LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - Pre-Kindergarten sham
Compacts a last resort
Editor,
The compacts were designed, as a last-ditch effort, to remove the water ownership from private to federal control. Montana has two of the largest Irrigation, Power, Municipality, and Other Purposes Projects in the world. Montana is a Head Water State supplying down stream advantage to other States as the water passes through on its way to the oceans. Water appropriations from Congress were sold to homesteaders and irrigators and are now being confiscated by the people we elected to protect the Acts passed by Congress and ratified by the State.
These water appropriations were given to the Individual Indians and early-day settlers and miners and then sold to the homesteaders. This is why the Compact Commission targeted the Reservations - these Water Rights go back to the day of the creation of the Reservation; the United States is bound to protect all citizens against “depredations”, via the treaties. Going back to 12:00 am of the treaty day removes this protection for all citizens of the State. Water appropriations were also sold to the cities and towns in our valley. Our ancestors would not have came west to invest their lives in dreams of owning the land and water to raise a crop to maturity if they had no opportunity to water rights for that purpose.
Congress appropriated water in Montana using the miners inch: one inch per acre, with a priority date of “first to put water to beneficial use.” That is equal to 18 feet of water over 365 days. Ask our Department of Natural Resources and Conservation what they’ve done to those appropriations. They have been committing depredations for years without oversight or authority. Thank God for the honest folks at the DNRC who would not commit these acts without notations protecting all of us.
44,000,000 acre-feet of water flowing from the State of Montana each year is almost enough to cover the arid state 6 inches deep. This water was leased to the power companies at an 8 percent return rate but we’ve seen no return on our investment. The Feds, via the Bureau of Land Management, have been purchasing State property with our money; you will see the Secretary of Interior’s name on those properties. The State of Montana invested also and you will find the State Fish and Game involved. The Tribal Councils have also been using federal tax-free monies to repurchase Montana state lands.
Gene Erb
St. Ignatius
Treaty clear on land ownership
Dear Editor,
After reviewing the language of the Hellgate Treaty and discovering it(s) authorized allotment to individual Indians and selling of the “residue” (excess) of the land to non-Indians, as conveyed in my last letter, I delved into the Flathead Allotment Act of 1904 and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
The FAA is obviously authorized by the language of Article VI of the Hellgate Treaty and is clear in its intent: “An act for the survey and allotment of lands now embraced within the limits of the Flathead Indian Reservation...and the sale and disposal of all surplus lands after allotment.”
The 1934 Act, sometimes referred to as “The New Deal for Indians” (it came out of the FDR administration) was a 180-degree change in federal Indian policy. It stopped the process of allotment by stating “that hereafter no land of any Indian reservation...shall be alloted in severalty to any Indian.” (Meaning “severed” from the land as a whole for “individual” Indian ownership as opposed to “tribal” ownership.)
Importantly, the Indian Reorganization Act was very clear regarding lands that had been sold under the FAA and “withdrawn” from reservation status. Section 3 of the act states: “The Secretary of the Interior...is hereby authorized to restore to tribal ownership the remaining surplus lands of any Indian reservation heretofore opened...provided, however, that valid rights or claims of any persons to any lands so withdrawn...shall not be affected by this Act:...”
“Surplus lands” were restored to tribal ownership;” “withdrawn” lands were not.
The proposed CSKT water compact define “Flathead Indian Reservation” as “all land within the exterior boundaries of the Indian Reservation established under the ...Treaty of Hellgate...,notwithstanding (meaning “in spite of”) the ussuance of any patent, and including rights-of-way...”
When assumed definitions are incorrect, conclusions based on those definitions most likely are also.
Scott Kerr
Moiese
Defending the Salish
I remember a story I once heard when I was a small child. The telling of the story has become dim with time.
A large War Party of Southern Piegan (Blackfeet) about 200 warriors, had invaded the Territory of the Salish of which is now near Dear Lodge, Montana and as the summer months were upon the large camp most of the warriors and hunters were gone to the Great Plains to hunt buffalo; The Yellowstone, Powder River, Musselshell and Mil River countries were favored territories for the hunt.
As it turned out on this particular day two small boys were out hunting and fishing and spotted the Blackfeet War Party and immediately ran back and warned the Salish Camp.
As it turned out the camp could muster about 40 individuals; some warriors, old warriors, young men and boys and a few women-these people went out to meet the Blackfeet as they knew that they had to protect the old ones, women, children and territory of the Salish. A runner was sent to the Bitterroot Salish for help. In the meantime the leader, an Old Warrior, of the small band of Salish Warriors knew he had to buy some time with the Blackfeet until help arrived so he set out to parley of the Blackfeet Party grew impatient and decided to war on the Salish. But this tactic did buy more time for the small band of defenders.
When the main body of the Salish Warriors arrived from the Bitterroot, there was only 6 or 7 Salish left. The rest had been killed by the Blackfeet. The Blackfeet is said to have lost over 100 warriors during that battle; the Bitterroot Salish killed many more and drove the rest of them from Salish Territory.
