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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1999)
--— ■'- - II ^ . - .. II ■■■"?* . * *.-■»**: a ,. i * • * r ■ * 1 waves ■ Lawsuits, claims and accusations follow the discovery of American : Indian remains in UNL’s Bessey Hall. --f-: By Lindsay Young s Senioreditor c Since American Indian remains subject to federal and state law were found in Bessey Hall in 1997, a snow ball effect has ensued, with the unearthing of other incidents that have caused unrest inside and outside of die university community. People have alleged UNL may have violated the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act by studying and storing bones without tribal permission. NAGPRA, signed into law in 1990, required museums, federal agencies and institutions to take an inventory of human remains and asso ciated fimerary objects and report it to the National Park Service by November 1995. After that date, any additional remains found are inventoried and reported. At the request of tribes, remains and objects are returned. Talk on the subject of die universi ty’s handling of American Indian remains has continued to increase since the university agreed to repatri ate mote than 1,700 remains Sept 1. A group of unaffiliated remains are a part of the 1,700 that UNL agreed to repatriate. That means researchers are unable to tell what tribe they are related to, but they can tell the remains are American Indian. A national committee said it would recommend the repatriation of the unaffiliated remains to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. It is unknown who will accept those remains after repatriated. Although many allegations of mishandling against the university and its faculty members were exonerated by two reports - one by a State Patrol investigation and one by a university hired attorney - people both inside and outside of the university have said they were still skeptical of UNL’s actions. Some of the skepticism has been fed by the discoveries of additional bone fragments in Bessey Hall. All remains found have been inventoried and stored with other remains subject toNAGPRA. Other actions or revelations this year regarding the remains included: ■ In August, the university announced an anthropology depart ment chairman incinerated remains on East Campus in the 1966s. J ■ A group of American Indian tribes filed a formal complaint last semester with the university against Anthropology Associate Professor Karl Reinhard. The group asked for the suspension of Reinhard, who has been accused of performing illegally destructive analysis on remains. ■Reinhard filed a suit last semes ter against Stan Parks, a research assis tant in the anthropology department, for comments be made to media about Reinhard’s allegedly illegal activity. Allegations include charges that he illegally stored bones in a lab at Bessey Hall, ordered a graduate stu dent to falsify records and conducted unprofessional forensic investiga tions. Robert Grimit, a university-hired attorney, exonerated Reinhard from many of those charges. ■ The College of Journalism and Mass Communications received the latest hit April 21, when Reinhard filed a claim stating its laboratory newspaper, The Journalist, defamed him in a story published more than a year ago. If the university doesn’t agree to his claim of $200,000 in general dam ages, a suit will be filed. ■ Grassroots American Indian activist Randy Thomas, of Lincoln, is threatening suits against the university and Reinhard, and has said several area tribes are doing the same. ^•x ASUN elections went into runoffs By Veronica Daehn Staffwriter and Focus party candidates were ready for the final outcome on election night Or so they thought , Because no candidate received a majority of total votes cast, a runoff election was necessary for next year’s Association of Students of the University of Nebraska executive offices. Candidates had another week of campaigning before a runoff election for die offices of president, first vice president and second vice president was held. f According to election guidelines, an executive candidate must receive a majority - at least 50 percent - of the total votes cast No candidates garnered 50 percent of the vote the first time around. If a majority is not achieved, the candidates are victorious only if their vote total is higher than their opponents’ by at least 10 percent of the total number Of votes cast Voice party executive candidates Andy Schuerman and Rachelle Winkle received 1,320 votes in the original elec __ tion, while Focus candidates Paul Schreier and Jon England obtained 1,163. For second vice president, Focus cahdidaie'Trisha Meutet secured 1,212 votes, while Vernon Miller received 1,034 for the Voice party. In the runoff, Schuerman and Winkle won by 20 votes — 1,237 to 1,212 -- while Meuret won 1,289 to 1,124. The last runoff election between two parties’ candidates for president and first vice president occurred in 1990, after that year’s Vision party garnered 34 more votes in the general election than the Today party’s 1,405 votes. That year, a third party called Stand got 646 votes - about 23 percent. With the third party gone for the runoff, Vision party candidates won by five votes March 21,1990. This year, however, there was no official third party. The runoff election was similar to the original, except write-in candidates weren’t allowed, Electoral Commission President Ryan Fuchs said. Marlene Beyke, ASUN director of development, said the runoff may have affected voter turnout. “Typically, it’s been harder to get students to come out a second time,” Sign up with Kelly Services® this summer and earn extra money! • Administrative Assistants • Data Entiy Operators • File Clerks • Receptionists • Customer Service Representatives Call today: 483-4094 1540 S. 70th Street, Suite 200 Lincoln * 'c ■ ' /:■ *2r | ■■ KEliy f I SERVICES An Equal opportunity employer/Never an Beyke said. Contrary to the first process where ballots were run through a machine, the final votes were counted by hand. '■ Fuchs said a close vote required‘a hand count. “With a vote this close, students obviously have a vested interest,” Fuchs said. “This is a big deal.” Beyke said a runoff had not been expected. “There weren’t any signs that I saw,” she said. “I knew it’d be a close race.” i-1— ■ - - 1 1 Legislature remembers late Sen. Schellpeper By Jessica Fargen Senior staff writer The Nebraska Legislature said hello to 10 new senators this year, but had to say goodbye to a longtime friend, a 12-year senator and dedicated farmer. Sen. Stan Schellpeper of Stanton died of a heart attack April 4 on the farm that he grew up on 11 miles north of Stanton. Family farmer Bob Dickey of Laurel was recently appointed to fill Schellpeper’s post. Last month Schellpeper was hon ored by colleagues and family during a tribute that brought unusual calm to the normally clamorous floor of the Legislature. Some remembered Schellpeper as the man who used to ride around the county fair on a golf cart and hand out free fair tickets to children. Others remembered him as the man who ruled the General Affairs Committee with an even hand or argued tough issues on the Legislature’s floor such as legalizing concealed weapons and stiffening liquor laws. He was a good farmer who worked all day on civic projects and all night on the tractor,” Speaker Doug Kristensen of Minden said. Bellevue Sen. Paul Hartnett shared his memories of years spent sitting next to Schellpeper on the Revenue Committee. Many afternoons were spent sharing views on the law, as well as life in Nebraska. “Stan always used to remind me that the No. 1 industry in the state is agriculture,” Hartnett said. . In the 65 years that Schellpeper was alive, he gave back to his rural commu nity holding posts such as secretary manager of the Stanton County Fair Board, president of the State Fair Board and president of the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. As General Affairs Committee Chairman, Schellpeper was diplomatic and attempted to include all members in decision-making, Hartnett said. Schellpeper’s kind, fair and caring character was behind his success as chairman for the last eight years, Sen. Cap Dierks of Ewing said. “He was a gentleman,” Dierks said. “He was also a very gentle man.” Dierks also reminded senators of Schellpeper’s pride of the unicameral system, and belief in the effectiveness of a nonpartisan legislature. Hebron Sen. George Coordsen, who joined the Legislature the same year as Schellpeper, read a resolution that senators passed Friday, which extended condolences to Schellpeper’s family and praised the senator for his work and dedication. Schellpeper, who was a farmer and a livestock feeder, left behind his wife, Faye, three children and eight grand cmldren. bchellpeper represented District 18, which includes Stanton, Pierce and Cedar counties, as well as parts of Wayne, Dixon and Knox counties. Whether it was senators, his family or the citizens of Nebraska, those pre sent at last month’s tribute remembered Schellpeper as a man to look up to and a man to be honored. 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