St. Marks sworn in as tribal chair

Friday morning, Ken Blatt St. Marks was sworn in again to his position as chair of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee.

St. Marks and Ted Whitford were sworn in at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation tribal offices after winning the special election for chair and committee member Feb. 3.

"I guess it's time to get to work," St. Marks said as he took his seat at the committee table and suggested that he and everyone on the board go somewhere for lunch so they can work out their differences and be able to cooperate.

Whitford said that it is important that everyone on the board follow the rules and regulations the board has chosen to follow.

St. Marks was previously expelled from his position of chairman after making an executive decision on firing court justices on the reservation, which members of the committee maintain was not following the proper procedures of the position.

Committee member Dustin Whitford said that he thought the members of the board getting together was a good idea and spoke of one of his goals for the future - to form banishment laws for drug dealers on the reservation.

"That should have been taken care of in the '70s and '80s," he said, adding that he hopes he gets support from St. Marks for that initiative.

Committee member Harlan Gopher Baker said if they all work together, they could reverse some of the wrongs that Rocky Boy has experienced.

"Rocky Boy could be the place it used to be," Baker said.

An audience member and tribal employee spoke up with a question about a letter she had received about a resolution that limits St. Marks' authority as chairman. Another employee affirmed she had also received such a letter.

Ted Whitford said that the resolution was made to reinforce what is in the constitution. The chairman is the leader of the tribe, but he cannot work alone.

"He takes direction from all of us," he said. "He doesn't go out and do things on his own."

Committee member Ted Demontiney said that at the end of the day, the committee is the voice of the people and represents their interests.

"The community is the voice of the people that are sitting up here," Demontiney said. "Today is a new day to dust off our hats."

He added that they need to "dust off" whatever thoughts the members of the committee have had about each other so they can start anew and get to work.

"We need to mesh and bond together again - make it a new day," Demontiney said.

He also spoke of an initiative that would have the tribe using wood cut at the reservation to build houses on Rocky Boy, instead of selling the wood to outside the reservation lines. He also said they are going to get a home for at-risk adults and juveniles planned out for the reservation.

St. Marks, once the conversation at the gathering for the swearing-in ceremony was over, suggested that the present members of the board go and have lunch so they can talk about the future of the Rocky Boy government.

The board is four members short as they wait for the Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy v. Chippewa Cree Election Board appeal case to be resolved. Windy Boy filed a protest to the election results after a non-Chippewa Cree Tribe member voted in the elections.