CERA Supports Minnesota Citizens at State Capitol

On May 5th and 6th 2000, CERA had its annual meeting in Minneapolis, MN. Organizations from New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico and Minnesota were present. A highlight of the two-day meeting was lending CERA’s support to 80 Mille Lacs Lake, MN area residents in a meeting with the staffs of Senator Paul Wellstone, Governor Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Resort owner and defendant landowner in the Mille Lacs Treaty lawsuit, Joe Karpen, organized the event with the help of his local State Representative, Sandra Erickson, State Senator Dan Stevens, and CERA President Howard Hanson. Among the issues discussed were: the expansion of reservation boundaries at Mille Lacs Lake, tribal jurisdiction on former and existing reservations, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa on regulation of sewer systems for the expanded reservation area; a joint public sewer project for the Mille Lacs Band and city of Garrison, MN; and the lack of civil rights for both band members and non-members on Indian reservations. Several members of the delegation of 80 area residents voiced their concerns , including Joe Karpen, Mary Jevne, Clarence Fitz, and Vincent Hill, CERA member and tribal member from the Mille Lacs Band, stated that tribal members are being deceived. Civil rights do not exist for them on the reservation. He cited several incidents of how freedom of the press and freedom of assembly have been denied on the Mille Lacs Reservation. He said that, "On the reservation, you can’t discuss ideas openly or criticize the tribal government."

Roland Morris, a tribal member of the Leech Lake Band and Vice-Chair of CERA told of how the focus of tribal government is on money and power … not the welfare of tribal members.

Russ Wheeler, a member of Upstate Citizens for Equality (UCE) from New York, spoke about how casinos in their area are not legally approved by the state legislature. He suggested that the governors and attorney generals get together at the next governor’s conference and come up with a consensus and press the federal government to clean up this unconstitutional mess called "Federal Indian Policy."

CERA Chairman Howard Hanson added that, "Citizens across the country, both Indian and non-Indian, are being forced to live under jurisdiction of an unconstitutional form of government in which they have no voice."