Wotanin wowapi 1988-08-25

              Wolf Point IHS Health Center
�PhotOS� �Pages 6&7�
Cubcare �
an idea to help students stay in school
�Photos�
�Pages 5�
First Annual Interdenominational Pines Bible Youth Camp
�Photos�
Oil Celebration this weekend
fOPLAR�This weekend is the last celebration on the Fort Peck Reservation for the 1988 summer pow wow season.
The Oil Discovery Celebration starts Friday evening at 7 p.m. with Grand Entry.
Saturday night a special Womens Traditional Contest will take place.
On Saturday evening a bar-beque and a $1000 mens contest will be held.
Also, a Tiny Tots Special Contest will be held .
A Fun Run and Fred Steele Memorial Sr. baseball tourney is also scheduled.
Wotanin Wowani w^40c
VOL. 19 NO. 33
'Serving the Fort Peck Reservation
AUGUST 25, 1988
Confidentiality of meeting questioned
POPLAR- It is the feeling of at least two community officals that the confidentiality or roll call vote and proceedings in the removal hearing of councilman Levi Olson are not confidential and should be open to the public. Poplar Community Organization chairman Rusty Cantrell said that he intends to challenge the confidentiality of the roll call vote and proceedings of the Tribal Executive Board at the July 27 hearing on whether Olson should be removed from office.
Cantrell said the challenge will be one of the items to be discussed at a rescheduled PCO meeting next Tuesday, August 30th.
Wolf Point Community Organization Casino board of directors chairman George Redstone said it is his feeling that the tribal records concerning the removal proceedings are not confidential. The tribes' Constitution specifically provides that the Roberts Rules of Order are to be followed unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution,
he said. Confidentiality has to be specifically stated, and this was never put in the Tribes' new Removal Ordinance, therefore, it cannot be implied that the removal proceedings followed under this ordinance are confidential, he said.    The law is
specific and has to.be.stated, but its not in there and tribal records
are not even addressed in the
new ordinance, Redstone said.
Olson's involvement in the controversial Ft.  Peck
Can/Am International Pow-wow in which the guarenteed $58,000 in prize money was never paid out, as well as unauthorized use of Tribal Executive Board letterhead in making up his own I.O.U. contract to winners, was believed to be "Conduct prejudicial to the Ft. Peck tribes", which under the Constitution is grounds for removal. Use of the letterhead had winners and pow wow people from other reservations believe that the Ft. Peck tribes were sponsors of the pow-wow.
According to the Constitution, "Roberts Rules of Order as revised shall govern all meetings of the General Council and the Tribal Executive Board except as otherwise provided in this constitution and by-laws."
However, in the section on removal of board members, the Constitution states, "The Tribal Executive Board shall by duly enacted ordinances establish such procedures and regulations necessary to carry out the intent of thjs article,".
The Removal Ordinance was passed by the board on July 27 to provide procedures on removal since this was the first time the tribes' governing body was faced with that decision. The ordinance does not address confidentiality, except to state that "At the request of the member charged, the hearing shall be in executive session..."
The tribal Board met in executive session on July 27 and accepted charges against Olson, who had 20 days to prepare his defense in answer to those charges.
The Tribal Executive Board met for about 7 hours in a closed meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17th to look into charges accepted against Olson and to decide whether he should be removed from office. The council voted 6 for removal, and 5 against, however, the ordinance requires an affirmative vote of 8 before removal can be accomplished.
Roberts says if a society is to take disciplinary action against a member for improper conduct (occurring elsewhere than at a meeting,   charges   must   be
(Page 9 � Removal)
Clinic for west end promises jobs, health care
Breaking the ground for the new clinic for the west end of the reservation are l-r: ASDC Board of Directors chairman Pat Bushman, ASDC member Dr. Jim Shaniey, councilman Norman Hollow, tribal chairman Ray White Tail Feather and HEW and Tribal Health chairman Ken Smoker Jr. �More photos page 6 and 7.
ASTI workers concerned about rumors
POPLAR � Sixty-four A&S Tribal Industries production workers signed a letter to the Tribal Executive Board and ASTI board of directors expressing concern about "rumors" that Brunswick Corp., who has a management contract with the industry, will be removed. The tribal chairman responded that the "rumors" are scare tactics to intimidate ASTI employees.
The ASTI letter stated, "Rumors were relayed to us by supervisors regarding the removal of Brunswick, and the future of ASTI. We heard that the (Tribal) Executive Board is taking actions to remove Brunswicks help. We feel we have the right to know why their service will be terminated. We expect a prompt response."
"The employees are the backbone to this company and community. We feel if this rumor is true, that your decisions are based on a minority of workers and is therefore incompetant."
"We want you to delay your decision on the Brunswick issue so the employees can have an input. The employees want to be there at the meeting, at the time of your decision," it concluded.
