IT AINT EASY BEING AN NDN

(INDIAN)

A WEEK BY WEEK ACCOUNT OF LIFE ON AN INDIAN RESERVATION It has been said and practiced in our Dakota culture and
tradition that the Akicita (soldiers) are the protectors of the people against all enemies foreign and domestic. I cant say that this cultural value ever occurred to me during the six years, three months and eighteen days I spent in the service. What I remember is that I was right there bitching and moaning with the best of them. My last duty station was Vietnam and I was counting the days until I got back to the World." As it turned the "World" was right here in Sisseton, South Dakota. So here I am 40 years later, supposedly an Akicita and protector of the people and I have a confession to make. I want you to know that the latest financial disaster and the loss of $1,125,000.00 was my fault! Introduction
was fortunate to have been born with an entrepreneurial nature As a young boy I sold pop bottles,

scrap metal, frogs, and stray chickens from the local poultry processing plant, and set pins at the local four lane bowling alley.

After military service and college I bought a mobile concession trailer and during the summer months I sold popcorn, sno-cones and cotton candy on the pow-wow circuit. In 1974 I began working for Indian Health Service and one day in 1990 out of pure boredom I prayed that God would give me a good business idea. You may have heard it said Be careful for what you pray for you just might get it. A little later God provided me with the money lending idea. However, God in His infinite wisdom did not drop an operations manual down from heaven on how to loan money to Indians. I spent many years working at it and the God-given idea has provided my family and me a decent livelihood, and I actually do some good the money that I loan is at all but a few events that occur on the Sisseton reservation. I have heard it said that there are two reasons for starting a business to make money and/or to do some good - my business Mazaska Financial Service did both. In January 2003 the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Sioux Tribe or Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate (People O-YaTay) as they are known today, located in northeastern South Dakota, went from a two year term to a four year term of office. Our tribal council consists of seven council members representing the seven tribal districts, and three executive officers Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary.

One of the first acts of the seven council members was to jack-up their salaries from $45,000 per year to $65,000 dollars per year without first asking the membership. Without tribal gaming revenues a substantial increase in salaries would not have been possible. There were a handful of tribal members who protested. I was one of the protestors. Their first attempt failed to get the required votes. They tried again in March 2003 and failed. In July 2003 they voted on their salary increase for the third time and it finally passed. So what did they do? They made the pay raise retroactive back to January 2003, their first month in office! I wrote about their greed and arrogance in the Sota Iya Ye Yapi (Smoke Signals) the tribal newspaper. In retaliation the tribal council directed the CEO of Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise to discontinue my voluntary employee payroll deduction privilege. At the time I had over 150 casino employees who borrowed money from my payday lending business and I used the voluntary payroll deductions to secure my loans. The interesting thing about taking away the voluntary casino employee payroll deductions privilege was the CEO allowed ten white vendors to continue to receive employee payroll deductions. Forget that I was a veteran, educated, tribal member elder. Seven of the ten white owned vendors did not possess tribal business licenses. I did. In any venue loaning money is a tough business. Loaning money on an Indian reservation is a particularly tough business. It is made easier by the use of voluntary employee payroll deductions. For example, a casino or tribal employee will borrow $200. The employee signs a payroll deduction form allowing a weekly or bi-weekly deduction until the loan is paid in full. The practice of voluntary payroll deduction began many years ago and was certainly not done for my benefit, but to encourage area non-Indian merchants to sell their goods and services to the reservation Indians. Without the use of voluntary employee payroll deductions many white merchants will not extend credit to the Indian primarily because of the multiple civil and criminal jurisdiction situation, this is one of the unfortunate realities of todays reservation life. In spite of all the difficulties loaning money presents I did so well that I hired my son and daughter full time and paid them a decent salary by reservation standards. We were a family owned business and we had a nice office on the Main Street of Sisseton South Dakota, actually the only Indian business on Main Street. I like to think that my business epitomized Indian economic development. A lot was at stake when they took away my payroll deduction privilege. Without voluntary employee payroll deductions I lost my best means of securing my loans. I hung on as long as I could but eventually I had to lay off my son and daughter and I eventually closed my business on Main Street. What could I do when youre up against a third world type of government, where basic civil rights and due process are hollow phrases? I tried working it out on several occasions but they were adamant that I was not going to be allowed payroll deductions. One time we met in the Tribal Chairmans office and the big chief sat there pontificating (acting in a dogmatic & pompous manner). I told him if he really wanted to

solve my problem he should pick up the phone and call the CEO of Dakota Nation Gaming and turn my payroll deductions back on. He wouldnt do it. Since we live in a civilized society I just couldnt go out and take the law into my own hands. So I waged a war of words. I became the tribes biggest critic. I began to write weekly articles in the tribal newspaper and amongst other things I even went to tribal court with them eight times! Everything from freedom of press, (they tried to restrict articles critical of tribal government); to the redistribution of gaming revenues; violations of the tribal election ordinance; etc., etc., and I fought a tribal banishment code they were attempting to enact (directed at me). A small group of us led the charge and impeached the Tribal Chairman, more importantly, I believe my weekly articles heighten the awareness of the average tribal member and in the fall elections of 2006 the voters did not re-elect any of the other two executive officers and seven tribal council members. And because of their behavior the four year term was repealed by the voters. The years 2003 through 2006 was a big political disaster for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. It is my opinion that the council will go down in history as the worst leaders in the history of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. It remains a very perplexing question to me why otherwise good people turn out to be such bad Indian politicians or leaders. I am convinced one of the main reasons is that most aspiring Indian leaders or politicians come from poverty backgrounds and once they get into office they quickly figure out that there is very little oversight on the millions and millions of dollars that flow to the reservation. The temptation to jack up their salaries, abuse travel and credit card privileges, give themselves bonuses, take worthless trips, etc. etc., is just too great. Such a pity when tribal governments with gaming revenues have so much potential to do so much good. I am not a vindictive person and I have moved on with my life (In February 2008 I re-started my payday lending business) but at the same time I am somewhat dismayed that none of the tribal council or gaming officials got indicted for some of the things they did. I wrote many Open Letters to the Oyate articles during the years 2003 through 2006, but I did not keep each copy. However, I did from the time period June 27, 2007 through August 27, 2008. The result is a fifty-three week compilation of Open Letter to the Oyate. I have been amazed at how many people both Indian and non-Indian said they actually looked forward to my weekly articles and also the many people who read the Sota via the internet. (www.earthskyweb.com) Unfortunately many of the problems that I wrote about still exist today. The waste, graft, and corruption I reported got swept under the rug and the oyate (people) of the Lake Traverse reservation still have a leadership problem. Grady Renville

CONTENTS
Introduction The Treaty of 1867 Takes The Fat One Gallon Indians Can We All Just Get Along Indian Givers The Bear and the Rabbit The Letter that Never Got Printed Its All About the Mazaska NDNs Coming Out of the Woodwork Initiative to Repeal South Dakota Video Lottery Secrecy is the Enemy of Democracy 10 12 13 15 1 3 4 6 7 9 10

Minnesota Casino Idea Million Dollar Boondoggle Promote and Protect Lessons on Race No Cuss Words Two Indian Dogs A 72 Year Old Virgin Christmas Story Headlines Indian Mascots John Wayne Fry Bread Inspectors An Honest Dollar You Talk Too Much The Egalitarian Theory P.T.S.D. Poverty Pimps The Mundane From Us Cree Kids Myron the Traveler Digging Up Dirt A Third World Government Part I Growing Up on the Rez Part 2 Growing Up on the Rez Rantings Sam Adams What is An Indian Indians and Booze

16 18 20 21 23 24 26 28 29 31 32 35 37 39 41 44 46 48 50 53 55 58 60 62 64 67 69 71

Indian Preference Tribal Waste Casino Corruption Donkey Politicians and Gaming Officials Sisseton and Wahpeton History The Tribal Right to Self Govern Indian Money General Council Meeting Minnesota Casino Idea The Mdewakanton Identity Heist Historic Trauma and Red Rage SWO Medicine Man Defrocked NDN Hells Angels Banished From Shakopee

74 76 78 80 83 85 87 89 92 95 97 100 102 105

IT AINT EASY BEING AN NDN

(INDIAN)

A WEEK BY WEEK ACCOUNT OF LIFE ON AN INDIAN RESERVATION It has been said and practiced in our Dakota culture and
tradition that the Akicita (soldiers) are the protectors of the people against all enemies foreign and domestic. I cant say that this cultural value ever occurred to me during the six years, three months and eighteen days I spent in the service. What I remember is that I was right there bitching and moaning with the best of them. My last duty station was Vietnam and I was counting the days until I got back to the World." As it turned the "World" was right here in Sisseton, South Dakota. So here I am 40 years later,

supposedly an Akicita and protector of the people and I have a confession to make. I want you to know that the latest financial disaster and the loss of $1,125,000.00 was my fault!

ead Grady Renvilles no holds barred week by week account of what modern day Native Americans dream and hope for. Grady shares his humor, insight and opinion on culture, history and current events that affect their daily lives.

June 27, 2007

THE TREATY OF 1867 Trust me readers. All of the information that was deleted from previous articles was no fabrication. The proof is in the pudding. Now that they (the former tribal council) are gone does mean that the damage they created disappeared with them. The federal audits they were responsible for are still not complete. Thousands of dollars of Indirect Cost money and millions of dollars of federal money was lost because of incomplete audits and dont ever forget they tore down a perfectly good wacipi (powwow) arena and in the process wasted over $400,000 dollars on a big plastic tent. And yet they gave themselves bonuses of two and five thousand dollars. The two bonuses they gave themselves were done without any authorizing motions or resolutions! Isnt that illegal? The SWO Tribe is at least $60 million dollars in debt and the debt load could be even higher and there is talk of possible employee lay offs. To address this problem several members of the new tribal council traveled to Shakopee recently to see if they would borrow us some more money. My well informed Shakopee member/friend does not think the Shakopee Mdewakantons will loan the Oyate (the people) any more money. Speaking of the Mdewakantons my understanding of Dakota history is that the Mdewakanton band was primarily responsible for starting the War of 1862. Interestingly, the Sisseton and Wahpeton Treaty of 1867 [the treaty that established the Lake Traverse Reservation] states this fact: Whereas it is understood that a portion of the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Santee Sioux Indians, numbering 1200 to 1500 persons, not only preserved their obligations to the government of the United States during and since the outbreak of the Mdewakantons and other bands of Sioux in 1862 and who did not participate in the massacre of the whites in 1862, fearing the indiscriminate vengeance of the whites, fled to the great prairies of the Northwest, where they still remain. The ill advised War of 1862 resulted in the Sisseton and Wahpetons getting kicked out of Minnesota, their treaties abrogated, forfeiture of their remaining land in Minnesota, incarceration at Fort Snelling in the winter of 1863, and untold hardships and abuse perpetrated against the innocent Sisseton and Wahpeton bands. I say the Mdewakanton's should just give us any money we may need and write off the 36 million dollar debt we now owe them. Sort of like reparations (an act of making amends) for past wrongdoings. Maybe, if the modern day Mdewakantons were more generous with their $700 hundred million dollar annual revenues they would not have twenty-two thousand Dakota descendents joining lawsuits against them. My well informed Shakopee member/friend sat in on a meeting where a former tribal chairman of ours was seeking money and was berated by a female Shakopee member for always coming to Shakopee for money. This particular woman is one of those enrolled at Shakopee with a questionable Mdewakanton pedigree. My friend went on to say that Chairman Stanley Crooks, in turn, scolded the Shakopee women for disrespecting a tribal leader. Unfortunately, for the Oyate, this lady has a substantial voting block within the community and she will affect the Oyates latest request for money.

My translation of this incident and our history is all the more reasons for the Sisseton and Wahpetons to partnership with the State of Minnesota and build a casino in the twin cities. Being unsure if the current SWO financial crisis is real I am going to test the waters and have submitted a one hundred thousand dollar economic development grant request to the tribe. There is a little known and never used provision in the Amended North Dakota/SWO Gaming Compact, at Section 7 (viii), which allows for economic development grants to tribal members. If you own or aspire to own your own business I urge you to apply for this grant money. Also, the tribe has adopted an Economic Development Diversification Plan. At Section 6 of the plan it states: Business Development Support System - expand current efforts to support and assist new and existing businesses and provide education to prospective entrepreneurs. Had the last tribal council and their stooge Travis Carrico supported this Business Development Support Plan I would not be applying for the economic development grant today. I am hopeful that my grant request will be approved for the simple reason that my request wont cost any new money. The CEOs salary was dropped from $200,000 to $125,000, a savings of seventy five thousand dollars. Plus, the tribe does not have to pay out the huge bonuses the last tribal council gave him and the other corporate executives. He wasnt willing to work for $125,000 so his last day as CEO of Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise was June 15th. Truth be, told if the former tribal council and the former CEO had not messed with my former mazaska business I would have never gotten involved in tribal politics and you he would not be reading weekly It Aint Easy Being An Indian articles. Their actions forced me to target them and with the help of other concerned tribal members we heighten the awareness of the voters and the voters threw them all out. But tribal members the job is not done yet! We may have cut off the head of the beast but the tail is still wagging and we need to stay vigilante. Like I said, it aint easy being an Indian.
* The following note was sent to the Sota Editor: Sorry Chuck, but this one is over 900 words, like I said, I cant hardly write a decent article within the 500 word limit. The only item that I can see that you can delete this time is where the council gave themselves the bonuses without motions or resolutions. But, before you start chopping check with Jesse Larson, council woman Terri Larsons husband, and Heipa councilman Winfield Rondell. I asked Jr. Rondell at Winona if there were motions or resolutions authorizing the bonuses and he said, None that we can find. On another matter, I cannot believe that you actually ran down Mike Roberts about my allegation concerning Kevin Roberts being comped twenty rooms. Someday, you will have to tell me about your conversation with Mike Roberts. I would really like to hear your version of this alleged conversation. They say that there are two antidotes for public corruption, light and heat. My articles are not solely about targeting the former tribal council. They are about what is fundamentally right and wrong with our tribal government. Slavery, women suffrage, child labor, the Vietnam war, etc., etc., was not corrected because one day America woke up and said it was wrong to enslave black people, or that children were being exploited. No, it was changed because there were people who stood up to the injustice. That is the reason why I submit my weekly articles; and the second reason is that if the last tribal council had not screwed with my business I would be in quietly sitting in my office on Main Street making money and would not have time to write a weekly article. The Oyate have become so accustomed to graft and corruption that they think it is normal to steal from the government. So it has become my duty to shed a little light and heat on the subject. Finally, I got to thinking about your 500 word policy. Were does this policy come from? Was this policy presented to the tribal council or the seven districts? If yes, when, who, and where? Do you have an editorial board? Or is it just Chuck Floro deciding what is best for us Indians?

May I make a recommendation to you? Leave the political punditry and commentary to the Oyate, who in fact own the Sota, by the simple fact that tribal tax revenue of $2,694.20 per month or $ 32,331.38 annually is allocated to support the operational costs of the Sota. Your 500 word policy, tribal ownership of the Sota, and the $32,000 dollar subsidy may one day be the subject of a future article. Like I said It aint easy being an Indian.

.. July 4, 2007 TAKES THE FAT They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. A NDN gal, Ricey Wild, writes an It Aint Easy Being Indian article for the Circle, an Indian newspaper in Minneapolis. I liked the ring tone so I copied her. Her article can be read at www.thecircilenews.org. I use to write under the title of Put This in Your Pipe and Smoke It, but, I was afraid someone would criticize me for disrespecting the Pipe. Speaking of the pipe do you remember back several years ago when NDNs (Indians) first starting raising hell John Wayne offered to smoke the pipe of peace but an NDN hit him with a piece of pipe. I feel compelled to address the criticism of college student Maya Peters in the last Sota. She did not like my use of the Dakota word Wisicu (White person Wah-She-Choo). My first reaction was: Get a life! Truthfully, readers, I dont spend a lot of my time thinking about what to call a Mexican - a Mexican, a Hispanic, a Latino, or a Spanish person? Likewise, I dont spend a lot of my time thinking about what to call a white person. It all depends on the situation, right? My particular usage of the word Wisicu was never intended to insult any one. When talking with another Indian, Sioux, Dakota, Native American, indigenous person, NDN, or skin, I prefer to use the term my Wisicu neighbor or my Wisicu friend, rather than my white neighbor or my white friend. Similarly, when talking about my Negro neighbor or my Negro friend I would rather say my black neighbor or my black friend. I think most people are equally confused as to what to call someone of a different race. So I will cop out and just say that whatever we decide to call each other, I think we can all agree, just dont call us late for dinner. My Dakota language consultant said that Wace means fat and Icu means take. Yes, Wisicu could mean takes the fat, a not particularly flattering term to describe the early European settlers in the region. However, there is another Dakota word, Wasi, which means work. According to my expert a Canadian Dakota once told him that wisi-icu meant a slave owner. He went on to say that there were some Dakota Indians who fought in the Civil War and they referred to the white slave owners as wisi-icu, literally, one who takes someone to work, i.e., a slave owner. In early June I when to play moccasin way down in Winona, Minnesota, and an elderly Dakota lady said she enjoyed reading my weekly articles. The following week at the Morton wacipi (pow wow, for our white/wisicu readers) I was again playing moccasin when an elderly Dakota lady from Granite Falls stopped me long enough to say she enjoyed reading my articles and urged me to keep it up.

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Sorry Maya, I cannot please everyone. You may find out later in your life, like I did, it is useless to try. Also, you will find out that you are the ultimate decider. If you dont like a particular opinion, article, or person you will skip over the objectionable article, ignore the opinion, and change the channel. (I hate Bill OReilly. If you want a good laugh go to the internet and punch in Bill OReilly, the OReilly factor, and click #5 of his web page). Switching channels, allow me to sum up my feelings about tribal government, past, present, and future. Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune recently wrote the following: There are countless follies, presumptions and temptations that can lead a government employee [or tribal politician] to embarrassment and disgrace. But whether you are a high ranking member of the federal governments executive branch [or tribal council], the road to ruin begins with a simple lapse of memory: forgetting that the job is public trust, not personal property. In feudal time, the people were at the mercy of their rulers. But the American Revolution upended that presumption. Our democracy rests on the preposition that all legitimate power derives from the people, and that anything the government has the authority to do, it enjoys only because the people have voluntarily granted that authority. When presidential aides [or tribal politicians] exercise their prerogatives, theyre using tools that are merely on loan. Sometimes that obligation is lost on the lowest and the highest public officials. They might all do well to start each day by reading the Constitution to remind themselves of the foundation of our system of government. Not the whole thing, just the first three words: We the People. Showing contempt for the people who elected you, of course is not an Indian invention. But the last tribal council sure made it seem like they did. Recently, former Heipa (Veblen) councilwomen Karen White attempted to justify the last councils salary, bonuses, annual leave payoffs, and severance pay by stating that they were merely following the lead of previous tribal councils. I am sure she is right. However, my objection to her justification is she failed to mention that the Legislative Policy they enacted in July 2003 gave them the absolute right to set their own salary and benefits. Furthermore, the Legislative Policy, for obvious reasons, was never presented to the seven districts for their input or vote. This convenient oversight allowed them to take the fat. Now I am really confused as to whom exactly a Wisicu is - a white person, a slave owner, or a former tribal council person? The new tribal council has followed suit and they too did not take their compensation package back to the Oyate for review, input or vote. Which raises the question of whether this new tribal council regards their job as public trust or personal property? I cannot imagine that thousands of Wisicu, White, Anglo, Caucasian people from Sisseton, Roberts County, and South Dakota would similarly allow their city councilmen, county commissioners and state legislators to arbitrarily give themselves salary and benefits totaling one hundred thousand dollar each year, abuse credit cards, and travel privileges without their input or vote.

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May I be so presumptuous to say that there are equally thousands of Oyate (The people) who do not approve of their leaders taking the fat without their input or consent! That reason, Maya, like it or not, is only one of the reasons why I say it aint easy being an Indian. .. July 11, 2007 ONE GALLON INDIANS In previous articles some readers may have gotten the impression that I may be nawizi (jealous) or envious of the Shakopee Mdewakantons (A small community of Dakota Indians located near Shakopee, Minnesota and owners of the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel). That is not the case. I am being slightly facetious, but it is a fact that it aint easy being an Indian is even founded in federal law and tribal law. Let me explain. There is no other race in the world that I know of, where your racial identify is tied to your degree of blood, in our case our Indian blood. Most of us probably cannot recite our actual blood degree or quantum off the top of our heads. By law, in order to be classified as a Sisseton and Wahpeton member you must possess one quarter Sisseton or Wahpeton blood. In simply terms this means that if we all had a gallon of blood in our veins one quart of it would have to be Sisseton or Wahpeton blood. It does not take to many generations of interracial or intertribal marriage to lose your right to be a certified Indian or a member of a particular tribe. For example, my great-great-great grandmother Miniyuhe was a full blood Mdewakanton (one gallon). She bore two sons Joseph and Victor from a French fur trader. Her sons, Joe and Vic now contain two quarts of Mdewankanton blood. Victor my great-great grandfather bore a son Gabriel who now contains one quart of Mdewakanton blood. My one quart great-grandfather Gabriel gave my grandfather Moses 1/8th Mdewakanton blood. Grandfather Moses gave my dad Joe 1/16 Mdewakanton blood. Joe gave me 1/32 Mdewakanton blood and I gave my son Travis 1/64 Mdewakanton blood and Travis gave his son Wakinyan 1/128 Mdewakanton blood. Imagine 128 bottles and only one is full and that is how much Mdewakanton blood my grandson Wakinyan possesses. Shakopees original enrollment ordinance required one quart of Mdewakanton blood. The U.S. government and federal courts have taken the position that each tribe is the ultimate decider of blood quantums needed for membership. So given that latitude the Shakopee Mdewakanton community members have arbitrarily changed the rules; and instead of strictly adhering to the one quart rule they apply or ignore the blood quantum rules to suit themselves. They can adopt someone, usually a relative, who does not have the one quart of Mdewakanton Blood, by doing this the adoptee is eligible to receive the million dollars annual per cap payment. It is all about the mazaska (money)!

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Who can blame the current members from closing the door on other real or potential Mdewakantons? Somewhere in the confusion and money the Indian got lost. According to the Minneapolis paper twenty two thousand people claim a right to share in the million dollars per cap. I never bothered applying because I know what my blood quantum is. However, I assisted three local Dakota ladies who clearly had the one quart Mdewakanton blood and on July 7, 1994 we presented their applications for enrollment. We were told by a questionable Medwakanton lady, who ironically, was the Enrollment Clerk that they had the most complete applications that she had ever seen. However, she just could not resist calling the three applicants reservation jumpers. Two of the ladies can trace their lineage to their grandmother who was a full blood (one gallon) Mdewakanton and listed on both the Mcleod and Henton Rolls. Ironically, the Shakopees have even named a street after their Mdewakanton ancestor. After 13 years and with all the evidence in their favor their applications are still gathering dust down there. They got close one time, but then Shakopee came up against a new road block. Apparently, a member of the Shakopee community has to vouch for them before the entire membership will vote on their application. Why would a current community member want to vouch for any new members, except their own relatives? By failing to act on their applications the three Dakota ladies have lost out on at least 13 million dollars each! My detractors are probably wondering what the hell was Shady Grady going to get out of helping the three Dakota ladies. Truth be told, we had a little deal going that if I helped them get enrolled I would get to house sit their mansions while they were down in Florida for the winter! Like I said, it aint easy being an Indian. ... July 19, 2007 CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG If you believe the romantic view or notion that we all get along and would even die for each other may I suggest that you read Through Dakota Eyes by Alan Woolworth, and Dakota Grammar with Texts and Ethnography by Stephen Riggs. The books suggest that the Oyate did not always get along with each other. At one time in our history a clan of Dakota Indians was called Oyate Sica (Bad People), and another clan was called Breakers of Custom or Law. At page 158 of Dakota Grammar it says: Hence the people were called Sisseton. They were divided thus into subgenres (clans): The white people brought whiskey. The Sissetons got drunk and killed each other. By this means they were scattered. Some went up to Lake Traverse, and some went to the Two Woods west of Lac Qui Parle. Of course, like any other publication you need to read these books with a discerning eye. However, I am sorry to say that in three score and four years (64 years) I have seen Oyate against Oyate more than I want

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to remember. If you think my articles are doing more harm than good in our long love-hate history think again. They say that there are two antidotes to public corruption light and heat. I have become a magnet for most of the bad news happening within our tribal government and I am convinced that many of the Oyate want me to expose it the light. Two recent examples come to mind: As a result of the incomplete audits the tribe had to use the Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority to apply for a one million dollar block grant. The negativity is not in me reporting this fact but in the fact that the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe is a multi-million dollar organization, the ninth largest employer in the State, and yet central tribal government has to use one of it subordinate entities to apply for federal grant money. There is something definitely wrong with this scenario and for damn sure it aint me reporting the fact. It was also reported to me that the new Enemy Swim School was built on a burial mound(s). Three things are apparent. I personally cant do anything about the situation, accept report it; the school cannot be easily relocated; and there is enough blame to go around. The fascinating thing about this particular situation is that I was also told that some of the Enemy Swim Oyate dont think there is anything wrong with building a school on a burial mound! So, my take is, if you were to line up a hundred Oyate some would find the situation shameful others would say it is okay, and a third group wont care either way. Diversity and division, rather than unity and solidarity are the rule of the day in Oyate-land. Some wisicus (white people) had (maybe still do) a stereotype that NDNs are all a bunch of drunks. Part of the stereotype is true. Some Oyate have a stereotype that we all get along, again, part of the stereotype is true and most of it isnt. Would it be nice if we all got along and agreed on everything? Certainly! Switching channels, the more astute observers of life in Oyate-land may find my behavior perplexing. In a recent article I reported that I submitted a one hundred thousand dollar grant request to the new tribal council and a week later I took my first public shot at them. I alleged they, like the previous council, did not take their compensation package back to Oyate for input or vote. [More about that in a future article] You maybe wondering: How in the heck is Shady Grady going to get his grant request approved by the very tribal council he criticizes? The answer can be found at page 20 of the SWO Constitution and Bylaws booklet, Article IX, Bill of Rights, Section 1. It states: ALL members of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate shall be accorded equal political and equal opportunities to participate in the economic resources and activities of the Tribe. Read on. No person shall be denied freedom of conscience, speech, association or assembly, or due process of law, or the right to petition for the redress of grievance. For the second time in my life, I am going to rely on the SWO Bill of Rights to protect me from petty politics and tribal politicians. The last time I made this presumption the SWO Tribal Bill of Rights totally failed me. Even though I say it aint easy being an Indian I am still an eternal optimist and have the audacity to hope.

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July 25, 2007 INDIANS GIVERS California pays its full time legislators $100,000 per year and the last tribal council paid them selfs an average of $100,000 per year. Comparing California and the SWO is like comparing oranges to tipsina (wild turnips). California has 36 million people and an annual budget of $127 billion dollars. The SWO has 11,000 members and a budget of approximately $35 million dollars. The contrast in size and scope of the two governments is so remarkable that it is difficult to comprehend why the last tribal council paid them selfs $100.000 per year? And at the recent Prairie Island Wacipi (pow wow) I had an interesting visit with the tribal chairman of a tribe whose annual gaming revenue is $400 million dollars. I could not resist asking how much the tribal chairmans salary was, he replied, $65,000 dollars a year. These two examples tell me that something is out of whack in Oyate-land. The SWO voters entrust their leadership with the keys to the tribal treasury and it is understood and expected that the elected leadership do not violate this trust. It is a federal crime for elected officials acting under the color of official right to take more than what they are reasonably entitled to. Trust me when I say there is a very strong undercurrent of feeling among the Oyate that whoever violates this trust must go to jail. I stated several weeks ago the present tribal council did not take their compensation package back to the seven districts for their input and vote. Since that time the one council person I spoke with insisted that they did indeed take their compensation package back to the districts. Would all seven tribal council members like to take up my challenge and send me a copy of their district minutes that shows their districts voted for a sixty five thousand dollar annual salary? My mail box is Box 25, Sisseton. I will report the results in a future article and will publicly apologize, if necessary. Before gaming revenues tribal councils were paid little or nothing. Serving on the tribal council in the mid 80s I was paid $250 a month, a paltry sum by todays standards. The issue of what to pay our elected officials is a debate waiting to happen. I do not recall any debate on what to pay our leadership and without any debate or oversight tribal councils have assumed the right to set there own salaries. Which again leads us to the question of whether the job of a tribal council person is public trust or personal property? Should the Oyate have any voice in determining the compensation of their elected officials or should the process be left entirely up to the discretion of the tribal council (public trust vs. personal property)? I am of the opinion that as soon as possible the Oyate need to enact a constitutional amendment regarding tribal council compensation. Changing channels, on Tuesday, July 10, 2007, I appeared before the tribal council to present my $100,000 grant request. As I previously reported the SWO and North Dakota Amended Gaming Compact at section 7.3 (viii) allows for economic development grants to aspiring tribal businessmen.

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I was barely done with my presentation when a motion was made and seconded to approve my $100,000 grant request. For a nanosecond it suddenly got easier being an Indian! Prior to the vote on the motion there was little discussion and certainly no heated debate on why I should be given a hundred thousand dollars or even if money was available to fund my request. I offered several suggestions where the money could come from, the main one being savings from the former CEOs salary and bonus money no longer being paid to the rest of the corporate executives, which I estimate to be at least a $250,000 dollar savings. The vote tally was 10 weighted votes for the motion and 7 against the motion. Delighted with the vote count I asked the obvious question: When could I pick up my check? The answer came in the form of a rather lengthy monologue from Vice-Chairman Jake Thompson, who voted for the motion, in the end he said there was no money to honor the motion they had was just passed! The next day, Wednesday, July 11, 2007, the tribal council rescinded the motion that they made the day before! That is why I say it aint easy being an Indian. .. August 1, 2007 THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT I wasnt on the I-35W Bridge when it collapsed. At that time I was in the Washington, D.C. area. I made a pilgrimage to the Vietnam Wall and the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial. This year a Marine friend and I visited the new Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia. The museum is set up to display each conflict that the Marine Corps has been involved in for the past two hundred years. After 40 years the pain of Vietnam still feels fresh. The Vietnam War display sent chills up my spine. People are saying that the Iraqi War is looking a lot like the quagmire that the Vietnam War turned out to be. My friends right hand was nearly blown off during the war but thanks to good Navy medicine it was saved. His left leg is still full of shrapnel that he sets off the metal detectors. Thank God we have people like him, than and now, young men and women, who despite the politics of the war still volunteer to put them selfs in harms way. Wasnt World War I the war to end all wars? At the Shakopee Wacipi last week I was talking to guy from the Spirit Lake Tribe and he said business was booming at the tribes manufacturing plant because of the Iraqi War. Maybe the SWO should retrofit the bag factory and get into the defense industry. I am being slightly facetious but war isnt all that bad. War is good for the economy. You get to meet a lot of nice guys, you get to travel to a lot of strange and exotic places, and even getting shot at provides a certain rush. Recently my VA pension was jacked up, so what the hell?

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During the last month I have been debating whether I would ever submit another Open Letter to the Oyate. While traveling I read the Sota on the internet and if you only read the Sota you could get the impression that everything is just fine in Oyate-Land and my cynical letters sure seem out of place in utopia. I had an interesting encounter at the Shakopee Wacipi with Glen Crooks, the Vice-Chairman of the Shakopee Tribe. So I think I will continue submitting articles for the time being. But I will save that tale until next week. Stay tuned. Where I left off at (my last article) I mentioned that I went before the tribal council on July 10 th to present my $100,000 economic development grant. I mentioned they approved my request and than they said they didnt have the money to honor the motion that they just passed. The tribal council minutes in the August 15 Sota gives a slightly different version of what actually happened. Nonetheless, the end result being the economic development grants for tribal members turns out to be a big farce. I am okay with that - if you are broke, you are broke, right? I did hear that council women Norma Perko, who voted for my grant request, got criticized from a certain group in the Big Coulee District. I am sure Norma doesnt need my help defending her vote, but I want to remind her and the Oyate that a certain group in the Big Coulee District was responsible for the financial train wreck out at the tribe and in my opinion they have no room to criticize. My July 10th visit before the tribal council reminds me of a story. Brother bear is taking a poop in the woods. Brother rabbit sits down next to the bear and takes a poop. The bear asks the rabbit, does poop stick to your fur? No, said the rabbit. The bear takes the rabbit and wipes his butt. Like I said, it aint easy being an Indian. .. September 12, 2007 THE LETTER THAT NEVER GOT PRINTED Several Oyate have asked why I haven't put an article in the Sota lately. The short answer is because the Sota Editor refused to publish my last submission. Several weeks ago I promised to submit an article concerning the Shakopee Mdewakanton enrollment scandal. When nothing was published I e-mailed Chuck Floro. This was his response. Grady: "I am sorry, but after lots and lots of thought I am declining to print it. SWO tribal leaders are very sensitive about their negotiations with Shakopee. Once before (not during this administration) I was informed that they were upset with what was being printed about them in the Sota. Sorry. Chuck." By nature, choice, and upbringing I am no racist. But this is how I interpret the Sota Editor's attempt to suppress and/or restrict freedom of the press on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation. I find it disturbing and despicable that a white guy has the arbitrary power to decide what the Oyate can read. That being the case let me quote another white guy by the name of Walter Lippman, he said:

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Through the media we learn about our world, our life, medical breakthroughs, scientific advances, toppling regimes, the truth about history, useful news, trivial news, useful trivial news, good news, bad newsnews. We rely on it, depend on its accuracy, and, if it turns out to be inaccurate, we expect another news organization to expose the expos. Freedom of the press is a fundamental right, up there with freedom of speech and freedom of and from religion. A free press is not a luxury; it's a necessity." So which white guy is right? Chuck Floro or Walter Lippman? I am voting for the later. The other issue is: Does the Shakopee people have our tribe in their back pocket? The SWO owes them 36 million dollars and is trying to hit them up again. In the meantime, according to Chuck, we are all supposed to be good little NDN's while negotiations are going on. Back in 2004 several of us took the free speech and freedom of press issues to tribal court. The last tribal council attempted to restrict our access to our own tribal newspaper. Again, I am considering that option. I will let you know how this plays out. Like I said it ain't easy being an Indian. ... September 26, 2007 ITS ALL ABOUT THE MAZASKA (MONEY) The Shakopee Wacipi (pow wow) held this past August was subjected to a monsoon style rainfall so the wacipi was moved indoors to their hockey rink. The hardcore moccasins game players continued to play outdoors until we were also flooded out. After the moccasin tournament was over I was sitting in the crowded hallway. Every now and then Shakopee Vice-chairman Glen Crooks would parade by in full Indian chief regalia with an entourage of wisicus (white people) following close behind. I thought to myself, If he stops suddenly one of them is going to run their nose up his onze (butt). The big chief notices me sitting there and comes up to me and says, I am surprised to see you here, after all that you have written about us. I replied, Well, Chief, I am just a man with an opinion and you know what they say about opinions, opinions are like ass-holes, every bodies got one! I visit your casinos along with a million other suckers and make my donation. To his credit he thanked me for my casino donations. Later, I got to thinking about this brief encounter. I wasnt upset and maybe I should have been flattered that a modern day Indian chief would recognize a lowly ikce wicasta (common man) like me, but I wasnt. The Shakopee enrollment scandal I wrote about in the Sota (the Sisseton tribal newspaper) is on the internet and was published in many of the Upper Midwest newspapers so what the hell! I dont suppose the chief has confronted any of the wisicus who wrote the articles for writing about the Shakopee enrollment scandal. I have had this experience before. An Indian will get in the face of another Indian but wont say

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jack cesdi (poop) to a wisicu. I guess the chief was telling me or warning me if you criticize Shakopee you are not welcome on their properties. In that previous article I wrote about helping three ladies from Sisseton apply for enrollment at Shakopee. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Constitution requires members to prove 1/4 Mdewakanton blood and/or be able to traced their lineage to a Mdewakanton living in Minnesota on May 20, 1886. The three ladies submitted their application thirteen years ago and they are still waiting for their applications to be approved. As a result of Shakopee not acting on their applications they have collectively lost out on over 39 million dollars! In April 2007, the Minneapolis Tribune ran two articles on the enrollment scandal at Shakopee. The headlines state: Frozen out of casino profits thousand of descendants of Minnesota Dakota have sued asserting their rights to the money. A federal judge in Washington has strengthened their claims. Now Sheldon Wolfchild and 22,000 other descendants of the Minnesota Dakota are laying claim to the casino riches. The three ladies that applied for membership are in the same canoe as Wolfchild and 22,000 other Mdewakanton descendants. In order to keep the enrollment low Shakopee simply refuses to recognize their lineage. The grandmother of two of the ladies was a full-blooded Mdewakanton and is listed on the 1886 Mcleod and 1889Henton census rolls. Many of the current Shakopee members lack the degree of Mdewakanton blood or cant make the connection to the 1886 and 1889 census rolls so they conveniently ignore legitimate descendents that do and manipulate the their own rules to allowed their own families to enroll. If you are on outside trying to get in your chances of being enrolled are slim to none. The father of the third lady was an enrolled member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community and lived in one of their communities on land he was allotted. In fact, he lived in the same community that has a street named after the grandmother of the other two applications. (The street is named Other Day Drive, the grandmother of two of the ladies trying to get enrolled.) Her situation is particularly bewildering. After her mother (who was from Sisseton) and her Shakopee father divorced, he married a non-Indian who had a non-Indian son from a previous relationship. After her Shakopee father died, the non-Indian step-son began receiving about $72,000 dollars a year in general assistance from Shakopee while his own biological daughter got nothing and was denied enrollment at Shakopee. To add insult to injury, Shakopee kicked her off her Shakopee fathers property and gave the land to another questionable Shakopee member. As a final insult, the three ladies were called reservation jumpers for having the audacity to enrollment at Shakopee. This example is at the heart of the enrollment controversy. Who gets enrolled and who doesnt is pretty much a crap shoot. If you want to read more about this dispute go to the internet and type in Barbara Feezer Buttes or Loyal Mdewakanton or even the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community webpage; or go to Mohrman & Kaardal webpage and click on Barbara Buttes/Beyond Sovereignty: The Mdewakanton Identity Heist.

