Council Dispatch #198     October 3, 2023

 

Walk-In

 

  • Council took action to grant Kristine Woodcock a Yellowstone Bison Hunt permit. Kristine went through the bison hunt orientation. The Natural Resources Department staff supported the request so long as the minor is accompanied by a parent. The Bison Hunt Regulations state that “…if a member younger than 18 years old who has attended the current bison hunt orientation and wishes to obtain a permit, he/she may present his or her request to the Tribal Council at a duly convened council meeting. The Tribal Council shall have the right and power to grant or deny such a request based upon cultural or religious practices or need.  If such request is granted, the Tribal Council shall direct the Division to issue the permit.” Council would like Kristine to provide them with a report and pictures when she returns from hunting.

 

Appellate Court

 

  • Council approved by resolution a judicial services contract with Kelly McDonald to serve as the Chief Justice of the Appellate Court for a four-year term. The vacancy was advertised and Kelly was interviewed and selected on August 29, 2023. Kelly’s swearing in will be scheduled for a later date.

 

Financial Management

 

  • Council approved a memorandum of agreement creating a subrecipient agreement with the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority to institute a cooperative financial relationship between the CSKT and SKHA for funding and coordination of efforts to administer and operate the Environmental Health and Sanitation Construction program on the Flathead Reservation.

 

  • Council approved a resolution, as presented, authorizing the distribution of Individual Indian Money funds to the remaining Cahoon family descendants impacted by Resolution 16-105.

 

Natural Resources Department

 

  • Council took action to approve modification 2 to Contract No. 21-227 with McMillen Engineering to complete geotechnical work on the North Fork Jocko Diversion structure replacement project. The geotechnical work is necessary for the cut slope stability immediately adjacent to the proposed structure and to create a 3-D, Rivet model so that the staff and construction contractor will be able to better understand the structure and forewarn of constructability issues that may arise. The geotechnical work is outside the scope of work in the original engineering and construction design work contract. The amount of the modification is $117,893.00, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $1,273,814.00. The contractor will comply with the Indian Preference Ordinance.

 

Tribal Resources Management

 

  • The Kootenai National Forest discussed the Libby Exploration Project. The project is situated within part of the previous location of the proposed Montanore Project. The Montanore Project Plan of Operations was withdrawn by the proponent and the withdrawal notification of the draft supplemental environmental impact statement regarding the Montanore Project was posted in the Federal Register on June 17, 2022. The Libby Exploration Project is a deposit evaluation program that consists of drilling for precious metals over the next four to five years. The State of Montana issued Operating Permit No. 00150 area encompasses 219 acres. There is no additional surface disturbance proposed on public land, and no new water rights would be required to support the project. The mining would go underneath federal ground and the other activities would occur on private ground. It is ground held in trust by the federal government. There is current Bad Actor litigation with the parent company Hecla Mining.

 

Tribal Lands Department

 

  • Council showed interest in purchasing Allotment 1015 from Kendall Dupuis at the appraised value.

 

  • Council showed interest in purchasing Yvonne Grenier’s undivided interest in Allotments 1399, 1400, 1401, 1402, and 1402-A and to check with the DEWR office to see if the program can reimburse the Land Acquisition budget.

 

  • Council showed interest in the land exchange with Ruby Vanderburg to exchange Tract 4357-D for a for a house and land of equal value on Tract 1268.

 

  • Council showed interest in the purchase of June Parker Jones’s undivided interest in Allotments 2212-A and 2313.

 

  • Council showed interest in purchasing a portion of Allotment 201 from Gary Plouffe, containing 75 acres, with a fee patent of 5 acres for his wife.

 

  • Council showed interest in granting Sheila Young a five-year revocable permit to access her fee property across trust corners in the rural Dixon area.

 

  • Council rescinded Resolution No. 23-158 authorizing the purchase of the Herbert Ducharme property.

 

  • Council approved a corrected resolution to authorize the purchase of the Herbert Ducharme trust property.

 

  • Council took action to go along with the recommendations of the Tribal Lands Department and approve a modification to the business lease for Steve Dupuis’s lease at Blue Bay for an additional 25-year term, so long as all leasing requirements are met and the benchmarks for improvements are met each year.

 

Food Sovereignty Program

 

  • Fred Billings, Greg DuMontier and Shelly Fyant, Garden for Life Network, gave an update and discussed the importance of food sovereignty. The Food Sovereignty program has been a partner with the Garden for Life Network and hosted a garden at the Kicking Horse Job Corps Center site and a garden in Elmo. The network has an additional five gardens throughout the reservation with other hosts. The group gave a report on the Garden for Life Network garden season for this year. Their goals is to be sustainable and have partners to fund an orchard and a cooking kitchen.

 

Tribal Council

 

  • Martin Charlo reminded council that the Beartracks Bridge Pow Wow is scheduled for October 9, 2023. Indigenous Peoples Day is a tribal holiday.

 

  • Len TwoTeeth reminded everyone that there will be no council meeting on Thursday. The quarterly council meeting is scheduled for this Friday.

 

  • Martin Charlo informed council that the Salish Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee meeting for this Wednesday has been postponed.

 

  • Council discussed the agenda for the quarterly council meeting. Len TwoTeeth mentioned a tribal employee that he wants to honor at the quarterly meeting.

 

 

 

 

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..