Northern Cheyenne Primary set for March 24

Northern Cheyenne Primary set for March 24

By Clara Caufield,

 NSNT Columnist

 

LAME DEER, Mont. – The primary election to fill the vacancy of the Tribal President of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe will be held on March 24, 2022.

In accordance with the Tribal election procedures, six candidates have filed and paid the necessary fee to be on the ballot, recently posted by the tribal secretary on February 23, 2022.  In the primary race, write-ins are also allowed, an up-hill challenge, but possible.  The list of candidates is interesting.

It includes Donna Fisher, recently removed as Tribal President, but under tribal law still eligible to run again as she has not been charged or convicted of any crime other than “gross negligence’ (broad umbrella) by the Tribal Council, In the election of 2020, Fisher, a former Tribal Council member garnered a huge margin of votes, representing a large extended family and support base, what some might refer to as the ‘mixed-blood’ contingent.

Serena Wetherelt, Vice-President and current acting Tribal President is also a contender, in her first year or so of public service, instrumental in Fisher’s removal.   She also secured top votes in the 2020 election.  If unsuccessful in the bid for Tribal President she would still hold her seat as Vice-President.  A fluent language speaker, she appeals to that community within the Tribe.

Others on the ballot include R.D. Bailey, former Tribal Council member; Christina Red Bird, a younger vocal community advocate; Rick Wolfname, former Tribal Vice-President and Curtis George Elkshoulder, Jr., manager of the Cheyenne Depot convenience store. Lame Deer/

The primary votes will determine the top two vote-getters, who will then run in a general election for the Tribal President’s seat, an election to be held shortly thereafter.

To say the least, Northern Cheyenne tribal politics are interesting.  This writer, a tribal member, predicts that Donna and Serena will soon be pitted against one another again.  That could provide fodder for more interesting stories, as a local wit, Floyd Highwalker predicted “More Trouble in the Hen House.”

 

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

 

By Clara Caufield,

 NSNT Columnist       

 

LAME DEER, Mont. – The primary election to fill the vacancy of the Tribal President of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe will be held on March 24, 2022.

In accordance with the Tribal election procedures, six candidates have filed and paid the necessary fee to be on the ballot, recently posted by the tribal secretary on February 23, 2022.  In the primary race, write-ins are also allowed, an up-hill challenge, but possible.  The list of candidates is interesting.

It includes Donna Fisher, recently removed as Tribal President, but under tribal law still eligible to run again as she has not been charged or convicted of any crime other than “gross negligence’ (broad umbrella) by the Tribal Council, In the election of 2020, Fisher, a former Tribal Council member garnered a huge margin of votes, representing a large extended family and support base, what some might refer to as the ‘mixed-blood’ contingent.

Serena Wetherelt, Vice-President and current acting Tribal President is also a contender, in her first year or so of public service, instrumental in Fisher’s removal.   She also secured top votes in the 2020 election.  If unsuccessful in the bid for Tribal President she would still hold her seat as Vice-President.  A fluent language speaker, she appeals to that community within the Tribe.

Others on the ballot include R.D. Bailey, former Tribal Council member; Christina Red Bird, a younger vocal community advocate; Rick Wolfname, former Tribal Vice-President and Curtis George Elkshoulder, Jr., manager of the Cheyenne Depot convenience store. Lame Deer/

The primary votes will determine the top two vote-getters, who will then run in a general election for the Tribal President’s seat, an election to be held shortly thereafter.

To say the least, Northern Cheyenne tribal politics are interesting.  This writer, a tribal member, predicts that Donna and Serena will soon be pitted against one another again.  That could provide fodder for more interesting stories, as a local wit, Floyd Highwalker predicted “More Trouble in the Hen House.”

 

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

 

The post Northern Cheyenne Primary set for March 24 first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source