Native American Archives - Page 14 of 24

Communicating through melodies

Self-taught Tulalip flutist, Cary Micheal Williams finds inspiration for his melodies from birds such as the water bird, owl and eagle. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – Drummer and singer, 24 year-old Tulalip artist Cary Micheal Williams, is among a handful of Native American flute players paving the way in Tulalip for the instrument. As a self-taught flutist he is working on his first music album featuring original melodies. His overall goal is not to become commercialized, but rather to teach the craft and sacredness of the flute to the next generation.

Recently, Tulalip News/See-Yaht-Sub was able to sit down with Williams and discuss his music, teaching, and current music project.

SYS: How long have you been playing the flute?

Williams: I would say a solid seven years. I will be playing for the rest of my life, and teaching it too.

SYS: You are also a drummer so how did you get into playing the flute?

Williams: Yes and I also sing. It first started with me going to my grandpa. He was upstairs in his art room and I said, “I want to play the flute.” He said, one second, and went downstairs. My grandma and grandpa had already bought a flute and he brought it upstairs and gave me that flute. He said, “Your grandma said you better take care of it. It’s a really expensive flute.” Right when he handed me the flute I played a song. Instantly I knew how to play and it was amazing. I went downstairs and played a song for my grandma. The song has changed over time because the flute is different. I was going up a hill after playing on a cliff side and I fell and the flute broke. I recently bought this new flute and it sounds similar to that one.

SYS: How did you choose your flute?

Williams: This flute fits to me naturally. When I was in a prayer ceremony, I kind of felt this change. I was playing my other flute and a different note came out of it as I was playing. Later on down the road I bought this current flute. That connection was just there, so I picked it up. It is made of really high quality; it is yellow cedar, red wood, and turquoise. It has a yellow cedar borough too, so it has a different tone that will come out of it with different melodies.

SYS: It sounds like the flute is more than just an instrument to you, and there is a sacredness to be being a flutist.

Williams: Yes, because it is like its own life. I am honored to give the life into it and the melodies come from the birds. Every now and then I will just get a melody flowing through me and I will start playing it. The flute is very versatile, it can send out a message without much interaction. I noticed if you beat a drum, you shake everything up, but if you were to play the flute you would attract way more people, and unity is what we need. That is what I stand behind with my flute, is bringing people together. I’ve always been that guy off to the side playing my flute.

SYS: You mentioned a difference between playing the flute and the drum; how do you go from hitting a drum to controlling your breathing in order to play the flute?

Williams: Singing really helps. It really opens up my diaphragm. My singing diaphragm is way lower so I am allowed to get more air out through the flute to my songs. When I stand up my diaphragm is more open, but also when I sit, I have more control over it. From being a singer from a young age my uncle taught me how to do techniques, he would make me lay on the floor and put books on my stomach and tell me to breath.

SYS: How often do you practice?

Williams: There’s just times where I will get this feeling and I’ll go grab my flute and start playing. I make sure I always have it with me wherever I go, even if I am in the city. If there is someone I run into, it’s like, “Hey I want to play you a flute song.” It’s not only healing for them but for me too.

SYS: Do you have a favorite melody so far?

Williams: I think all my songs are my favorite. I remember all my songs from my first flute to the one that I just received. I have this library of songs that run through my head.

SYS: Do you have a name for your album yet?

Williams: I think it would be named Sounds of the Birds, because every time I play I see birds on my flute, just bouncing around and I connect with them. I can hear all the birds singing with me.

SYS: Is there a particular bird that you draw inspiration from?

Williams: There isn’t one particular bird, more like a couple of birds. There is the eagle, woodpecker, blue jay, hummingbird, owl and I can’t forget the water bird. I get a lot of my songs from the birds and from the trees too. My favorite noise is when I tap on my flute keys. I don’t know why, but it is settling. Sometimes I have to play in front of a whole bunch of people and it is my way of grounding myself before I play.

SYS: Do you use sheet music for your songs?

Williams: No, it is all in my head. I have a friend that knows how to transfer the music into the periodic table and is working on putting it onto sheet music.

