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CouncilCORNER>
MosesUpdate
By Harvey Moses, Jr.
Greetings:
On November 14, 2005 I attended a meeting at the Airport Ramada
in Spokane. The meeting was with John Cargnello, President of
Technical Systems Testing of North America, Inc. and Noah
Turner, Lab Manager of Technical Systems Testing. The reason for
the meeting was to see if we could improve our gaming income
from the machines we presently have by making minor changes to
the slots. The 2 individuals sounded semi-confident that this
could happen. But, until they can run tests, it’s business as
usual. These two gentlemen were involved with creating slot
machines that would be unique to the CCT going into our compact
with the State. For whatever reason the choice was made by CTEC
to get the slots we now have. I believe things will improve in
the gaming area for the CCT.
On November 9th and 10th I traveled to Olympia and Chehalis to
attend the annual Centennial Accord meeting with the Governor.
On the 9th there was a signing ceremony with the governor, some
of her key staff, and myself and Gene Joseph. The agreement
extends the Columbia River Initiative for another year that may
help us and the general population in future years in issues
concerning water. At 5:30 p.m., myself and all Washington State
Tribal Chairs plus the Executive Director from the Umatilla
Tribes had dinner with the governor at her mansion. We had a
general discussion on topics she did not want to take about at
the next day’s meeting because of the press being there, e.g.,
the Spokane Tribe proposed gaming compact, various water
agreements with the state, and fee to trust of off reservation
land. On the 10th we met at Chehalis and talked about Law
Enforcement-Tribal Certification, Cultural Resource Protection,
Environment Communication Protocol, Tourism Partnership,
Education, Natural Resources and Water; Economic Development,
and Health & Human Services. We took a break from the agenda and
attended the Chehalis Veterans ceremony. They had the Viet Nam
Traveling Wall set up. I must be getting old. The ceremony was
touching and emotional. I let the Governor know in no uncertain
terms that there are 2 Washingtons, the Eastern and Western. She
acknowledged the statement and said that she’d remember this in
all her dealings. It was a good 2 days.
On November 4th, 5th and 6th, the 31st Annual Veterans Pow Wow
was held at the Nespelem Community Center. It is an honor to be
held in such high esteem by our local tribal members and tribal
people throughout Indian country – thank you. To become so
esteemed was a totally different experience. At times it was
laughable and at other times the pendulum swung in the other
direction. A thank you to the Nespelem Ladies Auxiliary. If it
wasn’t for them we vets would not have a post and we would not
have the annual Pow Wow or Dinner honoring us. On the 11th the
Ladies Auxiliary and some Vets including myself and the Nespelem
School participated in the laying of wreaths at the CCT Veterans
Monument in front of the office building. A final Thank You to
the Ladies Auxiliary for everything.
From October 30th to November 4th I traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma
attending the 62nd National Congress of American Indians
convention (NCAI). It was a good convention. We got a new
President – Joe Garcia, from a Pueblo in New Mexico. Joe Garcia
will be more of a national leader as opposed to an area leader
as was the former president. We were also successful in getting
the 1st Vice President Jefferson Keel of Chickasaw Nation
elected, that will work in the same direction as the President.
I was asked to speak for a revision to the Native American
Graves and Repartition Act (NAGPRA) in NCAI’s Human, Religious &
Culture Committee. This revision would not allow actions taken
in the “Ancient One’s” situation to ever happen again. It would
also strengthen tribal sovereignty. I was also involved in a
resolution proposal from the same committee that would give
Indian Tribes the ability to exercise their rights when it comes
to Archeological surveys on their own reservation lands or on
their Usual and Accustomed territories, forcing the federal
government to deal in good faith with any Tribe in this
situation. On Thursday evening I traveled to Quapaw, Oklahoma to
attend a ceremony hosted by the Quapaw for Chief Joseph while he
was down there. I flew home on Friday at 2 p.m.
I came across this in the last ballot from the County and I
think it needs to be passed on: “It’s your vote. It’s your
power. It’s your decision. It’s your privilege. It’s your
choice. It’s your duty. It’s your honor. It’s your
responsibility. It’s your voice. It’s your vote. It’s how you
count.”