On the evening of Monday, Aug. 22, tribal chairman Ray White Tail Feather met with a group of production workers from the second shift of ASTI, who presented  him with the
petition.
The chairman's response to the ASTI workers' concerns was released to the tribal newspaper as follows, "Presently, there is no such move on the part of the Tribal Executive Board to remove the Brunswick Corp. from A&S Industries, and I, as chairman, would not support such an ef-
^�^As I stated to that group of production workers from the second shift, who had the courage to approach me on the issue, these allegations are rumors with no basis in fact."
"The nature of the rumors indicate an attempt on the part of some individuals to use scare tactics to intimidate employees of A&S Industries."
"Rather than sitting down with us in an effort to correct working conditions, these rumors indicate to me that there are some individuals who would attempt to create conflict between the production workers, the Tribal Executive Board, and Brunswick. I can assure you that my office will look into the sources of these rumors."
"I am also going to honor the request of the production workers and seek meetings between each shift, the Tribal Executive Board and the Board of Directors at A&S Industries. We have scheduled a meeting for Sept.  2.  We will  tentatively
schedule the meeting with the second shift for an earlier date."
Due to numerous complaints over the years from ASTI production workers to the Tribes' governing body, White Tail Feather set up a hearing for only the production workers to hear their complaints, to take them down in writing, and attempt to look into them. The chairman has indicated in every statement he has made regarding ASTI that his administration is not against the industry, they fully support it, but they only want to look into why complaints have been lodged and to make a good working atmosphere for all employees.
The chairman held the hearing on July 23 and documented complaints from about 30 employees. His office has also been accepting written complaints from other past and present employees, and will continue to do so up to Sept. 2.
The Tribal Executive Board voted to hold a joint meeting on Sept. 2 with ASTI board of directors, managers, supervisors and production workers to look into the documented concerns. Draft minutes of the July 23 hearing are to be released to the Tribal Board a week before the Sept. 2 meeting. .
WOLF POINT � A "historic", and "humbling occasion" that will result in a quality health care center and provide employment to tribal members were some of the words used to describe the ground breaking of the new Wolf Point Indian Health Service Center held Tuesday morning.
Under sunny skies and cool breezes, about 100 people gathered at the construction site located directly east of the Wolf Point tribal court building (formerly the juvenile detention center).
After a welcome by Tribal Health Board and Health, Education and Welfare Committee chairman Ken Smoker, Jr., Robert Fourstar, Wolf Point, opened the ceremony with prayer in the Assiniboine language.
"We owe a lot of credit to our tribal leaders for their efforts to see that our people have proper health care," tribal chairman Raymond White Tail Feather remarked. In 1971, plans were started that resulted in the new Verne E. Gibbs Health Center in Poplar, a Ft. Peck Tribal Dialysis Center was officially opened this year, and now, construction started on the new IHS clinic for the west end of the reservation, the chairman pointed out. All of me�t events will turn the hea'th care around on this reservation, provide health care and prolong life to our people, he said.
ASDC board chairman Pat Bushman said that as well as providing good health care, the other primary reason for the clinic construction is to provide employment to the enrolled members of this reservation.
Service Unit Director of the Verne E. Gibbs Health Center in Poplar, Larry Burshia, said the paperwork was begun in 1976 to justify the need for the new clinic. Five years ago they got the appropriations, they drafted a proposal that had to be done over and over again, he said. Aug. 21 he was called over to the tribal chairman's office where he seen the contracts being signed. "I could hardly believe it, at last, after all these years;" he said.
State Representative from this district, Dorothy Cody, said the groundbreaking is a "humbling experience" to her to see the kind of persistence and determination made to see something like the clinic become a reality. "As state representative fbr this district, I'm very proud of all you're accomplishing."
Project Officer Henry Hardnett, of the Office of Engineering Service, Seattle, stated that although this was his first involvement in a health care facility on a reservation, he will see to it that they get one of the best facilities constructed.
Councilman Norman Hollow, a former board member of ASDC, called it a "historical occasion" that ground is being broken to construct a new facility to accomodate the Assiniboine people of the reservation.
Hollow stated that there were congressional people who were very helpful to Ft. Peck securing the funding for the health facility not only in Wolf Point, but also Poplar. As one of the last favors of former Senator Mike Mansfield, funds were secured for the Poplar health facility, he said, also crediting the late Senator Lee Metcalf and Senator John Melcher, that through their efforts funding was made available for construction of the health centers in Poplar and Wolf Point.
Hollow asked tribal members who will be working on the construction to do "caliber" work that will benefit the entire reservation.
Assistant Area Director William' Wondersee, who is also En-" vironmental & Engineering Services, IHS/BAO, said qualified staff will be recruited and up to date equipment will be used which will mean a quality health care center to serve the people on the west end of the reservation.
