Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Editor,

At this month’s Tribal membership meeting a couple of very important items were briefly discussed.

It was announced that Tribal Council Resolution 2013-21 was signed and is in effect. The Resolution amends the election and referendum ordinance.

Section B. of the Eligibility [criteria] of Candidates item 4. (page 5) states that a candidate must “Have resided on the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation, as a defined by the Treaty of 1796, for at least one (1) year immediately prior to the annual tribal election.”

I believe I live on the wrong side of that imaginary line. As a matter of fact several hundred Mohawk tribal members currently live on the wrong side of that imaginary line. Yet, I somehow do not feel any less a viable and contributing member of the Tribal organization and the Akwesasne community. I certainly do not feel any less Mohawk.

This delineation of who is a better-qualified Mohawk person for elected position based simply on geographic location is not rational. And it is an affirmation of a growing trend of limiting available tribal programs and services as well as enrollment qualification that is spreading across all of Indian country. If the Council has the authority to render a member unqualified to run for office because of where they live, it stands to reason that it will not be long before the Council will create the authority to divest individuals of enrollment status and participation in programs and services. I promise you, that train is never late. Did they not, just 2 years ago deny eligibility into the Citgo home fuel program from Tribal members living off the reservation proper? The reasoning for such a limitation is discriminatory.

Why the Tribal government would want to limit the potential pool of talented individuals from participating in their own government is self-defeating and very short sighted. I think the two Chiefs who signed the document and now enforce it could have been stronger defenders of membership rights. I also wonder if it is not a conflict of interest for a Chief to sign a Resolution that has a direct impact on an election in which we assume he will be competing in. I would like to think that it was a poor judgment call. At its worst, it was a successful attempt to limit election competitors.

The second interesting item to see limited light of day was the Action Item from the March 2nd Tribal meeting regarding the Tribe withholding public documents from the Tribal membership.

Item 3 of the list of Action Items read: “A copy of the Roger Thomas [court] decision [is requested] and how much it’s costing [tribal membership].”

The Council’s reply was: “The decision is a public document that can be requested from the courts. The Legal cost associated with the Tribe’s involvement is $12,243 from the Tribal General Fund.”

So the Council is basically saying that I have to go all the way to Canton, to a NY State Court to obtain public documents paid for with monies from the Membership’s Tribal General Fund. It could not get any weirder than that.

The Council could not possibly look guiltier of covering up a mess than they did while they quickly swept this issue under the rug, in full view of those attending the Membership meeting. I was embarrassed for my fellow members in the audience that did not get it.

Apparently, the Council is now in the business of providing defense counsel, including defense funding for Tribal members. That is a big deal, considering our Tribal Legal Counsel lost the case. The case was a criminal matter involving the question of Mohawk hunting and fishing rights on disputed lands. So, our brainiacs in the Tribe’s legal office provided the State of NY with a map defining what is our claim to which lands, the State never had such an affirmation from us before. Then they inappropriately represented what is basically our land claim and inherent rights argument and they blew it. Thomas was convicted and the lawyers went home knowing they blew one of the easiest cases ever to cross their path.

The icing on the cake is that the Tribal Council leadership, the guys you elected, tells the membership it is not our business to know what our Tribal Legal office is doing on our behalf. And the stick in the eye is that they made us pay for it out of our Tribal General Fund. Literally, we paid in lost legal standing and in money for the airheads in legal to screw up what is in all intent and purpose, a ridiculous rock fight.

The next logical question that should come from Tribal membership is – When do we renegotiate the Lawyers job contracts?

In my opinion, thank the lord it’s election season.

Ray Cook