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Barbara Feezor Buttes, a plaintiff in the Loyal Mdewakanton lawsuit, is an anthropologist who has extensively researched the genealogies of the current Shakopee members and she will tell you point blank that the biggest reservation jumpers is the family of the big chief who confronted me on a recent Sunday afternoon. No doubt many of those who apply for enrollment at Shakopee are hoping to share in the million dollar-ayear per capita payment. Who can blame them? On the other side current Shakopee members are determined to keep them out because more enrolled Shakopee members means less per capita money for those lucky enough to be currently enrolled. Who can blame them? Personally, it doesnt make a bit of difference to me who gets enrolled and who doesnt. My only stake in the controversy is what I contribute at the casinos, which is the fuel that drives this modern day tribal warfare. Since I am not welcomed at Shakopee I returned my Mystic Lake Players Club card to them. This small protest and the chump change I donate at their casino is not going to make a dent in their bottom line, but why give $$$ to people who resent you for telling the truth? The Minneapolis Tribune article also reported that Leonard Prescott, the former chairman, said the casinos generate about $700 million dollars a year in revenues. Using Prescotts figures Mystic Lake casino has generated over six billion dollars in gaming revenues during the past nine years! A sign at the Mystic Lake Casino proudly states that the Shakopee Mdewakantons gave away $18 million dollars in 2006 and $75 million dollars during the past nine years. The $75 million they gave away to other Indian causes is less than two (2) percent of the six billion dollar total. The biblical standard for giving is 10%. Unfortunately for the three ladies and the thousands of other Mdewakanton descendents this controversy is not about abiding by biblical standards and doing the right thing. No matter how you look at it, it aint easy being an Indian. Grady Renville . October 10, 2007 NDNs COMING OUT OF THE WOOD WORK Black and white people all over America are coming out of the wood work claiming to be Indians, all trying to cash in on the new buffalo - Indian gaming. In fairness to the Shakopee Mdewakanton's they are not the only "tribe" in America trying to restrict their membership by crook or rook. A California gaming tribe recently threw out 1/4 of their membership. A couple of weeks ago at a shopping mall near Prior Lake I stopped to admire a custom made motorcycle and a fellow in motor cycle gear comes up to me and we engage in small talk and he says he belongs to the Shakopee community. (Shakopee is not allowed to call them self a tribe. After the rest of the

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Dakota Oyate were kicked out of Minnesota the remaining Mdewakanton's were required to disavow ties to other Dakota Indians; and they were thereafter called communities instead of tribes). I have heard other Shakopee community members say on numerous occasions. "Where were all the Indians when we were living in poverty and trailer houses out at Shakopee?" "Now that we got money everybody wants to be a Mdewakanton." I told him that all the other Dakota's (Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Wahpetons, and Wahpekutes) were living in poverty and trailer houses out at Crow Creek, Flandreau, Santee, Devils Lake, Sisseton, and Canada! Recently Shakopee received rave reviews for their new 3200 seat Celebrity Place and Bingo Hall. On Wednesday October 3, 2007, there was an article in the Minneapolis Tribune that read: "The small Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has become a big player in Minnesota philanthropy." Vice Chairman Glynn Crooks is quoted as saying. "We can't do everything, but we do help." Shakopee has also given money to build new district centers for Veblen and Lake Traverse. No doubt the millions they gave away does a lot of good. Back in 1989 the Forbes magazine listed a Columbian drug dealer as one of the world's richest men. With the billions of dollars he earned selling dope to Americans Pablo Escabar built schools, churches, clinics, stadiums and gave money to the poor. But you know what? Despite all of his philanthropy Pablo Escobar was still a drug dealer. Mdewakanton descendent and anthropologist, Dr. Barbara Feezor Buttes, has extensively researched the Shakopee Mdewakanton's. In her yet to be published book, Beyond Sovereignty: The Mdewakanton Identity Heist, she states: "Virtually every interview with my Mdewakanton consultants included references to the fraudulent claims of a particular politically powerful family on the Prior Lake trust lands. I searched for information that could help me understand the origins of this family. I discovered that, according to all reliable legal, public, and private documents, this family had pretended to be Mdewakanton when they squatted on Mdewakanton lands in 1969. Since that time they have illegitimately claimed Mdewakanton identity, using Mdewakanton lands to set up their own "Mdewakanton" government in Prior Lake, which now effectively works in opposition to the legitimate Mdewakanton people. I have since catalogued thousand of legal documents that prove beyond a doubt that federal agents facilitated serious statutory crimes against the Mdewakanton, ignoring their fiduciary duty and illegally transferring the Mdewakanton identity to the Crooks family and their confederates." Does their millions of dollars in philanthropy justify the Mdewakanton identity heist? I will leave that for you to decide. Like I said it ain't easy being an Indian.

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October 17, 2007 INITIATIVE TO REPEAL SOUTH DAKOTA VIDEO LOTTERY On Wednesday, October 10, a meeting was in held in tribal council chambers to discuss the how and why's former gaming CEO Travis Carrico gave away $900,000 to two political actions groups. The decision to provide funding to repeal or outlaw South Dakota video lottery was made on January 12, 2006, and was the brain child of JC Crawford, Scott German, Mike Peters, Smokey German, Barb Jens, Myron Williams, Nicky Crawford, Karen White, Ron Dumarce and Kevin Roberts. Tribal attorney Lisa Lisano, gaming CEO Travis Carrico, and CFO Wright Wilson were apparently the only ones involved in this scheme. The SWO Gaming Commission disavowed any knowledge of the scheme. The Gang of Thirteen clearly intended to keep their scheme a secret. Even the newly elected Tribal Chairman Jerry Flute was not told of their scheme. From January 26 through December 7, 2007 a series of twelve payments totaling $1,125,000 dollars (the newspapers reported $900,000) were wire transferred to two political action groups located in Sioux Falls. As you may recall, at about the same time, the SWO was unsuccessful in obtaining more slot machines for the Watertown casino and this appears to be the motivating reason for the million dollar expenditure and the need for absolute secrecy. Apparently, they reasoned that since the Governor wasn't going to give the SWO any more slot machines the SWO would than fund an effort to repeal or outlaw video lottery machines in South Dakota. No motions or resolutions have been found authorizing this million dollars plus expenditure. The million dollar expenditure was listed on the books as a "donation" and passed the Dakota Magic Casino's internal and external audit reviews. The SWO Gaming Commission was of the opinion that because this expense was a listed as a "donation" it did not violate the North Dakota/Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Gaming Compact. Amongst other things it was also revealed that former CEO of Dakota Magic Casino Travis Carrico owned ten percent interest in the gaming kiosk at the Dakota Magic casino. The Tribal Council than created a task force comprised of Gaming Commissioners Danny White, Verlyn Beaudreau; Vice Chairman, Jake Thompson and Councilmen Floyd Kirk, Terri Larson and Audrey Bernard and fired tribal attorney Lisa Lisano and suspended with pay CFO Wright Wilson pending further investigation. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this latest financial fiasco and to share all of my thoughts would require more space than Sota policy allows. Briefly: 1). I was no fan of Travis Carrico. He was the fellow that said my Indian owned business needed a State charter to do business with the tribal casinos and now, ironically, it is the same State that comes to bite him in the ass. 2). I know there was always some Oyate who think old shady Grady is just a loan shark, taking advantage of the poor Indians, but consider the irony. A white guy (Carrico) makes a million dollar in salary, benefits, and bonuses off the poor Indian, and if that is not enough, he owns a business that does business with the

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casino he manages, and the Indian guy (me) cannot do business with the business that I own as a tribal member. 3). All though the current tribal council was right in terminating the tribal attorney they should have also terminated the CFO. 4). In my opinion they dropped the ball by appointing gaming commissioner Danny White, tribal councilman Floyd Kirk, and vice-chairman Jake Thompson to a task force. 5). A better plan would have been to ask the FBI and North Dakota Attorney General's Office to do a forensic audit on the Dakota Magic casino, focusing on the time when Carrico and the former tribal council were in bed together. 6). Our current form of tribal government and gaming industry is in need of a serious fix when a million dollars can so easily walk out the door and vanish. No one would have been the wiser had it not been for the State of South Dakota's investigation. 7). I am asking that all concerned and responsible Oyate "raise some hell" with your tribal council representative and stay on top of this issue. 8). Otherwise, I am afraid, if we don't, this latest train wreck will get swept under the blanket. 9). It ain't easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com ..

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October 24, 2007 SECRECY IS THE ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY I recently bought a cup of coffee at Caribou and printed on the cup were these words: Secrecy is the enemy of democracy. If politicians were acting honorably, they can do it with the doors open and the lights on. The last council did not think it was illegal to conduct tribal business in secret and obligate $1.1million dollars without any authorizing motions or resolutions. They must have been very confident, incredibly nave or just plain stupid to think that the white voters of South Dakota would outlaw the hundred twenty million dollar a year video lottery industry. Since its inception SD video lottery has added $1.5 billion dollars to the State coffers. $1.3 billion dollars of this money was used for property tax relief. If you dont already know property tax relief is very near and dear to our wisicu neighbors. What if video lottery was outlawed and then the white voters found out that the campaign to outlaw video lottery was funded entirely by a non-tax paying tribe? (The perception is that Indians dont pay taxes. Part of the perception is true, we dont pay taxes on our hundred million dollar gaming industry). Holy dog poop! I dont even want to think of the backlash. We got kicked out of Minnesota in 1862, could they kick us out of South Dakota? Former tribal attorney Lisa Lisano provided a report where they reasoned that shutting down the South Dakota video lottery machines would positively impact Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise several million dollars each year. Oh sure, all the wisicu video lottery addicts in northeastern south Dakota will now come to Dakota Connection and Dakota Sioux casinos and play our slot machines after we were responsible for raising their property taxes. There seems to have been a serious disconnect between the last council brains and common sense! The new tribal councils approach to getting more slot machines is: Sign tax agreement with the State and the State will give us more slot machines (maybe). I think the SWO should get off the get more slot machines kick until things cool down. This is the law the new tribal council can use in their investigation. U.S. Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 53, Section 1163 and 1167. Embezzlement and theft from Indian tribal organizations; and theft from gaming establishments on Indian lands. Section 63 states: Whoever knowingly converts to his use or the use of another, willfully misapplies, or willfully permits to be misapplied any moneys belonging to any Indian tribal organization. Section 1167 states: Whoever willfully misapplies money belonging to an establishment operated by and for or licensed by an Indian tribe pursuant to an ordinance approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission. The term willfully misapplies seems to fit the current situation. Furthermore, I believe the last council may have violated the by-laws of the SWO Constitution, Article 1, Duties of Officials, Section 4, Code of Ethics, (b) Improper conduct: 1, 2, 3. Misconduct is determined by the Tribal Council or District Chairmans Association. Section 1 states: Converting tribal property or monies without authorization through omission or misrepresentation of facts. (They authorized the spending of money without no motions or resolutions). Section 2 states: Misuse of office: Unauthorized personal use of tribal equipment, manpower, or materials. (Obligating money in secrecy with the intent to deceive). Section 3 states: Public conduct so as to question the integrity of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. (The attempt to outlaw SD video lottery makes the SW look like a bunch of fools). Think about it. A million frickin dollars just vanishes and there wasnt a damn thing we could have done about it. And we wont have even known about it had it not been for an outside investigation by the State of South Dakota! This is the harsh reality of our current form of tribal government. I dont think I am being overly cynical when I say it is one big cesdi (poop) sandwich. Be careful, if some people have their way this million dollar blunder will get minimized and swept under the rug just like the two tribal council bonuses, the tribal council severance pay, the unpaid tribal councils travel debt, and the big plastic tent fiasco. If we want our tribal government to ever get any better, you and I need to stay on top of this issue. Several people have asked me what I thought when I heard Carrico got busted. There is an unseen incomprehensible force at work in the universe. The Indians often describe this force by simply saying, What goes around comes around. Forgive me for being human. I would like to see them all go to jail.

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But what I really resent the most is the group of Oyates who had their head up Carricos onze (butt). Which begs the question, why would any-self respecting Indian have their head up a wicisus onze anyway? There is only one answer - Simple - They expected to or did get something in return a free meal, a hotel room, concert tickets, money, a job promotion, rodeo money, car repair money, etc., etc., you get the picture. Like I have been saying, it aint easy being an Indian. Grady Renville .. October 31, 2007 MINNESOTA CASINO IDEA I know my articles always appear to have a negative slant, but it cant be helped when writing about tribal politics, its just the nature of the beast. But, as I look out across Oyate-land I see a lot of positive things happening. It is particularly gratifying to see the Oyates at work in the new health care center and the three casinos. Local businesses such as Taco Johns, Billys Cafe, Super Valu, Stillsons, Woodland Cabinetry, and Tim Azures little bag factory, just to name a few, also provide jobs for our people. This is all very good. When I came back from Vietnam in November 1967 there were just a handful of Indian people gainfully employed, some at the Indian Hospital and the BIA. The Indian unemployment rate was something like 80-90%. This was the reason for the lazy Indian stereotype. Whether you were lazy or not, there were few jobs to be had. The BIA Relocation Program alleviated some of the unemployment by providing a one-way ticket to Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, etc., and it was up to you to sink or swim. Some drowned, most swam. Some did real well for themselves; but most worked at low wage jobs and lived in the urban Indian ghettoes. In the late 60's change was in the wind. Beginning in 1968 there was a handful of local "radicals" or "militants" that met at the old Carnegie library and the mayor of Sisseton and Leroy Helwig would take turns sitting in on our meetings, just to keep an eye on us. We werent interested in their daughters or living next door to them. One of our goals was for Indian people to have a job and to know the dignity that comes from supporting oneself. Over the past 40 years much progress has been made increasing tribal employment opportunities. A sign at tribal HQ proudly states that the SWO is now the 9th largest employer in South Dakota. But we still have a cancer and rottenness in our current form of tribal government. It is this cancer that ran me out of business and allowed a million dollars to just disappear. There is a minority group of tribal members who are wrecking our tribe by their greed and stupidity. I cant do anything about their stupidity, but like I said before, the antidote for public corruption is heat and light. If I can shed a little light on the craziness and corruption, then maybe, just maybe, things will get better. Switching gears, the Shakopee Mdewakantons philanthropy was in the news again, they gave $12.5 million dollars to the University of Minnesota. Ten million dollars will be used to help pay for a new $288 million dollar football stadium and $2.5 million for scholarships. Shakopee Chairman Stanley Crooks said. We thought it important to support this cause as a way to encourage a better understanding of the history and role of Indians in Minnesota.

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That is good, maybe now the Shakopee Mdewakantons and the rest of Minnesota will have a better understanding and appreciation that the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands gave up more than twenty million acres of land for pennies an acre. They will come to know that it was the Mdewakanton band that were primarily responsible for the war of 1862, which resulted in the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands getting kicked out of Minnesota and the abrogation of our treaties. And that is why I have been saying our elected leaders should go visit Minnesota Governor Pawlenty and explore the possibility of building a casino in the metro area. Minnesota is our ancestral homeland and the Sisseton and Wahpetons have more right to own a casino in Minnesota then the Crooks of Shakopee. Think about the potential SWO/Minnesota casino revenue numbers for a minute. It is public knowledge that Mystic Lake casino makes over $600 million a year. Say we negotiate a mutually beneficial split with Minnesota; pay taxes, create hundreds, maybe thousands of new jobs, and after all is said and done our share is a $100 million dollars or more each year. With our share we can easily pay off our debt, build homes, buy land, develop our wind energy, provide scholarships, build district centers, and much more. The $10-12 million dollars annually that now comes from our three casinos will be chump change in comparison. But I dont think the current council, like the last council, has the guts or the vision to pursue this idea. I fear Shakopee has already got us in their back pocket. We owe them $36 million dollars and they are providing money for four new district centers. The plan seems to be working. Buy off the Oyate and they wont do anything about the Minnesota casino idea or question the Mdewakanton identity heist. I recently had an informal discussion with several leaders of the Crow Creek tribe and they are thinking about the Minnesota casino idea. A non-Indian wrote an editorial in the Tribune the same day Shakopees latest donation was announced. Lynn Jakubik from Richfield wrote: Tribes donation to the U a drop in the bucket: Congratulations to the Shakopee Community on its generous gift to the Gophers football stadium. If one thinks this through with the tribe making between $600 million and $1 billion a year and contributing $21 million a year on average, the tribe contributes at best 3 percent of its untaxed income each year total to its select causes. Who among us would not trade the right to donate 3 percent of our income in exchange for paying nothing to the government? When one looks at those kind of figures, one has to think that its time to open up a state-run, regulated, taxpaying casino. Our roads, our schools and our overburdened taxpayers would all benefit. Perhaps it is time we let the taxpayers of Minnesota vote on this. So what are we waiting for? Exploring the SWO/Minnesota casino idea would certainly cost far less than a million dollars. Tribal leaders without vision and guts are two more reasons why it aint easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ ..

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November 7, 2007 MILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE At the tribal council meeting on October 25 it was revealed that over two hundred grand of the $1,125,000 million dollars remains unaccounted for. I cant figure out why $120,000 was wired to the disbarred attorney on December 7, 2006, a month after the November 7, 2006 general elections. On November 10, 2006, three days after the election, he was at the Mystic Lake Casino and withdrew $1,000 from an ATM. From November 10 through December 7, 2006 he withdrew almost $85,000 dollars from the account that he and Carrico set up. Where in the hell did Carrico find this guy? There must be a thousand attorneys in South Dakota and Carrico hires one that is disbarred. To boot there were some Oyates who thought Carrico walked on water. I reported earlier that the SWO Gaming Commission disavowed any knowledge of the scheme. That is not true, the Gaming Commission knew of the scheme on or before May 2, 2006. The tribes slot machine lobbyist Barry Wilfahrt send Carrico an email on that date and a copy of the email was ccd to Verlyn Beaudreau of the SWO Gaming Commission. In the email Wilfahrt mentioned another Pierre lobbyist by the name of Larry Mann. I quote the email: Larrys insight on Indian Gaming - Word around the capitol Until the tribes figure out a way to share some revenue with the State there will be no expansion in machines for the tribes. This confirms the new chairmans assessment. Apparently the new chairman referred to in the email was newly elected tribal chairman Jerry Flute. Larry Manns assessment hits the nail on the head. The State of South Dakota is never going to give the tribe(s) any more slot machines unless the tribes figure out how to give the State some of the gaming revenue. Its kind of ironic that the scheme to outlaw South Dakota video lottery began at THIEF River Falls. Cant you just picture them at the Thief River Falls Retreat - Myron, Barb, Big Nick, Smokey, Kevin, and the rest of them, sitting there with blank looks on their faces, unconcerned and uninterested in the integrity and future of the tribe, probably their only thought was what they could get out of Carrico and the tribal treasury. I have seen another set of emails where former tribal attorney Lisa Lisano was on the tribal time clock when she drew up contract papers for the lobbyist Barry Wilfahrt to purchase 20 acres of land near I-29 Exit 1. For your information Exit 1 is the on-off ramp to Dakota Magic Casino. According to documents and emails, Carrico and Wilfahrt purchased or are in the process of purchasing 20 acres of land for $160,000 dollars to set up some type of private business venture(s) near the Dakota Magic Casino on-off exit ramp. I reported earlier that Carrico also has a 10% in the gaming kiosks at Dakota Magic Casino. This Carrico guy was getting a big salary, use of a new car and gas, and incentive bonuses. Lisano was

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provided a nice salary and the use of a new car and gas; and the lobbyist Wilfahrt, I presume, was getting a nice fee for his services. My question is: How is it that these wisicus can get good salary and benefits and use tribal time and resources to quietly plan side businesses while the Indian cannot do business with the tribe? Why is it that these wisicus can blatantly take the fat and I had so much trouble with the tribal leadership? The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the SWO Gaming Ordinance, and the Gaming Compact with North Dakota all require the net gaming revenues to be used for economic development tribal and tribal member economic development. Instead, they tried to banish me, they tried to put a permanent restraining order on me, and they all signed a letter to the IRS, hoping to trigger an audit on me. Was my business of lending money so reprehensible (highly unacceptable) that I did not deserve to be protected by all the tribal rules, laws, and Constitution they swore to uphold? Nobody complained when I purchased a Tribal Business License or when I donated money to the General Council Meetings. Scott German never complained when he came into my mazaska office looking for votes. Lorraine German never complained when she borrowed money from me to send Danny White while he was in college. I loaned money to Kevin Roberts sisters and mother and Karen Whites mother. I loaned money to Big Nick, his wife, and daughters, and to Barb Jens and to Ron Dumarces wife. So why did they all turn on me and ignore my rights? [The flock of geese Lorraine German wrote of in last week Sota were nowhere around.] Instead, they constantly favored the white guy over me. Why did they act that way toward me? Was it good old fashion Indian nawizi (jealousy)? That would be too easy of an explanation. I will answer my own question. It was the very idea of a white guy sucking up to them, poor, uneducated, gullible corruptible Indians, and, Carrico Mr. Big Shot giving out free meals, concert tickets, free rooms, free drinks, etc., etc., to those greedy outstretched NDN hands. As it turns out the most reprehensible fact of all is that money from our casino went for fricking bull riding events that was more important than protecting individual tribal member rights. As long as a select few got their beads and trinkets it was screw Grady and the rest of the tribal members and screw the integrity and reputation of the tribe. The tribal council hired a private firm to do a forensic audit at Dakota Magic Casino. We may finally find out what those greedy outstretched hands got and who they belonged too. Like I have been saying it aint easy being an Indian. gradymazasaka@yahoo.com ..

November 14, 2007

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AKICITA PROTECTOR OF THE PEOPLE It is now going on three years since I was mistakenly called the tribes biggest crtic. As the NDN chick says, Whatever. Call me what you nlike, but dont forget I am also a certified Akicita (soldier/warrior) of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, or at least I thought I was until recently. It has been said and practiced in our Dakota culture and tradition that the Akicita (soldiers/warriors) are the protectors of the people against all enemies foreign and domestic. I cant say that this cultural value ever occurred to me during my six years, three months and eighteen days I spent in the military. What I remember is that I was right there bitching, moaning, and complaining with the rest of the the GIs. My last duty station was Vietnam and I was counting the days until I got back to the World. As it turned out the World was right here in Sisseton, South Dakota. So here I am 40 years later, supposedly, an Akicita and protection of the people and I have a confession to make. I want you to know that the latest financial disaster and the loss of $1,125,000 was my fault! I knew to the core of my being that something was amiss in our gaming industry. I just knew it. I knew that the Carrico guy was an over-paid punk and the Lisano gal an overrated lawyer. I knew it but I didnt have the time, I didnt have the guts, I didnt want to get involved, I didnt think I could change anything, and the worst excuse of all - I didnt want to stick my neck out because I was afraid of what other Oyate would think of me. And so a million dollars just disappears on my watch. I now offer my sincere apology to the Oyate for miserably failing as an Akicita. I take little comfort in the fact that I was not alone. I have asked myself a hundred times. Where were the rest of the Akicitas and the protectors of the people? Where was all the twenty tribal boards and committee members? Where was the District Chairman Association? [Does not the SWO Constitution make them the second most powerful body on the reservation?] Where was Danny White the Executive Director of Gaming and Verlyn Beaudreau of the SWO Gaming Commission? Where were Greg Benidt, Fran Quinn, Weston Quinn, Wright Wilson, Dean Bridges, and the rest of the well-paid DNGE corporate executives? I know more than thirteen people knew what I only suspected. In all fairness to them - what could they have done? Who could they have complained too? How could they have stopped the ill conceived and totally ridiculous plan to outlaw South Dakota video lottery once it was set in motion? Who can blame them all for protecting their slice of the tribal pie? I accept the most responsibility for the train wreck because I had no job or stipend to lose and maybe I could have done something about it, but I didnt. Oh, if I could only have those days back I would have been on the Governor and North Dakota and South Dakota Attorney Generals door step, I would have hounded the FBI. I would have done more calling and writing, but I didnt. I was afraid of getting beat up and what other Oyate would think of me. How can I redeem myself?

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My only hope for redemption is that maybe, just maybe, the Akicita, protector of the people idea or cultural value is only a nice little phrase we use to impress the outside world on the strength and dignity of our culture, but it really doesnt mean anything, just like our use of the word Oyate (the people). I may have found a pathetic excuse for my conscience but a million dollars is still missing and we will never get any of it back. I hope you can find some forgiveness in your hearts for all of us who failed to protect you. It aint easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/. .. November 21, 2007 PROMOTE AND PROTECT The tribe fired the DNGE Chief Financial Officer Wright Wilson. The reason given was that he alone authorized severance pay for the former CEO Travis Carrico. You may recall that the tribal council reduced the DNGE CEO salary to only $125,000 per year so he quit. No one is willing to tell me how much Carrico received. Something is broke in the Dakota Nation Gaming accounting department. First, a millions just walks out the door and, next, one person can give out unauthorized severance pay. Where in the hell were the Gaming Commission and the Executive Director of Gaming when all of this crap is going on? The tribe is looking for a new CEO and none of the recent finalist/applicants would work for less than $250,000 dollars. The word must be out that the Sisseton tribe is an easy mark. I swear to God, no one goes to the three casinos because of the CEO, COO, CFO, or GM. Why cant we get this simple fact through our thick heads? Also, the issue of awarding cash bonuses to the Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise corporate executives will be coming up again in December. Nothing personal boys and girls, but I dont think anyone deserve any bonuses. Big Nick tried to blow that smoke up the Old Agency District members butts by telling us that Carrico and Wright Wilson were responsible for the gaming revenues and that was the reason for the big salaries and bonuses. Using that same logic the bottom has surely fell out of our gaming revenues since they left and there is no money for bonuses or anything else. I can personally attest to that. I put in a grant request for a mere three thousand dollars to attend the 25 th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and was denied. So I stayed home and much to the chagrin of the local moccasin players my moccasin team won the Vietnam Veterans moccasin tournament. (Actually, Stanley and I watched as grandson Sidney single handedly whopped the opponents) The tribal council also let go the slot machine lobbyist Barry Wilfahrt. I reported earlier that Wilfahrt and Carrico bought land near the Dakota Magic Casino exit. Two big signs were recently erected near Dakota Magic casino. I hope the new tribal council has enough sense not to purchase any advertising space on the signs. And certainly dont buy the property back from them (thats the geyapi). More about this dog and pony show later.

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Earlier I reported that the tribe was going to hire a private firm to do a forensic audit but apparently that has not happened yet. From what I have been seeing and hearing there seems to be a surreptitious (underhanded) effort to save one councilman out of the whole bunch. There was even the ridiculous story circulating that someone forged this one certain council persons name on the letter that authorized the video lottery scheme. I still say a better idea is to request the FBI to come in and investigate any possible violation of federal laws by the former tribal council and the former and current gaming officials. The FBI certainly has the means and technology to determine any possible fraud and forgery. Is fraud, waste and the abuse of power the hallmarks of our tribal government? When you add up the numbers the last tribal council was responsible for the waste of at least $7 million dollars. In four years they took $4 million dollars in salary and benefits; they wasted at least $400,000 on the big tent; they lost $1.1 million trying to outlaw SD video lottery; they paid Carrico, the slot machine lobbyist, and the former tribal attorney over a million dollars in salary and bonuses; they paid Bluedog Law office (Kevin Roberts brother) approximately a million dollars in legal fees, etc., etc. If you tack on the three or four million dollars that was lost at the Veblen plant we are talking about ten million dollars wasted. Think about it. Seven to ten million dollars wasted! The average tribal member has no idea that a million dollars was spent on legal fees - let alone realizing any benefit from the expenditure. And former Heipa councilwomen Karen White wants me to E.S.D. (I think that means eat shit and die). So I am the frickin bad guy here! If you think this is about getting people to feel sorry for me. Wrong again. You took an Oath of Office, Karen, Ron, Kevin, Mike, Smokey, and the rest of you, to PROMOTE AND PROTECT, not write letters to the IRS and wasting the Oyates money. The Indians has been dumped on for so long that we think nothing of losing ten million dollars. We accuse the white man of prejudice and oppression and it is our own people who are telling us to eat shit and die. No, this is not about getting people to feel sorry for me. So where do we go from here? Do we trade insults? Do we sweep $7-10 million dollars under the rug? Or do we learn from the mistakes made, plug the gaps, indict the people responsible, and move on - a wounded but wiser tribal government? Like I have been saying it aint easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com .. November 28, 2007 LESSON ON RACE Is racial prejudice alive and well in Sisseton and the Sisseton school system? That seems to be the opinion and concern of some Oyate. In the history of mankind whenever two races or religious groups live next door to each other racial and religious tensions will co-exist, sometimes resulting in all out war. Allow me to share my life lessons on racism.

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Lesson #1. Only a handful of white people in Sisseton are racist. Lesson #2. Racist and bigot are nice terms for a dumb ass. Lesson #3. The racist or bigot is not going to change. Lesson #4. Money, education, personal integrity or a good job are great weapons in the war on racism. To say that all white people are prejudice and racist is to say that all Indians are drunk and lazy. The few people that are racist in Sisseton had a bad experience with an Indian and place the blame on the rest of us. Maybe they got beat up by an Indian or some Indian stole their bike. Maybe the Indian owed a debt or maybe the racist believes that Indians dont pay taxes, receives free heath care, free housing, etc. I would guess that there are a thousand reasons for hating Indians. If we called racism and bigotry for what it is maybe there would be less of it. Bluntly stated, only a dumb ass or ignorant fool will think and believe that Indians are all the same. An indisputable fact is that there is as much difference or diversity within a race as there is between the races. How can anyone in their right mind say that all Indians are drunk, lazy, dirty, etc? I know a full blooded (well, almost he is 15/16th) Indian guy who worked all his life, saved his money, and now owns one of the nicest, cleanest home you would ever want. On the other side of the reservation is another Indian who is homeless. How do you explain that? Earlier in my life, when I was dealing with racism on a personal level, particularly the drunk Indian stereotype, it occurred to me that there are thirteen million alcoholics in America. If the entire population of two million Indians were all drunk that leaves eleven million drunken white people! However, it took more than simple logic and reasoning to resolve the prejudice and racism in my life. At one time I really liked my booze. I liked my booze so much that I didnt care what I looked like, acted like, or smelled like. One day I got sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I sobered up, graduated from college, got a decent job, and had money in my pocket. Racism miraculously went away. The racist and racism was still out there but their hold on me ceased to exist as my new found self-esteem flourished. Much of the recent concern about race has been in the Sisseton school system. Quite frankly, I dont understand it. Fifty years ago when I was a student and twenty five years ago when my children were students in the Sisseton school system I cannot recall encountering any problems related to race, and, today, I havent heard my grandchildren complain. If in fact there are serious racial problems in the Sisseton school system I have a simple solution. Since we have a nice new modern school of our own (Tiospa Zina) why dont all the Indian parents take their children out of the Sisseton school system and enroll them at TZ? Hypothetically, let us say the tribal council one day said enough is enough and mandated that all tribal members must send their children to TZ. One would think that this mandate is the panacea (cure all) for the real and/or perceived racial problems in the school. But, it is not quite that simple, life never is.

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This simple solution will never happen because many Indian parents will refuse to send their children to TZ because of their prejudices. Many Indian people do not believe that TZ provides the same quality education and safe environment for their children as the Sisseton school system does. My guess is that the reaction to sending all Indian children to TZ would be immediately challenged. The parents would storm tribal HQ and demand that the tribal council repeal their mandate as unconstitutional, or, at the very least arbitrary and capricious. (Big words for dumb and stupid) This hypothetical situation raises the interesting question of whether Indian attitudes, perceptions, and prejudices (as an example, Tiospa Zina Tribal School) is worst than the alleged racism in the Sisseton school system. I think you may agree that the Indian is a diverse and complex cat. Lesson #5. Beware of what an Indian friend has labeled, the self imposed oppression mentality. The Indian has been so raped and robbed over the years that whenever someone even looks at us cross-eyed we cry racism. It does not hurt to look into a mirror once in awhile and to do some self-introspection. Personally, in large part due to my greatly improved self-esteem, the bigots and racism have not concerned me for a long time. What worries and concerns me is how we Indians treat each other. It distresses me when I hear of fights. It is almost always Indians fighting Indians. It worries and concerns me that our representative form of tribal government, which has so much potential too do so much good, can also be our worst enemy. On the flip side, some would even say that my articles are contributing to the intra-tribal division and strife. I dont think so, but that is just my prejudiced point of view. Lesson #6. It aint easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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December 12, 2007 NO CUSS WORDS Maybe you missed it but there was a blurb in the November 19 Sota reminding us that there are no cuss or swear words in the Dakota language. The blurb also stated: Reading some of the mean, insensitive and crude remarks made more and more this year in our Open Letters to the Oyate make me wish that more tradition were put in practice. I too believe in Dakota culture and tradition. I know the good side of Indians, but I also know the Dakota Indian is a fallible creature and it is always easier to talk the cultural talk, than to walk the traditional walk. I have heard it said many times the Dakota language does not have cuss words and at the same time I have wondered what the Dakota in the good old Indian days said when they got canze (mad). I am sure they must have gotten real teed off on occasion. How did they vocalize their anger and contempt when their family was wiped out by a war party of Chippewa? Aaaaaa, those rabbit chokers did it again. Or, when some young buck from another village raped or molested their virgin daughter. Sheee iiitttt, Running Bear really needs to keep his loin cloth zipped up. I dont think so.

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I think the Indians of the olden days grabbed their tomahawk or gun, if they had one, and went looking for blood. Killing in retaliation almost always lead to more killings. Historically, Dakota and Chippewa killed each other for time immemorial and it is my educated guess that over-active Indian male sex hormones contributed to the inter and intra tribal warfare so prevalent in the good old Indian days. Maybe it would have been better if the Dakota had a set of cuss and swear words in which to release their anger toward the Chippewa or young buck. I guess there is no real harm in romanticizing our ancestors and our culture, but, I really dont understand the need for some Dakotas to say we dont have cuss words and swear words. Are they trying to impress the outside world on the strength and dignity of our Indian culture? Again, that is okay, but the truth of the matter is that the Dakota may not have had the linguistic capacity or willingness to swear or cuss, but they certainly had the capacity and willingness to beat your brains out. Back to modern times and the real world. If we modern day Indians would quite messing with each other that would be one less reason to cuss or swear in any language. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect tribal world. I thought it was downright MEAN that my cousin Scott German, who I voted for, wrote a letter to the IRS hoping to trigger an audit on me. I thought it real INSENSITIVE that the former council members tore down a perfectly good powwow arena and replaced it with a four hundred thousand dollar plastic tent. And I thought it was real CRUDE that Big Nick, Smokey, Karen, Ron, Myron, Kevin, JC, Mike, and Barb raised their salaries, abused travel privileges, and took severance pay without asking us. Another interesting paradox in the Indian world is that there is no word or words in the Dakota language for the simple, but all important phrase, I am sorry. I wonder why? Did not the Indian of olden times ever make a mistake and have to apologize? I am still trying to sort this cultural stuff out. Apparently, the Indian did not cuss when they were abused and they did not expect or receive an apology. Modern day translation: Do not expect any public apology, remorse, or maybe we had a mistake from those responsible for the millions of dollars of tribal money that was wasted or misspent. Excuse me. That doesnt sound like a Dakota Indian to me at all. It sounds more like the behavior of the rest of the human race. Could it be that the Dakota Indian is just like every other human being? Reluctantly, I would have to agree. You may find it interesting, as I have, that hundreds of other mean, crude, and insensitive human beings have told me they only buy the Sota to read my articles and that I should keep it up because I am doing a real public service. Can you imagine that? Like I said, it aint easy being Grady, I mean an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ P.S. The next time I write I am going to lighten up a bit and tell you about two Indian dogs who lived across the road from several white dogs.

