Mother’s Day 2005 Graduates Ahfachkee Field Days Cornelia Osceola with granddaughter Billy Yates and numerous other Seminoles Cindi Adair. walk accross the stage Page 23 Page 16 Page 26 50¢ www.seminoletribe.com Volume XXVI • Number 8 June 10, 2005 Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee Village Opens with Dual Celebrations By Iretta Tiger HOLLYWOOD — It’s no secret that Seminoles are proud of their culture. So much so Inauguration Day 2005 that when the time came for the opening of the Ah- Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee Village the muse- um’s Director Tina Osceola and the Manager Barbara Butera arranged for a pri- vate celebration for Seminole Tribal citizens. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee Village in Seminole Paradise opened on May 17 with two celebrations on the same day. The first celebra- tion, at 12 p.m., was for Tribal citizens only and the museum showered them with welcome gift bags. A new tradition start- ed that day when Osceola, in lieu of scissors, had golden machetes specially made for the ribbon cut- ting. Tribal citizens stood awe-struck as they walked through the museum, espe- cially when they saw the huge six-foot photographs hanging in the main hall; photographs of faces from Iretta Tiger long ago to the present. Museum Director Tina Osceola and Chairman Mitchell Cypress cut the ribbons with special machetes. See MUSEUM, page 22 Special Council Meeting Held By Iretta Tiger company. BIG CYPRESS — A special coun- At the closing of the meeting Big cil meeting was held on May 25. Cypress Councilman David Cypress praised The first item on the agenda was Allied Health Manager Suzanne Davis and tabled, and the next three resolutions were for the rest of the Health department staff for the renewal of contracts for Chief Executive their efforts in removing junk food from the Officer of Seminole Gaming James Allen, vending machines at the Big Cypress gymna- Chief Financial Officer Brad Buchanan and sium. The sodas were replaced with juices, Director of Gaming-Compliance & water and Gatorade®. Regulations Edward Jenkins. All three were Davis is also planning the same for approved. the Hollywood and Brighton gymnasiums. Also approved was the last resolu- “We also need help from the parents because tion of the meeting. The resolution allowed our kids are getting too big,” said Cypress. the Tribe to offer a deferred compensation “Now we see younger children fighting dia- plan in lieu of stock options for executive betes and other health problems related to level gaming employees. Normally, stocks in obesity. It’s not right.” the company are offered as a bonus to execu- The next Council meeting is sched- tive employees of the company. This is not uled for June 17 on the Big Cypress reserva- possible for employees of a tribally owned tion. Immokalee Looks to the Future By Judy Weeks IMMOKALEE — The turnout for Immokalee’s Community Meeting and Dinner on April 20 was very impressive. The crowd had gathered to hear a proposal for a possible business ven- ture and improvements on the reservation. Louise Motlow opened the meeting with the Iretta Tiger invocation followed by a Newly elected Brighton Councilman Andrew J. Bowers Jr., Big Cypress Councilman David Cypress, Tribal Chairman buffet dinner. Then it was Mitchell Cypress, Hollywood Councilman Max B. Osceola Jr. Full coverage next issue, July 1, 2005. down to business. Rufus Tiger and Lois Alvarez, rep- resenting the Tribal Board on behalf of President Moses Osceola, supplied the subject of the meeting. The Board has Group Travels to Gathering of Nations been investigating the pos- Judy Weeks sibility of a Family (L-R) Paul Bowers, Cheryl Bolton, Elaine Aguilar, Benny Story by Judy Weeks of Nations originated in 1984 as a Performers showcased both Northern Entertainment Center and Motlow and Lois Alvarez look over the plans. IMMOKALEE — More than spring Pow-Wow at the University of and Southern dance style. has been researching their 20 members of the Immokalee commu- Albuquerque. Two years later it moved The expert judges for this nity boarded airplanes with Native to “The Pit” at the University of New awesome spectacle were Pawnee Tribal options with Brunswick. in your community? What would you like to This corporation is not only the leading pro- Americans from across the U.S. Their Mexico. This arena was so named member George Shields and Randy see in it? and Would you be interested in destination: the Gathering of Nations in because it was built to resemble a Medicine Bear, Rosebud Sioux. Both ducer of bowling and billiard equipment, but electronic bingo?” the developer of state of the art entertainment Albuquerque, N.M. This small group Pueblo kiva, or underground ceremoni- are renowned and