With the new facility, all the problems will noi be solved, he said. Wondersee asked the community people to help their tribal leaders to curb suicides and the alcohol and drug abuse problems on the reservation. "It's up to the communities to get involved and support efforts to tackle all of the weaknesses."
Public Law 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination Act, give Indian people the opportunity to do it for yourselves, he said, to plan, design, construct, manage and provide jobs in the health field.
The Tribal Employment Rights Office goal for this construction project is 75 percent local people, Wondersee stated.
ASDC general manager Ann J. Lambert read a Tetter of congratulations from Senator Melcher.   >
After the speeches and comments, shovels with lavender ribbons tied in bows were handed out and ground was broke by tribal chairman White Tail Feather, ASDC members Bushman, Barney Lambert, Nathaniel Longhair, Dr. James Shaniey; councilmen Hollow and Ken Smoker Jr. and SUD Burshia.
The Red Bottom Singers sang an Assiniboine ceremony song to close the program at the construction site.
Everyone was invited to attend the luncheon reception at the Wolf Point Community Organization Casino facility directly following the groundbreaking ceremony.
Tribes, Housing meet to dean up projects, parties
POPLAR�A joint meeting was held between the Tribal Executive Board and Ft. Peck Housing Authority board of commissioners on Monday, Aug. 15 in the councilroom to discuss the need to clean up the Housin projects on the reservation an the delihquiencies.
Reservation Development Committee chairman Gene Culbertson said he believes it's important to address the state of this reservation and to make our people more responsible. The clean-up of this reservation has been "kind of ignored" and "there's no sense in our reservation looking the way it does."
Culbertson told FPHA director Iva Grainger and commissioners present that there must be some Housing regulations they can use to address this problem.
"There must be some way to make the people responsible for their yards," Culbertson stated.
Grainger stated FPHA has 11 homes to renovate and that will be their first priority. Also, the CIAP Program is using their trac-
tor, so weeds cannot be cut until they get it back.
FPHA Maintenance Department has only 5 employees working on a limited budget, she stated, however they are working to increase their allowable expense level this year, but they won't know by how much until new regulations come out in October.
One positive thing they have been able to do, stated Grainger, is to try and cut down on drinking parties and disturbances in the FPHA units.
Part of the rental lease and homebuyers agreements state that their neighbors have a right to a peaceiul environment, privacy and quiet. There have been so many complaints about disturbances and parties, FPHA has been abiding by this. People who are causing disturbances are given three notices, before they are given a 3-day notice to move. Grainger said there has been a few cases so far of evictions, and others are facing the 3-day notice.
FPHA did try previously to get
the tenents to form an organization 2 years ago, but there was not much interest and there was a lot of opposition because the tenents didn't care about their yards, stated Grainger.
It's the rental tenents responsibility to keep up their yards, stated Grainger, and that's in accordance with their lease they signed with FPHA. They want to give the tenents every opportunity to keep up their yards and homes, she stated.
Councilman Arlyn Headdress said he feels FPHA should do all they can to stop disturbances caused by parties in the Housing projects. He said unsupervised juveniles use the Airport Addition road as a "drag strip" and there's always a party out there.
Councilman Caleb Shields asked if Mutual Help tenents current on thier home payments can still be evicted if they party a lot and cause disturbances.
Grainger said, yes, because people living next to them have a right to peace and quiet.
When complaints are made to Housing on parties, they send out their counselors to do a followup, they talk to the person making the complaint and send out a letter.
Wolf Point FPHA commissioner George Redstone said FPHA and the Tribal.: Board must make a stand that people can be evicted if their disturbances continue. He said there will probably be more complaints and additional maintenance costs due to the Tribes' enforcement of the open container law.
It was suggested the the JTPA summer program next year and the proposed EARN Project be structured around a reservation beautification project in the Housing areas to help. It was also suggested that inmates at the tribal jail be utilized also.
Culbertson said something is missing here, and that's responsibility and making people take pride in where they live. Using JTPA, the EARN Project and inmates is good, but there must be some way to make tenents more responsible, he said.
Councilman Ray Eder said if a person never had self-respect for their yard or home, it will be kind of hard to change them now. The board can pass resolutions till they hit the ceiling, he said, and it won't help. Maybe court action, fines, and being cited for an unclean yard will help, he said, but he doesn't know what could be done.
Wolf Point FPHA commissioner Clayton Reum said if the FPHA and Tribal Boards get involved in stopping evictions or complaints, they will be defeating their purpose to clean up this reservation. "You have to get tough to make things work. It you show sympathy, it's not helping."
Another problem area in Housing is delinquincies. The Tribal Board and FPHA had a joint meeting in May to discuss this.
It was reported that tribal employees have a total delinquincy of $130,000 and the Tribal Board passed a resolution to adopt and
(Page 9 � Housing)