Some children have it [musical talent] naturally and some children have to learn it a different way. If I can master both the teachings [styles] then I will be able to hand it over. That’s what I am aiming for. I have been working on it for a long time. I didn’t know it would become my personal mission, but the flute is a gift for all people.

Cary-Micheal-Williams — Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

SYS: There aren’t a lot of Tulalip flute players; there are mainly drummers and singers. Do you feel like you are helping to create a space for flutists in Tulalip?

Williams: Yes, for future flutists most definitely. My nephews are going to be flutists. I have them blow in the flute and I will push the keys for them. They are literally using their air, so it shows them that their air that is booting through the flute can do it.

SYS: Where do you want to take your music?

Williams: I believe I can take flutist of the year. I just have to keep moving down that road. My main drive is to allow the next generation to pick up the flute, because everyday it is there for me. I think it could be there for our children too, or whoever wants to learn. It is really good medicine for yourself and I found also it is good medicine for others, so I am always willing to share it. I was told that the melodies, harmonic tones and vibrations from the flute have healing power. It can heal wounds and feelings. Don’t limit it.

Cary Micheal Williams from Brandi Montreuil on Vimeo.

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Second Appraisal Day at Hibulb a success

Brill Lee an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers, appraises a basket brought in by Tulalip citizen Lois Landgrebe, during the Hibulb Appraisal Day on May 3. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News — Brill Lee an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers, appraises a basket brought in by Tulalip citizen Lois Landgrebe, during the Hibulb Appraisal Day on May 3.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – It was basket extravaganza at the second Hibulb Appraisal Day on Saturday, May 3, when the center welcomed Brill Lee, an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers and independent appraiser, for the second time.

Almost a dozen guests attended the event, bringing more than a dozen items to be appraised. Items, unlike the first Hibulb Appraisal Day, were mainly baskets made by local Native American artists and Alaska Native weavers. The baskets displayed a wealth of weaving skill and tribal history.

Brill Lee examines a basket brought in by a tribal fisherman. The basekt-like structure was rescued from the Nooksack River and features weaving patterns and materials no indigenous to this area. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News — Brill Lee examines a basket brought in by a tribal fisherman. The basekt-like structure was rescued from the Nooksack River and features weaving patterns and materials no indigenous to this area.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

The surprise of the day was a basket-like item rescued from the Nooksack River by a tribal fisherman. The basket featured weaving patterns and material not indigenous to this area and was referred to the Seattle Burke Museum for further study.

The center was gifted a pair of leather beaded gauntlet gloves, donated by guest Troy Jones. The gloves were a trade item in 1930 to a service station in Granite Falls for work completed on a vehicle. The gloves have been in his family since the trade. Lee appraised the item at $3,000 to $3,500 due to the current market value, condition, material used, and artist skill.

Troy-Jones-gauntlet-gloves — A pair of leather beaded gantlet gloves, commonly used in rodeos, were donated by guest Troy Jones. The gloves are appraised at $3,000 to $3,500 due to current market value, condition, material used, and artist skill.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Combined value of items appraised during event totaled more than $8,600.

If you are interested in having an item appraised, you can check out Brill Lee’s website at www.brillleeappraisals.com or by telephone at 425-885-4518. For more information about events happening at Hibulb or the next Hibulb Appraisal Day, please visit their website at www.hibulbculturalcenter.org.

