Spilyay tymoo., August 25, 1982, Page 5, Image 5

Spllyay Tymoo
August 25, 1982 Page 5
Stronger federal role in Indian education
proposed closure of BI A off-
reservation boarding schools,
“Indian education is not a and the proposed transfer of
trust responsibility which the Title IV Indian Education Act
federal government owes to programs from the Depart­
In d ian trib es and th eir ment of Education to the
members.” With words to this Bureau of Indian Affairs. To
effect earlier th is year, meet these issues head-on and
Assistant Secretary of Interior to analyze their implications at
for Indian Affairs Ken Smith Warm Springs, the standing
a n n o u n c e d th e R e a g a n commitee spent several months
administration’s position on c o n d u c t in g b a c k g r o u n d
the United States’ obligation to research and d ev e lo p in g
provide education services to position papers for the Tribal
Indians. Since then, the Council. In late April, the
statement has generated strong Tribal Council reviewed the
opposition from Indian tribes standing committee’s work and
throughout the United States a d o p ted th e c o m m itte e ’s
a n d fr o m m e m b e r s o f p o s it io n s o n th e th e s e
education issues. In doing so,
Congress.
J The Confederated Tribes, the Council also authorized the
with, support from its Standing committee to continue its
C om m ittee on E ducation efforts by in form ing the
Issues, has been instrumental in C ongress and appropriate
refuting the administration’s federal officials, as well as other
position and in urging the Indian tribes, o f these tribal
federal government to both positions.
On May I8, the Confede­
maintain and improve its
Indian education assistance. rated Tribes were represented
According to Rudy Clements, at a hearing before the U.S.
chairman o f the standing Senate Select Committee on
committee. “The battle is by no Indian A ffairs by Rudy
means won yet, but we are Clements, Zane Jackson, and
beginning to see positive signs N elson Wallulatum. These
that the federal government is tribal delegates were the first
rethinking its position and is witnesses to testify at the Select
recognizing the important role C o m m i t t e e ’s o v e r s i g h t
which it must carry out in hearings on Indian education,
and they were joined by
Indian education.”
In late February, Clements representatives from the all-
led a tribal delegation that Indian Pueblo Council and the
included Tribal Council vice- Papago Tribe on the panel.
chairm an Z an e J a ck so n , Throughout its two days of
C ouncil members N elson hearings, the Senate Commit­
W a ll u la t u m a n d M ik e tee heard virtually unanimous
Clements, education director tribal endorsements o f the
Jody Calica, . and education . Warm Springs’ positions. In his
co m m ittee ch airm an S a l testimony, Clements set out the
Sahme to Washington, D.C. following tribal positions:
1. The federal government’s
The delegation met with key
federal officials to learn what trust responsibilities include
changes were under way in the. obligation to provide our
T r ib e s w it h s u f f i c i e n t
fed eral In d ian ed u ca tio n
policies and programs. Based educational opportunities to
on these discussions, the assure our existence as a
standing committee identified distinct and autonomous tribal
sev era l sig n ific a n t issu es community forever.
2. The Congress should halt
affecting Indian education
the BIA’s plans to reorganize
nationally and locally.
Indian education responsibili­
A c c o r d in g to R u d y
Clements, these issues include ties until such time as the BI A
the federal trust responsibility gives Indian tribal government
for Indian education, the and communities a meaningful
effects of proposed federal opportunity to review and
budget cutbacks and staff comment on the proposed
reorganizations in Indian actions.
3. The Congress should
ed u ca tio n p rogram s, the
by Bruce Bishop
require that the BLA justify its
b u d g e t r e d u c tio n i and
reorganization recommenda­
tio n s by sp ecify in g the
administrative and program­
matic effects of such changes
on tribal governments and
Indian statements.
4. Until such time as a
com prehensive study and
analysis o f the proposal to
transfer Title IV to the BI A has
occured within the B1A and the
Department of Education and
with tribal and congressional
consultation, the Office o f
Indian E ducation should
remain in the Department o f
Education.
5. The Bureau o f Indian
Affairs should abandon its plan
to close boarding schools until
further study o f the matter has.
been made and specific plans
have been developed to assure
adequate educational oppor­
tunities for the students
displaced by such closures.
A ccording to C lem ents,
th e se s ta te m e n ts w ere
supported in detail in the over
60 pages of positions papers
developed by the standing
committee. Copies o f these
p ap ers are a v a ila b le to
interested tribal members from
Clements' or from education
director Calica.
T h e d e le g a t io n a ls o
presented these positions to
members o f the Oregon
congressional delegation,. to
s t a f f o f th e H o u se o f
R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s , and to
officials of the BI A and the
Department of Education.
These education positions
were also presented at the Mid­
year Conference of the NCAI
in San Diego. According to
Funds to be distributed
Washington— The Senate
Thursday passed the bill for the
d is t r ib u t io n o f s e v e r a l
judgem ent funds totallin g
$ 1 2 ,6 2 3 ,3 0 7 , w hich were
awarded the Blackfeet tribe
and the Gros Ventre and
Assiniboine tribes of the Fort
Belknap community.
