Week 9

I finished my report on exonerations and it was well received.  So that's nice.  It took more reading and investigation than most of my college papers!

Native Healthcare picked up this week as we've got a client to represent in the case against IHS...which is awesome because that relates back to the trip to Billings in June.  That means we can get things moving, help poor people, and make some dang money! all the while putting a check on the government and its practices. 

Right now im profiling some lawyers that work for Arnold & Porter...more folk representing Peltier.  Apparently these guys are meeting with leonard next week in person and are going to pitch our work to him to get him on board with us.

Week 8

There's been so much research lately.  I'm almost finished with a report on exonerees and mostly quit the media coverage aspect and focused more on official misconduct.  Police and state officials lie and pressure others to lie.  A lot.  THis leads to perjury, false accusations, and false confessions.  It's really awful.  It makes you wonder how many closed cases need to be reopened. Police State Rhetoric

I had a conference call with one of Leonard Peltier's lawyers and it seems that Mr. Peltier is going to help our cause with religious freedoms for incarcerated individuals, even though he is working for clemency.  If all goes well for our cause it will help move him out of max security in Florida to a medium level security prison much closer to his family, friends, and home.  That's really good news.  It's cool because his lawyers responded pretty quickly to my letter.  I hope that this case will be in our favor as Holt vs. Hobbs, the case of an incarcerated individual not allowed to grow a beard for religious practice inside an Arkansas prison, was ruled in favor of the prisoner 9-0 in the supreme court. 

The move on Native healthcare is slooooooooow.  We've been working hard on getting names from people who have used the services of IHS but their filing system is largely unregulated and unrecorded.  The information is out there, but it is an on going investigation to find the right person to fit our needs for a plaintiff.  And legally we can't ask someone to be our plaintiff so being careful with our words is necessary.

Week 7

I'm pretty bogged down and upset with the work I'm doing on these exoneration stories.  Original press coverage is very difficult to find even when using online newspaper archives.  I've found some information, but largely I am at a loss.  One thing I've been noticing is many cases are exonerated because of official misconduct, which is scary and awful.  Perhaps this is a new lead, and my employers seem interested.

I'm getting in touch with the becketfund.org to learn more about them and how they could aide System Disrupt Ventures in the battle for religious freedoms of incarcerated individuals.  I'm also getting in touch with Erik Chosa.  I'm going to interview him for the Native American healthcare advocacy.  Mr. Chosa is the head pharmacist for Indian Health Services in Billings/surrounding area.  Hopefully he can get us some information on the research we are conducting...and help move that sucker to court.

Week 6

Let's see.. right now I am writing a letter to Leonard Peltier attempting to get him on board with our Religious Freedoms for Incarcerated Native Americans business.  That needs to go out today.  Also a letter I wrote to Native Families will go out today concerning generic vs. branded drug prices and offers, and how Indian Health Services lacks the QUALITY and standards of healthcare for the rest of the nation.

I am being charged currently with researching exoneration stories over the past twenty to thirty years to see how the media dealt with and delivered the stories on the case at the time of its prevalence.  The point is to see how media, and particularly "white" media, has worked to help further Mass Incarceration.  This will involve a lot of research as i am required to go through at least 40 different cases, but the article will be sent to something I've just learned about--the marshal project.  Some guy that worked for the NYTimes for 30 years.  That's kinda cool.  A chance to be Published. 

Its gonna take a lot of time though because of the word "alleged".  I'm excited to start it, but also not.

Week 5

I wrote a piece about mass incarceration and people seemed pleased with it.  There's a lot to be done at the moment, because our meeting with Bill Snell went really well.  Were hopefully moving this case to court within the next 60 days, the case dealing with native Healthcare.

I have to do an interview with a head pharmacist at an Indian Health Service center.  Hopefully by the end of this week that will be done.  I also am going to finally meet with the web guy about how to do some more in depth work.  Overall the gig isn't that bad.

Week 4

I'm reading up on all of the "Three Strikes" law states and the problem of mass incarceration.  I typed up a little article on it today.  We've done some of the interview training and I found somethings obvious and something insightful.  They talked about how it's awesome to have a team of people that can interview because sometimes there are personalities that just mix better.  And the thoughts they provided on interviewing an "adversary" were pretty interesting.

I'm going to a meeting in billings on Thursday with William Snell who represents all of the tribes in SW Montana.  Were meeting to talk about Native healthcare an whether or not they're getting ripped off, and to talk about religious freedoms in the prisons.  I have to buy a bag of tobacco as a gift and my boss hasn't given me any cash yet...

Week 3

Right now I'm moving things around on the website.  I'm writing short pieces.  I'm getting training in interviews and how to handle different types of legal interviews and that is all this week.  I'm reading a lot of consumer laws, so that's really boring.  A lot. 

I'm trying to work with this webpage editing software and it's good because I'm getting more familiar with it, but I've tried to meet with the web guy with no ends--I guess he's on vacation. 

Week 2

I've been doing a lot of research on the Gateway Pacific Terminal/Custer Spur projects.  Basically, big industry wants to claim 1500 acres of land in Washington effecting Native Tribes and their contracts with the U.S. gov. and increasing pollution of the water and land.  There is a case going on right now where a tribe had a contract with the Govt. about how many rail cars can go in and out of their territory.  A big concern for the tribes is derailment and oil spills... not to mention that the govt. is sneaking around on policy--again, again, again.

Our company wants to help move other cases to court.  So, the next step in the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) is to be reported mid 2015, accordingly.  There are going to be many tribal councils representing American Indian people.  Every comment that is reported will be written down and provided to the public.  I will likely be looking through this material attempting to find a complaint that may allow us to ask the individual to represent the case. 

I'm writing a report on the Gateway that will hopefully be on the news page by the end of the week.

Week 1

My first duties are primarily involved in the website.  The writing on it is terrible and acknowledged by staff.  I pretty much have been editing existing writing and trying to make something linear about the website experience.  I edited BIOs for co workers.  It seems a little disorganized over here because what I write for the website--I don't put on the website.  Apparently, because I stated some problems with the web page, I hurt the creators feelings.  Oops and oh well.  I told them that I am completely open to criticism as long as it is intended for betterment.

One interesting thing I've done, besides having to read a whole lot, is write a letter to some prisoners about religious freedoms for incarcerated Native Americans.  It involved technical law writing which is new and somewhat fun.  The letter was sent to 29 individuals and was approved by Indian People's Action and System Disrupt.

--Tanner