I'm sorry, this isn't personal. Even though I name Majel Russell by name as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it isn't personal Majel Russell. I just think, (ooppss I hope the rest of the HEADS of Bureau of Indian Affairs don't get wind that one of us thinks) that it would be a horrible placement of trust to put Majel Russell in as Deputy Secretary of Bureau of Indian Affairs, especially in light of the fact that her tribe has a $380 million dollar request on the table for land acquisition and consolidation. I am speaking about the article NCAI discusses BIA nominee with Kempthorne listed on Indianz.com from Indian Country Today (Clock ticking to replace BIA Chief) . Majel, make the phone call to Donna Erwin in Albuquerque (of Office of Special Trusteee Fame under Inspector General's Radar) and ask her what a CONFLICT OF INTEREST is...please?
Congratulations to Jerold (Jerry) Gidner for opposing this "great" plan by the Crow Tribe to walk away with $380 million dollars. I say "great" because it is great! What a great plan. Buy back land and put it into trust for the Crow Tribe! Why didn't we all think of that? Wait, we did; we did think of that, and we're all patiently waiting for the government to get that point--together. We're waiting together. We're all in the same boat. We're all trying to get land back. We're all waiting for pennies from Heaven (not the casino) to start falling. All 561 of us "other tribes" are waiting together. All this information just "came to me" from the Billings Gazette article BIA objects to Crow land plan. Jerry Gidner should be thanked for, for, for opposing this crazy ignorance of all 561 other tribes trying to get land back:
"It's not an objection to the purpose. It's not an objection to the mechanism. It's an objection to the details," said a probably beaming Jerry Gidner. Well, well, well! And to what do we owe this auspicious statement of fact? Is it the fact that they are merely asking for what every other tribe wants too? Or is it something else?
In testimony before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Jerry, my man, said, "It may be better to break (the loan) into phases so the liability of the government is not so large at one time."
Oh.
Oh, I see.
Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Yes, well I'll be sure and pass that along. Ok. Yes, I'll see you at the D.C. Powwow.
click........
Hello! Anybody home there in the Bureau of Indian Affairs? Is this $380 million dollar packet the reason why Majel Russell chooses (because Carl Artman lets her) to stay in Montana and not serve at her desk in D.C. where everybody else is supposed to work from in the Bureau of Indian Affairs Leadership? Is this what our tax dollars have been paying for....wait a minute, our tax dollars?
hmmm, trust land, fee land, subtract the f, add the treaty, divide by enrollment, to the power of 1855, equals, no taxes.....
I stand corrected (thank you Carl for pointing that out, you're always so quiet over there until tribal elders ask you something legitimate and then *poof* out comes a lion!)
I retract the statement and declare it "moot." I will begin my statement again: Is this what the American Public's tax dollars have been paying for? (wink, wink, that's you guys!)
Like I said, the "idea is great." (Jerry Gidner and I did not consult prior to this article) It's just that one tribe should not get special consideration when there are literally tribes everywhere trying to do the same thing that the Crow are doing.
In a real stretch of an Indian Disney Dream, I hope the Crow Tribe gets their request fulfilled; I hope the Snoqualmie Tribe gets this; I hope the Shoshone Bannock Tribe gets this; I hope the Pomo tribe gets this; I hope we all get 380 million; I hope we all do.
P.S. Dirk Kempthorne should know that NCAI does not speak for me. I think you could do a lot better than Majel Russell. Dirk, count this as one vote against Majel. Matter of fact I think I'll send this to you at your mailing Address:
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-208-3100
E-Mail: webteam@ios.doi.gov
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1 comment:
We understand that James Fletcher, who is part of the CPP, a splinter group responsible for eliminating 25% of the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians in Temecula CA is angling to become the head of the BIA in CA.
Can you say conflict?
Nice blog.
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