"Across Indian Country, tribal members are waiting. At times, they are looking out windows and watching traffic go by. They are waiting patiently for a certain person to stop by and offer them booze, cash or drugs. Unfortunately, the person offering these items is a candidate for tribal office.

Elsewhere in Indian Country, tribal members are waiting for an honest tribal candidate to appear. This person is sober and is in his “right” mind. He has a conscience and can sleep at night. He or she has a comprehensive plan that will benefit all members of tribal community. Voting for this person might be the right thing to do!

If booze and other mood-altering addictive drugs don’t enable tribal members to vote for a candidate, another voting tactic will be presented. Promises. The strategy of making promises has been around for some time and has not helped the tribal community; instead, it has only benefited a handful of relatives and friends of elected officials.

What tribal communities do need are candidates who know how to manage the tribe’s assets and have a clear mind when doing this. These candidates need to be accountable, trustworthy and make the right decisions. They need to avoid conflict, unethical behavior and nepotism. They also need to be aware of the traditional and cultural values of the people they are going to represent. These candidates shouldn’t wear artificial war bonnets and other Indian regalia while campaigning. If elected, they shouldn’t wear any “fake” Indian regalia. "

Get the Story:
Delvin Cree: Tribal communities need ethical leaders (The Grand Forks Herald 8/13)
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