FROM THE ARCHIVE

Facebook Twitter Email
In The Hoop
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2002

Welcome to In The Hoop, Indianz.Com's occasional column about assorted Indian issues.

Another Day, Another Delay So what has Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb been doing for the past four months when it comes to the recognition of the Chinook Nation of Washington?

Absolutely nothing, if you ask Chinook representatives. But according to Bureau of Indian Affairs spokesperson Nedra Darling, McCaleb has been really busy and just wants to make sure the tribe's petition gets a thorough review.

That's why he's asked yet another person to look at the decision former Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover made that fateful January 2001 day. (That was when Bureau of Acknowledgment and Research (BAR) Chief Lee Fleming was smiling for the cameras but was so "upset" with the recognition that he had to write a memo about it.)

"What's wrong with more?" said Darling when asked why McCaleb can't seem to make a ruling on time. "[More] is good."

If you ask Gover, though, the BAR staff doesn't deserve any more chances. Like a lot of tribal foes, he wants the BIA stripped of its recognition duties.

"They've been at it for 25 years and they haven't met a deadline," he said in a scornful tone.

Ring Ring Ring Ha Ha Hey
Speaking of more, can residents of the Vinton Parish in Louisiana stop calling the BIA's Office of Public Affairs?

It seems a local paper published the aforementioned Nedra Darling's telephone number in an article about the Jena Band of Choctaws's proposed casino. That's the one McCaleb is supposed to make a decision really soon now even though he's been away from his office all week.

Darling said her office appreciates the shout-out (most callers support the tribe, she observed), but pointed out that comments should be directed to the George Skibine at the Office of Indian Gaming Management, whose telephone number is . . .

Days of Our Independent Counsel
So the final Clinton-Whitewater-Lewinsky-Jones-WhoCares report was released yesterday. Not like it was a surprise, since we all know Mr. Clinton cut a deal to avoid prosecution for his involvement with that woman.

But the report got us thinking about our favorite independent counsel report of all time, the one on former Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt's involvement in the denial of a land-into-trust decision for three Ojibwe tribes. Unlike the Clinton situation, it turns out there wasn't enough evidence to show that Babbitt misled or lied to anyone.

So if you haven't the full investigation, you should, because it is filled with laugh-out-loud passages and plus it has nothing to do with Kevin Gover or Mike Anderson. In The Hoop is thinking about revisiting the report, so email us with your favorite parts.

In Your Hoop
Got an interesting tip to spill? Email In the Hoop and let us know.