Big Horn County Candidates File For State Legislature

By Brandon Gonski
CrowNews.Net

The candidate filing deadline for the 2009 Montana State Legislative election was Thursday and a total of nine candidates registered their intent to run for legislative seats representing Big Horn County.

All seats will be open this term.

Rep. Veronica Small Eastman has not registered to run for re-election in House District 42. Rep. Norma Bixby of House District 41 has registered for the state senate race.

Five candidates are vying for the seat in Senate District 21. They are Kenneth Phillip Brien Jr. (D), Randen Schoppe (R), Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D), Chip Watts (D), and Norma Bixby.

Those running for Bixby's seat in House District 41 are Rebecca A. Convery (D), Raymond King (R), and J. David Roundstone (D).

District 42 candidates are Bill Joseph (R) and Carolyn Pease-Lopez (D).

A full list of registered candidates in all districts and contact information for all candidates can be found at http://sos.mt.gov/

Tribe Receives Economic Planning Grant

The office
of Rep. Denny Rehberg has announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce authorized a $44,000 economic planning grant to be awarded to the
Crow tribe.

Tim Real Bird, the
economic planner with the tribe's Economic Development Office who wrote the grant, said the money will fund his position.

To fulfill the grant's
requirements, Real Bird will travel to reservation
communities to assess economic resources and needs. Shawn Real Bird, the
head of the tribe's Economic Development Office and Tim's brother, said that the money will help his office inform the public
about its work in the area of micro-loans, guaranteed loans and other
programs.

He noted the economic
problems facing the reservation – lack of physical
infrastructure, educational and social programs –  and said,
“Probably the biggest duty of this position is just informing
the public, so the public can be empowered with this information.”

In the Heart of Crow Country, Courage and Honor

CrowNews.Net

The man who grew up in the Valley of the Chiefs and later performed the deeds needed to become a Crow chief was nominated Wednesday for one of the nation’s highest honors.

Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, a leading voice on Crow history and culture, has been selected as a choice candidate for the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo. 

“In Montana, we are fortunate to have many present-day reminders of a
land and a people of former times,” Tester wrote in his nomination
letter to President Bush. “Joe is not only one such reminder, but
a
shining case.”

Medicine Crow, 94, is a lifelong resident of Lodge Grass and entered the Army during World War II. While
in Europe, he performed the four war
deeds, or "coups," required to become a Crow chief: capture a horse
from an enemy camp, touch the first fallen enemy during battle, take
the weapon of an enemy, and lead a successful party into battle.

"All four requirements for chieftain-ship were difficult to
accomplish," Medicine Crow wrote in his  2006 memoir "Counting Coup."
"Attempting any one of them could mean putting your own life on the
line."

He
is known to be the first tribal member to earn a master's degree and
the last to accomplish the four acts during combat. His war stories became known
among tribal members when returned to the reservation in 1946, and he chronicled the
experience six decades later in his autobiography. Last fall, he shared the story with millions of PBS viewers when he appeared in "The War," a documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns.

He completed the first of the acts when he was assigned a command job
to lead six members of his division into enemy fire, and returned with
his group having accomplished the mission.

Two more deeds were counted
when he entered hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier, and moved to
take the man's rifle but not his life. Near the end of the war, he
captured some 50 horses from a German camp and after riding towards
safety sang a Crow praise song.

Since the end of World War II, Medicine Crow has earned three honorary
PhDs. He has written several books about Crow history and culture,
including the "From the Heart of Crow Country: The Crow Indians' Own Stories."

He is a founding member of the advisory board at the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical
Center in Cody, Wyo., according to the museum's website, and has been a frequent guest speaker there. He is a scholar, anthropologist, teacher and
tribal historian who has also spoken close to home at Little Big Horn College, throughout the country at numerous
universities and in New York at the United Nations.

"The list goes on and on," said Aaron Murphy, a Tester spokesperson. "He's a remarkable
guy and that was evident."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor that
is given by a U.S. president, and while it's a civilian medal, it is
often awarded for military heroism.

Past recipients include Muhammad Ali, Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks
and actress Carol Burnett. Montana recipients include former Sen. Mike
Mansfield and actress Martha Reye, who was born in Butte, according to Tester.

