At a tribal council meeting, the leader of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians of Michigan confronted critics who have called for his removal from office.

Chairman Ken Harrington said he is collecting signatures to dispute a recall petition against him. He said he will have enough to present to a tribal court in hopes of stopping the recall.

Harrington also said the recall puts the bad in a negative light. “There’s no way this recall helps our tribe — it’s ludicrous,” he said at the council meeting, The Petoskey News-Review reported. “We’re trying to renegotiate our $122 million in senior unsecured notes right now with the casino, and how do you think this makes us look? How will this affect our forbearance agreement?

Critics collected enough signatures to schedule a recall against Harrington and vice chairman Dexter McNamara, who have been in office for just six months.

Get the Story:
Tribal chairman and elders spar over legality of recall petitions (The Petoskey News-Review 3/10)

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