10/8/96 UPDATE ON LEADERSHIP SITUATION IN MINNESOTA CHIPPEWA COUNTRY:
Ex-chairman Alfred Pemberton and former Leech Lake attorney Harold Finn
reported to the minimum security penal camp in Duluth, Minnesota around
11:30 a.m. on Oct. 3.
[We have been told this is one of those country club prisons where there
send all corrupt govenment officials. We sure would appreciate someone
checking it out.]
About 2 hours later, acting BIA area director Larry Morrin released his
decision that the Bureau would not comply with its constitutional mandate
to schedule a reservation vote on whether Dan Brown and Myron Ellis -- both
were convicted in the same $1.1 million embezzlement scheme -- should
remain in office. Morrin did not disput the validity of the signatures, or
the fact that the petitioners constituted the reqauired 20% of reservation
adults, he suggested that only the RBC itself could make such a
determination.
[Again the BIA is allowing the offenders to vote on removing themselves.]
Tribal Executive Committee (TEC) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe will hold
a special meeting at 2 p.m. on October 8, in Hinckley, to discuss the
already volative issue of tribal land claims.
[We find the timing of the proposed settlement for landclaims and timber
sales to be interestingly convenient for the Schoessler lawfirm and for the
U.S. government. Now which one of those is a Branch of the BIA, or does
that work the other way around?]
On Sept. 12, when Chairman Hunt was taken from the tribal office to the
Cass Lake Indian Hospital. The RBC seized the opportunity to schedule a
"special" meeting to discuss "confidential matters." Chairman Hunt was
notified of the meeting (as required by the MCT constitution) by putting a
memo in his mailbox. [RBC was fully aware that Chairman Hunt had been
hospitalized. When the RBC was accused by tribal members, at a general
assembly in July, of holding secret meetings; district rep. Myron Ellis,
maintained that they did not hold secret meeting, they hold "special
meetings to discuss confidential matters"]
At the RBC's Sept. 13 "Special" meeting (to discuss "confidentional"
matters) the four RBC members passed several ordinances (ammendments to the
by-laws of the Leech Lake Reservation) giving themselves retroactive
authority to do what they have been doing. The four RBC members at this
"special" meeting [Dan Brown, Myron Ellis, Alfred Fairbanks, and Jack
Seeyle] authorized Alfred Fairbanks to sign an agreement with an accounting
firm in Minneapolis to conduct an analysis of the signatures on the
petitions for the removal of Dan Brown, Mryon Ellis, and Alfred Fairbanks
from Office.
Additional business at the Sept. 13 "special'' meeting was to
authorizetravel expenses:
--approved the out-of-state travel for four to five Council members to
attend the National congress of American Indians (NCAI) Annual conference
on October 20-25, 1996 in Phoenix, AZ.
[Secretary/Treasurer and convicted felon Dan Brown, but "acting chairman"
for the "special" meeting is currently supposed to be under house arrest.
Brown was also in attendence at the Regular Quarterly meeting on Oct. 4, in
Ballclub.]
--approved out-of-state travel for Dean Brasgalla, JTPA Director, to a
training meeting with DINAP staff in Tampa, Florida October 1-6, 1996.
[We have no idea what a DINAP staff is but Mr. Brasgalla, who is indeed
employed by the Reservation is also the non-Indian mayor the City of Cass
Lake. The City of Cass Lake is up to renegotiate the terms of their lease
on 40 acres of land that the City of Cass Lake sits on. The 'first city'
of Cass Lake was closer to Pike Bay and was built on 'former' wetlands.
When the (first)
City of Cass Lake flooded and started to sink; they got a lease on 40
acres of tribal land.]
The 4 members cancelled the public hearing scheduled for September 30, 1996
concerning the TEC sensure of Daniel S. Brown. They have directed that a
recall election be scheduled Tuesday, October 22, 1996 on the question of
whether Daniel s. Brown should remain in office.
On October 4, 1996 the Regular Quarterly Meeting was held at the Ballclub
Community Center. This meeting was open to the tribal members. Myron
Ellis was absent. He had called to say he would be in Rochestor for
medical reasons.
[District Rep. Myron Ellis has been unavailable to his district
constituents since July because he has "medical reasons in Rochester."
While it is nice that Representative Ellis has the Medical Insurance to
cover the cost of treatment at the Mayo Clinic. If he is that sick. He
should just resign.]
No statement of earnings was available with the financial statement
presented at the regular meeting.
Business conducted at the Regular Meeting:
--Resolutions regarding eligible enrollments and transfers of enrollment.
--Authorized grant application for HIV/STD Prevention Grant for the Health
Division.
--Chairman Eli Hunt presented two resolutions pertaining to the signature
authority for the RBC and for the Gaming Division. -- resolution to adhere
to the ordinance one of the constitution of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
No motions were made. No vote was taken.
[When asked by General Council Member Frank Reese when the RBC was going to
comply with the MCT constitution and turn over signature authority to duly
elected and recognized Chairman Eli Hunt; Alfred Fairbanks answered that
when the reservation got back to normal they would allow Eli to sign the
checks. Alfred Fairbanks is in possession of the signature plates for the
check machines at the tribal office and gaming. Recently when Alfred's
brother (employed as a counselor with the reservation's youth drug
awareness program) was busted for another DWI, Alfred was able to
authorize himself a $1500 loan to bail his brother out of the jail.]
When asked by General Council Members when the RBC was going to recognize
the General Council, Jack Seeyle replied that they would recognize the
Council when the State of Minnesota and the BIA recognized them
When asked by a tribal member why the RBC was allowing a convict felon Dan
Brown to stay on the RBC. Jack Seeyle responded that "If the tribal
council can overlook the felon, so can you."
[The stall tactics continue, with the assistance of the Department of the
Interior. The only people winning in this struggle are the Schoessler
Lawfirm and other outside interests, who are getting rich doing the
thinking for the RBC. ]
We will keep you posted.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bernard J. Rock, Sr.
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society
North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans
Outreach and Resource Center