Tester and Simpson received letters of support from politicians and artists
nationwide to support Medicine Crow's nomination, which has been sent
to President Bush. Letters were submitted by Sen. Max Baucus, Gov.
Brian Schweitzer, Ken Burns, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and retired Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo.

The president is expected to announce recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this year.

BIA Forestry Seeks Input from Tribal Members

Looking south towards Wyoming from the top of the Big Horn Mountains' Black Canyon. Crow News Photo/April Gregory.

By Bob Dillon
BIA Forestry Department

Every 15 years we do an inventory of the reservation's forests so we
know how much timber there is, how fast it is growing, and if there are
insect or disease
problems we need to deal with. We also identify the timber's age, species and size
class.

We took inventory during the summer
of 2006. The Crow Reservation has 160,535 acres of forestland.  There
are
79,552 acres of commercial forest that are available for management in
the Wolf and Pryor mountains, and the Ceded Strip; 19,627 acres of
commercial
woodland (hardwood species), 1,391 acres of reserved woodland (hardwood
species in the Big Horn Mountains), and 59,965 acres of reserved
timberland (Big Horn Mountains).

We will use this information to update the Forest Management
Plan.

The Forest Management Plan gives us direction on how to manage the
timber. We will be seeking input from the tribe and tribal members.
We will hold public meetings, and will have a draft plan available for
comments.

This is your opportunity to direct how your forestland is
managed. We need you to participate in the process so we know what you
want. Take part!

The BIA Branch of Forestry is re-writing the Forest Management Plan for the Crow Indian Reservation with the cooperation of the Crow Tribe.

Have you ever thought, “Why don’t I get asked how my mountains should be managed?”

Now is your chance to tell the BIA how you want the forest managed in your mountains. If you are 18 or older, stop by one of the locations listed below, fill out a survey and ask questions.

Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend! Survey should take less than five minutes.

Bob Dillon is the acting manager for the BIA Forestry Department.

Advocates for Hardin Jail Protest at State Capitol

By JENNIFER McKEE
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - The dispute over a 464-bed jail sitting empty at the edge of
Hardin was on stark display here Tuesday as hundreds of Hardin-area
jail supporters filled the Capitol rotunda for a rally.

Led
by Greg Smith, executive director of the Two Rivers Authority, the
economic-development arm of the city of Hardin, supporters took an
adversarial tone, arguing that state interference has prevented them
from opening the jail and offering more than 100 new jobs in their
economically depressed area.

"We don't want a handout," Smith
told the boisterous crowd, which included three teenage dancers from
the Lodge Grass High School Indian Club along with a traditional
drumming group. "But we do want some assistance."

But state
officials, who met with the protesters for more than an hour after the
rally, said that it is state law and the lack of need for jail space
that has the facility mothballed and in danger of defaulting on $27
million in revenue bonds issued to build the jail.

Read the full story on BillingsGazette.net.

A Look Back at the End of Plenty Coups' Season

Click above to view a slideshow from the Plenty Coups-Rocky Boy State Class C semifinal game in Butte.

By Brandon Gonski
CrowNews.Net

All season, the Plenty Coups Warriors had visions of a state Class C title game. And with only one loss going into the state tournament in Butte last month, it seemed a possibility.

Until the Warriors met the Rocky Boy Stars.

In the Friday night semifinal game featured in the slideshow above, the Warriors fell to the Stars 101-74, losing the chance to advance to Saturday night's championship game.

Despite a disappointing end to the Warriors season head coach Lawrence DeCrane said he was very proud of the boys getting this far and viewed their successes this season as a blessing that they should all appreciate.

The Stars were favored to win the semifinal, but the Warriors and their fans were hoping for the first state title since 1987 when they beat Absarokee 72-66. Plenty Coups made it to the championship game five years ago when they faced Roberts but lost 72-65.

The Warriors trailed the whole game but the fans never gave up hope, cheering the Warriors on until the very end.

The Warriors tried to match the Stars fast break style and made their own run in the third quarter but  simply couldn't keep up.

“Defense wins games,” said Warrior senior Altan Smart Enemy, “We just didn't have it.”

Smart Enemy who led the team in rebounds, points and turnovers (11-22-10) said he was very disappointed with the loss but that the team couldn't blame anyone but themselves. He and many of his teammates had dreamed of winning a state championship since fifth grade, he said, but that the team just couldn't get back on defense and acknowledged that they were overconfident after  after an otherwise great season.

