Additionally, the general council defeated a resolution that targeted a prominent law firm that Spoonhunter recently brought on board. The resolution failed by a vote of 196 opposed and 16 in favor. “Our tribe is not divided, and we showed it in numbers," said Stephen M. Fast Horse, who serves on the business council, the tribe's governing body. "Our community stands behind the direction the business council has taken and reasserted our sovereignty as Arapahos." Business council members Kimberly Harjo and Clarinda Calling Thunder also voiced their support for Spoonhunter. The same can't be said for Al Addison, who serves as co-chairman of the council, and Samuel Dresser, another council member. Addison and Dresser voted against firing the Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd, the tribe's former law firm, when the issue came before the business council, The Casper Star-Tribune reported. They also opposed the council's decision not to renew the contract of Wind River Hotel and Casino Chief Executive Officer Jim Conrad, who held the job since 2005. And while the tribe is suing Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd and its managing partner in Wyoming court, Addison and Dresser are doing the same against the tribe's new firm -- Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, Wyoming Public Media reported. The firm's ranks include Keith Harper, a Cherokee Nation citizen and former U.S. Ambassador, along with several tribal citizens who served in prominent roles in the Obama administration. "Me and Al, we've been on [the Business Council] a long time, and what they're doing is wrong. They just push us aside like we're dogs. We're not dogs. They don't tell us what they do until later," Dresser told Wyoming Public Media, referring to the other members of the governing body. With Kilpatrick's help, the tribe is accusing the former firm of wrongdoing. The July 29 complaint seeks the return of tribal documents, an accounting of the firm's billing to the tribe and the return of tribal funds. "It has recently come to our attention that tribal payments to the firm have been substantial – invoices totaled more than $827,000 between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019, and this does not include two matters on a contingency arrangement," the business council said in a statement at the time. "Hundreds of thousands more was paid directly to the firm by our former casino CEO with no notification to our council, let alone approval." The Northern Arapaho Tribe is based on the Wind River Reservation, which is shared with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.Leaders of the Northern Arapaho Tribe are in disagreement about the status of their long-serving gaming executive. According to the chairman, Wind River Hotel and Casino CEO Jim Conrad's last on the job is June 30. #Wyoming #employment https://t.co/GnTEjlOWj1
— indianz.com (@indianz) May 29, 2019
Read More on the Story
Tribe decides against recall
(The Sheridan Press August 12, 2019)Northern Arapaho reject resolutions calling for recall election of tribal chairman, firing of law firm (The Casper Star-Tribune August 12, 2019)
Northern Arapaho citizens' vote could authorize recall election of tribe's chairman (The Casper Star-Tribune August 9, 2019)
Dueling Lawsuits Expose Rift In Northern Arapaho Business Council (Wyoming Public Media August 6, 2019)
Northern Arapaho Tribe suing former law firm (Indian Country Today July 31, 2019)
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Arapaho Tribe in conflict over fate of top gaming executive (May 29, 2019) Northern Arapaho Tribe shortens work week to address $5 million deficit (May 9, 2019)
