James Dunlap took the oath of office as chairman of the Yurok Tribe on November 30, 2015. Photo from Facebook
James Dunlap resigned as chairman of the Yurok Tribe on Tuesday after just three months on the job. Dunlap won election last November and was inaugurated on November 30. He stepped down after other leaders of the northern California tribe found out about his past. “There is no doubt about it, this is sad and frustrating day for the Yurok people, but we have prevailed over bigger challenges in our past and we will overcome this, too,” Vice Chairman David L. Gensaw Sr., said in a press release. The press release did not state what in Dunlap's past caused him to resign. But North Coast News / KRCR-TV said it was due to a second-degree murder conviction, for which he served 15 years. According to the Lost Coast Outpost, an archived article about the 1988 crime was making the rounds among tribal members prior to Dunlap's resignation. He was accused of killing his three-month-old daughter but the site said it wasn't able to determine the outcome of the case. According to the press release, if a council member resigns within the first year of his or her term, the person who received the next highest number of votes in the last election will be appointed to the seat, so long as that person received at least 30 percent of the total votes. Based on the results from the November 10, 2015, election, that means former chairman Thomas P. O'Rourke, Sr., would be appointed to replace Dunlap. Get the Story:
Yurok Tribal Chairman James Dunlap resigns (KRCR 3/15)
Yurok Tribal Chair James Dunlap Resigns After Stories Resurface of Him Killing His Infant Daughter in 1988 (The Lost Coast Outpost 3/15)
Related Stories
Yurok Tribe holds
installation ceremony for chair and vice chair (12/01) Join the Conversation
