"Could a newspaper survive on the reservation without the subsidy -- that is, solely on sales of the paper and advertising? I don't think so. There aren't enough businesses to buy the ads, nor would the subscriptions and rack sales be big money-makers. A paper would need outside or tribal support.

During the years I worked on the reservation, I managed the radio station and newspaper. It was hard to keep it going, even with outside grants. The tribe funded the newspaper and radio station minimally, but it was enough to give them control -- so when the tribal chairman didn't want the tribal minutes in the paper, he removed me as manager.

That was years ago. Today, tribal minutes are in the newspaper; but as I said, other news is filtered through the tribal office.

There is hope that we will have good governments if we continue to examine and work toward that goal. A new tribal constitution is in the works, and that's evidence that progress is being made. There still is work to be done on that constitution, but it does have three branches of government that should act as checks and balances on each other.

As important, in my view, is funding for a free press, to be administered without tribal interference. This funding (and funding only) could be written into the constitution; that could ensure another check for a better government."

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Tribal governments need checks (The Grand Forks Herald 5/13)

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