Council Dispatch #170     June 13, 2023

Walk-In

• Erica Shelby, Karissa Heavy Runner and George Heavy Runner informed council that there will be a walk for MMIP. Mika West Wolf was killed on the highway on March 31. Erica requested a council presence for any portion of the walk. It begins today and ends on Friday. There will be speeches from family members and an honor song at the court house in Polson. They are finding several systemic problems from agencies. Karissa invited council to participate in the walk. George Heavy Runner is glad to host the event on the reservation. George spoke to Scott Kipp, the chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe. The tribes should request through the Indian Affairs to have a field hearing. We need to have discussions on what is and is not working between the tribal, state, and federal agencies. There needs to be formal testimony. It could ascertain potential resources at the congressional level that could be provided. George would like the Tribes to send a letter to Senator Tester to work with the chairman of the Select Committee. They are working to get equal justice under the law. He wants the Blackfeet Tribal Chairman to reach out to the CSKT Chairman about making a formal request to help the families in this effort. Council took the requests under advisement.

Tribal Council

• Martin Charlo thanked council for supporting the Zoo Town Open last weekend. It was a great event and we got a shoutout on the Disc Golf Network saying we are the first tribe to support a sanctioned Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) event like that and they acknowledged our homelands.

• Martin Charlo informed council that he will be giving the welcoming remarks at Fort Missoula on June 19, 2023, which is Juneteenth, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. All of the council members are invited to attend the event. Chairman McDonald reminded everyone that next Monday is the Juneteenth holiday.

• Jennifer Finley gave a report on the National Congress of American Indians midyear conference she attended. NCAI paid for her registration and hotel costs because she serves on the Executive Committee. Jennifer presented a resolution regarding transboundary mining and it will go to the Executive Team for a vote. Jennifer toured a recycling facility that the Shakopee Tribe owns and she thinks it would be beneficial to have one that is tribally operated.

• Jennifer Finley presented a request from Shawna Croft, a tribal descendant. Shawna is an artist and she created a large art piece that is going to be part of the Montana Meth Project. She wants to display it at the Ronan Senior Center. Shawna is looking for a permanent place for her art piece and it will be a billboard since it is an outside exhibit. Council reached consensus to allow the permit for Shawna to display her artwork at the Ronan Senior Center.

• Len TwoTeeth discussed allowing employees to participate in the MMIP activities this week and the council took action to grant employees two hours per day administrative leave, with supervisor approval, to partake in the MMIP activities this week.

Facilities Maintenance

• Council approved a roofing contract with SKMM in the amount of $964,870.00 for 17 roofs on tribal buildings throughout the reservation. The buildings in Elmo will be included in the next round.

Tribal Forestry

• Council accepted the low bid for a hand piling contract for 595 acres for the fiscal year 2023 reporting season. The units are located in areas that are too rocky and steep for Forest Development equipment to pile in so hand piles are a better solution. Division of Fire will burn the piles as part of the winter work they have planned. The low bid was from Cold Water Reforestation in the amount of $357,000.00. Len TwoTeeth talked about the barriers that prevent tribal members from bidding on projects, such as the bond requirement. Len would like the department to find a way to make it easier for tribal members to have an opportunity.

• James Lozeau gave an update on the Green House funding. There have been tours to the Green House, and the council was invited to take a tour.

Natural Resources Department

• Council approved by resolution the submission of an application for a Tribal Wildlife grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the amount of $143,572.34. The funding will be used to conduct a research project collaring lead female bison on the Bison Range and determining grazing patterns in proximity to invasive species Ventenata.

U.S. Consumer Project Safety Commission

• Liz Sullivan and Patty Davis discussed a public safety ad campaign that will be launched this summer. There will be a campaign on baby safety and a campaign on carbon monoxide safety. They used the census to determine the areas to do the billboard campaign. Half of the billboards will be placed on tribal lands or in high areas of population. The planned placement dates are from July 18 through October 17, 2023. There will be advertising spots on the National Native News and Native American Calling, and there will be coverage in Montana.

Lake County Attorney

• James Lapotka met with council to discuss various issues. The Lake County Commissioners do not plan to fund Public Law 280 any longer. Lake County has had 209 felonies so far this year and they are on track to have 400+ cases by the end of the year. The Drug Court is fully staffed and running well. Mr. Lapotka discussed juvenile cases. There are times when the Tribal Youth Court turns cases over to the State. There are specific crimes, such as homicide, burglary and rape, where a juvenile will be prosecuted as an adult. The retrocession agreement does not properly address juvenile felony cases, and Mr. Lapotka would like it clarified in the agreement. The lawsuit Lake County has against the State is set for jury trial in December. James would like to have any settlement occur this year. The County Commissioners just want an answer for who is supposed to pay for these things. It is a financial burden on the county. Mr. Lapotka commented how we approach funding the government and providing services is fascinating and we want everyone to chip in and pay their fair share. James thinks it would be nice for people on a fixed income to be assured their property taxes will not increase year over year. He also appreciates the Tribes’ entrepreneurial spirit in the ways they raise money and share the money with community members who are not tribal members. The Tribes bring many benefits that they share with the community. Mr. Lapotka is the Tribes’ county attorney, as well, and he encouraged the Tribes to contact him with any issues or concerns.

Center for Indian Country Development of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

• Heather Sobrepena and Casey Lozar met with council to provide a report and receive some input on the Survey of Native Nations project. The CICD is focusing on the five specific areas of optimizing tribal tax authority, tribal enterprise diversification, business capital and credit, financing and tax credits, and economic infrastructure. Their strategic priories are data initiative, business capital and diversification, and economic infrastructure. They would like the CSKT to participate in the survey. Council took the request under advisement.

Mission Valley Power

• Council conducted interviews for the General Manager vacancy.

NOTE:  The official Council Minutes will contain more complete details about lengthy discussions and should be considered the official record of Council. Dispatches are written from notes taken live and may occasionally contain partial information, over-simplified characterizations or an occasional error. Council reviews and corrects the draft minutes before approving as the official record.  Comments (both affirmations and concerns) are part of change and are expected and encouraged. Along with any specific comments, please also share what you would like to hear more about in upcoming communications. The email address for comments is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..