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...
December 12, 2007 Two Indian Dogs A favorite trick of Indian politicians is to dole out a few bucks that theoretically belong to us in the first place and then take credit for being kind, generous, and empathetic leaders. I did not attend the tribal council meeting that authorized the extra hundred dollars for Tribal Elderly Day. At the November 15 council meeting a one way discussion was held concerning the tribes tenuous financial condition; flat casino revenues; and the need for fiscal restraint. The Vice Chairman went into a lengthy monologue on the current state of affairs and put the rest of the council to sleep, because when they woke up they authorized another $100 dollars for the elderly, so instead of getting our usual $100 dollars we each got $200 dollars. Pida miya (thank you). There seems to be some confusion on the council, some are saying we are broke and others make motions that cost money as if there is no tomorrow. This particular motion cost the tribe an extra $80,000 thousand dollars! Personally, I have always felt it nave and petty Indian politics to throw out a few bucks to the restless natives but it happens all the time and it works. Whether it is nave or petty politics I am going to keep MY two hundred dollars bucks. A good portion of my two hundred dollars went to Bush and Cheneys oil buddies (When Bush took office gas was a buck 46). The old lady put most of hers in the South Dakota video lottery machines. I wish they would outlaw those damn video lottery machines! The last tribal council pulled a similar stunt. Remember they gave out money only to those who worked. Those too old to work; or those who could not work; or those unwilling to work did not receive the bribe. I have heard that their bribe cost the tribe a million dollars. I dont think the tribe has yet fully recovered from their nave tribal politics and it set the standard for four years of recklessly spending, culminating in the $1.1 million dollar boondoggle to outlaw SD video lottery. Several of them reportedly have said they didnt know it was going to cost that much. Dah! Another offered up the feeble excuse that he wasnt at the meeting that authorized the boondoggle. As the Indian gals like to say: Whatever. As you would expect the new tribal council inherited the former tribal councils financial mess and they have spent a great deal of their time this past year doing damage control. So if you havent noticed any real progress or any new initiatives coming from them you now know why. For mid term grades I give them a C+. I am docking them for taking a $65,000 dollar salary without asking us, failing to pursue the SWO/Minnesota Casino idea, and doing little or nothing to plug the gaps. Speaking of plugging gaps, I found out that Carrico got $100,000 thousand dollars severance pay. Remember he would not work for a reduced salary of $125,000, so apparently the former tribal attorney and former chief financial officer determined that he was entitled to $100,000 thousand severance pay!

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And just about when you think things cant get any worse they do. $36,000 thousand dollars was paid in advance for advertising space on the two big signs recently erected by the former slot machine lobbyist Barry Wilfahrt. In fairness to the new council they supposedly were unaware of these two expenditures. Again, I have to ask the obvious question, who is watching the store for us? Obviously, our gaming regulators and the Dakota Magic accounting department isnt. At one time I actually believed that Indian gaming was the most regulated industry in America. Not anymore! It totally blew me away when I heard these latest developments and I dont know whether to laugh or cry. So I will tell you these two stories, maybe it will make us feel better. A NDN walks into a caf with a shotgun in one hand pulling a male buffalo with the other and says to the waiter, Want coffee. The waiter says, Sure Chief, coming right up. The waiter brings the NDN a tall cup of coffee which he drinks in one gulp, turns and blasts the buffalo causing parts of the animal to be splattered all over the place and than calmly walks out. The next morning the Indian returns with the shotgun in one hand leading a buffalo with the other and walks up to the counter and says, Want coffee. The waiter says, Whoa, Tonto. We are still cleaning up the mess from yesterday, what was that all about, anyway? The NDN says, Training for Tribal Councilman. Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, and leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day. And then there is the story of two Indian dogs that lived across the road from some white dogs. Every time a car would pass by the Indian dogs would run after it and say, Woof, woof, woof. One day the white dogs came across the road and told the Indian dogs that when they chase a car they should say, Bow wow, bow wow, bow wow. So the next time a car came by the Indian dogs ran after it and one of the Indian dogs says, bow wow, bow wow, bow wow and then he turns and looks at the other Indian dog and said, Aaaaaaaa. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ .. December 19, 2007 A 72 YEAR OLD VIRGIN The CBS 60 Minutes program on December 2 reported that Iraqi Christians had their churches bombed out and are being intimidated, bullied, and driven out of Iraq. One Iraqi Christian said that his family worshipped separately because if they got bombed, at least the whole family wouldnt be killed. Shiites are killing Sunnis, Sunnis are killing Shiites, and both are killing Christians. They all look the same to me but apparently they know their differences so they continue to bomb and kill each other in the name of their God. Recently, over forty Iraqi women were found in the streets executed for the simple reason they did

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not cover their faces while out in public. A terrible situation indeed and American soldiers are caught in the middle. This tragic and violent situation has gotten me thinking about our own style of politics on the Sisseton Reservation. Our brand of tribal politics is childs play in comparison to the Iraqi situation. Although we can get real contentious and down right mean sometimes we are still pretty civilized. I was told that it got a little rowdy down at a recent Lake Traverse district meeting. A motion was made to banish Ron Dumarce. From what I was told the former councilman became very upset when they blamed him for the $1.1 million dollar boondoggle. Other than that the LT district meeting turned out to be actually quite civilized in comparison to the volatile political situation in Iraq. No IEDs were found in the parking lot and women were allowed at the meeting. No one in my family, out of fear for my safety, supports my writing Open Letters to the Oyate. I write mainly about the numerous follies, indiscretions, waste, and corruption occurring in our tribal government. My family actually believes that one of them might flip out and shoot me or run me off the road. I understand their concern. Just recently a disturbed young man blew away eight innocent bystanders at an Omaha mall and some guy shot up a church in Colorado killing several people so I am careful. I remind my family and myself that we are not in Iraq. In Iraq, the extremist wage a holy war - a Jihad - against the infidels who do not share their beliefs and for some their only ambition in life is to become a martyr and go to paradise where seventy two virgins supposedly awaits them. I have no intention of being the first ever SWO martyr for the simple reason that with my luck a 72 year old virgin will be waiting for me! I dont mean to make light of the Iraqi situation but when we compare our politics to what much of world experiences we are pretty decent and civil human beings. So sometimes, believe it or not, I actually think I should quit hating on our politicians and our current form of tribal government. The late Vine Deloria, Jr., wrote or said that white people tend to elect morons and Indians tend to elect crooks. In all fairness, I dont think Indians who run for political office start out to be crooks, but they soon learn how easy it is too manipulate the system to their advantage and benefit. Most tribes, including Sisseton, have little oversight, no watchdog groups, no political action committees, or checks and balances (maybe, in theory only) and as a result, things can and do get away from us. The few that do stand up get verbally abused for being haters and malcontents. Let me remind the readers that on December 6, 2006, a year ago, the last tribal council gave them selfs a parting gift of five thousand dollar - no motion, no resolution - they just took it. Well, I got to thinking about that. How did that happen? Which one of them walked into the tribal treasury where the money was and said? Give me fifty thousand dollars Maybe they didnt even ask.

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Did they have to fill out a form? What account did the money come from? Why was the tribal employee who may have helped process the fifty thousand dollars ($5,000 x ten council members) so scared or so intimidated that no questions were asked? You can see how unbelievably simple it is to walk off with fifty grand? It is not suppose to be that easy to get fifty thousand dollars out of the tribal treasury. And less than a year later we find out, only by accident, that another $1.1 million dollars disappeared. So even though we have it pretty good in comparison to the Iraqis I dont think any self respecting SWO feels that their elected leaders have a right to take money out of the tribal treasury without their approval or knowledge. In the above cited example, the tribes annual General Council meeting was only a few weeks away. Wouldnt it have been nice and decent of them to ask the people at the upcoming General Council meeting if they would consider giving them a bonus instead of just taking it? We still have work to do and we need to remain vigilant. Instead of settling for a half-ass, third world type of government (a tribal member called this poverty politics) wouldnt it be nice if honesty, truth, and fairness were the hallmarks of the Sisseton Wahpeton tribal government? I have attempted to allay my familys fears by reminding them that a long time ago I was awarded the USMC Combat Action Ribbon. Granted, the Lake Traverse rez is not at civil war and the medal couldnt buy me a cup of coffee but, I will be damned, if I let a hand full of punks, bullies and the verbal abuse intimidate me. I have the absolute right to share my opinions and thoughts on tribal government, like it nor not, and I decide when I stop. I know my statement smacks of false bravado but this attitude should be the attitude of all tribal members. We are not in Iraq or Afghanistan. This is our tribal government and most of us are decent, honest, civilized, and caring human beings. Repeat after me: We are not in Iraq. This is MY tribal government and it doesnt belong to the crooks! It aint easy being an Indian. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ .. December 26, 2007 CHRISTMAS STORY I am going to drop the It Aint Easy Being an Indian signature. I thank Ricey Wild from the Circle newspaper for the name I used the past year. In the run off for a new signature was, Your Are Entitled to MY Opinion; Running with the Bulls; Out Swimming the Sharks; or Swimming with the Sharks. Jason Billie, a.k.a., Gator Boy, of the Hard Rock Indian Tribe (the Seminole Tribe of Florida) recently emailed me and signed off peace and fry bread grease. I like the ring tone.

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In the future I will be signing off peace and fry bread grease. I hope my new signature doesnt offend the traditionalists who are finally coming over to my side one fry bread at a time. The following story was told by Tim Giago former owner of the Lakota Times and is worth repeating. "The elderly mans face was lined with creases of the many winters of toil and his fingers were brown from the many cigarettes he had held. He made a loud slurp noise when he drank his hot coffee and it reminded me of much of my own father who knew it was not ill-mannered to sip loudly or burp over a well-cooked meal or a great cup of coffee, because that was the Dakota way of saying this is waste (good). Speaking softly as he brushed the snow whitened hair from his weathered forehead, he said. There are those young Indians who call God a white mans God. But I think there is one God for everyone. As a Dakota I think Christmas is the best example of this. To me Christmas is a holiday that cuts across all races. It is a day to pause and reflect on the past. It is a day to share with your loved ones. It is a day to carry on traditions that has always been a part of our Sioux heritage, the traditional giving of gifts, the old man said as he stared into his cup of coffee. Like the Dakota of old, he used his hands to strengthen every word. Many year ago my wife and me, we were very heavy drinkers. We got drunk often and neglected our children. We were really destroying our lives and worst yet, we were ruining the future of our little ones. Dakota men and women drink for many reasons and the loss of self esteem is probably one of the biggest reasons, he said with a sigh. The old man was quiet for a long time as if trying to gather his thoughts and talk about something he found difficult to discuss. One night it was Christmas Eve my children had come home from the Indian boarding school for the holidays. I had been drinking all week and I was pretty sick. My wife was sitting in the kitchen still drinking. I was feeling guilty as well as sick because I walked into the room where my youngest daughter sleeps to tuck her in. Just as I got to the door I heard her talking. No, she wasnt talking. She was praying. She asked Tunkansidan (Grandfather God) not to bring her a lot of fancy presents for Christmas. All she wanted was for God to make her Mom and Dad stop drinking. She told God she loved us very much and to please save us for the childrens sake. The elderly man was silent for a long time again. When he spoke he said, It was very cold that night, but I walked outside and stood their shivering and looking up at the million of stars just thinking about the things my little girl said. I felt tears running down my face and I started to pray. All of sudden the sky lit up like it was day light and I got this warm, safe feeling all over. I think I heard this voice repeat the words of my daughter, for the children sake, but I wasnt afraid. A tear came to his eye as he finished telling me what he wanted to tell me. Momma and me, we quit drinking that night. We never touched a drop of alcohol since that day. All of our children grew up and never got into trouble. Two of them graduated from college. And all of the others have good jobs and are responsible Dakota people. My youngest daughter went to college and then came home to take care of me and Momma.

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For the sake of the children he had found peace and comfort in Tunkansidan that cold, Christmas Eve long ago. And whether one believes in Christmas or not, it is their choice, and I am only relating a story to you that is true and was told to me many years ago on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. So this is my last It aint easy being an Indian. Truth be told, it was catchy little phrase but personally it never was that hard being an Indian. If you get up each day and do the best you can with the talents the Great Spirit gave you, tell the truth, live a life of moderation, treat others as you would like to be treated, it isnt hard being an Indian at all. It's the little things that mean a lot - I never had to buy sun tan lotion; the Washington Redskin football team and the Cleveland Indian baseball team are named in my honor; and Deksi (uncle) Sam promised to take care all of us from the cradle to the grave. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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January 2, 2008 HEADLINES State of Minnesota and Two South Dakota Tribes Make New Treaty to Build Homes for Gophers, Vikings, and Twins. Not far from the small town of Sisseton, South Dakota, on the bluffs of the Coteau Des Prairies is the Joseph Nicollet Tower. Several years ago, on a beautiful fall day, I visited the Tower and then signed the guest book. In the comment section I wrote W-a-s-t-e. A couple of days later a non-Indian fellow calls me and says he is upset and dismayed that I had called the Nicollet Tower a waste. I explained that waste (Wah Stay) in the Dakota language means good. Recently, Shakopee Mdewakanton Chairman Stanley Crooks stated that their $12.5 million dollar donation to my alma mater the University of Minnesota was a way to encourage a better understanding of the history and role of Indians in Minnesota. That is Waste (good). Now, maybe the Shakopee Mdewakantons and the good people of Minnesota will have a better understanding and appreciation for the fact that it was the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Wahpekute bands of Dakota Indians who gave up over 21 million acres of land for pennies an acre, which some historians are calling the Monstrous Conspiracy, perpetrated by none other than Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial Governor of Minnesota. And it was the Mdewakanton band that was responsible for the ill advised war of 1862 that resulted in the expulsion of the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Wahpekute bands from Minnesota; confiscation of their remaining lands; and the abrogation of their treaties. The descendents of the aboriginal Dakota people of Minnesota are now scattered to the four directions and history has played a very cruel joke on us. While most of the scattered Dakotas live in varying degrees of poverty the handful of Mdewakanton imposters live in stately homes out at Shakopee and each receive over a million dollars a year per capita payment from casino profits.

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As Minnesota nears 150 years of statehood I would like to propose the following idea as one way to reconcile the past. How about the State of Minnesota, the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota make a new treaty to operate a casino in the Minneapolis metro area? (The history books call us Sioux but we are Dakotas and these two band did not participate in the 1862 War but were rounded up anyway and incarcerated at Ft. Snelling during the winter of 1863 and later deported to Crow Creek, South Dakota, while others served as scouts for General Sibley, and for their service, they were given land in Northeastern South Dakota). I am sure they will gladly agree to split the profit three ways which could easily mean $200 or $300 hundred million dollars annually for each party. I think I could even convince both tribes to donate a portion of their share to build new homes for the Gophers, Vikings and Twins. Several years ago Governor Pawlenty made a similar proposal to partnership with the several Minnesota Ojibway Tribes, who eventually opted out of the plan. A tribal and state sanctioned casino is now operating in downtown Milwaukee by the Pottawatomie Indian Tribe. The Pottawattamie Tribe is located about two hundred miles north of Milwaukee. The Pottawatomie Casino deal was prefaced on the fact that present day Milwaukee is the ancestral homeland of the Pottawatomie. Similarly, the State of Minnesota and the two South Dakota tribes can copy their success prefaced on the fact that both tribes ancestral home land is Minnesota Some will argue that the two Dakota Tribes are from out of state. A firm from India wants to mine taconite on the iron range. It makes just as much sense to me that Dakota Indians, formerly of Minnesota, have as much right to do business in Minnesota, as Indians from Mumbai. Coincidentally, the Dakota word for money is ma-za-ska which literally means iron. A new treaty between the State of Minnesota and the two Dakotas bands maybe a hundred fifty years late, but better late than never, and it will be nina waste (really good) for all parties. Grady Renville, Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota, Sisseton, South Dakota. P.S. The above is a copy of a letter I recently sent to the Minneapolis Tribune. The article did not make the Minneapolis Tribune so the headlines never appeared. The Tribune editorial policy is to only print letters from those living within Minnesota. I would argue that I am from Minnesota but got kicked out for something that someone else did. I will be checking the paper everyday to see if it will get published. Minnesota is celebrating its 150th year of Statehood in 2008 and there have been several articles in the Tribune recently regarding the Dakota Indian's part in early Minnesota's history.

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January 9, 2008 INDIAN MASCOTS The use of American Indian tribes or Indian mascot names has created a lot of controversy in recent years. Here is my two cents worth on the subject.

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In 1949 I entered the first grade in Sisseton. I have absolutely no bad memories of the Sisseton Redman/Redmen name. I dont remember my parents taking any offense to the use of the Redman name. I dont recall any of my Indian friends being offended by the name. It just wasnt an issue in our everyday lives. I always thought the Sisseton school system used the Redman name with dignity and respect. I guess if I found anything remotely out of line it would have been the homecoming Chieftain and Maiden pageant. A white chieftain or a white maiden parading down Main Street in Indian regalia struck me as a little odd but nothing to get upset over. Also, when you think about it, what the heck is a Redman anyway? I think I seen several of them last summer. Have you ever seen a white guy broiling in the hot summer sun? Now that is a red man. On the other hand, we Indians arent even close to being red. If anything, during the summer months, we get darker brown or black. One of my Indian friends gets so dark that when he gets into his car the oil light comes on! Those opposed to the use of Indian names or Indian mascots have a point when they argue that schools wont dare call their teams the Fighting Negroes or the Fighting Arabs. And it has always struck me as odd that predominantly white schools dont honor themselves by naming their teams the Roslyn Polish or the Rosholt Norwegians or the Wilmot Fighting Swedes. Won't it be super cool if they had an Ollie and Lena homecoming pageant? Why do non-Indian schools like to call themselves the Indians, the Braves or the Fighting Sioux anyway? On the other hand, it is kind of hypocritical for us Indian to call our teams the Cheyenne Eagle Butte Braves, the Macy Chiefs, or the Flandreau Indians and than be offended when white folks use Indian names or Indian mascots. Modern day Indians must have a lot of extra time on their hands to be concerned about Indian mascot names. Personally, I think time would be better spent transforming tribal governments from third world type government to modern day tribal governments where truth, fairness, and honesty are the hallmarks of tribal governments and where gaming revenues are spent on youth and education programs rather then wasting money trying to outlaw video lottery or wasting money on things like the Big Tent. [For your information the $400 hundred thousand dollar plastic tent is laying in a pile of rubble down at the Dakota Sioux Casino. What a waste. The last tribal council used the tent for four days and then discarded it like an empty beer can.] I hooks the aluminum framing! Despite the controversy I believe that the high schools, colleges, and universities who use Indian names are well meaning and no disrespect is intended. The biggest controversy today is the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux name. Personally, I think Fighting Sioux is pretty cool and I also think if Woodrow Keeble, the ultimate Fighting Sioux, was alive today he might like the name.

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In Vietnam, the grunt infantry men called enemy held territory Indian Country. Some modern Indians are offended by the term. You did not go out in Indian Country unprepared or alone - only the meanest and bravest dared to tread in Indian Country. Maybe this is just my screwed up male machismo mentality, but I like the Fighting Sioux and the Indian Country names. But the biggest reason why Fighting Sioux doesnt bother me is because I am not a Sioux. I am a Dakota Indian. As you may know the word Sioux was formed from the Chippewa word Nadowessi which I am told means Snake and the French plural oux. When the first explorers came into present day Minnesota they asked a Chippewa what they were, pointing to a group of Dakota Indians. The Chippewa replied, Nadowessi (Snakes). The French plural was added to Nadowessi thus making the word Nadowessioux and later shortened to Sioux. In the Dakota language there are only two words that phonetically sound like Sioux. Su is the word for seed and Su Su is the word for the groin area or penis. So if the good people at the University of North Dakota want to be seeds or penises be my guest. Quite frankly, I see no reason why any self respecting Dakota Indian would be offended by the term Fighting Sioux. Recently, I was told a story about a young Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota who was working at Wal Mart in Grand Forks. He was just minding his own business cleaning the restroom when a white guy enters and starts harassing the young Indian fellow. The white guy made the remark, Are you one of those prairie niggers who doesnt like the Fighting Sioux name? The young Indian guy kept his cool, but the white guy persisted, so the young Indian guy turned into a Fighting Sioux and slammed the white guy up against the bathroom wall. Unfortunately, the commotion caught the attention of the Indian guys supervisor and the young Indian fellow was fired on the spot. He protested but to no avail. So he did what any Fighting Sioux would have done, he waited for the trouble-maker in the parking lot and then dropped him like a hot turd from a tall Indian. Now I am not advocating the use of violence to settle the Fighting Sioux controversy but this true story illustrates the problem with schools using Indian names. It is not the name or the ninety percent of good, decent white people, who truly believe that they are honoring us, who are the problem, it is the ten percent dumb-ass racists who are the problem, and unfortunately it is the ten percent we Indians remember the most. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com.

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January 16, 2008 JOHN WAYNE

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Read what a famous American once said: I didnt feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves. Marion Morrison, a.k.a., John Wayne. In order to legally separate the Indian from their land the concept of declaring Indian people as sovereign nations evolved. Declaring Indian people to be sovereign nations allowed for the United States to make treaties with Indian people, a.k.a., sovereign nations. Early American politicians could have just as easily taken the land and exterminated the Indians but then the whole concept of democracy and Christianity would have been compromised. The first treaty the Dakota Indian made was the 1805 Mendota Treaty which ceded away the area around present day Minneapolis and St Paul. Several other treaties were made with the Dakota Indian but were never ratified by Congress. As a direct result of unfulfilled promises and broken treaties the War of 1862 occurred forcing the Dakota Indian from their ancestral homelands. Reservations or enclaves for these dispossessed people were established, usually on land unfit for human habitation. Many Dakota Indians turned to Christianity for comfort and solace. Government boarding schools were introduced and for at least 125 years the Sisseton and Wahpeton, for the most part, languished in poverty and dependency, until 1987, when Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, as a cheap and novel way to wean tribes from government handouts, encourage economic development and promote tribal self-sufficiency. I have often wondered what the events of the past two hundred years has had upon the modern day Dakota Indian psyche. I once asked a young Indian boy why he was in the Little Voices group home and he replied, They said I was confused. I laughed and thought to myself, Hell, half of the reservation is confused and they are not in a group home. Even if you were born in the last twenty years or so it is hard to remain unscathed by two hundred years of oppression. This is 2008 and there will be those who say get over it! I wished it was that easy. Nearly all social scientists agree that people subjected to racism and oppression have higher incidences of violent and non-violent crimes, single-parent families, drug abuse, suicides, diseases, etc., etc. There is another insidious manifestation rarely mentioned Self-loathing. In other words, unconscious self hatred, an Indian is unconsciously ashamed of being an Indian and unconsciously works against his/her own kind. With that in mind, a personal concern of mine and it seems to be getting worst in recent years is our tribal government, our so-called leaders, and those in our employ are allowing non-tribal members and nonIndians to have preference over tribal members. Reverse discrimination, if you will. The revelations that Carrico received $100,000 severance pay and former non-Indian slot machine lobbyist Barry Wilfahrt and his non Indian wife were advanced $36,000 dollars for sign advertising are classic examples of screwed up favoritism by past and current tribal officials. What is the likelihood that a SWO tribal member would get a hundred thousand dollar severance package? Zero to none.

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If a tribal member owned a similar sign business I do not see the tribe giving them $36,000 up front. I can almost guarantee that they would have to battle the tribe every inch of the way to even get them to do business with your tribal member-owned sign business. On the other hand, two non tribal members come out of nowhere and get $36,000 dollars advanced to them before the advertising signs are even up. Why is that? It is enough to make me wonder if the Sisseton Wahpetons who work for us know, understand, or even care about the history of the tribe. As a result of the 1862 Great Sioux Uprising we could just as easily be living in Crow Creek had it not been for several Sisseton and Wahpetons who served as scout for the government. As a result of this scout service (eventually over 200 SWO served as scouts) we were given land now known as the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation. From 1867 until today, our original land base dwindled from over 900,000 acres to 137,000 acres. The government kept title to the remaining land and this trust status led to the common belief that Indians dont pay taxes, and as a direct result of this misconception, the SWO were relegated to second class citizenship. The reservation system restricted their ability to be self-supporting and a disproportionate number of SWO succumbed to alcoholism hence our fathers and grandfathers were stereotyped as drunken Indians. It was all too common for the Sisseton Reservation to be 80-90% unemployed. Hence our fathers and grandfathers were stereotyped as lazy Indians. It was all too common for two or more families to occupy a single dwelling without running water hence our mothers and fathers were labeled dirty Indians. The Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program was our biggest industry hence our mothers and grandmothers were stereotyped as welfare queens. Today, if you hold a position of power or leadership in the tribe and do not remember, understand, or appreciate what the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate endured for the last two hundred years your mommy needs to thump you along side of the head and jar your memory. Anyone who holds a position of power or leadership in the tribe and does not understand and appreciate the last 125 years of economic, political, cultural, religious, and racial oppression is better suited to work for the State of South Dakota than the SW tribe! In July 2007, just to test the waters, I went to the tribal council to request a $100,000 dollar economic development grant. They turned me down, because they said the tribe is broke. At about the same time the tribal council hired a non tribal member for a marketing position and paid him one hundred thousand dollars a year. Tribal member Juice Johnson recently completed the requirements for a PHD degree. A non Indian, Dorry Larsen, holds a position with the Tribe that requires a PHD and the position also pays over a hundred thousand dollars. A non Indian tribal member was recently hired to be Superintendent of TZ Tribal School. The tribe at one time paid a non-Indian $150,000 to run the bag factory. Greg Benidt holds a position that many tribal members could easily fill and this position also pays over a hundred thousand dollars.

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I affectionately call him my half-ass son in law (Crude NDN humor) Calvin Max has had to battle every inch of the way to get construction work and so has Junior H. My sister Martha and my cousin Gladys were terminated for trivial reasons and Carrico gets one hundred thousand dollars severance pay! And dont forget non-tribal member former SWCC President Lone Fight left a mess and was paid more than he was worth. Time after time tribal leaders and tribal workers favor the non Indians and non tribal members over tribal members. Why is it that the hand full of people we elect to represent us, or who are in our employ, turn on us, once they are in power? Where does this screwed up mentality come from? The former leaders of the Sisseton and Wahpeton Oyate beginning with Gabriel Renville, and Solomon Two Star; (From 1911 to 1946 there were no tribal leaders - the non-Indian BIA Superintendents had total political control) Hazel Shepherd; Clifford Thompson, Melvin Robertson, Sr.; Chris Heminger, Sr.; Hiram Owen; Willard Lafromboise; Moses Gill; Jerry Flute; Harold Barse; Rollin Ryan, Russell Hawkins; Lorraine Rousseau; and Andy Grey certainly dreamed of the day when the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota Indians would take charge of their own destiny and tribal member preference and tribal member self-sufficiency would be a big part of that dream. For whatever their neurotic reasons are we have too many (one is too many) Sisseton Wahpetons in our midst who continue to favor the non-Indian, non-tribal member over their own members. This is not right. In fact, it is downright blasphemy (disrespectful) that a tribal leader or a tribal employee does not appreciate what their mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers went through to get to this point in our history. For sure I dont have a thing against non tribal member employees like Dorry Larsen and Greg Benidt, etc. But, on the other hand, I dont think Gabriel, Solomon, Hazen, Melvin, and Moses, just to name a few, wanted the good paying jobs or lucrative contracts to go to the non tribal members and non-Indians without first doing everything humanly possible to make sure the Sisseton Wahpetons are given first consideration. Indian preference on the Lake Reservation is in need of a fix and the sooner the better. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

January 30, 2008 FRY BREAD INSPECTORS The non-tribal member (John Loukas) who was hired to be the Marketing Director at Dakota Magic is now the Acting CEO of the entire gaming enterprise. Several weeks ago a non-Indian who was in charge of the Watertown Dakota Sioux Casino food service or whatever they call it was terminated. The Acting CEO than transferred a non-Indian from Dakota Magic Casino to fill the position without advertising the position. When someone questioned him on it he basically told them that he did not have to abide by tribal preference laws. The Tribal Employment Rights Office got involved and straightened him out. Apparently,

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he gave the excuse that the Tribal Council told him to do what he had to do to get the job done. It is still a problem that tribal member preference is arbitrarily applied (whenever it is convenient) rather than being viewed as the law of the reservation, which it is. In 1974 the US Supreme Court decision Morton vs. Marcari affirmed Indian Preference within the BIA and Indian Health Service. Thus, it makes logical and legal sense that a sovereignty entity such as the tribe can have absolute tribal member preference if they want to. The problem with 100% tribal member preference is the human toll a hundred years of economic oppression and the negative effects of the reservation environment has had upon its citizens, i.e., higher school drop out rates, higher rates of criminal behavior, higher rates of teen age pregnancies, higher incidences of alcohol and drug abuse, etc., etc., and now many tribal members lack the necessary credentials needed to fill the more technical jobs the tribe now offers. At least that is the spin on not having 100% tribal member preference. In the space allowed for Open Letters to the Oyate I cannot cover the entire pros & cons of Indian preference but I would like to raise the awareness of an issue that I think needs improvement. Another example is the former Chief Executive Officer (Carrico) of Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise quit on June 15, 2007 because he wont work for a reduced salary of $125,000.00. The CEO position remains vacant today after seven months. The last tribal council paid the former CEO over one million dollars to run our gaming enterprise. One. The casinos are still running despite the seven months vacancy so apparently it doesnt take a high paid gaming executive to run a casino. Two. The former tribal council members were dead wrong to pay someone so much money to run our casinos. Three. It is time to do an honest evaluation of the whole DNGE corporate salary structure. Four. While at it I think it is time to consolidate the three casino operations into one and make one payroll, one accounting, one Human Resources, one purchasing, one training, one marketing, etc., and if it was up to me I would put the whole operation in the old Stavig store. While I am day dreaming I would also explore the idea of buying the skating rink and turning it into a 24/7 day care and transportation point for the casino employees. Back to reality, at the January OA District meeting it was also reported that the US Attorneys office will not be seeking the indictments of any of the former tribal council members for their part in the $1.125 million dollar fiasco to outlaw SD video lottery. Carrico and the disbarred attorney Moen are not off the hook yet, but no doubt their defense will be that they were merely following the orders of the former tribal council. My understand is that the reason for the US Attorneys decision is that there was no evidence of personal gain by those involved. Apparently, there is no evidence that the former tribal council actually received any of the $1,125.000.00 million dollars. This much we do know. A million dollars disappeared and the former tribal council allowed it to happen. If the waste of a million dollars of gaming revenue is not a federal crime, is wasting a million dollars a violation of some tribal rule or law?

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Can an elected official waste a million dollars and not suffer any consequences? We all know that you can go to jail for not paying child support or you can be fined for speeding, so, you would think that surely it must be a tribal crime to waste a million dollars. If it is no crime to waste a million dollars of tribal money there is something terribly wrong with the way our tribal government is set up. Get out your SWO Constitution and Bylaws and let us examine this question from another perspective. At Article VII, Powers, Section 1, (j), it states: No authorities contained in this Revised Constitution may be delegated by the Council except by ordinance or resolution duly enacted by the council in legal session. The no authorities is an ordinance or resolution that is required to authorize the $1,125.000.00 million dollar expenditure. There was no ordinance or resolutions found authorizing the million dollar expenditure as required by this article of the constitution. Next look at the SWO Bylaws at Article 1, Section 4, Code of Ethics, (a), Gross Neglect: 1. Gross Incompetence: Unable or unwilling to perform the duties of office. Members of the former tribal council have reportedly said that they did not know that the initiative to outlaw SD video lottery was going to cost over a million dollars. The fact that they could not keep track of a millions dollars sounds like gross incompetence to me. Also see (b) Improper Conduct. 1. Converting tribal property or monies without authorization through omission or misrepresentation of facts. Again, they (through omission) enacted no ordinances or resolutions which authorized the expenditure of a million dollars and they deliberately kept their scheme a secret (misrepresentation of facts). 2. Misuse of Office: Unauthorized personal use of tribal equipment, manpower or materials. Again, no ordinances or resolutions were made authorizing their acts (unauthorized use). 3. Public conduct so as to question the integrity of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Would you agree that wasting a million dollars questions the integrity of the SWO? 4. Malfeasance of office. Malfeasance is defined as conduct that cannot be legally justified or that which conflicts with the law. They may not have violated federal law by wasting one million dollars but in my opinion they violated the tribal constitution by wasting one million dollars. I count at least five violations of the SWO tribal constitution. Beginning in six month the process of electing new leadership starts all over again. Like I said before, in the last election the voters cut off the head of the beast but the tail is still wagging. As of today, every one of the wasteful former tribal council members can run for office again. The current tribal council has done nothing to prevent any of them from running for office in the next election. The scary part is that several months ago Scott German, the former Tribal Secretary, almost snuck in the back door when the Big Coulee District threw out their district chairman and in the same breath elected Scott German to be the new district chairman. Fortunately, the deposed district chairman won his appeal in Tribal Court and about the same time the scandal to outlaw SD video lottery broke so Scottie boy

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quietly faded into the background but I have no doubt that he still thinks he is a viable candidate to run our tribe in the hole again. Although, I cant see anyone in their right mind voting for any of the former council members, stranger things have happened. As examples, recently, the (F)ry (B)read (I) nspectors picked up the tribes former official spiritual leader; and the former CEO of DNGE and the former tribal attorney are getting married. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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January 30, 2008 AN HONEST DOLLAR One time, a handful of radicals and I were in the tribal council chambers hot after Scott German for credit card misuse. To create a diversion (An old Indian trick) one of his relatives pointed at me and said, All you care about is money. Well, I cannot deny that chasing the honest dollar has played a big part in my life. At the age of 14 I set pins at Russell Petersons bowling alley for 7 cents a game. In my life long quest to provide for myself I have nothing to be ashamed of and the comment makes me wonder if us Indians are the only race in the world who will criticize each other for trying to make an honest buck. On the other hand, it is our national pastime and inalienable right to criticize and question our politicians, which I will do now. Recently, a Koda (Friend) called me on my commodity phone and said that he had received a call from one of the former tribal councilmen who was canze (mad) because he did not hear any public outrage over the current tribal council greasing their wheels at Christmas time. Apparently, the current tribal council followed the cue of the former tribal council and cashed in their unused annual leave. As you may know it has been the practice of the last several tribal councils to grant themselves 240 hours of annual leave each year. If they do not use the annual leave they can cash it in for real money. Granting your self 30 days of annual leave is more than generous. Since we were never told how much the new tribal council is paying themselves I will have to assume that it is around $65,000.00 per year. There are 2080 hours in a work year. Divide 2080 into $65,000 thousand dollars and it comes out to something like $31.25 per hour. Cashing in 240 hours of unused annual leave is an extra $7,500.00 they can pocket. I dont know who all cashed in their unused annual leave and how much it cost our broke tribe. Maybe after this article they may tell us how much this little scam cost, then again, dont hold your breath. In the federal government you have to work for 15 years before you earn 8 hours of annual leave per pay period. There are 26 pay periods in a work year so you can earn 208 hours of annual leave per year. The tribal council gives themselves an extra 32 hours each year which is significant if you multiply $31.25 times 32 extra hours, this is another grand that they can pocket. The trouble with the tribal council unused annual leave payoff scam, and I am calling it a scam, is that this council and the last council never ran it

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back to the districts for their approval or disapproval. I dont think the seven districts will ever allow this scam because if all ten of the tribal council members were to cash in their unused annual leave, it could cost the tribe another $75-100 thousand dollars a year. This would be hard to justify because the tribe is suppose to be broke and our leaders are suppose to be working for the people and not greasing their own wheels at our expense. If they would do it right and get district approval it would legitimize the practice and it would no longer be a scam, but of course, this never happens, and it leaves the whole practice open to criticism. 1. The practice makes them look like all they care about is money. 2. Accountability. Who is keeping track of their annual leave usage? (With the threat of losing their job I think it would be easy to bully the payroll staff). 3. We know from past experience that you cant trust tribal councils to police themselves. All in all it is not a good practice and it should be stopped or do it right and get district approval. Again, speaking about all you care about is money here is another all you care about is money story. There are 11,800 tribal members scattered through out the world. The broke tribe gave 400 tribal employees a $500 hundred dollar Christmas bonus. In past years the tribal employee Christmas bonus was based upon years of service, but this year the bonus was given out equally without regards to your years of tribal service. The problem with giving out $500 hundred dollar bonuses is that 11,400 tribal members had to do without a Christmas bonus and this cozy little arrangement cost our broke tribe something like $200,000.00. Which begs the question is the tribe broke or not? I wont be making any new tribal employee friends by reporting this but I stand with the majority and say the Christmas bonus is unfair and an insult to all the other tribal members, both on and off the reservation, who are out there hustling and dont get a Christmas bonus. I am merely pointing this out for what it is worth and to say that when other tribal members or I show up at tribal HQ looking for information or assistances put down your cup of coffee and treat us like your job depends upon us, which it does. And the criticism that I only care about money was unfair because it seems like now days everyone only cares about the money. It seems to be a common and widespread affliction. If you currently dont like money watch out it is contagious! You have probably heard at least once in your life an Indian calling another Indian a white person because they are out hustling and trying to improve their lives. This asinine statement is as if us Indians have to take a vow of poverty to be a good Indian. I think it was some lazy Indian who lacked the talent and ambition to get out and hustle that started the you are trying to act like a white man or you only care about money. Trust me honest mazaska (money) is nina waste (really good). We all need it. In fact, someone once said that next to God the most important thing in life is money. You may not agree with that assessment and say health and family are more important. That maybe so, but I have seen on this reservation where the lack of money has robbed many a persons health and the lack of money has destroyed many an Indian family. In this life God and an honest dollar can solve most problems.

