November 2005

What you can do to support the NDHRC’s efforts?

Become a NDHRC Membership

Become a NDHRC Volunteer

Join a NDHRC Committee

Host a Human Rights House Social

Donate To the NDHRC

Give a NDHRC Gift Membership to Celebrate Holidays & Birthdays

Give a NDHRC Tribute Gift to Celebrate a Wedding or Commitment Ceremony

Give a NDHRC Memorial Gift in Honor of Someone Special

Renew your support for human rights by choosing to help through one or more of the ways mentioned above. To learn more about these options, visit our web site at www.ndhrc.org or call us at (701) 239-9323.

The NDHRC’s membership goal for 2006 is to reach 400 members and membership proceeds of $13,000.

Your membership is very important to us. The more members we have, the stronger our voice will be.

Inspirational Message

"Whatever career you may choose for yourself - doctor, lawyer, teacher - let me propose an avocation to be pursued along with it. Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights. Make it a central part of your life. It will make you a better doctor, a better lawyer, a better teacher. It will enrich your spirit as nothing else possibly can. It will give you that rare sense of nobility that can only spring from love and selflessly helping your fellow man. Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (American Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader, 1929-1968)

Your membership and support of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition has played a vital role in making the NDHRC a recognizable and viable statewide human rights organization, and your commitment and invaluable participation has helped us learn what it is we need to do toward effecting change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights.

Student volunteers and conference committee members including NDHRC staff, board members, and NDHRC members participated in conference planning, coordinating, and on-site support for this year’s conference. The NDHRC development committee secured conference sponsorships. All of their hard work and dedication made this event possible.

If you are interested in helping plan next year’s NDHRC conference or a local event, please contact us at humanrights@ndhrc.org or (701) 239-9323.

Special thanks to this year’s conference and development committee members and volunteers!
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Received Over $6,000 in cash and in-kind conference sponsorships - we are grateful to all of our sponsors!

Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Concordia College
Creative Kitchen
Cultural Diversity Resources
Fargo Human Relations Commission
Fed Ex Kinkos
High Plains Reader
Minnesota State University Moorhead
North Dakota State University
Prairie Public Broadcasting
Sisters of the Presentation, Social Justice Office
State Bank and Trust, Fargo
United Tribes Technical College
Zandbroz Variety

Over 100 people attended this year’s annual NDHRC conference, “Tools for Building Inclusive Communities: The Role of Human Rights Education and Action in North Dakota,” October 27 & 28.

A conference summary and pictures is available on the NDHRC web site at http://www.ndhrc.org/Events/2005%20NDHRC%20Conf/2005%20Annual%20Conference%20Summary.htm.

From the desk of Donene Fiest

Families...
Our North Dakota legislators are studying children with special health care needs in the interim committee of the Human Services Budget. Thus far they are just getting stared, and haven't really gotten to the meat of the matter.
What they are studying are gaps in services, what is needed, do we need to look at more, and who are these children with special needs etc.

Why am I sending you this? Well...for a couple of reasons.
1) In the first meeting it was obvious that there were a few who identified if the family has private insurance that this will meet your needs. WE know that this isn't the case.
2) they need to know where the gaps in services has been for you and your family (has it been after your child turns 3 and no longer qualifies for early intervention, has it been when you were turned down for an Medicaid application as you were over the income guidelines, or an SSI application, did you lose services from an increase pay or hours with your job and you lost Medicaid....have you taken a reduction in hours in order to maintain what you now have? Denials from private insurance, or not covering enough... These are the kinds of things they need to know and hear.
3) Were you told to go out of state, divorce whatever...Did you not qualify as your child was not diagnosed within a certain category like MR/DD...
4) Is there no respite for you...whatever your situation is?
5) Have the Medicaid changes been difficult? are you having difficulty getting things covered under Medicaid?
6) Have you had difficulty getting referrals to specialty care.............these are just a few possible scenarios.
7) We want them to look at a broad range of services...not just one agency, as we know our children utilize diverse services. What have the struggles been? Sometimes it can come down to driving to therapy or putting milk on the table!
8) Maybe things are going beautifully and you have had no difficulty. Perhaps you could write about the positive things as well, what a help these services have been... as they also need to hear that. Things like case management, care coordination, specialty clinics etc.

Each 5 minutes of these meetings are important. I know families have a difficult time getting to these hearings because of family situations, work, day care, travel to Bismarck etc. So...here is an opportunity...if you as a family feel so inclined, to write your story in a few paragraphs or a one/two pager. There are 23 members of this committee. We can't make changes to help families until they hear from families and that is the most important aspect of all................ We can assist you and will take your family story and make 23 copies to provide to each member of the committee a family stories folder....sharing with them your thoughts, and the information that you provide. The more they hear the better of picture they will have. Hopefully this will provide them insight from the family perspective and voice. Also, if you like enclose a picture of your child or children, this will also help put a face to your situation.

