Bill Weems. Photo from Facebook

Bill Weems, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, is the new mayor of Plummer, Idaho.

Weems, 60, won election last November after serving on the council. He will be the first tribal member in the city's highest political post when he is sworn into office on January 14.

“We have to break through the ‘us versus them’ mentality,” Weems told The Coeur d'Alene Press of his plans to improve relations between the tribe and the city. “It’s just us. We all live in this community.”

Native Americans represent 42.7 percent of the population in Plummer, according to Wikipedia. The city lies completely within reservation boundaries.

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Coeur d’Alene tribal member makes history (The Coeur d'Alene Press 1/4)