Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa recalls, Rolette County, North Dakota (2015)
| Rolette County Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Patrick Marcellais Elmer Davis |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2015 Recalls in North Dakota North Dakota recall laws Special district recalls Recall reports |
Petitioners seeking to recall Chairman Richard McCloud, Council Member Patrick Marcellais and Council Member Elmer Davis from their positions on the tribal council of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa submitted signatures in the last week of May 2015. The recalls did not go to a vote.
The group behind the recall efforts, which is called Concerned Citizens, accuse the targeted council members of authorizing ill-considered land purchase agreements, illegally opening mail meant for the judicial board, failing to provide transparency and accessibility and attempting to sabotage or eliminate the tribal judicial board.[1]
The petition forms were supposed to be submitted to a tribal election board. According to the council, however, the election board was completely vacant. Therefore, recall petitioners submitted the petitions directly to the tribal council. The elections board was dissolved after the last election to save the tribe money. The tribal council voted to keep the elections board vacant until six months prior to the next regular election in November 2015. Dorene Bruce, a member of Concerned Citizens, expressed doubt that it was legal for the council to disband the elections board.[1][2]
Recall supporters
Dorene Bruce, a member of Concerned Citizens, said, "We're filing for misfeasance, misconduct and oppression."[1]
Concerned Citizens member Paula DuBois said, "What I want is a voice. We elect them into these positions. That is our Native American constitutional right. To be able to meet with our tribal council. And when the chairman vetoes our request, it needs to stop."[1]
Recall opponents
Response by Chairman Richard McCloud
Chairman Richard McCloud responded to the recall effort by saying, "Is it good for Turtle Mountain? No. It's not good for any tribe. Your state and federal government look at what's happening in your tribal organizations and do they see continuity? Are they willing to work with us? That's a question to be asked." McCloud also said, "We were never presented with a reason or a cause. I have no idea. Because I didn't wear a tie today? I'm gonna recall the chairman?"[1]
Path to the ballot
The recall petitions received support from over 800 members of the tribe. The petition forms were supposed to be submitted to a tribal election board. According to the council, however, the election board was completely vacant. Therefore, recall petitioners submitted the petitions directly to the tribal council. Authority for the recall power exists in the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa constitution and Title 14 of the tribal code. The provisions found in the tribal code requires valid signatures equal to 20 percent of the votes cast in the last general election.[1]
See also
External links
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Turtle + Mountain + Band + of + Chippewa + recalls"
Footnotes
