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Kleeb hears tribe's concerns about access

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By ANNA JO BRATTON / The Associated Press

Thursday, Aug 07, 2008 - 05:46:07 pm CDT

WINNEBAGO — When some Winnebago Tribe members decide who gets their votes for U.S. Senate, there will be one thing on their minds: Who’s going to answer their calls?

“Are you willing to lend your ear?” Louis Houghton Jr., a member of the tribal council, asked Democratic candidate Scott Kleeb Thursday. “That’s what we want — your ear. Hear our issues, and help.”

Kleeb visited the northeast Nebraska reservation to talk to tribal members about issues important to them. Houghton and others explained that the council seeks federal funding for numerous projects, especially health care.

Story Photo
Democratic Senate hopeful Scott Kleeb, right, sits with Winnebago tribal council member Louis Houghton, in Winnebago, Thursday. Tribal members told Kleeb on Thursday that Sen. Ben Nelson is a friend of the Winnebagos who's answered when they punch in his office numbers. (AP)

But amid all the other needs of other tribes and groups, nothing happens, said Leah Hunter, a tribal member. A request gets stuck in a pile on someone’s desk and languishes, said Hunter, who was born and raised on the reservation.

Often all it takes is a phone call from a member of the state’s congressional delegation to get a project moving, Houghton said.

Tribal members told Kleeb that Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson is a friend of the Winnebagos who’s answered when they punch in his office numbers.

“Nelson’s the only one who’s actively lending his ear,” Houghton said.

One success brought about with help in Washington: the hospital in town.

Houghton said the project started in the 1980s and took “years of going to D.C” to keep things moving. In the 1990s, the hospital was put on a list for construction and finally opened in 2004.

“It took 20 years of lobbying to get that,” Houghton said.

Now, a substance-abuse center is being added, where people with drug and alcohol dependency problems can stay and get better, said tribal council member Charles Rice. It’s available to other tribal members in the area, too.

Hunter, who is chairwoman of the Thurston County Democratic Party, said some Winnebagos recall that when Kleeb’s Republican opponent, Mike Johanns, was governor, “there was no relationship.”

Hunter said requests went unanswered, compared with Nelson, who always responds to the council’s requests and tries to help.

“We’ve known Nelson since he started running in the ’70s,” Hunter said. “The tribal people know him.”

Johanns was in Winnebago in 2003 for the groundbreaking on the tribe’s Ho-Chunk Village, a $20 million commercial and housing development helped by federal grants.

Sarah Pompei, Johanns’ spokeswoman, said as governor he held a yearly summit with Nebraska tribes to discuss issues important to them. If elected, she said he’s committed to working with tribes.

But he clashed over the years with Nebraska tribes, including the Winnebago, over his opposition to expanded gambling when tribes wanted to build casinos on their reservations.

Kleeb and Johanns are competing for the seat held by Republican Chuck Hagel, who isn’t seeking re-election.

Kleeb asked what issues were important in Winnebago, located along the Missouri River 75 miles north of Omaha with a population of about 770. The city is largely made up of government-subsidized housing and a strip of older buildings holding tribal government offices.

“What’s one thing you wish someone in my position could hear, that could make life better?” Kleeb asked. “I’m not here to sell myself to you. I’ll be doing plenty of that.”

Funding for health care programs and law enforcement, Houghton said. He said unemployment on the reservation is around 40 percent, and most children qualify for the Women, Infants and Children program, which offers low-income people vouchers for foods.

“We don’t run across many people who are not income eligible,” said Shirley Hoelting, who works with the program in the area.

Kleeb asked about economic activity.

“It’s like the rest of the country: going downhill,” said Corey Holiday, Hunter’s son who also lives in Winnebago. “We used to have more jobs.”

The largest employer on the reservation, Ho-Chunk Inc., is the tribe’s economic development arm. But many of those jobs go to non-Indian workers, Hunter said.


