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BIA Departments recognize Indian Heritage
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"Serving the Fort Peck Reservation"
VOL. 19 NO. 40
OCTOBER 13, 1988
Tribal Board Briefs �
Seeking Tribal Input � Buck 0' Brien, a Democratic candidate seeking to unseat Republican Congressman Ron Marlenee met with a tribal committee. L-R: Councilman Norman Hollow, 0' Brien, Pearl Hopkin, Chairman Ray White Tail Feather, Peter Dupree, Caleb Shields, Leonard Bear and Buck Smith.
Candidate for Congress visits Tribes
POPLAR�The Democratic candidate for eastern Montana Congressman, Buck O'Brien, met with the Tribes Resolution Committee on Sept. 30 to listen to tribal concerns.
O'Brien lost his last bid for the seat by a small percentage to incumbent Ron Marlenee, Republican.
O'Brien told the committee that if elected, he would have an Indian on his staff in Washington, DC. "I will guarentee there will be one, and I have one in mind already. One who will be working virtually with and for the Indians." )
He told the board members, and tribal chairman, present that they can call on him anytime at his Conrad home because people need access to their representative as they are the ones who would be paying his salary is elected.
"I plan on being in Congress, barring a heart attack or stroke. I'm going to be there."
O'Brien said he hasn't taken a standon any issues that might affect tribes in the state as he is still in the learning process.
Councilman Caleb Shields said the Tribes are looking for Congressional support in getting one-half of 1 percent of Defense Department contracts to tribes. This would provide enough employment to fit the needs of all tribes in the country, said Shields, and he feels this can be done by Congress.
Councilman Norman Hollow said by having industry on reservations with work helps the non-Indian community as well. He said the local business merchants noticed a tremendous difference and their volume of business has increased due to A&S Tribal Industries.
Cold Weather Program Approved by Board
POPLAR�The Emergency
Weather Program^ c approved of by Executive Board on Monday, Oct. 11 and all emergency requests regarding plumbing, heating and electrical will be referred to the Community Services Program.
The same guidelines used last year were once again approved. According to councilman Ken Smoker Jr., the guidelines, as ad-minstered by CSP, had some impact as there was a balance of funds left.
Cold   has   25   slots   at   $500 ^��^rar.-Jv�use-hold. Handicapped the  Tribal   sons applying must have a tors statement.
per
per-doc-
The second catagory is for non-senior and non-handicapped and has 25 slots at $400 per household.
The third catagory is for emergencies and has 10 slots at $250 per household.
The Emergency Cold Weather Program is funded by tribal funds.
The three catagories are: senior citizens and handicapped, which
Sexual Abuse Program may get 3 years funding
POPLAR�Amendments were introduced to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act on behalf of the Fort Peck Tribes to Drovjde funding to the Tribes Sexual Abuse Victims Treatment Project for three years.
On September 28, Senator John Melcher introduced the amendment to S. 129 which is a bill to amend and reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. That bill passed the Senate on September 28 and is now under consideration by a House/Senate conference committee. Although this amendment does not appear in the House version of the bill, there is no reason the House to object to it so it is virtually certain to appear in the final version of the bill, according to the tribal chairman's office.
The amendment requires the secretaries of the Health and Human Services and Interior to continue to provide funding to the demonstration project for treatment of sexually abused children on the Fort Peck Reservation. This requirement will be in effect during fiscal years 1989 to 1991. The amendment includes funding for the Hopi Tribe's similar project also.
According to the Congressional Record of the Senate on September 28, 1988, Senator Melcher stated, "It is a terible tragedy that many children in both of these tribes have been victimized by sexual abuse over the past few years. Assistance must be provided to the victims. The tribes are working to develop strategies or working with offenders to try and break the vicious cycle of sexual abuse."
"Last year, HHS provided $100,000 grants to each tribe to
develop demonstration projects on how to combat this terrible problem and assist the victims. These two demonstration projects were to be used as models which could be duplicated by other tribes."
"The funding was provided to the tribes via a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The tribes were lead to believe that the projects would be funded for 3 years. Unfortunately, both tribes were recently informed that no additional funding will be provided in fiscal year 89 which means that the projects would be discontinued. It does not make sense to fund a demonstration project for 1 year because that is simply not enough time for the tribes to develop and test their programs. The bottom line is that these projects are critical to the children who are victimized by the henious crime of sexual abuse and I fully support the tribal efforts to develop effective assistance."
According to the Congressional Record, an oversight hearing of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs in Arizona on the problem of sexual abuse of Indian children is scheduled for Nov. 22. A time and location will be announced in the near future.
