we Indians have had 200
years of dependency training and ten years of a
policy of self-determination...it is still very new.”
Smith further explained self-determination,
“President Reagan, Secretary Watt and myself
have all endorsed Indian self-determination as
national policy. But self-determination is not
something the government can give to a tribe. It
is something the tribe has to achieve. You will
never hear me say it is easy! It’s tough! Self-
determination is the alternative to paternalism
and paternalism breeds more dependency. If you
don’t want the government running your affairs
and making your decisions, you have to assume
the responsibility.”
Smith reflected on his years with the Warm
Springs tribes. “During my years with the tribe, I
saw the benefits that came when the tribal
government, with the people’s backing,
seperated the management of tribal enterprises
from tribal politics. This move brought about
better government, more accountability, and
most of all, stability in our entire operation.
“We learned how to work with the Federal
government to best utilize the programs and
funds that were available. But the key was that
we also invested our own tribal money to
develop both the human and physical resources
of the reservation. So, now the tribe is less
dependent on the Federal government.”
Smith explained the BIA budget, saying,
“Today, broad reductions in federal spending
are required to halt runaway inflation and
interest rates. Indian tribes and tribal leaders
must begin to work more with the private sector
and to focus on economic deveopment projects
that are profitable. Those projects must be self-
sustaining and consequently beneficial oyer the
long-term. The era of easy, uncritical funding
from the federal government is past. And we
ought not to regret the end of band aid economic
strategies and quick fixes that didn’t really help
our reservations. Most programs were a
detriment.
“This adminstration has not cut the funding of
BIA programs to work with the tribes in the
management of trust resources, including your
timber resources. We are very conscious of the
trust responsibility to protect and enhance these
resources, a responsibility we will not abdicate.
Our budget request for fiscal year 1983 for forest
d e v e lo p m e n t a n d p r o te c tio n , fo re s t
management inventory and planning and other
related programs is slightly higher than the 1982
funding. The 1983 budget request also includes
two new line items designed to further Indian
self-determination and economic development.”
Smith explained the two proposed plans, one
being a request for $5 million to assist small
tribes to acquire basic management skills and
abilities, and the other being a request for $10
million to be used as seed money to help tribes
a ttr a c t p riv a te fu n d in g for econom ic
development on their reservations. “We are
going to have to pick and back winners, projects
that produce lasting improvements in tribal
economies, so we can ask Congress to do it
again. We will keep politics out of these
ventures. The size of the proposed venture or the
size of the tribe will not be a real factor in our
determination. If it’s a smoke shop o ra saw mill,
a herd of cattle or a factory, the basic concern
will profitability and long-term economic
benefit to the tribe.
Self-determination among Indian tribes
is the policy adopted by the Reagan
Administration.
In a question and answer period following this
speech. Smith was asked to explain the effects of
the BIA reorganization will have on forestry
programs. Smith said there will be six regional
offices. He said that the forestry techinical
assistance office will be located in Portland
, because 70% of the tribes that have forestry
resources are within the Portland Area Office
jurisdiction. “Portland will be the center to
provide technical assistance throughout the
country.”
National Congress of American Indians
president Joe DeLaCruz, of Quinalt, also
addressed problems presently plaguing tribes. It
was his feeling that Indian tribes have fallen bv
the wayside in the budget process. He stated that
“it’s important for Indians to plan for the future.
There are threats to our resources everywhere, in
boards of directors, Congress, the present
administration. Also, recognize the power of
your tribal resources. Invent innovative
approaches to overcome barriers and assume a
more prominent place in the political system.
Get out from under BIA and make your own
decisions.”
D eLaC ruz concluded, “ P erhaps w hat
happens here will mark a new awareness for
sophistication.”
On the second day of the symposium, six
organizations presented programs on their
present forestry and business practices. Warm
Springs timber committee chairman Allison
David gave a slide presentation which showed
different logging operations. on the Warm
Springs reservation. The show also included the
BIA forestry procedures, with slides showing the
forestry warehouse and reforestation practices.
Following the presentations, the group broke
into a “role playing” session, entitled “What’s the
Story?” There were three tribes, the “FIA,” a
bank, a logging company and a radio station.
Those particip atin g dealt with budget
ap p ro p ria tio n s and oversight processes.
Though the process was fun for alL serious
undertones were brought out, such as low
employment rates of tribal members, lack of
communications between tribes and the bureau,
dependency on the federal government and the
bureau’s somewhat less-than-sensitive way in
handling tribal timber resources.
Separate workshops were held to discuss the
costs and benefits of forestry investments, the
analysis of the forestry budget and to discuss the
trust responsibility—-a tribal perspective. Two of
the workshops were summarized, the trust
responsibility was not, due to its confusing
nature.
1. A standard Bureauwide approach to similar forestry programs in the U.S. Forest
forestry investment analysis should be Service, the BLM and private industry in spite of
developed that includes specific guidance for a) recent add-ons. The bureau presently appears to
add-on selecting the appropriate discount rate, make more efficient uses of their forestry funds
b) estimating future prices and costs, and c) than of the other main land management
dealing with non-timber costs and benefits.
agencies.
2. The bureau should simplify forestry
5. The panel found that the continued late
investment analysis by outlying procedures to passage of the bureau’s budget by Congress has
express benefits, costsiand discount rates in real effectively reduced the period for actually
terms—that is, in terms net of inflation.
spending these funds to si^t months or less. They
3. Tradeoffs associated with management recommended the the BIA vigorously pursue the
a lte rn a tiv e s, forestry in v estm en t, and search for a system by which a certain level of
consideration of nontimber and cultural values add-on funds can be expended prior to actual
should be identified using benefit-cost analysis allotment to agencies.
