National Native News Special Features

Today's feature on National Native news native U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado changes his political affiliation from Democrat to Republican. I'm Nelly more surrounded by Majority Leader Bob Dole and a group of other Republican senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell a Northern Cheyenne made his announcement at a Capitol Hill news conference last Friday. Dan how Multan has the story on the Colorado senator's change in party during his two years as a senator and six years as a member of the U.S. House before that. Campbell has often parted company with Democratic positions. This is how he explained the reasons for his switch to the Republican Party. I have to tell you that no decision has been more difficult for me and I've been involved in a lot of times around here as everybody has. Decisions are not being done out of the effectiveness for impulsiveness anything of the source nor discredit anyone. This last 30 days or I guess more than five weeks on the balanced budget amendment debate. Brought into focus the fact that my personal belief in the Democratic Party are far apart.

As a co-sponsor of the balanced budget amendment. Every time I've been in Congress 30 my house tenure three terms I was absolutely convinced that the present growth of our federal deficit and our debt that it's only a matter of time until we find ourselves in the same financial collapse as Mexico. The difference will be there will be no one there to bail us out. And I believe that if we do collapse that we're going to precipitate an economic disaster like the world has never seen. The balanced budget amendment. I know it's not the total answer to our fiscal problems but at least it would have let Americans be involved in their state legislature as it is now. It's my belief that we've pretty much locked him out. My change of parties does not mean that I will not do my best to continue representing individual Democrats just as I would any other constituent. I've always been a considered a moderate to the consternation of the left wing of the Democratic Party. I imagine my continued modesty will be now to the consternation of the right wing of the Republican Party.

Interestingly enough for years now as many of my Republican friends know I have been invited to cross and join the Republican Party because of that voting record in the last year or so however I've heard more and more invitations from Democrats to cross. They were smiling. In addition to fiscal matters Campbell has opposed Democrat sponsored efforts to drastically reform public land use policies in Colorado and other western states. But Campbell says he's not going to abandon positions he has held as a Democrat. I still remain pro-choice and will continue to do so. I'm still still a supporter of school lunches because that is sometimes the only meal I got when I was a kid. I'm still supportive of many things that the Democrats stand for and if I'm the only voices in my new party to say that I'll continue doing that too Campbell says his background as an impoverished native child an adolescent can help the Republican Party overcome stereotypes that it stands only for the rich and privileged. You know as well as I do that parties tend to take on you know

certain orals and Democrats have been accused of a tax and spend and give away a party. Republicans inversely have been accused of being a party that doesn't care or doesn't care about people that are having tough times their lives. I don't particularly believe this by the way but if anything maybe I can bring a special sensitivity to the party that's been accused of that because I've gone through a lot of times I can remember what I was thinking tomatoes on my knees before I finally got enough money to go to my school and get a better job. I can bring those experiences I think to the table and maybe maybe that will help alleviate some of the accusations that the Republican Party is in for their part Senate Republicans are glad to have Campbell join their ranks. Referring to Campbell's childhood of poverty Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole had this to say. No doubt about it. He's a true American success story no doubt about it. And they write about it and have made it the hard way to serve their country who rose to the top because of

their potential. Now write about them damn Democrat or Republican. And that's what America is all about. We're very proud to have you know a more U.S. senator and Majority Leader Bob Dole commenting on Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party. This report from Deanne Hamilton came from a press conference called by Campbell and Republican Party leaders in Washington D.C. on Friday March 3rd. Our Washington correspondent Joel Southern attended and prepared this report for National Native news. I'm Nelly more national native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. Public. Radio. International. Today's feature on National Native news looting of ancient remains on Martha's Vineyard.

I'm Nellie Moore. Martha's Vineyard is well known as a haven for the rich and famous. But recently a beach on the Massachusetts island has been besieged by pot hunters. Deon Hamilton spoke with Matthew Vander hoop a wampum dog and Natural Resource Director for the tribe who says the problem began several weeks ago when a nearly hysterical woman called him saying she had found a human skull on a beach near the Wampanoag community of gay head. But in a panic she had thrown it into the ocean. So after finding out that she had supposedly thrown the skull into the ocean she went on to let me know where she had found it. And I you know immediately drove up and verified Such was one of my Rangers. We have a ranger service here. So I brought my Ranger along with me just in case we came on any individuals on the beach that may have recovered more of these remains and we did. We came upon an individual who was excavating at the base of these cliffs and we kind of startled him and

told him over there getting in you know and found the site that was directly almost directly above where this press was excavation. He said that he had some of these remains and he had a fanny pack on his side and he opened it up to reveal that he had recovered some rib bones vertebrae and as it turned out a piece of a jawbone tooth intact. That that in itself to me verified that it was a human burial. And when I looked to discover the positioning of this person it also looked like it was a Native American burial and that it was could tell from the way that the spine was showing through this cliff over top of one of the leg bones that it had been buried in a field position.

