Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Shekon sewakwe:kon Akwesashronon

I would like to update everyone on what the Elders Benefit Committee has been doing to get a $200 monthly benefit paid to tribally enrolled American resident Elders 62 years old and older within the 15 mile radius, which is the established guidelines of the SRMT, for achieving and/or maintaining financial stability for their health, education and welfare.

On October 21, 2014 a petition containing 503 valid signatures was submitted to the Tribal Clerk for verification and forwarded to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Election Board. On December 15, 2014 the Election Board sent a letter to my attention which denied the call for a referendum because the petition did not state a question that could be presented in a referendum.

On January 9, 2015, the Elders Benefit Committee filed a Civil Suit with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Court asking for a reversal of the SRM Tribal Election Board’s decision. On January 30, 2015 the suit was answered by Michele Mitchell, General Counsel, on behalf of the Election Board stating that the Tribal Court had no jurisdiction to review the Election Board’s decision.

On February 25, 2015, Peter J. Herne, Chief Judge of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Court, issued his decision dismissing our complaint stating that the Elders Benefit Committee had failed to follow procedure in not filing their ‘’APPEAL’’ of the Election Board’s decision to call for a referendum.

On March 11, 2015 an appeal was filed with the Election Board with an attached copy of the Tribal Court’s decision with several areas highlighted which we feel should compel the Board to hold the referendum based on the petition filed on October 21, 2014. To date we have not heard from the Election Board regarding our submission.

Anyone interested in reviewing the decision of Judge Herne is welcome to come to our meeting held every Thursday night from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Senior Center.

Due to the resistance of Tribal Chiefs to help get this program established and the Election Board’s failure to follow procedure in accordance to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Procedures Act and the SRMT Election and Referendum Ordinance, the committee has been informed that we must submit another petition with proper wording before a referendum can be held. Rest assured that this committee is very determined that this program is very much needed and are going to continue our efforts until the program is put into effect. On that note, there are several people circulating our new petition. Due to the extreme weather lately we are behind our schedule and would welcome and encourage all Tribally enrolled Americans 18 years old and up who realize that this program would benefit not only our present Elders but also our future Elders, to come to the Senior Center on Thursday night at 6 pm to sign our petition.

Submitted by Ruth Bell, spokesperson for the Elders Benefit Committee