1985-03-19 Char-Koosta News

              CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Saiish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13 NUMBER 23
THE MONTH OF THE GEESE
MARCH 19, 1985
Three state legislators initiate meeting with Tribal Council
For the first time in recent memory *, some of the Reservation's representatives to the state legislature met with the Tribal government to ask about Indian concerns.
Representative Ray Harbin (St. Ignatius), and Senators Ethel Harding (Poison) and Dick Pinsoneault (St
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
Ignatius) met with the Tribal Council in Pablo on the morning of March 1. Pinsoneault had made the request for time on the agenda
AH three noted that well over 1,000 laws had been proposed during the legislature's first 45 days of work. Of particular interest to the Tribes, Harbin supposed, would be progress reports on education, highway improvement, streambed access and Flathead Lake's pollution problems. Harding and Pinsoneault added to that list state support of the Job Corps program, weed control, water rights, and unused state lands on reservations.
Pinsoneault said daily progress re-
ports about all of the proposed bills were available on a computer. Access is through each bill's number or its sponsor's name. (The Tribes' legal offices house a computer that monitors both state and federal actions.)
Jim Steele (Arlee) asked that someone look into how the Montana High School Association was managed, in light of Two Eagle's recent problems with it. (See the story on page 5.)
Ron Therriault (St. Ignatius) asked Senator Harding if she had heard any negative remarks about the Tribal government, about its stand on conservation, for example. She said she hadn't.
(Concludes on page two)
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Public invited to learn about clear - cuts
Nobody, except maybe loggers, likes clear - cuts. They wreck wildlife habitat, contribute to erosion and just plain look ugly.
Unfortunately, they're said to be the most effective way of controlling certain timber diseases. When root rot strikes, for example, it's often a case of cut the trees down now while they can be used for lumber, or wait and watch them blow down or burn up later.
Clear - cutting and other forestry matters will be headlining the agenda
of the March 22 Council meeting. BIA Forestry has arranged a presentation for 10 am to inform the Tribal Council and the public about mistletoe, root rot and the visual impact of clear - cutting.
All Tribal members interested in the Reservation's forest resource - and that should be everyone because it contributes so much to the quality of life here - are urged to attend the meeting:! 0 am., Friday, March 22, in the Council chambers (on the groundfloor of the two - story annex) in Pablo.
Next district meeting: March 27. See page two for details.