CATTARAUGUS INDIAN RESERVATION - The Seneca Nation began shuttingdown all but essential government operations yesturday, declaringa state of "economic disaster."
Unpaid Seneca Nation deputy marshals walked off the jobyesturday.
And on Monday, the nation will close down educational programs,including preschool and language courses, as well as garbagepickups and other "non-essential" programs. The only exceptions:health care and emergency services, Tribal Councilor Susan Abramssaid.
There are about 3,000 reservation residents who will be affectedas well as some of the 4,000 tribal members who live near thereservation. Most school-age children attend public schools offthe reservation that will remain open.
The economic crisis threatened to unravel an uneasy truce betweenNative Americans and State Police, forged after a violent clashlast weekend that shut down the state Thruway and left scores ofpolice and Native Americans injured. Native American leadersblame their crisis on a state embargo that blocked the deliveriesof petroleum and tobacco products to the reservation.
Gov. George Pataki imposed the embargo April 1. That means thereservation's three government-run gas and tobacco shops have nothad products to sell. Abrams said her government has lostmillions in gross sales.
The state blocked the shipments because the Senecas refuse tosign a state tax agreement, which they say violates theirfederally guaranteed sovereignty.
"We are in an absolute economic crisis because of what thegovernor has done to us," Abrams said yesturday. "We have had toeliminate more than 100 jobs, and many more people are out ofwork" at the reservation's 42 non-government tobacco shops andgas stations, she said.
Mike McKeon a Pataki spokesman, yesturday said that the Senecashave "chosen" the economic crisis as the only alternative to thegovernor's plan to collect an estimated $300 million in salestaxes from Native American businesses that had been exempt.
Pataki's plan calls for turning the money back to tribalgovernments. The economic crisis "is an unfortunate choice thatthey (Native Americans) have made," McKeon said. "The way tocorrect it is to have good faith negotiations."
At tribal headquarters and in homes on the Cataraugus andAllegany reservations, a cautious optimism that had prevailedearlier soured yesterday over state reports that the governor haddenied making a "verbal agreement" on Wednesday with SenecaPresident Michael Schindler.
Schindler and Abrams said the governor had apparently reneged ona promise he made to accept a face saving "letter ofunderstanding" in lieu of a formal signed "agreement" on the taxplan. They say Pataki also reneged on a promise not to requirethem to share information on reservation businesses with stateauditors.
"The governor seems to be a man who doesn't keep his word, andthat is very upsetting to our people," Schindler said.
"In 200 years, nothing has changed," added Abrams. "The white manspeaks with forked tongue."
McKeon refused to comment on what Indians say was the verbalagreement Pataki made with them personally and through Secretaryof State Alexander Treadwell and other state officials who metwith Indians near the reservation Tuesday.
Meanwhile last night, tribal officials were desperately seekingvolunteers to be deputized as marshals and enforce a peace thathad prevailed since a Tuesday truce.
Disappointed by the state's apparent change of heart and the lackof money to pay them for their time, many of the estimated 50marshals sworn in Tuesday walked off their posts yesturday,tribal spokeswoman Rosemary Patterson said.
"We are worried about what might happen on the reservation thisweekend, and the State Police are back watching the roads andbridges because we have lost our peacekeepers," Patterson said.
Abrams, Schindler and Patterson said they fear that anger ofreservation residents over being forced out of work by the stateembargo will spark a resumption of tire burning, road blockagesand other protests that have resulted in confrontations withpolice.
Individual shop owners say they have been hit hard with theembargo.
"My husband and I had to close our business two weeks ago becausewe couldn't get products," said Paula Gates, who with herhusband, Randall, has operated the R&B Smoke Shop for threeyears.
"It's tough," Gates said, "We got four kids to support."
Senecas say the state action will destroy their tribe's fledglingeconomic independence.
"What the governor is doing," Abrams said, "is destroying ourentire economic base.
This is devastating the Seneca Nation's ability to improve ourcommerce and develop a stable base for economic self-sufficiency."
From: "Paula M." marceau@california.com
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 21:51:40
Subject: Re: Pataki reneges on agreement
brothers and sisters all,
this is outrageous and cannot be tolerated! we need to hear from our elders who can advise us, on how best we can help. i ask this respectfully.meanwhile, i will continue trying to get through to the media out here. they just are not going for it. either that or they say they will do it, andnever do.
even my neighbors have heard nothing about our brothers and sisters in NY,and want to talk about other things. i have drawn the line. i may not havethe words i once had, but am ready to battle with whatever i have.
our brothers and sisters are being systematically lied to and economicallyplowed under. this is typical third world treatment....not befitting thesovereign first nation, first people, of turtle island!
in the struggle and in spirit,
paula marceau