The Warriors finished the regular season 21-3.

The Warriors indeed could not get back on defense allowing four Stars to score in double digits. Rodney Turn Toes led the Stars with 24 points, followed by Jerod Parker with 20. Mike Sangrey Jr. scored 18 while Eric Schildt had 17 points.

The Warriors had two players in double digits. Smart Enemy had 22 points and Rumeal DeCrane had 20 points.

The Warriors were beat to the boards constantly. The Warriors only pulled down 32 rebounds compared to the Stars 49. But neither team was able to hold on to the ball. Rocky Boy had 40 turnovers and Plenty Coups had 35.

With Rocky Boys' fast break and both teams amazing number of turnovers the game was frantic and came down to who could move the ball the fastest but also hold on to it. That team turned out to be Rocky Boy.

Jerod Parker finished the game with an 18-foot jumper in the last 26 seconds putting triple digits onto the Stars side of the scoreboard.

Smart Enemy remained optimistic for Saturday night's game.

“The team hurts bad but we'll just pick our heads up for tomorrow. We're definitely not out yet,” said Smart Enemy.

Big Sandy beat the Warriors 72-64 the following day.

2007-2008 Basketball Season Round Up

Here's a quick look at how the season went for some of the other teams on or near the reservation:

While the Plenty Coups boys finished their season at the state tournament in Butte, the girls team's last game was against Roberts on Feb. 16, when they lost 43-33, according to the Billings Gazette's GazPrepSports.com website. They finished 2-7 in their conference and 4-10 overall.

The Hardin High School boys went 11-7 and finished third in the Eastern A conference.
Their season ended during divisional tournaments. Clint Not Afraid was the Bulldogs' top scorer this year,
averaging 15.5 points per game.

The Lady Bulldogs' ended the season with only one conference win that came in a December home game against the Laurel Locomotives. Their overall record was 5-13, according to Montana High School Statistics website. Charla Takes Enemy and Leisha Shawl were the Bulldog's
top scorers this season, and each averaged roughly 11.5 points per game. For a
closer look at individual statistics on the women's team, click here.

Between St. Labre and Lodge Grass, our two Class B schools, the
Lodge Grass Indians finished with the better standings in their
district. They ended the season ranked second behind Columbus among
District 4 teams and went 8-10 overall while the St. Labre boys went
6-16 and finished fifth in District 3.

The Lodge Grass girls had a tough year, too, with six wins in a
10-game season. And the girls from St. Labre went for 2-15 to finish up
with a very rough season. Looks like it was a rebuilding year in Class
B.   

Zooming in on the Class C State Tournament

The Plenty Coups Warriors and the Rocky Boy Stars prepare to tip off during the Class C Basketball semifinal game in Butte. Click here to view a gallery of photos taken by Casey Kills Pretty Enemy. The images capture moments of the Plenty Coups players, cheerleaders and fans' trip to Butte last month.

CrowNews.Net Staff

Brandon Gonski "I am a photographer with an interest in outdoor recreation and issues associated with it.I'm an avid kayaker and backcountry skier."	Emily Haas "I am from Corvallis, Oregon. I'm  interested in environmental and social issues that are often overlooked in small communities."	Jennifer Kirby
Adam Sings In The Timber	Brett Thomas-DeJongh "I enjoy working on the CrowNews.Net web site.  It has been a learning experience for me in more than a few ways."	Matthew Unrau "I grew up in a community of 300 people. We didn't even have our own post office. And I graduated in a class of 7."
April Gregory "I grew up in Hardin, Montana. I am excited to be working for a news site for the community that I grew up in and care about!"

LBHC Rams Wrap Up Second Season

Click to Play

Video by Adam Sings In The Timber and Emily Haas | Produced by Adam Sings In The Timber
CrowNews.Net

On Sunday, Feb. 17, the Little Big Horn College Rams lost a home game against the Williston State College Tetons. The final score was 118-84. Coming off a disappointing season, the Rams look forward to next year.

Correction: No Team Montana for 2008 NAIG

On March 2, Crownews.net reported on the 2008 North American Indigenous Games set to take place this
summer on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and encouraged Crow athletes to participate.  However,  it has come to our attention that event organizers have set a December 31, 2007 deadline for team entries and the
deadline passed without successful entry of a Team Montana.

