PABLO, MONTANA 59855 ISSN: 0528 8592
VOLUME 10MMBB?*
RJU MOON OF WE GOOSE FUGHT
MARCH IS, W
Char-Koosta finally gets to cover a big conference...
Flathead Reservation to host Affiliated Tribes
The Tribal Council announces that the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNWI) will be holding their 1981 spring conference on the Flathead Reservation March 16, 17 and 18, at the Kicking Horse Job Corps Center.
The conference theme is "Question: Assimiliation or Sovereignty? Time to Choose!" Topics on the tentative agenda include aging, CETA,education and toxic wastes. Interior Secretary James
Watt has been invited to attend and speak, as well; no confirmation on this as yet.
ATNWI represents over twenty tribes in the northwest U.S. and is considered the strongest political bloc in the National Congress of American Indians. Some thirty delegates are expected to attend.
Registration for the three-day meeting will be held all day Monday. Everyone is
welcome to attend (any tribal member can join the organization and enjoy voting privileges by paying the $5 dues) and' all CSKT department heads are urged to attend those meetings which concern their sphere of operations or seem especially interesting.
Lunch will be available each day at a cost $2.50. A free community dinner will be served Tuesday evening at the St. Ignatius Community Center; a powwow follows.
Council votes to employ themselves one day a week
Among the many debates at the Feb. 26 regular council meeting was whether or not councilmen should work full-time. After one talk-fest in the morning and further discussion just before adjournment at 5:00, it was decided that each councilman can put in one day a week "preparatory" time at his own discretion. Guidelines will be worked out by the Administration Committee.
The one-day-a-week motion was a compromise for St. Ignatius representative Noel Pichette's contention that having all ten councilmen on board every day would be a plus for the membership. Pablo district's Vic Stinger maintained that the Tribes couldn't afford all of them "stumbling around all the time", especially to the tune of an extra $8,200 a year per man. Poison's E.W. Morigeau felt he was too busy to work full-time, but he thought a day or two a week on salary would help himself and the others keep abreast of current issues, most notably water rights.
Joe McDonald of Ronan supported the limited work week
for follow-up purposes. He noted, too, that as part-time workers, the councilmen could enjoy a few fringe benefits, like sick and annual leave, and such "years in service" benefits could be carried over whenever a councilman should find himself a member of the regular tribal work force.
(Continued on page 11)
Inside this issue
School Breakfast Program.......................Page 3
SKCC News..................................page 5
"Letter to the Editor'*..........................page $
Flathead Culture Committee.....................pQge 7
"Around the Camp fire".......................page jq
Social Services regs, part two....................page 75
Council Minutes..............................page /7
