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| 3/28/2008 8:19:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Police and emergency officials carry hoses toward a crowd gathered in front of the William Wildcat Tribal Center in Lac du Flambeau Wednesday afternoon, while those who entered the center earlier that morning were loaded into a police transport vehicle.
Nathan Bortz photo |
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| Nathan Bortz photo
A protester stands in front of the William Wildcat Tribal Center in Lac du Flambeau early Wednesday morning five hours after tribal members entered the tribal center. |
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Lac du Flambeau standoff ends peacefully
It took more than 15 hours, 10 law enforcement agencies and many attempts at reaching an agreement before members of the Lac du Flambeau tribe surrendered their ground within the William Wildcat Tribal Center Wednesday afternoon.
The surrender came after 10 members of a group calling themselves the "Ginews" (The Golden Eagles) forced entry into the building shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning and demanded their terms be met.
According to tribal council member Tom Maulson, terms were reached between the Ginews and tribal leaders regarding the request for a forensic audit of all tribal activities for the past eight years.
"I can confirm that the members of the tribe have exited the room within the tribal center," Lac du Flambeau tribal police captain Robert Brandenburg said just minutes after the surrender.
"They did come to some sort of terms and we have all 10 members of the group in custody. It was peaceful and there were no acts of violence. There were no weapons involved."
Law enforcement, fire and ambulance service and emergency personnel from many northern counties, cities and townships assisted the Vilas County Sheriff's Department and tribal police throughout the day.
In addition to law enforcement officers from throughout the Northwoods, four members of the Bureau of Indian Affairs regional office located in Ashland were also present. Nedra Darling, a spokeswoman for the Department of Interior for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said the bureau is glad the issue was resolved peacefully.
"We were aware of the situation and dispatched agents and are happy to see that things ended peacefully," Darling said.
A call to the governor's office in Madison revealed the governor was aware of the takeover, but had not released a statement as of Wednesday afternoon.
The 10 men and women who conducted the takeover of the center were arrested and transported to Vilas County jail where they were held prior to their intake hearings Thursday morning.
Patience between angry tribal members and the administration of the Lac du Flambeau tribe had been wearing thin in recent weeks, and early Wednesday morning, that thin line broke as members forced entry into the tribal center and declared a takeover of tribal government.
Allegations of governmental corruption, mismanagement of tribal funds and the tribe's bond agreement is what has angered many tribal members.
According to sources, tribal land, including that in which the tribal casino currently resides, has been put up as collateral to gain operating funds. Maulson said this goes directly against tribal and governmental policy regarding trust land.
The day's events
Shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Ginews forced entry into the tribal center.
Once inside the building, they destroyed all keyed entry locks and chained doors closed to prevent those on the outside from gaining access.
A Lake of the Torches Casino security guard was patrolling the parking lot and noticed the individuals entering the building. The guard then notified law enforcement, which arrived shortly thereafter.
Angry tribal members began gathering around the center as early at 2 a.m. after word began spreading via cell phone calls and door-to-door knocks within the community.
Brandenburg arrived on the scene and broke a window with an axe to gain entry into the health center.
Once inside, he said the group was in the tribal council room, which was dead-bolted shut.
Officers were able to gain access to the council room, however, once inside discovered the Ginews had moved to another room.
According to phone conversations between tribal members on the inside and those outside the building, members of law enforcement forcefully attempted to enter the room where the Ginews had barricaded themselves, but were unsuccessful.
"We did try to force entry, but pulled back after those inside stated there were elders at the door," Brandenburg said. "We did not want to hurt anyone."
Tribal vice president Dee Ann Mayo was informed of the takeover shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. She, along with tribal president Victoria Doud and other tribal council members, spent the majority of the day attempting to negotiate terms with the Ginews.
"We all wanted this to be resolved without having to get law enforcement involved," Mayo said. "It's a shame it had to come to this."
At the request of members inside the tribal center, Vilas County chief deputy Joe Fath was asked to begin negotiations with the group shortly before he had arrived on the scene.
Upon his arrival and throughout the morning, Fath attempted to negotiate a surrender, but to no avail.
Tribal council members Tom Maulson, Jerome "Brooks" Big John and Muriel Fralick pleaded with law enforcement to allow them access to the center to help with the negotiations, which police eventually did later in the day.
Maulson, Big John and Fralick have been a vocal part of the contingent who are speaking out against the current leadership within the tribal government.
