BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Members of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians are caught up in political infighting as a federal decision on whether to recognize the tribe approaches, but both sides say they don’t expect it to change the outcome.
The tribe’s recognition petition has languished before the Bureau of Indian Affairs for more than three decades. After several missed deadlines, the agency last month set an Oct. 26 decision date.
But in defiance of tribal Chairman John Sinclair, a faction of tribal members are calling for an election to challenge his legitimacy.
Both Sinclair and one of the faction’s lead figures say the dispute is unlikely to sway the bureau’s ultimate call on recognition. They say it proves tribal members are engaged in the political process.
The tribe and its 4,300 members were recognized by the state of Montana in 2000.
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Friday, Nov 6 at 4:55 PM Lucille A. Quilt wrote ...
I met a man in Tacoma whose mother was a Little Shell Tribal member. She contracted cancer and was taken to the hospital and would not go in because she did not want to put her children in debt for her care. She suffered the pain and agony and I am wondering how many more people out there are in the same condition? I am witness to other people who are steadily employed that do not have insurance and they are unable to go have their tooth pulled when they have a tooth ache.
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Thursday, Oct 29 at 11:36 AM steven j gronbach wrote ...
hello with all the gov spending on so many unnessary spending wanting to give millions to the worldto help all it seems to me that a native american tribe would be one of our top issues in this country to help them witn land , homes, and resources to move forward stop all the verble talk an get the problem solved once and for all
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Friday, Nov 6 at 4:55 PM Lucille A. Quilt wrote ...
I met a man in Tacoma whose mother was a Little Shell Tribal member. She contracted cancer and was taken to the hospital and would not go in because she did not want to put her children in debt for her care. She suffered the pain and agony and I am wondering how many more people out there are in the same condition? I am witness to other people who are steadily employed that do not have insurance and they are unable to go have their tooth pulled when they have a tooth ache.
31715041Thursday, Oct 29 at 11:36 AM steven j gronbach wrote ...
hello with all the gov spending on so many unnessary spending wanting to give millions to the worldto help all it seems to me that a native american tribe would be one of our top issues in this country to help them witn land , homes, and resources to move forward stop all the verble talk an get the problem solved once and for all
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