Wotanin wowapi 1988-12-01

              Wotanin Wowani
'Serving the Fort Peck Reservation
VOL. 19 N0. 47
DECEMBER 1,1988
No per cap this year till plan developed
POPLAR � The Tribal Executive Board voted 6 for, 5 opposed, to table making a $100 tribal Christmas payment until an annual per capita payment plan is worked out with a Portland, Oregon bank who will soon be handling all tribal money.
Councilman Norman Hollow made a motion to pay out a $100 payment to tribal members in response to a petition presented last week to the Reservation Safety Committee bearing almost 1000 signatures requesting a $200 Christmas payment by Dec. 21 of this year. The motion was seconded by Levi Olson.
Finance Committee chairman Caleb Shields made a substitute motion, seconded by Ray Eder, to table any action until a plan is worked out with Security Pacific National Bank.
A roll call vote was requested on both motions by Merle Lucas, and voting took place on the substitute motion first, which was all that was needed. Those voting to table a payment this year in order to develop an annual payment plan were Shields, Eder, Lucas, Arlyn Headdress, Gene Culber-tson and Leonard Bear. Those voting against this were Hollow,
Olson, Pearl Hopkins, Peter Dupree and Walter Clark.
Shields said he was going along with the general consensus that the board had on Nov. 14 when they allowed him to look into an investment of tribal money to pay out an annual payment from interest earned. As Finance chairman, Shields has already traveled to Portland to meet with the president of the Security Pacific National Bank, "the new keeper of all tribal money," regarding the BIA planned transfer of tribal money to this bank before the year is out. The money will remain in it's trust status. By next month, the Tribes will be getting cash planning forms from the bank, and when the transfer of all trust money is completed, the Tribes will look at a per capita program, how much, and by when, he said.
When questioned how much tribal money was in reserve, Shields said the Tribes are only projecting that they will have $6.4 million by the end of FY89, which ends next September, 1989. Over half of this projected amount is money the Tribes don't have yet.  "It's all  based on
revenue coming in this year. So we do not have the $6.4 million. It's just a projection of what will come in. We don't know yet, especially if the price of oil goes down further, Shields explained. That projection has already been reduced by $400,000 due to Tribal Board action on Nov. 15 reducing the royalty rate on oil, so the revenue projections could even go lower, he said.
If the Tribes spend money for a
Eer capita now, there can never e another for awhile, until tribal money is built up again, said Shields, who also could not say how long it would take to pay out a planned payment. It could take 6 months, to another year or so, he said, it all depends on when the tribal money is transferred to the bank and the cash planning forms are worked out, and that could happen in December or January. "But by next spring, we would know."
Hollow said the reason he made the motion for a payment was that a $100 payment to tribal members would be about $900,000. Taking the actual money on hand and the Tribes
budget, there will be "ample money on hand for operations," he said. With income anticipated from two cases in court, Hollow said the Tribes' will be on "safe ground." If not, he said, the Tribal Executive Board will have to take a close look at next year's tribal budget. "The mere fact that the boardapproves of a per cap won't be final. The BIA still has to make a final approval. But at least the people signing the petition would have an answer," i e said.
JLinda Melbourne, petition spokesperson who was accompanied by several others, asked if a small payment would put the Iiibes in a bind. Shields responded that it wouldn't, not where the Tribes couldn't function, but it would hurt a long term per capita program.
Melbourne said a lot of people are unemployed and hear of money coming into the Tribes, but nothing comes out for them. This is the only place they have to look, she said. Why wasn't this long range plan done long ago, she questioned, before the Doard approved of an increase for themselves last year? "A lot of
Per Cap �Page 2
Smith hired for plan
Leonard Smith, Jr., an Accounts Executive with Metroplitan Life Insurance Company located in Billings has been selected as the "Agent of Record" by the Tribes Employee Benefit Committee. He will be administering the group life and long term disability insurances that is provided for all Tribal employees.
