Fond du Lac Follies

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Yea!, Fond du Lac won in Federal Court. We no longer have to split the profits from Fond du Luth, our casino in Duluth. We had been giving about six million dollars annually to the city for the right to have a casino there.

Remember back in the bad old days when we gave 50% of the profits to the Joint Economic Development Commission, 24 % of the profits to the City and 26% for the Rez?

Now, as I understand it we get 100% of the profits and Duluth will have to look elsewhere for money. See, once in a while the good guys win. Maamakaaj astonishing

**** On December 8th, at 0800, Diane Wilson and I will appear at a Fund Raiser for The Circle newspaper.

Diane Wilson is the author of Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past and Beloved Child: A Dakota Way Of Life.

I shall read bits from my latest book called Anishinaabe Syndicated. It is a good cause so come and listen and support  The Circle because a free press isn’t free. Come and hear some Dakota and Ojibwe words while eating breakfast with two Minnesota authors. The location of the event is the All Nations Church at 1515 E. 23rd Street in Minneapolis. For more information just Google  The Circle  newspaper.

**** Thanks to the Black Bear Casino we were able to get tickets for the Charlie Daniels Band. We went to see the show and learned his music is loud. His fiddle playing and guitar picking were quite good. I appreciated his support for the current group of veterans coming home from wars the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The only missing part of the show was he didn’t do his song, Still In Saigon. The lyrics in the song had resonated with so many Vietnam Vets.

As a member of that generation I can remember the old days, the days when we didn’t have electricity, when not everyone had a car, a telephone, or a radio.

The days when tribal government was almost non-existent on this Reservation. Back when Ojibwe was the language of the land.

Now when the electricity goes out we are on our cellyphones calling the company to see when the lights are coming back on, waving our cellyphones in the air trying to get a signal.

Now the tribal government is everywhere doing good things for the people and the Ojibwe language is coming back. I like the good old todays.

**** Fond du Lac Follies motored to Duluth to attend a political meeting in a church. What? Me in a Christian church?

It was only because of a promise made to a new friend named Nathan Ness.

I walked into the church half expecting the crosses to fall off the walls or something. I learned the main thrust of the meeting was a movement to Amend the Constitution of the United States. They want to amend the part that says corporations are people, the recent US Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to donate millions of dollars to buy any candidates for public office.

Where oh where was Mordecai Specktor, who writes the column called Political Matters in The Circle?

**** The Marine Corps Birthday Ball was celebrated on Northrup Road by two Marines, Ray Earley and myself. On 10 November, 2011 we gathered to celebrate with other Marines around the world. We sat at the kitchen table and told each other war stories from the Vietnam War.

At 1800, the oldest and youngest Marine present came forward to cut the birthday cake. Since it was just Ray and, I it was easy to figure out who were the oldest and youngest Marine present.

Following Marine Corps tradition we used an NCO sword to cut the cake. The cake itself was decorated in the campaign ribbon colors of the Vietnam War.

**** The Fond du Lac Reservation once again demonstrated how they treat their Veterans. We gathered at the Oak Creek Convention Center for a meal and a swag bag of gifts. The peacetime veterans among us were given nice looking jackets. We ate a meal and listened to Chuck Smith’s rendition of Taps played on his bugle.

Later that evening Keith Secola invited me to Fitgers in Duluth to be the spoken word portion of his appearance there. He told me we would take the stage right after the dancers. Belly dancers in Duluth? That might be the subject of another whole Follies by itself.

After playing three songs Keith invited me up to the stage to recite some poetry. I introduced myself in Ojibwe and recited four poems to much applause. That has got to be one of the weirdest places I ever recited my poetry.