Native American Press/Ojibwe News

Reservation turmoil is symptomatic of deeper problems

August 30, 2002
In last week’s edition, Press/ON carried a story entitled “Crow Creek Sioux debate federal takeover,” in which members of the Crow Creek band sought to turn their tribe back over to the BIA because of excessive tribal indebtedness of $31 million. “We’re in the hole so deep … receivership is an option because we have no other way open to us,” one community leader is quoted as saying.

This follows a story we published a couple of weeks ago, “Turtle Mountain tribe again facing turmoil,” in which tribal officials face charges from embezzlement to witness tampering. Standing Rock members are also suing their tribal government for misuse and failure to account for funds, and it’s only been a year or so since tribal members on the Pine Ridge and Crow reservations took over their tribal governments.

Minnesota’s three largest reservations, Red Lake, White Earth, and Leech Lake, have all gone through or are currently going through fairly tumultuous times, having been on the roller-coaster ride of gambling’s rags-to-riches illusion, and now find themselves a combined $175 million dollars in debt (Red Lake about $58 million, Leech Lake around $75 million, and White Earth an estimated $42 million).

There are also increasing rumblings at Mille Lacs, with concerned tribal membership asking, “where has all the money gone?”

Fortunately, on these reservations the recent elections have given tribal governments time to deal with the problems. On all four reservations, there are either significant numbers of new tribal council members, or new officers in key positions on the tribal councils have recently been elected. But, I don’t think that tribal members are going to allow their representatives to sit back and not do anything. They were elected with a mandate from tribal members to address the problems, and although I think they will try to do so, tribal members are pressing for quick and effective action.

In order for the new council members to effectively deal with the indebtedness and the other problems tearing apart the social fabric on these reservations, they are going to need a lot of community support and perseverance in overcoming the forces of the status quo.

To permanently overcome these problems it will either take significant changes in the tribal systems through constitutional reforms, or Congressional legislation enacting a new and effective Indian Civil Rights Act. The preferable course of action is for the tribal governments to take the initiative and enact constitutional reforms, and do it voluntarily. However, if that doesn’t happen, then Congress must act. Any newly-enacted Indian Civil Rights Act must contain an inalienable Bill of Rights and create a legally-viable and effective forum guaranteeing enforcement of these fundamental civil rights. There has to be a separation of powers, there have to be independent courts, and there have to be open and accountable tribal governments with full participation by the members of the tribes. If both the tribes and Congress abdicate their responsibility, then it will be up to the courts to protect the rights and interests of the First Americans.

Unless either the tribes or the federal government take action, nothing substantial is going to change. We have seen the same kinds of problems happening time and again, all over the country, on reservation after reservation. It’s time for thoughtful, serious, and effective remedy.

In passing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, the Congress and administration felt that by bringing gambling to the reservations, with its potential for creating jobs and quick revenue, would be a panacea for the dealing with the problems which have become entrenched in Indian country over the past century and a half. But, after twelve years of casino operation in Indian country, including in Minnesota, we have seen a lot of money change hands, and a handful of people getting very rich, but far too few of the beneficiaries have been Indian people.

In addition, we don’t even see any semblance of a non-gambling economy being developed on these reservations. Indian gambling monopolies are not going to last forever, and unless a significant percentage of gambling revenues are invested in other profitable economic development, in twenty years the economic situation on reservations will be far worse than it is now.

In fact, we have seen significant rises in crime rates, particularly violent crime, as well as worsening problems of alcohol and chemical abuse, and not a whole lot of improvement in education. Despite initial improvements in employment rates, on some reservations unemployment is beginning to regress to the catastrophic levels of persistent poverty which beset reservations before gambling.

A year ago, we began filling Press/ON with news, commentaries, and letters to the editor about the chaos and turmoil at Red Lake, mainly because of credible allegations about financial mismanagement. In the last three or four months, this newspaper’s been filled up with much the same kind of articles and letters about the financial mismanagement and turmoil at Leech Lake. News coverage and reader commentary at White Earth has recently been light, but according to what we’ve been told the silence is not because there are no problems, but rather because the situation has not yet reached the “boiling point.”

Due to the problems currently affecting the United States economy, Indians on other reservations will probably soon find themselves embroiled in the same kinds of controversy.

One of the biggest problems has been Congress’s turning a ‘blind eye’ to the serious problems confronting Indian country. One of the worst offenders is Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minn), who sits on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. In my opinion, the social and other problems on Indian reservations are worse now than they were when Wellstone took office twelve years ago. I think that Wellstone’s laissez-faire support of the tribal establishment – and refusal to do something about the problems festering on Indian reservations – should become a campaign issue. Posturing about human rights abuses overseas, while steadfastly ignoring the problems confronting his own constituents on Indian reservations at home, is blatant hypocrisy.

We need to return what’s left of Indian sovereignty back to the people.

It appears that what’s happening now at Leech Lake reflects secretary/treasurer Archie LaRose’s efforts to re-empower the Leech Lake people. The purveyors and beneficiaries of the status quo have been maneuvering to retain their hegemonic control and their self-centered agendas, and the consequences have been weekly reflected on this newspaper’s pages over the past several weeks.