This study is for that purpose. To identify where we are now, and where we need to go in the future and mostly to educate on what is working and not working. So think about what would help you as a family. A waiver, a change in services, decreased income eligibility?? Your insight, experiences and voices are crucial in this process.
Below is a list of those on the committee. If one of them is in your home district, perhaps a discussion with them directly would also assist. However sharing your family story with all would be very helpful. You can send to fvnd@drtel.net or send by snail mail to FVND at PO Box 163, Edgeley ND 58433.

These are open hearings so all families are welcome and encouraged to attend. Generally they will be every 3 months, so I anticipate the next one will be in January. But if you are planning to write something, please do so now while it is fresh in your memory and I can start getting packets ready. I will send out reminders in the future. If you have questions, please call 888-522-9654
If you know other families, share this with them...we need to get the word out there. WE saw this last session in several bills, very clearly that Families Voices and Sharing Can Make The Difference!

Enclosed is the link for this committee http://www.state.nd.us/lr/assembly/59-2005/interim-info/membership/index.html#hs

REPRESENTATIVES
Jeff Delzer
William R. Devlin
Lee Kaldor
James Kerzman
Gary Kreidt
Ralph Metcalf
Jon O. Nelson
Vonnie Pietsch
Chet Pollert
Todd Porter
Louise Potter
Clara Sue Price
Sally M. Sandvig
Ken Svedjan
Gerald Uglem
Alon C. Wieland

In less than three months an estimated half a million people with developmental disabilities will transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage. Now, there is a way to find the answers to the many complex questions.

Ensuring Continuity of Care for Dual Eligibles: A Guide to Transition From Medicaid to Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage is now available at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD This guide was developed by the Disability Policy Collaboration, a partnership of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy and the Web-based tool was developed by TheArcLink Incorporated.

For more than six million dual-eligibles, their Medicaid prescription drug coverage will end as of December 31, 2005 and be replaced on January 1, 2006 by the new Medicare Part D coverage, provided by private prescription drug plans (called PDPs). The new Web-based tool addresses complex questions, such as:

• Who is a Dual Eligible? Find the answer by clicking here.
• Is Medicare prescription drug coverage voluntary? Can a dual eligible decide not to participate in it? Find the answer by clicking here.
• What are the key differences between Medicaid prescription drug coverage and the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs)? Find the answer by clicking here.
• What are the key things to think about when choosing a PDP? Find the answer by clicking here.
This Web-based tool also has a downloadable PDF copy of the guide, a timeline of key dates, a glossary of terms, and additional resources to guide users. The Disability Policy Collaboration will continue to update the website with additional information about this critical issue.

What you should do: Visit the Web site at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD, download the PDF copy of the guide, and develop an understanding of this information, which is vital to transitioning dual eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage.

Please forward this bulletin to constituents and encourage affiliated organizations to post a link to http://www.theDesk.info/PartD on their Web sites.

The Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project is looking for volunteers to participate in a court-monitoring program in several northwest Minnesota counties.

The program, funded by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota Foundation, seeks to monitor the criminal justice system to increase public education and combat racial injustice against American Indians in rural Minnesota counties, especially in those with high Indian conviction rates, said Audrey Thayer, project coordinator.

The citizen watchdog program kicked off two weeks ago in Beltrami County. Organizers said it will be at least nine months before the program is implemented in Mahnomen, Hubbard, Becker, Cass and Clearwater counties.
Volunteers will be asked to attend courtroom proceedings for four hours each day and write down their observations.

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View Article

The NDSU President’s Diversity Council has developed its strategic plan for 2005-10.

The North Dakota State University President’s Diversity Council has developed its strategic plan for 2005-10, and is in the process of presenting it to various campus groups.

The plan also is available online at www.ndsu.nodak.edu/diversity/documents. Hardcopies of the plan soon will be distributed to unit administrators.

According to council co-chair Sandy Holbrook, director of equity and diversity, the plan has five major areas and objectives, including institutional commitment, learning and pedagogy, research and creative activity, recruitment and retention, and inter-group and intra-group relations.

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The City of Moorhead is currently in the process of selecting new members to serve on the Moorhead Human Rights Commission Board. The Human Rights Commission is an 11-member citizen board designated by the City Council to advise and educate the community on human rights issues. The Commission’s membership requirement includes representation from each of the four wards as well as membership from protected classes. Currently, there are positions open with terms expiring on January 31, 2006.

The Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Occasionally, members will volunteer to serve on subcommittees or mediate human rights complaints, which require additional meetings. Some of the things the Commission is currently working on include human rights training and community building with cultural groups.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kim Wangler at 218-299-5296.

