"One of the checks the tribe sorely needs is a newspaper that brings all kinds of information to the community. Our current newspaper, which is owned by the tribe, offers only news of the day and doesn't include anything controversial that the tribal council might be doing.

The councils gave themselves a truckload of freebies. This isn't fair to those who struggle to pay rent and, for that matter, to have a decent meal. Information about misspending could be included in a "free press" newspaper, giving people the chance to say no to this kind of spending.

Yes, I also know that a tribal newspaper can be political and run amok. I have seen newspapers punish tribal councils for doing their jobs. I've seen tribal newspapers print material that a mainstream newspaper never would print because they didn't have solid documentation.

So, a free press could help, but probably more important is a good tribal constitution in which checks and balances are built in and there is a method to enforce those checks and balances."

Get the Story:
Dorreen Yellow Bird: Tribes, tribal councils need reform (The Grand Forks Herald 9/23)
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