Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1999)
Remains returned to tribe RETURN from page 1 tribe of Nebraska are the only other set ready to be picked up by tribal mem bers, said Priscilla Grew, University of Nebraska-Lincoln NAGPRA coordi nator. When the tribe will pick up their remains is pending, Grew said. Tribes cannot claim remains until they are published by the National Park Service in the federal register. Claims must be published in the register for 30 days before tribal mem bers can claim them in case inaccura cies or conflicting claims arise. Remains from the Pawnee tribe have also been printed in the federal register. A conflicting claim also has been filed on the remains, Grew said. Remains from an Alaskan Indian tribe were also published in the regis ter. The University of Nebraska just submitted a corrected notice after a mistake was found, Grew said. Ponca tribe remains were pub lished in the register more than nine months ago. The bureaucracy of the National Park Service, the university and the tribal government has held up the process of getting the bones in the ground, Wendzillo said. “It’s taken a great amount of time to go through the bureaucracy,” Wendzillo said. “It’s just time to be over.” Members of the Ponca tribe were the first tc pick up remains since the university agreed to repatriate the remains Sept. 1, 1998. The action came after bones were discovered in a Bessey Hall classroom in 1997. Since then, the university has taken actions to be in accordance with the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which requires museums, universities and other institutions to document their inventories and return remains to their affiliated tribes. Robert Hitchcock, chairman of UNL’s anthropology department, was supportive of the return of the remains to their rightful owners. “I’m really glad to hear this,” Hitchcock said. Gay community angry at KETV KETV from page 1 member of the National Coming Out Day steering committee. “I thought it sounded like an inter esting interview,” she said. “In the past, the event has been regularly cov ered, but RoseAnn (Shannon) made a distinction regarding the promotion of the event this year.” Shannon made the decision to ax the interview while Kloss was out of town. Kloss said she did not wish to comment on how Shannon’s decision made her feel. Ever since Shannon’s decision, KETV has received many phone calls from upset supporters of National Coming Out Day. Richenberg said she and nearly 40 other people in support of gay rights called to try and reason with Shannon, but eventually KETV began refusing their calls. “The calls have been nasty,” Shannon said. “(The callers have) _ been swearing, and many of the calls have been threatening.” Richenberg said she is sorry some of the calls have been threatening, but she thought an angry reaction should have been expected. “I’m upset the most about a per sonal opinion getting in the way of fairness,” Richenberg said. “I’m shocked, hurt and enraged (at Shannon’s decision),” she said. “I real ly didn’t expect something like this to happen in the late 1990s. ‘Too contro versial?’ I don’t understand that at all.” Nearly five years ago, gay issues were not too controversial for K.ETV, Richenberg said. In 1994, her brother, Roger Richenberg, was discharged from the U.S. Air Force for being gay. In the ensuing months, he fought the Air Force’s decision and was awarded an honorable discharge. During the many court cases that involved Roger Richenberg, KETV did a story on him. “All of the stations covered it,” Richenberg said. “The press was very supportive and very unbiased. That’s why I just can’t understand KETV’s behavior now.” Deanna Zaffke, a key member of UNF’s Gay, Fesbian, Bisexual and Transgender graduate organization, mirrored Richenberg s feelings. “It’s irresponsible and very biased journalism,” Zaffke said. “It wasn’t too controversial when there was a feeding frenzy on Roger, but a basic story about a very tame event is now too controversial. They focus on the bad, but don’t show the good. That’s very hypocritical. “Homophobic people are every where, and sometimes those people u I’m upset the most about a personal opinion getting in the way offairness” Linda Richenberg National Coming Out Day steering committee member are gatekeepers,” she said. “RoseAnn Shannon is one of those gatekeepers.” Zaffke said KETV’s decision is a blow to the entire gay community, and it should be carefully monitored. “We’re watching this situation very carefully,” Zaffke said. “This is a terrible situation for anyone who is gay or cares about gay rights.” On Saturday, KETV did cover National Coming Out Day, and the sta tion broadcast a short feature on the events that took place. But Richenberg said that didn’t make up for KETV’s prior behavior. “I stand firm in believing that their policy is unfair and inconsistent,” she said. “We were deeply offended by their actions, and we hope that people can learn from this event and be more open-minded in the future.” Tuesday, Oct. 12 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Devaney Sports Center Come visit with us about Drake Law School’s advantages for you • a curriculum combining theory and practice, taught by nationally prominent faculty • nationally acclaimed clinical and trial skills programs • centers of excellence in constitutional law, agricultural law and legislative practice • access to opportunities in Des Moines, Iowa, a center of government, insurance, financial and health services Drake Law School 1-800-44-DRAKE, ext. 2782 e-mail: Iawadmit6drake.edu www.law.drake.edu Garden brings beauty, happiness to Lincoln GARDEN from page 1 will be shut off and the fish ponds are