1977-06-15 Char-Koosta News

              VOLUME  7 NUMBER 4        NEW MOON OF THE SERVICEBERRY JUNE 15, 1977
Ronan-Pablo District Meeting Held
A combined District Meeting for the Ronan/Pablo area showed a healthy majority of those voting supported a Council Water and Power Committee's action to reject a money offer by Montana Power Company. Fifteen people wanted MPC power lines to bypass the Reservation. Four wanted to negotiate. Others declined to vote. Although it started out small, about 35 people attended the meeting by the end.
Experts hired by the Tribe figured it would save Montana Power Company $10  million  dollars to  route two
500,000 kilovolt lines through a designed Tribal Primitive Area on the South Fork of the Jocko rather than bypassing the Reservation. The Council's Water and Power Committee voted to turn down MPC's offer of $1 million dollars initially and $200,000 annually for 50 years plus an alternate offer   of  $300,000  for  50  years.
One person expressed the opinion that if they went around the Bison Range, they can go around our primitive area. Many of the prople felt the offer was simply not enough. Councilman E.W. Morigeau claimed up to 24
miles of tribal land may be involved if settlement is made with Pack River. He felt a higher price could be negotiated.Ken Dupuis, of BIA Forestry, questioned whether the timbered land had been valued highly enough. He also noted that winding access and maintenance roads on the steep mountain could make a lot of land outside the right of way useless. He felt past power lines had practically been given away when compared with the production value of the land.
continued
4 th of July Celebration Draws Nearer
"This years 79th annual 4th of July Pow Wow will be bigger and better than ever." The Flathead Reservation Wide Pow Wow Committee has full control of this year's pow wow organization, and says that many improvements are being made to insure that our celebration is the best in the west. This is the second year under the Pow Wow Committee's direction, and they say they learned alot from last year's mistakes.
This 4th of July Celebration will include more prize money for the contests; an easier time schedule so that everyone may enjoy all the aspects of the celebration; a larger, newly remodeled dance pavilion; more food concessions and arts & crafts booths; and exhibitions of traditional dances that are being revived.
The five day celebration this year will honor "Blind Mose" Chouteau, who played a major part in helping the Pow Wow Committee revive some of the old dances and songs. Mose was not blind during boyhood. He gradually lost his sight after an eye injury at age 11. By age 25 he was totally blind. But, this did not stop him from being head drummer for 36 years. The Char-Koosta published his life's story last year in the July 1, 1976, issue.)
Some of the elders have been practicing songs for the revival of five or six dances. Agnes and Louise Vanderburg have been teaching some of the young girls the "Scalp Dance." The "Scalp Dance" was performed by the women, who were dressed in men's clothing. After battles the men would return to camp with the scalps, which were tied on the end of a stick. The dance symbolizes the victory in battle, Johnny Arleee says that the symbol applys to today as well as yesterday, because many people have won hard fought battles, one of the biggest is alcohol today.
A Kootenai Sub-Committee from Elmo has been working on the "Prairie Chicken" and the "Coffee" dances. Basil Lefthand, Madelyn Couture, Mary Lefthand and Sarah Bufton are committee members.
The "Hoop Dance" will be featured along with many other intertribal exhibition dances. Those performing the "Hoop Dance" will receive $25 for their part in the exhibition dancing.
Raffle tickets and Pow Wow booster buttons are still on sale, and may be purchased from any Pow Wow Committee member. Raffle prizes include a buffalo robe, beaded moccasins, pendleton blankets, shawls, and other various bead work andgifts.