A letter of appreciation, of the Senator's efforts, from the tribal chairman states, "We believe that three year appropriation (1989-1991) will provide us with the necessary resources in our efforts to break the vicious cycle of sexual abuse.
A 4-member tribal delegation went to Washington, DC on September 14 seeking additional funding.
Gary Meinert
New Member Post #61
BROCKTON � We would like to acknowledge a new member of Legion Post #61 that has just recently joined the post. Gary V. Meinert was recruited into Post #61 by John Morsette in September.
Gary Meinert enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on July 25, 1970 and was discharged on February 27, 1974. He was an Intelligence Officer during his enlistment in the Air Force and attained the rank of Captain. He entered the Armed Forces at Great Falls, MT., and was discharged at Travis AFV, CA.
Gary, during his military service, was awarded the following medals: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He had overseas.service in Vietnam and Thailand.
He is presently employed at the IHS Clinic in Poplar ana works in the Medical Records Station at the clinic.
We welcome Gary Meinert as a new member of Legion Post #61. We encourage veterans to attend the dedication ceremony of the Montana Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Missoula on November 11, 1988. Franlkin D. Chopper's name and 315 Mon-tanans listed as killed in action or missing in action in the Vietnam War will be inscribed on that memorial.
Funding for Tribal J.D. Center assured...
POPLAR-The Tribes heard a report on a delegation to Washington, DC and approved amendments to the Tribes Personnel Policies and Procedures as well as approving Emergency Cold Weather Program guidelines as part of their first regular meeting of the Tribal Executive Board on Monday, October 10.
Reservation Safety Committee chairman Arlyn Headdress reported that the Fort Peck Tribes will receive funding for a juvenile detention center in Poplar as well as operational money that will be built into Fort Peck Agency's yearly allocation beginning 1990.
Headdress and tribal chairman Ray White Tail Feather traveled to Washington, DC for an October 4 meeting with the BIA Chief of Law Enforcement Division, Jim Donavon, regarding the PONI Project, which is what the detention Center is referred to. The Tribes have been working on this since November of last year, Headdress reported, and they were told 'that the Fort Peck Tribes were number one for funding for this project. But when
the Federal Register came but with a listing of tribes who received funding, Fort Peck was not on the list. He said they made numerous attempts to get to the bottom of this that finally resulted in the meeting in D.C.
Headdress said they were told by Donavon that the project is on schedule and should be bid out this week, with groundbreaking this spring. They were also informed that money will be built into the BIA budget for 1990 for operation of this center. "This may lay some fears aside that it won't be a white elephant like the one in Wolf Point," said Headdress.
He told the council he feels they could have accomplished this over the phone, but communications had broken down along the line.
He said the tribes are still on record to build the new center south of the BIA Facilities Management building in Poplar, the only problem may be with parking. The Tribes were recently informed that the cafeteria and
juvenile court and juvenil judges chambers will be cut from the plan. However, the new facility will be built so that additions could be done for future expansion.
The funding for the new center will come from the Omnibus Drug Bill and Fort Peck's share has already been identified, said Headdress. There was $7 million allocated, with 46 applicants seeking funding, and only the top 10 received funding, said Headdress. Although Fort Peck is not included in the list, their money has already been identified, he said they were told. The best part, he said, is that money is being built into the agency's base so the Tribes won't have to worry.
Councilman Ray Eder questioned, for how long?
Headdress said for as long as the BIA is around, he hopes. "It's a very necessary building." He
said current housing of juveniles in the adult jails is draining BIA Law enforcement money.
...Three projects approved for CDBG funds
The Fort Peck Tribes will be seeking funding for three areas in their application to the Community Development Block Grant this year.
The Reservation Development Committee had recommended that funds be sought for the West neuronics, for new equipment, and for Parks and Recreation, however, after much discussion housing rehabilitation was also added in.
Lucas told the council with only $100,000 for HIP and lots of requests, housing rehabilitation should be a priority.
Planning director Jackie Miller told the council that CDBG criteria includes economic development, basic facilities, housing rehabilitation, purchase
of land and housing areas. She said the Tribes spent 6 to 7 years on housing rehabilitation until Housing's GAP came about. In the past two years, the Tribes have geared their CDBG to economic development and have purchased new equipment for A & S Tribal Industries to assist them gi^pge^^ng to leave their special
This year, the Tribes are looking to improving West Electronics, Milller said their equipment is almost "obsolete".
The Tribes can apply for a combination of projects, that combined, cannot exceed $400,000.
Miller said Planning is now doing a comprehensive proposal for reservation parks and recreation, looking at community
needs in this area and focusine in on alleviating juvenile delinquency as part of the overall plan.
If the tribes want to inlude housing rehabilitation, she said they would have to do a housing rehab plan and gear a proposal to; target 5 to 10 homes that are now' not being covered by other housing rehab programs the Tribes have.
