Back in February of this year, I
attended a meeting at the invitation of the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation (QVIR.) This
meeting was to launch a working group now known as the Siskiyou County Coalition of
Understanding (SCCOU.)
Coalition participants regularly include Aaron Peters, QVIR Chairman,
a representative from the Inter-Tribal Council of California and Lavon Kent of QVIR Child
Welfare. In addition to myself, there are also representatives from County Human Services,
the Sheriff’s Dept., County Counsel, District Attorney’s Victim Services,
Behavioral Health, Public Health and the Probation Dept. Also in attendance are
representatives from the Yreka Police Dept., California Highway Patrol, California Fish
and Game and the Siskiyou Domestic Violence and Crisis Center. Most recently, a
representative from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was added.
It is hoped that, at some time in the future, representatives of the Karuk tribe will
attend coalition meetings.
The mission statement of the group is: “To promote a coalition
of sovereign tribal governments and agencies dedicated to meeting and healing community
challenges. Together, with trust, understanding, and respect for cultural differences, we
will build a better future for our community and children.” The concept of forming
such a working coalition is cutting edge and has drawn the support and involvement of Olin
Jones of the State Attorney General’s Office of Native American Affairs. Our local
success can serve as a model for other areas.
SCCOU has already helped to put on a successful “Family Wellness
Celebration,” to provide general community education about healthy families and
relationships. It has also provided Coalition members with training from the Bureau of
Indian Affairs on “Indian Country,” fee-to-trust status in land acquisition and
accompanying jurisdictional changes.
Most recently, SCCOU was instrumental in bringing Lieutenant John
Ruffcorn from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to Siskiyou County to provide
P.L. 280 training to local law enforcement personnel. Generally, Public Law 83-280 (18
U.S. Code 1162) declares that the States of California, Oregon, Alaska, Minnesota,
Nebraska and most of Wisconsin have the very same jurisdiction over crimes committed in
Indian Country (reservations) as anywhere else in the State. The criminal laws are the
same throughout. In addition State and local law enforcement can enforce them off or on
the reservation. Also, civil
litigation against people living on reservations may now be pursued through regular State
courts. (Child protection issues are covered under special laws.)
One big difference remains, P.L. 280 did not, transfer civil
regulatory jurisdiction to the States. Regulation of natural resource use, and
environmental protection within the boundaries of Indian Country continues to be governed
and enforced by the tribe.
“Next steps” for the Coalition will include the
identification of partnership opportunities between the QVIR, the agencies and the
community at large. It is hoped that the relationships established through the Coalition
will provide a strong forum for information sharing, conflict resolution and developing
projects of mutual benefit.
This week, we take the opportunity to officially celebrate a day set
aside for expressing our gratitude and sharing our blessings with family, friends and
community. This year there have been various
efforts initiated to renew open dialogue between the many interests of the Klamath River
system. The success of these efforts holds out a light of hope that we can work through
our issues and problems. I am sincerely
grateful for that.
In addition to your turkey, I leave you with the following quote to
chew on. “Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. “ - W.J. Cameron,
Ford Sunday Evening Hour Talks, 1940 – 1941.
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