Larry Eagle Bull
Jackie Siers
Council reps open up about dissension
Two OST Council reps say Ethics Committee needs to be brought back
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Managing Editor PINE RIDGE — Larry Eagle Bull and Jackie Siers are relative newcomers to the world of tribal politics. The Oglala Sioux tribal council representatives both agree however that without an active Ethics Commission the tribal council is running roughshod over the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s constitution. “We are breaking laws and nobody seems to care... Some people avoid coming out and talking about these things but I am not one,” said Larry Eagle Bull who is one of the three tribal council representatives elected by Pine Ridge Village, the largest voting district on the reservation. Prior to being suspended in early February by the OST council, elected officials were subject to a complaint system overseen by a three person ethics commission. Once a complaint met certain legal standards as outlined by the ordinance, the commission would review the complaint and then hold a hearing to determine the validity of the complaints and if the complaint merited an elected official could be impeached. The ordinance seemingly made it clear that the tribal council was legally obligated to uphold the rulings of the Ethics Commission. However after the tribal council twice voted to overrule the rulings of the commission the legislative body of the Oglala Sioux Tribe voted to suspend the commission for no more than 60 days by a vote of 10-4. “The sixty day time period to reinstate the commission and to make the needed changes to the law has passed and we haven’t even talked about it all,” said Wakpamni representative Jackie Siers. “Without it the council is doing what it wants and a lot of times we are not following the constitution at all.” Eagle Bull himself had an ethics commission complaint brought against him and instead of voting to dismiss the charge he voted to have it heard. Both Siers and Eagle Bull were elected on a platform of change and accountability however as this past term has played out an obvious divide has formed between several of the newcomers to the council and those who have held seats for multiple terms. The divide has created some tension filled council meetings where the lines between the two sects have been obvious. For Eagle Bull the bipartisan stalemate has stood in the way of what he feels is an opportunity for positive change on the reservation. “There really are some people on the council who want to change things and to make a difference but there are some who are worried about getting elected again,” said Eagle Bull. According to Eagle Bull an investigation needs to take place in to how contracts are given out across the reservation. “There are large construction contracts being given out to non-Indians when there are a whole lot of capable Indian contractors out there.” Eagle Bull did ask the council to open an investigation in to why sole-source contracts were being given out to non-tribal members but he said that it was voted down. “There should be no such thing as sole source contracts when it comes to construction projects by the tribe. These need to be bid on and Indian preference needs to be applied. Some of these contracts are being bid on but there are some that we just don’t know about and that needs to be looked in to,” said Eagle Bull. With elections quickly approaching in November, Siers and Eagle Bull both fear that the council is refusing to take any significant action on the Ethics Commission for fear of being held accountable by it. “It seems that many on the council are already beginning to go in to lame duck status,” said Siers. The two council reps cited several recent decisions by the council that they say violated the OST Constitution; including the passage of a 7 million dollar bond that according to Eagle Bull should have went to a referendum vote by tribal members prior to being approved. The two council members also said that the seating of tribal council reps on more committees than allowed by the constitution, the suspension of the ethics commission and the council’s failure to reinstate it within 60 days are further examples of certain council members willingness to ignore the tribal constitution. “There are rules in the constitution that are in place for a reason. They are the law and this is what needs to be followed. The bond that was originally drafted was designed to address the financial shortcomings at OST Solid Waste,” said Eagle Bull. “The problem however is that once we started talking about this the focus moved away from solid waste and the bond issue became a wish list for some of the council.” In addition to the bond both council members said that the failure of the council to follow in house laws that were designed to allow tribal government to function smoothly is preventing proper debate and necessary processes to go forward. “When we first got in the council an ordinance that we passed said that a council member can only sit on two committees. It is the law and now no one cares about that,” said Siers. “Now everyone is sitting on more committees than they are supposed to according to the law.” The failure of the council to follow the law on committee meetings allows for legislation to be dictated by cliques in the tribal council according to the Siers. “The other part of it is that many of the decisions being made are done in executive sessions so that it doesn’t go on the official record,” said Siers. “The only time that executive session is supposed to be used is when they are dealing with personnel decisions.” Although both councilmen declined to give specific names they concurred that the legal violations they feel are taking place would be lessened if the ethics commission was back in place. “People need to be aware of what is happening in the council. It needs to be brought back so that council members will be accountable for what they are doing,” said Eagle Bull. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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