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MOORHEAD HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR
2006 HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS

The Moorhead Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is seeking nominations for the Tenth Annual Moorhead Human Rights Awards. The awards honor individuals and/or organizations for making outstanding contributions to protecting and promoting human rights in our community. The following five categories to nominate individuals or organizations in the area of human rights are as follows: Workplace, Education, Civic/Community, Non-profit, and Youth. The nominee should have an established integrity, creativity and commitment to principles and exhibit courage and perseverance in the area of human rights.

Please use the following criteria as a guideline in recommending the nominee(s):
• Designed and initiated programs to promote education, housing, transportation and other opportunities, and protect human rights in our community.
• Personal risk taken.
• Promoted educational equality.
• How the nominee(s) portrays human rights values and principles in their lives or professional practices.

The recognition events for award recipients will be January 15 and January 17, 2006.
Please forward your recommendation by December 5, 2005, in order that the
Commission may review the nominations and plan the event.

Nomination Form (PDF)

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10) Applicants Sought for Fellowships & Scholarships

Families USA is accepting applications for the Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice, and the Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice.

The Wellstone Fellowship provides a unique opportunity to honor the memory of the late Senator Paul D. Wellstone by fostering the advancement of social justice through participation in health care advocacy work that focuses on the unique challenges facing communities of color. Through this fellowship, Families USA hopes to expand the pool of talented social justice advocates from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly from the Black/African American, Latino, and American Indian communities. The ideal candidate will express an interest in social justice work and in working with communities or color. Additionally, we are looking for an individual who displays the potential to contribute to social justice work after their year of hands-on experience. You can find more information, including a downloadable application form, FamiliesUSA Website. If you have any questions about the Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice or would like to request hard copies of the application brochure, please email wellstonefellowship@familiesusa.org.

The Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice was created in 2005 by Philippe Villers, Families USA’s Founder and President. Villers Fellows work in Families USA’s health policy department and assist the organization’s efforts to improve access to health coverage for all Americans, especially for low-income and other vulnerable communities. In creating the fellowship, Mr. Villers aspires to develop a network of young leaders who share a passion for health care justice. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to health care justice work following their year as a fellow. Additionally, in order to encourage the development of future leaders, Villers fellows must commit to mentoring at least one person over the course of their careers. You can find more information, including a downloadable application form, FamiliesUSA Website. If you have any questions about the Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice or would like to request hard copies of the application brochure, please email villersfellowship@familiesusa.org.

Both fellowships are year-long, full-time, salaried positions at Families USA’s office in Washington, DC. Each year, one candidate will be selected for each fellowship. Selected fellows will receive a compensatory package that includes an annual stipend of $35,000 and excellent health care benefits.

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NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Application Guidelines for Year 2006 Fellowships

The New Voices National Fellowship Program is a capacity-building and leadership development grant program that assists nonprofit organizations and professionals entering fields related to human rights social justice. Official sponsored program areas include international human rights, women’s rights, reproductive rights, racial justice, HIV/AIDS and migrant and refugee rights. We encourage applicants to review our web site for further explanation and description.

New Voices was developed to address the following problems:

• the scarcity of substantive jobs for talented professionals at the beginning stages of their careers in the sponsored program areas;
• the need for creating additional venues through which new perspectives and innovative approaches can be incorporated into an organization’s work;
• the lack of resources and systems within small nonprofit organizations to enable them to take full advantage of the contributions offered by new talent; and
• the need for diversification of leadership at all levels of the nonprofit community.

To address these needs, New Voices helps community-based and nonprofit organizations to bring innovative, fresh talent to their staffs and to cultivate and strengthen the leadership potential of these “new voices.” New Voices Fellows are offered financial assistance, training, and other opportunities for personal and professional development. Their host organizations are provided salary-support grants. The goal of the program is to help both the host organization and the Fellow realize their full potential.

New Voices offers these benefits to the Organization
 The contributions of a New Voices Fellow, with salary support and benefits for two years*
 Training for the Fellow’s Mentor
 Networking opportunities

*New Voices covers 100% of the Fellow’s salary and benefits in Year One; 75% of salary and 75% of benefits in Year Two. The organization must cover 25% of salary and 25% of benefits in Year Two.

To the Fellow

 Salary and fringe benefits
 Professional Mentoring
 Up to $1,500 per year for professional development
 Up to $6,000 per year for student loan repayment or up to $4,000 per year to cover other approved expenses***
 Biannual leadership training
 Online curriculum and peer support
 Networking opportunities

***The Fellow must apply for financial assistance. All expenses must fall within program guidelines and be approved by AED.

Application Process

 Applications are prepared jointly by the organization and its proposed Fellow and submitted by the organization.
 The organization may recruit its candidate, based on organizational goals, priorities, and needs, or the prospective Fellow may approach an eligible organization, based on his or her professional interests.
 The application form is available on-line at http://www.aed.org/newvoices

 Organizations have the option of filling out the forms provided or compiling the same information on a computer and printing it out. The application must follow the same order of questions and adhere to the space allocations reflected on the enclosed forms.
 The original plus four complete collated copies of the application must be received by AED no later than Monday, February 13, 2006. Submissions by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

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The North Dakota Community Foundation has a scholarship(s) available for physically disabled farm/ranch children who are wanting to go to college or back to college. To request an application, call Kevin Dvorak at 701-222-8349 or e-mail kdvorak@ndcf.net.

