From left: Justin Fourhorns, Muddy District Chairman, Lori Clubfoot Killsnight and Mabel Killsnight speak against political firing. Photo by Clara Caufield

Muddy District Chairman fired for political reasons
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent
www.nsweekly.com

NORTHERN CHEYENNE RESERVATION, Mont. –– When Justin FourHorns was elected by his peers as the District Chairman of the Muddy District, Northern Cheyenne reservation; he was enthused about that opportunity. “I just want to help my people, especially the elders,” he said.

Yet, as he recently reported, “things did not work out as I expected.”

Fourhorns was recently fired from his carpenter position, held for six years with the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Housing Authority (NCHA) because he went to the Tribal Council, presenting a request on behalf of the Muddy District requesting the resignation or removal of their Council representative.

He presented a letter from that district urging that Larenzy “Oly” McMakin, Muddy Council member either resign or be removed due to “gross negligence.” The point: McMakin has not attended district meetings for more than three years. The district members have resorted to sending certified letters to McMakin, requesting that he report to the district about the doings of tribal government, his extensive travel and to hear their concerns.

When he would no longer respond to telephone calls or be at work on a regular basis, tribal elders from the district raised the issue at a meeting of the Muddy District in March, demanding his resignation or removal. The measure passed by unanimous consent, directing the District Chairman, FourHorns to present that to the Tribal Council.

The Tribal Council agenda reserves a spot on the first meeting of each month to hear from the duly elected District Chairs, positions recognized by the tribal constitution and plan of operations. Fourhorns, exercising his role as District Chair took advantage of that opportunity on April 4, taking approved leave without pay (documentation presented for this article) from his carpenter position with NCHA to attend the Tribal Council meeting, there presenting a formal letter, approved and requested by his district, for McMakin’s resignation or removal.

“The Council was flabbergasted,” Fourhorns reports. “They didn’t know what to say. The Sergeant at Arms, Tracey Robinson, advised that I follow a formal complaint procedure regarding a Council member removal before this matter could be considered. The Muddy District is the first of the five reservation districts to take formal action against a Tribal Council member for negligence, yet most of them would also be guilty.”

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(Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

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