Shining the light on tribal poverty
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Hello, my name is Ronald Rousseau and I am an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST).
The CRST is a wealthy tribe. Yet, it remains impoverished for the reasons I share in my article. In 2014 I met with an Assistant U.S. Attorney about a related incident and he told me, "Mr. Rousseau, there are babies being raped and people being stabbed and you want me to worry about cows." He said that because this was being done "in the public eye" that it was not criminal.
This immediate issue involves the CRST Election Board depriving 162 enrolled members the right to vote. The District 6 Chairman filed suit in Tribal Court and the next hearing is tomorrow at 10 am.
I would like to publish an article in two local newspapers to help raise awareness to this issue to those in rural communities, where some members live in homes without running water and absolutely no access to the internet.
The two publications will include a full page in the newspaper of a detailed article and two pictures. The deadline for the payment is Monday, October 31, 2016.
I would like to thank you in advance as I wholeheartedly believe that our efforts will help contribute to the well-being of humans worldwide.
The content of the ad is as follows:
October 11, 2016: CRST Election Board being comprised of 71% tribal range unit lessees “made a motion to authorize the [tribal] attorney to file an appeal” on the CRST Tribal Court’s decision- in support of the wrongful removal of 162 enrolled members from the District 6 voter’s list.
This article is the third in an on-going series raising awareness of the wrongful removal of 162 members of the District 6 voter’s list. Depriving 162 enrolled Indians his or her right to vote is among the worst harm you could commit, since being an Indian is an inherent birthright. Look closely and you too will realize: 1) the high poverty rate on our reservation is a direct result of a gross unbalance of the Tribe’s asset distribution, 2) the current government influence is the cause for the gross unbalance of asset distribution and is comprised of three immediate factors: 1) A tribal leader and range unit lessee initiated the voter’s list issue; 2) 5 of 7 Election Board Members & 10 of 18 elected Tribal Council Officials are also tribal range unit lessees; 3) District 6 is a large range unit district: one candidate is a tribal range unit lessee and one is not; and the tribal range unit lessees are outnumbered almost 5 to 1 creating a need for the removal of 162 mostly comprised of NON tribal range unit lessees.
The right to vote is one of the most fundamental human rights there is. So when tribal leaders gang up on a lower social class to deprive this fundamental human right one can only wonder why. Now, with a continued epidemic of poverty within our reservation and our population rising, it is time to issue a war on poverty to do away with the greed by helping those in need. We can start with an equal distribution of tribal assets as explained next.
1) Here, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, there is a gross unbalance of asset distribution among members. This gross unbalance is a major contribution to the high poverty rate. Since we are all equally enrolled members of the same Tribe, we should enjoy an equal share of the Tribe’s assets. See the explanation below.
To display this issue one can imagine a large room full of members who all eat from the same pot of soup. A small portion of the room is made up of wealthy members who are getting large bowls (the haves). The majority of the room is made up of those who are served the droplets (the have nots). Today, while those in extreme financial need are struggling to prepare for winter, especially those in rural communities, the wealthy members do not. Instead, they drive $50,000 automobiles and plan weeklong vacations to Las Vegas. While some members will live their entire life and only dream of such luxuries.
This inequality is grossly unjust and gravely contributes to the impoverishment of our people. If the Tribe’s assets were distributed equally there would not be a gross unbalance of wealth at such a scale and such distribution could help alleviate poverty at a phenomenal rate. There needs to be a shift of influence within our current system of governance if we want to move away from the current method of tribal asset distribution as explained next.
2) Government influence is controlled by the majority vote and in the “voter’s list issue” there are three immediate factors.
First, you may recall that a 400 AUM tribal range unit lessee and JTAC claims fund (TECA) director initiated the voter’s list update following the results of the CRST Primary Election. This is not a spiteful statement. Those two titles not only represent tribal leadership, they represent vast wealth within our tribal economy.
Second, the CRST Election Board is comprised mostly of those in the same economic social class as the TECA Director, since 5 of the 7 Election Board members are also tribal range unit lessees. Additionally, 10 of the 18 current elected Tribal Council Officials also have a direct personal financial interest in a tribal range unit. This means that they too are tribal range unit lessees. This creates a major conflict of interest to be uncovered in an upcoming article.
