SWO Tribal officials honor BIA top Trust officer with star quilt during October 7th visit PRESORTED STANDARD Per Copy Senator Tim Johnson meets with “Experience Works” participants at Agency Village, recognizes U.S. POSTAGE Lester Crawford for service to elderly PAID U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth tours Dakota Sioux Casino & Hotel Sota Iya Ye Yapi SISSETON, SD PERMIT NO. 6 Tribe’s bag manufacturing plant, Dakota Western, featured on “Eye on KELO-Land” P.O. Box 628 ¢ Tiospa Zina Tribal School to hold Homecoming 2005 this week! Agency Village, SD 57262 50 “Lights On!” at Enemy Swim Day School Afterschool Program Thursday, Oct. 20th Postmaster: Photo highlights of school, youth activities, including TZTS Math & Science “Mathopoly” Night Contents -- Time-Dated News Do Not Delay This edition mailed at Sisseton, SD on Oct. 17, 2005 Serving the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate since 1968 Two Sections Vol. 36 October - Ape Cancan Wi - “Moon When Leaves Shake and Fall” - Wednesday, October 19, 2005 No. 42 (Editor’s note: The following comes to Sota readers from interviews with SWO Tribal Chairman James “J.C.” Congratulations, best Crawford by the Sota editor.) wishes to Wambdi for SWO host Senator Tim homecoming 2005 Johnson, Congresswoman The Tribal Chairman expressed his personal “congratulations and best wishes” to Tiospa Zina Tribal Stephanie Herseth School students and athletes participating in homecoming SWO Tribal Chairman James “J.C.” Crawford week contests. led delegations that hosted the state’s Democratic He said he hopes everyone has a safe and enjoyable Congressionals on two separate occasions last week on the homecoming week, including the sports games and Lake Traverse Reservation. parade, which will be held on Thursday. He said it was a privilege to meet with Senator Johnson Chairman Crawford emphasized how important and Congresswoman Herseth, and he thanked them for it is that young people learn values from their sports their continuing support for the Oyate’s concerns. competition; it is how he learned what he sees as some of “Thanks for listening to our concerns,” he said, “and the most important lessons of his life. SWO officials present BIA Trust officer Ross Swimmer with this star quilt on Friday, October for advocating on our behalf at the national level.” He also encouraged community members to come 7th. Pictured, from left, are: Heipa District Council person Kathy White, Buffalo Lake District In commenting about Rep. Herseth’s tour of Dakota out and support the school activities. Councilman Myron Williams, Chairman James “J.C.” Crawford, Ross Swimmer, Lake Traverse Sioux Casino and Hotel, he expressed “thanks to the District Councilman Ron DuMarce, and Tribal Vice-Chairman Scott German. Dakota Sioux staff, Vice-Chairman Scott German, the Invites turnout for Pictured during the Construction Committee, and everyone involved in Spiritual Run building the new hotel.” Chairman Crawford has called on the Oyate to support top BIA Trust official’s He called it “a five-star hotel,” and said that whenever the Spiritual Run from Red Lake to Standing Rock, which visit on October 7th, from traveling in Washington, D.C. he has “never stayed in a comes to the Lake Traverse Reservation this week. left, are: Sisseton BIA finer hotel than ours at Dakota Sioux.” “It is a good way to support our youth,” he said. Superintendent Russell Chairman Crawford added that Stephanie Herseth Runners will hold a “speakout” at the community Hawkins, Sisseton OST was also “very impressed with the tour, and with the new center this Thursday evening, October 20th. Officer Tim Lake, SWO hotel.” She was also, he said, “impressed with plans for The Chairman invites people to attend and those Tribal Chairman James continued expansion. unable, to support the effort “with their prayers.” “J.C.” Crawford, and Ross Speaking to the Oyate, he said, “If you have not yet (See more about the spiritual run elsewhere; a notice Swimmer. visited the Dakota Sioux Hotel, you must see it. It really includes dates and locations of activities.) shows the highest quality of workmanship.” For separate events -- hen Ross O. Swimmer, Special Trustee for WAmerican Indians, visited the Lake Traverse Reservation on Friday, October 7th, he was presented with a star quilt by Tribal Executives and Council. The presentation came at the end of an informal meeting with Tribal leaders about a wide range of issues. Topics included trust reform, expediting homesite development, and economic development. Swimmer also made a presentation on behalf of the BIA. He awarded Kathy Goodsell a plaque recognizing Senator Tim Johnson presents her contributions to the BIA for the past 20 years. Kathy Lester Crawford this award in currently works as OST Specialist. recognition of service to seniors in his community as an “Experience Asks for prayers The Chairman specifically requested that the Oyate