According to Mayo, once members of the council were inside, attempts to reach an agreement with the group were again unsuccessful.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) arrived on scene at approximately noon Wednesday as part of the Ginews' requested terms.
This happened while representatives from the Ginews were refusing to negotiate with Doud. The Ginews had demanded that the BIA act as the negotiating party between the two sides, which according to Fralick, wasn't about to happen.
Once all tribal officials were inside the center, the BIA said they would not act as a mediator between the two sides until those locked within the employment center were arrested and in custody.
At that time, Mayo confirmed that bureau officials said they would sit with the council and discuss the issues at an agreed upon location.
Fralick echoed those comments as well, but was disgusted with the fact the BIA would not mediate when asked.
"We call [the BIA] for help and all they do is show up and tell us they're not going to do anything," Fralick said after exiting the center.
"They just expect us to sit down with those people and try to work things out, which has been proven time and time again to go nowhere. What is it going to take?"
The Ginews, which, according to sources, were comprised of both native and non-native tribal and community members, remained steadfast throughout the day with their demands. However, according to Fralick, it wasn't until the BIA announced their stance that negotiations hit a standstill.
Tension outside the tribal center continued to build throughout the day and boiled over at one point according to Marla Eades.
Eades, along with her three children and one niece, said they were maced by tribal policeman Dan Rice after they checked an access door on the building to see if it was locked. The girls were at the time conducting a ceremonial tribal song and dance.
"After we checked the door, we turned around and the next thing I know, my niece is on the ground next to me holding her face and screaming," Eades said.
Eades also said her niece was transported by ambulance to Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff after being maced by Rice.
Word was received within the employment center in regards to the law enforcement actions outside which prompted the lowering of the terms of the Ginews. Shortly after, the resolution between the tribal government and Ginews was reached.
The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Office have agreed to look into the situation.
Ginews' demands
In a statement released to the public Wednesday morning, the Ginews stated the following:
"On this day, March 26, 2008, we declare that these people will no longer have the right to represent the members of this great Ojibwa Nation.
"We have secured the Tribal Center in a sincere effort to force the changes that are necessary to ensure a future for us and the coming generations."
The statement recognized the placement of an "interim government" that had "taken the reins of this tribe until a constitutional convention" takes place.
"The group is announcing the removal of Victoria Doud, Dee Ann Mayo, Gerry (Weeders) Brown, Carl Edwards, Julie Valliere, John Brown and Louis St. Germaine due to misconduct and gross disregard for the Lac du Flambeau constitution."
Those within the employment center conveyed their thoughts and demands via numerous phone conversations.
"This is not the route we wanted to take, but our former government has left us no choice," Brandon Thoms, one of those embedded within the center, said. "We have exhausted all other efforts and we've gotten nowhere. This was our last effort."
According to Rhonda Snow, who was also locked down inside the tribal center, electricity and heat supplies were cut to the center shortly after the group gained access Wednesday morning.
"We did turn off lights as part of our strategic procedures," Brandenburg said. "But we did not cut power to any part of the community center."
Demands for a peaceful surrender also included a full disclosure of all tribal investments within the last eight years for a forensic audit, a freeze on all tribal government spending, reform of the tribal constitution, the removal of all current members of the tribal justice and police systems and amnesty for those within the building who were responsible for the takeover.
Rumors of a casino shutdown had swirled early in the morning Wednesday, but a press release from Bill Guelcher, CEO for the Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino, said that was not and will not be the case.
"In light of the recent events in the Lac du Flambeau community, Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino management would like to assure its guests and the general public that it remains open and operating," Guelcher said.
Another failed meeting
At a regularly schedule meeting of the tribal council Tuesday afternoon, council members had again attempted to discuss several issues that eventually spilled over into the takeover, but reached no agreements.
"They think they can keep hiding the truth, but sooner or later, the truth is going to come out," Maulson said. "I don't care who it is, but someone's going to jail for what's been done."
No date for the audit or other events was set as of press time.
Doug Etten can be reached via email at detten@lakelandtimes.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008
Article comment by:
Lesley
Ldf~ you people have a beautiful reservation. I hope you can resolve the issues. I always said~ if I could live any other place in Wisconsin ....it would be Lac du Flambeau.
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008
Article comment by:
ken bigjohn
If there is a news organization that will pursue this confrontation to it's conclusion, I have full confidence in the Lakeland Times. Keep up your excellent reporting.
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