Michigan Indian

Ongoing Denver Post Series: US Attorneys’ Firings

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Denver Post:

Grasping for a way to explain the breakdown of justice on America’s Indian reservations and the role of the Justice Department in that failure, Paul Charlton, the former U.S. attorney in Arizona and a Bush appointee, picks this moment:

Talking with superiors about a gruesome double murder on the Navajo reservation, Charlton was stopped midsentence and asked by a high-level Justice Department official why he was involved in a case on the reservation in the first place.

To Charlton, it was suddenly clear that the official didn’t understand the most basic aspect of federal Indian law — that on most reservations, U.S. attorneys are the sole authority empowered to prosecute felony crime there.

***

Of the eight fired U.S. attorneys, five had played leadership roles pushing for aggressive Indian Country prosecutions or systemic reform — Charlton, David Iglesias of New Mexico, Margaret Chiara of western Michigan, Daniel Bogden of Nevada and John McKay of western Washington, according to testimony before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

As U.S. attorney for western Michigan, Margaret Chiara, right, made violent reservation crime a priority but said a bureaucratic culture resisted her efforts. She was one of eight U.S. attorneys whose firings sparked a Capitol Hill uproar. (Grand Rapids Press / Kary Batdorff)

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Roy in Anishinaabemowin

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Lansing State Journal:

Helen Roy MP3

MSU professor Helen Roy speaks in Ojibwe. Below is an Ojibwe/English translation:

Maanda zhigiizhiwewin nga-ke-dibaadadaan
(I’ll talk about the language for a bit)

E-bi-kwa-temigag gwa maanda aki, anishnaabeg gii-bi-anishnaabemowag.
(Ever since the world has been here, Indians spoke their language.)

Kina gwa kidowinan nango e-noondaagaadegin pane gii-bi-nakaazam.
(All the words you hear today were spoken.)

Aanind kidowag zhaazhi niibna kii-bi-maajii-anaajitoonaa maanda e-zhigiizhiweying.
(Some say that a lot of words have already been lost in the way that we speak.)

Aanind gwa eta maanda ndaa-debwetaan.
(I believe only a part of this.)

Enh, aanind gaawiin geyaabi gda-nakaazasiinaanin kidowinan zaam gaawiin geyaabi naasaab izhi-anankiisiim gaa-zhi-zhichigeng kwa gegoo kchi-mewizha.
(Yes, some words we don’t use anymore because we don’t do things like they used to be done long time ago.)

Gaawiin geyaabi gwaya memkaach naadisiin nibiish ndawabaaning – mii gwa eta biimibijiged biindig miidash nibiish bi-zaagijiwang.
(We don’t have to get water from a well anymore, all people have to do is do
a little turn inside the house and water comes pouring out [faucet, in other
words].)

Gaawiin geyaabi gwaya ‘giziibiigsaganan’ da-nakaazasiinan zaam kina
gwaya e-waasimowinikaadeg teni endaad wii-giziibiiganiged.
(No one uses the wash board anymore because everyone has the electrical [washing machine] in their homes for washing clothes.)

Miidash nindan kidowinan e-dibaadadamaanh gaawiin geyaabi e-kidosing, miidash nindan kidowinan gaawiin ge-ni-aanken’nigaadesinogin.
(So these are the words I speak about that are not spoken anymore and these are the words that won’t be passed on.)

Giishpin dash shki’ntam-zhigiizhiwewin e-ayaanzig kinoomaaged, gaawiin maaba e-kinoomaagaazod da-kikendasiinan kina kidowinan anishnaabeg gaa-bi-zhi-nakaazawaad kwa.
(If a person that doesn’t have the first language, teaches, the student won’t learn all the words that were spoken.)

Miinwaa aabdeg nindan dnawan kidowinan daa-kinoomaagem mooshkin maaba e-kinoomaagaazod wii-kikendang maanda zhigiizhiwewin.
(All these types of words should be taught in full so the one being taught will know the language [in full])

Maanda dash nango gda-zhi-ginoonin, kiin e-kinoomaazoyin, pane wii-aabadendaman weweni wii-nsostaman maanda anishnaabemowin miinwaa pane ji-g’gwejimad e-anishnaabemod wii-kinoo’amaag.
(So I say this to you, the learner, to always be determined to always try to understand the language and to always ask the speaker to teach you.)

Gaawiin ka-giisaadendasii ngoding shkweyaang naabiyin waabamadwaa g’niijaansag anishnaabemowaad miinwaa niigaan wiinwaa naabiwaad
wii-gwekwendaagwag anishnaabemowin ji-ni-aanken’nigaadeg, ni-kinoomawaawaad niijaansiwaan gewiinwaa.
(You won’t regret it when one day you’ll look back to see your children
speaking the language as they look ahead to assure that the language is passed on, as they teach their own children.)

Esanaa da-nishin pii zhiwebag wi.
(That will be so great when that happens.)

Pii kina anishnaabeg anishnaabemowaad.
(When all the Indians speak the language.)

Pii dibi’iidig gwa e-izhaang, da-noondaagaade anishnaabemowin miinwaa da-zhiwebad g’gitiziinaanig gaa-zhi-ndawendamawaad.
(When everywhere you go, the Indian language will be heard and what our
elders wanted will have been executed.)

Lansing State Journal on Anishinaabemowin Classes

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Lansing State Journal:

Native tongue: MSU classes help Ojibwe language survive

Matthew Miller
Lansing State Journal

The Ojibwe word that Autumn Mitchell likes best is “pkwezhigaans.”

