If we examine the Treaty of 1854, nowhere does it say the state of Minnesota, its counties, a reservation business committee, or the tribal executive committee shall preside over Leech Lake.

When the treaty was signed, it was through family deliberation, by which the clan chiefs related their feeling into the grand council. This was our heritage.

When the US Government decided to change our inherent rights of a democratic process, they gave us the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) excuse of a constitution. Had we retained our original form of political machine, we would have had our original judiciary and legislative body. Remember this, the Iroquois confederacy was the basis upon which the earliest foreigners designed their constitution of the US. That was a new idea to them. Their only reference to the past is their retention of one being the "king of his castle."

Examining the IRA constitution, it doesn't specify any articles of human rights, nor much of anything else except blood quantum, elections and the authority of the Reservation Business Committee (RBC). Its design allows whomever thought of it first to interpret it to fit their whimsical attitudes. Much of it began in the 1964 Tupper-Howard era and since then the Minnesota Ojibwe has been put into intensive care under the biggest conspiracy to defraud a nation by inflicting its deadly tentacles of corruption into its people.

Who can change it? I would say that the eighty percent who are unemployed, who never get much of any benefits can change it. You have the voting power to support the changes. Loyalists and those afraid of losing their jobs and homes make up the other twenty percent. Of these, trying to retain their power in a dying government, they commit acts which do not personify the actions and desire of the masses.

If we retain this interim government, we could have many representatives but at least twelve to fourteen, as now. We could specify in job description forms, the guidelines for being a representative. This could be the lawmaking body baseed on the needs of the people regarding checks and balances. No more whimsical negative attitudes toward anyone seeking benefits, no prejudice against families, communities. More small businesses in communities.

For example, Highway 46 between Deer River and Northome, my community, could utilize, manage and maintain an Ojibwe motel and family restaurant. Millions of dollars go through here annually with fishing, hunting, trucking and snowmobiling clubs. There would hardly ever be a lull in business and probably more business than we could handle. There are a couple of other money makers there as well.

There needs to be a better family healthcare center, a hospice, treatment and aftercare centers on each reservation seeking aid to dry up the Ojibwe nation. Most heinous crimes, criminal vehicular homicides, and suicides are committed under the influence. It's a proven fact.

In order to retain our sovereignty we need to re-educate ourselves to be fluent in the Ojibwe language. Our language makes up our cultural identity. We let it die and we lose our landbase, everthing we might regain in our united efforts.

We are one of the poorest groups in the land of the free. Why? There are many reasons why. Our right to banish and stricken people from the tribal rolls could be one alternative revision of a tribal law practiced by the Ojibwe in traditional times. We must find a way to prevent theft and eliminate greed and abuse of authority in our leadership and workplaces.

Anishinabe Ojibwe, I'm putting it to you to work together and put aside all the suspicions and walls isolating us from other tribal members on all seven Ojibwe reservations of Minnesota. We all have relatives on other reservations. We can no longer afford the separation.

I represent the families in my community serving on the local council as vice chairman, as a representative of my community on the interim government. I believe in our chairman's leadership. We must again have a responsible leadership, accountable to those who believe in the democratic process. We are the majority who want this. We wish to have this for our children and grandchildren forever.

In its place we have convicted felons -- a derelict government -- representing us for funding purposes. I don't know how you feel about this but it would seem that funding agencies are particular about whom they fund. In this case proven crooks are very detrimental to the honesty of the majority. They must step aside and allow us to heal and restore our government.

In the days of the Community Action Program a young man, a VISTA worker found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow at Leech Lake Reservation.

We have elected a chairman for our reservation who will not be corrupted by greed for money; who will not need a VISTA worker to write his reports to the people.

I am an elder of the Leech Lake Reservation, very much ashamed of what happened on our reservation.

I repeat what Si Howard say -- enough is enough.

way way nee sha nah

WE DO HAVE A VOICE!!!!

Bernard J. Rock, Sr
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society

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