Update from Linda Brown (07/15/99)
Dear Friends, sorry I've been off the air for so long, this is again a very busy time, I will try to fill you in. Last Friday Leo and I attended a public reception for the Federal Transit Authority held in Minneapolis, this has to do with the light rail system that is to run adjacent to the raod for most of the project. I talked with a Mr. Gordon Lenton from the FTA and expressed to him our concerns as Dakota people about the reroute and the Berger report. We have a report that we recieved recently that does a very good job of critiquing Mr. Hotopps report, and shows how biased this whole study was. He has asked me to send this report along to his office. Letters can be sent to Mr. Gordon J. Lenton, administrator, Federal Transit Admintration, Dept. of Transporation, 400 7th St. S.W., #9328, Washington, D.C. 20590, 202-366-4043 and also Mr. Joe Ettinger, Regional Administrator, Dept of Transportation, 200 W. Adam St. #2410, Chicago, Ill 60606, 312-353-2789, we will also be sending this report to many Federal level as well as State level Officials, and will try to get this on one of the Web sites or published in some way so everyone can see it. Our community also participated in Mendota Days last Saturday, this is one of the oldest towns in Minnesota and is where many of our parents and grandparents lived and are buried. We had a float with dancers and a drum group, also sold frybread, Indian tacos, corn, water and pop to help with our fund raising efforts, also a very good friend and supporter played with music with two others to help entertain people who came to see us and support us. It was alot of work, but we also enjoyed this day immensely. The preliminary report from Kelton Barr, who is the independent consultant the the Watershed hired, is ready and there is another meeting tonight, I will update you on the results after the meeting. This Saturday there is to be a picnic at Minnehaha Park by the pavilion for the stop the reroute supporters, it will start at 1:00 PM, there will be speakers and entertaiment, everyone is welcome, please bring your own picnic, and spread the word. We are also planning a social Pow Wow at the site, sometime in the 1st weeks of August, I will let you know the details later. Some of the oral testimony that was recorded from the Elders and others who came here to support us, and speak before MNDOT and Mr. Hotopp will be played on public cable in Minneapolis, these are the dates, time and channels.
Wednesday 7/28/99, 10:00PM Channels 58A and 36B, Thursday 8/5/99, 6PM, channel 33, and 8/12/99, 5:30PM, channel 33, I have been told that 78,000 people may be watching these channels at any given time so this is great exposure for this testimony supporting our stand on the sacredness of this land. If you would like to request that this be played at further dates please contact John Akre at 612-331-8575 ext 312. MNDOT has hired McCrossan Construction Company to start the 1st phase of the road construction and they have had surveyors out by the falls area to lay out the road that will detour traffic from this area to I believe 34th ave. some of our supporters have been picnicing and playing frisbee in this area to try to detract the surveyors, we have now heard that McCrossan is hiring private security[goon squads] in large numbers to move this project along. Why are they so afraid of a few peaceful activists? There is to be a concert this Friday night [July 16th}at Walker Church is South Minneapolis, "Papa John Kolstad and Friends" will be playing to raise money for the Park and River Alliance and the Stop the Reroute coalition, they will ask for a $10.00 dollar donation at the door. this is a very worthy cause and I hope many of you will come and enjoy this event with us. The Mendota recently recieved a donation of over $300.00 dollars,some folks held a garage sell and sent the proceeds to us to help with our expenses for the encampment and other expenses that we incurr in trying to get the word out and fight this road. This kind of grass roots support is so important to us, I wanted to thank all of you once again for all your support and prayers. Pidamiya, Love Linda
Governer Jesse Ventura Phone: (651) 297-9500 State Capitol Building 75 Constitution Ave. St. Paul, MN 55155 mailto:Jesse.Ventura@state.mn.us Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg Phone: (651) 296-3000 Fax: (651) 296-3587 MNDOT 395 John Ireland Blvd St. Paul, MN 55155 Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton Phone: (612) 673-2100 350 S. 5th St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone Phone: (202) 224-5641, fax (202) 224-8438 136 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington D.C. 20510 mailto:senator@wellstone.senate.gov Mr. Alan Steger Division Administrator FHWA Phone: (651) 291-6100 Sheryl Martin Galtier Plaza, Suite 500 175 E. 5th St. St Paul, MN 55101 Bruce Eberly Historic Preservatin Officer FHWA Phone: (202) 366-2060 C/O HEP -40, room 3240 Washington D.C. 20590 Ann Boland, National Register of Historic Preservation Dept of the Interior Phone (202) 343-9500 Box 37127 Washington D.C. 20013-7127 Bruce Babbit Secretary of the Interior Dept. of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington D.C. 20240 202208-7351 mailto:Bruce_Babbitt@IOS.DOI.GOV President William Clinton Phone: (202) 4565-1414 The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, DC 20500 MAILTO:President@whitehouse.gov Vice President Al Gore Phone: (202) 4565-1414 The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC, 20500 MAILTO:VicePresident@whitehouse.gov Janet Reno U.S. Attorney General Phone: (202) 737-5214 Justice Dept. 600 E. St. NW Washington,DC 20090
The Mendota are a non-profit organization and reciepts will be supplied for
those who request them. Send donations to:
Checks or money orders may be made payable to MMDC.
Mendota Medewakanton Dakota Community
PO Box 50835
Mendota, MN 55150
Contact numbers are Linda M. Brown - (612) 944-7290
FAX (612) 944-0105
or Bob Brown, Chairman - (612) 576-9686
FAX (612) 576-0632
We ask that everyone send what they can...be it money or supplies.
PLEASE HELP PROTECT OUR SACRED SITES!