The tribe wants support, it should support the people, too

Editor:

Claims of sovereignty abound when tribal officials push their agenda. Given recent revelations, I have a suggestion in regards to sovereignty. The Business Committee members of the Chippewa Cree Tribe are representatives of the people and thus their representatives in regards to sovereignty, no problem.

However, when people ask for transparency, when people want the Business Committee to publicly reveal their financial and procedural activities somehow their representation for the people reaches a snag.

Recently, I heard a Business Committee member say: "We are in compliance with GAAP." GAAP is a series of standards that do not source from our community but come from somewhere outside of our scope of sovereignty.

Leadership up here will claim sovereignty when it suits their purpose but will cite an outside source when the true sovereigns, we the people of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, ask them to publicly show us bank statements, receipts, contracts, financial records, hiring processes, etc.

My suggestion is, obviously, show us everything. Do not cite for us some outside agency's standards as proof, show us the transactional documents themselves if you believe in our sovereignty. The public experience we witnessed in regards to current Chairman Ken St. Marks shows us how quickly this cabal of leadership can act, in concert and through various departments, when they choose and also shows us how averse they are to showing their own people a true, honest and complete view of their activities. The public experience we just witnessed can also be offered as proof positive for current leadership to exercise some integrity and move a transparent agenda forward. The public experience we witnessed leaves generous room for doubt.

You ask for our support at this time in our history, please reciprocate and support us as well.

John L. Mitchell Jr.

Rocky Boy