Suspended OST President Bryan Brewer (top) offers a response to the allegations made against him by Pine Ridge Village council representative Irv Provost (bottom).
Brewer says charges part of 'Smear Campaign'
By Karin Eagle
Native Sun News Staff Writer PINE RIDGE — Suspended Oglala Sioux Tribe President Bryan Brewer fired back at the “smear campaign” that he believes is currently being waged against him. Opening the statement with a quote by Matthew King, an Oglala Lakota leader now deceased that reads; “Only one thing’s sadder than remembering that you were once free, and that’s forgetting you were once free. That would be the saddest thing of all. That’s one thing we Lakota will never do.” Oglala Lakota Itancan Matthew King (Noble Red Man), 1988. Brewer states in the press release dated June 27, “I believe that Matthew King was right. As your President of the Oglala Lakota Oyate, I will not forget that we were once free.” “My vision and my goal is to see that we are free again. Free from the bitterness and hatred that flows from our dependence on a foreign government. Free from the suspicion and jealousy and fear that keeps us divided and gridlocked from freeing our nation from the bonds of colonialism.” “We fight with each other, and engage in every imaginable form of lateral violence and oppression. We can do better; our ancestors and children expect more from us. I am committed to leading this nation with humility, respect and courage, but I need your help – all of your help.” In addressing the charges made by Irv Provost, council representative for Pine Ridge Village, Brewer says “Recent charges and allegations against me, and my administration, have, once again, dragged us into the quicksand of domestic infighting so that no possible benefit or progress can be achieved for the Oglala Oyate (people), as a whole.” “Let me say, at the outset, that all of the allegations against me are false, and will be proven to be false. The Finance Committee, one of the six Oglala Sioux Tribe’s standing committee, who has brought the charges, must answer for themselves why they have engaged in this smear campaign, and why they are obstructing all of the potential benefits for our nation from being realized.” The three charges levied against Brewer by Provost at the June 24 meeting of the OST council, were allegations that he had acted without the consent of the tribe on two matters and mishandled a check made to the tribe. “For every minute, and every day, and every week, that we are forced to engage in charge and counter-charge, we are prevented from improving housing and health care and roads and education for our people,” says Brewer, “For the sake of personal power and grandstanding politics by members of the Council, my administration is being denied the opportunity to deliver quality, effective and accountable governance to you, the Oglala Oyate (people) who elected me.” Brewer’s also spoke on the separation of powers within the branches of the OST government. “Effective democratic governance requires respect for the integrity of the separation of powers of the different branches of our government. The appropriate roles of each branch of our constitutional system must be respected by the other, and each branch must be allowed to provide the leadership and the accountability that we were elected to provide.” “You, the Oyate, voiced your right in the 2008 Referendum vote to have clear separation of powers. Your voice and your freedom has been continued to be suppressed by the decisions made on council floor.” “Checks and balances within our government allows the different branches to hold one another accountable to the people, but it does not allow one branch to micro-manage or to obstruct the other to the point of incapacity.” “As the leader of the executive branch of the Oglala Lakota Oyate, I was selected by you to provide the most qualified and effective talent for the design, organization and operation of programs and services for the nation. I have tried my best to do exactly that.” Recent complaints have been making their rounds in the tribal court system addressing the decisions made by Dr. Richard Zephier, whom Brewer appointed as Executive Director in 2013. “I selected Dr. Richard Zephier as my Executive Director, and he has been tireless in his attempts to rid our administration of corruption, incompetence and unaccountable bureaucrats. We have had the unpleasant responsibility to remove some Oglala citizens from their positions, not because of personal politics, not because of vendettas or retaliation, but because those administrators or employees were not serving YOU, the Oglala Oyate (people).” “Is it painful for us to take these actions? Of course it is. We love and respect our people. That is why we owe you the best government leadership and services possible. We view ourselves as the guardians of your resources – whether it is our territory, our institutions, or our finances. If we allow those resources to be wasted, abused or squandered, we would betray the vision of our ancestors, and the dreams of our descendants to come.” “In attempting to realize these visions of good governance, in the Lakota tradition, when we are falsely accused of mismanagement, abuse of power or malfeasance, it is not only painful, but it is offensive.” “We have a duty to explain and defend our actions, and to assure you that the executive branch of your government is complying with your constitution, and is serving you with honesty and integrity.” In only one statement that addresses those who brought forth the allegations against him, Brewer only comments about their expectations. “Perhaps those who bring defamatory charges and allegations against me and my staff expect those charges to be ignored, or expect that we will let days and weeks pass before we respond. Our accusers are mistaken. We will face these charges head-on, and refute them – every one, without fear or hesitation.” Brewer concludes his statement by addressing his tribal members directly, asserting his innocence of the allegations made against him. “I want to say one thing to the Oglala Oyate. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again; I did not put the people at risk in any of my decisions. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work to serve the needs of the Oyate by creating accountability through our administrative efforts, to serve you.” Brewer’s suspension prohibits any action on behalf of the OST, and is to last until July 17 when a hearing will be held by the tribal council. Vice-President Thomas Poor Bear is acting in his stead during the suspension. Brewer will be represented at the hearing by a Denver based firm that reached out to him over the weekend, for pro bono representation. (Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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