Cheryl Little Dog. Photo from BlackfeetNation.Net
Leaders of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana ousted one of their own on Thursday. Council member Cheryl Little Dog was removed for “misconduct reflecting on the dignity of the tribe," according to a press release quoted by the local media. She was accused of harboring a fugitive who is wanted on sexual abuse charges in South Dakota. “The entire council regrets having to take this action, but to take no action would be irresponsible,” Chairman Harry Barnes said in the release, The Great Falls Tribune reported. “As elected leaders, we are held to a higher standard and as such fall under much more scrutiny.” According to a brief filed in federal court, Frank Gallardo, 38, was arrested on the reservation on October 16. Authorities found him hiding in a crawl space in a home but the home was not identified as Little Dog's and her name does not appear anywhere in the record. Gallardo -- who also goes by the name Frank Thunder Hawk -- is facing sexual abuse charges for an incident on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the home of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He is accused of molesting an eight-year-old, according to the indictment. The FBI had put out a wanted poster prior to his arrest. Get the Story:
Blackfeet councilwoman expelled for harboring alleged molester (The Great Falls Tribune 11/20)
Blackfeet Councilwoman Removed for Harboring Accused Molester (The Flathead Beacon 11/19)
Blackfeet Tribal Business Council votes to expel Cheryl Little Dog (KRTV 11/19)
Join the Conversation