The Arc of Cass County announces the construction of a second thrift store at 3201 43 St S, Fargo scheduled to open in May 2006. The Arc, serving people with developmental disabilities welcomes donations at its store at 255 N university Drive, Fargo or call 232 6641 for free pickup.

The Women’s Network of the Red River Valley is in the process of recruiting an Executive Director. The Executive Director will represent and promote the Women's Network of the Red River Valley in the Fargo Moorhead community. As well as provide development, infrastructure and support in the following areas: program development, database infrastructure, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, grant writing, and financial management. The primary responsibilities: Office management, Fiscal Link, Board and Leadership Development, Public Relations, Community Organizing, Grant Writing and Fundraising, Community Empowerment and Project Management

Job Specifications:

College Degree or equivalent training and work experience
Two or more years in the non-profit field preferred
Strong computer skills
Grant writing experience
Excellent communication skills
Detail oriented and organized
Committed it reproductive rights and equality, including gender, racial, and sexual orientation

Average of 35 hours a week, flexible, at $15.00 per hour.
Please mail resume to 116 12th St. S. Moorhead, MN 565650 or call Amy at 1-218-233-2737.

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Newspaper Articles
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Position On:
Use of School Nicknames, Mascots and Logos
at Educational Institutions in North Dakota

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Congressional delegation weighs in on NCAA appeal matter

Grand Forks Herald
Posted on Tue, Oct. 04, 2005
By Lalit Jha
Herald Staff Writer

Showing solidarity with UND, North Dakota's three members of Congress have expressed their unhappiness with the Fighting Sioux's treatment by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, all Democrats, disagree with an NCAA review committee's decision Sept. 27 to keep UND on a list of schools deserving postseason sanctions for use of "hostile and abusive" nicknames. The committee rejected UND's appeal.

"NCAA is wrong on this matter," Dorgan told the Herald on Monday.

Conrad said NCAA has "gone too far," while Pomeroy expressed hoped the issue could be resolved in a way that is acceptable to all.

Pomeroy, Dorgan and Conrad were unanimous in saying the Fighting Sioux logo was a matter of pride and respect to an American Indian community and not otherwise.

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COLLEGE NICKNAMES: A lack of support
UND fails to receive nickname endorsement by tribes, while many other colleges succeed

Posted on Sun, Oct. 02, 2005 - Grand Forks Herald
By Ryan Bakken
Herald Staff Writer

At Florida State University, a white student, wearing war paint and dressed as a Seminole Indian, rides a horse onto the football field and throws a flaming spear into the ground.

UND officials shudder at the thought of allowing something similar. But, at Florida State, the tradition of Chief Osceola is seen by the tribe as a tribute, not a sign of disrespect.

"The school has checked with us, over and over again," said Jim Shore, legal counsel for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. "And we have no objections to how he's portrayed. It's always respectful."

The tribe has supported FSU's use of the Seminoles nickname since 1947. The NCAA cited that "special relationship" between FSU and the Seminoles as its reason for removing the school from its list of schools to be punished for having American Indian nicknames.

The Utah Utes and Central Michigan Chippewas are the other universities removed because of the approvals of tribal governments. UND has not received a similar endorsement in 2005, prompting the NCAA on Wednesday to reject its appeal.

So, why hasn't UND been able to cultivate a similar understanding with American Indians, most notably Sioux tribes? What have these three universities done to gain acceptance that UND has not?

A look at the other three universities shows that UND has reached to American Indians, doing even more in at least one case. But its failing seems to be a lack of the ongoing, scheduled dialogue with tribal leaders that the other universities have.

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UND turns to state for advice
Board may discuss issue at November meeting

Posted on Tue, Oct. 11, 2005
By David Dodds
Herald Staff Writer

UND President Charles Kupchella has informed the head of the state university system that he intends to seek direction from the system's governing board on future moves concerning the school's controversial "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo.

Robert Potts, North Dakota University System chancellor, said he had a telephone conversation with Kupchella on Monday, during which the UND president said he anticipates requesting guidance from the North Dakota Board of Higher Education during its November regular meeting in Fargo.

"That is consistent with what the board has said all along, that the matter is settled, and if the campus wants any changes, then, that request must come to me and I would transmit that to the board," Potts said.

Potts said he's expecting the notice from UND within the next few days.
In 2000, near the end of a yearlong comprehensive review of the school's nickname and logo, the state board ruled that UND had no choice but to keep the monikers.

