Native American Press/Ojibwe News

Red Lake voters and tribal council members deserve congratulation

July 19, 2002
First, I would like to congratulate the Red Lake tribal voters, who voted for change. We have apparently had enough of the egos, greed, deceptions, and self-interest of the King-Whitefeather council. The only incumbents whom the electorate felt worthy of being retained in office were Judy Roy and Toady Thunder. This is no doubt a recognition of their leadership in resisting some of the irresponsibility and chaos which swirled around them in the tribal council.

Seven out of the nine people elected to council are new, although two have previously served in Red Lake tribal government in the past. Red Lakers have made it clear at the ballot box that we want to get beyond the mismanagement and lack of direction which have characterized the Whitefeather administration.

Secondly, congratulations to Butch, Ducker, Jim, Toady, Richard, and Billy. These dedicated Red Lakers need to be commended for wanting to undertake the difficult tasks which lie ahead in straightening out our tribal affairs, as well as for enduring the rigors and trials of the campaign. They deserve all of our support and help in finding out exactly where we’re at financially, and coming up with a plan to deal with the problems facing the Red Lake band.

We have to ensure that the forensic audit being conducted by auditors at McGladrey, Inc., is thorough, focused, and is completed as soon as possible. It must be an extremely high priority. We will not be able to make any long-term plans until we know exactly what situation is, and precisely what the debt from the casino expansion has obligated us to. And, whatever the results, we should follow through and see that whoever has gotten the tribe into its current predicament pays the consequences.

In addition, audits of the general fund, tribal programs, and businesses need to be completed quickly, so that we have an accurate view of our total financial picture.

There were a number of important issues that were raised during the campaigns, including concerns about law enforcement, tribal courts, and drugs and violence on the reservations. Red Lakers also expressed serious concerns about separation of governmental powers, blood quantum, conservation of resources, alcoholism, housing, nepotism, health care, a balance of services to reservation and urban residents – and constitutional reform and restructuring of tribal government.

Tribal members are also extremely concerned about employing non-tribal members in key positions, the questionable qualifications of certain tribal employees, the current lack of training programs for tribal members to qualify our own people for top-level administrative jobs, and the whole structure and strategies of economic development followed by the Whitefeather administration. We cannot continue to create tribal “businesses” which require ongoing subsidies, and unemployment and poverty should not be an economic development ‘strategy.’

Probably the major “low” in the campaign was the involvement of the DFL in the “music fest” held on the reservation last Monday night. This is another desperate, last-minute attempt by Whitefeather use his DFL connections to maintain his control in tribal affairs – which was rejected by the people this time. DFL backing is probably the only way Whitefeather got elected four years ago, and it’s a good bet that Whitefeather was first elected chairman because of outside DFL influence.

I think that the recall ordinance, the petition drive, the recall election, and the recent tribal elections have brought Red Lakers together. It may have had something to do with 9-11, but community organizing, community meetings, trying to find ways to address our problems as a community, has ended up with good results. Many of the newly-elected officers have been involved in these broad community efforts, and they were elected as our representatives to help us find ways to deal with the extremely difficult issues continue to confront us, as “we the people.”