Brandi N. Montreuil:360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

A basket featuring the "rolling logs" pattern, which is sometimes confused with a swastika, was brought in by Bothell resident, Jim Freese to the May 3, Hibulb Appraisal Day. The unique weaving and emblem was considered good luck and used in the early 1900s. The basket was appraised at $125- $175. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News — A basket featuring the “rolling logs” pattern, which is sometimes confused with a swastika, was brought in by Bothell resident, Jim Freese to the May 3, Hibulb Appraisal Day. The unique weaving and emblem was considered good luck and used in the early 1900s. The basket was appraised at $125- $175.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Snohomish resident, Bart Marzolf, brought in a sign that hung over a main road entering the town of Snohomish in 1920. the carving features a fish similiar to a salmon and features a clam shell pearl for the fish's eye. The carver is unknown and the item was valued over $1,000. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News — Snohomish resident, Bart Marzolf, brought in a sign that hung over a main road entering the town of Snohomish in 1920. The carving features a fish similar to a salmon and features a clam shell pearl for the fish’s eye. The carver is unknown and the item was valued over $1,000.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Jim Freese learns how his parents' basket collection demonstrates a wealth of weaving skill and tribal history from tribes located in Washington. One of the baskets was appraised at $1,000 for its rarity.Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News — Jim Freese learns how his parents’ basket collection demonstrates a wealth of weaving skill and tribal history from tribes located in Washington. One of the baskets was appraised at $1,000 for its rarity.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Judge orders transcripts produced in ICWA case

Dana Fast Horse carries posters at the American Civil Liberties Union press conference in Rapid City on March 21, 2013. Families and tribes claim that temporary custody hearings were too short and violated rights guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. Court reporters who produced the transcripts during the hearings have until June 1 to produce the files. Photo/ Rapid City Journal — Dana Fast Horse carries posters at the American Civil Liberties Union press conference in Rapid City on March 21, 2013. Families and tribes claim that temporary custody hearings were too short and violated rights guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. Court reporters who produced the transcripts during the hearings have until June 1 to produce the files.
Photo/ Rapid City Journal

By Andrea J. Cook, Rapid City Journal
By the end of the month, attorneys representing Native American families and two tribes in a federal child welfare case will know more about what happened during hearings that gave the Department of Social Services temporary custody of children.The Oglala Sioux and Rosebud tribes took the lead for three parents in a class action lawsuit challenging the practices of the 7th Circuit Court, the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s office and the Department of Social Services during temporary custody hearings that must take place within 48 hours of removing a child from a home. The parents claim the Indian Child Welfare Act hearings are too brief, sometimes as short as two minutes, and violate parental rights guaranteed under the 14th Amendment.

In mid-March, U.S. Chief District Judge Jeffrey Viken granted the tribe’s request for transcripts of more than 100 of the hearings, which are referred to as 48-hour hearings. He gave the judges who presided over the hearings two weeks to order transcripts of the hearings.

Those confidential hearings are at the heart of the plantiffs’ case, which contends that children are frequently taken from their homes for 60 days after hearings that often last no more than two minutes.

Presiding 7th Circuit Judge Judge Jeff Davis ordered transcripts of his hearings. Judges Wally Eklund, Thomas Trimble, Craig Pfeifle and Robert Mandel did not order transcripts.

The judges claimed Viken’s order threatens the distribution of authority between state and federal courts.

Transcripts were also not forthcoming from hearings held in front of former Judge Mary Thorstenson.

Last week, Viken chose to circumvent the judges’ reluctance to order the transcripts by ordering the court reporters who recorded the hearings to produce the transcripts. They have until June 1 to produce the transcripts.

The plaintiffs will have to pay for the transcripts that will be treated as confidential.

“Production of the 48-hour ICWA hearing transcripts is critical to the resolution of the issues in this case,” Viken said in his order.

Competitors Gear Up for the Jim Thorpe Games

Smithsonian/Cumberland County Historical SocietyJim Thorpe in his Carlisle Indian School track uniform, running in Stockholm at Olympic track practice. — Smithsonian/Cumberland County Historical Society
Jim Thorpe in his Carlisle Indian School track uniform, running in Stockholm at Olympic track practice.

Sam Laskaris, ICTMN

About 1,200 competitors are expected to take part in a multi-sport competition honoring one the greatest athletes from the 20th century. The 3rd annual Jim Thorpe Native American Games will be staged June 8-14 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

During its first two years, the Games were held in Oklahoma City. Instead, organizers opted to move the games to Shawnee, located about a 30-minute drive east of Oklahoma City. “It was really done to have the Games have more of an Indian community feel,” Annetta Abbott, the Games’ executive director, told ICTMN. “We are more in Indian country now.”

