Northern Cheyenne Primary Election Results

LAME DEER, MT:  On October 3. 2024, Northern Cheyenne tribal voters went to the election polls to cast ballots for the Tribal General election that will fill nine terms for the next four years.

The number of write-in candidates was extremely high during this election, but only one write-in prevailed, September Walksalong, Birney District.

In the upcoming General election, Cheyenne voters will be largely looking at majority of newcomers, seeking elected office for the first.

The primary election is district based for tribal council members, but reservation-wide for the President, Vice-President and Tribal Judges. In an unusual development, votes were not counted in the Primary because only three candidates on the ballet.  That election will be conducted during the tribal General Election slated for November 5, 2024. With the exception of the Tribal Judge’s race, write-in votes are not allowed during the General Election.

The following candidates will face off in the General Election which is reservation-wide, meaning that candidates must solicit votes from all districts.

Tribal President: Serena Wetherwelt and Gene Small, both of Lame Deer, the largest district on the Reservation, both geographically and population-wise.

Wetherelt, the incumbent is a former B.I.A. employee and accountant.  She was elected as Tribal Vice-President in 2020, but following a complaint against then President Donna Fisher (lodged by Wetherelt) was elected Tribal President, serving out the balance of Fisher’s term

Wetherelt has apparently decided to run upon her record as she did not issue any campaign materials or promises.

Gene Small, is a rancher and former Director of the Tribal Land Authority. This is his second run for the top Tribal officer, narrowly losing out to Fisher in 2020.  Small has issued a detailed campaign platform, calling for more tribal transparency, fiscal accountability and seeking ways to help the Tribe become more independent from Federal resources.

Tribal Vice-President: Ernest Little Mouth, Sr., Birney (smalled reservation district) and Henry Speelman, Lame Deer.

Little Mouth is the incumbent.  He is well known on the Reservation for personally establishing a homeless shelter in Birney, also utilized by many from other districts and well as those who return from urban areas.  He has also established a 501(c3) nonprofit to raise funds and oversee the operation which is not subsidized by the Tribe.  He advocates for similar shelters in Lame Deer and other districts.  Previousl., Little Mouth, a fluent Cheyenne speaker served on the Tribal Council and before that worked with the Board of Health in Suicide Prevention.

Speelman is also a former Tribal Council member who for some years has managed the Tribal Roads Department. Speelman has yet to issued any written campaign material; however, both he and Little Mouth are by personal example and activity in favor of addressing the drug and alcohol problem on the Reservation.

Ashland District: Melissa Fisher and Joe Little Coyote, Jr. 

A former tribal secretary, Fisher has served the last two terms on the tribal council, assuming many leadership roles in that capacity. 

Little Coyote, a newcomer to politics, has worked for many key institutions on the Reservation in a maintenance capacity, currently for St. Labre Mission and previously for the Heritage Living Center and Northern Cheyenne Tribal Housing Authority. He is a Cheyenne speaker and strong advocate for language and cultural preservation.

Birney District: Gwen Spotted Horse and September Walkalong.

Spotted Horse is the incumbent, a housewife.

Walksalong is a Headstart Teacher’s aide and also sits on the Northern Cheyenne Housing Commission. Neither candidate has issued written campaign information.

Busby District:  Wedith Tionne Carlson and Stephan Raining Bird.  As of press time it was not possible to discover information about the backgrounds of these to candidates, both newcomers to tribal politics. Neither has distributed campaign literature reservation-wide.

Lame Deer District:  Robert Simpson and Theresa Small.

Both candidates are also newcomers to election office.  Simpson is quite involved in community affairs, especially as it pertains to youth activities and cultural events.  He is employed by the Tribal Bison Program and has issued an extensive list of issues of concern which he feels should be addressed by Tribal leadership.

Small is a long-time community activist, particularly in the emergency search and rescue and MILLP. She maintains a very active Facebook account, preferring that method of campaigning rather than written materials.

Muddy District:  Howard Ontiveros and Lafe Haugen.

Though both newcomers to elected office, both candidates have a wide reservoir of experience as tribal employees. Ontiveros has been the long-time manager of the Tribal Solid Waste Program, an essential service on the Reservation which does a good job.

Haugen was, for many years, Executive Director of the Tribal Housing Authority, now manager of the Tribal Facilities program and a successful small-business owner, leap frogged by HUD financing during his tenure as Housing Authority Director.   

Tribal Judges:  Because there were only three candidates who paid the filing fee to be on the ballot for the two open Tribal Judge seats, votes were not tallied for those offices during the Primary. Instead, in an unusual move, that election will be held during the General Election. Write-ins will be allowed for the Tribal Judge seats, but not for the other open seats.

All enrolled tribal members, regardless of residence are eligible to vote.  Since over half of the tribal membership lives off the reservation, that vote can be quite significant, off-reservation residents voting via their home districts.  Governed by the Tribal election ordinance, there is an onerous process for voting by absentee ballot which has been questioned by both reservation and off-reservation tribal members.  From time-to-time suggestions have been made for improving that process. Since it is a timely issue, that matter will be examined in a forthcoming NSNT article. Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice2@gmail.com.

 

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