Leonard is an enrolled Fort Peck tribal member who has resided in Billings since graduating item Fasterri^MqnMna Coliegp with a B.S^AT^rr Business Management. He is licensed through the State of Montana as a Life and Health Insurance Agent. Since entering the Insurance industry, one of Leonard's goals has been to work with the Tribes in the area of employee benefit packages. Many tribal members are already acquainted with him and remember him by his weekly trips to the Fort Peck Reservation for the past two years.
Leonard grew up on the reservation, and attended schools in Wolf Point and Poplar, and graduated from Frazer High School. He was the schooTs editor of their newsletter. He was also the starting guard on the Bearcub's basketball team while attending school at Frazer. He was a founding member pMbe Wambdi Ota Indian Clijb and was selected to attend the World's Fair when it was held in New York City.
In 1968, he joined the Armed Forces and was one of 3 servicemen selected as a candidate for West Point Military Academy based on the test results of the division of men.
In 1983, Leonard was the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees; during that same year he was the vice-president of the Montana United Indians Association; in 1976, he became the executive director of the Missoula Indian Center. He later became the assistant vice president of the Indian Credit Corporation. His specialized skills include computer programming, Financial Business Analyst, a Business and Community Development Specialist, accounting ana research specialist as well as a legal clerk.
His most recent experience is completing the Blitz School in Denver, Colorado, preparing for the Series 7 exam. This series consists of Stocks, Bonds, and Investments. At the present time, he is completing the . licensing requirements tor the Property and Casualty agents license and the Series 6 exam that consists of Mutual funds.
Leonard has future plans of opening an office locally for servicing purposes. Leonard stated, "Depending on the growth of the business and in order to better sprve the Tribes and  Indian
Smith � P�,ie 2
Tribal
:li II
Briefs-
Employee/ Board Benefit Ran adopted
POPLAR�The Tribal Executive Board adopted, at their Nov. 28 meeting, a fringe benefit plan for all regular employees and
elected officials of the Tribes. The plan includes life insurance, long term disability income insurance and a pension plan.
The Tribal Executive Board, during budget process time, opted for . : additional tribal funds for the plan rather than go with any tribal salary increases this year.
The Tribes appointed a Fringe
helped in the formulation of the plan. The five person committee includes Jackie Miller, Larry Wet-sit, Ruth Walking Eagle, Cathy Wetsit. The committee has been working with a Fringe Benefit Consultant, Ray Wolcott, and also have employed an insurance agent, Leonard Smith. The Tribes have provided an additional $165,741 in their budget for the new employee fringe benefit plan A series of meetings have been set up in which all tribal employees have been mandated to attend on Dec. 6, 7, and, 8 in all communities on the reservation. The meetings will explain the benefits and to complete necessary enrollment forms.
Briefly, in other action taken by the board last Monday, a 5-man delegation was approved of to charter to Provo, Utah to visit a cogeneration facility at Lehi, Utah at the invitation of Intex Corporation. The Tribes have been offered a proposal by Intex to go into a joint venture concerning the possibility of building a food1
factory and power plant on the Fort Peck Reservation.
The tribal delegation, consisting of Reservation Development Committee chairman Gene Culbertson; board member Merle Lucas; Al Foos, NAES College; Garrett Big Leggins, the chairman's representative; and Raymond "Abby" Ogle, Planning.
In a letter to the Tribes on Nov. 21, 1988, Intex proposal to the Tribes was briefly outlined and invited the chairman and ap-
cogeneration facility 'at Lehi,' Utah.
The delegation will just visit the operation and further discuss their proposition to the Tribes. In-tex's proposal requires the Tribes to out up a lot of money, but there would be benefits coming back to the Tribes, it was stated to at the board meeting.
In other business related action taken by the board, councilman Gene Culbertson and Quentin Crowe were appointed to the West Electronics board of directors, replacing councilman Norman Hollow and Stanley Yellowrobe.
Two 2-year board of directors positiofis had been advertised to fill, and both Hollow and Yellowrobe, who didn't know it was their positions, did not put in applications for them. However, Hollow said he would go along with the committee's selection. Culbertson will be filling the Tribal Board's position on the West     Electronics     board.