accomplished veter- Executive Administrative Assistant from Immokalee represented only a al chamber. an dancers. complexes. to the President Lois Alvarez introduced Tiger said, “We want to show you few of the Seminole Tribal citizens The Pow-Wow included more Spectators at the two day Cheryl Ann Bolton, who had come to present who participated in this annual event. than 3,000 dancers and singers from event exceeded 150,000 people. what we have encountered and determine the following three things: Would you want this See IMMOKALEE, page 18 In its 22nd year, the Gathering 800 North American Tribes. See GATHERING, page 20 Monthly Tribal Council Meeting Seminole Chosen for Rez Dog Calendar By Iretta Tiger from Tribal members. The homes are on the TAMPA — On May 18, the reservations which cannot be sold to non- By Susan Etxebarria The popular Native American cloth- Seminole Tribal Council held its May meet- Tribal peoples and the homes will be reas- BRIGHTON — Keyah Osceola of ing company was present at the 2004 Tribal ing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & signed to those Tribal citizens on Housing’s Brighton, daughter of Sandy and Kevin Fair featuring their product lines when Mary Casino. waiting list. Osceola, has been selected as one of the 12 DeHass, co-owner with her husband, Keith, Chairman Mitchell Cypress and the Utilities Director Susie models to be featured in the 2006 Rez Dog spotted 18-year-old Osceola. She was Council bid farewell to Councilman Roger Kippenberger gave an update on the 1995 Swimsuit Calendar. All the models are cho- impressed with the young woman’s natural Smith. This was Smith’s last Council meet- conception plan for the Immokalee reserva- sen from Indian Country. beauty and asked her to enter the contest. ing. Smith thanked the Council. tion. The plan is for further development of This will be the first Seminole The 12 models chosen for the Rez The first agenda to be addressed the reservation. Kippenberger also stated woman to be featured in the calendar pro- Dog calendar are judged by a panel of 16 was the tabled item which remained tabled that the Utilities department has modernized duced by the Rez Dog Clothing Company judges not only on physical appearance, but without further comment. Items on the con- the plan. of Norman, Okla. Osceola was picked from also on achievements, education and self-con- sent agenda were in regards to homesite The Council passed the resolution more than 100 applicants. fidence. leases on the Brighton and B.C. reserva- for Utilities to implement the updated ver- “I was shocked,” Osceola said. “I “There’s something special about tions, business leases and business permits. sion of the master plan. never thought something like this would Keyah,” said Mary DeHass in a phone inter- happen. I always wanted to try modeling. It view. “She did a very professional job with her All were passed in one vote. The next Council meeting will be Edy Aubourg An interesting item on the regular on June 17 at the Big Cypress reservation. is nice to represent the Seminole Tribe. I Keyah Osceola portfolio she submitted. I knew when I talked hope it gets bigger from here.” agenda was for the Tribe to buy back homes See CALENDAR, page 15 The Seminole Tribune 2 June 10, 2005 The Supreme Court’s Big Mistake By Dr. Dean Chavers Tribes, she said, under Title 25 USC, Section 465. Tribes cannot © Copyright 2005 simply go out and buy lands on their own; the secretary has to do The Supreme Court has been a friend of Indians for a long it for them. time. The court defended Indian people against the depredations of Justice Ginsburg also asserted a doctrine I don’t ever the racist Andrew Jackson. It has upheld tribal sovereignty for remember hearing before, her definition of “ancient sovereignty.” more than 200 years, through hundreds of treaties and onslaughts Sovereignty, to me, is neither old nor new. It is not applicable or of white settlers. not applicable. But recently it has begun to take another course. With the “The Oneidas,” she asserts, “long ago relinquished the dominance of right wing people on the court, it has taken some reins of government and cannot regain them through open-market decidedly anti-Indian, anti-sovereignty positions. There have been purchases from current title holders.” hunting rights cases, water cases, and jurisdictional cases in the The next step in this process, from her perspective, seems past 20 years where Indians and Tribal sovereignty have clearly to be for non-Indians to buy all Indian lands, thereby dissolving for lost ground. all time the right of tribes to govern themselves. One of the most infamous of these is the recent case of “We now reject the unification theory of OIN and the Sherrill v. Oneida Nation, reported on March 29.