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Johanns Loves PAC money wrote on August 7, 2008 2:22 pm:
" thats because they are not a big business pac who contributes tons of money to his campaign and pocket. he's only interested in those who show up with a big wad O' cash. "

 Lorraine wrote on August 7, 2008 3:31 pm:
" Johanns has never excelled in the social realm but one would think he would hire people to do that for him. As an advocate for a couple of pertinent social/community issues, my experience with Ben Nelson's office has been very poor. In regards to phone calls with office staff, in response to correspondence and even in one on one meetings with him and representatives from his office, I've felt dismissed and like an annoyance. To make matters worse, the concerns were traditionally supported by the more liberal party, but certainly not with Nelson and company. By comparison, Senator Hagel's office was much more professional, responsive, thoughtful and thorough. I had much more success in interacting with him and his people and as a long time Democrat myself, was astonished at the difference. Regardless of party lines, politicians would due well to follow Hagel's lead when assisting constituents. Impressive! "

 Jerri wrote on August 7, 2008 3:38 pm:
" The tribes could contribute big in the PAC system if they had not been treated as second citizens by Johanns. It is hard to understand why the Republican power bloc has continued to reduce the dignity of the Native Americans and immigrants. It must have something to do with control, power, and desire to manipulate others. At least Kleeb is showing a human side, one that seeks to work with other, his excellency, the royal Johanns didn't quite get the compassionate side of governance. . "

 Petitioner wrote on August 7, 2008 3:48 pm:
" Neither the Winnebago tribe, nor any of its members who live on-reservation, pay income or sales tax to the state of Nebraska. They insist it's because they are a sovereign nation. Why, then, should they expect the governor of Nebraska to spend his taxpayer-supported time helping them? "

 Non-native wrote on August 7, 2008 4:07 pm:
" And why should they get any economic assistance? It's not like their homeland was stolen from them, their people were decimated by European diseases or they were masacered and left to survive off the poorest lands left in North America? "

 To Petitioner wrote on August 7, 2008 10:42 pm:
" I'd suggest you read the books "Black Hills, White Justice", and "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee". Do some reading on the history of Native people in this country. For example, did you know that, while some were American citizens, the rest weren't granted US citizenship until 1924??? Our Government controlled their lives and put them where the "whites" didn't want to go, and that was after breaking treaty after treaty. So...when we've corrected what we did to generation after generation, maybe things will be okay, but what you see today is still a direct affect of our governments dealings with the tribes. "

 Kathy wrote on August 7, 2008 11:06 pm:
" What does it matter if the tribe doesn't pay taxes? Are they not people just like everyone else in Nebraska? What would you do if you were faced with limitations piled upon limitations? Would your community grow? There is a point when everybody needs help. This is just an instance where help is way past needed. Besides, it's the least that can be done. Petitioner sounds like a selfish person. Good thing they're not running for office! "

 no jo wrote on August 8, 2008 4:49 am:
" What about Whiteclay? POP. 14- 92 million cans off beer sold per year! Big story that the people of Nebraska seem to not know or not care about. American Indian's are the only true non-immigrants in the U.S. and it seems they are the least cared about. Thank you Mr. Kleeb for showing interest. "

 Petitioner wrote on August 8, 2008 9:48 am:
" So if somebody did something bad to my family in 1924, I'm exempt from state tax?
That should save me a few bucks. Thanks!

The WInnebago want it both ways. They want to claim they're independent of the state of Nebraska, pay no taxes to the state of Nebraska, and yet have the state of Nebraska work for them. Sorry; doesn't work that way. "

 Oy vey wrote on August 8, 2008 3:39 pm:
" Tell me....if you were told tomorrow you have to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, only acknowledge one religion, that your kids had to be taken elsewhere to be "trained" the "right" way, that you could never acknowledge your own culture, that you had to live on a piece of land that csn't grow anything, and, oh, you can only work certain types of jobs but only if someone says you can, but in the mean time you get meager rations that are hardly edible....how would that affect you? Now do this for several generations.

It was not just in 1924 that there were things done wrong. Try from at the time of this nations forming until around 1975. That's when things finally started getting 'seen' by the people of this country and the corrections began. A couple decades do not correct the wrongs of nearly 2 centuries. "

 Defendent wrote on August 8, 2008 5:03 pm:
" Unless you are a Native, I think someone DID do something bad to your family, otherwise they would have never crossed the ocean to come to my country. You must have been educated in a public school in Nebraska to be so ignorant of history.

By the way, I do pay sales tax every time I go to South Sioux City or Omaha.

Free your mind, the rest will follow. "

 Lance Morgan wrote on August 10, 2008 10:21 am:
" Johanns has always been responsive to Winnebago and the tribe's corporation when asked. I am sure Scott Kleeb will be good, but saying Johanns has done nothing is not correct. "

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