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Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com. P.S. Just a word of advice to the tribal council keep a watchful eye on the Acting CEO of DNGE.
Chuck, (The Sota Editor) Revised, please run this. Thank you. I was more than a little disappointed that you chopped up my last article. What I said about Scottie boy is true. What is worst printing Scottie boy or prairie nigger? If anyone gets indicted he is probably the best candidate, this info is coming right from tribal HQ. Because of his incompetence millions of indirect cost dollars were never received and he spent money like it was his. Also here is my source on Carrico and Lisa Lasano marriage. The Acting CEO John Loukas told Jesse and Jesse told me. I was told by Francis Crawford, gaming commission, and Debbie Flute, former DNGE HR that this Loukas guy is spending money like it is his, a Carrico clone. Leave my articles alone, you have a disclaimer printed bolding in the paper and like I say before I take full responsibility for what I write. I am fully aware of libel and slander laws.

......... February 6, 2008 YOU TALK TOO MUCH I am going to take a week break from my usual format. Around Christmas time a cranky old Indian lady said to me, What I dont like about you is you talk too much. I didnt say anything. I get criticized for liking money and now I get criticized for talking too much. An Indian guy can hardly win! Let me tell you my story on how I got to the point where I get criticized for talking too much. In high school Donald Barker and I were the two biggest bucks in the whole Sisseton school system. In Indian vernacular big buck or bucky means an Indian person who is very shy and seldom talks in public, not assertive or aggressive. When the Indian chicks would try to talk to Doc Barker and me we would turn red with embarrassment, maybe that is where they got the Sisseton Redman idea. Being a big buck not only affects your social life but it also wears on your self esteem and motivation. At the beginning of each school year I wanted to do well academically but after a month or two I would give up and sit in the back of the classroom daydreaming and planning my next prank. Grab ass was my favorite extra-curricular activity. You know, fooling around and generally being a pain in the butt to the teachers. At the end of the school year they would pass me on to the next grade which was just fine with me. Back in those days we didnt have JOM, tutoring, free pencils, or anything else to help the Indian student, but I dont blame the school system or anyone else for my sub par performance. I must have been in the 6 th grade when they got real generous and gave us a free pint bottle of milk in the morning. Half of us Indians were lactose intolerant and after an hour or so we would be squeezing our butts trying not to fart. One time one got away and it smelled like it crawled over ten turds on its way out. If I had worked at the bowling alley the night before I would take my hard earned quarter down to the lunch room and buy a hot meal. For me school was made tolerable by the hot shower after phy-ed, a hot meal, fantasizing about white chicks, and grab-assing. I now have my regrets (for fantasizing about white chicks) and not studying harder, and it is ironic that I attempt to write a half way cogent Letter to the Oyate, especially since I never did quite figure out conjugated verbs, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and dangling participles. One of the few things I do

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remember is some smart ass Indian, who was taking up space just like me, once said, I got your dangling participle. In late August 1959, my mother and dad decided that a change in environment would do me some good and they literally pulled me off the streets of Sisseton and dropped me off at Bishop Hare School, located in Mission , South Dakota , right in the heart of the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The first night I sat on my bunk and cried for my mommy and daddy. One thing that really helped me get over my homesickness was all the pretty Sicangu girls with strange names like, Marvell Six Toes, Violet Shot With Two Arrows, Belva Kills in Water, Adeline Fast Horse, Gloria Wolf Guts, and my very first girl friend Ducky Beauveau. As her name implies she had some French fur trader blood in her veins and she was always trying to stick her tongue in my mouth. (As the NDN chicks like to say, Yuck!) I was fresh meat from Sisseton and the Rosebud chicks were helping me get over my big buck persona in a hurry. Bishop Hare School was a religious-strict all Indian boys school operated by the Episcopal Church of South Dakota. Back in those days, in addition to federal boarding schools, the Catholic and Episcopal Churches, helped educate Indian children. My new school mates had surnames like Night Pipe, Prairie Chicken, White Hawk, Eagle Bear, Broken Leg, Whirl Wind Horse, and Little White Man. They came from places like Red Scaffold, Upper and Lower Cut Meat, Milks Camp, White Horse, and Cherry Creek. The Rosebud rez was quite a contrast from over here in Oyate-land where my Indian friends were the Johnsons, Wilsons, Nelsons, Smiths, and Williams boys. Almost everyone had a nickname, mine was Chief, my brother Arden, who showed up later, was Little Chief. There was Mav, Hicks, Blue, Hep, Boog, Little Boog, Spoon Head, Butt Rash, Ickabod Crane and Chuck the Buck. Mr. A (John Artichocker) was the Itancan (headman). We went to the Todd County schools and returned to Bishop Hare School where we were required to do chores, such as taking care of the herd of cattle, staking hay, shoveling shit, peeling spuds, washing dishes, cleaning the chapel, etc., etc. The Episcopal ministers taught us the proper order of lighting and extinguishing candles at Holy Eucharist. In my second year at Hare School, in spite of their best efforts to make me a good Episcopal alter boy I got kicked out of Hare School about 45 days before high school graduation. Some Hare School boys forced me to drink cheap muscatel wine with them one Saturday evening and we got caught by Mr. A. He sent me back to Sisseton and PA Setnes wouldnt allow me to re-enroll at Sisseton High School. I thought I was SOL. I almost became another Indian drop-out statistic, but then God, or His emissary, my mother intervened. She knew that Archie and Ida Mae Labatte had transferred to the Rosebud Indian Hospital and she called them and convinced them too let me stay with them and I took the school bus from Rosebud to Mission and graduated with Ed Charging Elk, Lavina Black Lance, Sterling Kills Plenty and the rest of the class of 1961.

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In July of the same year I was in the pool hall on Main Street and the Army Recruiter was in there looking for fresh meat. The next thing I know I am in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Back in those days it was easy to qualify for the Army. They stuck a flash light up your butt and looked down your throat, if they didnt see any light you were in Uncle Sams lean, mean, green, fighting machine. The Army took me to Missouri , Kansas , Oklahoma , New Mexico , Texas , California , Hawaii , Wake Island , Japan , Korea , Kansas , Washington , Oregon , Utah , Nevada , and Arizona . Returning to Sisseton in 1964 there were still no jobs so I hitchhiked to Chicago where I warehoused for Sears Roebuck and loaded trucks for a new company called United Parcel Service. One day for no other reasons than three hots and a cot I joined the Navy, which stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself. The Navy took me to Illinois , Ohio , Virginia , North Carolina , Washington DC , Maryland , New York , New Jersey , Colorado , California , Japan , Okinawa , Vietnam , Taiwan , Hawaii , and back to Treasure Island California. In my journey through life I rode a Lear jet, a jumbo jet, a troop ship, helicopters, armored personnel carriers, trains, Greyhounds, subways and Kimshi cabs. My travels have taken me to Lower Manhattan and Manhattan Kansas. From Hells Kitchen to the Golden Gate Bridge, Dallas, Nogales, Yong Dong Po, An Hoi, Hiroshima, Honolulu, Monford Point, Cherry Point, State Street, Canal Street and Sunset Boulevard. I have been to the top of the Empire State Building and Tokyo Tower. I met Harry Cummings from Boston, Johnny Cassulo from Ohio, Manuel Pacheco from Texas, Joe Bedrin from St. Petersburg, Ned Huddleston from Tennessee and Lavon C. Wright from Los Angeles and thousands of other people of different languages, dress, customs, cultures, traditions, and religions. I was privileged to travel and met all those people who graced me with their friendship. If I talk too much you now know why. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 25 The Egalitarian Theory This is just rez geyapi (gossip) and I hope it is not true but I heard that at least four of the former tribal council are talking about running for office again. Several weeks ago I wrote that no one in their right mind should vote for any of the former council. I want to clarify my statement. Whatever your state of mind is you have ever right to vote for whoever you want. I am just saying that after all the provable and real damage the last tribal council did why would anyone want to put them back in office again? If the rumor is true the psychologists have a word for the phenomena, they call it megalomania or delusions of grandeur, which is a false or gross overestimation of their personal worth, importance, or powerfulness. Translated into Indian speak, they got there head up their butt if they think anyone in their right mind will vote for them. But sure as dog cesdi somebody will. For the sake of your children and grandchildren dont be one of them. Pida Miya. Several people have asked me what my future political intentions are. Writer and satirist H. L. Mencken said. It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible to run for public office. However, if I do decide to run I would serve for only twelve thousand dollars a year, no matter what position, take no annual leave, or separation pay, and my political agenda will be tribal government reform. There are five forms of government that the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota can and do belong too citySisseton, county-Roberts, state-South Dakota, federal-USA and tribal government-SWO, one more that our fellow Americans. Four of the five levy and collect taxes from a variety of sources, including personal income and property taxes. Tax payers money pays for the operational costs of running the cities, counties, states, and federal government. Most of the money to run tribal government comes from the federal government. Some of this federal money is to satisfy treaty obligations, i.e., education, health, and law enforcement. Other federal money that comes to the tribe is federal discretionary money. The SWO tribe receives federal money to clean up the environment, historic preservation, injury prevention, the Clean Air Act, commodities, etc., etc. Any city, county, or state government can apply for federal discretionary money for practically anything under the sun. The tribe also has the authority or capacity to generate revenue from gaming, tax collections, and lease income. All of this money makes the SWO Tribe a $35 million dollar a year operation. The other potential source of income is our various economic development schemes which for the most part create employment but dont make a lot of money and some businesses cost money to subsidize. Theoretically, whatever money comes to the tribe belongs to all of us equally. The problem with this egalitarian (we are equal) theory is that there are 11,800 tribal members scattered through out the world.

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If we took the $35 million dollars that is spent annually on operating the SWO Tribe and divide it up equally among the 11,800 who claim SWO Blood we would each get about three thousand dollars a year. However, the simple fact is, the closer you are to the tribal government the better chance you have of getting a piece of the tribal pie. Obviously, tribal members living in Los Angeles or Minneapolis dont benefit from the millions and millions of dollars that comes to the tribe. Russell Means recently called Indians who benefit the most from their tribes Hang around the fort Indians. Of course, those who benefit the most resent being called a Fort Indian and they will say that it is your fault if you dont participate or get in line for your share of the tribal pie. They have a point. Nobody at Tribal HQ is going to come looking for you. You have to get in line and demand your share. This sometimes causes a problem because there are some tribal members who make a good living standing in line and they resent others who would have the audacity to ask for a piece of the tribal pie. Exactly like the Shakopee Mdewakantonwan situation where more members mean less monthly per cap payment. In both situations the traditional Dakota values of sharing and generosity gets battered around and sometimes totally ignored. The tribe also uses the number of 6,025 tribal members when it slices up the gaming revenue pie. If we use the 6,025 number we would each get about $5,800 thousand dollars per year. Of course, slicing up the tribal pie this way will never happen because that is not how it works. So much for the egalitarian (we are equal) theory. I get about $1200 hundred dollars a year from the tribal pie, half from my elderly food coupon. My other theoretical share of $4600 hundred dollars apparently went to cover nine tribal employees who got the $500 hundred dollar Christmas bonus. I said all of that to say this: The reason we tribal members can so easily blow off all of the waste and corruption that occurs in our tribal government is because we are not vested in our government like other tax paying citizens are in their governments. Compounding the problem is the fact that the more monetary benefit an individual tribal member receives from the tribe the less likely they are going to complain or question an unfair, wasteful and corrupt system. As long as they get their piece of the pie they will not rock the boat. What I mean by vested is we tribal members dont pay personal income or property taxes to support our tribal government. We simply dont have a monetary investment in the tribe. This lack of monetary investment by tribal members is the biggest reason why we allow tribal officials to give themselves arbitrary pay raises, cash in unused annual leave, waste money on a four hundred thousand dollar plastic tent and waste a million dollars trying to outlaw video lottery. When the waste and corruption is exposed many tribal members may be temporarily upset, shake their heads in disgust, and then blow it off. The money that was wasted did not come out of our individual pockets. If the money the Indian politicians wasted had come from our hard earned personal income tax or from our hard earned property tax our tribal politicians wont last six months in office.

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To be sure, there is waste and corruption in city, county, state and the federal government, but the tax paying citizens are less tolerant of greedy and corrupt politicians. The city, county, state, and federal politicians are more closely scrutinized and held to a higher standard of accountability. Meanwhile, back in Oyate-land the reason we easily blow off the sixty million dollars of tribal debt and blow off millions of wasted tribal dollars is because we dont feel like it is our money that is being wasted or ripped off. Do any of you actually feel that you have any personal responsibility for the sixty million dollar tribal debt? I dont. Right or wrong, it is easy to say I didnt have anything to do with the debt or the waste. [Ironically, the ones that really should be raising the most hell when waste and corruption occurs are those who benefit the most from the tribe.] Tribal members in Denver and Bismarck arent getting anything anyway so why should they care? My only real burden for the waste, $60 million dollar tribal debt, and the corruption is self-imposed. I chose to write about it so I get criticized and maligned. Otherwise, I am just like you the four hundred thousand dollars wasted on a plastic tent didnt come out of my pocket. So why should I care? But, what does that attitude say about us/me who profess to be self-respecting, responsible, honest, caring, benevolent, Christian, traditional, spiritual people who will turn a blind eye to the excessive debt, greed, waste and corruption? If we dont fix it who will? Until next time, peace and fry bread grease.

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Week 26 - P.T.S.D. The Sota Editor from time to time has taken the liberty of chopping up my articles. I dont like him touching one word. Maybe the following will give a little insight on why I strongly believe in free speech and free press, especially on an Indian reservation. There were several articles in the Sota recently concerning veteran mental health issues and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the new name for shell shock or combat fatigue. George S. Patton is considered one of World War II greatest generals but in my opinion he was also a psychopath (lacking remorse or empathy). In the Sicily campaign soldiers under his command murdered 75 Italian prisoners and justified it because they said Patton told them taking prisoners would mean that they would have to feed them. The incident was covered up and eventually dismissed. Pattons reputation was further damaged for berating an American GI suffering from shell shock. When Patton asked the soldier why he was admitted to the field hospital the young private said I guess I cant take it. Patton then slapped him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him out of the tent with a kick in the rear. The soldier was later to claim that he thought Patton, like himself, was suffering from combat fatigue. I have read everything I can on PTSD. PTSD is a psychological disorder caused by some traumatic event in a persons life. War is the usual cause, but the survivors of the 9-11 terrorism attack are also likely candidates for PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD are survivors guilt, nightmares, startle reaction, hypervigilance, rage, anger, anxiety, depression, etc. Untreated PTSD leads to drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, withdrawal from society, and worst. The suicide of a Marine veteran of the Iraq War, who was turned away from the Minneapolis and St Cloud VA Hospitals, triggered a government investigation into the problem. Having dealt with PTSD on a personal level I know that PTSD is directly related to the killing and violence a young soldier experiences and the experience traumatizes the psyche. In early 1968 I may have been one of the first Vietnam Veterans to visit a VA Hospital for symptoms of PTSD. I didnt know the name of the beast but they told me that what I was feeling was normal and they patted me on the back and said I would be okay. So for thirty years I thought it was normal to have a dark cloud following me around, feeling guilty for having survived the war and wanting to duck or hit the deck when a loud noise occurred. I am hyper-vigilant and I do not ride elevators, airplanes, or drive alone. Since Vietnam I have not went camping or hunting and I feel more comfortable with a gun close by. (Dont worry I am not going to shoot anyone) I never told my wife and my kids I love them. I never asked for or wanted any sympathy and I never sought help from the VA. I figured I volunteered to go off to war and whatever came my way was part of the deal. I thought Indian veterans did not get PTSD and like General Patton I thought it was a sign of weakness. I was a medical corpsman with the 1st Marine Division, Republic of South Vietnam. After completing five weeks of combat medical training several hundred of us were loaded up on two jets and flew to Okinawa. Standing on the tarmac a Marine Gunnery Sergeant from the division was reading off names. My name was never called so I asked, Where do I go? He said to report to the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade

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HQ. I went into the 9th MAB office and was told to sit and wait at a Chief Corpsmans desk, which I did. I light up a cigarette using the lighter on the desk. As I was putting down the lighter I noticed the inscription: U.S.S Renville APA 223. I asked the Chief where he got the lighter. He said that he served aboard the USS Renville, a troop ship, activated during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Chief smiles and says, Renville do you want to stay in Okinawa or go to Japan. I didnt know it then but he gave me a ticket out of the war. I said, I want to go to Japan. The next day I am on a C-130 headed for Japan and the rest of the corpsman I trained with flew on to Viet-fricking-Nam. My training buddy in North Carolina was Phil Valdez from Dixon, New Mexico. Phil lasted 103 day in Vietnam and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously (The nations 2 nd highest medal for valor) and in 1975 the Navy named a ship in his honor, the U.S.S Valdez. After a couple of months of slack duty in Japan I had enough of the easy life and caught the next cargo plane to Viet-fricking-Nam. This decision had nothing to do with bravery or patriotism. I was in-country for only nine hours when I experienced my first combat action. The stark realization that someone is trying to kill you is a surreal and awesome experience. Being in a war zone is not entirely about killing and being killed. There were many days of mindless boredom and mundane tasks punctuated by moments of sheer terror. One time, I was with a Marine reaction platoon and while waiting for something to happen I busied myself swatting and counting dead Viet Cong flies. The Marines called their corpsmen Doc and we were also known as the death cheaters. I served with the best and bravest Marines you would want in your corner during a firefight. Even our German shepherd scout dog was a hero. The dog sniffed out an ambush and as the Marines were extracting themselves from the potential kill zone the dog took a punji stack in the groin. We treated that dog like it was a human being. It bothers me that I dont remember all their names now. I remember Ski from somewhere, Rizzi from Toledo, Reardon from Connecticut and Curt Carlson from Kansas. You depended on your comrades; and we were willing to die for each other. The Marines call this Semper Fidelis (Always faithful). But at the same time you didnt get too close to anyone. 692 corpsmen would die in Vietnam. If I learned anything from the experience it is true that the good die young. I got some leech bites and chipped my front teeth otherwise I survived the ordeal a wiser, weaker man. I came back to Sisseton in November 1967 and shortly thereafter PTSD reared its ugly head. Like I said I sucked it up for over thirty years before I went to the VA. I was all wrong about PTSD. You have to be a psychopath not to be affected by the waste of life and the futility of war. Every Sisseton and Wahpeton soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine who has served in the military can tell you a similar story. Our stories are not of bragging, false bravado, or even of patriotism, but stories of your average Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota who left the safety of the reservation to serve their country in distant lands and under difficult circumstances.

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General Patton said the object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his. And so the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota fought in places most people have never heard of - The Marne, Neuva Chapelle, Ardennes, Solomon Islands, Taegu, Inchon, Phu Bai, Dong Ha, Chu Lai, Kuwait City, Dhahran, An Nasiriyah, Mosul, Kandahar and Mazari Sharif. The brave men Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakotas were willing to fight and die in a foreign land for reasons we didnt always understand or sympathize with. We were supposedly fighting for the freedom of people we didnt even know or care about. The least I expect now in return is a better tribal government and a totally free press, for all of us, right here at home. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com P.S. Welcome back to the World Akicita Dave Flute.

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Week 27 Poverty Pimps I previously wrote that the tribe was a $35 million dollar a year operation. My bad. After reviewing a copy of the draft SWO 2008 budget the SWO is only a $29 million dollar operation. However, that amount does not include gaming, tax, and lease income and when you include the budgets of the several other entities that are not under the direct control of the SWO tribal government such as IHS, BIA, Dakota Western, SWCC, Tiospa Zina, SW Housing, and Fuel Inc., I estimate that $60 million dollars is spent in behalf of the SW Oyate annually. Why does all of this money come to the tribe you ask? The simple answer is that the SW Oyate has a special relationship with the federal government that no other American citizen enjoys. This special relationship is based on the simple, but often forgotten and ignored fact that our ancestors once owned all of this country - They owned all of present day Grant, Day, Marshall, Roberts, Traverse, Ramsey, Hennepin County, etc, etc. We didnt exactly have a title to the land but old English law says that possession is 9/10s of the law or rule. In other words, we were here first. Like I said before, the transplanted Europeans could have just as easily exterminated us one tribe at a time, but the new people who came to this country brought Christianity and their ideas of a democracy with them. If they had killed a whole tribe of people and took their land what does that say about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Instead, there were those who took their faith seriously and applied democratic principles and old English law and made treaties that promised to take care of us in exchange for million and millions of acres. For many years the government forgot about its part of the deal until 1964 when President Johnson declared the War on Poverty. Those of us that are 50, 60, 70 and 80 years old never use to get anything from the tribe until recently, mainly, because in our days of youth there wasnt much of a Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe. In the 1950s and 60s the tribe was little more than a couple of filing cabinets at the BIA Indian garage. In the late 60s a handful of renegade Oyates began the Indian Power or Indian activism movement on the reservation and in the early 70s the Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux Tribe was reborn so to speak, and we finally became a tribe, in the sense, that we had a tribal headquarters that basically allowed for the SWST to apply for and receive federal money for all types of social/welfare programs. The second answer is why Congress allowed Indian gaming: For the specific purpose of promoting better tribal government; economic development; and tribal member self-sufficiency. In the last 35 years the reservation economy has changed dramatically and so has our attitudes. Now days if you live on the Sisseton Reservation you kind of expect the tribal government to help you out. This is a new Indian attitude or expectation. Since the tribe is funded with mostly federal social/welfare discretionary program money we have come to expect the tribe to help us. If Chaske is drinking too much we can call the alcohol program, if Winona is promiscuous we can call the MCH program, if Junior is acting up we can send him to Little Voices. If the sunka I (the dog) needs a rabies shot we can call the IHS Sanitarian. If baby needs a car seat we can call the Safety Officer. Eating too much? Call the IHS Nutritionist. Not eating enough? Visit the Elderly Nutrition and Commodities

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Program. Dont have a clue about health call the Health Educator. Need a ride to all of these service providers call the CHRs. Get drunk and kick the door in call the housing repair guys. Of course, I am being slightly facetious, but we have come from where most of us didnt have two Indian head nickels to rub together to where we are now. We are now pretty much taken care of from the cradle to the grave. The kicker is that you have to live on the reservation. The third answer is that all of this new money is because we are waonsida and onsika (pitiful and poor). Therefore, the US government spends billions of dollars to break the Indian cycle of poverty. Tribal governments have become conduits for all of this money. The more pitiful and poor picture those out at tribal HQ can paint the more money we can get from the benevolent Great White Father. The irony now is that it is not in our best interest to break the cycle of poverty. If we all got rich, well, or functional the federal money would dry up. Just for the heck of it I looked up Poverty Pimp on Wikipedia. A poverty pimp is a sarcastic label used to convey the opinion that an individual or group is benefiting unduly by acting as an intermediary on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged or some other victimized group. Those who use this term suggest that those so labeled do not really wish the societal problems that they appear to work on so assiduously be permanently eliminated, as it is not in their best interest for this to happen. Who would have thunk that when we were barely a tribe that one day we would be $60,000,000.00 dollars in the hole and spent $60,000,000.00 dollars a year trying to get out of the hole. Back in the good old days when we didnt have any tribal debt no one in their wildest dreams thought that tribal politicians would someday pay themselves a hundred thousand dollars a year or waste a million dollars on some hair-brain scheme to outlaw video lottery. The tribal politicians and tribal workers salaries get bigger but for the most part the poor stay poor. Somehow that is the shape and form our tribal government has taken the past 35 years. The tribal politicians and tribal workers jack up their salary and throw out a few bucks, beans, and band aids to the restless natives and everybody is expected to be happy. If I complained about the $1200 hundred dollars that I get from the tribe I would be criticized for being a hateful, ungratefully, malcontent. So the old lady and I gladly take our fifty dollar gift cards to Wally World and buy toilet paper and hair dye for the month. Ironically, if the Tribe shut down tomorrow most of us Oyates will survive just as we have for thousands of years. In that regard, I have started up my money lending business again. I am located two doors down from the Sisseton Theatre. I do not have a state business license or state charter to operate my business on Main Street. However, I paid fifty dollars for a SWO tribal business license. If the state insists that I need a state license or charter I expect the tribe to defend me, because defending me is defending SWO tribal sovereignty. The Northern Plains Intertribal Court of Appeals stated that although the tribe lost its boundaries in the 1975 Decoteau case it did not lose its right to self-governance as guaranteed by the Treaty of February 19, 1867, the treaty that established the Lake Traverse Reservation. By licensing me and other tribal and nontribal businesses the tribe is exercising its right to self-governance the same as having a police force and a

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court system. You may recall the last tribal council and their stooge the former DNGE CEO Carrico said I needed a state charter to do business with my own tribe on my own reservation. When I criticized them they came up with that dumb excuse and they jeopardized the tribes right to self-governance. The current tribal leadership and the future generation of leaders should never forget why $60 million dollars annually comes to the SW Tribe - The Treaty of 1867, the Indian Gaming Regulator Act, and poor Indian people. Like I said before if we dont work to improve our tribal government who will? Maybe the Great White Father, the Great White Gambler, and the Great White Taxpayers will. Something to think about! Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

Week 28 The Mundane

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From time to time people have asked me to write about things that concern them. Some of their concerns fall it the category of archaic (no longer useful or efficient) practices. Here are a few examples. Tribal employees take ten federal holidays during a work year. Which is okay, but for some odd reason tribal finance requires each tribal employee to fill out an individual leave slip for the ten federal holiday. If they dont fill out the leave slip they dont get their next pay check. If there are four hundred tribal employees that means there are 400 leave slips times ten holidays, or 4,000 leave slips, piling up at tribal HQ each year. I havent worked for anyone else in eleven years, but back in my day, we didnt have to put in a leave slip to take a federal holiday, why the tribal bean counters require this superfluous (unnecessary) practice is anyones guess. Reviewing the SWO 2008 budget, I noted that the Sota Iya Ye Yapi is a $159,208 dollar a year operation, of which $31,058 comes from tribal tax revenues. The rest comes from advertising and subscription revenue. I think it is pretty cool that the SW Tribe even has a tribal newspaper and I have told the Sota editor on several occasions that he does a good job of putting out a weekly newspaper, except when he messes with my articles. But, I got a couple of concerns. Recently, the Northern Cree Tribal Council attempted to pass a law where a tribal member could be banished from their reservation for criticizing tribal government officials; and several months ago, I received an e-mail from a member of a different tribe who said that their tribal council put a Gag Order on its membership. Can you believe that tribal governments still operate like Russia and China in this day and age? Several years ago, a handful of us renegades had to take the former tribal council to Tribal Court over freedom of press. Unfortunately, in Indian Country today free speech and press arent always a given. The problem with tribal government subsidizing a tribal newspaper is that if they dont like what is being written about them they can restrict freedom of press and speech. If the editors salary is coming from the tribal council they can manipulate him and thereby manipulate freedom of speech and press. I believe that safeguards or a constitutional amendment needs to be put in place or enacted to guarantee free speech and free press, just in case, we elect some more knuckleheads who would forget who put them in office. Several issues ago I wrote about the high paid non-Indians employees. Judge Jones reminded me that I failed to mention the Tribal Judge position. I told him that it was deliberate. I believe that our tribal judges should be non-tribal members for the simple reason that it would be very difficult for a tribal member to be an impartial judge, especially, with our extended family situation. Presently, the tribal judge contracts are approved by the tribal council. A much better idea would be to take this out of the tribal councils hands and tribal judges would be appointed by a process similar to jury duty. Randomly selected tribal members would be screened and then given the responsibility of appointing the judge(s). We have to get away from the tribal councils having a strangle hold on all of the power. The current process might be okay, but the

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last tribal council taught us that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believe that the practice of tribal councils selecting tribal judges is archaic practice and in need of a fix. A couple of weeks ago I took the Old Agency District Officers to Tribal Court over a mere $250.00 dollars. They withheld my share of the OA Grandparent of the Year cash award because they said I was past due on my district economic development loan. The US and SWO Constitutions guarantee that no one can take your life, liberty, and property, without first due process of law. The District did not have a court judgment against me. The Court agreed. What they tried to do to me is a common practice in our current form of tribal government. A district or a tribal governmental entity will take your money (property) without due process of law. Of course, a third world type tribal government can do anything they want, but that is not what we pretend to be. A good example of this practice is when you have a land sale. After the tribe decides to buy your land a notice goes out to several tribal entities (SWCC, Credit Union, Housing, the casinos) and if you owe them money they take it before you get your land sale money. As far as I know, no one denies they owe the money, but without due process of law and a court judgment, in my humble legal opinion, it is an unconstitutional and an archaic practice. Speaking of debt, have you wondered why the SWO has three tribal ordinances or laws to disqualify a candidate from running for office if they owe money to the tribe? I have been checking around and no one seems to remember why tribal debt became a disqualifying factor, the same as being a felon or having a dishonorable discharge. It makes me wonder: Who was after whom, when the laws or requirements were enacted? I would guess the SWO tribe is the only tribe in America with this requirement. It is like our no drinking requirement. Some former NDN politician couldnt handle his booze so all SWO politicians cant drink. Yes, I realize we dont want a bunch of drunken NDNs to run our tribe. It is bad enough that we occasionally elect knuckleheads. A drunken knucklehead would be a disaster. But, its like racial prejudice. One Indian gets drunk and were all drunken Indians. One Indians owes money so everyone is penalized. When the tribe is sixty million dollars in debt isnt it ironic that a tribal member can be disqualified for debt? I reported earlier that the current tribal council cashed in their unused annual leave. They give themselves 240 hours of annual leave each year, what they dont use they cashed in. One explanation or justification I heard was that The last tribal council did it. Several months ago a former council person wrote in the Sota that the reason they took annual leave and severance pay was because The last council did it. Elected officials taking advantage of their position seems to be generational. I was told that the last tribal council gave themselves 400 hours of annual leave! We are getting better. Our current leadership cut their annual leave down by 160 hours. I made a motion at the Old Agency District that there will be no annual leave or severance payoff at the end of their terms. Will the other districts make a similar motion? It is time to stop this generational practice.

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As you know the Treasurer of the tribe is the Vice-Chairman. Since we are a 40 million dollar plus operation dont you think it is about time that the tribe restructures its financial department? I say, we should take this duty away from the Vice Chairman and create a full time Treasurer and Auditors Office. As an example, Roberts County, which is a 6 million dollar operation, has a full time Treasurer and Auditors office. They audit the Roberts County taxpayers money, which must be more important then the millions of federal money we spend annually. For the past several years the tribal audits have been incomplete and as a result millions of federal Indirect Cost dollars were lost. Incomplete tribal audits are a double loss of money. We lose the federal IDC dollar and then we have to make it up with gaming revenue, which could be better spent elsewhere. Establishing a Treasurer and Auditors office may also take the politics out of our reckless spending habits. OA District passed a motion that we start the process to establish a Treasurer and Auditors office. OA District also made a motion that we name the new health care center the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Health Care Facility. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 29 From Us Cree Kids On Monday, March 3, 2008, former Roberts County States Attorney Kerry Cameron came into my office on Main Street and said he received a call from the State Bank Division concerning the operation of my business on Main Street. I have only been in business a couple of weeks and the "haters" have already reported me to the State Banking Division. Payday lenders are required by state law to obtain a license to operate. However, I am of the strong opinion that my business, which I created for the primary benefit of the Sisseton and Wahpeton, is under the jurisdiction of the Tribe. I agree entirely with the SWO Tribe's efforts to exercise self-governance on what remains of the Lake Traverse Reservation. In its effort to exercise the rights of self-governance the SWO Tribe issues tribal business licenses to both Indian and non-Indian businesses. In the event I have to battle the State on operating my business on Main Street my defense will be the 2005 Northern Plains Inter-tribal Court of Appeals (SWST Plaintiffs vs. Vernon Cloud Defendant). The ruling stated: The (SWO) tribe stills views self-governance issues as critical to its survival because it addressed the issue of exercising jurisdiction on the disestablished reservation in the SWO Constitution. The Northern Plains Appeals Court was referring to SWO Constitution, Article I Jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate shall extend to lands lying in the territory within the original confines of the Lake Traverse Reservation as described in Article II of the Treaty of February 19, 1867 and those lands subsequently acquired by the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. In a nutshell, what this means is that back in 1975 a case went before the US Supreme Court and the highest court ruled that the Lake Traverse Reservation was disestablished. The Court determined that when the reservation was opened for homesteading in 1892 this event somehow meant that the Lake Traverse Reservation was no longer a closed reservation and as a result the tribe lost jurisdiction over its tribal members on fee land or land that was sold to non-Indians. I was the Tribal Alcohol Program Director in 1973 when the Decoteau case began winding its way through the court system. The case was about a dysfunctional parent and because the children were on welfare the State of South Dakota assumed jurisdiction over her and the children. I did not know a whole lot about treaties and Indian law back then, but, I did not think that particular issue or case should have gone to the US Supreme Court. But it did, right or wrong, the end result being, we lost our reservation boundaries. Until the Decoteau case the SWST was pretty much a sovereign nation. As a result of that ruling the city, the county, the state, and the tribe have been involved in a running jurisdictional battle in both civil and criminal matters involving tribal members. The political reality today is that on many issues the city, county, state, and the tribe are arch rivals. Had we not lost that case, with the money we have today, the tribe would be a much stronger political and economic entity. As an example, the State denies the tribe more slot machines and essentially forces the tribe to sign cigarette, liquor, and fuel tax agreements.

