1988-03-09 Char-Koosta News

              %gosta 0\[ezus
A news -publication of the Salish and'Kootenai Truies
of the JiatheadIndian Reservation
VOLUME 16, NUMBER 42
THE MONTH OF THE GEESE
Chief Koostatah of the Kootenai MARCH 9, 1988
Cutters' meeting: Complaints, a bit of praise; second meeting set
PABLO — Two dozen or so post-and-pole cutters met with four Council members and an attorney March 1 to discuss taxes and other issues.
Tribal attorney Tom Acevedo said the Tribes' position with regards to the tax issue was to keep a low profile and have people available in Pablo to answer questions on an individual basis.
At issue were the elements of Ordinance 61A, which is currently being
If)
2 ©
reviewed by the attorney staff, according to Ronan councilman Bob McCrea.
A lot of the discussion concerned non-members spouses and whether or not they should be allowed to benefit from the Tribal timber resource — an issue with constitutional aspects.
A particular bone of contention was a situation where a non-member and his enrolled wife received a BIA business grant to set up a small logging company. Post-and-polers, on the other hand, can't get help from either the BIA or Tribal Credit because that type of wood harvesting isn't considered a legitimate business, someone asserted.
The Dixon pole yard's policies and new sawmill were criticized, too. Cutters complained about shut-down times and the prices paid for raw material.
"I'm here to officially ask for a raise," Rio Liberty (Dixon) stated, only half joking. Some felt that everyone but the cutters were benefitting from the expansion. Others questioned the yard's relationship with Teton West, an out-of-state customer.
On the positive side, several cutters had praise for the yard's new computerized sorting machine. One man said he's making $30-50 more a load, thanks to the system's efficiency.
"There have been some improvements," yard manager Aaron Jones said. "Give us a chance. This year's raw-material budget is about $1 million, the most it's ever been, almost three times more than last year's $350,000 allocation."
(Continues on page seven)
Hi
s
ì
O
0 oq
2
Memorial youth conference is this Friday
The fifth annual Antoine "Stoney" Curley Memorial Youth Conference is set for this Friday (March 11), beginning at 9 a.m. Special guests at this year's drug-and-alcohol abuse prevention conference will be the "Blackfeet Youth Alliance" group. Presentations by the Tribal Health Department's Alcohol Program are also planned, as is dinner at 5 p.m., followed by war dancing. It all takes place at the St. Ignatius community center, free-of-charge.
For more information, call Marie Torosian at 406/745-2747, or Rob Sands at 406/676-2770.