Proposed amendments to OST constitution raise concern

PINE RIDGE—There are two proposed amendments to the Oglala Sioux Tribe constitution, and to vote on these amendments, tribal members must register by mailing in registration forms mailed to them. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), not the tribe, is supervising this vote. Many around the reservation are reporting that they have not received these registration forms, thus further limiting the already meager turnout for reservation voting.

Amendment B expands the lease agreements of tribal lands to twenty-five years from the current five years. It is not clear what the rationale is for why this change is good, but it is easy to reason that extending these lease agreements favors those already in position to participate and limits the efforts of others to lease in the future. Meaning, a tribal member who is a sophomore in high school, will have to wait until he is at least 40 years old before 25-year extended leases expire.

Amendment A extends the term of councilmen and tribal president from two years to four years. The rationale for why this is necessary being two years is not enough time for anything to be planned and achieved by a councilman or president. The counter argument is that presidents and councilmen are already serving multiple terms and accomplishing very little and that expanding the two years to four years is the other shoe falling, after councilmen already voted themselves a pay increase., now they want an additional two years, not to accomplish anything, but collect that increased paycheck.

Questions arise, that if this is a BIA sanctioned vote, why are tribal members living off the reservation not allowed to vote, since any amendment to the tribal constitution should be decided on by all enrolled members? By what rationale do enrolled members lose their right to vote by just not living on the reservation? The other, even more serious concern, is that this vote is little different than the Native vote suppression being pursued by conservative political factions in states like Montana and North Dakota. In both cases, extra effort is imposed on a group of voters above and beyond what is normally expected, a group already voting in small numbers. Beyond even that, the consequence of both Amendment B and A is to solidify the vested interest of entrenched power. The benefits to those currently serving in an office or those currently holding five year leases is obvious, whereas the benefit to other tribal members is limited to nonexistent.

The long term concern is that both the Biden Administration and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland are either unaware this is happening, or support the process that facilitated it.

(Contact James Giago Davies at skindiesel@msn.com)

The post Proposed amendments to OST constitution raise concern first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source