September 23, 1993

9/22 -- General Assembly at Leech Lake

Leech Lake Chairman Eli Hunt was hospitalized earlier this week at the Cass Lake Indian Hospital. Chairman Hunt, a diabetic, was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. Hunt has been putting in 18 hour days dealing and coping with the ramifications of the current standoff and power struggle with the Leech Lake Reservation Business Committee (LLRBC). The 30 hour hospital stay gave Chairman Hunt a much needed/earned opportunity to sleep.

Petitions for the removal from the LLRBC of convicted felons, Secretary/Treasurer Daniel Brown, (who will begin one year of house arrest on Oct. 4) and District Representative Myron Ellis, (who served 9 month sentence at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary) have been turned over to the area director of the Minneapolis BIA office by the acting director of the Cass Lake office of the BIA.

Charges by LL enrollee Pete White against District Representative Alfred Fairbanks along with petition for removal from office, signed by 600 enrolled tribal members living on the LL reservation were submitted to the RBC on September 9.

• Salaries of top officials of the LLRBC:
  • Alfred 'Tig' Pemberton, former Chairman - $83,830/year
  • Daniel S. Brown, Sec/Treasurer - $74,982/year
  • Alfred Fairbanks, Jr., District I - $72,720/year
  • Jack Seelye, District II - $72,720/year
  • Myron Ellis, District III - $72,720/year

• Newly appointed Administrative Staff:
  • Gerald White, Executive Director - $50/000/ year
  • Linda Johnson, Deputy Director - $45,000/year
  • Tom Tillisch, Acting Controller - $47,000/year
  • Martin Jennings, Interim Gaming Director - $47,000/ year
  • Burton Howard, Gaming Controller - $45,000/ year
  • Kay Lego, Asst. Gaming Controller - $43,409/year

• Former Administrative Staff:
  • Roger Aitken, former Exec. Dir. - $71,500/ year
  • Donna Murray, former Dep. Dir. - $47,091/year
    plus: $250/month vehicle allowance
  • Terry Hodder, former Controller - $57,000/ year
    plus: $300/month vehicle allowance
  • Rob Aitken, former Personnel Dir. - $32,000/ year
  • Charlie Brown, former Gaming Dir. - $66,144/ year

• Additional Benefits to RBC members:
  • Health Insurance Coverage (single or family), Dental, & Eye Care (Note: you never see these guys waiting for service at the IHS Clinic)
  • Pension Plan 4% of salary is contributed by RBC, in Interest Bearing Accounts
  • Life Insurance of $250,000
  • Bonuses: RBC will occasionally receive a special bonus per member: ie Christmas Bonus of $500 or $1000 per member (Note: last Christmas LL enrollees (18 years of age or over) living on the rez received Christmas bonus of $50; but only if they picked them up in person at the Cass Lake Facility Center -this meant many home bound elders did not receive the bonuses.)

• Stipends: Each RBC member receives a stipend for sitting on special boards or commissions within the LLRBC organization
  1. Bug-o-nay-ge-shig School Board: $250 per meeting ($1500 per year per RBC member)
  2. Chapter 260 Board of Directors: $250 per meeting ($1000 per year per RBC member)

Chairman Eli Hunt accepted a yearly salary of $60,000. He refused the $250,000 in life insurance. He has refused all honorariums offered to him both from Leech Lake and from the MN Chippewa Tribe. Chairman Hunt's own words: "I believe I receive a generous salary to do my job and should not receive bonuses that other reservation employees do not receive. "

Roger Aitken, Donna Murray, Rob Aitken, Charlie Brown are still being paid by the four RBC members (Brown, Fairbanks, Seelye, and Ellis -- who have confiscated the signature plates from the Tribal Office) even though these administrative staff members were dismissed by Chairman Hunt in July.

The First National Bank of Cass Lake still refuses to recognize duly elected Chairman Hunt (who is recognized by the BIA and is a full voting member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe's Tribal Executive Committee) and his authority as defined in the MCT Constitution to sign checks. At this point the alternative for the Leech Lake General Council and Chairman is to file an injunction against the bank and to freeze all accounts. This action, if taken, would result in loss of income to all reservation and casino employees/families.

The 4 RBC members continue to sabotage and stall the licensing process for the interim gaming adminstrative staff; placing Leech Lake's 2 Casinos in jeopardy of being shut down by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

True to form and established pattern, the 4 RBC members continue to meet in special (secret) sessions, without the duly elected Chairman, and continue to pass illegal ordinances to justify and cover (retroactively) their actions and circumvent the constitution and by-laws. Their most recent "retroactive ordinances" rescind the responsibility and authority of the Chairman to sign checks and rescind the responsibility and authority of the Chairman to appoint and oversee the administrative staff.

(Note: This is referred to locally by true Anishinaabeg as the "Chippewadena style" of governing and government !!)

The 4 RBC members have also contracted a non-Indian accounting firm "to confirm" the signatures on the petitions for removal from office. More stall tactics and waste of tribal resources. This is a task that has already been accomplished by a committee of enrolled members of the band and can, in reality, be accomplished by any tribal members who can read the enrollment records.

General Council Member Louis Boyd asked how was the tribal government run and recognized prior to the adoption of the Constitution of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in 1964. Commenting that when his mother served on the Tribal Council at that time (as Secretary/Treqsurer) the local Indian councils were recognized and had a voice in the tribal affairs.

Elder Liz Boyd spoke up and clarified for the general assembly, "When I was the secretary and treasurer, we had $300 in the treasury. We didn't have any money. All we got paid was $10 for gas money. There wasn't any money to fight over in those days. Back then we all got along."

Bernard J. Rock, Sr.
Leech Lake Pillager Band
Spotted Eagle Warrior Society

North Central Minnesota Native American
Veterans Outreach and Resource Center