News from Indian Country
Page 10 SpilyayTymoo February 19, 2004
Former congressman opposes reservation
Smith now argues that Klamath restoration plan would not be fair to U.S. taxpayers
MKDPORD (AP) - The
former U.S. congressman who
won renewed federal status for
the Klamath Tribes in southern
Oregon in the 1980s has ques
tioned the tribes' attempt to cre
ate a reservation out of national
forest land.
At issue is a proposal by the
tribes to settle their water claims
in the Klamath Basin in ex
change for the government
handing over roughly 69.0,000
"acres of the Winema and Fre
mont national forests.
' Bob Smith, a Republican who
' served 14 years in the U.S. Con
Young dancers greet those in
Longhouse on Saturday, Feb.
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During address to lawmakers
Penobscot chief
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -'
Chief Barry Dana of the
Penobscot Nation stressed a
theme of tribal sovereignty in
his State of the Tribes address
to the Maine Legislature on
' Tuesday, while making only pass
' ing reference to the Indians'
failed casino proposal.
In his speech to a joint
House-Senate convention,
Dana said he foresees a time
when "sovereignty is no longer
a statement to be feared."
"We at times differ on our
understanding of sovereignty. I
stand committed in working to
resolve those differences," said
Dana. "This will only work if
both governments are open,
trusting and able to let go of old
mindsets."
Dana also said the tribes and
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gress and left office in 1992,
helped the tribes win federal
recognition in 1986.
But he argued at the time that
restoring a reservation was not
historically justified because the
government had already com
pensated tribal members when
their land was taken away in
1954, during termination.
"I didn't think that would be
fair to taxpayers," to return to
tribes land already paid for, he
said in an interview with the
Klamath Falls I Ierald & News.
Smith said the federal gov
ernment shouldn't give the land
Dave McMechanSpilyay
attendance at the Lincoln's Birthday Powwow, at the Simnasho
1 4.
state government should work
collaboratively to address issues
such as housing and the envi
ronment facing the Indians and
their non-Indian neighbors.
"All of us, native and nonna
tive alike, are on a shared jour
ney," Dana told lawmakers.
In a reference to last fall's
Indian casino referendum cam
paign, Dana said he learned a
lot about Maine people and their
needs as he traveled across the
state campaigning for the resort
casino plan.
"Mainers are proud and are
hard workers and they need
jobs," Dana said, adding, "There
are indeed two Maines."
The Penobscot and
Passamaquoddy tribes' proposal
to operate a $650 million casino
in southern Maine, which sup
back unless it gets something in
return.
"To me, the issue hasn't
changed," since the 1980s, he
said.
Chuck Kimbol, tribal chair
man during the restoration ne
gotiations, said Smith backed
away from putting language
about land in the bill because he
didn't want to face any contro
versy. "1 le was all right with (resto
ration) as long as we didn't men
tion land," he said.
But, Kimbol said, the bill did
have the potential for a reser
porters said would have created
thousands of jobs, was rejected
overwhelmingly by voters in
November.
Despite the losing campaign,
Dana said "there were things we
achieved. With integrity, we edu
cated this state as to who we
are."
"I still feel compelled to cre
ate economic opportunities for
our nation and the non-natives
in our surrounding communi
ties," he told lawmakers.
Dana said some of the
Penobscots' successful efforts
include providing housing and
loans to tribal members for
homes, preserving tribal culture,
fighting illegal drug use on the
reservation and improving
health care. But he said more
needs to be done in some of
vation because it called for an
"economic self-sufficiency"
plan.
That plan was completed in
2000, and the Tribes included
the re-establishment of a reser
vation as a requirement of eco
nomic independence.
The Tribes' original reserva
tion was abolished by the U.S.
Congress in 1954 under a policy
that encouraged the assimilation
of American Indians. Tribal
members had two choices: Take
a payment as their share of the
reservation or become "remain
ing members," with their shares
Development pending
Nez Perce challenge
county commission
PORTLAND (AP) - Com
missioners in northeastern
Oregon's Wallowa County on
Thursday approved plans foi an
upscale subdivision near the
grave of Old Chief Joseph, land
considered culturally significant
to the Nez Perce Indians, who
have lived in the area since time
immemorial..
The Nez Perce and two other
Northwest tribes had challenged
the plans for 11 homes on 62
acres near the grave on a site
that is also a trailhead of the
Nez Perce Historic Trail.
Chief Joseph, the son of old
Chief Joseph, followed the trail
in 1877 in a running a 1, 500
mile fighting retreat from the
U.S. Calvary that ended with his
surrender near the Canadian
border and exile of his band
from the Wallowa Valley.
