Garfield Steele
Garfield Steele reinstated
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Managing Editor PINE RIDGE—After being suspended by the OST tribal council for nearly two months, Wounded Knee District Representative Garfield Steele, is back to work. Steele received a letter from OST President Bryan Brewer on Tuesday October 8, that included a statement reinstating him on the tribal council, and a copy of the ruling from Judge Leroy Grieves who oversaw the impeachment hearing that originally ruled Steele should have been put back to work immediately. Steele had been originally suspended by the tribal council after the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Ethics commission ruled that his actions at a middle school basketball game were worthy of him being impeached from the council. The tribal council then had a special session where they voted 8-5 in favor of impeaching him. The 8-5 vote lacked the necessary two-thirds majority required by the OST Constitution to remove Steele and thus at the conclusion of the meeting Judge Grieves ruled that Steele should return to work immediately. However the following day Brewer, interpreted Robert Rules of Order in a way that said the council did have the required number of votes needed to impeach Steele. Brewer would then order that Steele not return to work. Steele will receive his salary that was withheld while he was suspended. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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