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.