NAIG organizers believe standing firm on pre-established deadlines is important in order to help portray the event as well-organized.  According to various sources associated with the host tribe in Canada, diligent efforts were made by the NAIG planning council to notify all tribes in Montana to elicit interest.

      (Left to Right: Tuff Harris, John Bird In Ground, Team Leader Joey Jayne, Casey Bird In Ground, Jay Harris at the 2006 NAIG in Denver)

The last NAIG was held in 2006 in Denver, Colorado and Team Montana was represented by 14 athletes, including Tuff Harris, who won the gold in the 100 meter dash, long jump, and high jump.  Click here for a 2006 Billings Gazette article on Team Montana's performance.

Some states that were very well represented in 2006, including Team New Mexico which had nearly 400 athletes, are not going to participate in the 2008 Games.  Typically the Canadian provinces field more athletes than their American counterparts in the NAIG and the same is expected this year. Further, the absence of states with relatively high American Indian populations, such as New Mexico and Montana, seems to significantly detract from the validity of the Games as being the premier Native American/First Nations sporting event.

For more information on the 2008 NAIG, please visit the official website of the Games' host tribe, the Cowichan people of British Columbia.  Click here for the official Indigenous Games rules and standards.

The next North American Indigenous Games will be held in Wisconsin in 2011.

Plenty Coups Falls to Rocky Boy, Loses to Big Sandy

Players
struggle for a loose ball during Rocky Boy's win over Plenty Coups in
last night's Class C semifinal game. Crow News Photo/Brandon Gonski.

CrowNews.Net

They went undefeated in the regular
season, won their division in front of a standing-room-only crowd and
at times seemed unstoppable, but the Plenty Coups
Warriors' season ended this weekend with Rocky Boy stopping their bid for
the Class C title and Big Sandy beating them in a loser-out game.

With 22 points and 11 rebounds, Alton Smart Enemy was Plenty Coups'
top scorer Friday at the Butte Civic Center. But he and his team
couldn't pull out a win in the semifinal game. They lost to Rocky Boy
101-74.

Trying for a spot in tonight's consolation game, the Warriors played Big Sandy but fell short, losing 72-64.

Maybe next year. Thank you, Warriors, for an exciting 2007-2008 season.

Here are the box scores from Friday night's game:

Plenty Coups 19 17 20 18 - 74

Rocky Boy 25 32 18 26 - 101

Plenty
Coups - Avery Bull Shows 2-5 0-2 4, Rumeal Decrane 7-13 5-9 20, J.D.
Blaine 2-7 3-4 7, Alton Smart Enemy 9-17 4-5 22, Buddy Door 2-4 0-0 4,
Sonny Bouyer 1-5 0-0 3, Ian White 0-1 0-0 0, Joey Gutierrez 1-2 0-3 2,
Lenny Bear Tusk 3-5 0-2 6, Falon Goes Ahead 3-8 0-0 6, Kevin Little
Light 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 30-67 12-25 74. 3-point FG: 2-16 (Decrane 1-3,
Bouyer 1-4, Bull Shows 0-1, White 0-1, Bear Tusk 0-1, Goes Ahead 0-2,
Blaine 0-2, Smart Enemy 0-2). Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Blaine, Door.
Technical foul: Decrane. Rebounds: 37 (Smart Enemy 11). Assists: 10
(Bull Shows 3). Blocks: 1 (Goes Ahead). Steals: 8 (Smart Enemy 3).
Turnovers: 35.

Rocky Boy - Lindsey Eagleman 0-2 3-4 3, Mike
Sangrey Jr. 7-11 4-5 18, Rodney Turn Toes 11-16 0-0 24, Eric Schildt
7-13 3-8 17, Jerod Parker 8-12 4-6 20, Loren Standing Rock 2-4 4-6 8,
Glen Doney 1-4 2-2 4, Chad Taylor 2-6 2-4 7. Totals: 38-68 22-35 101.
3-point FG: 3-12 (Turn Toes 2-5, Taylor 1-4, Parker 0-1, Sangrey Jr.
0-2). Fouls: 27. Fouled out: Sangrey Jr., Schildt. Technical foul:
Schildt. Rebounds: 56 (Doney 8). Assists: 15 (Sangrey Jr. 4). Blocks: 1
(Schildt). Steals: 18 (Sangrey Jr. 5). Turnovers: 40.

This article was published on March 1, 2007.