admin, Author at Tulalip News

Bison bill draws support from ranchers, opposition from tribes

Posted: Feb 1, 2013 10:20 AM by Marnee Banks – MTN News

HELENA – The Montana Senate Fish and Game committee is considering a comprehensive bison management bill.

Senator John Brenden’s (R-Scobey) Senate Bill 143 would establish a year round bison hunting season and prohibit any translocation of the species. He says he is bringing his bill in response to farmers and ranchers.

Bill Hoppe is an outfitter and rancher in Gardiner who says the bison come out of Yellowstone National Park and cause havoc on private land.

“Bison are very destructive, Hoppe testified. “While on our land they destroy trees, shrubbery, landscaping, then tear down huge amounts of fence.”

American Indian tribes testified against the bill, saying the bison is a spiritual animal and if the Legislature passes the bill it could face litigation.

Other opponents to the bill are calling it “radical” and say the bison should not be managed as a pest but instead as wildlife.

Greater Yellowstone Coalition Executive Director Mike Clark said there are three main reasons he opposes the bill.

“First it will completely disrupt the relationship between the federal government, the state and the tribe. Secondly, it will polarize people throughout this country over how the bison will be slaughtered. Thirdly, it will prevent the movement of healthy bison to the tribes,” Clark said.

The Senate Fish and Game committee will vote on the bill at a later date.

Source:

http://www.kxlf.com/news/bison-bill-draws-support-from-ranchers-opposition-from-tribes/

Express yourself at open mic night

Every second Friday of the month, the Northwest Indian College Tulalip site invites community members to take part in an open mic night. It’s an evening of creative poets, singers, and comedians sharing their talents and thoughts. Join in on the fun and express yourself on the mic or just enjoy the show.

The next open mic night will feature the theme “Survivors of Violence” and will take place at the Tulalip Tribes Administration Building, Room 162, on Friday, February 8^th from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The Tulalip Tribes Administration Building is located on 6406 Marine Drive, Tulalip, WA 98271. For more information on NWIC and open mic night, visit http://www.nwic.edu/

Beaded Indian vest donated to Goodwill is a treasure

Published January 30, 2013 at 8:25 PM

By Lynda V. Mapes

Seattle Times staff reporter

A Native American vest donated to Goodwill was passed on by sharp-eyed staff to Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, where it is now in the museum’s permanent collection.

You just never know what you might find at your local Goodwill store: something old, something new — and sometimes, treasures worthy of a museum collection.

So it was with a beaded American Indian vest dropped off at the Dearborn Goodwill at South Lane Street in Seattle. Sharp-eyed staff thought it might be something special, and an independent appraiser estimated its value for Goodwill at $5,000.

Now the early 20th-century Plains Indian-style beaded vest has just been accepted by Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture for its permanent collection.

“It is just gorgeous and we are thrilled to have it,” said Julie Stein, director of the museum.

Goodwill donated the vest to the museum so that it could benefit the entire community, said Katherine Boury, communications manager for Seattle Goodwill.

Usually, items are sold by Goodwill through its stores, or to other users with the proceeds used to run its free job-training and education programs. The nonprofit will take just about anything, for which it will find a recycler or buyer, Boury said. But sometimes, only a museum will do.

The vest was dropped off in a trunk back in 2006, and Goodwill has been working all that time to find out what it was, and what the best disposition for the item would be, Boury said. The Burke, with its Native American collection, made sense, Boury said.

The front of the vest is delicately beaded with Italian glass beads sewn onto hide. It is lined with cotton, and has a buckle cinch decorating its black velvet back. Seams give it a perfect drape and its colors, including a rosy pink, are rare, said Justin McCarthy, Burke ethnologist. Beads accenting the shoulders have a white core covered with red glass, giving them a special glow.

The vest, probably of Flathead, Gros Ventre, Kalispell or Fort Belknap origin, is an adult man’s garment that might have been made to sell, or been reserved for use on special occasions, said Katie Bunn-Marcuse, director of the Bill Holm center at the Burke.

Think you might be sitting on something special that you would like identified? The museum’s annual artifact day is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Items of all types, from fossils to carvings, will be evaluated for free by Burke staff. Come early, the line of curious collectors often forms all the way down the sidewalk.

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020251057_vestdonatedxml.html?cmpid=2628

New case of measles confirmed in Issaquah

By KING 5 News

KING5.com

Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45 PM

There’s a health warning for anyone with ties to Tiger Mountain Community High School in Issaquah.

A staff member at the school has the measles, and people who were on campus between Jan. 23 and 25 may be at risk if they’re not already immune.

The patient also visited a QFC grocery store in Issaquah on Klahanie Drive and a Starbucks nearby on the following dates:

QFC-4570 Klahanie Dr S, Issaquah

January 23rd between 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
January 24th between 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
January 25th between 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
January 29th between 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Starbucks-4566 Klahanie Dr SE, Issaquah

January 26th between 9:00am -11:30 am

If you visited the businesses during these periods you’re asked to keep an eye out for symptoms, including include a rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes.

