The chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona acknowledges his decision to fire more than a dozen employees was politically motivated.
Chairman Dallas Massey ousted the employees because they didn't support him in a recent election or who were seen as hostile to his campaign. "The bottom line is loyalty," he told The Arizona Republic.
Richard Engler, the tribe's former legal counsel, said the firings were illegal. But when Massey went ahead and got rid of the employees, Engler resigned too.
The employees have filed suit in tribal court seeking reinstatement.
Get the Story:
Tribal power struggle heats up
(The Arizona Republic 5/13)
Relevant Links:
White Mountain Apache Tribe - http://www.wmat.nsn.us
White Mountain Apache chair defends mass firing
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Trending in News
1 Tribes rush to respond to new coronavirus emergency created by Trump administration
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'