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Native activists, local intellectuals confront city council

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Removal of planter bearing Casuse’s image stirs controversy

The Gallup City Council heard sentiments from community members about a downtown planter that was removed from the front of the law office of attorney Barry Klopfer.

The planter depicted images of Larry Casuse, a Native American female bearing an AK-47 rifle, and a Native family of elders. In the eyes of the Native Americans that spoke during the public comment portion of the April 25 council meeting, removing the planter was a slap in the face to a people who already feel economically, politically and socially subjugated by Gallup.

“Do you know the Native population of Gallup,” Brandon Benallie asked Mayor Jackie McKinney. “Look at the council: How many Natives are on the city council?”

Benallie’s remarks were part of a string of remarks aimed at alleged Native discrimination and marginalization.

Casuse was a Navajo-born college student at the University of New Mexico-Gallup who kidnapped then-mayor Emmitt Garcia at gunpoint in March 1973. Casuse, and others in the area Native communities, were opposed to the inordinate amount of liquor licenses in Gallup at the time. The city continues to have more such licenses as per population – practically three times the amount as suggested by state guidelines.

Casuse aimed to show Garcia the impact alcohol had on the Navajo community. Casuse was killed, according to some reports, by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Klopfer commissioned the painting of the planter. Local artist Ric Sarracino was reportedly paid $300 to do it and that was recently refunded to Klopfer, Francis Bee, the executive director of the city’s Business Improvement District, said.

“The money has been refunded,” Bee said. “I think the painting may have violated some rules that were put in place when the planters were being done.”

McKinney said the planter was removed after the city received numerous complaints about the depictions. As far as where the planter is right now is undetermined. The Gallup Sun has reached out to the city’s parks and recreation department, but has not received returned telephone calls. The parks department would have been the city department charged with the removal of the planter.

“This is outright discrimination against the Native American people,” Mike Butler, a white protester who also spoke against the removal of the planter. “The sad thing is that the city is hypocritical. There are murals right outside on the walls of City Hall that bear the same thing. The fact of the matter is they don’t care about anyone who isn’t white. How many Natives have top level jobs at Gallup City Hall?”

McKinney argued against the racial aspect of what was being hurled at the entire panel.

“You don’t know me,” McKinney told Benallie, and supporters. “If you did you wouldn’t be saying that.”

Jerry Garcia of Gallup and the brother of the mayor that was taken hostage by Casuse addressed council members and had some pretty choice words for the Native protesters.

“We sit here and we talk about our liquor laws and you go to your casino where your president is ripping you people off by tons of money,” Garcia, a local builder, said. “You don’t know nothing.”

A meeting on the whole Native discrimination matter, as well as the planter removal, is set for May 9 at the Downtown Conference Center. The Sun has received reports that the planter was painted over.

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent

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