Harvey Moses, Jr.
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The
EagleREVIEW
By D.R. Michel
I hope this finds you all
well. I would like to thank you for your continued support and
wish you a happy holiday season. We have many issues to deal
with, your support and involvement is very important. Together
we can make the changes needed to improve our Tribes.
I would like to talk about the Mt Tolman Mining Project. I
will clarify some information that is out there, and the
Resolutions pertaining to this project.
Resolution 2005-305. Whereas, it is the recommendation of the
Natural Resources Committee and the Management & Budget
Committee that a Mining Referendum Project Proposal be funded
by one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) from the Colville
Tribes Enterprise Corporation and authorize the Chairman or
Designee to sign all related documents.
Resolution 2005-306. Whereas, it is the recommendation of the
Natural Resources Committee to establish a Mt Tolman Mining
Committee (MTMC) to develop a Tribal Member public affairs
campaign to disseminate all relevant information regarding the
possibility of mining at Mt. Tolman and leading up to a
referendum vote of the Membership. The MTMC shall be made up
of the Natural Resource Committee Chairman OR designee, one
Council person from each district, BIA Superintendent or
designee, the Office of the Reservation Attorneys, the Natural
Resources Division Director, and Finance.
As you can see by resolution 2005-305 Don Aubertin did not
receive $100,000 dollars. The Resolution funds a Mining
Referendum Project Proposal. Don is involved because of his
past experience with the project back in the 1980s. He is
under contract to help put together information on the pros
and cons of mining the Mt. Tolman Project. There will be a
series of meetings set up in the near future. There will also
be a packet of information sent out to the membership. This
packet will show the footprint of the project, the projected
revenues, and jobs involved. It will also show the
environmental risks and concerns that the project will entail.
Resolution 2005-306. Simply puts in place a committee to work
through this process leading up to the referendum vote.
Resolution 1994-561 Whereas, it is the recommendation of the
Resource Management Committee to place a moratorium, effective
immediately, on all exploration and mining actives on the
Colville Reservation. This does not include any BIA 638 funded
projects for data collection purposes secured by the Tribal
Geology Department, and tribal member walk-on permits, and
Whereas, it was duly moved and seconded to place a moratorium
until the education process on pros and cons of mining is
completed and a referendum vote be taken at the next primary
election of the Colville Confederated Tribes, May 1995.
Resolution 1995-639 references a series of meetings and
opinion polls taken that mining be closed within the
boundaries of the Colville Reservation effective immediately.
There was no education process or referendum vote taken before
Council passed Resolution 1995-639 closing mining on the
Reservation.
Resolutions, 2005-305 and 2005-306 will complete the process
laid out in Resolution 1994-561.
The education process will focus on the Mt Tolman project. The
mining and milling process will be explained; it will show
there is no cyanide used in the processing of the ore on site.
It will also address the environmental concerns. After the
education process is complete there will be a referendum vote
on whether or not to go forward with the project. I feel it is
the right of all eligible voting Tribal members to cast a
vote. We are recommending that the polls be opened and
absentee ballots are available for voting. That decision
should be based on the facts, not scare tactics. If the
referendum vote fails then mining on the reservation will
remain closed. If approved we will move forward with the
project. I want to ensure the membership that Council will do
everything possible to make this the most environmentally
protective plan possible. We will use only the most current
technology available. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
must be updated to comply with current law. The EIS will hold
a company accountable to the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). EPA administers the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.
In the EIS they must show how they will ensure water and air
are protected. Also in the process a reclamation fund will be
established up front that will cover reclamation during the
early stages of mining, plus annual additions to the fund
through out the project will cover reclamation at any given
time.
I as a Tribal member I will cast my vote in support of the
project. As a Council member I support the project because it
will allow us to offer our future generations a secure
foundation to build on. If you have any questions or comments,
please call me at work (509) 634-2217, cell (509) 631-0492,
home (509) 722-3980, or email me at donald.michel@colvilletribes.com.
Until next time, take care.
