Our View: Hi-Line darts and laurels, August 1, 2014

Laurel — A lot of Hill County residents have never been to the powwow at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. They are cheating themselves out of a treat. The powwow will be held this weekend. There also will be a rodeo. The grand entry at the powwow is a colorful display of native culture that will entertain and educate people from all walks of life. You’re missing out on a lot if you don’t attend.

Laurel — Chamene Plum of the Havre Jaycess has been given the Don Cavelli Memorial Award from the national Jaycees for her hard work on behalf of the organization. Congratulations. Havre Jaycees do a lot of great things for the community. Sadly, some service groups seem to be dying out, but Jaycees are full of youth and vigor. It’s great to see a Havre person honored nationally.

Dart — Though it seems to be backing off a tad, the U.S. Defense Department still seems to be sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. The Army War College is conducting a review of alleged plagiarism by Sen. John Walsh. Traditionally a review panel looks into the allegations and make a recommendation to the deputy commander of the college. This time, the Defense Department said it will intervene because the alleged plagiarizer is a member of Congress. Huh? The rules should be the same if the guilty party is a private citizen or a senator. Now the Defense Department is saying it will only “review” the final War College decision. But why is the Defense Department involved at all?

Laurel — We’ve always thought that people of mixed race were kind of lucky. They got to be part of at least two cultures and traditions. But “halfbreeds” is a derogatory term for Native Americans of mixed race. The Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians is calling on the state to scrub offensive names such as halfbreed from state maps. Just like the work squaw has been nearly eliminated from the state’s official map, the tribe would like to see other offensive names erased. It’s inappropriate to have geographic locations with names that are offensive to major segments of the community, they argue. Press releases from Gov. Steve Bullock and Sens. Jon Tester and John Walsh Thursday afternoon indicated they are in agreement. So are we.