September 23, 1993
9/22 -- General Assembly at Leech Lake
Leech Lake Chairman Eli Hunt was hospitalized earlier this week at the Cass
Lake Indian Hospital. Chairman Hunt, a diabetic, was suffering from
exhaustion and dehydration. Hunt has been putting in 18 hour days dealing
and coping with the ramifications of the current standoff and power
struggle with the Leech Lake Reservation Business Committee (LLRBC). The
30 hour hospital stay gave Chairman Hunt a much needed/earned opportunity
to sleep.
Petitions for the removal from the LLRBC of convicted felons,
Secretary/Treasurer Daniel Brown, (who will begin one year of house arrest
on Oct. 4) and District Representative Myron Ellis, (who served 9 month
sentence at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary) have been turned over to the
area director of the Minneapolis BIA office by the acting director of the
Cass Lake office of the BIA.
Charges by LL enrollee Pete White against District Representative Alfred
Fairbanks along with petition for removal from office, signed by 600
enrolled tribal members living on the LL reservation were submitted to the
RBC on September 9.
Salaries of top officials of the LLRBC:
Alfred 'Tig' Pemberton, former Chairman - $83,830/year
Daniel S. Brown, Sec/Treasurer - $74,982/year
Alfred Fairbanks, Jr., District I - $72,720/year
Jack Seelye, District II - $72,720/year
Myron Ellis, District III - $72,720/year
Newly appointed Administrative Staff :
Gerald White, Executive Director - $50/000/ year
Linda Johnson, Deputy Director - $45,000/year
Tom Tillisch, Acting Controller - $47,000/year
Martin Jennings, Interim Gaming Director - $47,000/ year
Burton Howard, Gaming Controller - $45,000/ year
Kay Lego, Asst. Gaming Controller - $43,409/year
Former Administrative Staff:
Roger Aitken, former Exec. Dir. - $71,500/ year
Donna Murray, former Dep. Dir. - $47,091/year + $250/month vehicle allowance
Terry Hodder, former Controller - $57,000/ year + $300/month vehicle allowance
Rob Aitken, former Personnel Dir. - $32,000/ year
Charlie Brown, former Gaming Dir. - $66,144/ year
Additional Benefits to RBC members:
- Health Insurance Coverage (single or family), Dental, & Eye Care (Note:
you never see these guys waiting for service at the IHS Clinic)
- Pension Plan 4% of salary is contributed by RBC, in Interest Bearing
Accounts
- Life Insurance of $250,000
- Bonuses: RBC will occasionally receive a special bonus per member: ie
Christmas Bonus of $500 or $1000 per member (Note: last Christmas LL
enrollees (18 years of age or over) living on the rez received Christmas
bonus of $50; but only if they picked them up in person at the Cass Lake
Facility Center -this meant many home bound elders did not receive the
bonuses.)
- Stipends: Each RBC member receives a stipend for sitting on special
boards or commissions within the LLRBC organization
1. Bug-o-nay-ge-shig School Board: $250 per meeting ($1500 per year per
RBC member)
2. Chapter 260 Board of Directors: $250 per meeting ($1000 per year per
RBC member)
Chairman Eli Hunt accepted a yearly salary of $60,000. He refused the
$250,000 in life insurance. He has refused all honorariums offered to him
both from Leech Lake and from the MN Chippewa Tribe. Chairman Hunt's own
words: "I believe I receive a generous salary to do my job and should not
receive bonuses that other reservation employees do not receive. "
Roger Aitken, Donna Murray, Rob Aitken, Charlie Brown are still being paid
by the four RBC members (Brown, Fairbanks, Seelye, and Ellis -- who have
confiscated the signature plates from the Tribal Office) even though these
administrative staff members were dismissed by Chairman Hunt in July.
The First National Bank of Cass Lake still refuses to recognize duly
elected Chairman Hunt (who is recognized by the BIA and is a full voting
member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe's Tribal Executive Committee) and
his authority as defined in the MCT Constitution to sign checks. At this
point the alternative for the Leech Lake General Council and Chairman is to
file an injunction against the bank and to freeze all accounts. This
action, if taken, would result in loss of income to all reservation and
casino employees/families.
The 4 RBC members continue to sabotage and stall the licensing process for
the interim gaming adminstrative staff; placing Leech Lake's 2 Casinos in
jeopardy of being shut down by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
True to form and established pattern, the 4 RBC members continue to meet in
special (secret) sessions, without the duly elected Chairman, and continue
to pass illegal ordinances to justify and cover (retroactively) their
actions and circumvent the constitution and by-laws. Their most recent
"retroactive ordinances" rescind the responsibility and authority of the
Chairman to sign checks and rescind the responsibility and authority of the
Chairman to appoint and oversee the administrative staff. (Note: This is
referred to locally by true
Anishinaabeg as the "Chippewadena style" of governing and government !! )
The 4 RBC members have also contracted a non-Indian accounting firm "to
confirm" the signatures on the petitions for removal from office. More
stall tactics and waste of tribal resources. This is a task that has
already been accomplished by a committee of enrolled members of the band
and can, in reality, be accomplished by any tribal members who can read the
enrollment records.
HEAR THE VOICES OF THE LEECH LAKE ANISHINAABEG:
General Council Member Louis Boyd asked how was the tribal government run
and recognized prior to the adoption of the Constitution of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe in 1964. Commenting that when his mother served on the
Tribal Council at that time (as Secretary/Treqsurer) the local Indian
councils were recognized and had a voice in the tribal affairs.
Elder Liz Boyd spoke up and clarified for the general assembly, "When I was
the secretary and treasurer, we had $300 in the treasury. We didn't have
any money. All we got paid was $10 for gas money. There wasn't any money
to fight over in those days. Back then we all got along."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bernard J. Rock, Sr.
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society
North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans Outreach and Resource
Center