We Need Your $$$ Help!
In this issue of your CERA NEWS we are making a special appeal for your financial help to help cover our cost of the amicus brief for the landmark Supreme Court case of United States v. Lara. I’m sure you will agree that the brief drafted by attorney Randy Thompson was brilliantly written and has a superb argument.
Know that your tax-deductible donation of $10, $25, $50, $100 or more will help defer the cost of the brief which may well have an impact on Federal Indian Policy for generations to come. We do need your help.
Make your Check out to CERF (Citizens Equal Rights Foundation) and send to:
CERF
P.O.
Box 93
Ronan,
MT 59864
If
you would like to make a gift of appreciated stock please contact Darrel Smith.
605-845-2507 or dws@westriv.com
by Howard Hanson
For the second year in a row CERA and CERF officers and directors had a weekend retreat in November at the home of Curt and Marty Knoke in Gresham, Wisconsin. The meeting was important because we had been making plans to strongly oppose S. 578 and its companion House Bill 2242 commonly referred to as the “Hicks/Atkinson Fix”. We had also been watching the court case of United States of America v. Billy Jo Lara, and were fortunate to have planned the meeting because suddenly the case was moving towards a U.S. Supreme Court hearing in January with briefs due by December l5th.
This special edition of CERA news is a glowing example of the historical, legal, political and constitutional knowledge our group possesses and how quickly we can move to help protect the constitutional rights of millions of U.S. citizens that live in so-called “Indian Country”.
Our deepest gratitude to our legal counsel Randy Thompson, who worked with Darrel Smith’s legal committee to produce this outstanding amicus brief under very demanding time constraints.
Besides passing motions for the Lara brief and discussing how to stop S. 578 we started making plans for our conference in Washington, D.C. in May. We also discussed the racial and social problems that Federal Indian Policy creates and decided to meet the problems head-on by changing our Mission Statement. It is at the bottom of page two of this paper and we hope you will memorize it, so you can tell your friends why they should join CERA.
From left to right and top to bottom: Howard Hanson, Naomi Brummond, Fred Bachman, Judy Bachman, Dennis Williams, Jim Petik, Darrel Smith, Curt Knoke, Russ Wheeler, Scott Seaborne, Elaine Willman. Attending but not pictured: Donna Fitz and Len Teresinski
Mark Your Calendar!
Washington D.C. CERA Conference
May 9-13, 2004
Confronting Federal Indian Policy
Holiday
Inn Central
1501
Rhode Island Avenue NW
Washington
D.C.
phone:
1-800-248-0016 or 1-202-483-2000
www.inn-dc.com
CERA's 2004 conference will be two-days of intensive information and training sessions, followed by three days of meetings with Congressmen, federal administrative staff, national organization leaders and media. Due to the surge of community groups that have formed across the country, CERA suggests that groups send team leaders only (2 or 3 per group). The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Central, a block of rooms is being held at a rate of $129 per night.
Early Registration (before March 15, 2004): $90/Individual; $145/Couple
Late Registration (after March 15, 2004): $110/Individual; $170/Couple
Included in the registration fees are conference materials, continental breakfasts and lunches served on May 9th and 10th. Checks should be made payable to CERA, and mailed to the contact person below. For additional information, contact:
Elaine
Willman, CERA Chair
P.O.
1280
Toppenish
WA 98948
Phone: 509-865-6225
Fax: 509-865-7409
Email: toppin@aol.com