Source;

http://www.king5.com/news/New-case-of-measles-confirmed-in-Issaquah-189135161.html

Spokane commissioners oppose tribal project

Originally published Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 11:58 AM

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS

Associated Press

Spokane County commissioners, freed from an agreement that previously prevented them from commenting, have passed a resolution opposing the Spokane Tribe’s plan to build a big casino complex at Airway Heights, near Fairchild Air Force Base.

SPOKANE, Wash. —

Spokane County commissioners, freed from an agreement that previously prevented them from commenting, have passed a resolution opposing the Spokane Tribe’s plan to build a big casino complex at Airway Heights, near Fairchild Air Force Base.

The commissioners on Tuesday afternoon voted unanimously to oppose the project in large part because they fear it could imperil the future of the base, which is Spokane County’s largest employer.

“We are literally being asked to gamble the 5,000 current jobs provided by Fairchild on a project that may provide significantly fewer than that,” Commissioner Todd Mielke said in a news release. “If we guess wrong, it will take decades for this community to recover.”

Air Force base officials have not taken a position on the casino, which would be about a mile from the base.

Leaders of the Spokane Tribe didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

The Spokane Tribe is seeking rare federal approval to build the casino in the city of Airway Heights, miles from the boundaries of its reservation. A decision is expected in the next 45 days.

The project is opposed by the Kalispel Tribe, which already has a large and successful casino in Airway Heights.

In 2010, the city of Airway Heights reached an agreement with Spokane County commissioners in which the commissioners would remain silent on the proposed casino in exchange for payments to the county of $120,000 a year from casino revenues to deal with impacts. But the two county commissioners who supported that deal have since left, and the new commissioners threatened to sue if the agreement was not torn up.

The city of Airway Heights released the county from the agreement last week, and county commissioners wasted little time in voicing their opposition. The commissioners’ position will be sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the state of Washington, which all must approve any proposal for off-reservation gambling by the Spokane Tribe.

Casino supporters say the project will provide revenues to lift many members of the Spokane Tribe out of poverty, and provide some 1,200 jobs in the region.

But opponents, including many Spokane area political and business leaders, worry the proposed casino is too close to the base and may prompt the Air Force to restrict operations or even close the base in the future because of encroachment issues.

Airway Heights continues to support the casino project.

Source:

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020246091_apwaspokanetribalproject1stldwritethru.html

Tribal Nations Set to Gain Authority to Make Disaster Declarations Directly to U.S. President

Stafford Act passes Senate on 62 – 36 vote – Headed to President Obama’s Desk for Signature

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

Embassy of Tribal Nations
1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 466-7767

Jan 29, 2013

Washington, DC – Tribal nations will soon have the same ability provided to states to make disaster relief declarations and requests for assistance directly to the President of the United States. In a 62-36 vote on Monday night, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 152, the Hurricane Sandy Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, which includes amendments to allow tribal governments to make direct requests for emergency assistance to the President under the Stafford Act. Under current law, tribes must seek assistance through a state governor’s office, often causing critical delays in emergency response on tribal lands. The legislation, which also includes $50 billion in Hurricane Sandy relief funding, passed 241-180 in the House of Representatives two weeks ago and now goes to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law.

“Some tribal nations in the U.S., many in remote areas, are larger than some states and every tribal nation has unique disaster response and recovery requests. The final passage of this bill marks a historic moment in tribal emergency preparedness and response. Our nations, devastated too often by natural disasters with disproportionate impacts, will be more capable to respond immediately to major disasters, and the bipartisan support for this legislation should not go unnoticed,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI. Keel is also the Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.

NCAI further acknowledges that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) made the tribal amendments to the Stafford Act its sole legislative priority under Administrator Craig Fugate’s direction. The need for this critical policy change has been called for repeatedly in FEMA tribal consultations and meetings with tribal leaders during NCAI conventions.

“State and tribal governments will now be able to access disaster assistance as needed to aid the people, local communities, and regions in recovering quickly from catastrophic situations. NCAI looks forward to the signature of this landmark legislation by President Obama. NCAI is prepared to work with FEMA to ensure its implementation contains fair and inclusive eligibility criteria and will benefit the maximum number of tribal communities,” concluded Robert Holden, NCAI’s Deputy Director and longtime coordinator of emergency management policy and response efforts at NCAI.

Kids learn to think healthy and stay active

By Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News Staff

TULALIP, Wash – Healthy Lungs, Healthy Lifestyle is the name of the new after school program offered through Tulalip Tribes Youth Services Smoking Cessation. This program educates elementary kids, aged 1^st – 5^th about the harmful side effects of tobacco use, while encouraging them to live a healthy by staying active.