Third, to be completely clear, the two candidates for District 6 are Tater Ward, a tribal range unit lessee; and Michael Rousseau, who is NOT a tribal range unit lessee. If you research the meeting minutes (posted on the CRST members Facebook page) you will notice that almost all of the members in attendance and in support of the removal of the 162 members are ALSO tribal range unit lessees. With the elimination of 162 members from the voter’s list, almost all community members, the tribal range unit lessees will have a better chance of electing their preferred candidate, a fellow range unit lessee. This fact is significant in this election since the community members outnumber the range unit lessees almost 5 to 1.
It is further, in his last term Michael Rousseau successfully motioned to enact a $6 per AUM “outside cattle tax.” To clarify, the “outside cattle tax” is aimed at lessees who run cattle for non-members as a third party. Running cattle for non-members is allowing non-members to also receive a share of our tribal resources. Keep in mind, this tax is only a droplet of what our tribal land resource produces but yet created enough funding for a school clothes grant for children in low-income families and funding to assist our elders. Michael was able to see this need because he did not have a conflicting financial interest. He did not have to choose between helping those in need and planning his weeklong trip to Las Vegas. Since the outside cattle tax Michael has faced repercussion, directly and indirectly from area lessees, ultimately losing his political influence in District 6, a large range unit district. Nonetheless, Michael continues to devote his life to be a strong voice for the best interest of the people.
In conclusion, if the Election Board appeals, the entire CRST Tribal Election will be delayed by the continued lawsuit initiated by Michael Rousseau. But this appeal displays how a conflicting personal financial interest in tribal government contributes to the impoverishment of a nation. While our leaders are entrusted to look out for the best interest of our people they do not because of a conflicting personal financial interest. Now our people’s voices are silenced by a need to feed their starving children, rather than pay attention to holding tribal leadership accountable. Continue to follow this story as it continues to unveil unequal asset distribution and other forms of tribal corruption.
The CRST is a wealthy tribe. Yet, it remains impoverished for the reasons I share in my article. In 2014 I met with an Assistant U.S. Attorney about a related incident and he told me, "Mr. Rousseau, there are babies being raped and people being stabbed and you want me to worry about cows." He said that because this was being done "in the public eye" that it was not criminal.
This immediate issue involves the CRST Election Board depriving 162 enrolled members the right to vote. The District 6 Chairman filed suit in Tribal Court and the next hearing is tomorrow at 10 am.
I would like to publish an article in two local newspapers to help raise awareness to this issue to those in rural communities, where some members live in homes without running water and absolutely no access to the internet.
The two publications will include a full page in the newspaper of a detailed article and two pictures. The deadline for the payment is Monday, October 31, 2016.
I would like to thank you in advance as I wholeheartedly believe that our efforts will help contribute to the well-being of humans worldwide.
The content of the ad is as follows:
October 11, 2016: CRST Election Board being comprised of 71% tribal range unit lessees “made a motion to authorize the [tribal] attorney to file an appeal” on the CRST Tribal Court’s decision- in support of the wrongful removal of 162 enrolled members from the District 6 voter’s list.
This article is the third in an on-going series raising awareness of the wrongful removal of 162 members of the District 6 voter’s list. Depriving 162 enrolled Indians his or her right to vote is among the worst harm you could commit, since being an Indian is an inherent birthright. Look closely and you too will realize: 1) the high poverty rate on our reservation is a direct result of a gross unbalance of the Tribe’s asset distribution, 2) the current government influence is the cause for the gross unbalance of asset distribution and is comprised of three immediate factors: 1) A tribal leader and range unit lessee initiated the voter’s list issue; 2) 5 of 7 Election Board Members & 10 of 18 elected Tribal Council Officials are also tribal range unit lessees; 3) District 6 is a large range unit district: one candidate is a tribal range unit lessee and one is not; and the tribal range unit lessees are outnumbered almost 5 to 1 creating a need for the removal of 162 mostly comprised of NON tribal range unit lessees.