The Games were first staged in 2012, in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Thorpe’s medal-winning performances at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Sweden. Thorpe captured gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon events in Sweden. He later played pro baseball and football. About 1,500 athletes from across the country took part in the inaugural Jim Thorpe Native American Games. “The plan was to stage the Games every two years,” Abbott said. “But after that first year, people were asking if we could have it again the next year. So it became an annual event.”

Organizers are also hoping to expand the Games in future years and to stage regional qualifiers across the country. A goal is to then have winners from those regional competitions have a portion of their expenses covered to attend the national Games.

Organizers are anticipating athletes representing at least 60 tribes will take part in this year’s Games. “We’ve got athletes from all corners of the country coming,” Abbott said.

Last year’s participation numbers were down from the first year in large part because of Mother Nature. Abbott said numerous athletes withdrew from the event as tornadoes were rampant, and many parents did not want their children travelling to Oklahoma. “We are really pleased with the numbers we have this year,” Abbott added. “We’ve been able to see what sports work well and we’ve added some divisions in those sports.”

A total of 12 sports will be contested at this year’s Games. Stickball is a new addition. It had been an exhibition (demonstration) sport during the first two years of the games, but is now a full-medal sport. Lacrosse is an exhibition sport this time around.The other sports being offered are basketball, beach volleyball, cross-country running, football, golf, martial arts, softball, tennis, track and field and wrestling.

For the first time, games’ organizers will also offer two $2,500 scholarships to competitors who are college-bound high school seniors. One female and one male winner will be selected.

Abbott said the calibre of athletes at these Games is rather high. “We’ve had some really good athletes,” she said. “Some of the tennis athletes are on the junior amateur circuit. And some of the football and basketball athletes were going to go on to NCAA schools.”

Tulalip Resort: offers the best food and wine event in the Northwest

By Duane Pemberton, Communities Digital News

TULALIP, Wash, May 1, 2014 – The Taste of Tulalip is the ultimate “feast of the senses” that combines wine, food and fun in a relaxed setting that has helped define it as the defacto event of its kind in the Northwest.

The Tulalip Casino and Resort is a property on the Native American land of the Tulalip tribe, hence the casino part. Having the luxury of one of the areas top-ranking casinos helps provide revenue for the kind of budget required for the resort to put on a first-class event.

What makes the Tulalip Resort such a great venue for a wine and food event is really a combination of things going for it. A first-class staff such as Chef Perry Mascitti, Sommelier Tommy Thompson and its Food & Beverage Director, Lisa Severn. These three not only know how to throw a party, they do everything first-class.

Secondly, are accommodations which also present a very welcoming vibe and the rooms at Tulalip definitely fit the bill. Perhaps the nicest feature of the rooms is the three-tier shower system which hits all areas of the body, making you not want get out of it.

Assuming you pay for the full weekend pass, you’ll start things off with a multi-course reception dinner in the main convention hall. Everything from the quality of each course you consume to the attentiveness of each wait staff person, it’s a dinner you won’t soon forget. This past event, Carla Hall of ABC’s “The Chew” was on the center stage welcoming the guests and helping to get the “party started”.

Several hours later after you experience this food and wine assault on the senses, you’ll find a gorgeous, well-appointed room waiting for you to sink into.

The Grand Tasting is the event which most attend and it’s not just any “second-rate” tasting, you’ll find craft beers, imported wines from other countries such as Italy and France along with domestic favorites from California, Oregon and Washington State.

There are various mini-events which also take place during the Grand Tasting and those can be both a fun and educational to attend. There’s a cooking demo by a celebrity chef where you’ll get to try the food when done with the demo –winner of Top Chef, Kristen Kish, held the honors in 2013.

There is also a “Rock and Roll Cooking Challenge” across from the main grand tasting hall which has always proved to be a light-hearted, fun-filled event as well.

Additionally, there’s a Private Magnum tasting lounge where Tommy Thompson and crew open up extremely rare, extremely expensive wines from around the globe. Bourdeaux, Burgundy, Australia, Italy, Napa, Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley’s best are often represented in this exclusive tasting.

