Indian leaders tell Pena they might withold support 2/16/90

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Indian leaders withhold OK of Pena census census

By Kevin Flynn

Rocky Mountain News staff Writer

Denver's Indian leaders aren't ready to cooperate with Mayor Federico Pena's all-out census count despite Pena's promise yesterday to give the Indian community more access to his administration.

"It's certainly not empowerment," said Wallace Coffey, executive director of the Denver Indian Center and spokesman for a dozen Indian community leaders who met with Pena. "We still feel we haven't been given an impression of how the census will benefit us by our participation," said Coffey, a member of the mayor's Complete Count Committee.

Pena tried to convince the group that a full count of the estimated 20,000 Indians in Denver would bolster chances for more federal aid to Indian projects.

"I will continue to press on(the Indian leaders) that a good count benefits everyone," said Rich Castro, Pena's director of community relations and head of the census committee.

Pena agreed to form an Indian advisory committee, consisting initially of the dozen leaders who attended yesterday's session. It would be similar to 1 the mayor's longstanding ethnic advisory committees composed of blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

But Coffey said the Indians want more "participation in the affairs of this city."

The group acknowledged Pena's efforts several years ago in formalizing the Indian community's use of Tallbull Memorial Grounds in Daniels Park, a site used for Indian ceremonies. But there remain some sore points, including Pena's consideration of an appeal in the case of American Indian Movement leader RudeIl Means.

A Denver county judge recently, threw out the city's' case against Means that accused him of defacing the Christopher Columbus statue in Civic Center Park on Columbus Day. Many Indians consider Columbus a genocidal murderer.

Pena told the group he hasn't decided whether to challenge the judge's ruling that Means was within his constitutional right of free political speech.

"I will call for a national demonstration here in Denver if he continues to prosecute Russell Means" said Glenn' Morris, a Colorado leader of the American Indian Movement.