The Reservation Development Committee also recommended to
have Crowe fill a position, but there was a substitute motion made at the board level to let them vote by secret ballot on all applicants. There was a tie of 4 votes apiece between Yellowrobe and Crowe and the chairman broke the tie in favor of Crowe. Since Yellowrobe did not know it was his position advertised, and did not put in for it, his name was added on with the other four applicants.
The Tribes projected income may e�> Jower tnan has been
'Jackson infcKmed the chairman that due to the drought, in its seventh year, taking its toll on the natural resources, drastic measures have to be considered to prevent permanent and irreparable damage to the range resource.
"Bureau Range Conser-/ vationists have been collecting data and formulating alternatives and recommendations for the 1989 grazing season. One of the alternatives would be a reduction of stocking rates which wouft/ result in a reduction of income ta both the allottee and the Tribes/ VVe take this opportunity to atf-vise you of the serious nature if th� situation and to allow tVe Tribe to adjust income projde-tojns should stocking reductions be necessary."
The issue was referred to the Land Committee.
,'A full report of the N<j>y. board meeting will so�n published.
Jingle dress, made by Dana Clark-Runs Above, Frazer, is part of an exhibition, "An Eternal Tradition: Pow wow" at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. "I received a lot of encouragement and support from the Traditional Women's Society to begin dancing again and to learn to make the dresses," Dana stated. >�
An Eternal Tradition: Powwow
Federal court upholds tribal taxes on
BN
GREAT FALLS (AP) � Tribal taxes levied on Burlington Northern Railroad property on two Montana Indian Reservations were upheld Wednesday by a federal judge.
Tribal chairman Raymond White Tail Feather said the decision is a "happy note in our favor."
The Fort Peck Tribes will not know what's going to happen until their tribal attorneys in Washington, DC reviews the decision and meets with BN's legal counsel. BN could file an appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and could also file another injunction against the Tribes' tax, refusing to make any payments on it until their appeal is finalized, the chairman reported to the tribal council at their regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 28.
Burlington Northern had sued to overturn taxes imposed by the Blackfeet Tribe on its reservation and the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, saying railroad property was exempt from tribal taxation because it was granted federal right-of-way in the 19th century.
But U.S. District Judge Paul Hatfield of Great Falls said Congress has not clearly stated that tribes cannot tax the railroad rights-of-way. That ambiguity means the ruling must be in the tribes' favor, he said.
Hatfield's decision upholds a 4 percent "possessory-use" tax
enacted by the Blackfeet Tribe and a 3 percent utility tax enacted by the two Fort Peck tribes. Both taxes went into effect in 1987.
BN officials or attorneys coulc not be reached for commen Wednesday about a possible ap peal.
Since the lawsuits were filed b/ BN last November, the railroad has paid into a district court n count $898,000 due under tie Blackfeet tax and $334,480 frcn the Fort Peck tax.
Hatfield gave the tribes and tie railroad 20 days to confer wtfl the court on how the morey should be dispersed. Officials s�id Wednesday there may be m>r,e tax money owed by the railroad.
Railroad property is not he only property subject to the ta-es.
The Fort Peck tribes' 3 per^pt tax is on any utility's prof-located on Indian lands, tribes also enacted a 1 perce tax on the property of electric      and      telep cooperatives.
The Blackfeet Tribe's prt tax is on rail lines, electric! telephone utilities, and tj and gas industry. Exempter, were retail and whe' businesses, farms and ra homesteads and utility lirj exclusively serve the reserL In both tax disputes, thfribes
aside the tribes' right ito tax railroad lands in granting the railroad rights-of-way, such as the 1887 route given a pioneer railroad through the Fort Peck reservation and an 1890 right-of-way through the Blackfeet reservation.