If you love wine, you owe it to yourself to get into this tasting in order to taste wines from the likes of Chateau Margaux, Screaming Eagle, Schafer, Quilceda Creek to name a few.

It’s the culmination of so many things which all seem to happen with flawless execution on the part of the staff and guests which helps guests feel very much a part of what’s going on.

Any more, being able to define an “ultimate food and wine” destination in most areas has become more difficult thanks to an availability of so many good ones to pick from. There’s no doubt that it should always be on your “must do” list of having an ultimate wine and food weekend in a relaxing, fun-filled place that you won’t soon forget.

For more details, visit: www.tasteoftulalip.com

Several hours later after you experience this food and wine assault on the senses, you’ll find a gorgeous, well-appointed room waiting for you to sink into.

There is also a “Rock and Roll Cooking Challenge” across from the main grand tasting hall which has always proved to be a light-hearted, fun-filled event as well.

If you love wine, you owe it to yourself to get into this tasting in order to taste wines from the likes of Chateau Margaux, Screaming Eagle, Schafer, Quilceda Creek to name a few.

It’s the culmination of so many things which all seem to happen with flawless execution on the part of the staff and guests which helps guests feel very much a part of what’s going on.

For more details, visit: www.tasteoftulalip.com
Read more at http://www.commdiginews.com/life/tulalip-resort-offers-the-best-food-and-wine-event-in-the-northwest-16594/#Hj9a4d3Mhk0hHD4x.99

Hibulb adds new events for May

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – Hibulb Cultural Center is changing up their event series this month. The center, known for its monthly events featuring cultural demonstrations, lectures, traditional storytelling and workshops, has added a children’s reading series, Hibulb Reading Time, and a new film event, “Bring your own family history film night.”

The two new events resulted in creative ideas being exchanged between staff and volunteers earlier this spring. Hibulb Reading Time features Tulalip tribal members, including Tulalip Tribes board member Theresa Sheldon, volunteering to read books that explore Native American themes and identity, followed with a craft based on the story.

“Bring your family history film night,” is a special film event based on local family submissions that honor and capture family history. The event will be held May 29, in the center’s longhouse, and continues the center’s history of screening films that highlight Coast Salish life and Indian Country issues. Film submissions for this event will be accepted until May 28, and should include a 15-minute video that focuses on your family or family history.

Tulalip elder Sandra Swanson is hosting a quilting class every Sunday throughout the month, featuring her quilting expertise and the basics of quilting. You will need to provide your own fabric for this workshop.

This month also marks the last chance to view the Coast Salish Inheritance: Celebrating Artistic Innovation exhibit featuring art from Tulalip artists. The exhibit will close on May 21.

Events and workshops are included in the Hibulb Cultural Center admission price. Admission is free for Tulalip tribal members. Adults (18 years and over) $10.00, senior (50+ and over) $7.00, students (6-17 years old), military and veterans $7.00, children (5 years and under) free, and families $25.00. The first Thursday of each month is free admission.

For information on Hibulb Cultural Center events and lectures, please visit their website at www.hibulbculturalcenter.org. Please contact, Lena Jones at 360-716-2640 or Mary Jane Topash at 360-716-2657 regarding film submissions for “Bring your family history film night.”

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Notah Begay III Recovering After Heart Attack, Thanks Doctors and Supporters

AP ImagesIn this April 2011, file photo, professional golfer Notah Begay III talks to students in Albuquerque, N.M., about his mission to combat diabetes among Native American youth. The latest effort on the Navajo Nation, the country's largest reservation, is to use the tax system to spur people to ditch junk food. A proposed 2 percent sales tax on chips, cookies and sodas failed Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in a Tribal Council vote. — AP Images
In this April 2011, file photo, professional golfer Notah Begay III talks to students in Albuquerque, N.M., about his mission to combat diabetes among Native American youth. The latest effort on the Navajo Nation, the country’s largest reservation, is to use the tax system to spur people to ditch junk food. A proposed 2 percent sales tax on chips, cookies and sodas failed Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in a Tribal Council vote.