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DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: All tribes have a stake in issue
Posted on Sat, Oct. 01, 2005
Grand Forks Herald

With advice and consent of elders of Standing Rock Lakota Nation, a little history is in order when discussing UND's nickname and logo issue.

Even though the university and NCAA are waiting for Spirit Lake's yea or nay to the nickname and logo issue, it really is the Standing Rock Sioux's decision. They were the ones who were approached and gave their permission to use the name some 50 years ago.

And they're the ones who have rescinded that approval today.

I hear a lot of people using Sioux interchangeably, but the Lakota at Standing Rock and the Dakota at Spirit Lake are two different bands. That is not to say that a person can't be both Dakota and Lakota because we are mixed. I, myself, am Sahnish (Arikara), Lakota and Dakota.

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Coalition urges schools to shun UND, others
Posted on Tue, Oct. 11, 2005 - Grand Forks Herald

A coalition of faculty members and human rights organizations from ... colleges and universities is urging NCAA Division I schools not to engage in athletic competition with non-Native colleges and universities that maintain American Indian imagery in their sports logos and mascots.

The list of schools to be shunned includes UND and the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, which is where the initiative originated.

The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media sent the letter to the presidents, chancellors and athletic directors of the more than 300 NCAA Division I colleges and universities, according to a news release from the group.

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NCAA: Kupchella: Nickname change not on agenda
UND president says he's talking to state board about legal options, not nickname review

By David Dodds
Herald Staff Writer
Posted on Wed, Oct. 12, 2005

UND President Charles Kupchella said Tuesday his school would touch base with the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education before it pursues legal action against the NCAA, if appeals to an NCAA ruling that puts restrictions on the school's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo fail.

However, he stressed that the board wouldn't be asked whether UND should keep or discard the controversial monikers. Rather, the school simply would request the board's support for any legal steps it could eventually take against the NCAA.

Kupchella spoke to Robert Potts, university system chancellor, Monday about the matter, but, he said, the school hadn't sent a formal notice to the system office.
He said the issue may come up before or during the board's next regular meeting in November in Fargo.

"We'll have at least some discussion," Kupchella said.

UND is not required to bring up the matter of legal action with the board, nor does it need board approval to file suit. But, Kupchella said, it would be prudent to hear from the board before taking that step.

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COLLEGE NICKNAMES: Courting disaster
UND's not likely to win a nickname battle with NCAA in court, sports law experts say

Posted on Sun, Oct. 09, 2005
By Ryan Bakken
Herald Staff Writer

If UND takes the Fighting Sioux nickname to court, it will lose.
So say two law school professors with a specialty in sports law. The NCAA would prevail in its attempt to have American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos banned from its tournaments, they say.

"Based on precedent, the NCAA would win," said Matt Mitten of Marquette University School of Law.

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UND president talks informally to tribal council
Updated: Oct. 14, 2005, 4:10 PM ET
ESPN.com

Associated Press GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- University of North Dakota President Charles Kupchella says he has talked informally with some members of the Spirit Lake Tribal Council but still hopes to meet with the council officially to discuss the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

"I sat down with a few council members in Bismarck a few weeks ago, and I visited with a few at our football game [on Oct. 1], but there has been nothing official," Kupchella said. "I'm still hopeful to talk with them and see where we are."

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Kupchella believes it is important to fight the NCAA's ban on the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo for postseason play.

"It would mean the past 80-year history of the institution is guilty of being hostile and abusive," he said. "I won't do that because I don't believe it's true."

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Psychological group urges end of Indian mascots

Posted on Tue, Oct. 18, 2005 Grand Forks Herald
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The American Psychological Association wants to eliminate the use of American Indian mascots, contending they create stereotypes and damage self-esteem.

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A Name to Fight Against

The Harvard Crimson
Published On Monday, October 17, 2005 1:48 AM
By WASTE’WIN YELLOW LODGE YOUNG

Recently, there has been a concerted effort by the NCAA to force schools with American Indian names or mascots to change their names. And earlier this month, a group of 90 university professors sent a letter to officials at several hundred universities, asking them not to schedule athletic events against schools that continue to use these names. This December, Harvard’s men’s ice hockey team will play two games against my alma mater, the University of North Dakota (UND), which uses the team name “Fighting Sioux,” and given my own experience as an American Indian student at UND, I urge the Harvard team to reconsider playing these games.

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I was a young woman when I went to UND in 1997. I tried my best to fit in to the whole college scene, living in the dorm, going to dances, and attending a football game for the first time.

At the game, I witnessed several of my white peers painted exorbitantly, with fake feathers adorning their bodies. Our fans were chanting and doing the tomahawk chop, while our opponent’s fans were chanting slogans like, “Pillage the village, rape the women!”

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VIEWPOINT: Nickname hurts retention of Indian students
By Bill Sheridan
Grand Forks Herald
Posted on Sun, Oct. 23, 2005

GRAND FORKS - A high dropout rate of students in North Dakota's colleges and universities is a serious problem for the American Indian community.