The right to vote is one of the most fundamental human rights there is. So when tribal leaders gang up on a lower social class to deprive this fundamental human right one can only wonder why. Now, with a continued epidemic of poverty within our reservation and our population rising, it is time to issue a war on poverty to do away with the greed by helping those in need. We can start with an equal distribution of tribal assets as explained next.
1) Here, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, there is a gross unbalance of asset distribution among members. This gross unbalance is a major contribution to the high poverty rate. Since we are all equally enrolled members of the same Tribe, we should enjoy an equal share of the Tribe’s assets. See the explanation below.
To display this issue one can imagine a large room full of members who all eat from the same pot of soup. A small portion of the room is made up of wealthy members who are getting large bowls (the haves). The majority of the room is made up of those who are served the droplets (the have nots). Today, while those in extreme financial need are struggling to prepare for winter, especially those in rural communities, the wealthy members do not. Instead, they drive $50,000 automobiles and plan weeklong vacations to Las Vegas. While some members will live their entire life and only dream of such luxuries.
This inequality is grossly unjust and gravely contributes to the impoverishment of our people. If the Tribe’s assets were distributed equally there would not be a gross unbalance of wealth at such a scale and such distribution could help alleviate poverty at a phenomenal rate. There needs to be a shift of influence within our current system of governance if we want to move away from the current method of tribal asset distribution as explained next.
2) Government influence is controlled by the majority vote and in the “voter’s list issue” there are three immediate factors.
First, you may recall that a 400 AUM tribal range unit lessee and JTAC claims fund (TECA) director initiated the voter’s list update following the results of the CRST Primary Election. This is not a spiteful statement. Those two titles not only represent tribal leadership, they represent vast wealth within our tribal economy.
Second, the CRST Election Board is comprised mostly of those in the same economic social class as the TECA Director, since 5 of the 7 Election Board members are also tribal range unit lessees. Additionally, 10 of the 18 current elected Tribal Council Officials also have a direct personal financial interest in a tribal range unit. This means that they too are tribal range unit lessees. This creates a major conflict of interest to be uncovered in an upcoming article.
Third, to be completely clear, the two candidates for District 6 are Tater Ward, a tribal range unit lessee; and Michael Rousseau, who is NOT a tribal range unit lessee. If you research the meeting minutes (posted on the CRST members Facebook page) you will notice that almost all of the members in attendance and in support of the removal of the 162 members are ALSO tribal range unit lessees. With the elimination of 162 members from the voter’s list, almost all community members, the tribal range unit lessees will have a better chance of electing their preferred candidate, a fellow range unit lessee. This fact is significant in this election since the community members outnumber the range unit lessees almost 5 to 1.
It is further, in his last term Michael Rousseau successfully motioned to enact a $6 per AUM “outside cattle tax.” To clarify, the “outside cattle tax” is aimed at lessees who run cattle for non-members as a third party. Running cattle for non-members is allowing non-members to also receive a share of our tribal resources. Keep in mind, this tax is only a droplet of what our tribal land resource produces but yet created enough funding for a school clothes grant for children in low-income families and funding to assist our elders. Michael was able to see this need because he did not have a conflicting financial interest. He did not have to choose between helping those in need and planning his weeklong trip to Las Vegas. Since the outside cattle tax Michael has faced repercussion, directly and indirectly from area lessees, ultimately losing his political influence in District 6, a large range unit district. Nonetheless, Michael continues to devote his life to be a strong voice for the best interest of the people.
In conclusion, if the Election Board appeals, the entire CRST Tribal Election will be delayed by the continued lawsuit initiated by Michael Rousseau. But this appeal displays how a conflicting personal financial interest in tribal government contributes to the impoverishment of a nation. While our leaders are entrusted to look out for the best interest of our people they do not because of a conflicting personal financial interest. Now our people’s voices are silenced by a need to feed their starving children, rather than pay attention to holding tribal leadership accountable. Continue to follow this story as it continues to unveil unequal asset distribution and other forms of tribal corruption.
Organizer
Ronald Rousseau
Organizer
County Road 15, SD