****************** A SIMPLE REQUEST ****************** Many of our files are unique and/or copyrighted by The Center For World Indigenous Studies and The Fourth World Documentation Project. All FWDP files may be reproduced for electronic transfer or posting on computer networks and bulletin boards provided that: 1. All text remains unaltered. 2. No profit is made from such transfer. 3. Full credit is given to the author(s) and the Fourth World Documentation Project. 4. This file is included in the archive if being used as a file on a BBS, FTP site or other file archive. Thank you for your cooperation. John Burrows Director, Fourth World Documentation Project ()-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=() ||/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\|| ||=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|| || || || The Fourth World Documentation Project runs entirely on grants || || and private donations. If you find this information service || || useful to you in any way, please consider making a donation to || || help keep it running. CWIS is a non-profit [U.S. 501(c)(3)] || || organization. All donations are completely tax deductible. || || Donations may be made to: || || || || The Center For World Indigenous Studies || || c/o The Fourth World Documentation Project || || P.O. Box 2574 || || Olympia, Washington USA || || 98507-2574 || || Thank You, || || CWIS Staff || || || ||=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|| ||\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/|| ()=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-() ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: This file has been created under the loving care of :: :: -= THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT =- :: :: :: :: Questions and comments on FWDP can be addressed to: :: :: :: :: John Burrows jburrows@halcyon.com :: :: P.O. Box 2574 :: :: Olympia, Wa Fido Net 1:352/333 :: :: 98507-2574 206-786-9629 :: :: USA The Quarto Mundista BBS :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 9 7 7 C O N F E R E N C E O F T R I B A L G O V E R N M E N T S Doubletree Inn, Tukwila February 12-15, 1977 CONFERENCE RESOLUTION PETER MCDONALD Adopted at the Fourth General Assembly, February 15, 1977 WHEREAS, the President of the Navajo Nation, Mr. Peter McDonald, has recently been indicted by a Grand Jury and several charges of fraud and income tax evasion were alleged; and WHEREAS, Tribal leaders throughout the United States have a responsibility to their People to speak forcefully on political issues and act forcefully when necessary to assure the participation of the Indian People in the political process and secure for them legal and economic rights; and WHEREAS, Peter McDonald, President of the Navajo Nation, the largest Tribe in the Nation, has taken forceful actions that have upset political careers whey they were detrimental to the Navajo Nation, thereby incurring the wrath of politicians on actions President McDonald dared to challenge; and WHEREAS, large corporations in the business of exploiting the coal and other resources of the Navajo Nation are involved in negotiations of multi-million dollar transactions with the Navajo Tribe and would probably like to see Peter McDonald discredited and destroyed; and WHEREAS, the United States Attorney is in the last few months of his term since the Administration he works for is being turned out of office; and WHEREAS, there is a combination of possible motivations of political officials, the possible motivation of corporate executives with influence and power and the curious timing of the U.S. Attorney's action in bringing an indictment against President McDonald at this particular time cause real questions to be raised about the possible misuse of the judicial process in this case; and WHEREAS, leaders of other Indian Tribes must speak out forcefully and want to be assured that political and economic forces will not use the judicial process to seek reprisals against them; and WHEREAS, leaders of other Tribes are fully cognizant of the complication of maintaining accounting systems for the very complex governmental and economic activities carried on by tribal governments; and WHEREAS, tribal leaders respect and support legitimate juridical process. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 1977 Conference of Tribal Governments of Washington ask that the new Administration carefully investigate all of the methods and evidence used in seeking the indictment and that the appropriate Congressional Committees consider an investigation to determine if Grand Jury proceedings were properly handled; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Tribal Governments here assembled stand solidly behind President McDonald to assure that if the indictment is shown to have been properly brought that President McDonald be given every opportunity to full due process of the law to prove his innocence. /s/ Roger Jim, Sr., Chairman Conference of Tribal Governments -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To have a current Center For World Indigenous Studies Publication Catalogue sent to you via e-mail, send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com FTP ftp.halcyon.com /pub/FWDP/CWIS Center For World Indigenous Studies P.O. Box 2574 Olympia, WA U.S.A. 98507-2574 BBS: 206-786-9629 OCR Provided by Caere Corporation's PageKeeper