Fight For Justice

On the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Reservation


August 1997

Read from buttom up


August 1997 Two tribal police officers arrested.

Tribal Police officers Koski and Meyer were arrested and will be arranged in Baraga County Court on September 16, 1997. The charges are destruction of property. The officers tore off a bumper and remove a sticker from a car belong to Kim Gauther which said "Fry Fred" a sticker which is a parody of the stickers Fred Dakota supporters have of "Free Fred".


August 1997

EPA is investigating the company that the tribal council hired to tear down the tribal center building. The EPA states that the company did not apply for permits. The asbestos from the tribal center is within legal limits they said.


August, 1997

Fred Dakota's sentencing date has been moved back. Judge Robert Holmes Bell will sentence Fred Dakota at 8:00 a.m. on November 5th in Marquette instead of Grand Rapids on September 30.


August 14, 1997 Tribe to buy Dakota's gas station

The tribal council decided to purchase Dakota's gas station for $500,000.00 in a special meeting today. Dakota then told the council he would return $127,000.00 to the tribe to make up for the money he and Jerrold Polinsky illegally skimmed from the tribes slot machines proceeds. The only appraisal for the value of the property presented to the council was one from Dakota himself. One wonders how come Fred doesn't pay back the enormous attorney fees?


August 1997
Council to keep Dakota as CEO

The council decided to keep Dakota on as CEO of the KBIC even when it goes against the constitution. Boy, what a one way street.


August 1997
Well they did it, the council signed an agreement with the Marquette County Police to have cross deputation. So much for sovereignty.


8-6-97

In a Letter to the Editor of the L'Anse Sentinel

Tribal Constitution?

In a July 30th Sentinel article , Michael Chosa stated that FFJ wanted to change the KBIC constitution which deals with qualifications concerning tribal membership. Chosa continues by reciting Article IT Section I (b) which states "Every child of one-quarter or more Indian blood, born hereafter to any member of the KBIC provided such member is a resident of the reservation at the time of birth of said child, and every child both of whose parents are members of the community".

When talking about qualifications for membership in our tube, Chosa says " IT IS THE LAW" The law he is talking about derives from the KBIC constitution and the KBIC tribal government.

What he doesn't realize is that our tribal government was never a choice of ours. The constitution was never written by our people for our people. Our tribal government was formed as a result of an assimilative U. S, policy called the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The Act was a personal crusade of then Indian Commissioner John Collier to establish constitutional tribal ,Governments under the supervision of the Department of the Interior. He was adamant that Indian Nations realize the benefits of organization under the Indian Reorganization Act and an approved IRA constitutional form of government.

Collier ignored the possibility that Indian Nations might want to exercise their own self determination. He didn't believe that Indians could govern themselves, So instead of self determination for Indian nations, we got the IRA and our tribal constitution.

So you can, see that the KBIC constitution was not created for the preservation and protection of our people It was created for the control and assimilation of our people. One aspect of the KBIC constitution that exemplifies this is Article II Section I (b) This article is used to tell us who we are. We don't need the U S. government, through the IRA, to define who we are and who belongs to us.

I'm sure the U.S. government would consider the Act a success when they see Indian people using tribal constitutions and tribal governments to carry on the United States' policy of assimilation.

Now it doesn't seem so strange to me that Indian people would want to correct this position that was imposed upon us by the U. S, government We don't enjoy true self-determination, We enjoy some modified form of colonialism with improved welfare benefits. All we are asking for is the tight to self-determination, It is as simple as that.

Eddy Michael Edwards (Jondreau)
Anihnabe Nation


August 1997

FFJ 2nd annual Pow-wow was a great success. People came from as far a Alaska to attend

To read a brief summary of FFJ and it's begining read Tina Lam's Detorit Free Press article

Copyright 2001 by Rose Edwards. All Rights Reserved.