Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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A group calling themselves "Indian Motorcyle Group," or "Indian Motorcyle Group Office of Indian Affairs." Their President and Vice President, or the individuals heading up that organization, are Tom Sunderland and Branscombe Richmond. This motorcycle group, as their symobl, have the words "chieftan" and the depiction of "an Indian with a warbonnet on it (chief)." They are trying to patent and trademark those symbols.

This group is not Indian, and are in many lawsuits by various Indian Tribes and organizations to not use those symbols. Now, this group are saying they are Indian and have the right to those symbols. They were in Palm Springs this past October at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) trying to be a part of the NCAI.

During this conference, the NCAI passed a resolution that they do not endorse or support this so called "Indian Motorcyle Group." In December of 1999, this organization gifted the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) with $2,000 to support scholarships for our students. The gift was accepted.

Now, I find out that there is an article in the recent issue of "News from Indian Country" today about the Motorcycle Group and their gift of $2,000 to the IAIA that conveys the message that our President, Della C. Warrior, supports them and endorses them. That is Unprofessional, unethical and totally incorrect. It is wrong.

The IAIA will be returning the gift of $2,000 back to the these group and will begin dialogue with "News from Indian Country Today" about their lack of professionalism and unethical behavior regarding the IAIA. As a public newsletter whose mission I thought was to bring awareness to Indian people of political, legal, tribal, general and human rights information to create and support tribal soveriegnty, economic and tribal governance initiatives to improve the lives of Indian people is, apparently, wrong.

The IAIA never gave "News from Indian Country Today" the permission to print such a story, and never stated words wherein the IAIA supports this group. The IAIA will be sending a "broadcast fax" to all tribal governments, the National Congress of American Indians, the American Indian College Fund, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the Native American Legal Rights Fund, the Council for Energy Resource Tribes, and the National Indian Education Association regarding the unprofessional and unethical actions of Tom Sunderland and Branscombe Richmond of the Indian Motorcyle Group and News from Indian Country Today. I refuse to have the IAIA treated with such disrespect and have the IAIA be used to promote individuals' personal agendas and be the target of any organization's political foothold into an arena where they do not belong.