Blackfeet Tribal Business Council remains split
(BROWNING) – BLACKFEET TRIBAL CHAIRMAN WILLIE SHARP JR. PREDICTS
A “SLOWDOWN” ON THE BLACKFEET TRIBAL BUSINESS COUNCIL TODAY, IN LIGHT OF
FRIDAY’S INCIDENT AT TRIBAL HEADQUARTER IN WHICH THE HEAD OF HOMELAND
ON THE RESERVATION ROBERT DESROSIER ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE OR ARREST TRIBAL
BUSINESS COUNCIL MEMBERS CHERYL LITTLE DOG, WILLIAM “BILL” OLD CHIEF AND PAUL McEVERS.
ACCORDING TO SHARP, DESROSIER CLAIMED TO BE ACTING PURSUANT TO
ORDERS FROM ROGER “SASSY” RUNNING CRANE AND SHANNON AUGARE, MEMBERS
OF THE OTHER PART OF THE SPLIT FACTION.
SHARP SAYS DESROSIER INITIALLY LEFT BUT LATER CAME BACK WITH A CONTINGENT OF
OFFICERS IN “RIOT GEAR AND ARSENAL,” TO CARRY OUT WHAT SHARP CALLED THEIR “HASTILY
PREPARED BIA LETTER AND A COURT ORDER GENERATED AND SIGNED BY TRIBAL
COURT JUDGE ALLY EDWARDS. SHARP SAYS EDWARD IS THE SAME JUDGE, WHO PRESIDED
OVER SHANNON AUGARE’S D-U-I CASE IN TRIBAL COURT.
THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO RESULT OF THE RAID ON TRIBAL HEADQUARTERS
AND SHARP SAID IN A PRESS RELEASE SATURDAY THAT “HOMELAND SECURITY HAS
NO AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION TO ACT IN SUCH A MANNER ON THE RESERVATION.
SHARP SAID THAT WHEN BUSINESS RESUMED TODAY HE IS, QUOTE, READY
TO BE REMOVED AND ARRESTED” HIMSELF IF NECESSARY.
THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS HAS SAID IN A LETTER THAT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE
THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF McEVERS, LITTLE DOG AND OLD CHIEF, WHO AUGARE, AND ROGER
SASSY RUNNING CRANE ARE NOW ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE BY FORCE. RUNNING CRANE CLAIMS
THAT HE IS THE OFFICIAL TRIBAL BUSINESS COUNCIL SECRETARY AND APPARENTLY HAS THE
BACKING OF THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.