Topic category:  Other/General

Once again corporate America shows the world it has no limits in degrading or trashing the American Indian community. Gristedes, a New York based Supermarket chain headed by John Catsimatidis, has filed a federal lawsuit against two Long Island Indian nations over their smoke shop sales. This lawsuit was filed against the Shinnecock and Unkechaug Indian nations to include senior tribal officials.

John Catsimatidis is Chairman, President and CEO of the Red Apple Group including Gristedes Foods. He is also Chairman and CEO of United Refining Company.

Gristedes' suit described the Indian nation's smoke shops as black market suppliers "through their knowing and intentional complicity," funding gangs, organized crime and international terrorists such as Hezbollah. Gristedes to date has not offered or produced any proof of a connection between the two Indian nation's support of Hezbollah or any other international terrorist groups.

The American Indian community has had enough of corporate America's anti-Indian rheteric being blasted all over the world in newspapers and TV stations. American Indians helped the first Europeans coming to their home land win their war of independence that brought about the America we all know today. American Indians have fought in every American war from it's beginning, America's government is set up on the principles of Indian nation's government. Federalism, separation of government powers and freedom of speech came from the first American Indian nations.

American Indians are putting their lives on the line today in America's fight against foreign terrorism. Many have lost their lives in this war. John Catsimatidis has disgraced himself and his company; even an apology on his knees would never undo his despicable, callous, misguided intentions toward American Indians. Homeland security and the U.S. Justice Department should be required to look into and investigate Gristedes' law suit.

Gristedes' lawsuit stems over an "Un-American" law passed by New York state government requiring Indian nations in the state to charge a special $1.50 tax per pack to non-Indian customers buying cigarettes at their smoke shops. Gristedes claims they lost more than $20 million in sales to the Indian nations' "two smoke shops". Namdor, Inc.owns Gristedes' supermarket chain of over fifty New York City based retail stores, one of them located on Long Island.

You do the math - two Long Island Indian smoke shops against more than 50 New York City based supermarket chain stores. Gristedes say's they're just trying to level the playing field, they're not anti-Indian.

Gristedes' owner John Catsimatidis may be feeling the heat. Gristedes, over the passed few years, has taken a big financial hit in lawsuits itself. Workman's comp suits, poor and unsafe working conditions, one worker lost an arm. deliverymen at Gristedes filed a class action federal suit for back pay. State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer stepped in on the issue. He brought about a $3.2 million settlement with Gristedes' Foods, Inc. plus a maximum of $650,000 for private attorneys' fees and costs. The deliverymen worked sixty hours a week for around $70. Now they earn a minimum of $6.00 per hour and receive benefits.

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) filed suit against Gristedes parent company, Namdor, Inc. for failing to pay more than $50,000 in fines owed to the City for repeat violations. This action was taken because of almost 200 unresolved violations - overcharging customers, fraudulent expiration dates on perishable items, sales tax not properly charged. The state DCA office protects consumers in the marketplace.

State Governor George Pataki and the state taxation and finance department are not enforcing the cigarette tax law against the state's Indian nations. They know or should know if they do, it would not stand up in a federal court when the two Indian nations each file a lawsuit to block it. The state government would be wasting a lot of tax dollars in court trying to make the Indian nations charge the state tax to non-Indian customers. New York state representatives were pandering to anti-Indian groups when they passed the ridiculous law trying to dictate to Indian nation governments.

Gristedes spokesmen, Gerald McKelvey and Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist for the New York Neighborhood Retail Alliance and Gristedes, will have their hands full when this issue backfires in their face. A poll published recently showed a majority of New Yorkers supported the Indians on this issue. Anti-Indian groups like "One Nation United" supported by the Oklahoma Grocers Association and "Citizens Equal Rights Alliance" have again overstepped their bounds. Thanks to some New York state representatives, in the end it will be left up to state tax payers to pay for these groups' actions.

Shinnecock Indian Nation http://www.shinnecocknation.com/

Unkechaug Indian Nation smoke shop & trading post http://www.poospatucksmokeshop.com/

Mike Graham, member Oklahoma Cherokee Nation mikecherokee@aol.com

Mike Graham
United Native America (Founder)

Biography - Mike Graham

Mike Graham is a citizen of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation, a retired service connected disabled Army veteran. Founded United Native America in 1993 to form a national group to take action on American Indian issues. The groups main issue is to bring about a federal national holiday for Native Americans. United Native America's motto is, "Standing up for America and the American Indian community."

Graham has been a guest speaker on national and international radio talk shows to include television programs concerning Indian community issues, his reports on Indian issues have been published in newspapers all over America. He has traveled across the country discussing issues with Indian nation leaders, he has presented Indian issues at college's and high schools.