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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1998)
Tribe may back out of repatriation deal ■ The Omaha Tribe’s new council could reverse the decision to accept more than 600 unaffiliated remains. * By Lindsay Young Senior staff writer The tribe that had agreed to bury a group of unaffiliated remains once they were repatriated from UNL may have to back out of a deal signed Sept. 1 by more than a dozen Midwestern tribes. A new tribal council was elected in October for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, so the tribe may not accept a group of more than 600 unaffiliated remains for reburial, said Elmer Blackbird, the new tribal council chairman. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln agreed Sept. 1 to repatriate nearly 1,700 remains. About 600 of those remains are unaffiliated and would be handed over to a group of tribes. The group of tribes was going to jointly rebury the remains at a site designated by the Omaha Tribe. Blackbird said since the tribal council had been elected, it had not received infor mation regarding the Sept. 1 agreement. liven as ol today we haven t seen any thing in writing,” Blackbird said Friday afternoon. Blackbird said it was Omaha’s belief that the tribe buries only those remains it knows are Omaha. “If we don’t know anything (about the remains), it’s best to leave them alone,” Blackbird said. In some tribes, it is not unusual that a new tribal council would disregard any agreements made by the old council, said Robert Hitchcock, anthropology depart ment chairman. * Though the change of plans could put a glitch into previous plans to rebury remains once repatriated, it won’t stop repatriation plans, tribal representatives said. Anticipating a possible change of mind by the Omaha, Ralph and Randy Thomas, brothers who have worked with the tribes and the university, have proposed to univer sity officials the remains be buried on UNL’s East Campus. As part of the Sept. 1 agreement, a new enclosed area and memo rial will mark the spot on East Campus where, in the 1960s, UNL’s anthropology department incinerated and spread American Indian bones. The two said they have talked to univer sity officials, including Chancellor James Moeser and some NU regents, about the idea. Dunagan to enter plea agreement Attorneys, judge to decide if freshman will go to jail By Josh FunK Senior staff writer After most students have finished their finals this week, one UNL freshman will be judged on something far more important - his life. Matt Dunagan, charged with killing his father last fall, is scheduled to enter a plea agree ment Friday morning. The agreement reached between prosecutors and defense attorneys will affect whether or not Dunagan will serve jail time, but the judge will have the final say in sentencing. Dunagan is charged with first-degree murder and the use of a weapon to commit a felony. It is expected that Dunagan will plead guilty to a lesser charge such as manslaughter or second degree murder, and he may not go to jail. Lawyers on both sides of the case refused to comment on the details of the plea agreement. But Michael Hansen, one of Dunagan’s lawyers, said their goal, all along, has been to keep Matt from going to jail. Dunagan, a Regents Scholar, is taking 12 hours of classes at the University of Nebraska Lincoln this fall, and he has reg istered for 16 hours in the spring. On Sept. 30, 1997, police officers were called for a shoot ing in the early morning hours to the Dunagan home in southwest Lincoln where Matt and his par ents, John and Kay, lived. Kay Dunagan called 911 at 12:40 a.m., and reported that “... my husband is an alcoholic, he was drunk, he was going to kill me, and my son defended me.” Police reports fileds in Lancaster County court detail the events of that night leading up to the shooting: Kay and John Dunagan had been arguing earlier that evening, which reportedly was common when John drank. During the argument Matt Dunagan went upstairs to his room and loaded a 12-gauge shotgun in case the argument got physical. About two hours later, after the argument ended, John Dunagan made the comment that “he ought to blow the bitch’s head off” while Matt was in the room. Then Matt Dunagan went upstairs to his room, got the shotgun and returned to the liv ing room, where he shot his father three times as he lay on the couch. When police talked to Matt Dunagan in his room after the shooting he said, “Don’t hurt me ... I didn’t mean to.” Matt Dunagan was jailed for the shooting until his mother bailed him out a few days later. Dunagan completed his senior year of high school at Lincoln Pius X with a private tutor. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. The case was bound over to Lancaster County District Court instead of being transferred to juvenile court because Dunagan was 17 at the time of the crime, and the juvenile court would shortly lose jurisdiction. Student government elections to be held in March ByIevaAugsttums Staff writer With fewer than four months before election day, student government leaders want to make sure University of Nebraska-Lincoln students know the specifics behind running a campaign. “There’s less time than you think,” ASUN President Sara Russell said. “Election day is right around the comer.” The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska will hold its annual student govern ment elections March 3. Electoral Commission Director Ryan Fuchs said candidacy packets will be available in the ASUN Office, 115 Nebraska Union, on Jan. 11. _ < The filing deadline for all offices is Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. Marlene Beyke, ASUN director of develop ment, said students interested in running for the top three offices must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at UNL for the spring semester. Each candidate must have completed 24 approved UNL credit hours during two years prior to the academ ic term in which office is sought. Students interested in senate or student adviso ry seats for their college, must be enrolled as full time students carrying at least 12 hours. Russell said students may choose to run inde pendently or with a student election group. “How a student runs is up to them,” Russell said. “However, there are advantages and disad vantages to both.” Tom Dake, assistant director of Student Involvement, said student election groups are rec ognized as student organizations and therefore receive benefits that independent candidates do not Some privileges student election groups receive include use of Nebraska Union’s rooms, limited display case and bulletin board use, as well as the residence hall mailing system, he said. FuChs said those who run as independents will be busy. Independents do not have die large sup port system or people power that student election groups do, he said “But you’re not tied to a party name or their ideology,” Fuchs said. “For some, that is a good thing.” Fuchs said it is not cheap to run a campaign, regardless of whether someone runs independent ly or not. However, with a student election group, it is easier to pull money and resources together, he said. All rules, procedures and guidelines for cam paigns can be found m the ASUN Electoral Commission’s 1999 election rules and procedures manual. “If something is vague or if you are not sure, don’t assume anything,” Fuchs said. “Stop by the office and we will help. That’s our job.” Students interested in student government may stop by the ASUN office or call (402) 472-2581.