Bureau of Indian Affairs changes date for tribe’s election

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The Bureau of Indian Affairs has rescinded its order to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to hold an election by July 9, changing the date to Aug. 6, but tribal members want to wait even longer.
The letter, dated July 15, was short. It confirmed an agreement with the tribe to extend the 45-day deadline previously given of July 9 to Aug. 6, when Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Gover is expected to reach a final decision.
Gover gave the tribe the original deadline in June.
As a showing of their willingness to work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Tribal Chief Kevin Chamberlain said the tribe is holding a primary election for district one tribal members Sept. 7, a month before the regular October primary, but nearly a month after the BIA August deadline.
“Of course the tribe continues to believe the secretary has no authority on our governmental process,” Chamberlain said. “We’ve had to tweak a little bit of the time on the process, but we do plan on going ahead with a Sept. 7 election.”
Chamberlain said he is remaining optimistic and believes the extension is a demonstration of the federal government’s respect for the tribes sovereignty.
“There has been a lot of misinformation, but we are keeping the lines of communication open,” he said. “Our efforts are concentrated on bringing issues of constitutional reform to the tribal membership and moving forward with the primary election.”
Gover may assist with enrollment issues and the constitutional process, Chamberlain said.
“None of us are wrong or right – it’s not about us versus them,” Chamberlain said.
In ordering the election, Chamberlain said Gover was saying he wanted certain things done, such as a new election code, a process he called “tyranny” prior to its change. The new constitution alters the old code, making election protests no longer heard by the council themselves.
“That’s one of the main concerns – that we’re staying in office too long and throwing out elections just because we didn’t win them,” Chamberlain said.
The new constitution is mirrored much after the U.S. Constitution, but reflects the Native American culture. It was drafted by a committee of the general population, independent of the tribal council. Petitions supporting the document were taken to the Sault Ste. Marie office of the BIA last week for review. The petitions are filled with signatures of one-third of tribal members in each of the three districts.
After verification of the signatures, the constitution is verified by the BIA as well. The whole process could take more than six months.
Tribal representatives last met with Gover July 9 in Washington D.C. It was during that meeting that Gover acknowledged that his order doesn’t solve the problems of the tribe, Chamberlain said.
There will soon be a video, which Chamberlain called an “educational process,” available to tribal members and others showcasing the 65-year history of the enrollment process. The tribal council is hoping it will help give the community a better sense of where problems originated from and their formation over time.
Chamberlain said there has been a lot of confusion, so much so that Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, is writing a letter to Gover asking for clarification of the election deadline issue. Camp met with the tribe Tuesday in D.C.
“He’s really interested in how this pans out, obviously,” Chamberlain said. “We’re seeking clarification and we hope to hear back from him (Gover) as soon as possible.”
If Gover decides to make a deadline sooner than the September primary, Chamberlain said it wouldn’t make sense because a new council would end up being seated for one month.
“We feel after he reviews all the facts on the issue he’ll reach the right decision.”