In the 2004-2005 school year, 3,057 Indian students were enrolled in colleges (mostly in tribal colleges) and universities in North Dakota. Yet, in 2001 (the most recent year for which data are available), a total of only 157 students received either an associate's or bachelor's degree.

Each fall semester, there are about 80 to 95 incoming Indian students at UND. Whereas about 75 percent of all incoming freshmen students at UND return the following year, the retention rate of incoming Indian students is much lower, averaging 56 percent over the last 11 years.

A major persistent challenge to UND has been how to retain Indian students during and beyond their first year on campus. Central to addressing this problem is how to help these students successfully adjust to the social, cultural, financial and academic challenges.

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HIGHER EDUCATION: Board to consider nickname resolution
Resolution calls on UND to continue appeals process, talks with tribes

By David Dodds
Herald Staff Writer

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education could offer official endorsement next week of UND's battle over NCAA sanctions against the school's nickname and logo.

The eight-member policy-making panel for the state's colleges and universities will consider a resolution that supports the appeals UND is making through the NCAA's internal process.

At the same time, the proposed resolution states that UND should conduct discussions with North Dakota Indian tribes "in order to find common ground."

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N.D. higher ed board backs UND’s nickname appeals to NCAA
Forum staff reports
The Forum - 11/17/2005

The State Board of Higher Education today unanimously approved a resolution supporting the University of North Dakota’s appeals to the NCAA to keep its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

The resolution also encourages UND President Charles Kupchella to continue talking with the state’s American Indian tribes to find common ground on the issue.

Three member representatives of North Dakota American Indian tribes spoke in opposition to the nickname during today’s meeting at North Dakota State University.

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UND APPEAL: NCAA response months away
Letter says nickname decision won't be considered until Jan. 9
By David Dodds

Herald Staff Writer Posted on Tue, Nov. 22, 2005 - Grand Forks Herald
It took more than three weeks for the NCAA to deny UND's first appeal of restriction on the school's nickname and logo.

Don't hold your breath for a speedy answer to the school's second appeal either, a senior associate to the UND president said Monday.

Phil Harmeson, a point man for UND on the nickname issue, said the NCAA has told UND officials that it won't be until January at the earliest that it will be able to respond to the school's second appeal.

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14) Minot Daily News, Forgetting Some People

James Falcon, Belcourt - Minot Daily News 9/25/05

While news of President George W. Bush's malfeasance against the African-American communities in New Orleans during the wake of Hurricane Katrina is quite the number No. 1 star of CNN, MSNBC, and every news channel from here to eternity, there is one such minority that is not receiving the proper representation and documentation. The minority that I speak of is the Native Americans, who are slowly becoming "America's Forgotten People."

The Mobile-Washington Band of Choctaw Indians, Poarch Creek Band (Alabama), Chitimacha Tribe, Coushatta Indian Tribe, Jena Band of Choctaw, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, United Houma Nation (Louisiana) and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (Mississippi) were all affected by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Did you see them or hear about them on CNN, or in your local newspaper (with the exception of Tanasi Journal, Indian Country Today, Native Voice, etc.). The answer: probably not.

While I consider myself among the thousands that are anti-Bush, I see the mainstream media using this windfall as an excuse to point out Bush's shortcomings (especially when another race is involved) to implicate him in a "he's a racist" ploy. It is more "marketable" to spark a debate between white/black relations, as opposed to white/Native American relations. Why? Because nobody cares about the Native American, except for the Native American.

As rapper/musician Kanye West publicly announced during a Hurricane Katrina relief telethon: "Bush doesn't like black people," it makes me wonder if Bush also "doesn't like Native Americans."

Tex Hall, the President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), announced that while he was at the watch, all tribal members affected would receive help, one way or another. I applaud the efforts of President Hall, because I fear without his help, perhaps my southern cousins would (still) be without help. Hall is surely a president to be proud of.

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Reservations Get Anti-Violence Grants

Posted on Tue, Sep. 27, 2005 - Grand Forks Herald
WASHINGTON

Reservations get anti-violence grants

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe have been awarded federal grants to combat violence against women.

The grants, totaling $405,930, will be used to support victim services programs and law enforcement agencies addressing violent crimes, according to Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.

The Turtle Mountain Domestic Violence Task Force will administer a $274,499 grant and the Spirit Lake Victim Assistance Program will administer $131,431.

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Loss of tribal membership a contentious issue

BY JODI RAVE
Lee News Service
10-09-2005: news-local - Bismarck Tribune

"If a legislature can disenfranchise any number of citizens at pleasure ... it may soon confine all the votes to a small number of partisans ... no man can be safe, nor know when he may be the innocent victim of a prevailing faction."

“ Alexander Hamilton

It's been nearly two years since Carla Maslin was kicked out of her tribe.
"It's been incomprehensible to think somebody can take away your identity," said Maslin, who once belonged to California's Redding Rancheria tribe. "It's such a human issue. This is about your character, your integrity, who you are."