The final vote was 7 for including housing rehab, with 5 opposed. Reservation Development Committee chairman Gene Culbertson said adding in this late request is putting the Planning Department's work "to the wire" and "dilutes" their other proposals.
Land, Credit, tribal money discussed
The Land Committee has expressed an interest in purchasing the 1260 acre Jim Scott farm and ranch located south and west of Oswego that joins the Missouri River. The board approved a committee recommendation for a Billings Area Office government appraisal. A tribal delegation consisting of councilmembers Gene Culbertson, Walter Clark, and Ray Eder and Tribal Minerals Of-Director Larry Wetsit and Alan Foos toured the farm and ranch with the realtor on Saturday, Oct. 8.
According to Eder, the land is all irrigated ranch farm land that raised teed and durham wheat in the winter, and contracts for winter stock feeding. He said this consisted of an average head of 1500, with as many as 2200 head.
Eder said he feels this would be a wise purchase that would be a good source of income and a good investment: The asking price is over $1 million
The board also selected Sidney Bird as the Credit Committee member from the west end of the reservation. Bird, the incumbent
was selected by secret ballot over two other applicants Ron V. Smith and Carolyn G. Rushe.
The board approved of allocating $500 from the tribal employees travel to be used to transport 25 tribal members to Bozeman to plant" trees in Yellowstone Park. The funds will be for a driver, gas for the tribal bus, and two meals. The work will last one month.
Finance Committee chairman Caleb Shields reported he went to Billings to meet with Area Office finance personnel to find out why the Tribes projected income is a lot more than projected. Shields said he wanted to find out if the "overabundance" of tribal money was a duplication of any kind so that when the council deals with additional funding requests on their "wish list", they will know how much money they have to deal with.
Shields said he was informed that the money is from closed out lease accounts going back to
1978 that is just now being brought up to date. He said the money includes not only principle, but interest, and will take to the end of this year to finalize.
Finally, the council approved of the Tribal Health Board's recommendation to accept the resignation of assistant Tribal Health director Joy Sitting Crow due to health reasons. Instead of advertising the position, it was closed out and her duties, which included handling 8 health related programs, were divided up between Eliza Lambert and Kathleen Ricker. The board approved of a $2.00 an hour raise for Lambert and $2.50 an hour raise for Ricker to take on the additional duties, which include administering tour new programs
apiece.
When questioned why this route is being taken instead of hiring one replacement, Tribal Health Board chairman Ken Smoker said that Tribal Health Director James Melbourne will start adminstrating the CHR program and there will be a saving if done this way.
Tribal Executive Board Action sept. 19,23 and 26
WOLF POINT � The Tribal Executive Board's selection of Joneta Hunkapillar, Wolf Point, as a Ft. Peck Housing Authority Commissioner will be an issue discussed at WPCO's October 17 meeting, according to WPCO chairman. Bill. Whitehead.
Hunkapiller was selected by Wolf Point community as their Housing Commissioner in 1984 and served 4 years. Her appointment was up in September and the vacancy was advertised by the Tribes beginning Sept. 2. The closing date to apply was Sept. 14.
However, at the August 15 WPCO meetings, the vacancy was voted on and Stanely Yellowrobe received the highest
number of votes, 24 over Hunkapiller's 22 and Earlene Azure's 19.
The Tribal Board refused twice to approve of WPCO's selection because the positions advertised closing date had not passed.
The only applicants who put in to the Tribes for the position were Yellowrobe, Hunkapillar and Azure, so it was decided at the September WPCO meeting that a revote was not necessary.
At the Sept. 26 Tribal Executive Board meeting in which Hunkapillar was present, the Wolf Point Housing Commissioner vacancy was brought up and a motion from the floor reappointed her. Board member's
supporting this action felt WPCO's August selection of Yellowrobe was premature.
WPCO's other Housing commissioners are George Redstone and Clayton Reum. They were "selected democratically" by the community and are recognized as community representatives, said Whitehead.
"Since Hunkapillar was not, it seems to me," said Whitehead, "that she doesn't represent WPCO and that the Tribal Executive Board has a Housing representative since they selected her."
"All communities have a representative on Housing, and now the Tribal Executive Board does, "Whitehead said.
It's a "slap in the face to communities", if they can't make selections in vital parts of their life. Whitehead feels.
"Even if I don't agree with the community's selection, I have to uphold it and they (council) should also, whether they agree with it."
Tribal Executive Board involvement in what should be WPCO's decision is "absurd", Whitehead said.
Hunkapillar told the council that alot of people feel Yellowrobe's selection is a conflict of interest with Redstone due to a family relationship.