This new program begins February 4^th, and is packed with fun activities that take place every Monday from 3:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Wednesday from 1:05 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., and Friday from 3:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Youth Services staff will have exciting activities like karate, Zumba, gymnastics, and cross fit for the kids to enjoy while learning why smoking is not good for their overall health.

To enroll your child in this educational and fun program by January 31^st or for more information on the program, pleases contact, Rachel Steeve, Youth Services Smoking Cessation Specialist, at 360-716-4936 and rsteeve@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

Jeannie Briones : 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Urge your Senators to co-sponsor VAWA!

On January 22, 2013, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Michael Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The legislation closely mirrors their bipartisan bill that passed the Senate with a significant (68-31) margin last spring.

Thanks to the hard work of advocates across the country, the Senate’s VAWA bill (S. 47) already has 49 additional co-sponsors. Our goal is to get 60 co-sponsors by January 31^st so that VAWA can move to the Senate floor for a bipartisan victory – and we need your help! If your Senator has not yet signed on to VAWA, call them now and urge them to join as a co-sponsor. If they are already a co-sponsor, call to say thanks. You can access an updated list of S. 47’s current co-sponsors here.

Action Item:

Call the Capitol switchboard at 888.269.5702 and ask the operator to connect you to your Senators. If you don’t know who your Senators are, you can look them up here. When you’re connected to their offices, tell the person who answers the phone:

1) I am a constituent from (city and state) and my name is _________.

2) I urge Senator____ to co-sponsor the S. 47, a strong, bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

3) Thank you and I look forward to hearing that the Senator is a co-sponsor.

Background on VAWA:

The Senate could vote on VAWA as early as next week. When that happens, we want to ensure that the bill has the broad, bipartisan support it needs to pass swiftly.

VAWA is the cornerstone of our nation’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, and because of VAWA, millions of victims have received lifesaving services and support. Despite VAWA’s proven ability to substantially improve lives, it has not reached all victims. VAWA’s reauthorization provides an opportunity to build upon the successes of the current law by including key improvements to protect and provide safety and access to justice for Native American, immigrant, and LGBT victims, as well as victims on college campuses and in communities of color. Additionally, a reauthorized VAWA must include strengthened housing protections that provide emergency housing transfer options for survivors, as well as implementation of transparent and effective accountability measures that support and strengthen, rather than endanger, those programs that assist victims.

EPA details results of $100M Federal Effort to clean up Navajo uranium contamination

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Jan 24 that they had made significant progress on a coordinated five-year plan to address health risks posed by uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation. The plan is an invested $100 million.

Their efforts have reduced the most urgent risks to Navajo residents by remedying 34 contaminated homes, providing safe drinking water to 1825 families, and performing stabilization or cleanup work at 9 abandoned mines. Additionally, the EPA has useed the Superfund law to compel the responsible parties to make additional mine investigations and cleanups amounting to $17 million.

“This effort has been a great start to addressing the toxic legacy of uranium mining on Navajo lands,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “The work done to date would not have been possible without the partnership of the six federal agencies and the Navajo Nation’s EPA and Department of Justice.”

The Navajo Nation encompasses more than 27,000 square miles in the Four Corners area of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The unique geology of the region makes the Navajo Nation rich in uranium, a radioactive ore in high demand after the development of atomic power and weapons at the close of World War II. Approximately four million tons of uranium ore were extracted during mining operations within the Navajo Nation from 1944 to 1986. Many Navajo people worked the mines, often raising their families in close proximity to the mines and mills.

“On behalf of the Navajo people I appreciate the leadership of Rep. Henry Waxman and the members of Congress who requested a multi-agency response to the Navajo Nation’s testimony presented at the October 2007 hearing,” said Ben Shelly, President of the Navajo Nation. “While there have been accomplishments that improved some conditions, we still need strong support from the Congress and the federal agencies to fund the clean-up of contaminated lands and water, and to address basic public health concerns due to the legacy of uranium mining and milling.”

Uranium mining activities no longer occur within the Navajo Nation, but the hazards of uranium contamination remain. More than 500 abandoned uranium mine claims and thousands of mine features, such as pits, trenches and holes, with elevated levels of uranium, radium and other radionuclides still exist. Health effects from exposure to these contaminants can include lung cancer, bone cancer and impaired kidney function.

The progress is from cooperation with the Navajo Nation, together with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Read the full report here

http://www.epa.gov/region9/superfund/navajo-nation/pdf/NavajoUraniumReport2013.pdf

Vote for Adiya as player of the week

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

Adiya Jones-Smith2 — Photo courtesy of Brandi Montreuil

TULALIP, Wash.-

Your support is asked for Adiya Jones-Smith on the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks team. Adiya has been nominated for the Everett Herald Player of the week. The voting is open until 9pm tonight. Please cast your vote on the Herald’s website.

Vote here

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130128/BLOG18/701299997/-1/blog18#Vote-for-Girls-Basketball-Player-of-the-Week-%7C-Jan.-21-27