Indian Country Today Media Network

Notah Begay III is recovering from a heart attack he suffered on Thursday, April 24, in Dallas, Texas. He is resting comfortably at home with his family and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement released by the Notah Begay III Foundation.

Begay was treated at Methodist Hospital, where doctors successfully inserted a stent into a blocked coronary artery.

The four-time PGA Tour winner and Golf Channel analyst is in good spirits and has expressed gratitude to his doctors and many supporters.

“I’m humbled by the outpouring of support and well wishes and am thankful for the excellent medical care I received,” Begay said. “I look forward to returning to my duties as a golf analyst and to continuing the important work of my Foundation. This experience has reinforced for me the need to urgently address health and wellness issues among Native America youth.”

Begay (Navajo, San Felipe Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo), 41, launched the Notah Begay III Foundation (NB3F) in 2005 to help reduce incidences of type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity among Native American youth. The nonprofit has increased access to youth sport and health and wellness programs across Indian country.

“This is the first generation of Native American youth that may not outlive their parents due to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes,” Begay has said. “The epidemic of type 2 diabetes among our people is relative to the devastation that HIV/AIDS has caused in Africa. As Native peoples, we can’t afford to risk our future. We have to invest in the health, well being and leadership development of our Native youth.”

Fans and supporters of Begay and NB3F can send well wishes and prayers for Begay’s speedy recovery via the NB3F Facebook page, facebook.com/notahbegayfoundation, or directly to the Foundation:

The Notah Begay III Foundation
290 Prairie Star Rd.
Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 87004
Email: info@nb3f.org

Wyoming tribes start getting federal payments

By Benjamin Storrow, Casper-Star Tribune

James C'Hair shows settlement checks from the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians received by him and his wife Wednesday outside Atlantic City Federal Credit Union in Riverton.Ryan Dorgan | Star-Tribune — James C’Hair shows settlement checks from the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians received by him and his wife Wednesday outside Atlantic City Federal Credit Union in Riverton.
Ryan Dorgan | Star-Tribune

LANDER, Wyo. (AP) – The first installment in a $157 million federal settlement began to pour into the Wind River Indian Reservation this week, as members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe started receiving $6,300 checks in the mail.

The impact of the cash infusion was almost immediately evident on the reservation and in surrounding communities, where many tribal members went to deposit their checks.

Riverton and Lander, both straddling the reservation border, were bustling. Banks saw long lines. Car dealerships and auto parts stores reported brisk business. And law enforcement in both communities was highly visible, posting cruisers at banks in what authorities said was an effort to protect tribal members cashing checks from would-be assailants.

Many tribal members welcomed the injection of money into a reservation long beset by poverty. Unemployment there is almost double the state average, while average family income lags far behind state and national standards.

But they also expressed trepidation that the money could lead to an increase in crime, and they worried that many tribal members might squander the once-in-a-lifetime payday.

“People need to be smart and budget their money,’’ said Randee Iron Cloud, of Ethete, who was with her husband, Norman, at the Atlantic City Federal Credit Union in Lander. “They need to think about the needs of the kids above all else.’’

The couple said they planned to use the money to pay down debt on their car and to take their five children on a trip to Albuquerque.

The settlement stems from a 1970s lawsuit brought by the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes against the federal government for its failure to properly collect mineral royalties from oil and gas development on tribal lands.

The total settlement is worth $157 million and will be split evenly between Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribal members.

Of the total, $10 million will be used to repair environmental degradation resulting from oil and gas operations.

Federal law requires that 85 percent of Native American mineral royalties be paid to individual tribal members, with the remaining 15 percent going to the tribes themselves.

The distributions to individual members varies by tribe, as the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone have different-sized membership rolls. Northern Arapaho members will receive $6,300 each, while Eastern Shoshone members are to receive $15,000. Eastern Shoshone members are expected to receive their checks next week.

Overton Sankey, who works at a local Head Start, said most tribal members have long prepared to receive their checks and made plans to save the money or use it for bigger purchases like cars.