Typically, tribal citizenship standards range from providing proof a relative belonged to the tribe or meeting the tribe's minimum percentage of Indian blood. But sometimes tribal citizenship rests solely on politics, and depends on who's elected to the tribal council.

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Ruling may clear tower backlog
By DALE WETZEL
Associated Press Writer
10-07-2005 Bismarck Tribune

Companies could build more than 20 North Dakota cell phone signal towers this year after a federal agency acted to clear a national backlog of more than 1,000 construction applications, a state regulator said.

"It should give the green light to the vast majority of towers that were scheduled to be built this year," said Tony Clark, president of the state Public Service Commission.

Companies have been awaiting Federal Communications Commission action on 28 North Dakota applications to build new towers or cell phone antennas, Clark said. Most of the requests should be covered by Thursday's FCC decision, he said.

In September 2004, the FCC began requiring cell phone companies to notify American Indian tribes about plans to build towers, to allow tribes to object to locations that have religious or cultural importance.

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Land transfer report due this month
Bismarck Tribune 10-05-2005:

LAUREN DONOVAN

LAKE SAKAKAWEA - A document that will set the stage for transferring 36,000 acres around Lake Sakakawea to the Three Affiliated Tribes is slightly off schedule.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now says it will be later this month before it releases a report on the effect of transferring about 36,000 acres of land back to the tribes.

The tribes hope to reclaim land taken from them in the '40s and '50s to flood Garrison Dam.

The corps will have to officially determine that it doesn't need the land anymore to operate or maintain the dam.

Because of questions raised by the public, including Gov. John Hoeven's office, the corps opened the topic for public comment last spring, planning to release what it called an "effects report" in September. Project manager Larry Janis said the report should be released sometime this month.

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Bison pact may be on again
10-05-2005: news-letters
Bismarck Tribune

An offer has been made that once again would allow buffalo to be moved from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the reservation of the Three Affiliated Tribes.

It remains an offer at this point because the tribal government would have to accept certain conditions, most pointedly one that would give National Park Service personnel free rein to make unannounced visits onto the reservation to locate the buffalo wherever they are and inspect their health and conditions of their keeping.

This provision raises the issue of Indian tribal sovereignty over reservation land in dealing with an agency of the federal government. Preserving sovereignty could be important enough to be a deal-breaker.
One choice is that the tribal government can reject the proposed agreement.

Then the tribes simply won't get the bison, about 250 of them.

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Noon - Anyone interested can observe this year's roundup and handling of bison from the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The roundup will be staged from the bison handling area three miles north of the I-94 Fryburg exit east of Medora.

The public can view the animals and the handling starting Thursday morning and possibly into Saturday.
Some 260 of the bison of the South Unit's 465 bison will be culled to bring the number in line with the park's space and grass. Most will go to the Three Affiliated Tribes' bison project, although 20 will be transferred to the Jamestown National Buffalo Museum.

The tribes will receive the bison under a one-year agreement that says park staff can make unannounced inspections of the animal's health and conditions.

The tribes did not get bison from a roundup last year because of problems with death and injuries in the herd.
The park will use a helicopter to start moving the bison today.

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Tribe drafts plan to fight poverty

Bismarck Tribune

BELCOURT (AP) - The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa is close to finishing a plan to reduce poverty in the region.

After a year and a half of gathering ideas from area residents, a committee working on the plan has submitted a draft to the Minneapolis-based Northwest Area Foundation. The foundation will review the results and possibly recommend changes. The tribe is to submit its final draft by Dec. 23.

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Bridge formally dedicated
Bismarck Tribune

NEW TOWN (AP) - Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall said he had mixed emotions Monday as the new Four Bears Bridge was formally dedicated.

Hall said it was sad to see the old bridge being torn down after 71 years, but he said the new bridge signals progress and an eye to the future.

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Mercer County guardrail project on hold near burial grounds
The Forum
Associated Press - 10/14/2005

STANTON, N.D. (AP) - Mercer County officials say work on a barrier along an embankment near the Knife River has been halted because it is considered a burial grounds for tribal victims of smallpox nearly 170 years ago.

Lonnie Russell, who lives about a half-mile from the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, which preserves the old villages and the burial grounds, said the embankment is close to the gravel road, with only about a car length from the edge to a steep drop in the river. He said he has pulled out a couple of cars with front tires hanging over the cliff, and he worries about the school bus that goes on the road.

The county started work on a safety barrier, then halted it.

Mercer County Road Superintendent Ken Nelson said he learned the area was in the Taylor Bluffs archaeological site, occupied in 1837, a peak time for deaths from smallpox. The villages of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara were near present-day Stanton.

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Indians lack health care, GOA reports - Devils Lake Journal 10/4/05

WASHINGTON (AP) - American Indians often do not have adequate access to health care, congressional investigators said.