When we weren't verified and were able to bring in the local authorities to have them but they are part of them and so what happened to this guy who was digging in the cliff was any action taken against. No there hasn't been any action taken against this individual he turned over as the remains. What what I think our purpose here is to make sure that people know that this is something that is prosecutable by law here. So what can you tell us about the remains that were found. How old are they do you know that yet. Well we've established I think a preliminary date of being from the early sixteen hundred. There was some. Some objects in there pieces of flint. That that led to believe that that would be the date you know and what if this person had existed. They haven't been carbon dated yet they're going through that process. They have initiated that process where they

can establish when this person was living it and then go through their inventory process and return them to massive door commission where we will be brought back into the picture being the federal tribe in the area and we will re-enter them in our burial ground. Well tonight people have occupied this island for thousands of years and I think as as these places develop we're going to have more in the burial ground. This place is a highly popular spot for people to come and make their home. And it's my belief that that we will run in more and more of that and the need to make the public more aware of the proper protocol when they do come across these areas here and they demand to see the the State of the art preservation office becomes involved when these events take place.

We have applied to gain funding to help us in training for some of our people here so that we can push ourselves as the local authority with the with the cases that can take that authority from the State of the art preservation office and put it back put it back here with the tribe where it belongs. Specially here on the island. Matthew Vander hoop director of natural resources for the Wampanoag tribe on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. Of the. Internet. Today's feature on National Native news a critical examination of the photographic history of Native America. I'm Deon Hamilton. Photographers have been capturing

native people on film for years. Our understanding of the past is often shaped by these snapshots but photographs of Native Americans in the late 19th century were sometimes staged by white photographers who depicted them in a stereotypical manner. Some of these photos are on display at the Mint Museum in Charlotte North Carolina. In an exhibit called partial recall Suzanne Stevens has a report on the exhibit at the Mint museums partial recall exhibit is filled with photos that may look historical If you're not familiar with Native American history. There are natives on horseback dressed in full regalia tepees and plenty of spears and guns. Mark Leach is curator of 20th century art at the mint. He says partial recall is an attempt to expose the myth. The photographs propagate photographs of course back in the 19th century were often understood as as documents of truth. And so when you look at photographs such as ones that are contained in the show particularly the early historical

images you begin to see very subtle conceits that exist and in fact some of the photographs literally expose the conceits that is to say that. Indians were made or invited to stage certain kinds of activities in front of the camera. And it's those activities that have been popularized often times activities that would not be a part of their day to day existence. Roxanne Lippert is a Lumbee and special events coordinator at the Mint Museum. She says some of the photographs and partial recall are disturbing. This looks like a trading post to me. It looks like they set up a team and there are several native men with guns pointed at a black man they've got tied up and they have the native people set up that they're holding them with bow and arrows and shotguns and spears and a gun held at his hand it's a very unsettling photograph.

The picture is not a true representation of Native American life in the late 1800s says Valle Carter Carter is a Lumbee and head of Charlotte's American Indian Heritage Council. He gets angry about the misinformation perpetuated by the staged photos and worries the pictures are viewed by some as historical. You do have some things that maybe cause your blood. In terms of well that's not exactly the way that was that was staged obviously. The photographer what had to gain a certain amount from it. They had their purpose. The stereotypical photographs and partial recall are not that different from many seen in school history books according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Indian education coordinator Rosa Winfrey. Winfrey also Lumbee believes photographers often tried to further the stereotype of Native Americans as vicious savages. I think many times photographer for years had a view of who we were in they set out to prove it rather than ask an

