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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2006)
6 MARCH 1,2006 Smoke Signals Local Woresttleirs E air mi M on ours, Praise ; Svi ) yr ) i , - v L-i - t . ,.,- I Top Da wg Willamina Senior Brody Collins (top) tries to roll Corbett's Jed Noles Nose Job Tribal member Brandon Linton (top) gets Clatskanie's Issac Jepson to his back at the district meet. Collins went on to place first in the 189 weight class familiar with the mat. Linton placed 6th at the state finals and his brother, Tribal member at the district tournament and finished second at the state finals a week later. Denny Linton, went on to win a State Championship at the 103 pound weight class. MM Tribes Face01dl-SftylQ BOA" By Ron Karten From Trust reform to sacred burial sites to gaming to metham phetamines on the Rez, this year's Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) winter conference, February 12 through the 15, took on the big issues. Smoke Signals here offers a look into a few of the issues discussed. "We've got to fix this broken truck," said Chief Jim Gray, Principal Chief of the Osage Nation and Chairman of the Inter-Tribal Monitoring As sociation, referring to Trust Reform. "I'm outraged by the silence by the administration on this bill." He said that the federal plan to resolve the Trust issue was "to blame the victims. We'll make Indian Coun try pay for it because it's their fault that there's a Trust Fund." "Power never responds to weak ness, only to strength," said Attorney Keith Harper with the Native Ameri can Rights Fund, "and to push for results, you have to fight for it. We cannot prevail on an issue this big without being unified." He said that the government plan was to take "funds for one settle ment out of money set aside for other Tribes. It's a divide and conquer strategy. When it comes to Iraq and Katrina, the money comes out of other funds. For this, it comes out of our own funds. And, they're going to charge Indians fees to mismanage our own money. All of their proposals are hostile. Retaliation is what it is. Old style BIA is what it is." "We are trying to do a better job of partnering with Indian Country," said James E. Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary in the federal Interior Depart ment, covering Indian affairs. "One of the things that needs more attention is prioritizing the things we need to do." On an unrelated issue, he said that federal Indian schools are "institutionalizing failure." On Indian gaming, a section of the conference focused on Senate Bill 2078, an amendment to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act introduced by Senator John McCain (R -Arizona). For gaming Tribes, the proposed leg islation raises a number of important issues, according to Mark Van Norman, Executive Director of the National In dian Gaming Association (NIGA). First, it would give the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) authority over Class III games (table games and slot machines). Currently, the Commission has authority over Class II games (bingo and poker). "The amendments will be a nega tive impact to this Tribe," said .JIM. Chairman ALMS Third Vice President Lloyd Irvine (SalishKootenai) served as the Chairman of the A.T.N.I. Winter Conference held at the Embassy Suites Hotel Portland Airport from February 13-16. the Grand Ronde Tribe's Gaming Executive Director Lynn Hillman. "We currently have sufficient regu latory oversight by the state per the Tribe's state compact to regulate Class III gaming. We don't need another layer." Second, the legislation grants the NIGC Chairman authority to ap prove many more contracts, some that today the Tribes have authority to approve. "We think the authority should be with the Tribes," said Van Norman. "Currently NIGC must approve all management contracts. Now they get to see them all. It will not negatively impact us," said Hillman. "It's a workload issue for NIGC." And third, the legislation tightens restrictions on off-reservation gam ing. "It cuts off exceptions," said Van Norman, requiring Congress to pass a separate law to approve each off reservation Indian gaming facility. "We think that's a bad approach," said Van Norman. Testimony that Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Ken nedy was to give before Congress on the McCain bill includes the fol lowing: "Since 1996, Grand Ronde has opposed efforts by Tribes to have land taken into trust for gam ing outside original reservation boundaries or not adjacent to a current reservation. Grand Ronde's opposition to off-reservation gaming stems from our concern that off-reservation casinos (1) weaken public and government support for Indian gaming, (2) undermine the purpose of IGRA to promote development of strong reservation economies through on-reservation casinos, and (3) invite disputes among Tribes when located in areas where more than one Tribe has a significant historical connection." V v.,, , " V jam. . . . . ) 1-,. Ijji "' rm?i 111 .III! -Jfc- Ty Oregon Tribal leaders met at this year's A.T.N.I. Winter Conference February 12-15 in Portland.
