Independent news from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Three Affiliated Tribes chairman candidates should set new course for the people

An exhibit including a display of the tribal flags from the Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux Tribes. (Rapid City Journal File photo)

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 On Aug. 10, 16 candidates filed for the chairman position of the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.  I’ve sat in on tribal council meetings over the years and I’ve reported on past council dealings. I know there are a lot of disgruntled, dismayed and disappointed tribal citizens who are disheartened by the state of tribal politics.

 I’m reposting a recent letter to the editor in the New Town News:

 To the editor;

As fall approaches, another go-around of winner take all politics raises it’s sinister head on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. For many years now, whatever political that gets elected into office on the reservation, rewards itself with new houses, range units, land trades, business start-ups, business deals, jobs, high salaries, new vehicles, travel, loans, donations, grants, etc, and revenge on other political factions. This type of government only benefits a few at a time. The overall tribal population suffers because of it. The factions also ignore or change tribal law to fit their needs.

Many prospective tribal council candidates have realized this fact in the past and have compaigned on constitutional change and cocde of ethics implementation. However, once they got into power and realized that with change they couldn’t get what they wanted, they changed only their minds about change.

I cannot put all the blame on tribal council members for having this type of government. Our ratified constitution is not a balanced, three branch constitution, and was written for us by the United States. Also, we do not have the courage, strength or conviction to demand a new constitution and ethics code. Even though a revised three branch  and a viable code of ethics, with teeth, would force council members, and their factions to live and govern by the rule of the law and for the good of all.

Kyle Baker

Jodi Rave

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear is the founder and director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization with offices in Bismarck, N.D. and the Fort Berthold Reservation. Jodi spent 15 years reporting for the mainstream press. She's been awarded prestigious Nieman and John S. Knight journalism fellowships at Harvard and Stanford, respectively. She also an MIT Knight Science Journalism Project fellow. Her writing is featured in "The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity," published by Columbia University Press. Jodi currently serves as a Society of Professional Journalists at-large board member, an SPJ Foundation board member, and she chairs the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. Jodi has won top journalism awards from mainstream and Native press organizations. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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