Sincerely,
DR Michel
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HutchinsonUpdate
By Margie Hutchinson
Dear Tribal Members:
First of all we coordinated a Border Crossing meeting with the
Okanogan Nations Alliance the latter part of October, in
Osoyoos. The meeting was well attended by the tribes and
bands. We are searching for ways to allow tribal members to
cross more freely between the two borders. Because of the
United States’ policy toward some countries, they have passed
the Terrorism Act, to require passports for all citizens,
including Indians entering the U.S. This piece of legislation
will be a financial burden to many tribal members, because
each adult passport will cost $97, and children will cost $82.
Tribes are recommending the federal government consider some
alternative secure documents issued by and for tribal members.
Then we went onto the NCAI convention the beginning of
November. One of the critical issues I covered was the Trust
reform, and the Department of Interior Regulatory Initiative.
Senator Dorgan’s staff, Allison, would like the tribes to get
their allottees more engaged, in the dollar amount of the
Cobell settlement and the method of distribution of those
monies. Another key issue is the standards that were outlined
in the suit by several different organizations. It was noted
that the asset base for each tribe was different, and there is
no uniform set standard. For example some tribes have very
small reservations and others have a huge asset base i.e.
timber, gas, minerals, etc. There were NCAI elections, and
some very strong leaders emerged as the winners. My personal
opinion is NCAI will once again be an inclusive organization,
and a progressive one at that. The Honorable Brian Schweitzer,
Governor of Montana was a main speaker, for the fourth general
assembly session. He is a Democrat, and is well versed in
Indian rights, and Indian Law. It’s always encouraging to hear
such a dynamic presentation of hope for our issues in Indian
country, and his offering to help. He has a supportive
administration in Montana with regard to Indian issues.
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation scheduled a board meeting to
coincide with the NCAI convention, so I was fortunate to have
my way paid by them. In case some of you missed the goal and
mission of this organization I will state it again. “To help
acquire all former reservation land and have it put back into
trust”. We approved $189,673.00 in grant funds to various
organizations to help them with Native American land planning.
On November 5th we attended a dinner in honor of Senator Maria
Cantwell, in Spokane.
This was a dinner fundraiser for her 2006 re-election
campaign.
Happy Holidays
Margie Hutchinson
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Indian COUNTRY
By
Michael E. Marchand
New CTEC Board Chosen:
Though not quite official as of this writing, the Council has
interviewed and selected new Board members to run the tribe’s
companies. Brian Clark was selected. He has been a practicing
engineer in private practice for a number of years and is
currently the Colville Agency’s roads engineer. Brian has had
direct experience with the design and engineering for many
projects with the firm of Womer and Associates, based in
Spokane, for a wide range of projects from roads to casinos to
marinas and so forth throughout the west.
Norris Palmanteer was also interviewed and selected. Norris
currently works with the Intel Corporation, based in the
southwest and has many years experience with the human
resources and corporate planning for Intel, which is one of
the largest and most successful technology companies in the
world. Intel chips power most of the computers in the world.
Andrew Pooler was also selected for a Board position. Andrew
has worked for CTEC before in the positions of Chief Operating
Officer and is familiar with the current CTEC operations. Most
of his experience is with mine engineering in projects
throughout the world.
John MacClain was also chosen for the Board. John’s background
is primarily with casinos. He got his start here at Colville
as a blackjack dealer originally. Since then he has moved
around the country to several casinos, gone through extensive
training along the way and has currently worked his way up to
managing one of the Cherokee Nation’s casinos in Oklahoma,
where they are currently in the process of building a new
casino to replace their current one which they have outgrown.
Brian, Norris, and John are tribal members, Andrew is a tribal
member descendant.
The only remaining Board member is Gary George, who grew up in
the Omak area and served for many years as the Colville
Planning Director. Gary is currently in charge of the
Wildhorse Casino operations at the Umatilla Tribe. The CTEC
board is especially challenging because the businesses are so
diverse.
Mount Tolman Mining Project:
Currently discussions are under way to put the issue of mining
at Mount Tolman up for a tribal membership vote to see whether
the members want to develop the project or not. Under the
tribe’s constitution, the decision is within the powers of the
tribal council, however, due to the huge impacts that the
project would have over the future of the tribe, most of the
Council would like to see the issue put up to a tribal wide
vote to see whether this is a direction that the tribe would
like to go in.