Works” participant. (Sota photo by pray for the community’s soldiers. Michael Petersen.) Some are serving in the Middle East; others are on Visiting BIA official Ross Swimmer For news articles, voluntary deployment to aid victims of Hurricanes Katrina presents this plaque to Kathy Goodsell and Rita on the gulf coast. more photos, in recognition of 20 years of service to see inside Chairman Crawford the BIA. Kathy is currently serving as OST Continued on Page 3 Specialist at the Sisseton Agency. this edition of your Sota Several times over recent months the Sota has reported *During the period from May 16-September 5, that the Sisseton IHS unit had run out of funding for 2005, there were 598 referrals. Sisseton IHS authorized contract health services. payment for 254 Priority IA referrals at a projected cost That is the information the Sota had, but it was of $518,179. incorrect. *During this 17-week span, there were 344 denials It is true that the contract health fund was being for Priority I. (Life or Limb Threatening) care at an depleted at a high rate and restrictions were placed upon estimated cost of $137,815. what the service unit would fund – care rated by priority *Denials were issued for 135 Priority IA cases at a ranking. projected cost of $104,100. Tribal Council provided support for continued life- *Denials were issued for 68 Priority IB cases at a sustaining dialysis treatment, and sought contract health projected cost of $5,105. services funding both from other IHS accounts and from *Denials were issued for 141 Priority IC cases at a other funding sources, including a grant from the Shakopee projected cost of $28,710. Mdewakanton Tribe. This was an effort to cover contract Since October 1st, when IHS began the new fiscal health services not being paid under the restrictions. year, the restrictions have been lifted for contract health But, in fact, the fund was never completely out of services due to release of new budget funds. money. Watch for information on level of funding under the Since May 2005, when limits were set, IHS has paid new 2006 budget; we have been informed that it represents out more than $500,000 in people’s medical bills. Due an increase over the past year – although under-funding to the restrictions in place, the amount not paid was seems the norm. Pictured above during Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth’s tour of Dakota Sioux Casino & $138,000. IHS budget Hotel: Dakota Sioux Casino General Manager John Rondell, Rep. Herseth, and Chairman J.C. Here are the priority rankings and amounts paid and Continued on Page 4 and Michelle Crawford. (Sota photo by Michael Petersen.) unpaid: concerned about fair play and social justice. But journalism should involve much more than showing footage that materializes by happenstance. An underlying assumption, usually prevailing in newsrooms, is that police officers and legal authorities are truthful but suspects and prisoners are not. This assumption routinely prevents media outlets from digging below the surface of stories. Troubling questions remain. Such as: What are police officers doing with suspects when no cameras are around? What’s going on behind bars? And how can we hold police officers and prison guards accountable if we don’t really know what they’re doing? Sota guest editorial – Sota guest editorial – List of terror concerns coincides October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month with bad political news (Editor’s note: The following guest editorial comes to readers from Women’s Circle. For help during a crisis, for (From “Countdown,” MSNBC News October 12, 2005.) advocacy, or more information, contact Women’s Circle at 938-4129.) KEITH OLBERMANN - Last Thursday, I referred to the latest terror threat - the reported bomb plot against the Statistics these days are staggering. Every year at least 42 percent of women in our communities are involved in New York City subway system - in terms of its timing. President Bush’s speech about the war on terror had come earlier some kind of domestic violence, which of course, is over one-third of the adult female population. the same day, as had the breaking news of the possible indictment of Karl Rove in the CIA leak investigation. It involves the young, elderly, rich, poor, black, white, Native, Oriental. Domestic violence does not discriminate. I suggested that in the last three years there had been about 13 similar coincidences - a political downturn for the Many of these violent situations also involve some degree of sexual assault by their significant other. Also, it is administration, followed by a “terror event” - a change in alert status, an arrest, a warning. becoming more common and apparent that these figures also include same gender couples, which is also rising at a We figured we’d better put that list of coincidences on the public record. We bring you these coincidences, staggering rate compared to ten years earlier.