6. T he panel found that outside witness
and qualitative procedures to aid in the decision
making process.
testimony by tribes is only effective in force of
4. The bureau and tribes should develop ways numbers. They recommended that the tribes,
to encourage greater tribal involvement in the Inter-Tribal council and BIA attempt to select
forest planning and management process one or two specific projects each year to support
beginning with the identification of tribal forest by outside witness testimony and Bureau budget
objectives.
initiatives.
5. Provide orientation for new agency
7. The panel recommended that travel ceilings
foresters in cultural heritage and values.
be acknowledged as unreasonable constraint on
6. Hold workshops 6n reservations for tribal managers and be abolished.
members so that BIA forestry and other
8. The panel found that the Bureau presently
branches may provide information to the does not have adequate forest marketina and
landowners. All levels of BIA forestry staff economic feasibility of timber sales. They
recommended that the Bureau make a concerted
should be encouraged to participate.
effort
to acquire this expertise and place it at the
The second workshop summarized its findings lead region
level where it can assist all tribes in
as: 1. Tribal contributions to the overall forest determining
future marketing possibilities.
management effort, through use o f the
9. The panel found duplication of work on
administration deduction from timber sales, has
amounted to more than25% of the total effort. It certain projects. They recommended that tribes
was recommended that the Bureau provide and and agencies work together to assign specific
of work to each forestry staff in order to
enforce clear and uniform administrative areas
policies and procedures to protect the integrity avoid this duplication of effort.
All recommendations will be presented to the
of administrative deductions and therefore
head
of BIA forestry George Smith for
forest management funds and assure efficiency consideration
in the 1984 budget process.
in their use.
The Intertribal Timber Council elected its
2. The panel recommended that the Bureau officers
while at the annual meeting. President is
again clearly stipulate the use to which timber
Gene
Bell,
from the Flathead reservation: vice
sale administration add-on funds and positions
may be put and enforce such stipulations. president is Mike Clements from Warm Springs;
Further, that the bureau establish a frame work treasurer is Gary Morishima from the Quinault
reservation and secretary is Steve Anderson
to assure that a complète reporting is available from
the Klinket.
be on the uses and acfcomplishments of these 1
Luncheon
speaker for the final day was
funds.
Western Timber Association vice president John
3. The panel found that no allowance for Keane of San Francisco. Keane said that the
inflation has been made over the past six years. Annual Allowable Cut procedure is from
The value of the dollars appropriated in terms of “medieval times and even when it was founded, it
what they will buy has decreased substantially. was termed as disastrous.” He continued, saying,
The panel recommended that the BIA “With pressure put on the federal government,
vigorously pursue extension of the ten-year add the Annual Allowable Cut concept could be
on to provide for completion of the forest dislodged.”
Keane suggest that tribes “investigate liquid
development program as envisioned in 1977.
Also, they recommended that the BIA make fuels that forests can produce. We will see
clear to Congress the impact which certain earthshaking development within the next six
restrictions of the government have on the months. Also, explore the potential of export of
continuity of the efforts to accomplish the task. the products your produce.”
The seventh annual Timber Symposium is
4. The panel found that funding for the tentatively scheduled to be held in Missoula,
forestry program is far behind funding for M n n t a n a A n r il IS thrnnnh 90 1 0 2 1
Workshop summaries recommended
more Tribal/BIA interaction, better ROLE PLAYING—Those who attended the Timber Symposium were subjected to role playing
during an afternoon of the meetings. Generally, BIA employees played tribal people and tribal
communications
people played BIA employees. I t was interesting, to say the least, to hear some of the comments that
evolved from the dramatization.
Recommendations from the cost and benefit
of forestry management were:
Spilyay Tymoo photos by Behrend and Miller
Kimiko Danzuka outjumps Ft. Hall opponent
Nationals challenge players
by Julie Mitchell
The Eighth annual National
Indian Activities Association
basketball tournament, held
April 20-24, in Spokane was
disappointing for some and
satisfying for others. Thirty-
two men’s and twenty-four
women’s teams participated in
or observed 104 scheduled
games. Hosting this year’s
tournament was the Colville
Confederated Tribes. Past
national tourneys have been
held in Phoenix, Arizona;
Talequah, Oklahoma and Ft.
Duschene, Utah.
The 1982 Men’s National
champions are Vermillion,
South Dakota. Past national
tournament champions include
Cherokee Renegades, and
Lakota Track Club. To date,
no team has dominated the
national championship. Cluny,,
Canada placed second and
Osage Warriors of Pawhauska,
O klahom a finished th ird ,
beating Santa Clara.
Very few good players miss
the big tournament, and this
was no exception. The tallest
player was without question,
Dave Pocknett of the Lakota
Coup Counters, at a height
beyond 6'8", give or take an
inch. An exceptional woman
player was Babe Harroway of
the Oklahoma Reds. Ms.
H a rro w a y d e m o n s tr a te d
m a tu rity and ex p erien ce
necessary to lead her team to
another NIAA championship.
The second place Seminole
teams time had come, since the
two teams battle with some
regularity in Oklahoma.
Our own Bravettes appeared
in the same bracket as such well
established teams as Seminole,
S o u th e r C a lifo rn ia , an d
Continued on page 10
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Austin Greene scores in win against Sarcee, Canada