News you can use
News you can use
Vote for new chair is July 30
In an on-again, off-again process, the delayed special election to fill the top position at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation has been scheduled, with five candidates including the man whose removal created the need for the election.
The Chippewa Cree Tribal Election Board announced Wednesday that the special election for the chair of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee will be held July 30, with five confirmed candidates including Ken Blatt St. Marks — who the other council members removed from office March 25.
The other four candidates are Luanne Belcourt, Bert Corcoran, Curtis A. Monteau Jr., Richard “Ricky” Morsette, now the acting chair, and state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy.
The polls are scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Old Stone Child College Gymnasium, with absentee voting scheduled for July 25, 26 and 29.
The tribal Election Board originally confirmed St. Marks as a candidate for the special election, then, when another unnamed candidate filed a protest, removed him. The board said a 1966 tribal ordinance prevented him from running because he had been removed from office for neglect of duty within two years of the election.
St. Marks has maintained that that ordinance had been struck from the books.
The Election Board did not comment on the 1966 ordinance in its announcement Wednesday.
The other members of the council on March 15 suspended St. Marks, who was elected and took office last November. The Business Committee had St. Marks arrested and led away in handcuffs March 20 for violating a court order he stay away from the government offices.
In a closed meeting March 25, the council removed him from office, saying in a press release it was due to “neglect of duty and gross misconduct,” which is specified in the Chippewa Cree Tribe’s constitution as a reason an elected official can be removed from office. The release said the charges against St. Marks included employee harassment including sexual harassment, financial misconduct, unauthorized expenditures and illegal employment practices.
St. Marks has said his removal was illegal and was due to his cooperating with federal officials looking into allegations of misuse of federal money including in the regional water system, on which the Chippewa Cree Construction Corp. is the lead contractor, and at the tribe’s clinic.
Rocky Boy Health Committee CEO Fawn Tadios was granted an order of protection in Hill County Justice Court against St. Marks, alleging that he mistreated her including yelling at her, making off-color jokes and suggestions and improperly touching her.
Tadios filed the request in Justice Court after delays in tribal court — due to a request that the head judge recuse himself and the other judge also recusing himself — prevented a timely hearing on the request.
St. Marks, who has appealed the protection order with a hearing on the appeal scheduled for Aug. 19., has said her request for a protection order also stems from his looking into misuse of money at the clinic, adding that if he has yelled at her it is due to his frustration over misuse of the board’s money. He has said $5 million is missing in the project to build a new clinic to replace the facility destroyed in 2010’s flooding.
Tadios was indicted and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of embezzlement from the clinic and Health Board in June.
Six other individuals, including Business Committee member John “Chance” Houle and Chippewa Cree Construction Corp. CEO Tony Belcourt, a former state representative and former Business Committee member, were indicted and pleaded not guilty in May to charges of embezzling money from the water project.
Reader Comments(10)
Havreite writes:
The new CCT Business Committee Chairman is going to be responsible for a lot more than damage control, or putting out fires. Their is going to be so much belly aching about budget cutbacks and federal funding oversight that the corrupt good old days we have now will seem like a picnic. Yet, the high school drop outs will have kids, TANF to take care of them, commodities, food stamps, GA and good old handouts. Just like the good old days for everyone!
07/17/2013, 12:25 am
seennotheard writes:
ya Kyle, lets let the people of Rocky Boy do their own thing, which should include boycotting all businesses in Havre, including all businesses the CCT uses for vendors, prices are better in GF anyways, larger selections, along with the other soverign nation of Ft. Belknap. Area farmers and ranchers cannot, repeat, cannot, financially sustain the city of Havre. So, yes, by all means, lets the Native Americans do their own thing.
07/16/2013, 6:24 am
Diane writes:
Hey Kyle so am I, but that is your own Havre Daily and Tim Leeds. Why don't they give him a real job, instead of the gossip page.
07/12/2013, 12:07 pm
powerofpeople writes:
You don’t like to hear it, you shouldn’t read it. The US Gov has the financial obligation PERIOD! If Ken is authorized to run, he has a right to. Fiscal mismanagement has been going on for at least 15 yrs and he wasn’t part of that. However, ideally the next chair shouldn’t have any connection to recent councils. Honest tribal members know REAL CHANGE will only come from amending our Constitution. Russell I am interested in your point but am having trouble following the last comment.
07/12/2013, 11:30 am
Kyle writes:
I am sick of hearing about the reservation. It does not matter who is on the council, the next one elected will be theif also. Let them be a sovern nation, thats their request they want to govern themselves, live by their rules, their laws, be independent, well let them be independent financially also. I bet if that were to happen there would be far less coruption on the reservation.
07/12/2013, 9:24 am
russellhoulesr writes:
I been thru 2 different inspector generals. More fbi then I care to mention,and every dept. and state rep.,since 1994, when the have daily reported me filing a injuncting on biggame hunting. This is the fist shot in the self-govornance wars.The f/g board was made up of 3 community members at large,a natural resource director,and councilman or chairman. The 3 community people were to over ride any vote by the elected officals if it was deemed illegal,immoral,or simply not right.
07/12/2013, 7:56 am
russellhoulesr writes:
Lets clear the air here. This all started in 1994 with the dissolution of the first board,which was followed up by dissolving ALL sub comittees. This was followed up by the suspension of the PEOPLE'S elected judges in 1999. As you see,those 2 steps were crucial in getting total control here and to hell with what the people need,want,or say. I have been here from the get go and The FBI knows I have as I bet there are very few who can produce paperwork proving that. I seen kenny once at the fbi.
07/12/2013, 7:54 am
9kbvotes writes:
KB hope you make it back on council. I believe you would clean out the crusty skeletons hiding in the tribal closets.
07/12/2013, 6:17 am
jughead writes:
Kenny didn't do anything..DR PEPPER....everything that is happening was already being done..the FEDS were investigating the tribe...wasn't KENNY on the council before..he is part of the problem not part of the solution......we NED new thieves...oops I mean councilboys
07/11/2013, 7:02 pm
Stuart Smith writes:
I don't believe any of the others other than Kenny would have ever brought out any problems on the reservation and bigger troubles would have taken place. Keep St Marks and clean up the res!!!!
07/11/2013, 3:16 pm