Why is the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Government Hiding from the Tribal Membership?

 I ask the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council and Administration, why are you still hiding behind closed doors from the Tribal Membership?  We are going on almost five months now with Tribal COVID-19 cases at an all time low.  Some days the Rosebud Sioux Tribe doesn't even have a COVID-19 case.  Why is the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Building and Tribal Council Chambers still closed to the Tribal Membership?  Why are Tribal Council meetings and Committee meetings still closed to the public?  Why aren't every Tribal Council meeting aired on RST Channel 93 or KOYA.  Once a Tribal Council meeting goes off air it almost never comes back on.

The Membership have some serious issues that need to be addressed at the Tribal Committee or even the Tribal Council level.  If I was talking about personnel issues I would address them with the Tribal President, but I'm talking about my recent articles I have authored.  Some is the issues I addressed are right up Tribal Council's alley when it comes to Constitutional issues, legislative procedures, and lack of procedures.  You can call 20 Tribal Council phone numbers and you will be lucky if seven Tribal Council Representatives answer your call or have the respect to return your call.

I commend the Oglala Sioux Tribe, they hold Council meetings in the Community Districts all the time.  If you watch a Oglala Sioux Tribal Council you will it is always publicly aired and almost never goes off air.  I read a couple of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Representatives Council reports made available through social media.  Now that is leadership and transparency.  In Rosebud the Tribal Council believes everything they discuss is G7 classified and top secret.  In reality all it boils down to is blatant disrespect to the Tribal Membership.  You watch National Government being transparent, same for other Tribal Governments, and even the State of South Dakota Government is transparent.  However, the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Government leaves its Membership in the dark.

This isn't North Korea, it is the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and are you scared of the Tribal Membership.  It has come to a point, listening to Tribal Members talk in the past two years, we have lost all respect for Tribal Government.  The only way the Tribal Membership can be heard is to take back our Constitutional authority as Tribal Members.  I was talking to one Tribal Council Representative and I was asking some tough and direct questions.  The response I received became defensive and I was told, and quote, "Ask your Council Rep."  The Council Representatives phone rang and they said, " I have to tae this call" and walked away.

I let that slide that day and its mind boggling this is the mentality of one of out elected leaders.  Tribal Council Representatives forget, they are our Tribal Council Representatives, all of them.  Tribal Council Representatives forget that are elected at large.  In September 2007 the Tribal Constitution was amended and it eliminated district voting and became a at large election.  So I have 20 Tribal Council Representatives not only one.  So from this point on I will be requesting a digital copy of every Tribal Council meeting from the Tribal Secretaries office.  I will be requesting a digital copy of all the Committee meetings.  I will provide the Tribal Secretaries office with a USB drives to make things simple. I will also be requesting all the minutes of the the ARPA Committee as well.  

This is all public information including Tribal finances to the Tribal Membership.  If I'm denied public information I will file in Tribal Court to get public information if I have to.  I have been requesting public information from the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court and the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Attorney General.  I have been requesting this information for three months now and have not received anything I have requested.  I plan on filing on Tribal Court, requesting a Special Judge, and asking the Court and the Tribal Attorney General to provide the Tribal Court procedures and the Tribal Court bond procedures.

In the past two terms I have heard Tribal Council Representatives arrogantly challenge Tribal Members to file ethics on them.  Well them days have come and gone for filing Ethics. It is time to take that arrogant behavior to task and start filing in Tribal Court for actions Tribal Council takes that are unconstitutional and in violation of the Tribal Constitution and Tribal Ordinances.  Tribal Council fails to read the Tribal Constitution and in Article XI, Tribal Court, Section 3. - The Tribal Court reserves the rights to review and overturn any Tribal Administrative or Legislative action inconsistent with this Constitution and Indian Civil Rights Act.

Recently, I requested a special meeting with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Judiciary Committee.  I was asked what the meeting or subject would be about.  I explained about Civil Rights violations, lack of procedures, and compliance issues.  I informed a couple of Judiciary Committee Members that I would not be naming any names.  This was last week and I still have not heard back about my request.  I know Tribal Members request be on the Judiciary Committee agenda and express concerns are honored in the past and recently on a regular basis.  Somehow I was questioned about my concerns and what the subject I was going to present.  I'm a Tribal Member and I'm going to testify to my Tribal Government about some serious issues and Tribal Government is tip toeing the issue.  Tribal Members have the right to be heard and it is your duty as elected officials to hear us out.  Its a mutual respect issue and it comes along with your elected positions. 

Its sad how Tribal Government has become, the perceived authority, acting out perceived authority outside of the Tribal Constitutional authority.  People are allowed to testify at the national level in national Government hearings as well as at the State level.  Somehow the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has adopted the Donald Trump version of Government and Constitutional rights do not apply to us Tribal Members.  Recently, I have discovered an investigation where Tribal Council is overstepping their authority beyond unethical volumes.  It has been discovered that even a handful of Community Members believe the Tribal Council has some sort of perceived authority.  Certain individuals even hand selected a investigator they wanted to investigate the matter.  This matter is being discussed at the Community level with active involvement from a complainant.   How unethical is this, where is the integrity in an investigation, and its like the prosecutor selecting its own jury without the defense having input.  

With this, they are using Tribal Council Reps to push the issues subjecting Tribal Council Reps to ethical violations.  Stay tuned for the same old dirty politics about to be exposed.  I'm gathering the facts before I author this article and I'm a firm believer in the process and the legislative law.  I need to inform the investigator I just became a witness and provide evidence the investigator can't overlook.  Lets see how much integrity this hand selected investigator has.  I know how investigation works and investigative procedures, let see it the good, bad, and ugly come out in this investigation or is it a politically motivated investigation designed to be one-sided.  

Respectfully,

Hawkeye Waln