The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 18, 1996, Image 1
November I N f - f 1 ISABELLEMORNEAUH ftW H* f f WIT BatVAT liftW«w^«1 ft zaaQ ^ tth-A^^^rT Complex. The Nebraska soccer team beat Minnesota 3-2 in sudden-death overtime in a first-round NCAA tournament game. Please see coverage on page 10. * ‘ r, » ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ - - - ■ T!; ' _____;_______:_- V.'"* " . .« ^ I By Matthew Watte Senior Reporter - I John Snowden letsouta wry smile when asked about his style — he f - claims he’s traditional and orthodox. J The University of Nebraska-Lin Since then, Snowden said, Con gress has reduced sovereignty further and further, through homestead laws that took land from the tribes and laws that restrict actions the tribes can take. But die tribes, survive. Snowden said his class is about the federal government’s laws governing die tribes. Each tribe has laws and cus toms separate from the federal laws. Each semester, he takes students to some of Nebraska’s reservations. “It always feels good to get back to Indian Country,” 1m said. “There’s just a different vibration in the air.” Snowden’s allegiance to the tribes comes out of their history. “The history of my people as it re lates to the people (rf this continent has been shameful,” he Said. “In particu lar, the tow regarding Indian sover racism and coillhiuesinthat.” Each time a tribe finds a way to get ahead — such as the current battle between Nebraska’s Santee Sioux ; over casino gam >wden said the gov doosshut.|Jf||§ But Snowden believes that what ever the government does, tribes will survive wed into die future.They have already endured centuries of genocide. •The race is neither to the swift or the strong but those who will survive.” State’s judges losing support, records show OMAHA (AP)—If election records are any indication, Nebraska’s judges are losing favor with voters. The approval ratings of judges has dropped steadily since the 1960s, when judges typically received 70 to 80 percent of the vote. “In recent years, it has been pretty well ac cepted that a judge is going to get 25 to 30 per cent no votes,” said Darwin Severson, admin istrator of Douglas County District Court for 20 years. Legal expats say they are not sine why die no votes are increasing. They surmise, though, that rulings on particular issues, extensive pub licity about high-profile cases and the public’s lack of knowledge about the justice system may be factors, the Omaha World-Herald reported Sunday. Election records coniirm the trend — Ne braska Supreme Court judges generally received approval ratings of 81 to 87 percent in the 1960s, 78 to 85 percent in the 1970s, 71 to 83 percent in the 1980s and 68 to 76 percent in the 1990s. Six Nebraska judges have been removed from the bench since the retention system was implemented in 1962. The American Bar Association Journal, in thfeCounfry have coble dtfder attack for deci sions in particular castes. ' Douglas County District Judge Mary Likes, who was opposed by the Omaha Police Union before the Nov. 5 election, said the labeling of judges by special-interest groups is disturbing. She retained her seat with 59 percent approval of voters. Judge Likes said the union’s criticism will not cause her to veer from judicial standards. “It would never even occur to me to do any thing different than what I’m charged to do, and that is to be fair and impartial,” she said. Woman dies in fire; smoke inhalation is cited as cause By Chad Lorenz Senior Reporter A 61-year-old woman who was apparently smoking in bed died Friday morning in a fire that destroyed her apartment. Firefighters carried Leona Greenfield out of her garden-level apartment at 5505 S. 31st St and tried to resuscitate her, Lincoln police Capt Stephen Imes said. She was later pronounced dead cm arrival at Lincoln General Hospital. Firefighters found Greenfield lying in her bathfeom, Lincoln fire Capt. Dustin Morton said She apparently died of smoke inhalation, hesaidL Greenfield was the only victim in the fire. Other occupants evacuated the building. She might have had trouble getting out of - the apartment because of a recent hip injury, Mortop said. “ft was difficult for her to get around in the first place,” he said Greenfield had smoke detectors in die apart ment, but investigators had not yet determined if they sounded or were working, Morton said. Although Morton’s engine company was dispatched at 7:22 a.m., Greenfield’s neighbors smelled smoke about an hour before, he said The neighbors apparently didn’t call the fire ' department because they thought the smell was burning food. t fpi i * > r. ■* * *