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This is the system we live under today, a system of multiple jurisdictions. In recap, Congress created the Lake Traverse Reservation in 1867. In 1884 Congress enacts the General Allotment Act to parcel up the reservation and then Congress enacts the Homestead Act, opening up the reservation 1892. In 1975, the US Supreme Court then "disestablishes" the reservation. An Indian can hardly win. In the whole process Indian people were unwittingly given certain tax advantages in exchange hundreds of thousands of acres of land. Unfortunately, today these tax advantages and the subsequent jurisdiction it entails has created all kinds of resentments and political and legal complications. So, when I say that it would be in the tribes best interest to support my business and other Indian businesses within the original boundaries of the Lake Traverse Reservation, it is not just about me, but the very political and economic survival of the SWO Tribe. As a sovereign nation it is absolutely imperative that the tribe and it elected leaders maintain as much power and control as it can. In the same regard, the city, county and state do not want to lose any of its power. And that is the heart of the issue. Each governmental entity wants to maintain as much control as they can. To voluntarily give up your inherit sovereign power is like committing treason or heresy. And that is exactly what the last tribal council did when they said I needed a South Dakota State charter to operate my Indian business on my own reservation. It has been several years now since that happened and I still shake in head in disgust over their actions. I am being generous when I say the brain of that group was my former tahansi (cousin) Scott German, the same guy who was responsible for the tribes incomplete federal audits that resulted in the loss of millions of federal Indirect Cost dollars. When they first reported me to the State I attempted to get the name of the person or persons who turned me. The State wouldnt give me that information, so I filed an action in Roberts County Court. At South Dakota taxpayers expense a State pilot, a State plane, and a State lawyer flew out to Sisseton for the hearing. The local judge ruled against my request for information, I had no right to know who turned me into the State Banking Commission. No matter, I found out anyway The former Investigator for the Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise was ordered by Carrico to report me to the State Banking Commission. Carrico, also ordered the Investigator to report me to the Internal Revenue Service. Remember now, these are elected tribal officials who were suppose to be promoting and protecting tribal members such as my self. That is life on the Lake Traverse Reservation where millions of dollars comes to promote better tribal government, promote economic development, and tribal member self-sufficiency. Back to the present, I gave Mr. Cameron a copy of my SWO Business License and a copy of the Northern Plains Inter-Tribal Court of Appeals ruling and he promised to fax it to the State Banking Division. The next day, I called the State Banking Division and the person I spoke with hadnt had time to read the information that we sent. Hopefully, the issue is not that high on the States radar screen. Quite frankly, I

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am looking forward to the State raising a challenge, but if they dont that will be good too. If the State does pursue the issue I am interested in what the tribes response will be. We have a whole new group of leaders who took an oath to promote and protect and it will be interesting to see how this new group interprets "promote and protect." Current Lake Traverse District councilman Jerry Flute was around back in 1975. Some Oyate blame him for the Decoteau case. As far as I know he takes no blame for the Decoteau case. He blames former tribal chairman Harold Barse for the Decoteau case loss. Personally, I blame Bertram Hirsh, just out of law school, trying to make a name for himself for taking the case to the Supreme Court. In the end, it does not matter who is to blame, we lost our boundaries and much of our jurisdiction. Today, the issue is what will Jerry Flute and the other tribal council members do if the State demands that my business is subject to State jurisdiction. Putting aside that issue for now did you hear about the teacher near the Northern Cree Tribe in Montana who finds an apple on her desk with the letters I.L.U written on it? The teacher asks the class who gave her the apple. A white girl raises her hand and says It was me. And what does I.L.U. mean, the teacher asks, the little girl replies, I Love You. Isnt that sweet and continues with class. The next day the teacher finds a banana with the letters Y.A.S. written on it. The teacher asks, Who left the banana and what does the letters mean? A little white boy raises his hand and says, It means, You Are Special. Thank you sweetheart, the teacher says. The following day the teacher finds on her desk a basket of Bannock (the Crees version of fry bread) with the letters F.U.C.K. written on it. The enraged teacher asks who left it. A little Indian girl raises her hand and cheerfully says, I left it. It means, From Us Cree Kids. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 30 Myron The Traveler Several years ago I was reading an early explorers account of the eastern Dakota Indian. Years ago it seems the Dakota called the Lakota The Braggers. At that time the Lakotas were the largest and most feared nation in the region and I suppose they had a tendency to boost and brag around the lesser Dakotas. Let me do a little bragging of my own. I would stack up the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota warrior against any band or tribe of Indians. The modern day Sisseton Wahpeton warriors have did their share of fighting for this great country. On Monday March 3, 2008 tribal member Woodrow Keeble was awarded the Medal of Honor. On Wednesday March 5, 2008, Ulysses Abraham, former POW, journeyed to the spirit world. I was told about another Korean War veteran, Henry Grey Buffalo, who came home on furlough before shipping out to Korea and he sensed that it would it would be his last trip home. At the train station his mother held him and just sobbed. Despite his apprehension Henry got on the train and the troop ship that took him to Korea where he would met his final fate. In all wars twenty-six brave Sisseton and Wahpetons gave their lives in service to our country. Brave, faithful, and loyal Sisseton Wahpeton Akicitas! Recent events have gotten me thinking about what it means to be a Sisseton Wahpeton veteran. I think most of us Sisseton and Wahpeton veterans dont think of ourselves as Sisseton vets or Roberts County veterans or South Dakota veterans. We are more inclined to think of ourselves as Sisseton Wahpeton veterans. Sure, some of us belong to the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War organizations, but for the most part we consider ourselves Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe veterans. Why is that? It would be my guess that many Indian veterans dont exactly feel welcomed at basically non-Indian veteran organizations or dont feel comfortable being around non-Indian veterans, which is kind of ironic, because most of us Indian veterans were held in high regard and were affectionately called Chief by our non-Indian comrades. (At the Quantico Navy Hospital a Marine Brigadier General once told me that he always liked Indians in his outfit.) Meanwhile, back in Sisseton, the unfortunate reality is that we have always lived in a segregated society, maybe, not as segregated as it once was. As a result, strangely, we actually enjoy our self-imposed segregation. I wont call it racism or prejudice. The simple fact is we all feel more comfortable being around our own people. Back in 1968 I went into the local VFW for a beer and was turned away at the door. I am not sure if that incident was racially motivated or just some over-zealous door keeper. Whatever, I never went back to the VFW. I belong to the American Legion but I only go on Veterans Days to pay my dues and eat, even though the Post bears my brothers name. I like to think I get along as well as anyone, but having a choice, which I do, I would rather hang out with other Indian vets. That doesnt make me a racist it is just the way it is. In the same regard, we have four SWO veteran organizations and as far as I know no non-Indian is a member. I am sure they would be

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welcomed but they would probably feel out of place. So, I conclude that it is not about race, it is just the way it is with us human beings. A young Dakota Indian goes into the military, does their time and gets out, end of story. Or, they go into the military, come home, and hope their service means something to someone. Like the VA, which provides medical care and guarantees home loans; or the federal government which gives employment preference to the veteran you kind of expect our tribal government to also provide some kind of benefits or preference for being a veteran. At different times in my life I have possessed both attitudes. When I came home in 1967, up until my trouble with the last tribal council, I took my military service for granted. I didnt want anything or expect anything from the tribe. I did my time in the service and that was that. When my troubles with the tribe began in 2004 I actually thought my status as a tribal veteran would mean something. Surely, tribal councilmen veterans Scott German, Myron Williams, Ron Dumarce and Mike Peters would take my veteran status into consideration. (Incidentally, I recall a time in Vietnam when I was cold, wet, hungry, dirty, lonely, too pissed off to be scared, standing in the driving monsoon rain, eating cold c-rations, and I thought to myself, when I get home everything will be okay, the rest of my life will be gravy, all gravy) Certainly, the tribe pays a lot of lip service and spends over a million dollars a year on the elderly and tribal veteran organizations. So, I was kind of expecting that my veteran status would be taken into consideration. I was sadly mistaken. Being a tribal member veteran didnt mean jack-cesdi to the former tribal council. Whereas, non-Indian, non-tribal member, non-veteran Travis Carrico, the former CEO of Dakota Nation Gaming, was the lad that Big Nick, Smokey, Barb, Ron, Myron, JC, Scott, Mike, Kevin, and Karen listened and looked up too. No white person, on or off this reservation, has ever disrespected me like SWO tribal veterans Scott, Myron, Ron, and Mike did. All the while they were shafting me our veteran leaders were promoting and protecting their own self-interests. Here is what the last tribal council veterans Scott, Myron, Ron, and Mike received in wages, incentives, annual leave and severance pay from January 2003 to December 2006. Scott German received $429,436.84. Myron Williams was paid $386,987.51. Mike Peters was paid $428,814.35 and Ron Dumarce was paid $392,907.27. Additionally, Scott German took 30 trips that he still owes $11,775.10 for. Myron The Traveler Williams took 72 trips and still owes $11,637.99. Ron took 35 trips and still owes $6,763.82. The report that I am quoting from also shows that Scott, Ron, Kevin, and Big Nick attended a workshop in Sioux Falls on October 26, 2006, entitled Surviving the Single Audit Act.

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I remind you that in October 2006 they only had two months left on their four year terms. Pretty funny huh, they couldnt seem to get the tribal audits done on time and after three years and ten months in office they go to an audit workshop. I dont make this stuff up! Ask your council person to see the same report. Switching gears, several people have asked me who I think reported me to the State Banking Division. I dont know, but I am sure it was an Oyate. If the rat-finks want to report some real crime and save society here is something to report to the Federales. Listen up! The last tribal councils received a $19 million dollar IHS construction contract to build the new healthcare facility. Well, it seems they took $1.8 million dollars of that federal money and transferred it into tribal accounts to make tribal payroll, etc. This is a big no-no. You dont take federal money appropriated to build a healthcare facility and use it to make tribal payroll. As a result a financial crisis may be in the making (Again). To address the latest crisis the tribal executive officers recently put a freeze on all payroll related expenditures (bonuses, raises, cost of living increases, etc). It is very likely that our broke tribe will have to pay the $1.8 million dollar back. At this time no one is sure where the $1.8 million dollars will come from. May I suggest Shakopee they owe us for getting us kicked out of Minnesota. So there you go haters check that out and go report it to someone. Leave me alone, I am just a nickel and dime Indian business man trying to survive in Oyate-land where sometimes being a decorated combat veteran doesnt mean jack-cesdi. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 31 Digging Up Dirt When I first heard that the last tribal council took nearly two million dollars from Indian Health Service construction money it was for tribal payroll. It is now my understanding that the IHS money was used for tribal program support, in other words, not all tribal program are fully funded by the federal government so the tribe has to supplement the program budget. The usual source of this program support money is gaming revenue. Currently seventy cents of each gaming dollar goes to tribal government and thirty cents goes to the seven districts. It is kind of a political football who gets program support money. As you would expect if a tribal politician has a relative working for a particular program that program has a better chance of getting program support money. Why the previous council had to use Indian Health Service money for program support is unclear. I thought one of the reasons the last tribal council was giving themselves bonuses and paying Carrico a million dollars was because they were making so much gaming revenue. The new tribal council just recently found out about this questionable transfer of money. I want to again suggest that it is time to reform our tribal finance department and create a full time treasurer and auditors office. On another front, the Tribe is attempting to disbar former tribal attorney Lisa Lisano for her part in the misguided attempt to outlaw SD video lottery. In a December 31, 2007 letter to the Illinois Bar Association she attempts to explain her role in the fiasco. I thought it was interesting how she characterized the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. She says: The Tribe runs by family connections so that each District has one to three big families which then elect their Council representatives. The family that is elected runs the show for their District and the families that lose then spend the entire electoral term trying to dig up dirt and get the elected Councilperson or Executive in trouble. When the Tribe terminates or fails to hire a tribal member during the particular Council term it is sure to result in editorials and rumors from the disgruntled employees family and friends. This is not to say there arent good people working for the Tribe and that the Tribe is not able to govern itself, but this is the undercurrent that one has to deal with when working for a Tribe. There is some truth to her comments. However, I dont agree with her statement that the losing candidates spend the entire electoral term trying to dig up dirt. It would be more accurate to say that our wayward elected officials are involved in some type of rip off or some questionable scheme and they get caught. The very reason Ms. Lisano got fired was because she didnt report the last tribal councils dirt to the new tribal council. If our elected officials werent always ripping off or doing something stupid there would be no need for any of us to be constantly digging up dirt. Ms. Lisano characterization of families running the tribe makes us appear to be like the Italian Mafia.

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I belong to the one of the largest families on the rez but I never once thought my family runs the tribe or the districts. Not a bad idea, but the large Renville family hasnt yet found the will to unite into one big family. The Godfather movie popularized the idea that some Italian families "runs the show" and engages in extortion and racketeering. Similarly, our local NDN Mafia engages in extortion and racketeering under the color of official right by taking numerous worthless trips, abusing tribal credit cards, cashing in unused annual leave, taking severance pay, accepting arbitrary pay raises and undeserved bonuses, etc. Ms. Lisano goes on to say. I was one of two attorneys working in the Tribes in-house legal department. The second attorney was Peter Jones. Peter Jones and I were hired at the same time to work for the Tribe and shared the workload. Peters contract was not renewed in May 2007 because the new Tribal Council felt that they could not trust him and that as a white guy he would not fight for them. The Tribe reasoned that because I was Mexican-American, I could understand as a minority and therefore would fight to the end for the Tribe; which I did until my termination in October 2007. LOL, a Mexican-American senorita fighting to the end for us, give me a break! The Tribes disbarment complaint alleges that Ms. Lisano had a prohibited sexual relationship with a client while employed by the tribe. Her response to that allegation: It is important to provide some context to this accusation. For the first two years it was rumored that I was sleeping with the Vice-Chairman, Scott German. I was not. We were friends and he was also my boss so we met a lot to discuss work related matters. He showed me around the area; movies, lunch, etc. And to the Tribe that was proof that we were sleeping together. Then, just last year in 2006, it was rumored that I was intimate with the Executive Director of the Gaming Commission, Danny White. When I informed Danny White, he stated that he started the rumor himself because he was trying to test the loyalty of some girls that worked at Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise (where the rumor started). This was all unbeknownst to me until several months later. So it comes with little surprise that there was also a rumor that I was having a sexual relationship with Travis Carrico. Her letter to the Illinois Bar Association reads more like the script from a new Godfather movie. Spreading rumors to test the loyalty of some girls that worked at DNGE, what the hell is that all about? To think Oyate, we spent over a million dollars for all of this management and legal expertise. Wait there is more. On February 16, 2008, Travis Carrico returned the lap top computer that the Tribe has been asking for, minus the hard drive (the computers memory). He also sent a $100 dollars to cover the purchase of a new hard drive. He claims the lap top was his to keep and he kept the hard drive because it contained privileged attorney-client information. The current tribal chairman was advised to keep the laptop in a secure location because the SD Attorney Generals Office will likely want to look at the computer. Incidentally, Carrico didnt mention anything about returning the hundred thousand dollars severance pay he walked out the door with.

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All of this nonsense about families; digging up dirt; fighting to the end; testing the loyalty of some girls; and prohibited sex deserves a good story to help keep us in balance. After being married for 40 years an Indian guy takes a careful look at his wife one day and says, Wakanka (an affectionate term for my old lady) 40 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed, and watched a ten inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot twenty year old Indian chick. Now I have a brand new trailer house, a $20 thousand dollar car, a nice big bed and a 42 inch TV. But, I am sleeping with a 60 year old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things. He continues, My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 20 year old Indian chick and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, drive a cheap car, sleep on a sofa and watch TV on a ten inch black and white. Arent older Indian women great? They sure know how to solve your midlife crisis. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com P.S. (The Sota Editor questions the veracity (truthfulness) of my information. Trust me readers, I dont have to exaggerate, fabricate, or dig up dirt, it is all there. Ask your council person for a copy of the information that I quote from.)

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Week 32 A Third World Government At the tribal council meeting on February 5, 2008, the council directed Vice Chairman Jake Thompson to review a proposal to establish an Office of Budget for contracts, grants and Indirect Cost. May I add my two cents and say they need to go a step further and also create a full time auditors office, free from political pressure. (If that is possible in our form of tribal government). One of the things that I unexpectedly discovered is the level of incompetence by those who are paid good money to watch the store for us. I am not sure if incompetence is the right word since they are all well educated and experienced in the accounting field. Something else is going on and improvement is needed. What the tribal and casino accountants have allowed wont be tolerated in the real world and just because we are a tribal government that does not excuse the bean counters from doing their jobs. I think there is a certain amount of paranoia or cover up going on within our tribal organization, not because the bean counters are the ones who are actually ripping off, but they are the ones who write the checks, move the money around, and know of the many questionable financial dealings that go on. And according to reports that I have seen they get bonuses for apparently looking the other way. They are so afraid of losing their well paid jobs and bonuses they forget their fiduciary (trust) responsibility to the average Oyate. They jump thru hoops for the elected officials, but you and I, the people who put the elected officials in office in the first place are left in the dark. The FBI was in town on Wednesday, March 19, apparently looking into credit card and travel abuse. If our own people in tribal finance and casino accounting lack the will or the courage to fix, report or sound the alarm the feds will. Here is another example of the bean counters failing to sound the alarm. Sometime in June 2005 Vice Chairman Scott German, apparently without back up authorization from the tribal council or the executive committee withdrew over a half million dollars ($555,551.04 to be exact) from the tribes $2.5 million dollar line of credit at Dacatoh Bank and then deposited the money in the Sisseton Wahpeton Credit Union where he gave the money out like it was his to give. As far as I can tell a lot of the money went for somewhat legitimate purposes, depending on your perspective. As an example, numerous Oyate received money for car repair, utility, medical, travel, housing, clothing, home repair, youth, funeral assistance, etc., etc. Approximately $28,000 was paid out for star quilts and art work. Another $4,400 was spent on the purchase of 33 Christmas coupons which I assume was passed out by Santa Claus German himself. Scottie used $13,541.68 of this money for his own use, including a trip to San Francisco that cost $1,332.24. (Interestingly, despite all of Scott Germans generosity with our money he was still voted out of office.) The report also shows that former council members Karen White received $14,615.38 on 10/21/05 for annual leave payoff. On that same date

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Smokey German received $10,961.54 and former Tribal Secretary Mike Peters received $16,089.60. (The notation beside Mike Peters expenditure reads: Annual leave = $33.52 per hour x 480 hours.) Is it possible that Mr. Peters, Smokey and Karen were paid for 480 hours of unused annual leave? That is 60 days of annual leave a year, folks. Also, why were these three people paid in October for unused annual leave? Shouldnt unused annual leave be paid at the end of the leave year? I have another report that shows Karen White, in the same year 2005, received $9,195.04 for annual leave payoff. The report also shows that Smokey German in 2005 received $8,644.80; and Mike Peters in 2005 received $9,136.80. Could they be so egregious (bad) and were paid twice for unused annual leave in 2005? Thats what it looks like from the report that I am citing. Would anyone from the tribal council or tribal finance department please verify or dispute the above figures? I certainly dont want the Sota Editor and the readers to think I am making up this stuff up. On January 16, 2008, Greg Paulson, of Bluedog Law Office, the lead attorney for the tribal Task Force to investigate the campaign to outlaw video lottery received a call from former councilmen Ron Dumarce. Ron was asking if the new council will have the Task Force issue another report to reflect the interviews with the previous council members that they claim not to have been informed and would never authorized the actions taken by Carrico, etc. Paulson says, I did let him (Ron) know that Lisano, during the December 19, 2008, (disbarment) hearing explained that the (former) Council was kept up to date and did knowingly do all of this. I also let him know that the same argument will likely be taken by Carrico during the upcoming state criminal trial. Ron let it be known that the previous Council members were real angry with Carrico, Lisano and Wilson. (Wright Wilson is the former Chief Financial Officer of Dakota Nation Gaming.) The former council now claims they didnt know what Carrico was up to and how much money it was costing the tribe to fund the campaign to outlaw video lottery. Playing dumb does not take away the fact that they authorized the campaign. Because they didnt know how, why and what Carrico was spending the money on in no way excuses them now. In fact, from my perspective, it makes them all the more culpable (responsible). They were supposed to know, period. Elected official are supposed to be on top of every issue, everyday. If they couldnt perform the duties of their office why were they giving themselves bonuses and why did the new tribal council (who now has to clean up their mess) give them star quilts (that I presume Scottie bought) at the inauguration? There are few if any Oyate who like the idea that the SWO Tribe is a corrupt and third world type government. It hasnt wasnt that long ago when the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe was struggling to survive and now we have millions of dollars of gaming revenue that we havent quite learned how to manage and account for. Can we ever get past the greed, corruption and waste in tribal government?

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Bill Clinton once said that whatever is bad with America and be fixed by whatever good there is in America. I agree. What whatever bad there is in our tribe can be fixed by whatever good there is in our tribe. If the non-Indian readers of the Sota think that all of the questionable activities going out at the tribe are specific to Indian people remember Elliot Spitzer, the Governor of New York, who was literally caught with his pants down, and forced to resign. Then last week the Mayor of Detroit was indicted for lying and fooling around with one of his aides. Corrupt politicians are a universal phenomena and it is up to the citizens and voters to keep an eye on things and make the necessary corrections and adjustments if the politicians and well paid public officials wont. Recent events with the Roberts Sheriff and Roberts County Commissioner has gotten me thinking about race. So I am going to write about my own experience and feelings on race. Stay turned. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 33 Growing Up On The Rez Part 1. What no one likes about racial prejudice is that the perpetrator assumes or presumes that all Indians or blacks or whites are all alike. The fact is, the Sisseton and Wahpeton Nativos are an educational, intellectual, religious, economically, morally, and socially diverse group. After a hundred years of racial mixing the Oyate now come in all shades of skin color - we have Vietnamese, Japanese, Jewish, Norwegian, Irish, French, Italian, Mexican, etc., etc., Dakota Indians. I am not even sure if we Indians can agree on a common definition of who and what an Indian is. I also dont like other Indians attempting to definite me based on their definition of what they think an Indian is or should be. Some think that because they can sing, drum, wear braids, or have a beaded belt buckle they are more Dakota Indian then me. I have gotten more flack in my lifetime, from other Indians, because I do not speak fluent Dakota. When one of my daughters was in the fourth grade she asked if her white friend could stay over for the night. My wife and I wondered if our humble abode was clean enough, safe enough, and bug free enough. When Indian kids came to stay overnight, which was often, our home was always clean and safe enough, but a little white girl? Like, what do little white girls eat? Surely, her parents had to be irresponsible or crazy for even allowing their daughter to stay over night at an Indian home. Here I am, a college graduate, and I have been all over the world, and I was filled with self-doubt. I shouldnt have been because my wife is an excellent housekeeper. We were both sober, responsible, clean, bug free, God fearing people. Eventually, we decided that our house was clean, safe, free of bed bugs and head lice, so we said yes to our daughters request. As it turned out, Rachel (the white girl) and my daughter had a wonderful time, totally unaware of the behind the scene controversy her visit had created. I taught them how to play blackjack and my wife cooked French toast for breakfast which Rachel enjoyed immensely. I now know that little white girls like French toast with lots of syrup. Later, Wakanka (my old lady) and I were discussing the event. Certainly, the two little girls werent concerned about each others skin color they were just two little girls enjoying each others company. I wondered when does and why does skin color become an issue for us who live in Sisseton. After all, there are only four blood types in the human race, all mankind has the same number of teeth, bones, and chromosomes; we buy groceries at the same store, and we cook food the same way; we go to the same schools and learn the same things; we watch the same television and read the same newspapers; if we believe in God we pretty much believe in the same God. Only a micro-inch layer of pigmentation (thinner than a sheet of paper) separates us from being a white, black, yellow, or Indian person. So why is it there a divide, gap, and sometimes outright hostility between the two races? I was trying to make sense of it all. I am thinking that maybe God in His infinite wisdom deliberately created different races to test us. I know this sounds nave but could it be that God created some men brown, some men white and some men black just to test us? If we pass the color or race test we are a better person for it.

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On a more personal level I asked, why would someone hate my beautiful brown daughter or her beautiful white friend just because of their micro-inch of skin color? Could it be that if we human beings can just get past the skin color this puts a person on a higher plane or level of human existence and maybe that is what the biblical command to love your fellow man and yourself really means? The little white girl who stayed at our house one night elevated my racial consciousness a notch or two higher. Both of my parents attended government boarding schools. My mother went to the Genoa Indian Boarding School in Nebraska. She was offered a scholarship to the Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia and graduated with a RN degree in 1939. Her first duty station was the Fort Yates North Dakota Indian Hospital. It is hard for me to imagine why my mother went to work at Fort Yates North Dakota, of all places. As fate would have it she met my dad Joe, who was staying with his brother Felix. Joe and Naomi got married and moved to Lawton Oklahoma, then transferred to the Sisseton Indian Hospital, where she worked for 42 years. Their example provided my sister, brothers, and me with an early lesson on race, although we didnt know it at the time. From time immemorial Native people have always found ways to support themselves. Despite the many challenges, many Indian people did adapt, acculturate, and assimilate into main stream America, and their examples provided positive role models for their off-spring and others. Although my dad never had a real good job like my mother he worked when he could, and Joe could throw a baseball faster than most people, and his fastball provided him with a healthy dose of self-esteem. Since Joe liked sports we always had a newspaper in the house and we grew up discussing current events and sports in our home. This simple event provided us with an opportunity to see the world beyond Sisseton. Although my parents and others were making it, relatively speaking, in a white mans world, a larger more insidious (negative) force was at work on the Sisseton Indian Reservation. The US governments original policy to make farmers out of our grandparents was for the most part a pipe dream. Instead, the reservation system was responsible for the lack of jobs and the lack of economic opportunity and this robbed many an Indian of the dignity of having a job and the self esteem that comes with being gainfully employed. Widespread Indian poverty and unemployment made the Indian an easy target for the ignorant. Lazy, worthless, shiftless, stupid Indians was a common racial slur. Unfortunately, for some Indians the racial epitaphs became self-fulfilling prophesy. The weak turned to alcohol and crime and their behavior further fueled racial stereotyping and hatred. Because Indian land was held in trust by the federal government and exempt from property taxes the Sisseton Wahpeton Indian had few friends in city, county, and state government. In 1864 our grandparents were placed on this 918,000 thousand plus acre reservation to basically separate and isolate us from the rest of the world. Twenty years later, in 1884, the government changes course, due to an ever increasing demand for new lands and enacts the General Allotment Act, allotting each Indian 160

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acres of land, and then selling off the surplus land to homesteaders. Thousand of European immigrants poured into the area. Ironically, Give me your poor, tired masses, yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me became our unwanted neighbors. Racial conflict and clash of values was inevitable. Compounding the situation, the Indian was at the mercy of paternalistic (the practice of treating people like children) Department of War and later BIA policies. Against this back drop, in spite of everything, many Sisseton Wahpeton Indians adapted to an all new lifestyle and understood and appreciated the dignity of work. But life as an assimilated or acculturated Indian was no piece of cake. My dad at one time had a janitor job at the National Guard armory. One day he went to get the mail and a local white guy says to him. Joe, you sure got it make, you got an easy government job, and drive around all day in a government jeep. Later, after my dad was laid off, this same white guy sees my dad standing downtown and says. Joe, you sure got it made, you loaf around all day and do nothing. I remember my dad lamenting the fact that when he had a job the white guy bitched and when he didnt have a job the white guy bitched. Part II next week. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 34 Growing Up on The Rez Part II. We lived next door to mostly white people so we had no choice but to play with the white kids in the neighborhood. Early on, we realized that our rented house wasnt as nice as theirs, but we could run just as fast, jump just as high, which prompted my dad to say at the dinner table on more then one occasion (I am sure at the white dinner tables across Sisseton they talked about the Indian Problem. At our dinner table we talked about the White Problem.) Anyway, paraphrasing my dad, If you kids can run faster, jump higher, and kick their butts, how can they be any better than you? Old Joe Renville sure had a way of putting race relations into proper perspective. So that was the way Joes boys grew up in Sisseton, South Dakota. We fought and played sports against all of the other Indian and white gangs from the east, west, and south sides of Sisseton. Whether we won or they won the fight or the sports contest the Indian and white boys gave each other begrudging respect and I learned one of lifes lessons: Begrudging respect is better than no respect. Only one racial incident stands out in my memory. Tommy Sandman told a bunch of us Indian boys that Indians couldnt join the Boy Scouts. We didnt really care, in our minds, we were the boy scouts. We knew all about survival skills, how to tie knots, start fires, fish, camp out, etc. Like in the movie, Little Big Man, Dustin Hoffman says, We werent just playing Indian, we were the Indians! All things considered, I couldnt have asked for a happier childhood growing up in Sisseton, South Dakota. For me the biggest problem with growing up in Sisseton wasnt race but our poverty. We lived pay check to pay check. At the dinner table I mentioned we sat on apple crates or a homemade bench and we had some pretty skimpy meals. I was never comfortable bringing anybody home because we never had any nice furniture. We had a coal and wood burning stove and on winter mornings we could see our breath. In the summer months mom and dad would go off to work and we were left to fend for ourselves. There was no such thing as daycare and city recreation, but it was a much safer world, and it was nothing to hitchhike to the lakes. The integrated Renville Gang knew all the apple trees and gardens in Sisseton and to feed our candy addictions we sold frogs, pop bottles, scrape metal, and rounded up stray chickens from Landsberger Creamery, which we sold to the Indian families who had a quarter. During the summer the stores stayed open late on Saturday night. One Saturday night my dad was giving the two city cops a hard time for taking his cousin to the police station and screwing her. Of course, the cops didnt appreciate a half buzzed up Indian mouthing off so they worked my dad over with their Billy Clubs and threw him in jail. Fortunately, our landlord was attorney Bill Holland and the next day Mr. Holland got my dad out of jail and nothing further was said because it was true that the city cops on occasion arrested Indian girls for the sole purpose of sex. Another time the city cops gunned down my cousin Buster Renville. Whatever Busters minor crime was he did not deserve the death penalty. Racial prejudice or simply two Indians who got out of line and deserved what they got?

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In my junior year I transferred to Todd County High School, on the Rosebud Reservation, and it was a whole different environment. At Todd County the Rosebud Indian students were the majority and back in 1959 there were even two Indian high school teachers. The transfer to Todd County brought to light the difference between being a minority student and a majority student Trust me, it is better to in the majority then in the minority. After graduating from Todd County I joined the Army and marched into a whole new world. I discovered that the further one lives away from an Indian reservation the better the Indian is liked and even admired by white people. Obviously, if you live next door to an Indian you know all their good and bad habits, and you tend to focus on the bad habits, i.e., Indian dont pay taxes, Indians like to drink and fight, give an Indian a job and he quits after the first pay check, etc., etc. In the pre-Civil Rights military I heard for the first time the liberal use of the N word by Southern Crackers. Their overt racism unnerved me but the "Cracker" assured me I was one of them. Funny, I never felt like I was one of them. The Army awarded me a top-secret cryptographic security clearance and I was entrusted with some of the nations secrets, but when I came back to Sisseton in 1964 Mattie Stavig wouldnt cash my check. I went to Chicago and found a minimum wage job and one day on impulse I joined the Navy and ended up in Vietnam. One time, one of the Marines notices my permanent suntan and asks, Where you from, Doc? I reply, South Dakota, and he says are you Indian? I say yes, and he says, Sioux, I say yes, and he says, best kind huh? I say yes. With all of that positive experience under my belt I came home in November 1967, and quite frankly, Sisseton sucked big time in 1967. No jobs, alcoholism, welfare, the whole nine yards. I didnt like what I saw so I became an Indian militant or radical and I scared the fart out of the locals for wearing an Indian Power t-shirt and button. At first, even the Indians didnt know what to make of it. One day, I had an epiphany, I realized I could not be an effective instrument for change if I didnt have a job or an education and I still liked my booze. Realistically, how could I demand racial equality and justice if I am drunk, unemployed, and uneducated? In my heart of hearts I knew that I had to change so I quit drinking, went to college and got a job. You can bitch, gripe, mown, and complain about the bigot, redneck, or racist but he is not going to change, so sometimes you have to change, not for their sake, but for yours. Growing up in the era when I did, I think most of us Indians consciously or subconsciously understood that race does matter. By being race conscious, I am always aware of how many minorities, especially Indians, there are in a caf, bar or store. By being race conscious I know how many Indians are in the Courier Court News and by being race conscious I am always on guard for some dumb ass to make an off remark or look down on me because of my skin color. For the last eight years I have lived off and on in Minneapolis and last year was the first time in my life that I actually felt that race didnt matter. Of course, Minneapolis is a lot more diverse than Sisseton South Dakota. Then, in November, I moved to Sioux Falls and that old race did matter feeling popped up again.

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Actually, no one said or did anything to me it was just my subconscious warning me that Youre back in South Dakota. Like race, sometimes, our perceptions become our reality. My reality is that most of the people that I have encountered in my life werent racist against Indians, maybe against Blacks, but not Indians, which is kind of strange when you think about it. In the space allowed I cant write all that I experienced and feel so I will conclude with a couple of observations: 1. Indian poverty is a bitch, if Indians had more wealth race wont matter. 2. A healthy self-esteem goes a long way in fighting racism. 3. Money, education and a good job are great racial equalizers. 4. I would rather live in Sisseton South Dakota then in Pine Ridge, Baghdad or the West Bank, any day of the week. 4. Wasicus are better at hiding their dysfunction then Indian people - the Indian staggers drunk down Main Street while the white person is at home drunk out of their minds. 5. Hey, I didnt say I was going to solve the race issue, only offer a perspective. Thank you for listening. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 35 - Rantings The Sota readers might be interested in a new blog featuring the Sisseton and Roberts County area. Go to http://mysisseton.blogspot.com/. In my opinion, blogs kind of suck because the bloggers dont have to sign their names, and in my way of thinking, this is a chicken-cesdi way to exercise your free speech. I thought it was a dumb question but the blog asked: The Sisseton Courier or Sota which is better? Someone wrote. The Sota would fair far better if they quit printing idiot Grady Renville letters. Another blogger said that they read the Sota weekly to see what Grady Renville is ranting about. LOL, this Idiot remembers back in 1967 when he was a grunt corpsmen providing medical support to units of the 7th Marine Regiment, who were ridding the world of the communist menace, and there were days when this Idiot had serious, serious doubt that freedom of speech, press, mother, apple pie, and the red white and blue were worth his life and the lives of his Marine buddies. Would the intellectual giant who called me an idiot like to come in and visit with me? I am located next door to Pickthorn Insurance. I would be interested in what branch of service you were in and what college you graduated from, just for starters, and then we can move on to more serious discussion, like freedom of speech, press, corruption, greed, and waste in our tribal government, etc. Seriously, I would like to sit down with you in a non-threatening way and listen to your opinions and ideas, etc. Like I said, any anpaohotonna cesdi with an opinion can hide behind anonymity in blogosphere. Please do come and see me. Is stating my opinion in the Sota worth being called an idiot? Was serving in Vietnam worth it? In the Minneapolis Tribune, on April 14th there was an article about a Minnesota company that made a $52 million dollar investment in Vietnam to build a complex to process 1,200 tons of garbage daily into rich organic fertilizer. The article stated: Once a war-torn, dirt poor nation, Vietnam, since, 1995, has opened its economy to trade and investment with the West and moved more than half of its 83 million people from poverty to working-class status through an explosion in manufacturing, agriculture and rapid development in Saigon and Hanoi. In 1967, the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe was a dirt-poor, 90% unemployed, welfare ridden tribe. The Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe, like Vietnam, in the last forty years has moved from a poverty ridden tribe to a largely working-class tribe and a major economic player in Northeastern South Dakota. I would have never guessed that these two nations had anything in common. I always felt Vietnam wasnt worth fifty-eight thousand American lives, including the lives of six SWO Akicitas (soldiers) - Alvin Spider, Frederick Frenier, Teddy Hatle, Michael Jackson, Gale Alldrich and Arden Renville. Being called an idiot is a small price to pay, in comparison to losing your life, so the Oyate can enjoy free speech.