“Plassie” Francis Stanger is a relative and Elder of mine and I wish to acknowledge his inspiration. “Plassie” are not only a great person, but a great Warrior USMC. (Plassie is 85 years old.)
We must all stand our ground and protect the people, children and territory.
Britton Salois
Pablo
Make comments on water
The long-dreaded redefinition of the word “navigable” as applied to “Waters of the U.S. is finally upon us. The deadline for comment is this coming Friday, Nov. 14 at 11:59 p.m. The Washington DC Environmental Protection Agency office will be receiving phone calls at 202-566-2428 and emails at CWAwaters@epa.gov.
Claims of mud puddles, rain barrels, and seasonal drainage ditches falling under the rules and regulations of the federal government are not far-fetched. EPA has achieved the label of “mission creep” as it seeks to expand its jurisdiction over the nation’s waters. Not only are they confusing the term “navigable” but are seeking the science to claim connectivity between sub-surface aquifers, wetlands and free-flowing streams. In their eagerness to gain control over “all” of this water they have violated state and federal constitutions and over-reached or bypassed Congressional oversight. Consequences would be extensive inflicting prohibitive economic costs onto private citizens and small businesses with ever more restrictions, ongoing inspections, monitoring, and reporting demands. Water management and storage may become limited or prohibited impacting livestock and irrigation operations leading to increased food costs. Use of chemicals and fertilizers will be restricted not only for farm/ranch operations, but also for landscaping. All citizens will be impacted and need to take the time now to send in their comments opposing the proposed rule on “Definition of Waters of the United States Under the Clean Water Act”, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880.
Clarice Ryan
Bigfork
Pray for elected Leaders
Christians have an obligation, as stated in Scripture, to pray for those who hold political office. It is a Biblical command that we are to obey. Read it for yourself, First Timothy 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote it to Timothy, a young pastor, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” In Timothy’s day, Nero was Emperor of Rome! Christians were being fed to lions and others were impaled for public display or beheaded (as Paul was) because they were Christians!
Our President recently asked Americans to pray for him. Newly elected members to the Senate and to Congress, Governors, County and City Officials, all need our prayers. Citizens are demanding the end to gridlock.
These are perplexing, perilous times of greed, pride, sexual wickedness, kidnappings, rapes, murders (gangs and clinics), ISIS, Ebola, family abuse (NFL, etc.), poverty, homelessness, healthcare, among other things. All these issues need the prayers of godly people.
Why are we commanded to pray for elected leaders? First of all, “so we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” Secondly, “this (our prayers) is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth; for there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus,” according to 1 Timothy 2:3-4. God desires all sinners to be saved (forgiven and transformed).
Our prayers should include asking the Lord to bring all elected officials into a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. Godly people have a decided advantage in providing good leadership; the Spirit of God indwells them (1st Corinthians 6:19), guides them (John 14:26) and gives them godly wisdom (James 1:5-8).
Better Government, a more peaceful society will happen as citizens pray for their elected leaders.
Harvey A. Town
Polson
Pre-Kindergarten sham
Editor,
It now seems that parents can no longer be trusted to rear their young - a sad state of affairs to be sure. We must now entrust them to our polished and shiny governmental education machine.
Our Governor has decided to front an effort to provide pre-school day care for our 4 year olds. The email I received from him stated:
“I ran for Governor to ensure that the Montana we leave our kids and grandkids is even better than the Montana that we grew up in. That’s why I want to make sure every Montana four-year-old has the opportunity to access voluntary, high-quality early childhood education. The Montana Board of Public Education is seeking public comment regarding the standards that would apply to a universal pre-K program in Montana.”
Really? Universal pre-K, voluntary, high quality early childhood education?? What am I missing here??? Voluntary today, mandatory tomorrow. Are they presuming that today’s parents are incapable of providing their pre-K children with learning activities and that the governmental machine is better equipped? How many more years do you figure it will take before the “State” will take our children from us at birth, to provide them with the proper and accepted pre-K guidance opportunities necessary for trained, skilled robots?
What happened to teaching our children, “value systems,” before they went into the government controlled and mandated “public school” learning and molding machine? He asked for input.
Mine was: “How about you make sure that our 4 year-olds have a Montana to inherit by removing your support for the unconstitutional Flathead Indian Reservation Federal Reserved Water Rights Compact? Don’t you believe that would be more beneficial to our kids and grandkids than telling parents their parenting capabilities fall short of State expectations?”
Isn’t this simply a State-sponsored Day Care Program?
What is YOUR input to this government interference into your parenting responsibilities?
Michael Gale
Ronan
Together, we can deliver hope
Dear Editor:
We can! We did! You did!
Hope was delivered in Polson on Oct. 14, with a successful raffle that raised funds for World Hunger Relief, a non-profit organization. Together our Polson community and businesses did deliver hope with generous donations.
Kudos to those who made this raffle successful. You know who you are.
Please applaud the sponsors who donated prizes.
All proceeds go to World Hunger Relief.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
Lynn Peters
Polson