Released by: Indigenous Environmental Network
PO Box 485
Bemidji, MN 56619
Ph: (218) 751-4967 Fax: (218) 751-0561
e-mail: ien@igc.org
Subject - Update: Mole Lake May 28, 1997

UPDATE ON WISCONSIN MOLE LAKE TRIBAL OCCUPATION
RECORDS, OFFICES, AND CASINO BEING SECURED BY FBI,
PROTESTERS VACATE THE BUILDING

Crandon, Wisconsin - Bill Koenen, a tribal member of the Mole Lake Sokaogon Band of Chippewa Indians and member of Concerned Mole Lake Tribal Members reported at one o'clock today that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrived and begun to remove tribal documents to initiate a criminal investigation. All persons occupying the tribal headquarters building, which included the tribal casino operation were asked by the FBI to leave the building. The members in occupation peacefully complied with the request, after conducting a sacred drum ceremony.

Concerned tribal members had been peacefully occupying the headquarters building since early May to protest Mole Lake tribal issues of financial accountability of tribal and casino funds, improprieties concerning their tribal council chairman, and issues of collusion between the law firm retained by the Mole Lake tribe, Wisconsin governor, and both Exxon and Rio Algom's mining corporation, Crandon Mine Company.

No federal arrests are currently being planned according to reports by the concerned tribal members. The concerned tribal members are watching the actions of the FBI as the federal agency takes action to secure the tribal documents. Concerned tribal members have been concerned that their current tribal administration would attempt to remove the documents for purposes to cover up charges of embezzlement and mismanagement of federal and casino funds.

The concerned tribal members are thankful for all support, prayers and expressions of concern that have been forwarded their way. It was the many telephone calls of inquiry and concern from throughout the country this past memorial day weekend that prevented the violent attempt by the current tribal administration, their intoxicated tribal supporters, and WisCo, a contracted non-Indian security firm from taking over the building. They had used a front end loader and had beaten Bill Koenen with billy-clubs. He is reported to be recovering.

"We will be consulting with our tribal elders on what our next step will be. The documents are secure for now and an investigation could take place to prove our concerns of mismanagement of our tribal and casino funds . We have other issues we have to deal with. We're still demanding our chairman to step down. Only then could we start addressing our issues including the collusion issues between Exxon, our state governor, and our tribal gaming compacts," said Koenen.

Koenen further stated, "We will be pursuing legal avenues to address our original six-point demand. Many tribal members have been hurt by the retaliation of our current tribal administration that included employee firings of tribal members that supported the takeover. There was no due process to these actions. These people weren't present in the occupation yet they were fired. There may still be charges from the current tribal administration against our group for what we did. We didn't damage anything. We were exercising our Anishinaabeg (Chippewa) traditional right to voice our issues. All other avenues were being blocked. These actions will make our Anishinaabeg Band stronger, make our elected tribal leaders accountable, and help us in demonstrating to the mining corporations that we don't make deals with polluters."

Concerned Mole Lake Tribal members: (715) 478-3204
Wisconsin information contact: Walt Bresette (715) 779-5071
For internet info on Mole Lake, Crandon Mine: http://www.ienearth.org