drained. Gardener Jodi Smith agreed that the garden is a popular place all year long. “(People come) even when the garden’s empty,” Smith said. The city of Lincoln has always been a “garden community,” Nosal said, and the Sunken Garden appeals to all types of people. “Gardens in general have a spiri tuality about them,” he said. “You can see it in children and older people. There’s something about (the garden) that people at the beginning of life and end of life just feel.” Older people tend to come to the garden in their last years of life, Nosal said. They are taken by the color and want to go there before they die. Some people go to the garden for a peaceful place to meditate, do yoga or practice tai chi. Reed said the people she sees there are usually looking for inspira tion. Others choose the Sunken Garden as the place they want to get married. Lincoln resident Rhonda Lewis was in the garden Thursday looking for a place to take pictures after her wedding, which was the next day. “It looks pretty good,” she said. “We’ll probably take some by the fountain. It’s nice.” The garden gets redesigned each year, Nosal said. The crops are rotat ed and at least one new plant is added each spring. “We’re continually seeking out new and different ways (to plant),” he said. Nosal traveled to Europe this year looking for new designs and said he has even copied the look of French artist Claude Monet. “That’s how design works,” he said. “You learn from the masters.” Smith called the Sunken Garden a “trial garden” for the public because people come there to get ideas for their gardens at home. What Nosal called the “little hid den secret in Lincoln” is becoming more widely known. Pictures have been taken of the Sunken Garden and sold in Hollywood, and National Geographic magazine once ran a picture of it. Smith said tours come in from around the world, but most of the people who come to the garden just happen to be passing by. Richard Willard from Ft. Scott, Kan., was driving by Thursday night and was drawn by the colorful spectra of the garden. “I just saw it passing by,” he said. “It’s beautiful and well-coordinated. I’m amazed at the time someone took to put this together and that the com u Gardens in general have a spirituality about them. You can see it in children and older people.” Jodi Smith gardener at the Sunken Garden munity came together and created such a nice place for people to browse.” The area where.the Sunken Garden now stands used to be part of Antelope Park, Nosal said. A bridge was constructed in the early 1900s leaving a large hole in the ground that prevented further devel opment. After that, the area was primarily used by children in the winter for sledding down the slopes. In the fall of 1930, the Lincoln city commissioner, E. M. Bair, decid ed to transform the land into the Sunken Garden. His hope was not only to bring happiness to the city 6f Lincoln but also to provide work for unemployed men. Construction began in the winter of 1930, and the garden opened in the summer of 1931. “Lincoln was always looking for something to make people happy and make people feel good,” Nosal said. William said every city could use a garden like the Sunken Garden. “It made my day brighter,” he said. “It’s too bad all townships don’t take this much pride in their commu nities.” In her 10 years as gardener, Smith has come to love her job. “I take care of the garden,” she said. “I’m out smelling everything and talking to the public. My job is to make the public happy.” Reed agreed that the job is a “labor of love.” “This place just emanates so much love,” Reed said. “We depend on the public to feed us and give us feedback.” Nosal said the garden is a market ing issue for the city of Lincoln, as it draws in 200,000 people a year who contribute to the city’s economy. The city government has been asked to build more gardens like the Sunken Garden, he said, but has con tinually declined the request. “The Sunken Garden doesn’t require a team, a ball or a stadium,” he said. “It’s called passive recre ation. (Hopefully, there will) be more gardens like this some day.” WTO considers China BERLIN (AP) - Top trade offi cials from China and the European Union on Sunday discussed China’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. Pascal Lamy, the new EU trade commissioner, said after the meeting that he hopes EU-Chinese trade negotiations will now resume. He gave no date, though. Discussions were suspended after NATO’s May 7 bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during the alliance’s air war on Yugoslavia. Lamy’s meeting with Chinese Foreign Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng, on the sidelines of an EU-Asia trade ministers conference, underlined both sides’ interest in a new push to get China into the world trade body. But several ministers made plain that China’s goal to join before a new round of world trade talks starts Nov. 30 is probably unrealistic. “My hunch is that it might be dif ficult,” said Thai trade minister Supachai Panitchpakdi. In that case, China should be admitted to the round as an observer, said Supachai, designated as the WTO’s next director-general. The United States and the 15 nation EU are pushing for more mar ket-opening moves by China before backing its membership bid, which requires approval of all 134 WTO nations. EU officials say the bloc particu larly wants cuts in Chinese tariffs on automobiles, ceramics, textiles and glass products as well as greater opening in retailing and financial services. China has been trying to join the group for 13 years. Last week, China and the United States made little apparent progress on China’s WTO bid in their first substantial negotia tions since May.