The Government Accountability Office said many government-funded Indian Health Service facilities do not provide adequate behavioral health or specialty dental care.

The agency also falls short in providing care for non-urgent conditions such as arthritis, allergies and chronic pain, investigators said.

"Most of the facilities we visited lacked the equipment necessary for certain ancillary services and had few medical specialists on site," GAO said.

The report said many American Indians and Native Alaskans do not have means of transportation and are not able to travel long distances to IHS facilities.

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While racial minorities in North Dakota continue to represent a relatively small proportion of the state's total population (less than one in 10), their numbers are rising.

This month's "Population Bulletin," a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, presents the July 1, 2004, population estimates by race as released from the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates branch.

These estimates reveal a continuing increase in population diversity throughout North Dakota. The state's minority population (people reporting their race as only black, only American Indian or only Asian) totaled 42,010 in 2004, which
is 6.6 percent of the state's total population of 634,366.

While the minority population in North Dakota grew 6.3 percent between 2000 and 2004, the white population (which comprises the vast majority of all persons in the state) declined by 10,382 people (1.7 percent).

"Much of the increase in racial diversity is occurring in the state's largest population centers, especially among blacks and Asians," says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director.
"In contrast, increases among the Native American and Hispanic populations within the state are more spread out."

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The Ugly: North Dakota has the highest rate of underemployment – people working more than one job – in the country, according to a report from early September from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ten percent of North Dakotans work multiple jobs.

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Newswise — Between 2003 and 2004 the employment gap widened between the number of working-age Americans with disabilities who are employed and those workers without disabilities, a new report released today (Oct. 5) on Capitol Hill shows.

The finding, which coincides with the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, was part of a series of reports released by Cornell University in collaboration with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

The researchers found that in 2004 the "employment gap" between those with disabilities in the workforce and those workers without disabilities was 40.3 percent. That represents a .6 percentage point increase from 2003, when the gap was 39.7 percent.

The growth in the gap means that there are fewer people with disabilities in the workforce relative to the total number of Americans employed. "The rise in the employment gap suggests that people with disabilities are not participating in the recovery from the 2001 recession," said Andrew Houtenville, director of the Cornell's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics (StatsRRTC).

The first Annual Disability Status Reports from Cornell, which contain a range of statistics about people with disabilities, including statistics by state, are available online at http://www.DisabilityStatistics.org.

The reports, which will be issued yearly at the beginning of October by Cornell, "fill a pressing need for timely and relevant statistics about people with disabilities," said Houtenville. "We hope they will become an annual event that policy-makers, advocates, the media and people with disabilities across the United States will anticipate and depend on," he said.

Another key finding in the reports: The poverty rate rose more between 2004 and 2003 for people with disabilities than for those without. For people with disabilities, it increased .8 percentage points, to 24.1 percent of working-age Americans in 2004, from 23.3 percent in 2003.
For people without disabilities it increased .2 percentage points, to 9.1 percent, from 8.9 percent.
Robert Weathers, senior research associate at Cornell's Employment and Disability Institute, said, "The findings about the overall rise in poverty are consistent with the recent Census Bureau announcement that the poverty rate increased in the United States between 2003 and 2004." The Disability Status Reports use the American Community Survey -- the public-use version of the raw data that the Census Bureau uses in its report, Weathers said.

Some Cornell researchers are investigating whether the employment gap may be due, in part, to what they call the "poverty trap." Under current federal rules, people with disabilities must be essentially unemployed to receive government benefits, but the support they receive isn't enough to keep them out of poverty, they point out.

"Those with the lowest incomes lose 50 cents for every dollar they earn. That's a higher tax rate than Bill Gates pays," said David Stapleton, director of the Cornell Institute for Policy Research. Stapleton and others recommend that federal policy be revisited to reward, rather than punish, people with disabilities who earn income through employment.

The Cornell reports also showed that the employment rate of working-age people without disabilities was 77.6 percent in 2003, compared with 37.9 percent for working-age people with disabilities that year. In 2004, the employment rate for people without disabilities rose .2 percentage points, to 77.8 percent, while the employment rate of people with disabilities declined .4 percentage points, to 37.5 percent.

The StatsRRTC is the statistics arm of three Cornell units: the Employment and Disability Institute in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the Institute for Policy Research located in Washington, D.C., and the Department of Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology. It is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

By KAREN HERZOG
10-13-2005
The Bismarck Tribune

Patrick Atkinson was in Dallas on Oct. 5, preparing to celebrate the launching of the new God's Child Project South Central when he received an urgent e-mail - an unceasing downpour of rain from Hurricane Stan was hyper-saturating the soil in a 50x30-mile river valley area in Guatemala, where the God's Child education project started by Atkinson, a Bismarck native, in 1991, is based.

Water was rising; flooding was imminent.

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