2 Indian Advocacy Workers Charged

[Okwes]

2 Indian Advocacy Workers Charged
Posted by: "[e-mail]" [e-mail] anahooey
Tue May 1, 2007 11:25 am (PST)
_www.theolympian.com/112/story/94170.html_
(http://www.theolympian.com/112/story/94170.html)
2 Indian advocacy workers charged

by: Venice Buhain
The Olympian
LACEY - Two educators have been charged in Thurston County with embezzling
$15,300 over several years from an advocacy group that promotes the education
of the state´s American Indian children, according to court documents.
The embezzlement over several years depleted the money of the Washington
State Indian Education Association, a 23-year-old organization that includes
tribal leaders, public school educators, and teachers and administrators at
tribal schools, chairwoman Sally Brownfield said Monday.
"We are going forward," Brownfield said. "We´re rebuilding."
Anna-Maria Wilson, 48, of Olympia, the North Thurston Public Schools Indian
education coordinator, faces two counts of first-degree theft and five counts
of second-degree theft, in the case.
Denise Marie Bill, 45, of Puyallup, listed as an assistant director of Native
American Programs, Diversity, Inservice, and Instruction on an Auburn School
District Web page, was charged with one count of first-degree theft.
Bill had been the chairwoman of the association and Wilson had been its
treasurer until March of last year. In June, other board members reported to the
Lacey Police Department that more than $20,000 had been embezzled from the
organization´s accounts, according to the charging papers.
The case came to the Thurston County Prosecutor´s Office in October, and it
took several months to complete the investigation, Chief Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Jon Tunheim said Monday.
Thurston County investigators found that 11 of the organization´s checks
totalling $12,300 were deposited into Wilson´s personal account at TwinStar
Credit Union in Tumwater and Lacey between Aug. 27, 2003, and June 1, 2006,
according to charging papers signed by Thurston County senior deputy prosecutor
Joseph Wheeler. Each of the checks had been written to and signed by Anna Wilson
or Anna Bell, her maiden name, he reported.
Wilson also was accused of withdrawing $1,000 from the organization´s account
in May 2006, Wheeler reported. Denise Bill was accused of signing one $2,000
check that was deposited into Wilson´s personal account, Wheeler said.
Both Wilson and Bill are scheduled to go to trial the week of June 25,
according to charging papers, though there are two court dates scheduled before
the trial. All of the charges are felonies.
The organization´s board made the decision to turn the case over to law
enforcement after the allegations came to light last year, Brownfield said.
"The board felt they needed to be held responsible," she said.
Meanwhile, in the past year, the organization has been rebuilding its
resources through donations and fundraisers.
The money, which comes from dues and donations from tribes, is used for merit
awards for higher education and the high school graduation expenses of
tribal students. The group also advocates for changes in the way that American
Indian history is taught. Two years ago, the group proposed changes in state law
that would require public schools to teach the history of tribes within a
100-mile radius.
"We recently had our state conference, and it worked out very well,"
Brownfield said. "We didn´t have as many merit awards as we had in recent years,
though we did have two."
She said that she hoped the news wouldn´t overshadow the work that the
organization does for American Indian children.
"This has always been about been about the children, giving a voice to the
children that don´t have a voice."
Venice Buhain covers education for The Olympian. She can be reached at
360-754-5445 or [e-mail].