The mountain has been of interest to mineral development since
the 1800’s. The last serious look at the property took place
in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. A joint venture agreement
was entered into with the Amax Corporation. At that time, Amax
spent about $67 million in exploration for the mineral called
molybdenum. This metal is an alloy, it is black and feels
greasy, somewhat like graphite. The mountain contains a small
percentage of this metal, but since the mountain is so big, a
small percentage works out to a large amount of mineral.
About $3 million was spent at that time to do an environmental
impact statement. This is a document and process that is
required under federal law when a major federal action takes
place where there is significant environmental impact. A wide
range of issues from socioeconomic to natural systems had to
be examined and impacts assessed. First the existing
conditions, the baseline conditions had to be assessed. Then
the mine plan had to be developed. The impacts of this mine
plan and alternative plans had to be assessed. Where possible,
plans to mitigate impacts had to be developed.
A series of many meetings with the tribal members, with
surrounding communities and with affected federal and state
agencies had to be conducted. Every issue brought up had to be
considered. Then the law requires that amine reclamation plan
be developed and the financing of this work had to be planned
out. Eventually this work was completed and the Secretary of
Interior did sign off on the document.
Of course, this was over 20 years ago. The physical
environment on the reservation has not changed that much since
then. But if the tribe decided to go this route, the
environmental work would have to be done again. But before we
get to this point, the Council would like to know whether this
is something that the tribal membership even wants to pursue.
Making this decision will be difficult for many people.
Everybody wants to have a thorough study and analysis done
before they make a decision. However this would be very
expensive, we spent $3 million in the 1980’s. Council would
like to get some direction before major commitments are
entered into and major dollars are spent.
In order to get this to a vote, Council wanted to get
information together in order to let the membership get a
description of what is being planned in order to have
information to base a vote on. This has turned out to be
controversial already. People against the concept of mining do
not want to see a vote taken. Many people would like to see a
complete environmental analysis done and have the vote taken
afterward.
A draft document was reviewed by Council last week and Council
was fairly split on whether it should even go out to the
membership. Don Aubertin was contracted to put this initial
document together and to come out to our meetings to answer
questions to get ready for the vote. Don was the tribe’s
geologist and since then has worked for the federal government
in Denver where he was one of the main federal geologists. He
recently retired from the federal government.
Some Council feel that the document is not done well enough,
that it needs to be rewritten, some feel that it is too biased
toward pro mining, some feel that it needs to go more in depth
into assessing the impacts, and others believe it is a good
document as presented.
Personally I think the issue needs to get out to a tribal wide
vote as soon as practical, hopefully early in the coming year.
I think our membership is intelligent and capable of making
decisions. We don’t need Council dictating major resource
decisions. There is no point in spending millions of dollars
in studies for a project if no one wants to do it anyway.
If the vote indicates an interest, then it would make sense to
invest dollars into the analysis. Even if the tribe voted to
go forward and mine, there would be many legal requirements
for protecting the environment that would still have to be
complied with and doing this planning will cost millions of
dollars.
There is no question that the project would have major
impacts. You cannot get much more destructive then blowing up
an entire mountain, pulverizing every rock, and then building
huge dams to hold the tailings on the sides of Mount Tolman.
Many jobs would be created and incomes would go up. These are
major impacts, life on the reservation would be changed a
great deal. Many people are concerned about possible impacts
to groundwater.
When the project was looked at before, sampling showed that
there was already heavy metals contamination in Lake
Roosevelt. Fish tissues are poisonous today. Tolman would
require that plans be developed to contain materials and would
require that the area be monitored. Others would say that this
is still no guarantee. Sometimes plans don’t work. There are
many, many more concerns and I don’t have space to list them
all out. Laws will require extensive planning to deal with the
impacts.
Critics will say that humans make mistakes and that there are
many examples of mine failures throughout the world. Others
will point out that the tribe could make billions of dollars
in revenues. So that is the trade off. This is a major tribal
decision. I think this is a question that each tribal member
should make. If the tribe votes to approve, then a process for
developing the mine would begin, many more decisions would
have to be made along the way.
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