Pretty sad and BAD situation blooming on the reservation

[azsnowman]

This is TRULY sad!

Another 'fire' raging on reservation is ignored
Mar. 13, 2004 12:00 AM


White Mountain Apache Leonard Gregg was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison and restitution of $28 million for co-igniting the huge "Rodeo-Chediski" fire in 2002.

Gregg's actions were called "the crime of the century in Arizona." The 31-year-old seasonal firefighter had admitted to setting his part of the fire in order to get work to support his family.

The Rodeo fire should never have happened. We condemn the actions of both individuals responsible, the second of whom was Valinda Jo Elliot of Mesa. She set her fire after becoming lost while driving on forest roads, which were officially closed, as part of a trip to get away from the Valley. Her successful purpose was to gain the attention of a nearby helicopter. Authorities declined to prosecute Elliot.

The only Indian response we saw in the media came from Margaret Baha-Walker, of the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council:

"It's really hard because one told the truth and got 10 years and the other told stories and is free," she said. "There was two people and two fires and only one is getting punished."

This grates on a lot of Indian people, but few will comment publicly. We've interviewed several tribal members, both Apache and Navajo, to get their sense of things, but our conferees asked to remain anonymous.

One Apache said, "White society has been heard from. Gregg, the Indian, is going to jail. He set his fire trying to feed his family. Elliot, the White lady, is free. They say her fire was justified. But for Apaches it was not. If you're driving your vehicle on a forest road you're not really lost. After awhile you'll find a bigger road and a way out. Plus, she was not supposed to be there. She broke the law, too. Gregg wasn't right, but she wasn't either."

A highly educated Navajo, with ties to White Mountain Apaches, shared some broader views. "As many Indians see it, Ms. Elliot was in the woods and set her fire, ultimately, as a result of 'White privilege.' To many Indians, . . . it would seem a luxury to have had the money to leave home, take a 200-mile trip, and commune with nature for 'stress reduction'.

"Mr. Gregg set his fire as a result of Indian underprivilege. What ultimately pushed him was a complex community history of conquest, colonization, cultural invasion, assimilation, racism, despair, alcoholism and reservation unemployment levels up to 1,000 percent higher than the national level. . . . I've seen no discussion of addressing the deeper causes of Mr. Gregg's criminal behavior, which, to me, was a symptom of the intense problems of his home community."

Coincidentally, a national radio program announced this week that the attempted suicide rate on the White Mountain Reservation is 1,700 percent higher than the national rate. Last week, a young Apache girl was the latest suicide victim.

There is something wrong on the White Mountain Reservation, and removing Mr. Gregg won't end the problems.

What will? We can't say, specifically. But, the traditional solutions devised by contemporary Indian and non-Indian society are not working. We do know, however, that on-reservation and off-reservation realities have to be much better understood by Indians and non-Indians alike.

The Rodeo fire was very destructive of property, but no lives were lost. A different kind of fire is raging on the White Mountain Reservation. It is killing people; yet it goes largely ignored. Is this another "crime of the century"?

[Stephanie]

That really is not fair Dennis! Valinda has been sited before about being in "closed" areas as well.

[Aslkahuna]

Ethnic Cleansing

Steve

[azsnowman]

That really is not fair Dennis! Valinda has been sited before about being in "closed" areas as well.

That's right, she was cited 1 other time just PRIOR to this incident and was told to stay off this certain road. Well, we know what happened. Anyway, the tribe IS still persuing this matter, she's due in Tribal Court I *believe* the first week in April. They have filed criminal trespass, criminal intent, criminal neglect and 3 other charges that fleed me at the moment.....she's STILL up a *Creek without a paddle*....it just suxs that's they're not federal charges

Dennis

[Stephanie]

I hope that they are successful Dennis and Steve.