The five-person Reservation Business Committee as we know it today does not
work for the people.
When this RBC was set in place in 1964, it was a committee to run
programs (at the time it was called Community Action Program, CAP), and
also this RBC set in place the housing program, etc. These programs and
services were meant for the people and were funded on the basis of treaty
obligations, not federal welfare.
This RBC seemed to be working at the time. Jobs were being
developed, programs established, and we even had a youth center and youth
work programs back then.
In 1972, however, things changed. This Leech Lake RBC went beyond
the authority of the constitution and bylaws of the MCT and sold the
inherent rights of the people--rights guaranteed by treaty--to the state of
Minnesota without the consent of the people. This was the hunting and
fishing agreement, the beginning of many illegal pacts with the state.
Now we have a Tribal Executive Committee (TEC) which is supposedly
protecting the rights and resources of all six member reservations of our
Tribe, but which failed to take any action against TEC members after the
felony convictions. The reason for their inaction is that the RBC and TEC
are virtually one and the same; over the years, they have refused to take
actions against themselves in any manner.
After the first illegal sale of our inherent rights, an amendment
to the Tribal constitution was proposed. the people were asked to lower
the voting age from 21 to 18, but we were tricked because the wording "on
the reservation of your enrollment" was added. Before this vote, all
tribal members had the same tribal rights no matter which reservation they
resided one. This trick not only violated our inherent and constitutional
rights, but also created the absentee voting scam which allowed whomever
was in control of reservation and tribal affairs, to remain there. Since
then, more agreements dealing away our inherent rights have been made, such
as the tax agreement, the White Earth Land Settlement Act, the gaming
compact with the state. And now our inherent rights to regulate ourselves
and our affairs and to form our own government was denied.
When, in the past 25 years, has the tribal membership amended its
constitution to give the TEC/RBC full governmental powers? We authorized
them to manage and safeguard our rights and resources, not sell our
inherent rights. The people have never authorized the TEC to interpret the
constitution (TEC Ord 1-80). The people never authorized anything but
Business Committees. The people never voted to authorize a tribal
appellate court. All these acts bys these six RBCs and the TEC are
violation of the constitution.
Now, with the felony conviction RBC/TEC officials, tribal members
are asking government reform to do away with this system of government as
we know it. On Leech Lake, actions have been taken to remove the RBC and
set in place a 12-person General Council comprised of person elected at the
community or Local Indian council level. This is a good start and should
be watched by tribal members of all six reservations. It should also be
noted this is a temporary arrangement until we get people to realize that
they have an inherent right and responsibility to be informed and involved
in straightening our tribal government.
Now, the problem we have is the TEC and BIA saying the Leech Lake
Reservation people are not following the MCT Constiutution! How can we
when the TEC/RBC has stripped tribal members of all rights, amended the
constitution themselves, and have been acting beyond the scope of authority
that the constitution authorizes, all with the blessing of the BIA?
The people need to get together to straighten out tribal government
on six reservations, throughout the Tribe. This TEC needs to be put in its
proper place. If we must have an RBC, then they should be limited to just
that.
There is a lot of work to be done, and it can only happen with
people's involvement. We, the people, must form our own government and
stop allowing the present corrupt system. It will be hard for some who
have become used to this form of dictatorship, and for those who have
benefitted from it, but the majority of tribal members are left out. And
remember, the U.S. government has a trust responsibility, not to the
TEC/RBC, but the Tribe itself! They are allowing their own federal laws to
be violated, as long as the people are the victims.
Roxanne LaRose
Leech Lake Anishinaabe
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Bernard J. Rock, Sr.
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society
North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans
Outreach and Resource Center