The railroad also argued that tribal property taxes put an undue burden on interstate transportation, which Congress has sought to protect. \
In an issue separate from\the railroad lawsuit, the manage'" of Glacier Electric Co-Op of 'tut
(Page 5 � BN Tax)     (|
CODY, WYOMING � George Horse Capture, curator of the ;Plains Indian Museum, Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyomihg'-bas assembled the finest in powwow celebration wear, quilts, and a collection of photographs taken on the powwow grounds for an exhibition titled An Eternal Tradition: Powwow at the Historical Center through November 30, 1988.
Horse Capture traveled the powwow circuit during the summer of 1988, choosing the elaborate, symbolic attire. The exhibition features 31 displays from eleven different reservations. Four large color photograph murals by Elijah Cobb of the Wind River Reservation as well as five black and white murals depicting powwow iactivity photographed by Robert ^Weiglein, Historical Center staff, >nhance the display. The quilts in the exhibition, ac->rding to Horse Capture, are a contemporary expression taken from, the designs of the old buffalo robe paintings. Moccasins, blankets, papoose boards and the iterns used to decorate them such as \beads, quills, buttons and coins complete the exhibit.
"Powwow is a living expression of the Indian people today," said Horse Capture, "and will continue with all its vigor, tradition and change as long as there are Indian people in the world. The clothing worn during the powwow celebration is a contemporary expression of tribal tradition. '
History determines design, but as with any evolving art form, even those steeped in tradition, "hot" items debut each season.
Making a powerful comback are the yarn fringed "Grass Dance" suit and tin-coned Jingle dresses first conceived or in a vision in 1919. Jingle dresses are form fitting, brightly colored dresses with the cones often made from the lids of cans, even Copenhagen chewing tobacco lids.
Most Indian people believe eagle feathers are very special, from the majestic bird that carries the prayers to the One above. They believe wearing the feathers brings beauty, strength, dignity and spirituality to the possessor. And while the fancy dancers wear brightly colored bustles of dyed chicken hackle feathers, traditional dancers wear black-tipped eagle feather wing bustles. The elders limit their active to warbonnets made of eagle feathers and buckskin vests and trousers. On some reservations, an eagle feather worn in the hat alone constitutes appropriate powwow dress while wearing civilian clothing.
An excellent example of traditional artistry is shown in this photograph of a garment owned by Danna Clark-Runs Above of Frazer, Montana.
The selection of materials used in the attire and the customs pertaining to the Indian dances and celebration clothing are complex. The exhibition, An Eternal Tradition: Powwow allows the viewer to see close up the elaborate bead work, quill design and exacting craftmanship of the Indian arttstv
Tribal Court Management Seminar set
�i-
claimed   their  taxes legitimate  exercise authority and that the rail only an easement o< property.
;e a their d has ribal
BN argued that Confss set
WOLF POINT � There will be, a Tribal Court Management Seminaron December 13and ti, 1988, at the Wolf Point Casino� beginning at 8:00 a.m. each day. This seminar is the first in a series of training exercises sponsored by the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board, Tribal Court Administrator's Office, and the Fort Peck Tribal In-House Legal Counsel. There will be no seminar registration fees.
However, college credits will be available at $35.00 per credit hour for those attending each daily session. Training certificates will be awarded to those who register and attend the entire two
day exercise, regardless of whether credit is applied for.
On Monday, tribal chairman Ray White Tail Feather will deliver the opening address, as well as Reservation Safety Committee chairman Arlyn Headdress, who is scheduled to make comments immediately thereafter.
McAnally will present an Overview of the Training Seminar.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., court administrator Leighton Reum, himself a licensed lay counselor, will make a oresentation on "So You Want To Be A Lay Counselor."
After a break, beginning at
10:30 a.m. to noon, McAnally will make presentations on General Court Procedures.
Beginning at 1 p.m., McAnally will present General Court Forms, Court Orders and Jury Management System.
On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the following areas will be covered beginning at 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -Case Management Procedures (developing case themes, case files, record retention, initiating documents and pleadings); Marriage & Divorce; Basic Juvenile Court  Proceedings;
(Page 5 � Seminar)