Northern Arapaho voters braved rainstorms near Arapaho’s Great Plains Hall to choose candidates to move on to the general election for the tribe’s business council.
The Northern Arapaho Business Council (NABC) is comprised of six elected officials responsible for the day-to-day operations of the tribe.
“I wanted to find more funding for after-school activities for young people,” said primary candidate Michael Yellowplume, an Arapahoe resident. “And also (finding more funding) for senior centers.”
Aloysius Bell Sr. said he was motivated to vote because he wants the tribe’s finances to be audited, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t think some of that money was spent well or went where it should have gone,” Bell said.
Tensions between the Business Council and the Tribal General Council have increased recently.
The General Council is the tribe’s primary governing body and is comprised of all adult tribal members who attend meetings. Tribal members may submit items for consideration by the whole. Members meet to discuss these matters and can send resolutions directing the Business Council to act on various issues.
chris clements
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Wyoming Public Media
The Business Council recently announced that it would not carry out two General Council resolutions that directed the Business Council to fire Claire Johnson, the tribe’s in-house attorney, and Patrick LeCrone, the general manager of Wind River Casino. issued a statement.
“While we deeply respect the opinion of the General Council, we are unable to comply with recent recommendations regarding personnel matters,” the statement read. It cited federal secretarial procedures as the reason why the resolution was not implemented.
This led to public demonstrations outside the Wind River Casino and at Riverton City Park.
“The General Council is our highest governing body, not the NABC,” said Nicole Wagon, a member of the Northern Arapaho Nation who participated in some of the protests. “They work for us. People have spoken.”
Wagon said this week that he hopes tribal members will “vote for better elected officials, transparency and integrity for our tribe.”
The 12 NABC candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the general election on November 21st. Six people will be elected to the Business Council.
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