Literally, it means “little bread.” Practically, it can mean cookies, crackers or muffins. It’s the same word for all three.

It’s not a word she’s known for very long, but she sees it as a part of her history all the same or, perhaps better, a part of her heritage.

Lake Superior Tribes Studying Chemicals in Lake

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From 91.3 FM:

News From 91.3 KUWS
Tribes studying chemicals in fish, and what it might do to people

Story posted Monday at 5:13 p.m.

11/12/2007

  

Chequamegon Bay tribes are investigating the effects of fish contaminants in the greatest of the Great Lakes. Danielle Kaeding reports from Superior.

Lake Superior is facing threats on all sides: from development on it shores to invasive species to the air we breathe. Matt Hudson of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission says most chemicals in Lake Superior come from the atmosphere. “There’s residual sources of some of these chemicals–like toxifine was used in the southern United States on cotton crops. When you get the right weather pattern, some of that toxifine that’s still in that soil down there can get up into the atmosphere and carried in conveyor belt fashion up to the Great Lakes Region and dumped in rainstorms over the Great Lakes.” Hudson says the Bad River, Fond du Lac and Red Cliff bands sought out GLIFWC’s help. They hope to sort out which chemicals are in fish and what that means when people eat the fish. “Tribal members came to GLIFWC and said, ‘We’re concerned about mercury in fish.’ This was focused more on walleye on inland lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan. So, GLIFWC started a contaminant monitoring program. We’ve been measuring mercury in walleye in inland lakes since 1989. We recently started testing Lake Superior fish as well.” Hudson says larger fish tend to contain more contaminants like mercury. “We’re trying to get as much information as we can about fish species that tribal members are eating and concerned about so we can give them the tools to make choices. They’re always going to eat fish. It’s a part of their culture, so we try to give them the species of fish and sizes of fish and information that will help them reduce their risk and maximize benefits.” Hudson says eating fish like herring and whitefish are low in contaminants and can improve heart health over time.

Huron Nottawaseppi Declaration of Reservation

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

The Department of Interior took the Sackrider parcel into trust and declared it reservation land. Here’s the Federal Register notice.

The DC Circuit’s decision in CETAC v. Kempthorne cleared the way to this decision.  Here are those materials:

DC Circuit Opinion

Tribe’s Brief

Federal Brief

Michigan Amicus Brief

[CETAC’s briefs will be posted when I find them.]

Bay Mills and Sault Tribe Land Settlement Bills

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Soo News: “The possibility of two new Michigan casinos operated by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Bay Mills Indian Community will be debated by legislators in Washington next week.

“On Thursday, the House’s Natural Resource Committee will consider bills to provide land for proposed casinos in Romulus near Detroit and Port Huron.”

Sault Tribe Land Settlement Deal and H.R. 3048

Our post on the Bay Mills bill is here.

Details about the House Resources Committee hearing will be here.

Inland Treaty Rights on Interlochen Public Radio

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Interlochen Public Radio has been filing stories on the ongoing story of Inland treaty rights.

Here’s the first report, from September: Sept 9, 2007

IPR interviewed a DNR spokesperson, Frank Ettawageshik (LTBB), and Hank Bailey (GTB).

Here’s a report on the Traverse City DNR Meeting: Oct 19, 2007

IPR recorded comments from the Harris brothers, who believe they somehow have no rights, rights they allege are guaranteed to them by virtue of being “white men.” IPR also interviewed Suzanne McSauby (GTB), Derek Bailey (GTB), and Kelly Smith (DNR), who had a more balanced view.

Representations of Michigan Indians in the Press

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Nick Reo’s recent post on online posts written in response to the Inland settlement reminded me of a dissertation by Scott G. Sochay, “Newspaper Images of Native Americans: Michigan Newspaper Coverage of Treaties and Compacts Affecting Indians in the Territory and State of Michigan” (1998). The diss. covers the 1819Treaty of Saginaw, the 1836 Treaty of Washington, and the 1993 gaming compacts.

It’s a large document, but you can download it here:  Sochay Dissertation

Port Huron Favors Bay Mills Settlement Act

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

From the Port Huron Times Herald: “Little by little, the odds for a Port Huron casino are beginning to improve. First, there was the important support U.S. Sen. Carl Levin gave the effort earlier this year, a setback to Detroit. Motor City officials have tried to block Port Huron’s bid, a development they view as a threat to Detroit’s three casinos.

“With new support from U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Port Huron’s casino effort marked another important sign of progress. The Rhode Island Democrat last week became a co-sponsor of H.R. 2176, legislation essential to Port Huron’s gambling facility.

“The bill seeks long-sought federal approval of a 2002 land trade between the state of Michigan and the Upper Peninsula’s Bay Mills Indian Community. The Chippewa band, based at Brimley, agreed to drop its claim to 110 acres of property at Charlotte Beach on the St. Marys River in exchange for the establishment of a new reservation on the property of Port Huron’s Thomas Edison Inn. The reservation would become the site of Port Huron’s Indian-run casino.”Despite his opposition to casino gambling, Gov. John Engler approved the deal. He did so largely because the Point Edward Charity Casino and Sarnia’s Hiawatha slot machines were drawing a substantial number of Americans who crossed the St. Clair River to gamble in Ontario. The Thomas Edison Inn casino would allow Port Huron to compete.”

Congrats to Bryan Newland

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

We’ve been remiss in congratulating our co-contributor Bryan Newland who just passed the Michigan bar exam. He is joining the Dykema Gossett firm.

Here’s the list of passers: State Bar Exam July 2007 Pass List

And congrats to the rest of the passers as well.