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Also, in the Minneapolis Tribune was a story about an 84-year-old man who planted a tree. His son said, When I kidded him about the unlikely prospect that he would ever sit in the shade of that tree, Dad simply said, You dont plant trees for yourself. You plant them for your grandchildren. It was the most important lesson he ever taught me living your life today as if the future matters, but then, my father was from a different time. I am thinking the old tree planter and I are from a different time. In my screwed up way of thinking writing articles is like planting trees because I happen to believe that your children and my grandchildren are worth it. I know I am right, because hundreds of Oyate have told me so. Here is some more rantings that I hope will result in a better future for our grandchildren. How much more progress could have been made if the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate had leaders who worked solely to increase more jobs, housing, economic opportunity, education, etc., etc., instead of greasing their own wheels? How much more good could we have done with the half-a-million dollars Scott German pissed away. How much more benefit could we have gotten out of the million dollars we paid Carrico in salary, benefits, and the wasted $1,125,000 scheme to outlaw South Dakota video lottery. How much more benefit could we have gotten from the $4 million dollars loss incurred at the Veblen fiber board plant and the wasted $400,000 spent on a plastic tent that was used for only four days (The tribal council torn down the old pow wow arena and replaced it with a huge plastic tent) We all know that I am not the perpetrator of all the stuff that goes on at tribal HQ, I just give my opinion about it, and for that I am called an idiot. I am not going to take anymore credit then I deserve but I think my weekly rantings heighten the awareness of the average Oyate in the last election and as a result the incumbent candidates/rascals who ran were all voted out of office, and if I may speak for the hundreds of Oyate that I have spoken too over the last several months, some, if not all, of the old council should go to jail for what they did. Trying to clean up the mess of the last tribal council the new tribal council was planning on going to Shakopee to hit them up for a six million dollar loan but it seems the tribe owes Shakopee too much money so the tribe will have to pay down some more on the tribes $36 million dollars loan before Shakopee will consider an additional $6 million dollar loan. If they get the loan the tribal council wants to pay back the $1 million dollars the last council borrowed from the IHS construction account and pay off the Wells Fargo loan that was made for the now defunct fiber board plant at Veblen, which lost about $4 million dollars. Apparently, misapplying federal money is serious stuff. In the Indian Country Today newspaper, April 2nd edition, there was an article about the Governor of the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine who was recently indicted for intentionally misapplying federal funds, making false statements, etc. The article also states. After a three-year federal investigation initiated by complaints from tribal members Apparently tribal members had to initiate the action that resulted in the indictments. The Passamaquoddy situation is another example where tribal members had too clean up their tribal government. The article didnt say where the other elected officials and high paid tribal

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government employees where when the tribal governor was misapplying federal funds. They must have been looking the other way. Enough ranting! As is my custom, a little humor to keep us in balance. In my recent articles on race there wasnt enough space to include a rather humorous story about racial prejudging or stereotyping. One of the young people that I took into my home years ago was a white boy. Several weeks ago he came to visit and he told me that his childrens horse ran off with saddle and reins. He went around to the area farmers and ranchers asking them to look out for his stray horse. Next, he stopped at the Eden Caf and told an older wisicu lady that his horse went astray and the woman, dead serious, says. The Indians got him by now. Okay, which one of you Oyates got the frickin horse? LOL. The story has a happy ending. A tribal crew found the nearly frozen horse stuck in a slough. The horse is doing fine and we Indians are off the hook until next time a horse runs off! What do you call an NDN driving a Cadillac? A car thief and what do you call an NDN in a suit coat and tie? Will the Defendant please rise. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ P.S. LOL means laughing out loud in text messaging lingo and anpaohotonna is a chicken and cesdi is poop. Akicita is a soldier/warrior.

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Week 36 Sam Adams While writing this article I am listening to a Luciano Pavorotti CD and drinking a can of Budweiser ( I am not a SWO tribal council person so I can have a beer if I want to) with nothing in particular to write about, so I will ramble, excuse me, rant, and well see how it turns out. Some might find an opera singer and a can of beer quite a contrast in cultural sophistication, but, hey the Pavorotti guy is good, or is it just the beer working its magic? What can I rant about this week? I have been ragging on the last council for the last three years and that is getting kind of old wont you agree? Corrupt and greedy politicians are a dime a dozen and every rez, city, county, state and federal government has there share. I know of one tribe where the tribal politicians had assigned themselves a certain number of slot machines. It is hard for me to imagine the arrogance or audacity of some Indian politicians. Whatever their slot machines took in they got to keep. They all ran for re-election and the voters threw them out. Our politicians are Boy and Girl Scouts in comparison - they only paid themselves for 480 (60 days) hours of unused annual leave. No big deal, it only cost the Oyate a hundred grand or so. After all the good they did for us, (Did you see last weeks Sota?) in their own minds, they probably think they deserved it. I had a chance meeting with the girl who said she was the person who posted on the Sisseton blog that said she reads the Sota just to read what I am ranting about next. I didnt get her name, actually, she was pretty nice, her father worked on the Sisseton rez years ago and he inspired her too come work on the rez so now she teaches at TZ. I hope she is teaching the little Wambdis (Tiospa Zina tribal school name which means Eagles) how to rant so that when they get old enough to vote they will be well informed voters. I can count on one hand how many fiction novels I have read in my life time - give me a good non-fiction book any day of the week. However, I have read every one of John Grisham novels. He usually writes about fictitious lawyers (The Firm, The Runaway Jury, The Rainmaker, etc.) but he did write one nonfiction book entitled, Innocent Man, a true story about a white guy who was wrongfully sentenced to Oklahomas death row. I am currently reading The Execution of Willie Francis, the story of a Louisiana black man who was wrongfully executed. I recently bought an old car to get me around town and one of the guys fixing it up is a local Oyate named Sam Adams. Sam was sent to the state penitentiary for a crime he did not commit. He did a total of five years for a crime that another Oyate later confessed to. The current states attorney in her zeal to get a conviction sent an Innocent Man to the joint. It is hard to imagine that a judge, jury and prosecutor could get it so wrong. Elections for Roberts County States Attorney are this fall.

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If you see a green bomb with a spare tire on the roof wheeling around Sisseton, that will be me. As far as owning a vehicle I am going backwards. I once drove a Cadillac which was leased to my former mazaska business. That was before the last tribal council screwed with me and my business. This time I am hoping by driving an old rez car I can keep the nawizi (jealousy) factor at a minimum. The current tribal council contracted for a forensic audit to be done on the Dakota Magic Casino for the years 2003-2006, coincidently, the years the last tribal council was in office. The audit will or is supposed to show who got what. I have had my suspicions about certain individuals ever since the last council knocked me off my chair of complacency, in other words, I was literally minding my own business on Main Street. As I previously wrote I was one of those who criticized them for arbitrarily jacking up their salaries and so they retaliated against me and they forced me to get a little payback one article at a time ever since. I have my suspicions about certain former tribal council people and other political hacks who may have been involved in questionable financial dealings at the casinos. The report is supposed to be done in a couple of week. I am very interested in what the audit will show. The reason for my curiosity is that there were certain people who were trying to discredit me, banish me, and get me in trouble with the State Banking Division, the Internal Revenue Service; and to add insult to injury one of them accused me of only caring about money. Apparently, driving a Cadillac and being a successful Indian businessman on the Lake Traverse reservation is not yet a value in our cultural mindset. Or, you could say I was my own worst enemy. I didnt have to criticize them for jacking up their salaries. There were no winners in my dispute with the former leaders. They are all out of office now and they will never again see a sixty thousand plus salary, they damaged their reputations and now they are scrambling to make themselves look good. I lost my business and who knows where the former high paid Dakota Nation Gaming Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer Carrico, Wilson, and Bridges are now. Former tribal attorney Lisano is facing disbarment. Like I said no winners! The moral of the story - The Oyate got to learn to quit messing with each other and keep their head out of a white mans butt. In last weeks Sota the former council listed their accomplishments. Nothing was said about the audits they collectively failed to complete which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars of indirect cost money. Nothing was said about the four hundred thousand dollar plastic tent that is lying in a pile of rubble behind Dakota Sioux casino. I was talking with a koda (friend) about the four hundred thousand dollar waste and how we could have used the money differently. There are different groups on the rez with different interests. Some Oyates like to play golf, softball, basketball, moccasin game, hand game, bowling, rodeo, poker, or a dance contest. The money they wasted on the plastic tent could have sponsored a fifty thousand dollar basketball, softball, moccasin, bowling tournament, or a fifty thousand dollar rodeo or fancy dance contest. Wont it be something to sponsor a fifty thousand dollar softball or golf tournament just for Indians? The SWO's would

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be the envy of Indian county. The talk would be that the SW Oyates sure know how to sponsor an event, but, no, the last tribal council had to waste $400 hundred grand on a damn plastic tent! In the Sisseton blog that I mentioned last week the following story speaks volumes of what I think about the blogs Sota vs. Courier survey. An old man, a young boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The old man and the boy thought the critics were right, so they changed positions. Later, they passed some people that remarked, what a shame that he made the little boy walk. They then decided that they both should walk. Now they passed some people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying to them how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The man and boy said they were probably right so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed a bridge, they lost their grip on the animal, and he fell into the river and drowned. The moral of the story - If you write to please everyone you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. I think Ill go get me another beer. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 37 What is An Indian? Age, social, economic status, and family up bringing are some factor which contribute to forming a Native American perspective. Some Indians go through life and never think about what an Indian is. I think about it all the time. A couple of months ago the tribe sponsored a moccasin game tournament at Dakota Sioux Casino and during a break in the action I was sitting there thinking that you dont hardly see half-breed Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakotas participating in cultural events like the moccasin game or hand game, or for that matter pow-wows, or anything else associated with being an Indian. I know there are half-breed SWOs who do, but generally, the half-breeds dont get into the cultural aspect of being an Indian. I have had this same discussion with other more cultural or traditional Indians on many occasions in the past. At least in their minds, they feel that a real Indian or Dakota plays moccasin or goes to pow wows, dances, sings, wears braids, etc., and, by doing so they are more Indian than the Indians who do not sing, dance or wear braids. There is a feeling among some Dakota Indians that in order to be a full-fledged or real Dakota Indian there is certain way or criteria for being more Indian. Being more Indian means that some Indians feel they are more Indian than other Indians because their Indian blood quantum is greater. Being more Indian means that they know how to talk the Dakota language better then some Indian so therefore they are more Indian. Being more Indian means that they practice the traditional Indian religion and therefore they are more Indian then those Indians who are Christians or those who dont go to sweats or Sundance. Being more Indian means that they are more Indian if their skin color is darker than lighter skin colored Indians. I have even heard Indians criticize other Indians because they had a job, or got good grades in school, or they had a white boy or white girl friend and this means they are not as much Indians as the Indian who did not have good grades, job, money, or a white girl friend, etc. And I have also heard some Indians say they are more Indian because they are poorer. Meaning, a real Indian is a poor Indian. In other words, you are not a real Indian if you have money. You are trying to act like a white person is a comment I have heard a hundred times in my life. At the moccasin tournament I was thinking about all these things and it occurred to me that who says a half-breed or even a full blood Indian has to sing, dance, wear braids, or play moccasin to be an Indian. Where in the Indian Manual or Handbook does it say an Indian has to do this or that, or act a certain way to be an Indian? So what is a definition of an Indian? Every tribe in America has their own definition based upon a persons blood degree or blood quantum of that tribe. Somewhere in our relationship with the government it was determined that you had to be at least 1/4th degree of Indian blood to be a certified Indian. Because of intertribal mixing some tribes now consider all of a persons Indian blood. They take a drop of Navajo here, a

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drop of Cherokee there and a drop of Sisseton Wahpeton and the person either makes or doesnt make the tribes blood quantum requirement. Because of a hundred years of interracial and inter-tribal mixing tribal blood degrees have been so watered down and are no where near the federal standard of one quarter degree of Indian blood. The federal government who originally set the blood degree standard now leaves it up to the individual tribes to determine who is or is not a tribal member. As a result all kinds of disputes have arisen. As you would expect tribes with huge gaming revenue has become targets of Wannabe" Indians. On the other side of the coin, wealthy gaming tribes restrict their membership based on often arbitrary and capricious blood quantum rules or other questionable standards. Obviously, the reason being more tribal members means less monthly per-capita payments and other benefits, such as education, housing, etc., so much for the Mitakuya Owasin or We are all relatives Indian mentality. Today, there are some tribes in America that are made up of white and black people, especially, out East where Indians are coming out of the wood work. Like I use to say, it aint easy being an Indian today. Or should I say, it aint that hard being an Indian today. I dont know when or at what age an Indian child realizes that he is an Indian. The question is kind of like, when does a child realize he is a boy or girl. Not knowing for sure how old I was when I realized I was an Indian I am going to assume it was before I started the first grade. It also must have been early in my life when I realized that I was not just an Indian, but a Sioux Indian (back in my days of youth, we had not yet called ourselves Dakotas or Oyates). Most of us didnt have a pot to pee in but I personally was very proud to be a Sioux Indian. Which is kind of strange, since I am the by-product of an inter-tribal marriage, my dad a 7/8 th Sioux and my mother half Omaha and half Seneca. Since we lived in Sioux country (Sisseton) we considered ourselves Siouxs. In the summer my mother would drops us off at the Omaha reservation near Sioux City and we would battle the Omaha boys all summer long. To them we were dog eating Sioux. Even though we were raised as Siouxs my dad never made any great effort to teach us the Dakota language. If I have any regret being a Sioux/Omaha/Seneca Indian it is that I am not fluent in the Dakota language. My dads lame excuse was that he didnt want us all talking Dakota in front of our Omaha/Seneca mother. At the time I accepted this reasoning until later in life when I thought that he could have included my mother in the Dakota language lessons. My Koda David Seaboy had a similar situation with a different outcome. His mother Florence, was an Ojibway, Aanishinabe, or Chippewa Indian. She was as fluent in the Dakota language as any Dakota Indian. I guess that makes David, Danny, and Dayton more Indian that Robin, Bruce, and me. Just kidding! So thats the situation today, even we Indians cant decide what and who an Indian is. One good thing, though, I would think it would be getting harder for the bigot to hate on the Indian since we dont even know ourselves who and what an Indian is.

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The current situation with the Roberts County Sheriff is a case in point. Some people, not all people, are making the dispute a racial issue. That being the case what part of the Sheriff dont they like, since the Sheriff is half Indian and half white? Can you half hate someone or half dislike someone? The racial stuff gets so ridiculous sometimes that I dont know whether to laugh or cry. So here is a true story. A couple of years ago, when the Minnesota Twins were in the pennant race I went down to the Metro Dome. Johan Santana and two other South American Twins pitchers were signing autographs for lines of white people. The mood was festive; music was playing; vendors were hawking their goods; and food aroma was in the air. I bought a bratwurst and was sitting at a table enjoying myself and a white guy comes and sits down at the table. We visit and after awhile I explain the reason for my permanent suntan and he pulls his shirt sleeve up and on his forearm is a large tattoo of an Indian chief. He says to me. If I had a chance to be born again I would like to be born an Indian. Then he proudly states, I have an Indian name. I say, Oh ya, what is youre Indian name? He says, WIN-KNOWN-NA (Winona). I silently chuckle to myself and I ask, What does that mean? He says, Soaring Eagle. I pondered if I should tell him what Winona means in the Dakota language. I decided the guy was a genuinely nice guy so I left it at that. True story! Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com P. S. Winona means the first born female child in the Dakota language

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Week 38 Indians and Booze Have you ever heard the phrase I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out? On April 28th I went to a fight and an Old Agency District meeting broke out! The Ateyapi Tipi (Old Agency) natives were restless it must have been a Full Moon. After some name calling, a couple of OA Dakotas (Friendly People or Allies) squared off. Then a district member accuses me of drinking. According to him I am not suppose to because I am the Old Agency District Grandpa of the Year. Apparently, OA Grandpas cant have a beer. Why not? The mouthy guy is a grandpa, a boozer and doper himself, so I found it rather irritating that he would even shoot his mouth off. When I get undeserved criticism I always fall back on being a decorated combat veteran. In our culture Akicitas are suppose to be respected and honored. Maybe, you wont agree, but having been shot at, mortared, and rocketed earned me the absolute right to have an opinion and an occasional beer. In my way of thinking if you want to mouth off you ought to have a little credibility to back up your words. One thing I noticed on this reservation is that the bullies and the mouthy guys are all non-veterans. I know they never will, but I think they should go into the service and kick some Al-Qaida and the Taliban butt instead of another SWO, thats what I think. Indians and booze go way back to the early 1800's. Official relations between the Dakota (Friendly People or Allies) and the United States began with the Zebulon Pike expedition of the upper Mississippi River in 1805-06. Pike was successful in getting the Sioux to cede about a hundred thousand acres. (Which is the now Minneapolis and St Paul area and that is why I have suggested on several occasions why the SWO should build a casino in the Minneapolis St Paul area) The Dakota initially received $200 (two hundred dollars) worth of presents and some LIQUOR. A few years later government agent Taliaferro organized a meeting to get the various tribes of the region to negotiate a general settlement that would put an end to the intertribal wars that were costing them so many of their best men. At the meeting LIQUOR was liberally dispensed and the American officials not wanting to be like the British hauled out two kegs of whiskey, broke them open, and poured the contents out on the ground. According to an account of the son of Josiah Snelling, the Indians were much offended by this waste. One chief, identified only as old Wakhpakootay is supposed to have remarked with real grief, There was enough to have kept me drunk all the days of my life. (History of the Santee Sioux, pg. 39-40). Some Indian historians dont like to acknowledge the fact but in some cases the Indians demanded liquor as part of the treaty agreements. Of course, the United States government was willing to accommodate their demand for liquor. Ironically, after the Treaty Making period ended and the Indians were all put on several hundred reservations the US government passes a law making it illegal to sell booze to the Indian. US citizenship was granted citizenship to the Indian in 1924 but it wasnt until 1955 that the Indian was finally allowed to legally buy booze.

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When our warriors came back from WWI, WWII and Korea they couldnt sit down in a bar and have a drink. Strangely, the Negro couldnt vote or sit down in a restaurant, but he could buy booze. The Indian, on the other hand, could vote and eat in a restaurant but he couldnt buy booze. The Great White Father was intoxicated by his own sense of self-righteousness. After the alcohol ban was lifted all hell broke loose on reservations throughout the United States. The previously dry Indian reservations were just devastated by alcohol abuse. There were at least five bars on Sissetons Main Street and on Friday and Saturday nights it was a wild-west show downtown. People would come to town just to watch the Indians fight. Realizing the devastation that alcohol has had the Sisseton and Wahpetons enacted into their Constitution a requirement that our elected leaders are to be alcohol and drug free. The seven district governments have a similar no drinking and drug free policy. I fully understand the reasons behind the requirement we dont want drunken leaders and alcoholism has ravaged many an Indian community. The problem I have with the constitutional requirement is that as far as I know there is no other city, county, state or the federal government that has a no drinking requirement to be an elected official. In my way of thinking, the policy is an insult to the vast majority of Indian people who can have a social drink and go to work the next day. When we elect our officials we hope that they are the best and brightest. Apparently, the best and brightest Black, Asians, Mexicans and white people who run for public office have figured out how to handle alcohol while serving the public but not us Indians, we have to mandate that our best and brightest cant drink while in office. I was around when our tribal government was developing and I can tell you exactly who the former Indian politicians where that couldnt handle their booze and so now all SWO politicians are presumed to alcohol abusers. The second problem I have with this policy is that who is going to enforce the policy? It is usually no big reservation secret who the tribal politicians are that use drugs and alcohol while in office. Unless, the politician actually gets charged and convicted of a drug or alcohol offense there is little the Oyate can do to enforce the policy. Six of ten of the last tribal council routinely violated the no drinking policy and the way the policy now stands it is the tribal council who determines whether their cronies are guilty of drinking and using drugs - what is the chance of that happening? My third objection is that we Indians are always accusing the white man of discriminating and stereotyping us and this tribal constitutional ban against drinking is stereotyping and discriminating against ourselves. The drunken Indian is now ingrained in our psychological make up and we apparently believe it as fact as evidenced by our tribal constitution ban. Having stated my opinion, I do not see the Oyate repealing the no drinking and drug policy anytime in the near future. Gambling addiction is the new scourge of the Indian. Expect a constitutional amendment someday making it unlawful for a tribal politician to gamble, while at it let us also make it illegal to smoke while a public official. Not to make light of the devastation that alcohol abuse has had upon the Indian I have to tell you this rather humorous story about a guy from Long Hollow or was it Big Coulee who was running down a street in Minneapolis buck naked and the cops stop him and throw him in the police car and say, Chief, you better have a good reason for not having any clothes on. The young Indian fellow says, I went to Super America

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to get a pack of cigarettes and a pop and I was walking down the street when a nice shinny red convertible pulls along side the curb and a real friendly white chick asks if I want to ride around so I say, Sure. We drive around and she says, Lets go to Lake Harriet, so I say okay. We park at Lake Harriet and she gets out of the car and spreads a blanket on the ground. Next, she takes off her blouse and tells me to take off my shirt so I take off my shirt. Next thing I know shes taking the rest of her clothes off and tells me to do the same. She lies down on the blanket and says, Come lie down here beside me, so I do, and then she says, You can go to town now. And so Officer, that is why I was running down the street with no clothes on. Until next time peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 39 Indian Preference There are several fundamental principles or facts that make Indian people different from all the rest of the racial groups in America. On top of the list is we were here first. The United States Constitution which was signed in 1787 reflects our early presence. At Article I, Section 8 Powers of Congress - it states: To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among several states, and with INDIAN Tribes. Today, there are hundreds of racial groups in America, but the Indian is the only one mentioned in the Constitution. Indian preference in employment is another fundamental concept that has been around almost as long as the Constitution. Indian affairs was first under the jurisdiction of the Department of War. As federal-Indian polices and practices evolved Indian Preference became an official US government policy designed specifically to promote and protect (Interestingly, the SWO Oath of Office contains the same two words promote and protect) tribal self-governance. Indian affairs subsequently evolved into two primary federal agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Dept. of Interior) and Indian Health Service (Dept. of Health & Human Services) and the concept of Indian Preference became an established fact of law. The local BIA Agency is a classic example of how Indian Preference is suppose to work. Back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s only a handful of Indians actually worked at the local Indian agency. Today, the local BIA is 100% Indian employed. In the early years, these two federal agencies were mostly non-Indians. The non-Indian managers made the day to day decisions governing Indian affairs and then rather suddenly they were being replaced by qualified and some not so qualified Indians. The non-Indian BIA employees filed a class action suit that went all the way to the US Supreme Court. The 1974 Morton v. Mancari decision affirmed Indian Preference within the BIA. The Marcari decision stated. Indian Preference was not racial discriminatory or even a racial preference, but rather an employment criterion designed to further the cause of Indian selfgovernance and to make the BIA more responsive to the needs of its constituent groups. Despite an early federal Indian Preference policy in employment opportunities most reservation were 8090% unemployed. There are several reasons for that. The early American economy was for the most part agricultural based and the Indians werent sufficiently capitalized to engage in farming, and quite frankly, many Indians were unwilling or unable to grind out a living working the soil, although most Indians had huge gardens. Today, as a direct result of federal Indian Preference laws the SWO Tribe can now brag that they are the 9th or 10th largest employer in the State. Recently, Jody Owen expressed his concern in two Sota articles, which essentially comes down to a SWO tribal member employment preference issue. His wife Cheryl is or was the General Manager for Dakota Nation Gaming. The last tribal council hired her and the new tribal council is throwing her out. Jody and Cheryl didnt ask me to write this article and to tell you the truth, I dont think I would know Cheryl Owen

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if I bumped into her. But their cause is my cause because it always concerns me when Sisseton Wahpeton tribal member employment and contracting preference are whimsically and arbitrarily applied. Back in the mid 80s realizing that the tribe spent millions of dollars on building material Dale Crawford, Norman Redwing and I started up a lumber yard and as soon as our lumberyard appeared on the scene we essentially had to bid on every door and nail. We were not against the bidding process, but previously the tribe literally threw millions of dollar at the local lumber yards. This was my first real experience with how tribal member Indian Preference really works on the Sisseton Reservation. In order to get our share of the lumber business we introduced the concept of TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Office) on this reservation. There was then and there is now a small group of tribal employees and tribal leaders who think they are protecting the tribe, the Oyate, by looking at the individual tribal member, rather then the concept of tribal member Indian Preference. If they dont like you, for whatever reason, your tribal member preference doesnt mean jack cesdi. I have heard and even observed that the Jewish people stick together and I would guess it is because of being persecuted through out their history. The American Indian has a similar legacy of persecution. As an example, the Medal of Honor which was deservedly earned by a tribal member Woodrow Keeble was also award to twenty-four US Calvary soldiers who slaughtered women and children at Wounded Knee. With this kind of sordid history you would think that we Indians would stick together and do everything in our power to help each other. I wont be writing weekly articles if my former leaders were promoting and protecting me instead of trying to get me into trouble with the IRS. But, thats the way it is in Oyate-land. Jody and Cheryls issue is just another example of paying lip service to a fundamental principle that was designed to foster tribal self-governance and then gets way-laid by tribal workers and tribal leaders with their own agendas. As it now stands the tribal council hires and fires the Dakota Nation Gaming Corporate Executives. It is my understanding Cheryl never appeared before the tribal council for any kind of job performance review. One day, for whatever the reasons, they decide that she is no longer qualified or needed in her position as DNGE General Manager. In every city, county, state and private business all employees are subject to an annual work performance review or rating. In the federal government if an employee is performing up to certain job standards everything is good until the next performance review. If the employee is not performing the employee is put on what is called a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The employee is then given three months, six months or maybe even a year to bring his/her performance up to standard. The supervisor must give the employee a list of his/her job deficiencies and a time table is established to bring the employee back to good standing. If the employee cannot or will not meet the established job performance requirements then and only then will the employee be subject to termination. The SWO Tribe and its members have benefited greatly from Indian Preference and you would hope that our leaders would do everything within their power to build up, train, and retain tribal members. Instead,

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what I have observed is that the tribe will hire a tribal member and then pretty much turn them loose to sink or swim in their new job. I dont think that is what tribal member preference is all about. In my opinion, we have to do a better job making Indian Preference work and I will say it again, I am no racist, but we have too many high paid non-Indians working for us, and we are not doing enough to hire, train, and retain our own people. Tribal Elections are coming up in a few months and I think everyone of the current tribal council should be evaluated or put on a Performance Improvement Plan on whether they have or have not done everything possible to hire, train, re-train, and retain tribal members. I personally will be looking for candidates who campaign on absolute tribal member employment and contracting preference. Until Next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 40 Tribal Waste A couple of weeks ago the tribe held a general clean up of the area surrounding tribal HQ. Tribal employees cleaned the ditches along the BIA highway 700 and planted some flower in front of the tribal offices. Not to minimize their effort, it is one thing to pick-up trash outside tribal HQ it is quite another thing to clean up tribal government. For starters, in April, the tribal Council, as Plaintiffs, finally filed complaints in Tribal Court against all of the former tribal council who owed outstanding travel advances. If the Plaintiffs prevail in tribal court this will mean that the former tribal council members will be unable to run for office again unless they pay their outstanding debt in full. Also, the tribe recently enacted a new law or ordinance which requires that any outstanding debt be paid in full to be eligible to run for office. On Thursday, May 15, 2008, the tribal council was given a preliminary audit report which detailed the apparent misuse of tribal credit cards by the former executive officers of the tribe. It was reported that two of the former tribal executive officers each spent over $90,000 dollars on questionable expenditures and the third executive officer spent $20,000.Of course, every one is entitled to due process of law and how the questionable credit card expenditures come out in the wash remains to be seen. Maybe they can justify the expenditures, maybe they cannot. It was also reported that the current tribal council recently paid off (At press time I havent been able to verify the exact amount but it was between 1.3 to 1.8 million dollars) the Indian Health Service account that the last council raided. I asked where the money came from. Apparently they took some money from this pot, some money from that pot and they came up with over a million dollars. The $200,000 wasted on credit card usage and the million plus dollars is nearly $2 million dollars of your money wasted. If youre keeping track, dont forget to count the $1.1 million wasted on the video lottery fiasco and the hundred grand Carrico took for severance pay. Over $3 million dollars of youre money down the tubes! Are you thinking what I am thinking? Is anybody going to get charged or indicted for the misuse of our money? Some people I have talked to say they dont think so - too much corruption, too many people involved. Eventually everything will get sweep under the rug. Several weeks ago I spoke with one of the current tribal council members and she stated that the Bible says we are not to repay evil with evil. Unless I misunderstood the meaning and intent of her comment, I dont think seeking justice is paying back evil for evil. It is not okay to rip off the tribe and get away with it! Apparently that is the thinking of some out at Tribal HQ. It seems that some Oyates have become so accustomed to graft and corruption that it is not graft and corruption anymore it is just the way the Sisseton

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Wahpeton Oyate do business. Personally, I dont accept that kind of reasoning and I know the hundreds of Oyate that I talk too on a weekly basis do not accept that tabdoka cesdi (bullshit) thinking. The tribal council was also given a preliminary audit report entitled Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs for the year ending September 30, 2005. It is a federal requirement that audits are to be completed nine months after the tribes fiscal year ends. The 2005 Audit is late by three years. By not complying with federal audit requirements federal funding to the tribe can be adversely affected and it has been. Some of the findings of the 2005 audits are: 1). At September 30, 2005 travel advances of $726,440.00 from federal and non-federal programs have not been paid back from employees. The auditors state that the Tribe may not be able to collect travel advances that are over a year old and will need to reimburse the federal program amounts from the general fund. In other words, the tribal government will be responsible to pay this money back. I reported in an earlier article that the former Buffalo Lake council man took 72 trips that he hasnt paid back and now we learn that there is nearly of million dollars in outstanding travel by tribal employees. I have to ask the obvious question. Where is everybody traveling too? One of the long time tribal finance employees is Sharon Cloud who was a real stickler on travel, so guess what the last council did? They took that responsibility away from her and as a direct result tribal travel is one big mess. 2). A tribal program director with less then 2 years of service received a total of $17,973 in incentives, length of service awards and bonuses from the tribe. 3). The former Tribal Vice Chairman Scott German transferred $2,500.000 from the Tribes Dacotah Bank Operating Line of Credit directly to the SWO Credit Union without the approval of the (past) tribal council. 4). Eleven checks were issued totaling $271,500, each over $5,000, without council approval. (Expenditures over $5,000 need the councils approval). 5). Four checks from SWO Health Care Construction totaling $1,319,839 out of total grant expenditures of $2,047,419 did not have the three required bids for purchase of goods or services of $5,000 and above. There are 26 negative findings in the 2005 audit. For every negative finding the auditors make a recommendation. The Auditors recommend The Tribe should ensure that Tribal Policies and Procedures are being complied with, even by Tribal Management and The Tribe is not in compliance with its own policies. No cesdi (poop)! It is hard to say what the 2006 and 2007 audits will look like, if and when they get done, but if they are anything like the 2004 and 2005 audits the SWO could be in big trouble. If it wasnt for sympathetic or should we say incompetent federal bureaucrats the government could have or should have shut the tribe down or put it into receivership. For the last several years the tribe has been hovering around that very possibility.

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I know this isnt the East, this is Oyate-land, but, in Eastern philosophy there is a principle called the Law of Karma or the Law of Cause and Effect. You may have heard the phrase The Wheels of Karma grind slowly, but they grind finely. The Law of Cause and Effect says that the key to growth is to see everything that happens as a possible opportunity for growth. The purpose of karma is not to punish us for some past misdeed, as many may think, but rather to educate us so that well make changes. Like I said this isnt the East - the misuse of tribal credit cards, the graft and corruption, the twenty-six negative findings is a hell of an opportunity for growth and maybe someone will have to go to jail and it will certainly cost the Oyate a chunk of money that could have been better spent elsewhere. Incredible as it may seem, all the negatives present an opportunity for growth, according to the Laws of Cause and Effect. Could the simple act of cleaning the ditches that lead to the tribal offices and the planting of flowers provide some measure of hope that maybe, just maybe, we can and will make the changes for a better tribal government? I have just enough space for a story that the late Smokey (Levi) Bear told me. Several years ago there was a NDN gal that had the nickname of Dark Time. According to Smokey she got the nickname after a white guy tried to snag her on a hot summer afternoon. She rebuffed his advances and said. Wait until dark time! From what I have been told she was quite the character. It seems that Dark Time delivered a baby at the Indian Hospital and the nurse came into the recovery room and asks, For the record, I need to know the father of your baby? Dark Time replied, Oh, the boys! Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 41 Casino Corruption United States Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 53, Section 1167 was enacted to protect the integrity of tribal gaming. Whoever abstracts, purloins, willfully misapplies, or takes and carries away with intent to steal, any money, funds, or other property of value of $1,000 or less; or in excess of $1,000; belonging to a gaming establishment operated by or for or licensed by an Indian Tribe shall be fined or imprisoned. Indian gaming has been called the most regulated industry in America. In the late 80's when Congress was debating Indian gaming the opponents of Indian gaming were greatly concerned about the infiltration of organized crime. Casinos generate millions and millions of dollars and the possibility for criminal activity is great. Today, we have the local SWO Gaming Commission, the North Dakota and South Dakota Gaming Commissions and the National Indian Gaming Commission who are responsible for protecting the integrity of our gaming. As a result of shortcomings and violations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, in June 2004, the FBI and NIGC, in an effort to identify and direct resources to Indian gaming matters created the Indian Gaming Work Group. IGWGs purpose is to identify resources to address the most pressing criminal violations in the area of Indian gaming. This group consists of representatives from a variety of FBI subprograms (i.e., Economic Crimes Unit, Public Corruption/Government Fraud Unit, Racketeering Analysis Unit, Indian Country Special Jurisdiction Unit) and other federal agencies, which include the Interior Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services, etc., etc. The IGWG works in the following manner. If suspected criminal activities are taking place in the Indian gaming industry and the interested office/agency does not have adequate resources to investigate this matter, the office/agency contacts the Indian Country Special Jurisdiction Unit, FBI Headquarters, at (202) 324-3666. This contact may come from the FBI or an outside source or agency. A couple of weeks ago I received a call from a Oyate living in Los Angeles and he said he seen former DNGE CEO Travis Carrico and Wright Wilson, the former Chief Financial Officer of Dakota Nation Gaming, at the April 20-23 San Diego Indian Gaming and Trade Show manning the M.G.T. booth. Micro Gaming Technologies, Inc. is (or was) the company that provided the Kiosk at Dakota Magic Casino. The tribal council terminated the contract with MGT after they found out about Carricos ownership interest in MGT. Is Carrico still getting money from the Tribe? Several months ago attorney Greg Paulson (Bluedog Law Office) gave the tribal council the following report. The report in part states: 1). Self-dealing and former Tribal officials. In addition to federal criminal investigations, the State criminal proceeding, and the SWO Gaming Commission proceeding, the Tribal Council is investigating many instances of self-dealing involving Mr. Carrico, former lobbyist Barry

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Wilfahrt, and Ms. Lisano. First, Mr. Wilfahrt, with assistance from Mr.Carrico and Ms. Lisano purchased real property just south of Dakota Magic Casino. The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate has several e-mails regarding their plans and action in purchasing this property. These former Tribal Officials never notified the SW Oyate that this property was for sale, nor that they were interested in the property. Once Mr. Wilfahrt purchased the land, Mr. Carrico ordered that advertising contracts be executed with Mr. Wilfahrts company, Stateline, LLC. These advertising contracts have since been revoked. Second, according to emails from Ms. Lisano, Mr. Carrico became an owner in a company called Micro Gaming Technologies, Inc. in January 2007. After he became an owner, he also authorized contracts between DNGE and MGT. These instances of self-dealing were included in the complaints before the SWO Gaming Commission. 2). Unknown to the Tribal Council, on March 26, 2007, Mr. Carrico requested Wright Wilson, then the CFO, to process what he described as a severance payment. Even though he was still employed by the Tribe, Mr. Carrico requested $100,000.00 under the pretense of severance pay. Neither Mr. Carrico nor Mr. Wilson informed the Tribe of Mr. Carricos request, yet the Tribe was both of their employers. According to Mr. Wilson, the only person he verbally notified of Mr. Carrico request was former in-house attorney Lisa Lisano. Ms. Lisano approved Mr. Carricos request for severance pay, even though she did not notify the tribe and lacked authority to grant any approval. At all times, neither, Mr. Wilson, or Ms. Lisano possessed any authority to grant Mr. Carricos request for $100,000. Had the disbarred attorney Moen and Carrico filed a campaign report as required by South Dakota law we may have never known about the self-dealing that was going on by are once revered (by some Oyates) well-paid non-Indian gaming officials. All the while this self-dealing was going on people were being paid good money to watch the store and it seems they were all asleep at the wheel. If you look back over the Sisseton Wahpetons history there are three major events that have impacted the very existence of present day SW Oyates. The ill-advised War of 1862; the 1974 US Supreme Court decision to disestablish the Lake Traverse Reservation; and the advent of Indian gaming revenues. There is nothing the present day Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota can do about the War of 1862 or the Supreme Court decision, but we can all do our part in keeping our gaming industry squeaky clean. How? By electing leadership that understands our history and the importance of protecting our gaming revenues. Gaming revenue has transformed this dirt poor tribe into an economic player in Northeastern South Dakota. Before gaming revenues, we were mostly dependent on federal funds, Indirect Cost money and a little lease income and tax revenue. Because we cant seem to complete audits on time, federal funds have slowed to a trickle, and gaming revenue is now more important than ever, and gaming revenues despite all the waste is keeping the Tribe afloat today. As an example, the various Woodrow Keeble Medal of Honor ceremonies and activities cost the tribe over $50,000 and won't have been possible without gaming money. Without gaming revenues there would be no such thing as Elderly Food Coupons, Birthday Money or Hardship Grants or Elderly or District Days at the

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casino. For sure there would be no $65,000 thousand dollar tribal council salaries and Christmas Bonuses for the tribal employees. Whether you agree with what I write or not, agree with this: If youre a reservation resident gaming revenue has forever changed the way we live! We need to collectively protect it for the greater good of all. Incidentally, the disbarred attorney Moen and Carrico trial is scheduled for June 23. They are charged with three misdemeanors, but the real crux of the matter is what happened to approximately $275,000 of the $1.2 million dollar campaign contribution that remains unaccounted for. If the any of the missing $275,000 was used for personal gain by any one of those involved with the campaign to outlaw South Dakota video lottery they could face federal charges. Also, former tribal attorney Lisa Lisanos disbarment hearing will be held in late June. It will be interesting to see where the trail leads and what their defense will be. What it looks like from this advantage point is that the former tribal council has left their once revered and high paid employees to fend for themselves. It reminds me of an old Indian story. The Lone Ranger and Tonto were surrounded by a hundred hostile Indians and in desperation the Lone Ranger says to Tonto. "Kemosabi, what do we do now? Tonto replies, "What do you mean we white man!" Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 42 Donkey Politicians and Gaming Officials There are over four hundred Indian gaming establishments owned and operated by approximately 220 federally recognized Indian tribes in America. Which means over 300 hundred tribes do not have casinos. Many tribes are located in areas too isolated to sustain a casino. Of the 220 casinos some of them are kind of unsica (poor) while others are very well managed and profitable. On a recent visit to Dakota Magic Casino I went into the mens bathroom and noticed that one of the panels that separate the urinals was made out of painted plywood. I thought, How cheap is that! I know this is real petty, but its the small things that separate a good casino from a marginal casino. I went to play Texas Hold-em and another card player makes a donkey call and wins the hand on the river card knocking me out of the tournament. A Donkey Call in Texas Hold-em parlance is making a stupid call. Hoping that I would have better luck I played the penny machines and as I was sitting there with the rest of the suckers I was thinking that Americans pride themselves on their intelligence and ingenuity, but, to tell you the truth, any body who plays the penny, two-cent, and nickel slot machines is a big dummy. The real geniuss are the people who design the slot machines. I hope the gamblers dont wise up any time soon because someone has to pay for my one hundred dollar food coupon. I was also thinking that people who come to the casinos could care less who the corporate gaming officials are. Sitting at the penny machine, hoping to get into the Free Game stage, I was wondering why the last tribal council paid Carrico over a million dollars in salary, bonuses, unlimited access to credit cards, the use of a car and gas, when 99.9% of the gamblers who come through the front door could care less who the Chief Executive Officer is. Former OA councilman Big Nick use to say it was because Carrico was making us so much money. If that is true then it must also be true that the gaming revenues are down since he left. Maybe that is why they cant fix the urinal stall. It is now obvious that Carrico and Wright Wilson, the former CFO, were the ones blowing smoke up Big Nick and the rest of their butts; and, they were dumb or nave enough to believe it -or was there something else going on? What is the name of the new Chief Executive Officer at Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprises? Who knows and who cares! The tribe recently hired a new guy, but they could have hired Stanley or Orville and the casinos would still make money. That is what I was thinking as I was playing the penny machines. Let us presume for one nanosecond that the former tribal werent dumb or nave and that Carrico really was worth a million dollars. Personally, I cant see it, but, let us say he really was responsible for the thousands of gamblers who come into the three casinos and voluntarily give up their hard earned money. For the sake of argument let us say he was responsible for upgrading the Dakota Magic Hotel, adding a golf course, building the new Watertown Dakota Sioux Casino & Hotel, adding the Player Club Kiosks, and other improvements.

