Free Gabriel's Stand by Jay B. Gaskill

stretched out his legs. His moccasin clad feet were crossed on a leather stool that was silhouetted against the crackling flames of an open fireplace. He was dressed in a weathered leather vest and jeans. The frost scarred window of the rustic living room in Idaho looked out on a stand of lodge pole pine trees.
    â€œNo one can remember a precedent,” Max Cahoon said.
    Gabriel shrugged. “We all have short memories these days. It just worked out that way because of my negotiations with the tribes.”
    â€œTell me about that.”
    â€œIt was pretty tough, actually. The North American Habitat stitches together seven national parks and nineteen other protected areas. By eminent domain and negotiated buy out, several million acres of additional habitat were to be added. We wanted to create a single, protected contiguous meta-ecosystem. But the contemplated Habitat area covered parts of six states, and took in three dozen Reserved Indian Territories. These tribes are like sovereign nations within the US.”
    â€œStill?”
    â€œIn my view, yes.” Gabriel had seemed to bristle at the question; then he relaxed.
    â€œSomehow you got it done.”
    â€œAfter some tough sledding.” He shook his head. “I was a pretty fair labor negotiator before I got my own business going. But these negotiations were the hardest in my life.”
    â€œHow long did this take?”
    â€œPractically all of my two terms in the House and my first year in the Senate. Toward the end of my last House term, we had pretty much worked out the special access rights for tribal members. It was a very tricky to trade off against restricted access for the general public, but we did it. And then Senator Jack Silton died, and my old friend, Governor Bob Wright, asked me to serve out the last three months of Jack’s Senate term.”
    â€œAnd you ran a successful campaign and became the nation’s first elected Native American Senator.”
    â€œSeventh.”
    â€œSorry, seventh. Your bill passed in the Senate with fourteen votes to spare, and created the Standing Bear National Wilderness Area, the largest ecologically protected area in the world.”
    â€œThat’s not the official name, thank God.”
    â€œI saw a road sign.”
    â€œMy daughter probably made that one.” Gabriel grinned.
    â€œCan I bring up a personal matter?”
    Gabriel gave the reporter a guarded look. “Try me.”
    â€œI was told you were shot by muggers in Washington DC who also attacked your wife.”
    â€œYou mean I was a very lucky Indian. Yes, I can talk about that. We were more worried about my wife, Alice, who was in a brief coma from her head wound.”
    â€œBut not you?”
    Gabriel grinned, knocking his forehead with a knuckle. “As, my opponents will say: I have a very thick skull. Anyway, our family, my tribe and my close friends all became much closer after that. And I paid more attention to my roots. The furrow in my skull was closed up with a bone graft from a bear my father killed. Now, according to my wife, I’m smarter than the average bear.”
    Cahoon chuckled. “We’d all say a lot smarter, Senator. I guess my question is this: Given your experience and your passionate commitment to the environment, can you explain something for us: Why did you announce that you are against the pending Earth Restoration Treaty?”
    â€œThe one adopted by the European Union, Russia and China? You mean the power grab disguised as a remedy? As you know, former President Baxter signed it but the Senate refused to take it up and it was considered a dead letter. Suddenly, President Chandler has signed the treaty anew and has demanded a ratification vote. Mark my words: If our Senate ever ratifies this thing, we are in for a world of trouble. The Great Depression will seem like a cakewalk.”
    â€œWhat is the core problem in your opinion?”
    â€œThe Earth