While Sankey is not a tribal member, his wife is, and she received a check. The couple intend to use the money for home repairs, but not before going on a trip.

“We haven’t had a vacation in years,’’ Sankey said while playing the slots at the Wind River Casino. “We’re going to work on the house when we get back.’’

Businesses were bustling in Lander and Riverton. A parade of cars for sale lined U.S. Highway 287 approaching the Atlantic City Federal Credit Union in Lander. Inside the bank, Vice President of Member Services Kyleen West said the credit union had seen a steady stream of customers.

The bank was cashing checks from members and nonmembers alike. It would continue to do so until it ran out of money. A first pot of cash set aside to accommodate the settlements would likely be exhausted, West said, noting that a second installment was also due to arrive to meet the second round of checks.

As of midday Wednesday, all was going smoothly, she said. Local banks worked with the tribes in advance to encourage members to create bank accounts where they could deposit money. The bank has seen a rise in the number of new accounts as a result, she said.

“I have been very pleased with the way the tribes have worked with the banking industry, local law enforcement and the community,’’ West said.

In Riverton, Bobbi Higgs, manager of an O’Reilly Auto Parts, said the store was busier Wednesday than it is on strong Saturdays. Six cars for sale were stationed in the parking lot outside, an oddity in its own right, she said. Many of the new car owners then came into the store to buy parts, Higgs added.

“Everyone is selling what they can,’’ she said. In the adjacent Ace Hardware parking lot, a relatively new 35-foot camper sold quickly Wednesday morning, she said.

Law enforcement was ubiquitous in both communities. Police cars were parked outside banks, and officers stood by the doors.

Police officers from around the state were called in to help. Cruisers from Cody, Jackson and Green River were stationed in front of banks in Lander, while a trailer bearing the name of the Sweetwater County bomb squad helped form a temporary command center outside Atlantic City Federal Credit Union.

Lander Police Chief Jim Carey said the settlement had been well publicized, and authorities worried about outsiders who might potentially prey on tribal members cashing their checks.

“We want to send a message that anyone who wants to do violence to our citizens won’t be allowed to,’’ Carey said. “Our mission today is to prevent violent crime and make sure they can get their checks in a safe manner.’’
Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com

Minnesota, Leech Lake Band square off over cigarette tax

Leech Lake Reservation is in a dispute with the state over taxation fairness and sovereignty.

By Jennifer Brooks, Star Tribune

The state of Minnesota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe are locked in a dispute over cigarettes and sovereignty.

Agents from the Minnesota Department of Revenue intercepted a delivery truck in St. Cloud on Good Friday, April 18. The truck, bound for a tribal gas station in Walker, was loaded with 281 cartons — 2,810 packs of cigarettes — that had been rolled at a Winnebago tribal facility in Nebraska and shipped to Minnesota unstamped and free of the state’s hefty cigarette tax. If they’d made it to their destination, they would have sold for $3.50 a pack — compared to the $6 to $9 smokers were paying everywhere else in the state.

For the state Revenue Department, the seizure was an issue of tax fairness. For Leech Lake’s leadership, it was a violation of tribal sovereignty. The result is a standoff, with millions of dollars in state tax revenue at stake.

In a statement, Leech Lake dubbed the incident “the Good Friday Seizure,” calling it “yet another attack on Native American rights. The Band sees this seizure as an attempt by the state to implement its unfair taxation plan on the lands of the Leech Lake Reservation, this time resulting in the unfortunate economic isolation of a federally recognized American Indian Tribe.”

The Department of Revenue, in turn, has cut off the taps — withholding the state tax equity revenue it normally splits with the tribe for its sale of other state-taxed items like sales, gas and alcohol — until the band agrees to start selling state-taxed cigarettes again.

Losing that shared tax revenue could cost Leech Lake $2 million or more a year, said Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans.

“We just want to make sure cigarette prices are uniform and fair,” he said Friday. “Leech Lake is the only tribe now that insists on selling non-state-stamped cigarettes, and that’s a considerable price differential. It’s really unfair, and it’s a terrible health outcome, as well.”

