"When you do democracy, dissent, criticism and competitive politics come with the territory. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians has been seeing more political ferment in the last couple years – and that’s a healthy thing for any nation. Credit Robert Satiacum Jr. and a friend, Mark Celletti, for launching the unofficial news site, puyalluptribalnews.com, that has become a rallying point for tribe members unhappy with one thing or another about their government. As reported by The News Tribune’s Rob Carson on Sunday, the four-year-old Web site has helped create a cultural-activist coalition, Full Circle, and elect two upstart candidates to the Puyallup Tribal Council. The victories of David Bean in 2006 and James Miles this year amounted to a major shakeup of a council long-dominated by a handful of leaders. This isn’t a story of good guys vs. bad guys; it’s a story of people with conflicting ideas about tribal policies. The “old guard” – one tribal councilman, Bill Sterud, has served since 1979 – can point to some extraordinary achievements." Get the Story:
Editorial: A healthy new politics in the Puyallup nation (The Tacoma News Tribune 12/4) News Tribune Feature:
Puyallup Tribe of Indians undergoes dramatic change in leadership | Satiacum Jr. carries a well-known name | Web site thriving after a misstep Relevant Links:
Puyallup Tribal News - http://www.puyalluptribalnews.com
