Kelly Smith, Fond du Lac Anishinabe, an organizer and spokesperson for Fond
du Lac's Camp Truth
Unlike our detractors, Camp Truth is not at this time alleging criminal
activity on anyone's part. Our purpose is to insure that Fond du Lac
citizens have input into the decisions which affect their lives and those
of future generations. This is our inherent right, a right recognized by
treaties, federal law and the constitution of the six-reservation Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe (MCT), which guaranteed our rights under the US
Constitution.
Camp Truth began after the RBCV defied the (MCT) Constitution by
refusing to call an election on a referendum petition signed by well over
the required 1/5 of all eligible voters on the reservation. The petition
would require a referendum vote on all current and future projects costing
over $400,000 -- hardly a revolutionary change, but one which threatens the
RBC's dictatorial control over our millions of dollars. It should be noted
that some of the five men on the RBC sit in office with fewer votes that
the 269 signatures we obtainied on the petition.
The RBC does not have the right to pick and choose referenda it
will allow, but it based its rationale on a previously unknown 1995
constitutional interpretation by the MCT's Tribal Executive Committee
(TEC). Camp Truth informed the TEC that the interpretation was illegal and
rendered a referendum process meaningless, and the TEC responded by
rescinding "Constitutional Interpretation#9-95."
The dispute should have ended there. Instead, however, the RBC
again denied the petition at an Aug. 15 meeting and once more refused to
release what should be public financial records, despite assurances to the
contrary.
On Aug. 19, Camp Truth began to picket and blockade the site of a
planned $10 million tribal administration center to enforce tribal law and
defend our constitutional rights. We stood in the path of bulldozers and
other heavy equipment to force a delay on construction until the RBC puts
the matter to a vote of the people. To their credit, local police failed
to carry out threats to arrest us. As we made clear, state law enforcement
has no jurisdiction to intervene in our internal affairs, particularly when
we are acting as a sovereign people to uphold our own law.
If anyone truly believes our actions have played a role in recent
threats and acts of violence, we ask them to consider which "side" is
desperate enough to resort to such despicable acts and who has attempted to
expoit the incidents for their own benefit. Camp Truth will support any
call for the FBI investigation into these incidents, which have created a
climate of fear on the reservation.
To make any intelligent financial decision on our reservation's
progress, we must know the financial status of the reservation. Imagine,
if you will, waking up one fine morning to find that you have spent close
to fifty million dollars on building projects without public hearing or any
informational review on these projects. There was never even a
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the current construction project.
Also imagine looking into the eyes of some of our peole who have no
homes, very little to eat, and inadequate clothing with a long, hard winter
in front of them. Projects are fine, but people come first. This has
always been our way.
In regard to per-capita payments, for the record, enrolled members
of this band have received two payments of $1500 since the casinos were
opened, This is not a regular or yearly occurrence, but generally happens
before an election.
This payment is also given to RBC members, in addition to their
yearly salary. We do not know what our RBC members are paid. Our best
guess is that their salaries range from $60,000 to $125,000, but we have no
way of confirming this and the secretary treasurer refuese to divulge the
public information.
Camp Truth regrets that some fond du Lac construction workers are
temporarily laid off because of the RBC's refusal to schedule a referendum
vote. But to compromise on the referendum process would deprive all of us
of one of our only avenues to keep the RBC from steamrolling over all of
our rights with our own money.
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Note of clarification: there are seven Ojibwe Reservations in Minnesota.
The six-reservation Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is comprised of White Earth,
Leech Lake, Bois Forte, Milles Lac, Grand Portage and Fond du Lac. The Red
Lake Nation is one of the two 'closed' reservations in the USA (the other
is the Dine or Navajo Nation) and is a sovereign nation in itself.
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Bernard J. Rock, Sr.
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society
North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans
Outreach and Resource Center