Ten of the state’s 11 tribes have agreed to sell only state-taxed cigarettes, and Frans said his department has worked with Leech Lake for years to try to reach a similar deal.

“We respect the sovereignty of all the tribes and we take their sovereignty very seriously,” he said.

Leech Lake Chairwoman Carri Jones could not be reached for comment Friday, but in a statement she said the tribe tried to work with the state.

“Every time the Minnesota Department of Revenue requested a meeting on this issue, we came to the table to meet in good faith to offer innovative and creative solutions, which were consistently turned down by the state,” she said in the statement. “We were hoping that by engaging in good faith negotiations we would avoid the drastic measure that Gov. Dayton’s administration took on Easter weekend.”

Minnesota has the sixth-highest state tobacco tax rate in the nation — $2.83 per pack, including a $1.60 increase that went into effect last year.

A familiar fight

But the tribal tax dispute goes back earlier, to 2005, when Minnesota levied a 75-cent-per-pack “health impact fee” on cigarettes. Because it was a fee and not a tax, the state argued that it did not need to split the new revenue with the tribes, as it does with other state taxes.

The decision sparked a dispute that led several tribes to start selling untaxed, out-of-state cigarettes, including Leech Lake. The fee was replaced with an excise tax last year, Frans said.

While other tribes made agreements with the state, Leech Lake held out, selling out-of-state cigarettes with tribal taxes and funneling the money back into the community.

“The majority of revenue generated through tribal taxation is recirculated into funding tribal programs like health and wellness and small business lending,” the band said in its statement. “It provides alternative means for deriving income during difficult economic times.”

Transporting untaxed cigarettes into Minnesota is a violation of state law, subject to stiff fines. The state has already gone after Leech Lake’s supplier. Frans said the trucking company has agreed to stop shipping untaxed cigarettes to the tribe.

Native American Activists Could Sue The City Of Nashville Over Ancient Remains

By Bobby Allyn, Nashville Public Radio

Albert Bender says the new Sounds stadium should be put on hold to find more ancient artifacts. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District/Flickr)

Native American activists are asking Nashville Mayor Karl Dean to halt the construction of a new minor league baseball stadium after archeologists discovered ancient artifacts. One Native American activist said a lawsuit could follow if the city ignores their demands.

Activist Albert Bender writes about Native American history for a living. He said more time should be given to archeologists to study the site. Bender considers next spring’s scheduled opening date of the new $150-million-dollar Sounds Stadium to be arbitrary.

“What is the problem with halting the construction of the ballpark for a few months to a year, when we’re talking about thousands of years of history that is waiting to be unearthed?” Bender asks.

What archeologists dug from the earth were ancient pottery used to boil water in the production of salt, which was then exported around the South some 800 years ago.

Archeologists will publish a detailed analysis of all findings form the site next month.

Last week, Bender presented the mayor with a list of demands. If the stadium construction isn’t put on pause, Bender would like to see the site at least commemorated in some way.

Among his suggestions is the development of an “interpretative center” in which the artifacts could be publicly viewed in a separate museum-like building.

“This is something we’re considering,” said Bonna Johnson, spokeswoman for Mayor Karl Dean. “We’ve asked the ballpark project team to look at ways to pay homage to the Native American history in that area. We will continue conversations with the Native American groups that approached us about this and work toward a solution.”

Bender says his American Indian Coalition, which is not an incorporated group, represents “all Native Americans who feel the way we do,” but it does to have an official member count.

Bender, who is an attorney but not licensed to practice in Tennessee, says suing over the matter is not out of the question.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time anything of this nature has ever been found in the state of Tennessee, or any where in the South” said Bender, who is writing a book on Native American history. “There is so much knowledge to be gained form this site, and we feel it far outweighs any artificial schedule, rush schedule, for the completion of the ballpark.”

A similar battle unfolded in Miami recently, where preservationists convinced developers to redesign a long-planned hotel to include a display of an ancient Native American village discovered during construction. The battle delayed the project for weeks and generated international attention.

Bender said the Miami case has many parallels with Nashville’s, and he said the success of preservationists there could embolden his own effort.