T h e ju d g e m e n ts w ere
awarded in 1980 by the U.S.
Court of Claims and were the
result of claims against the
A house wife telling her husband that she was thinking of writing a federal government, including
cook book. “Good, sounds like a great idea!” Wife, “you mean the taking of Indian land and
you d o n ’t object?” H usband, “ why should 1 suffer the mismanagement of Indian
monies.
alone." YIKES
The Congress appropriated
the funds in 1981 but they have
SS SS SS
Toe Ness
There was this little boy who came home one day and asked his
parents, “Why is it that I’m the only kid on the block that has the
same mother and father that I started out with. . .?” YIKES
SS SS SS
There were these two guys sitting in the bar and drinking, telling
each other their problems. One said, “You know my wife really
doesn’t appreciate me, does yours?” His friend said, “I don’t
know, she never does mention your name.” YIKES
remained in the U.S. Treasury numbering less than 100 should
drawing iterest until the be included, which still would
distribution agreement was protect the tribe's identity and
right to manage the 20 percent
reached.
The distribution plan was of the funds that will be
delayed several months due to invested by the tribe.
As passed, the bill makes it
disagreement among the Gros
Ventre over who was eligible to clear that nothing in the
share in the Gros Ventre legislation increases, dimi­
nishes or in any way affects the
portion of the award.
“After consulting extensively right of the Gros Ventre tribe
with the Gros Ventre and their to determine its membership,
attorneys, 1 believe we have Melcher said.
The bill, now goes to the
arrived at a distribution
formula which is fair and House for action. Of the total
equitable,” Melcher said. “I funds, $400,000 goes to the
became convinced that a small Blackfeet, $2,170,013 to the
percentage of Gros Ventre Assiniboine and the remainder
to the Gros Ventre.
SUBSCRIPTION TO SPILYAY TYMOO
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CONFUCIUS SAY: “Girl who wear dress that show everything
should be sure she have something to show!” YIKES
Clements, this Warm Springs that looks at—five years, 10
effort was rewarded by the years, 20 years—down the
conference’s adoption of a road. Right now we don't know
where we want to be in
strong resolution recognizing
that education is a federal trust education in the future and I
think we ought to. I know it’s
responsibility which is owed to
not an easy job, so we will have
In d ian trib es, and th eir
to do it together.”
members.
Clements said that the
Among the positive signs the
standing committee supports
standing committee has seen in
the need for an education
th e fed era l g o v ern m en t’s
advisory council within the
analysis of its obligation to
BIA which will allow tribal
provide education services to
governments to take an active
Indians, Clements said, are
recent statements by Ken
role in shaping federal policies.
Smith. At the Mid-year NCAI
Clements said that Warm
conference, for example. Smith Springs should take an active
told the delegates:
,role in helping the BIA to
“Let me assure you that I organize such an advisory
forum.
strongly believe because ot tbe
Although he believes that a
p o litical relation sh ip —th e
government-to government re­ strong foundation has been
laid, Clements said that much
lationship that the Federal
government has a responsibi­
work remains to be done in
lity to provide education
monitoring federal education
programs for Indian students.
policies and in translating these
Because I do not choose to
policies into effective programs
include it in my definition o f and services to Indian students.
trust responsibilities does not
A ccord in g to C lem en ts:
mean—and 1 emphasize—does “The federal government has a
not mean that I consider it any
u n iq u e resp o n sib ility to
less important. I firmly believe
provide education assistanceto
that the Federal government our Tribes and members. While
.has a leg a l and m oral we ca n n o t let th o se in
responsibility to assure that Washington, D.C. ignore this
education services are properly responsibility, neither can we
provided to Indian people...!
ignore what is happening closer
do not mean for any of my to" home in Oregon and in
actions to give anyone the Jefferson County. Somehow,
impression that I will give up. we must find a way to better use
that responsibility.”
the federal, state, and local
In addition, Clements said,
education resources available
the standing committee is
to us and to make sure that all
e n c o u r a g e d by S m i t h ’s these programs satisfy our
suggestion that he intends to
community's education needs
e s t a b lis h an E d u c a tio n
and goals.”
Advisory Council in the BIA.
Bruce Bishop was a policy
As he told the NCAI consultant to the standing
conference:
committee and assisted the
“We need a long term plan comm ittee in drafting the
preceding statement.
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A guy asked his friend, “I wonder how come my wife always
remembers our anniversay and I don’t?” His friend said, “D o you
remember when you caught your first largest fish?” “Naturally,”
the first guy said. The other guy, “D o you think the fish
remembers.?” YIKES
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Ail Warm Springs tribal members will receive the Spllyay Tymoo at no
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of Warm Springs.
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