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Native Sun News: Northern Cheyenne activists seek overhaul

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The following story was written and reported by Clara Caufield, Native Sun News correspondent. All content © Native Sun News.

Amanda White Shirt and Stella Killsontop check out a food donation at the activists’ camp in Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Photo courtesy A Cheyenne Voice

Northern Cheyenne activists set up camp
Tent city sets up outside Little Wolf Capitol Building
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent

LAME DEER, Mont. –– For the past week, there has been more activity outside the Northern Cheyenne Tribal offices than inside.

Tribal activists have established a camp in the tribal office parking lot, collecting signatures on a petition to initiate a referendum vote to abolish the current Indian Reorganization (IRA) government, replacing it with a system overseen by the traditional Chiefs, the details of how that would work, not yet clarified.

In the meantime, few council members have been in the office. A scheduled Council meeting on August 10 was canceled due to lack of a quorum; on Wednesday, few Council members were in the office and on Thursday the entire Council, President and Vice-President traveled to Billings for a Housing Authority Retreat and Transportation meeting and Friday, August 14 was a tribal holiday – Tribal President’s Day, also the start of Crow Fair and the Billings Fair.

Activists have had little communication with elected council members, although Jennifer Red Fox talked briefly with Conrad Fisher, Lame Deer District representative, who is also her brother.

“He was very uncomfortable talking to me,” she reported, “So I didn’t pressure him.”

That has prompted the organizers to begin recording a daily “roll call” of tribal council attendance and travel, which they plan to publicize, a common complaint on the reservation relating to frequent Council travel and poor attendance.

Yet, Tribal President Llevando “Cowboy” Fisher and Vice-President Winfield Russell were at work for most of that week.

Fisher, when contacted by phone on Wednesday, said: “This (the protest) is a very good wake-up call for the Tribal Administration and Council. Our people have the right of freedom of speech and to assemble. This is their right under the constitution and there will be no retaliation,” he promised.

Earlier, protesters read a Facebook post that a tribal employee was reprimanded for signing their petition, but Fisher said “That is absolutely not true. Or if so, it did not come from my office.”

Key camp attendants, Jennifer Red Fox, Pauline High Wolf (Wallowing), Stella Killsontop and Roger Red Hat carefully noted: “In this effort, we are just the minions for the Chiefs. We are doing this at their direction and on behalf of all the Cheyenne people.”

On August 6, 2015, following an earlier dramatic and inconclusive presentation to the Tribal Council, activists convened an all-night vigil in the Tribal Council Chambers. Military society members and traditional Northern Cheyenne Chiefs attended, then issuing the following proclamation:

Cheyenne Traditional Law
It has come to our attention that our Tribal Council has committed gross neglect/violations as defined in the Tribal Constitution and bylaws and Corporate Charter, the traditional right to be told what our Tribal Government is doing. Second, the Constitution “Bill of rights: that all tribal members be accorded equal participation in the economic resources and any activity of the Tribe has been violated.
Therefore, it is ordered that the Northern Cheyenne I.R.A. government (Tribal Council) refrain, not interfere in any way, (the) efforts by our tribal membership (over) whom we have traditional jurisdiction, since time immemorial.
Done this 6th day of August, 2015 in the Little Wolf Capital building.

Signatures included: Leroy Pine, Wesley Spotted Elk, Rock Red Cherries, Robert Little Wolf, Vance Littlebird. At that time, Rock Red Cherries, the principal and oldest Cheyenne Chief prayed for all the Cheyenne people, asking a blessing for the effort and protection, Red Fox said.

Campers are collecting signatures on a petition to force a general referendum vote on the matter. Article VII of the Amended Constitution (1996) reads “Upon a petition, signed by at least ten (10) percent of the registered voters from each district, a referendum may be demanded….on any proposed or enacted ordinance or resolution of the Tribal Council and the vote of the majority of the qualified voters voting in such referendum shall be conclusive and binding upon the Tribal Council, provided at least thirty (30) percent of the eligible voters shall vote in such referendum."

The Petition addresses three key points: 1) The I.R.A, government is not working and the Chiefs want to go back to Traditional Government, petitioning for the removal or all authority from the I.R.A government; 2) they allege that the I.R.A. government has grossly violated the constitutional Bill of Rights and the Corporate Charter Accounts of the Northern Cheyenne Nation and 3) they request that all I.R.A. government funding be frozen until a traditional government is established.

Organizers say that they have already gained the necessary 10 percent of signatures from each district but plan to continue the drive, anticipating the petition will be challenged by the Tribal Council.

“While we have been the object of some minor harassment, there is a lot of community support,” said Stella Killsontop, one of several women organizing the cooking for campers and guests. “It makes my heart feel good. People are coming back together over this issue, visiting, laughing, drumming, singing and encouraging one another. They share terrible stories about how they have been treated by the tribal government. ”

Last week, the campers also received unexpected guests. Several carloads of Lakota from Pine Ridge, enroute to a pow wow, stopped to visit and offer moral support. High Wolf said she is related to the Lakota and that a Mr. Good Plum Jr., offered support to the Northern Cheyenne, noting similar community concerns at Pine Ridge. The Lakota and Northern Cheyenne prayed together and discussed mutual cooperation.

Since then, the two groups are discussing a possible meeting of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne traditional chiefs, to be held at Bear Butte, South Dakota, sacred site for both Tribes.

“It has been 139 years (since the Battle of the Little Big Horn) since the Chiefs of our tribes got together,” High Wolf noted. “It’s really awesome.”

Roger Red Hat, a member of the Elk Horn Scrapers Military Society explained an effort to bring all four of the traditional military societies together to actively support the effort. This idea, he said, was initiated more than a year ago by the Elkhorn Scraper Headsman, the late George Elkshoulder Jr.

“He recommended that we reconstruct our traditional government, which has more compassion for the people,” Red Hat said. “We are tired of this poverty and suppression.”

Now about two weeks into the effort, the group continues to strategize. They are seeking legal advice and possible court intervention although Red Fox said: “We already know that the Tribal Court and B.I.A. will go against us. That is why we may need to go to the federal level.”

Smaller details are also being addressed. With the support of Vice-President Winfield Russell, the campers are able to access the tribal building until 10 p.m. to use restroom facilities although they have to provide their own paper supplies. The possibility of the Tribe supplying porta-potty has been discussed, but no action has been taken.

Law enforcement visited the camp on two occasions, but Red Fox said that was not intimidating, only to ensure public safety. Community members have been donating food and water. Organizers specifically recognize Crystal Able, Autumn Thompson, Rhea New Holly, Dayton Strangeowl and Merlin Crazymule for attending to camp chores and providing moral support.

“We’re not going away until something is done,” the group promises.

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com.)

Editor's Note from Native Sun News: An earlier story on this issue referred to Pauline Wallowing, who now goes by Pauline High Wolf.