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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1996)
2 1 rti -s .. I July 1, 1996 W 6ttMH I SMOKE SIGNALS Clayton Lonetree, Ada Deer speak at NAJA conference By Tracy Dugan Have you ever done anything you regret all in the name of love? Most people, when asked this question, would answer affirma tively. There are few of us who can't recall a time in our lives when we were young and in love, and made an embarrassing er ror in judgement which now gives us cause to wince at the recollection. But some mis takes are more serious than others. That's what the attendees of the Native American Journalist's Association (NAJA) conference learned about Clayton Lonetree. Lonetree, (Ho-ChunkNavajo) was a speaker at the conference along with Ada Deer, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, and actorcomedian Gary Farmer. The Smoke Signals staff attended the con ference, held in Bangor, Maine, which cov ered a myriad of current issues pertaining to Native American journalists, including environmental protection, discrimination in the media, Indian gaming, federal recogni tion, and freedom of religion. But certainly the most interesting and eagerly-awaited session was "A Warrior Returns: Clayton Lonetree Tells his Story." Lonetree, 25, an ex-Marine convicted of espionage, spoke before a large audience for the first time since recently being re leased from a federal military prison. He was con victed in 1987 ofspyingforthe Soviet Union while he was serving as a guard outside the U.S. Em bassy in Mos cow. While stationed in Moscow, Lonetree fell in love with a Ukrainian interpreter who allegedly persuaded him to sell military se crets to the Soviet government. In March of 1986, Lonetree was transferred from Moscow to Vienna and gave himself up in December of that year. He was court martialed on 13 formal charges of espio nage. The charges included: unauthorized contact with foreign nationals; conspiring i - - .wHSr Clayton Lonetree with Soviet intelligence in Moscow and Vienna; knowingly endangering U.S. secu rity interests; disclosing the identities of U.S. intelligence agents; and handing over to the Soviets blueprints of the floor plans of the Moscow and Vienna embassies. Lonetree was paroled after serving eight years in prison. During his speech he said he does not view himself as a villain or a hero. He said his trial was a "farce, a show trial," and de clined to give many specifics of his case. Lonetree was paid $2,500 for the informa tion he gave to the Soviets, which he spent on gifts for his Ukraine love. Tribal veter ans from Maine, scheduled to appear at the Bangor Civic Center to protest on his be half, failed to show. After his speech, Lonetree told a local Bangor news reporter, "I have made some mistakes." He now plans to work as a car penter, a trade learned during his prison sen tence. The NAJA conference held other high lights. Conference attendees were invited by the local Penobscot Tribe to visit their high stakes bingo center and reservation located on Indian Island, where we were served a traditional dinner of salmon, moose, fiddleheads, corn chowder, and clams. Ada Deer spoke at a luncheon the next day. Deer's speech, which she called "Indi ans 101," was on the role and responsibil ity Native journalists should play in mak ing tribal issues a priority in the mainstream media. "Being Indian is more than just beads and braids," she said. "The mainstream press is doing a poor job of covering American Indi ans. They need more of you, many more of you. You are the voice of your tribes." Deer, a member of the Menominee Tribe, was appointed as the Assistant Sec retary of Indian Affairs by President Clinton in 1993, and is the first woman to hold the position. Other than the Penobscots, the Native American Journalist's Association confer ence hosts in Maine included the Maliseet, Micmac, and Passamaquoddy tribes, who graciously sponsored many events. Chairman's Report: Opposition to Indian Gaming in Washington D.C. By Mark Mcrcier A recent letter dated June 12, 1996, (at right) signed by three House members urging other members of Congress to support a bill they sponsored calling it the "Fair Gaming Act" which, once again, shows that there are definitely some zealous opponents to Indian gaming. This letter was distributed to the rest of Con gress on the House side. As this letter suggests, it may have been spurred by recent activity by tribes pursu ing gaming in northern California, Representative Herger's district. Although the letter is rife with de liberate inaccuracies, such as their claim that the In dian Gaming Regulatory Act exempts Indian gaming from state law, it clearly shows that some members of Congress have Indian gaming on their "hit list," so to speak. Although this bill isn't expected to go anywhere this year, it demonstrates that there are some members of Congress who will repeatedly try to do away with In dian gaming or restrict it, when Congress reconvenes in January 1997. Looks like 1997 will be an active year for tribes doing gaming. (The letter at right is a reprint of a letter sent to the colleagues of Representatives Solomon, Toricelli, and Merger in support of the Fair Indian Gaming Act.) - ' Dear Colleague: Several weeks ago the pastor of the local church in Burney, a small rural community in the Sierra Mountains of northern California, was horrified to discover that Native Ameri cans had broken ground for a new casino across the street from his meeting house. Two months earlier residents of Susanville, another small northern California community, ex pressed their outrage at a city council meeting about plans by a local Rancheria to open a casino in the middle of a residential community two blocks from an elementary school. Most recently residents of Sutter County, California have voiced their strong opposition in Sacramento and Washington to a joint venture between local Native Americans and a large casino operator out of Nevada to build a full scale Las Vegas style casino in the middle of their rice fields. Reports like these are not unique to northern California. Since enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, which effectively exempted Native American gaming from state law, the industry has ballooned into a $3.5 billion enterprise with total wagering exceeding $41 billion. Today the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere is owned and operated by a small tribe in Connecticut. Not surprisingly, the fortunes made by Native Americans in the East have caught the attention of tribes all over the country. In California and elsewhere the rush is clearly on. Small rural communities throughout the country will continue to be helplessly over ridden by this relentless surge in Indian gaming until legislators on the state and national level decide to act responsibly. We urge you to do your part by co-sponsoring H.R. 1512, the Fair Indian Gaming Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Reps. Solomon and Toricelli. H.R. 1512 in no way abrogates the right of Native Americans to use trust land for traditional legal purposes. However, it helps reinstate the right of states and localities to say "no" to casinos and other high stakes gambling establishments on Indian Lands if they so choose. It restores self-determination to small communities, like Burney and Susanville, that have seen long-established zoning laws and gaming ordinances ignored by tribal lead ers and arrogant developers. Most importantly, it preserves the rights of parents and local leaders to shape the communities in which they will raise their children and grandchildren. If you would like to become a cosponsor of H.R. 15 12 or would like more information, please contact Frank Petramale of Mr. Solomon's office at x5-5614 or Eric Shuffler of Mr. Toricelli's office at x5-5061. Sincerely, Gerald Solomon Robert Toricelli WallyHerger Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