In a heartbreaking surrender
speech to U.S. Gen. Oliver O.
Howard at the other end of the
trail, Chief Joseph said: "I am
tired. My heart is sick and sad.
From where the sun now stands,
I will fight no more forever."
Tribes had linked the grave
of Chief Joseph's father and the
area of planned development
with this tragic chapter in their
history, and said they hoped the
land would be made into a park
sovereignty
those areas, as well as providing
"meaningful employment" for
members.
The Penobscot leader did not
mention the latest proposal by
the Passamaquoddy Tribe and
Penobscot Nation to allow them
to compete for a license to op
erate slot machines at a Bangor
harness racing track.
if j ' l
10,000 sq. feet
of great
treasures,
new ana oia,
with new
items arriving
weekly
Dealer spaces
available for
antiques
and collectibles
Mattress sets, new and used.
held in trust by US. Bank.
Several years later, members
who voted to withdraw from the
tribes were paid by the govern
ment for their shares of the res
ervation. In the 1970s, the trust
was dissolved, and those who
voted to be remaining members
got payments.
Allen Foreman, current tribal
chairman, argues tribal members
were forced to take payments
that were too low and com
pletely ignored the value of tim
ber on the reservation.
Information from: The Kla
math Falls Herald & News.
or a preserve.
They had also objected that
the property, on a grassy ridge
at the foot of picturesque
Wallowa Lake, held archaeologi
cal sites and possibly American
Indian graves. Nez Perce tribal
members once camped on the
land and fished sockeye salmon
from the lake and hunted in the
Wallowa Mountains.
"We are extremely disap
pointed with the county's deci
sion," Anthony D. Johnson,
chairman of the Nez Perce
tribe, said in a statement. "This
decision ignores...the enormous
public interest in protecting the
site."
The Nez Perce tribe said
Thursday it would appeal to the
Oregon Land Use Board of
Appeals within 21 days.
Commissioners approved the
subdivision with modifications.
The developer, K&B Limited
Family Partnership, will be re
quired to conduct another ar
cheological survey before build
ing, said Commissioner Ben
Boswell. Two previous surveys
on the land found chips from
tool making but no clear evi
dence of graves or village sites.
Black Eagle drummers
capture Grammy Award
A Jemez Pueblo drum group,
Black Eagle, has won the
Grammy Award for best Native
American music album.
Black Eagle's album "Fly
ing Free" received the award
during Sunday's ceremony in
Los Angeles. It beat out more
than 100 original submissions.
The group has 20 members
and focuses on northern-style
powwow music.
The album's producer, Tom
Bee of SOAR studio in Albu
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Plans made
for tribal
justice center
in Idaho
FORT 1 1 ALL, Idaho (AP) -Shoshone-Bannock
Tribal De
velopment officials will choose
a firm soon to develop archi
tectural plans for a Tribal Jus
tice Center on the Fort 1 Iall In
dian Reservation.
Tribal officials have planned
the center for years. It was re
quested by the Bureau of In
dian Affairs during a recent law
enforcement review, and it will
serve the Tribes court system,
law enforcement and jail under
one roof, tribal planner Jon
Norstag said.
The Justice Center will have
two additional courtrooms, and
will house all court documents.
Currendy, documents are stored
in several buildings throughout
the town.
Law enforcement offices
would be in the building, and
there would be rooms for con
fidential discussions between
defendants and their advocates.
The facility also would hold
a new jail. The present jail, about
30 years old, is in need of re
pair, according to BIA officials.
Tribal government officials,
law enforcement and court em
ployees will study dozens of
proposals, and should choose a
firm by March, Norstag said.
The hiring process will conform
to Indian-preference rules es
tablished by the Tribal Employ
ment Rights Ordinance,
Norstag said.
The project is expected to
cost up to $12 million. The tribe
has saved $4 million, and Con
gress granted $250,000 for de
sign and planning. Officials are
working with Idahos congres
sional delegation to secure
supplemental funding for the
project.
"The whole region would
benefit from stable law enforce
ment in Fort Hall," Norstag
said.
querque, said the group, which
was nominated for a Grammy
in 2002 but did not win, clearly
earned the honor.
"I'm very happy for them,"
said Bee. "They're a very
hardworking group, which will
represent not just Jemez but all
New Mexico pueblos in grand
style."
Bee said the Grammy prob
ably will be displayed at
Walatowa Visitor Center in
Jemez Pueblo.
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