ARLEE — The silent darkness outside belied the fire within a well-designed candidate forum at the Arlee Salish Senior Center Monday evening.
Candidates each answered four simple yes or no questions, plus one additional question chosen at random.
The queries all were to-the-point, issues important to tribal members. The questions brought forth strong responses, form both the responders and those listening.
Every candidate asked agreed that the Char-Koosta newspaper should not be censored. Most added it did need to be edited, and that issues of libel and slander were becoming more common.
Jami Hawk-Hamel, of Arlee, said bluntly the Char-Koosta is not a newspaper, but a newsletter of the tribe.
While all the candidates believed tribal minutes should also be free from censure, Bud Moran believed they should be restricted somewhat in content. Mike Dolson may have stated more clearly the feeling Moran was trying to get across: “I want to see minutes that are edited and understandable, but not censored.”
Redistricting was another topic that generated audience response. All the candidates said the collective tribal membership should decide the issue.
Sovereignty was a hot-button topic, eliciting applause and queries form the audience.
But the strongest statements form candidates came from the random questions they were given.
Terry Pitts suggested a reservation-wide database be created, to list all members and their abilities. This would aid in filling employment positions, he said.
Bud Moran suggested a night-bus or shuttle service for elderly tribal members.
“A lot of elders didn’t plan to retire,” he said, explaining that the tribal life expectancy was only 50 years when many of today’s elders were children. “We should do something for these people,” he said. “We’re not that bad off” financially as a tribe that they should be ignored, he said.
Moran also mentioned that the current tribal per capita payment is based in energy contracts held through Kerr Dam. “That should be able to be sustained” once the tribe takes over management of the dam in just over seven years, he said. “If we didn’t have Kerr,” he concluded, “we’d be hurting.”
Jami Hawk-Hamel pointed out “There are tribal employees afraid to speak up for fear they will lose their jobs.” She believes this shouldn’t be so. She also stated the tribes become too dependant on federal funds.
“When we accept federal funds, there’s always strings attached to it,” she said. “The council needs to find a way, as a tribe, to diversify its economic base.”
Joe Dupuis thanked everyone for attending, and for being interested.
He said, “I bring to this effort a passion, not a platform” in the tribe’s fight for self-governance. “The federal government continues to allow the state to intrude with what we can do on the reservation.”
He asked the crowd, “If we develop solutions with people outside this reservation, or develop solutions with just the tribal council, how can we ask you to support that?”
When asked about the potential astronomical cost of litigating water rights, Dupuis answered “I understand the tribal council is preparing to spend that money right now.” In addition, he said the tribe is predicting a $7 million budget shortfall next year due to the cost of litigation. “You have to arm yourself with the best legal representation you can find,” he noted.
“Water is the last major resource on this reservation there will be a battle for,” Dupuis concluded.
Mike Dolson suggested other tribes might join the Confederated Salish and Kootenai’s battle for water rights, or at least offer monetary support for that fight.
Most audience members felt the current council does not honestly disperse financial information to the membership.
“We’re given this joke of a report,” Lois Friedlander said from the crowd.
She stirred the audience, saying, “We can’t stop here. We need to start concerning ourselves with all the issues. We have to keep the council on track.”
“When we don’t like what our council is doing, take ‘em out!” she rallied. “If they want to get paid like corporate executives, start producing like corporate executives.”
The candidates seemed to take the hint in their replies.
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