Indian people about what our view is or was at that time. And it's it's kind of a depiction of Indians and not of tribes. None of them are very tribal specific. What it does for me tells me that Indian people really have to get involved in telling their own story. That's exactly what partial recall tries to do. Three native for TOG refers works are included to show contemporary Native life from a native perspective for Touggourt for Jolene Rickard is a Tuscarora living in New York. Her pictures are in sharp contrast to those of the white photographers. The Picture Show native family smiling and interacting and others working the land farming or fishing. One of the most vital movements that's going on in the area of Indian self-expression today is the area of photography and I might mention that

there's no end of a really interesting kind of visual voice coming from Indian country. That's the official voice about what our experience is all about. I mean photography is actually a dissection of time. It's a glimpse of a moment in time partial recall is on display at the Mint Museum of Art through March 12th for National Native news in Charlotte North Carolina. I'm Suzanne Stephens National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news an exhibit of photographs that attempts to explore Lumbee culture. I'm Nelly more vintage photographs are an important part of any culture's historical documentation. They allow people to see their ancestors and

how the culture has changed over the years. The lobby of North Carolina have lacked such a historical compilation that is until recollections Lumbee heritage. It's a photography exhibit on display at the Mint Museum in Charlotte that attempts to tell the history of the tribe that has been struggling for years to attain federal recognition WFA East Suzanne Stevens reports National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. Today's feature on National Native news the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee begins serious consideration of reorganizing the Bureau of Indian Affairs. I'm Nelly more. When Arizona Republican John McCain recently took over as chairman

of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee he put reform of the BFI a at the top of his agenda. He's a longtime critic of the history of paternalism and poor management in Washington D.C. Wednesday McCain held his first hearing on a reorganization. He said the same kinds of suggestions about how to make the agency more responsive to tribes have been debated since the 1920s and he said there's been enough talk. It's time to put an end to the string of federal failures to give Indian tribes the keys to a better future by providing the authority directly to the tribes to design both the structure and function of a trustee the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It's time to heed the message of the last 70 years by breaking down the barriers to true tribal self-governance and self-determination. And let me assure you I'm prepared to be the hammer. McCain says his guide will be a set of recommendations drawn up by the joint tribal be-I a a. Department task force that has been meeting for the past few years. Despite that work the BIA a put forth its own streamlining proposal that proved to be

controversial. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt assistant secretary for Indian Affairs Ada dir and other bureau officials got an earful from tribes during recent talks held across the country. So Babbitt told the committee he wants to talk with tribes and Congress about where to go from here. And I have in fact instructed them to withdraw the proposal. To put it on the shelf for the balance of this session of the Congress. And in a fact to clear the field. For myself and Mike Anderson in the beyond to work with this committee and to invoke your good offices in a triangular discussion among the committee the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Indian country to see if we can move toward a consensus framework which would be to the extent that you considered appropriate reflected in legislation Babbitts as answers to some lingering reorganization questions may work themselves out has the Interior Department proceeds

with self determination and self governance contracting. Congress expanded the self-governance program last year and interior recently issued a list of additional programs tribes can contract for. Acknowledging the poor track record Babbitt also wants to hand over management of tribal trust funds. And I would hope that as a priority item this year we could move toward legislation which would in concept say the fall for those tribes that want federal trust fund administration the Department of the Treasury is the appropriate place to put those funds. As mandated by legislation for those tribes want to administer their own trust funds they should have that option. While that's welcome news to tribes Babbitt may face opposition for his stand on means testing or adjusting the amount of funding tribes receive based on how well off they are. I personally think that that's appropriate in the dispersement of federal funds and it's a discussion that that ought to be given.

But tribal leaders are skeptical about means testing and so are some members of the Indian Affairs Committee Vice Chairman Daniel in a way says it may violate the federal government's treaty obligations to tribes. Another big worry for tribal leaders is whether money saved by streamlining will be used to reduce the federal budget deficit. Chairman Ron Allen of the Jamestown tribe in Washington state says that would be paralyzing tribes that are already underfunded. What we are asking is that the Congress recognize as we advance forward proposals that allow us to restructure the BFI so that its services are are better renters of the tribal governments are more effectively administered and structured that that those resources are are preserved than any cost savings that are that are identified. Any restructuring savings that are identified that those savings need to be transferred to the tribes that have generated that may be a tough fight for tribes as fiscally conservative Republican leaders of Congress look to cut federal spending everywhere they can for

National Native news. I'm Nelly more.