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But was he worth a million dollars? Putting a million dollars into perspective the Governor of South Dakota, the South Dakota Congressional delegation, and the President of the United States dont have million dollar salaries. So why did the former council pay the Carrico over a million dollars? All the improvements that I mentioned, well, someone has to pay for them. That is the reason why we owe Shakopee over $35 million dollars and make a monthly loan payment of about $550,000.00 dollars. The Dakota Winds golf course cost over a million dollars and has never made a cent. The Watertown casino, which is a real nice small casino, doesnt really make any big money for the tribe. One reason is the new 92 room hotel. I suspected that with an occupancy rate of less than 50% it is going to take a long time to pay down on the $8 million dollars it took to build the hotel. And the Players Club Kiosk, well, I told you about Carricos self-dealing scheme the last time I wrote. I realize that adding the golf course are amenities that gamblers like, but, in reality it does little or nothing to increase profitability. And contrary to what Scott German was telling us several weeks ago in the Sota the Watertown Casino and Hotel WAS build on the premise of getting more slot machines from the State of South Dakota, which of course never happened, and that is why Scott German and the former council authorized the million dollar campaign to outlaw video lottery. Since SD Governor Rounds was not going to give the SWO anymore slot machines they apparently figured they could outlaw video lottery; and in their screwed up thinking all of the area video lottery players would come to play at the new Watertown casino. In theory it all seems so easy. In reality, the last tribal council made a Donkey Call paying Carrico over a million dollars and spending $1.2 million dollars on trying to get some payback at Governor Rounds! All at the average Oyates expense! Consider a couple of other prevailing theories that have circulated the reservation chat rooms for some time now. Theory #1. The reason the former tribal council paid a million dollars to Carrico was because they were getting or hoping to get something from the DNGE corporate executives in exchange for their support. What might they have gotten - free rooms, gas, meals, stipends, loans, or monetary grants? Who knows for sure, but the highly anticipated forensic audit will prove or disapprove whether they were getting something or not. So what if they were? Did they violate US Code Title 18 that I cited several weeks ago? Theory #2. There were other political hacks and cronies who were getting something from the gaming corporate executives in exchange for their support. What might they have gotten rooms, free meals, drinks, job preference, money for their pet projects, etc.? Who knows for sure? Again the forensic audit will prove or disapprove that they were getting something. I have heard that the forensic audit might be done before this months General Council Meeting and the council is considering presenting the finding at the General Council meeting. I hope they do. I didnt think anybody cared or noticed that I did not submit an article in last weeks Sota but several people asked why. The truth of the matter is that I was getting kind of burned out and I occasional have serious doubt that my articles are doing any good.

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On another front I finally got a letter from the SD State Banking Division and they are demanding that I have a state license to operate my payday lending business on Main Street. You may recall several months ago when I just started up my business right now the reservation haters reported me to the State Banking Division. Well, I have been waiting for them to show up and they finally did in the form of a letter. I think the issue of whether a tribal member owned business with a SWO Tribal Business License is subject to state jurisdiction is a good issue for the Tribe to take on. In addition to my business there are several other tribal member owned businesses and tribally owned business operating on Fee land, such as the Arts and Craft store, I-29 Motel, and Fuel Inc. (fee land is former Indian land that was sold). I will share my thoughts in next weeks article. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 43 Sisseton and Wahpeton History Part I. Have you ever wondered where we came from, where we are going, what it will be like a hundred years from now? Those questions have gotten me to thinking about the several Dakota Indian origination theories. Some Lakotas believe that the center of the world is the Black Hills and that is where the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people originally came from. Some Dakota Indians believe that the center of the world is the area near present day Minneapolis/St Paul. The predominate non-Indian theory is that the people known today as the Lakota and Dakota Indian came from the European and Asian continents and crossed the Bering Strait into North America and over hundreds or thousands of years these early human beings, who would later became Dakota Indians, slowly migrated to the East Coast. The theory goes that because of intertribal warfare, disease, and famine the Dakota Indian was kicked out or voluntarily left the area and then migrated into present day western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. In the 16 th century the European explorers into the region found the Sisseton band living around the Mille Lac Lake area. Apparently, the Chippewa got the gun first and they essentially kicked the Sissetons out of that area, and the Sisseton Dakota settled around present day Minneapolis, and the areas south and west of Minneapolis. There are other theories where we came from, some making more sense than others, each theory having its own credible or questionable elements. I think that the Indians who live on the Lake Traverse Reservation today just assume that we always lived here. Our ancestors hunted and trapped this area, but, for the most part, present day Sisseton and Wahpetons lived further down the Minnesota River. The Browns Valley Man who was found in 1933 just east of present day Browns Valley, Minnesota, kind of throws a monkey wrench in the idea that the Dakota/Lakota/Nakota Indian always lived in this area. The bones of the BV man are estimated to be between 8 to12 thousand years old. So who was this person? My guess would be that he was not a Dakota Indian. The scientist says that the Browns Valley Man had features that resembled those of a Greenland Eskimo. Whatever you believe about where we came, this much is certain. The turning point in the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe or Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate occurred in August 1862 when several young Dakotas from Shakopees band killed five white settlers. This incident led to what is called the Great Sioux Uprising, Minnesota Indian War of 1862, or simply the War of 1862. As a result of the war our ancestors were kicked out of Minnesota. (How come we are always getting kicked out of someplace?) Incarcerated at Fort Snelling without a home, land, and hope several Sisseton and Wahpeton full blood and half-breeds served as scouts for the military. I know that some Dakotas feel that those scouts were traitors against their own people by working for the military. Whatever you feel about the scouts, the truth of the matter is that 200 hundred Dakotas would serve as scouts and their service played an important part in the governments decision to grant the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands a 918,000 thousand acre reservation in present day northeastern South Dakota. The treaty establishing the Lake Traverse Reservation was signed on February 19, 1867. Twenty some leaders and akicitas (soldiers) signed the treaty. The treaty contained

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ten articles. Article X says: The chiefs and headmen for said bands are authorized to adopt such rules, regulations, or laws for the security of life and property, the advancement of civilization, and the agricultural prosperity of the members of said bands and shall have authority to carry out all such rules, regulations, or laws. That all rules, regulations, or laws adopted or amended by the chiefs and headmen shall receive the sanction of the agent. In the 141 years of existence, the Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux Tribe or the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate have attempted to do just that - make rules, regulations, etc., to govern its people. Today, this concept is called the tribes inherent right to self-governance. The United States Congress has never repealed the Treaty of 1867 and this right to self governance is the cornerstone of federal-Indian policy. However, in 1974, the US Supreme Court, in the Decoteau case, ruled that the Lake Traverse Reservation was disestablished. In laymans term this means that the Lake Traverse Reservation lost its boundaries or was no longer a closed reservation. The Court reasoned that opening the reservation to homesteading disestablished the reservation. The legal implications of the Decoteau decision comes down to who has civil and criminal jurisdiction in Roberts County - the tribe, the city or the county? As you would expect each of these government entities want to maintain or assert as much power and control as possible. To further complicate the jurisdiction issue the State of South Dakota wants to maintain and assert as much authority and power that it can. It can all be very complicated and yet it is surprising that the tribe, the city, the county, and the state get along as well as they do. Until Smokey German, Myron Williams, Karen White, Ron Dumarce, Barbara Jens, Kevin Roberts, Edwin Crawford, JC Crawford, Scott German, and Mike Peters meddled with my former mazaska (money lending) business I never took much interest in jurisdictional issues, treaties, or Dakota history. Like most SWOs I generally knew our history. But, for most all of my life I lived in the white mans world and played by their rules. I had always heard and even believed that the Tribe was for the Indian elder, the Indian veteran, and tribal member economic development, so I figured (incorrectly) that all of the above council members would come to my rescue when Carrico took away my payroll deduction privilege at the three casinos. Carrico demanded that I needed a South Dakota State Banking Charter to do business with the three tribal casinos. Now, even I know there is something terribly wrong with that logic. Sure, Carrico was a white boy, and he didnt know any better, but surely, Myron and Scott, and the rest of them must know something about the Indians inherent right to self governance. Surely, they must have known that the SWO Tribe had a Tribal Tax Office and that the Tax Office licensed and sanctioned tribal members owned businesses on the Lake Traverse Reservation. So why would they demand that I have a South Dakota State license? Why would I have to have two licenses, a state license and a tribal license, to operate my business within the original boundaries of the LT Reservation?

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By allowing or directing Carrico to call the State Banking Division is one of the dumbest things they did while in office. Wasting $1,125,000 million trying to outlaw video lottery was bad enough, but comprising the sovereignty of the government, all the while they were milking or bilking the tribe is inexcusable. Oh yes, it was obvious to me at the time that they wanted to get a little payback for being one of those who criticized them for jacking up their council salaries, but why would Myron and Scott jeopardize the tribes inherent right to self governance? Their actions were equivalent to saying, Mr. White Man (South Dakota State Government) you can come onto my reservation and do whatever you want to us Indian! With that kind of dumb thinking we might as well close up the tribal office and join the white people. Not a bad idea, but, that is not the way it is with us Indians. Whatever theory you subscribe to as to where we came from, this is no theory. We were here first and the white man recognized that Indian tribes were sovereign nations and made treaties with Indians and by doing so they acknowledged Indian tribes right to self-governance. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 44 - The Tribal Right to Self-Govern II. I re-started my money lending business on February 19, 2008. Shortly thereafter the reservation haters called the State Banking Division and I got a letter from them on June 6th that stated: It has come to the attention of the South Dakota Division of Banking that you are once again operating a money lending business in Sisseton without being licensed with the Division. The State gave me ten days to buy a license. The question is whether an Indian can operate a business on fee land without a state license. If my business was on trust land - end of issue. Fee land is Indian land that was sold or ceded to the white man. My business, which I named MTBSW (Money Talks Bullshit Walks) Payday Loans is located on the Main Street of Sisseton, which is fee land. When I began my business I knew this issue was going to come up again. (And I have my suspicion who called the State Banking Division. It was a member of the last tribal council or one of their family member, on ther other hand it really doesnt matter). In February 2008 I applied for and bought a SWO Tribal Business License. By issuing my business a tribal business license the SWO is exercising its inherent right to self-govern. Keep that in mind. The following is a quote I found in the South Dakota Law Review, Volume 34 date unknown. The right of tribal self-government is a basic tenet of Indian law which has been consistently protected by the federal courts. The principle of inherent sovereignty of Indian tribes, broadly stated, posits that tribes are qualified to exercise powers of self-governance, not by virtue of any delegation of powers from the federal government, but rather by the reason of original tribal sovereignty which pre-dates the Constitution of the United States. The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Constitution states: The jurisdiction of the shall extend to lands lying in he territory with the original confines of the Lake Traverse Reservation as described in Article III of the Treaty of February 19, 1867. In May 2005, the Vern Cloud case before the Northern Plains Intertribal Court of Appeals said: The tribe is exercising it reserved Article X treaty authority as inherent sovereign powers within a defined geographic area. The self-governance powers expressly reserved in Article X of the treaty were not extinguished by the disestablishment of the reservation in Decoteau. Most recently in Minnesota vs. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians the Supreme Court determined that tribal treaty rights existed on ceded land independently of land ownership even though the tribe sold those lands. What that means in layman terms is that the 1867 treaty which established the Lake Traverse Reservation gave the SWO Tribe in 2008 the right to issue a tribal business license even if my business is located on fee land. Why didnt Smokey, Myron, Ron, Barb, Kevin, Big Nick, Karen, JC, Mike, and Scott understand basic, fundamental tribal sovereignty?

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The truth is they were more worried about being criticized and protecting their "million dollar baby" Travis Carrico than they were protecting tribal sovereignty. The right to self-governance was the very reason that they were able to pay themselves a hundred thousand dollars a year. During their four year term I went to tribal court with them eight times! Every single time the former tribal council used the issue of tribal sovereignty or the tribes inherent right to self-governance as their primary defense. They say that in every dark cloud there is a silver lining. Pida miya (Thank you) Myron, Smokey, Ron, Karen, Barb, Kevin, Big Nick, JC, Scott, Mike and Travis Carrico for forcing me to learn my history! In the future every elected official should be required to know the Sisseton and Wahpeton history. If you know the history of the SW Oyate you wont give an inch to the city, the county, and the state, at least not without a fight. You certainly wont let a white boy (Carrico) compromise tribal sovereignty. If you know our history you will agree with the following quotes. My feelings about our history can be found on page 77 of Roy Myers, History of the Santee Sioux. Many observers have noted the moral obliquity (immoral behavior) that seemingly afflicted white men in their dealings with Indians. Men justly respected for integrity and fairness in their relations with other white men saw nothing reprehensible (worthy of censure or rebuke) about resorting to all manner of chicanery (trickery) and equivocation (to use vague or intentionally evasive language) when dealing with Indians. Starting with the axiom (a self-evident truth) that the Indians were mere children and had a less enlightened view of what would serve their own best interest than the Great Father. And on page 87. From beginning to end the tactics used to get the Indians to agree to the treaties in the first place, the bad faith of the Senate in amending them, the devices employed to force the Indians to accept the amendments, the whole nefarious business of the traders papers it was a thoroughly sordid affair, equal in infamy to anything else in the long history of injustice perpetrated upon the Indians by the authorized representatives of the United States government in the name of that government. Despite all the fine talk during the negotiations about the welfare of the Indians, they seem to have been speedily lost sight once their Xs were down on paper. When the whirlwind was reaped a decade later (the 1862 War) the immediate victims were the comparatively innocent white settlers near the reservation, not the men ultimately responsible. In the end, of course, the ones who suffered most were, as always, the Indians. Ironically, the above two quotes were written by a white man. As they say he hit the nail on the head. The end result of what he describes is the reason, until gambling revenues came along, that the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Indian was on the bottom of the economic cesdi heap in America. With that kind of history why would any tribal leader want to give up one inch of our sovereignty without a fight? This may please the reservation haters but I will quit my payday lending business before I buy at South Dakota State license. For me to buy a SD license would be disrespecting my great-grandfather Gabriel

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Renville, who was a signer of the 1867 treaty, and every Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Indian who came before me who fought for and believed in the right to govern ourselves. It is not my little nickel and dime business that is at stake here it is the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribes sovereignty that is at stake. I wrote a letter to the tribal chairman and explained the situation. On Thursday, June 19, I meet with two tribal attorneys to discuss the legal issues. Of course, they were non-committal. I think challenging the State if the continue to insist that I need a State license it is a no-brainer, but you never know with the tribe or its leaders. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 45 Indian Money I am not a Bible totting or Bible quoting kind of person. However, there is an interesting Bible verse that says Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The truth that makes man free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear. Seeking the truth can be an elusive thing. Recently, I had a conversation with Roberts County States Attorney Kay Nickolas. I would hate to face her in court, but, one-on-one she is actually a decent person, who has a tough job prosecuting the Indians who commit 90% of the crimes in Roberts County and for that she is generally despised by the Indians. In the April 30th Sota I reported that Sam Adams went to jail for five year for a crime he did not commit and I said another Oyate confessed to the crime. Well, that is not true. Another Oyate did not confess to the crime. Sam was turned loose from the penitentiary for other reasons. Ineffective legal council and reasons that I do not entirely understand, and maybe I shouldnt have even wrote about the episode in my article. At the time I trusted the truthfulness of Sams conversations with me. Because Sam is walking the streets and the other guy is still in jail I believed him. And a former Sheriff of Roberts County once told me he did not believe that Sam was guilty. Sam was subsequently awarded money for ineffective legal counsel. As I said truth can be elusive. It has also been said: Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see. All I know for sure now is that half of Sam Adams is sitting in front of the Drop in Center, across the street from my office. I told Kay Nickolas that the tribe should have helped build the new jail since 90% of the inmates in the Roberts County jail are Indians, but the Sisseton Public School thing had turned the Indian off. In addition to Indian crime and the cost to the taxpayers, the Ben Riefel School is example of things that separates the Indian and white in Sisseton. Back when the Ben Riefel was being built there was a sign posted on the grounds that stated that the new school was funded by the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Most Indians, including myself, believe that it was Indian Money that built the school. Therefore the Indian should have a say in the operation of the school. Although, there have been a few Indian school board members in the past, as I recall, there was also some intense political maneuvering to keep out or minimize the Indians involvement in the school. At least that is the Indians perspective. I am being general here. I know the school has allowed Sioux Voices and the school system receives Title IV and JOM money, and I am not saying that every single white person in Sisseton opposes the Indian. Several years ago I had a conversation with Leroy Helwig, long time school board member about the construction of the Ben Riefel School. He may not remember the conversation, but I do, and he said that it was his tax money that built the new school and not Indian Money. His reasoning and those who share his view is the fundamental reason the tribe did not get involved in building the new jail. The Indian perspective is yes we all pay taxes and the tax money goes into the US Treasury. Congress then allocates some for Commerce, Defense, Agriculture, etc., etc., and the Department of Interior. The Interior big-wigs further divvy up the money some goes to the Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. When

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Leroys tax money is allocated to BIA social service programs, land management programs, building schools, etc., in the Indian way of thinking, Leroys tax money is now Indian Money. What was formerly Leroys and Barrack Obamas tax money is Indian Money to be used for the exclusive benefit of Stanley, Orville, Grady, and a million other Indians. To further complicate the school issue tribal land is not taxable (a right given to the Indian by the US government) and we all know that it takes real estate tax money to support a school system. Since the Indian does not pay property tax the US government gives the Sisseton school district Johnson OMalley and other federal money in lieu of taxes. Well, in our way of thinking that too is Indian Money but I doubt that Leroy and other non-Indians feel the same way. So that is why the tribe did not get involved with the building of the new jail. In the Indians way of thinking, we would again get pushed aside. Personally, I thought the tribe should have assisted Roberts County build the new jail and made agreements for administrative and management control. I reasoned that times have changed, I think. History, like Truth, has a strange way of revealing itself. In the end, Tiospa Zina Tribal School, like Ben Riefel School, was built with Leroy and Obamas tax money, depending on your perspective, of course. I also told Kay that all self-respecting Indians also do not like all of the Indian crime, but it is a reality, and all that we ask is that she and others who deal with Indians are fair. Dont profile us, dont abuse us, after all we too are taxpayers too, and we also care about the community we live in spite of our racial, cultural, political and philosophical differences. On Monday morning, June 23, 2008, I called the State Banking Division and asked what their plans were. The attorney I spoke with said they were planning on stopping me from doing business without a state license. He said that the case law that I cited was interesting reading but the state was still going to insist that I need a license. There are several US Supreme Court cases that have said that treaty rights were not extinguished when Indian land was sold or ceded and those treaty rights exist until Congress repeals them. I do not pretend to be a lawyer, but what I know and read convinces me that issuing my business a tribal business license the tribe exercising its sovereign rights and I do not need a state license to lend money to what turns out to be 99% Indians. (I have one or two crazy white guys who borrow money from me.) I have to have a couple of them lest someone accuses me of racial profiling! I like being a citizen of Sisseton, Robert County, South Dakota and I enjoy the privileges that come with citizenship - police protection, parks, roads, generally clean and honest government, and I know that it takes taxes money to support those services. But, when it comes to tribal sovereignty I have to stand in favor of the Indian. My grandfather, Gabriel, was a half breed, nonetheless, he was chosen to be the chief spokesman for the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands, a position that he held for nearly 25 years, until his death in 1892. (Of course there were other chiefs and head men) When he was a young boy he was sent to Chicago for schooling, but did not like it, and walked all the way back to western Minnesota, quite a feat for a young lad. Gabriel never learned to speak English but it is said that he had no equal in the use of the Dakota language. He was also the chief of the Sisseton Wahpeton Scouts and as I said in a previous article there are Dakotas today that feel the scouts were traitors against their own people. Gabriel was married to

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four sisters, all at the same time, which for time immemorial was an accepted Dakota practice, assuming that you could handle more than one woman. Of course, not every Dakota male was up to the challenge, but if he did it was an acceptable custom. Later in his life the Indian Agent and Christian Indian leaders admonished him to give up three of his wives because it now had become a "heathen" practice to have more than one wife. To say the least my Franco Indian grandfather was a controversial man and he undeniably was a Dakota Indian through and through. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 46 - General Council Meeting Attendance at the General Council meeting on Thursday, June 26, 2008, by non-employee tribal members was really weak. If tribal employees were not given administrative leave to attend there wasnt more than 50 regular Oyates in attendance. In the beginning it was probably a good idea to have bi-annual General Council meetings, but, for the past several years it has become an anachronism, which is a big word for something out of date. Why? From what I can ascertain: 1. The Oyate have better things to do, more people are working, raising families, and dont have the time. 2. Apathy. What is the use they dont listen to us any way. 3. Fear. An Oyate brings up an issue or concern and the tribal council might retaliate, or, that is the fear. 4. Irrelevant. Like it or not, who cares about listening to tribal program reports? 5. Today, General Council meetings are a two-day feel good affair, where winning a door prize is more important than fixing the things that are broke and in need of a fix. From my understanding many years ago the Oceta Sakowin (Seven Council Fires) would meet annually to socialize, reunite with relatives, maybe do a little snagging, and discuss the important issues of the day. After the formation of the Sisseton Reservation the practice disappeared for awhile and then eventual found its way back into our tribal constitution. The idea, I presume, was to give the average Oyate an opportunity to voice their concerns and share their ideas. But, as I said for the last few years the concept of voicing your opinion and concerns is being drowned out by meaningless program reports, which is not to denigrate (put down) those tribal employees who work hard for the Oyate. Although, I havent seen anyone being denied the opportunity to voice their concerns it just doesnt seem to be encouraged. At this General Council meeting I was only interested in the Dakota Nation Gaming Reports. After their reports I had several questions I wanted to ask but it just didnt seem right to ask. By asking questions it would make me look like a gripper and complainer. You press them for answers and information and someones feelings get hurt and worst they get defensive. I dont think that is what the people had in mind when they included General Council meetings in the tribal constitution. I wanted to know the occupancy rate of the 92 room Dakota Sioux Hotel. I wanted to know the WPU (Win Per Unit) of the Class II slots machines at Dakota Connection and Dakota Sioux. I wanted to know how and why Carrico so easily walked off with a hundred thousand dollar severance pay. I wanted to know how come no one in management or accounting alerted anyone to the $1,250,000 leaving the casino. (The last tribal council is claiming they didnt know it was costing a million bucks.) Why was there no checks and balances on spending a million dollars?

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I wanted to know if safeguards are now in place. I wanted to know why they have shabby looking painted plywood separating the urinals in the mens bathroom. I wanted to know why the SWO Gaming Commissioner had to test the loyal of some girls at Dakota Magic Casino. If I got up and asked all those questions someone would be canze (mad) at me for asking. Someone would say they didnt come to the General Council to hear Grady Renville ranting. Now, I wont call satisfying my curiosity ranting, but, sure as sunka cesdi (dog poop) someone would think that. The low attendance at the General Council meeting is just a symptom of a larger problem. Of the 11,800 tribal members there are probably only 225 tribal members who participate or take an active interest in tribal government. The seven districts get an average attendance of maybe 25 people; and then there are the various boards and committees, all of which get stipends to participate. If there is a District or Tribal Elderly Casino Day the Oyate comes out in droves, otherwise, tribal member participation is like only 2% of the membership. Lack of involvement makes it easier for the politicians to generally do what they please and when there is little oversight millions of dollars just disappears or is wasted. Unfortunately, we practice a lazy democracy and the end result is a third world type tribal government. There was one good thing that came out at the General Council meeting. Those of us who live on the rez get a .82 cent gasoline discount at the casinos. While the rest of America pays four dollars a gallon, the Oyate pay $3.18 cents a gallon. The tribal council granted the gasoline discount with the best of intentions, now the consequences of their action has set in. The .82 cent discount translates to about $1.2 million dollars a year and someone has to pay for the gas discount and so it is coming from the gaming revenue pot. The trade off is that the $1.2 million will be pro-rated and deducted from the seven districts monthly gaming revenue allocation, which is fine with me because I like the .82 cents gas discount. I gave a presentation before the small crowd to explore the idea of partnering with the State of Minnesota to build a casino and hotel in the Twin Cities area. I have written about this idea on several occasions and since no one in a leadership position has taken up on the idea I have decided to take the bull by the horns and go ahead with the idea. My son Travis and I have done a great deal of research on the idea and we are actively discussing the idea with people from Minneapolis who think the idea is worth pursuing. Better yet, if Santee, Crow Creek, and Sisseton get on-board these people are willing to put up the money to promote the idea. Recently, we met with the Santee and Crow Creek Tribal Chairmans and they both stated, What do have we to lose. In the very near future I need to present the idea formally to the Sisseton Tribal Council. If they take the same position as Crow Creek and Santee we can then move forward. Or, quite frankly, the idea will move forward with or without Sisseton. Ideally, when all three tribes are on board our Minneapolis associates

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will host a meeting with the three tribes to discuss the idea in more detail. As I said in my presentation this would be an ideal time to pursue this idea. This year is Minnesotas 150th year of Statehood and the State is experiencing a budget deficit. In 2004 Governor Pawlenty proposed they same idea, however, the idea died a slow political death. The Minnesota casino idea is a think outside the box idea. The plan is not to go into Minnesota and claim some land and then put it into trust. That process takes years. Certainly, the three tribes can use the ancestral homeland concept, but, it would be a straight business deal where the three tribes would share the revenues with the State, create thousands of jobs, and pay taxes. Connecticut, California, and Minnesota produce the largest amounts of Indian gaming revenue. Indian gaming in Minnesota is a ten billion dollar industry, and unlike Connecticut and California, Minnesota receives very little from the gaming tribes. The idea to build a casino in the Twin Cities seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, not exactly. The problem with Sisseton getting involved is the SWO owes Shakopee over $30 million dollars and Shakopee is donating money for four new district centers. So does that mean they own us, do they have us in their back pocket? Now, I dont think any of the tribal politicians will admit to that fact but it is a very real possibility that Shakopee could or would jerk our chain if the SWO Tribe went ahead with the idea. If that is the only reason Sisseton would not want to be a part of the Twin Cities casino idea every leader on the tribal council should be impeached and all of the former tribal council banished from the reservation for compromising the sovereignty of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. I know that will never happen but if the only reason we dont pursue the Minnesota casino idea is because we owe Shakopee money and we might offend them the SWO is truly in a sorry state of affairs. Another reason for not getting involved is that no one on the current tribal council thought of the idea. Okay, steal my idea, please! And the third reason for not pursuing the idea is someone will inevitably ask: What is Grady going to get out of it? The answer is simple. If this idea actually becomes a reality, you and I will be a members of a very, very wealthy tribe. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

Week 47 - Minnesota Casino Idea

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I missed last weeks deadline so I will send two articles in this week and hope the Editor will publish both. I went to the tribal council meeting on July 8th and 10th 2008. My son Travis and I presented the Minnesota casino idea. If you have been reading my articles for the past several years you should know by now that the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands were kicked out of Minnesota in 1862. And it is my opinion that the Sisseton and Wahpetons have as much right to build a casino in Minnesota as the Northern Chippewas or the Shakopee Mdewakanton imposters. And I will call them imposters. If you dont believe me go to the Mohrman & Kaardal website (attorneys for the Loyal Mdewakanton (Sheldon Wolfchild) lawsuit) and click on Dr. Barbara Feezor Buttes. You will find this P.H.D. Anthropologist has written a 196 page book which she entitled. Beyond Sovereignty: The Mdewakanton Identify Heist. Today, there are more than 22,000 Mdewakanton descendents who are claiming they have a right to share in Shakopee's billion dollar gaming industry. Travis and I presented a Memorandum of Understanding to the tribal council. A MOU is a formal gentlemans agreement. Quite frankly, you can wipe your butt with a MOU. But, we need a MOU and a tribal resolution to show to the people with the money that the tribe is indeed interested in pursuing the Minnesota casino idea. On Tuesday they asked us to come back on Thursday, after the tribal attorneys had a chance to review the MOU. On Thursday we went back and the tribal council said that they had decided that we should take the Minnesota casino idea to the districts. Now that is the way the tribe should practice tribal democracy EVERYDAY Take everything back to the districts. But, unfortunately, that is not how our tribal democracy works. The only time they take anything back to the districts is when they lack the guts to make a decision themselves. The tribal council made some very important tax agreements with the State of South Dakota and they never took them "back to the districts." They never took their salary and benefit package "back to the districts". The tribal council never took the spending of millions of dollars in the past year-and-a- half "back to the districts." So why now take the Minnesota casino idea back to the districts? What are they afraid of? The gutless way in which the tribal council handled this idea leads one to believe that Shakopee does indeed have us in their back pocket. So what if the SWO Tribe owes Shakopee over $35 million dollars? While most tribes jealously protect their sovereignty the SWO tribe is owned by a small group of Indian imposters. Yes indeed, money does talk and bullshit does walk.

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Tribal Chairman Mike Selvage, expressing his reluctance, said that Shakopee loaned us money when no one else would. So, for that we apparently owe the Mdewakanton imposters are sovereignty. My well-informed sources tell me the Chairmans statement is not true. If the tribe would get its damn federal audits done, maybe the tribe would be a better credit risk. To the tribes credit it does pay on its loan notes, which comes right off the top of the gaming revenues, so why do we have to go to Shakopee? The Chairman also said that Shakopee might loan us millions more to expand the Dakota Magic casino. If that is true can we expect the tribal council to take it back to the districts before we go millions of dollars in the hole again? I can understand the Itancans (the leader) reluctance. The Minnesota casino idea is just that, an idea. To be fair I sensed that Delbert Hopkins, Junior Rondell, Virginia Max, and Norma Perko liked the idea. Thats eight votes. I thought Jerry Flute, Lake Traverse councilman, would jump on the idea, but Lake Traverse is one of those who got a new district center so I wont count on him. Travis and I told the tribal council that the Minnesota investors might refinance the Shakopee loan note at a better rate. We got the deer in the headlights reaction. Refinancing the loan note would get Shakopee out of our back pocket. As I said Sisseton has been very good payment history and the Shakopee loan note is ripe for refinancing. You almost get the feeling that the political types are afraid of success and the tribe likes operating from crisis to crisis. Why not think outside of the NDN box for once? Incidentally, while I was sitting there waiting for my turn the District Chairman Association gave their report and the DCA made a request to allocate an additional $125,000 dollars to the six districts who are each getting a $500,000 dollar grants from Shakopee to build new district centers. The tribal council then passes a motion that will cost the tribe $750,000 dollars (6 X $125,000)! No one mentioned taking this huge money request back to the districts! Where the tribe will get the money to give to the six districts is anyones guess. I am sorry boys and girls but I just dont get it! The only way tribal government makes any sense is if you really know how screwed up the tribe is; and it is business as usual. As an example, in the June 25th Sota there was a picture of the Tribal Chairman and Tribal Vice Chairman, all cheesy, holding a check from the Internal Revenue Service for $214,556, which was given to the tribe for federal fuel tax rebate. Last week the IRS took back their $214,556 check! The reason being the tribe had miscalculated or in fact was not entitled to the rebate. Okay, so no harm done? Well, not exactly. The tribe paid eighty thousand dollars upfront to the individual who came up with the idea!

