Our View: Tribal council has a lot to do for Rocky Boy people

The people of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation have undergone a lot of trauma in recent years.

Many prominent residents have been charged with embezzlement and other felonies. With their off-reservation cohorts, they are alleged to have plundered millions of dollars from tribal coffers. Some have already been carted off to prison.

At the same time, there has been a bitter rift between two political factions, the tribal establishment and a reform group headed by Ken St. Marks.

Not much can be done about the first problem. From all indications, federal prosecutors still have a lot of work to do before the political stench is gone, but there is something that can be done to restore confidence in the tribal government.

St. Marks, the on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again tribal chair, has won a third election. It’s time for tribal council and other officials to put aside the bickering and seat him.

Fortunately, it looks like his key opponents will not carry on the folly of protesting the latest election because someone used a paper ID and not a laminated one.

St. Marks took a courageous stand against corruption, working with prosecutors in their effort to weed out the wrongdoers. Voters have decided to reward him by electing him chair.

The makeup of tribal council is unclear. Three seats are in a legal limbo awaiting a tribal appeals court decision, but a majority of the council will likely not be politically aligned with St, Marks.

Let’s not fool ourselves. Council members won’t be holding hands singing Kumbaya anytime soon. There are strongly divergent opinions on the council and strong personalities.

There will be differences, but may they please be civil differences.

Many council members are involved in a dizzying labyrinth of lawsuits against one another.

The Chippewa Cree have overcome many obstacles in their rich, but troubled, history. We’re sure they will not only survive but also prosper after the recent scandal someday comes to a conclusion.

It sure would be easier, though, if tribal leaders worked as unified as possible in coming months to solve the many outstanding problems.

The biggest problem is clearing up the cabal that has looted the treasury.

Then, the tribe can get to solving the problems of poor infrastructure, the lack of clean drinking water, the sparsity of businesses and services on the reservation, the terrible poverty and the terrible health care.

After all they have been through, the people of Rocky Boy deserve some peace — and some solid government.