Petition for Secretarial Oversight of Tribal Council Election

We, the undersigned members of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa of Montana, disenrolled members, suspended members, denied members, descendants and allies in democracy hereby express our deep concern regarding the integrity of our tribal council elections and urgently request the intervention of the Department of the Interior to provide secretarial oversight for the upcoming tribal council election. Our concerns stem from the following issues:

1. Interference by the Present Tribal Council: We are troubled by the actions of the present tribal council, which has been accused of not allowing qualified candidates to run for office and failing to address trust and ethical issues that emerged from the last election.

2. Lack of Transparency: During the previous election, the tribal council initially agreed to allow tribal members to witness the counting of the election votes. However, access was denied at the last minute, raising serious doubts about the transparency and fairness of the process.

3. Failure to Honor Recall Efforts: The current tribal council has faced two recall efforts, yet they have failed to step down from their positions, despite the expressed will of the tribal members.

In light of these issues, we believe that the Department of the Interior's involvement is important to ensure that the upcoming tribal council election is conducted fairly, transparently, and in accordance with our tribal laws and traditions. Therefore, we respectfully request that the Department of the Interior provide secretarial oversight for the election to address these concerns and safeguard the democratic rights of our community members.

We urge all  to stand together in support of this petition to uphold the principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency in our tribal governance. Your signature signifies your support for this petition and your belief in the importance of ensuring a fair and democratic electoral process within our tribe.

Thank you for your support and commitment to upholding the democratic rights of all.