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So far two tribal employees were suspended for their part in the fiasco. The suspension without pay probably wont hurt them much because just before they got suspended the two employees received some kind of cash award. Crazy! The IRS got its money back, but at this time it is unsure if the tribe will get its eighty grand back. Have you noticed us Indians like water? When I was a kid we use to hitchhike to Clear Lake almost everyday. Even today that is true. I was just noticing how much our Indian kids like the Sisseton swimming pool, and I was wondering how many of our kids dont go to the pool because they can't come up with the buck fifty it cost to get in. In the meantime out at tribal HQ another eighty grand goes down the tubes. May be it not such a good idea after all to pursue the Minnesota casino idea. Forgive me for thinking that the potential income from this idea, if it ever became a reality, could be a $100 million dollars a year! We cant even properly handle the ten million dollars of current gaming revenue. I purposed this crazy idea because I thought that a hundred million dollar a year could buy a lot of much needed homes for the Oyate. I thought it would be a good idea to have enough money to send any Sisseton Wahpeton to college or technical school. I thought a hundred million dollars a year could build us a small inpatient hospital, an emergency room, a nursing home or a veterans home. I thought a hundred million dollars could guarantee our young people a brighter future. I thought a hundred million dollars a year could insure that we would never ever be in anyones back pocket again. And I thought that a hundred million dollars a year could restore the rodeos at the annual 4th of July Wacipi which has been a tradition for 78 years. I am getting carried away now, but you get my point. Instead of taking the Minnesota casino idea back to the districts I have been thinking why dont all of us who agree with the idea sign up and form our own Limited Liability Corporation, and the hell with the tribal government, and we go after the Minnesota casino idea. What do we have to lose? The Minnesota casino idea is too good of an idea to give up on, and I say the hell with a handful of imposters from Shakopee who might get canze (mad) at us. What do you think? Talk to me, email, or write me with your thoughts. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

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Week 48 - The Mdewakanton Identity Heist My team of Brian Decoteau, Sidney Wanna and Kory Bertsch won the 4th of July Moccasin Tournament. We beat the Shawn Johnson and Sheep Heads team after they beat us in the 1st championship game, so we had to play another game and we were down 4 to 0 before Kory brought us back from the jaws of defeat. Interestingly, in Barbara Feezor Buttes book, Beyond Sovereignty: The Mdewakanton Identity Heist, she writes of the moccasin game. The moccasin game was brought to the Dakota people by our Creator as way to create friendship among people. Two enemies from different tribes a Dakota and another tribe were out hunting and met on the trail. They did not like each other, but they put all their weapons away and that is how the moccasin game began. The guessing game went on for several days and finally the Dakota man declared himself the winner. The man who lost gave the Dakota his knife, held his head up high, and told the Dakota man to cut his neck. The Dakota man refused. Instead, he shook hands with him and adopted him as a brother. The honesty and integrity of the two men created a bond between former enemies. From the perspective of the Minnesota Mdewakanton people today, honesty and integrity do not exist and have no standing at Prior Lake. The first time I had anything to do with the Prior Lake Shakopee Mdewakantons was back in the mid 90s. At the time Leonard Prescott was the chairman. I was quite surprised to learn that Leonard was my second cousin. It struck me as odd that a second cousin of mine could be the chairman of the Shakopee community. How could that be I thought? Basically it comes down to the fact that Leonard Prescott like the rest of them is a Shakopee Mdewakanton imposter. Later, the Crooks family came to power and threw out Leonard Prescott (who our also Leonards cousins). It was subsequently revealed that the less than 200 Shakopee community members were each getting a million dollars a year per capita payment from the Mystic Lake casino revenues. I wondered if anyone on the Sisseton Reservation could trace their lineage back to the 1886 Henton and Mcleod Mdewakanton Rolls (Their Constitution requires that members must be able to trace their lineage back to those two Rolls). I discovered three legitimate Mdewakanton descendants from Sisseton and helped them apply for enrollment at Shakopee. That was 14 years ago. They are still waiting to get enrolled at Shakopee. When we delivered their applications for enrollment we stopped at Amos Crooks house, father of current Vice-Chairman Glenn Crooks, and he said. There is enough money for everyone. Apparently, the present day wisicu (white) Shakopee Mdewakantons dont share his opinion. Also, in Dr. Barbara Feezor Butts book, at page 112, she states: Of all thirty-three charter members, only Mayme Bluestone Gofas, Lois Brewer, and her six children could clearly establish Mdewakanton lineage.

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What she is referring to is that in 1969 when the Shakopee community organized there was only thirtythree people - Nine adults and twenty four children, and, only eight of them were legitimate Mdewakantons. Their original intent for forming the Shakopee community was not to build a casino, but to get land to build HUD (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) homes on. No one in their wildest dreams envisioned that their location near the Minneapolis metropolitan area would turn their small community into a billion dollar gaming industry. So today, instead of living in cheap HUD homes they live in mansions. Those eight legitimate members and twenty-six imposters have gone to great lengths to restrict their enrollment and this small group of less than two hundred members has the 12,300 member Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe and our elected officials in their back pocket! By loaning the SWO money and providing money to build the Lake Traverse and Veblen district centers a handful of fake Indians own our tribe. Our current leaders were afraid to take a vote on the Minnesota casino idea because the imposters bought our sovereignty. The past leaders of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate must be rolling over in their graves! I wrote in a previous article that the reason the average tribal member can so easily blow off the millions of dollars of wasted tribal money is because we dont feel like the money is really ours. The three million dollars the tribe lost at the Veblen plant, who knew about it, so who cares? The $1,250,000 wasted trying to outlaw South Dakota video lottery came from gaming revenues and it didnt have youre name or my name on it, so what the hell? In the same regard, what if a handful of Shakopee imposters have us in their back pocket? If the tribe shut down tomorrow most of us would survive anyway. On the acculturated Indian side of me, it really doesnt make a bit of difference to me if Shakopee owns the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe. However, on what Charles Eastman called the Soul of the Indian side of me it does make a hell of a lot of difference to me that the Shakopee imposters, many of whom possess more white blood than Indian blood, own my tribe. I grew up in Sisseton, with Dakota people, and even though we can fight like cats and dogs, in the end, we all share a common heritage, common experiences, and have common hopes and dreams. When you have witnessed and experienced the grinding poverty, the wasted and unproductive lives, the humiliation and sting of racism, you can either get drunk or give up, or you can get inspired to do something about fostering the dream of a better life, however, humble your individual effort maybe. Combined, all of the good, the bad, and the ugly Indian experiences form the Soul of an Indian and that can translate into many things, but from my perspective, most importantly, nobody should own us, use us, or abuse us. My mother was a nurse at the Indian Hospital during the 40s thru the 70s, and while most SWOs were on the grind my siblings and I were very fortunate to benefit from her steady pay-check.

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I wont say which one, but, one of the current tribal councilmans mother - a single parent - would occasionally hit my mother up for a few bucks. I assume to put food on her table. One time, she came to our humble abode just as we were eating supper. It must have been payday, because we had meat, potatoes and bread. She looked at all the food on the table and asked, Whose birthday? And, in 1969 I worked for the Head Start Program, one morning I went to pick up a little girl who did not show up for school. I found the little girl at home alone eating green apples for breakfast. It is those kinds of incidents which shaped my idea or dream that the Dakota Indian was entitled to a better future. And for the same reasons the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was enacted to provide Indian tribes a means of promoting: 1). Economic development; 2). Self-sufficiency; and 3). Strong tribal governments. I proposed the casino idea in the Minneapolis metro area for those very same reasons. However, I am not going to take the Minnesota casino idea back to the districts. That is the job of our elected official to promote the idea. If they dont believe in economic development, self-sufficiency and strong tribal government they shouldnt be re-elected this fall. A hand full of imposters from Shakopee has usurped the idea of self-sufficiency and a strong tribal government for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Their money has intimidated our leadership. My father Joe Renville and Shakopee member Amos Crooks were powwow circuit buddies long before Shakopee struck it rich. I think that somewhere in the great beyond Joe and Amos must both be shaking their heads in disbelief that money could buy a tribe. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

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Week 49 - Historic Trauma and Red Rage The other day I overheard the Pony Express cab driver say that he had the biggest fight ever right inside of his taxi. A bunch of young, drunk, Indian girls were kicking, scratching, biting, and gouging the shit out of another young drunk Indian girl. I wonder why we Indians are always fighting and kicking the shit out of each other. Lately it is usually a pack of young winyans (girls). Like where is the glory in ganging someone? Are the SWO winyans merely imitating SWO Indian male behavior? It seems like once an Indian gets a couple of beers into their system they go berserk. Why? I know we come from a warrior culture but I thought that we were to fight our enemies, not kick the shit out of each other. There is a region in the brain called the Medulla Oblongata. Can this be where Indian hostility lies dormant until a couple of ounces of alcohol is poured on it, and the normally quiet, shy, reserved Indian is turned into a kicking, gouging, biting, hair pulling monster? I learned long ago that alcohol dulls the senses and takes away a persons inhibitions. Translation: You may not be that good looking, intelligent, or tough, but, after a couple drinks you are transformed into a charming and handsome Native Warrior or Indian Princess. Or worst, a kicking, gouging, hair pulling, angry fighting Sioux. The SWO tribe spends millions of dollars a year to supposedly to improve our quality of life, but, all of the money and effort is undone by a couple of ounces of alcohol. Recently, there was a workshop held on the Sisseton reservation dealing with Historical Trauma or Red Rage. According to my sources Historical Trauma is the collective emotional and psychological injury both over ones life span and across generations, resulting from a cataclysmic history of genocide (big words for getting shit on). Blankets infected with small pox, whiskey for land, getting kicked out of Minnesota, government boarding schools, destroyed family and religious systems, etc., etc., are some reasons for historic trauma. The theory goes that historic trauma is the reason for Indian-on-Indian violence. When an Indian take's their anger or historic trauma out on a member of the dominant society you can bet that their sweet ass will go to jail, so instead, the Indian takes his red rage out on another Indian's head. The red rage theory is plausible (believable) enough, but, personally, I think that kicking the shit of each other is the direct result of immature young Indians who dont know how to drink alcohol, period. Maybe the solution lies in teaching our young how to drink responsibly instead of spending millions of dollars on treatment and after care programs.

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Our cultural classes should teach young Nativos how to balance a checkbook, get to work on time, drink responsibly, i.e., modern day life skills - which in my opinion is more realistic then teaching them how to bead, sing, and play the moccasin game. Back several years ago at pow wows, drunks and fights were common. And then, maybe it was twenty years ago, we decided to stop every car at the gate and all booze was confiscated. Today, you rarely see a drunk at a pow wow, so it is possible to change our behavior or value system. Can we please quit kicking the shit out of each other? Switching gears, now that those who want to run the tribe for the next two years have filed for the various positions, I couldnt run because it is alleged that I owe the Tribe or more accurately the Sota newspaper $28 dollars! So one of the most qualified, honest, intelligent, and charismatic tribal members (me) cant run for office because I owe the Sota $28 dollars! Thats tribal law, if you owe the Sota $28 dollars you cant run for political office. Incidentally, I have had at least 38 people (at 75 a copy x 38 = $28.50 x 52 weeks) tell me that they only buy the Sota to see what I am ranting about this week. Therefore, in my screwed up way of thinking the Sota owes me. Nonetheless, in May 2008 I got a letter from the Tribal Secretary stating that I owe $28 dollars to the Sota. First of all I dont recall owing Sota $28 dollars. Second, why didnt Sota send me a bill? Third, when did the Tribal Secretary become a bill collector for the Sota? After I got the notice from the Tribal Secretary I was actually thinking about paying $200.00 hundred dollars to file for an office and then have the tribe declare me ineligible to run because of my $28 dollar debt; and then I was going to file a complaint in tribal court challenging the screwed up law. Amongst other things I would have argued that the last tribal council owed thousands of dollars of outstanding travel while they were still tribal council members, yet they were allowed to hold office, collect big salaries, and on the way out the door give themselves a five thousand dollars bonus. I would have also argued that the last time I checked there was a provision in the United States Constitution which guarantees that you cannot deny a person of life, liberty, and property without due process of law it was never been proven that I owe Sota $28 dollars and the tribe does not have a court judgement against me. If in fact I owe the Sota $28 dollars will the Editor please send me a bill so can start making payments, I might want to run for office in 2011! Isnt it absolutely hilarious that you can rape and rob the tribal treasury and waste millions of dollars of tribal money as an elected official, but they can deny you the opportunity to run for office for a mere $28.00 so that you can rape and rob the tribal treasury and waste millions of dollars? I am being slightly facetious about the you cant owe the tribe to run for office law, but, seriously, I didnt run for any office because I know that old Shady is not elect-able. As the NDN chicks like to say, Whatever.

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But that is okay, I would rather be a successful Indian businessman in charge of my own life rather than an Indian politician in charge of a multi-million dollar third world type tribal government. Recently, there was an article on the Indianz.com website entitled Indians and Constitutional Rights. It reads in part: It is a shocking fact that the Indian people living on reservations are not protected by the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights from the excesses of tribal government. Often saddled with constitutions written by the Department of Interior in the 1930s, which do not contain a separation and balance of powers and do not provide for an independent judiciary, Indians living on reservations simply lack the guarantees of constitutional protections that other Americans take for granted. The result is an unaccountable tribal government system that too often is dysfunctional and fails to protect the needs of its own people. I like the part, "Indian people are not protected from the excesses of tribal government." And, I was reading in the tribal council minutes that there are now 12,300 SWO tribal members scattered throughout the world. So that means most Sisseton Wahpeton Oyates live beyond the scope and jurisdiction of the tribe - you lucky sunkas (dogs). But, we who choose or have no choice, but to live on the rez, cant give up. You and I have to keep plugging away, you do it youre way, and I do it my way, and hopefully, someday we may see Indian politicians who are more interested in promoting self-sufficiency and strong tribal governments than greasing their own moccasins. You may have notice in the Sota that the Constitution and Revision Committee is calling for proposed constitutional amendments. I sent in four amendments that should be voted into our tribal constitution. I will mention two. I want the voters in November to seriously consider changing our constitution so that the newly elected tribal council members will take office the day after tribal elections. This will do away with the sixty some day lapse before the new tribal council members are installed in January. This lame duck period in the past has given the outgoing tribal council a chance to rape and rob the tribal treasury on their way out the door. The other amendment that I submitted would, if approved, become effective in January 2009, where each of the seven districts will decide what the tribal council receives in salary and benefits during their two year term. As it stands now the tribal council sets there own salary and benefits. Which reminds me of a very short story where someone once asked Jesse James why they robbed banks, he replied, "Because that is where the money is!" Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/

Week 50 - SWO Medicine Man Defrocked

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There is always a lot to be thankful for if you take the time to look for it. For example I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles dont hurt, and one of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends. A couple of months ago a local wisicu guy told me about some preacher fellow who was raising money in behalf of the poor Sisseton Indian, More about that later. His concern got me to thinking about my visit to the tribal council chambers in July 2007. As I was sitting there waiting my turn an interesting event occurred. The District Chairmans Association was on the agenda before me and they requested that the tribal council defrock (to strip of priestly privileges and functions) the tribes official medicine man. The tribal council then voted unanimously to remove or terminate the tribes medicine man. You are probably like me. I didnt know the Oyate had an official medicine man. Anyway, I was sitting there thinking of all the important issues of the day the tribal council votes to throw out the medicine man. Which got me to thinking, how come the tribe had a medicine man anyway? Did tribal government do a survey? It could be there are more tribal members that are Christians, and maybe they would like to have an official pastor or priest to bless our casinos. Lets be fair. This little incident raises several interesting questions: Is the council going to hire a new medicine man? What are the qualifications for being a medicine man and how much do you pay a medicine man? Who were the Indian politician(s) that decided we needed a medicine man in the first place? Did those Indian politician(s) take their choice back to the district? Back in 1968 I had a conversation with an angry young Indian fellow who was upset that the white man called the Indians religious beliefs pagan and heathenistic. He said there were Catholics, Episcopals, Lutherans, Mormans, Presbyterians, Jehovah Witnesses, Methodists, Baptists, Christian Scientists, etc., etc., and, in his way of thinking proof - that the white man was confused and had no right to criticize Indian religious beliefs. There is an interesting twist to that conversation held long ago. As I recall back in 1968 there was no Sun Dances groups on the Lake Traverse Reservation but there was a lot of Christian Indian churchs (Episcopals, Presbyterians, and Catholic) that were still quite active. Today, those churches arent quite so active, but, in there place are at least four groups on the Sisseton reservation that hold Sun Dances. Recently, I asked a Sun Dance believer how come there are four Sun Dances groups. Apparently, as she explained each Sun Dance group feels that their way is the right way or the more traditional way.

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So, it seems we have come full circle. We are now just like the Episcopals, Baptists, Catholics, etc., etc., etc., each believing that their way is the right way. As I said above, a month or two ago a local wisicu guy told me about a fellow living west of Sisseton who is raising money in behalf of the Sisseton Indian. Apparently he is raising money via the internet for some kind of dude ranch. Quite frankly, I dont share the concern of the wisicu guy who reported this to me, but my interest was heightened when I bumped into a bunch of gals, with thick southern accents, in Pearson Drug Store buying ndn souvenirs. I asked them where they were from and they said South Carolina. They explained they were in the area donating their time, and I presume their money, to build the dude ranch. Does anyone know who this dud ranch guy is, and is he legitimate? I was shown some of his literature and it stated that amongst other things he was giving out jackets to needy Indian children. Would somebody out at tribal HQ please check this guy out and get ten jackets for my grandchildren. Isnt being an Indian interesting! Previously, I wrote that the Shakopee Mdewakantons were providing $500,000 grants to six of the seven districts to build new district centers (For some reason Enemy Swim does not get one). So far Veblen and Lake Traverse have new districts centers. I do not remember why Shakopee decided to give money for new district centers. It would be my guess to put us in their back pocket because they know that the Sisseton and Wahpeton's are the most educated of all the Dakota people and someday a smart-ass Dakota would come along and propose to build a casino in the Minneapolis metro area. To me a language preservation project; or re-visiting the infamous Decoteau case; or some youth program would have been a better way to spend $3.75 million dollars (the cost of six district centers). But, no one asked us, so, we get new district centers for the twenty-five people or so who show up for monthly district meetings. Anyway, sometime during the discussions the SWO tribe decided to kick in $125,000 to each district. This gesture will cost the SWO tribe $750,000 thousand dollars. So, in effect, the six new district centers arent free after all. Just recently, Lake Traverse and Veblen districts each received $125,000 from the tribe. I wonder where the money was coming from. An informed source said that the quarter million dollars came from the Western Area Power Association pot of money. WAPA is a federal agency that oversees 57 hydroelectric projects in 15 western states. Since Dakota Nation Gaming, Dakota Western, TZ Tribal School, and tribal HQ are major consumers of electricity WAPA provides energy credits which comes off of their electric bills and than the entities convert the energy credits into real dollars which is given to the Tribal Energy Program. Apparently this has been going on since 2001. Only a handful of Oyate know about this pot of money and how the tribe has been spending the WAPA money for the past seven years.

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At one time there were a few tribal members who proposed that the WAPA money be used for energy assistance to tribal members. That idea never materialized. In my way of thinking since this energy credit comes from selling and buying electricity the money should be used for energy assistance programs rather then supplementing the construction of district centers. But, again no one bothered to ask us, and for sure, the quarter million dollar expenditure was never taken back to the districts. Speaking of laying out money the tribal council recently gave twenty-five hundred dollars to a handful of tribal member motorcyclists to go to the Sturgis Rally. Me and a bunch of non-biker tribal members are wondering why the tribe gave a bunch of adult Indian motorcyclist money to go to Sturgis. I hope the local Hells Angels dont get canze at me up for reporting this. This little expenditure will certainly set off a chain reaction for more monetary requests. I know the moccasin game players are going to ask for $5,000 thousand dollar to sponsor a moccasin tournament at the Bismarck Wacipi, and like the bikers, moccasin players vote. If you have forgotten this is election year and the Indian politicians will be handing out your money like their political careers depended on it. I know that giving the NDN bikers money is not going to sit well with all those tribal members who need energy assistance help, or our college students, and all other groups with more important needs. But like I said its election year, and the old time Indian politicians, Jerry Flute, Mike Selvage, and Jake Thompson made a career out of giving you you're money to vote for them. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com

Week 51 - NDN Hells Angels This is my next to last Open Letter to the Oyate.

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Writing a weekly article is a process of writing, editing, and re-writing a thought or idea. Almost every article that I submitted, after it is printed, I will find a typographic error, or I wish that I had written it another way. In last weeks article I wrote: I hope the local Hells Angels dont get canze for reporting. As you can see there is typo. I left out the word this from the sentence. I was going to take out that phrase altogether then I thought I really dont care if the "Hells Angels" get canze. My reference to the "Hells Angel" was made in jest because like many Americans, rightly or wrongly, I stereotype some biker enthusiast for acting like wannabe Hells Angels. I see them on the highways all the time. Anyway, I left it in the article and for that I almost got my ass kicked. Let me explain. First of all I stand corrected. The Tribe did not give the local bikers $2,500 hundred dollars. The bikers submitted a request to the tribal chairman for $5,000 thousand dollars, he took it to the tribal council and they gave the bikers $2,000 dollars. On Tuesday afternoon, September 12, Jackie White a local NDN biker confronted me and threatened to kick my 65 year old ass because he took offense for calling the local NDN bikers Hells Angels. I asked him, Are you a Hells Angel? He said, No. I said, Then why are you pissed off? He said something to the effect that We ride with the Los Lobos, and something about a shooting at Sturgis, and that my comment in the Sota will make trouble for the local NDN bikers. I dont get the connection, but then again the whole confrontation didnt make much sense. I doubt very seriously that the Los Lobos or the real Hells Angels read the Sota. Later that day I asked another NDN biker, who went to Sturgis on his own money about the shooting and he said it was the Iron Pigs, a biker group from Seattle, who were involved in a shooting. How the local NDN bikers are affiliated with other national biker groups is something that Mr. White should explain to the Oyate in the next Sota. I think the Oyate deserve to know why the tribal leaders are giving money to the SOME of the bikers. Buying bikes for needy Indian kids would seem more appropriate. Ironically, right after the confrontation a mom came to borrow money so she could buy shoes for her kids. I told her to go see Mike Selvage, Jerry Flute, and Jake Thompson, they are giving money away out at tribal HQ. Apparently, one of the reasons for giving the bikers two thousand dollars in the first place was to go to Bear Butte. Is not Bear Butte is a sacred LAKOTA site? What could the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate DAKOTA's connection be to Bear Butte? Does not the word SACRED imply something Wakan (holy or powerful)? And, then Mr. White comes back from this tribally sponsored religious pilgrimage to kick my ass.

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Isnt it any wonder that I call our form of tribal government a third world type of government, who would even think of funding a bunch of adult NDN bikers! Oh, I forgot, its election year. I wrote in a previous article that whenever I feel threatened I have flashbacks of my fallen Marine and Navy Corpsmen comrades and my time with the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Marine Air Wing. My job was too literally to pick up the pieces before, during, and after the fighting. I have never quite gotten over the experience and I have the mental scars to prove it. After all these years I think daily about how lucky I am to have survived. A couple of times I got a break from the action and was sent to DaNang, a huge combat base in northern I Corps. Getting to DaNang, in itself, was an interesting challenge, it wasnt like you could diddy bop down to the corner and catch a train, bus or ride your Harley. What we had to do was hitch rides on any helicopter, C-123 or C-130 going north until we finally reached DaNang. I would pick up medical supplies and then go to the well stocked PX and fill up several laundry bags full of pogey bait (goodies) to share with the Marines and Corpsmen back at Chu Lai. On one trip I was forced to stay over night and as fate would have it DaNang was hit by rockets. It was the first time in the Vietnam War that the Gooks used rockets to hit the airplanes and helicopters. An incoming rocket sounds like a freight train coming, a micro-second of silence then boom! The ground shakes, rattles and rolls. I was safely in a hole watching the spectacle. However, the very nature of war is that you can die real quick by an errant rocket with your name on it. I was never so scared in my life. Sometime later I made up my mind that I would never be that scared again. I survived the war to come back to the Sisseton reservation so that I could be threatened and intimidated by tribal members who never went in the military. Words cannot adequately express my contempt for tribal members who have never experienced the heat of battle, and yet they think they are bad asses, who can go around and bully and intimidate tribal members. Here are some facts about my war that help keep me strong. The youngest Killed in Action in Vietnam is Dan Bullock, 15 years old. The oldest person on the Wall is believed to be Dwaine McGriff at 63 years old. At least 5 men killed in Vietnam were 16 years old. At least 12 men killed in Vietnam were 17 years old. There are 120 persons who listed foreign countries as their home of record. At least 25,000 of the 57,000 killed were 20 years old or younger. More than 17,000 of those killed were married. Veterans killed on their first day in Vietnam - 997. Veterans killed on their last day in Vietnam - 1,448. Number of Chaplains on the Vietnam Wall - 16 (2 Medal Of Honor). There are eight women on the Vietnam Memorial - 7 Army, 1 USAF. 7,484 women served in Vietnam.

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The most common name on the Vietnam Memorial is "Smith" with 667 veterans. The most casualties for a single day was January 31, 1968 - 245 casualties. The most casualties for a single month May 1968 - 2,415 casualties. There are 226 Native Americans on the Vietnam Wall. Six SWOs Teddy Hatle, Ardie Renville, Frederick Frenier, Alvin Spider, Michael Jackson, and Gale Alldrich. Mr. Jackie White you dont have a clue about the pain, the grief, the tears, and the sacrifice those six Sisseton and Wahpeton warriors and their families made so that you can, without fear and intimidation, ride your Harley, at tribal expense to Bear Butte. If you had any sense or common decency you need to apologize for disrespecting my brother, my mother and me. You may have read or heard that Indian Country is going to get more federal money to fight crime. Maybe I never paid enough attention or cared but lately it sure seems like Indian on Indian violence has gotten worst. Unfortunately, Indian on Indian violence has been going on for a long time, I remember, over fifty years ago, my Uncle Felix Renville, a combat wounded WWI veteran (Uncle Felix had a copy of his own death certificate) was ganged by a bunch of non-veteran NDNs. They beat him up so bad that he ended up in the Indian hospital. My dad and several other relatives eventually caught up with those Oyates and somehow they took them north of Sisseton where they made them cry like babies and pee in their pants. That is nothing to be proud of, but like I said, Indian on Indian violence has been going on for a long time. A couple of issues ago I wrote about historic trauma and red rage. Wont you know last week two girls from Myrna Germans family jumped my daughter. Then the mother of one of the girls had the audacity to report my daughter to her employer! What is going on with us? While we are waiting for the federal crime dollars to get to the reservation I challenge Myrna German, Terri Larsen, Norma Perko, Sandy Bernard, Virginia Max, Jr. Rondell, and the rest of them to spend two thousand dollars on a tribal healing and reconciliation initiative. I will be the first to sign up. Until next time, peace and fry bread grease. gradymazaska@yahoo.com/ * The Sota editor deleted Myna Germans name from article.

Week 52 - Banished From Shakopee

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I did a years worth of weekly articles and it is now time to retire the iconoclastic pen that served me so well during the past year. No one can accuse me of being a Keyboard Coward. I put my name on everything I wrote. I will end like I began, writing about Shakopee. I submitted an article last August 2007 where I reported that after the moccasin tournament Big Chief Glen Crooks (Shakopee Vice Chairman) asks me what I was doing at "their" Wacipi. The Sota Editor did not publish my Open Letter for two week so I emailed him and asked him what was up. But, before I finish that story let me tell you about last weekend. I was going to go to the 2008 Shakopee Wacipi to play in the moccasin tournament. My sister Martha had a Mystic Lake Hotel room compted to her, and then decided not to go, so she called the Mystic Lake Hotel to see if I could use the room. The Mystic Lake Hotel people said that Grady Renville was on their cesdi" list. I said more than once during the past year we Indians live in a crazy world. I have not been to Mystic Lake since September 2007 and out of the nowhere in July 2008 I received in the mail a Mystic Players Club free room, forty dollars in cash, and a meal discount coupon, so on July 31st Wakanka (the old lady) and I stayed and played at the Mystic Lake Hotel & Casino. I won a hundred dollars at the blackjack table and later as I was walking around dropping a dollar here, a dollar there, I hit a dollar slot for $900 bucks! We had a good old time and little did we know we were sleeping in the enemys camp. On August 7, 2008 I was again at Mystic Lake Casino. Ironically, on both occasions I was in the Minneapolis area to meet with the people who are interested in the twin cities casino idea. I must be psychic because several weeks ago I actually thought that Shakopee might banish me from their properties because of my articles in the Sota. I thought to myself, "Nah, theyre billionaires, why would they worry about a poor ikce wicasta (common man) like Shady." If I was Shakopee I would conclude that Grady Renville is just a blow hard with no money, no influence, he can't build a casino in the twin cities area. We have a billion dollar war chest and we can hire attorneys and lobbyist to kill Grady's twin cities casino idea. We could care less if Grady and Barbara Feezor Butts calls us Mdewakanton imposters because we have a billion dollar war chest and we can fight Sheldon Wolfchild's Loyal Mdewakanton lawsuit for a hundred years. Grady cant even convince his own tribe to sign up for the Minnesota casino idea. If I was Shakopee that is what I would be thinking. Martha asked the hotel people what the reasons were for my banishment. The hotel staff did not know. I called David Flute, who was running the moccasin tournament, and I asked him if he heard anything about me being barred from playing in the moccasin tournament. He said that he had heard something but wasnt sure. My wife is a big chicken so out of respect for her fear I did not go to Shakopee.

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She is always worrying that someone is going to kill me or kick my ass for writing articles in the Sota. I just hate it when she makes me feel like Salman Rushdie.* One week someone wants to kick my ass and the next week one of the richest tribe in America is banishing me. I did not write bad checks at their casino, trash there hotel room or count cards at the blackjack tables. It is hard to believe that writing articles in the Sota is the only reason for the Shakopee NDN's banishing me from their properties. I am old enough to remember when the Shakopee NDN's didn't have two Indian head nickels to rub together and now they use their money to bully the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe and me. So much for Mitakuya Owasin concept - We are all relatives! But, then, you really can't expect a bunch of wisicu NDNs to understand and practice the concept. Wearing a war bonnet and parading around like a Hollywood Indian chief doesnt make you an Indian! A couple of years ago Shakopee gave the Sisseton Wahpeton Vietnam Vets twenty thousand dollars to buy a van. The Sisseton Vietnam Vets put up Shakopees flags so that Shakopee can then pretend to honor the Indian veteran. I am a Vietnam Vet and in spirit I kind of belong to the Sisseton Vietnam vets, I don't "ride" with them, but, we always supported each other. I "have to" belong to the Sisseton American Legion (mostly wisicu veterans) because they named the post after my brother Arden who was killed on a search and destroy mission in 1968. At every Wacipi throughout America veterans bring in the flags. It is the Indians special way of showing respect and gratitude for the veteran, regardless of the veterans war, branch of service, opinions, their religious beliefs, and their political beliefs. That is the way that I was taught, and that is the way it is done on most Indian reservations in America. When we (the Vietnam Vet) came home from "our" war no one celebrated our return, some veterans were even spit on and called baby killers. In reality, none of us expected or wanted a parade, we were just glad to see our mom one more time. Many Vietnam veterans survived the war, but did not survive the peace. I am not trying to play on your sympathy's, I have been home for over forty years now but I still cry for my fallen comrades. Suddenly, without warning, without talking to me, or granting me a hearing Shakopee bars me from their properties because I simply exercised my right to write what I think! Like the returning Vietnam veterans forty years ago Shakopee spit on me and my brother Ardens service. Expecting Indians to kiss their ass, buying people and tribes is their way of practicing Indian culture. I can't speak for the ten leaders out at tribal HQ, but, as for me, it doesn't make one bit of difference if I ever see Shakopee again. They have a billion dollar gaming business to run, I don't know why they even bother with me. Apparently, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.

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Anyways, last August, 2007, I wrote that the Shakopee Wacipi was rained out. The moccasin players moved indoors. Big chief Glenn Crooks (Shakopee Vice-Chairman) asks me why I was at their wacipi. I wrote about that incident and Chuck Floro, the Sota Editor, originally refused to print the article so I emailed him. I still have a copy of his response. He wrote: I am sorry, after lots and lots thought I am declining to print it. While you have the right to your opinion, SWO tribal leaders are very sensitive about their negotiations with Shakopee (once before not during this administration) I was informed that they were upset about what was being printed about them in the Sota. Sorry. Chuck. I wrote Chuck a rather scathing reply and told him what I thought about his editorial policy. I think I also asked him why a white man (Chuck Floro) could, should, determine what the Oyate can or cannot read. After some email jousting he eventually agreed to print my opinion and little did he know that was the motivating reason for submitting a weekly article for the past year. So, Chucky boy it is your fault for all of my weekly rantings. After the recent Shakopee incident I am already regretting my "retirement" but a promise is a promise. From time to time I may offer an occasional opinion. For example, the latest is that Joyce Country was barred from running for the Long Hollow council position because she owed .53 cents to Fuel Inc! A hearing is to be held and at press time I don't know the result of the hearing. .53 cents, can you believe that? I want to thank the hundreds of people who said they have enjoyed, agreed, and expected my articles in the Sota. Youre kind words have sustained me. Etta Jo may have forgotten her comment she made to me many, many months ago when she chastised me for airing the tribes dirty laundry. Every time I wrote an article I thought about that, but I believe, as I once wrote, there are two anecdotes for public corruption heat and light. It was my desire to shed a little light on all of the craziness that goes on out at tribal HQ and, maybe, just maybe, our leaders would begin to conduct themselves and run our tribal government in a more professional and efficient manner. Also, I suppose in a crazy Indian sort of way I owe former tribal council members JC, Scott, Mike, Big Nick, Myron, Karen, Ron, Kevin, Barb, and Smokey a debt of gratitude for knocking me off my chair of complacency. Lest I forget Travis Carrico - OCarrico Carrico where art thou? A couple of months ago I was at Dakota Magic trying to beat the odds and sitting a couple of machines down from me was 94 year old Winfield Thompson, survivor of the Bataan Death March. I offered to buy him a drink, he gratefully accepted, he earned it. He sipped his drink while playing the quarter slots. He stops playing and says, I like reading your articles in the Sota, you tell it like it is keep it up. I couldnt ask for more than that. His kind words mean far more to me than what Shakopee thinks of me. Pida miya Akicita Winfield.

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I am quitting not because of any threats or criticism or anyone in particular, as I said, I accomplished my goal of writing every week for a year. I only missed the week of July 16th 2008. I was a little late making the deadline. In my humble opinion the Editor could have put it in the Sota, but just to show me who the boss is he left it out. The following week I submitted two articles. I had several readers say that I should put all of my articles in a book. I think that is a good idea, not necessarily for profit, or to satisfy my ego, but to leave a legacy for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. One time last year I was banging away on my laptop and my five year old granddaughter Jerzi comes running by, she stops and asks, Grand Paw what are you doing? I said, When I am gone, and when you get big you might wonder about your Grand Paw Grady. Okay she said and ran off to play. Have you ever wished that you could have one more day or one more hour with your deceased grandma or grandpa or your mom or dad and really listen to what they had to say? After all they did tell us once, or maybe it was a hundred times, but we werent listening. Oh, the questions I would have for my dad and my great-great grandfather. I havent decided what I would call the book, but of all the titles I used - Put This in Your Pipe and Smoke It; It Aint Easy Being An Indian; Peace and Fry Bread Grease, I like It Aint Easy Being an Indian the best. So if I ever put the book together I will probably call it that and subtitle it, A week to week account of life on an Indian Reservation. I would think that there are people in the world who are interested in what us Indians think about, what we fret about, what we hope for and what we dream about, and how their tax money is being wasted, I mean spent. My reason for writing articles in the first place was because I was minding my own business (Well, I wasnt exactly minding my own business, I was one of those who criticized the former council for jacking up their salaries) when the last tribal council in retaliation messed with my business. And because we live in a civilized society I was barred from taking the law into my own hands, so, I wrote articles instead, to vent my frustration. Basically it came down to MY tribe failing me. By failing me, they failed you. Because of money, greed and plain stupidity their attitude was the hell with Grady, and in effect, the hell with the rest of you. I could not go to the city, county, state or federal government for help so I had to fall back on OUR court system, OUR Constitution, OUR rules and OUR laws, and sometimes they even failed me, and in effect, they failed all of us. But, in spite of all its shortcomings and weaknesses the tribe, but not by much, is a lot better off than Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Actually, when you throw $40 or $50 million dollars of shit at a wall some of it is going to stick. (I am referring to the good the millions of federal dollars does).

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We have so much potential to do so much better, but, greed, corruption, and plain stupidity are too often the rule of the day. We have one too many old fashion politician, one too many gutless politicians, and they are locked into their old fashion ways of thinking and running a multi-million dollar the tribe. A prime example is the Minnesota casino idea. If it was up to the average Oyate the SWO would go for the twin cities casino idea in a heartbeat. I talk to hundred's of Oyate every week and they say, and I say, the hell with the Shakopee and the hell with the new district centers. Unfortunately, we still have old time Indian politicians who cannot or will not think outside of the box. I will leave you with these words and a bit of Indian humor. First, words from Walter Lippman, American writer, journalist, and political commentator. "Through the media we learn about our world, our life, medical breakthroughs, scientific advances, toppling regimes, the truth about history, useful news, trivial news, useful trivial news, good news, bad newsnews. We rely on it, depend on its accuracy, and, if it turns out to be inaccurate, we expect another news organization to expose the expos. Freedom of the press is a fundamental, right up there with freedom of speech and freedom of and from religion. A free press is not a luxury; it's a necessity." And then there was this Indian guy who was fixing a door and sent Wakanka to the hardware store to get a new door hinge. At the store, while waiting for the store clerk to finish with another customers she sees a beautiful faucet. When the store clerk finishes with the other customer, she asks, How much for the faucet? He replies, Its pewter and it cost $300 dollars. My goodness that is a lot of money, she exclaims. Then she proceeds to describe the hinge that Chaske had sent her to buy. The clerk goes to the back room to find it. From the back room he yells: Do you wanna screw for that hinge? No, but I will for the faucet. Moral of the story - never send a winyan to the hardware store. Put that it your pipe and smoke it, and like I said many times, it aint easy being an Indian, and one final peace and fry bread grease. Grady Renville. *Salman Rushdie wrote a book entitled, Satanic Verses. The Ayatollah of Iran issued a Fatwa calling on all good Muslins to kill Rushdie and the publisher. The Sota editor deleted the faucet story stating that it was insulting and demeaning to Indian women

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