tribal election

News Coverage of Seneca Election Battle (Featuring Rob Porter!)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Buffalo News, via Pechanga:

Robert Odawi Porter, 47, is proud of his Harvard Law School education and the fact that he left behind his career as a law professor to return to his roots in Western New York.

Maurice A. John Sr., 62, calls himself a warrior and says he has battled with the state and federal governments for decades.

The two men, both widely known in their tribe, are facing off in the Seneca Nation presidential election Nov. 2.

Porter has the backing of the powerful Seneca Party, which has dominated the Indian nation’s elections since the 1980s. John, who served a term as president from 2006 to 2008, is an independent.

Each insists he is the one to lead the Senecas through a stormy period marked by fights with the state over cigarette taxes and hundreds of millions of dollars in debts associated with the three Seneca casinos.

“I know I am the underdog. … I’m an old man taking on a big machine,” John told The Buffalo News. “But when I travel around our territories and talk to people face to face, I find that a lot of them agree with me that we have to get our financial house in order. We have to stop running up debts.”

Porter said addressing the debt problem is important to him, too. He wants the Seneca Nation to improve its economy by increasing educational opportunities for young people and by expanding the nation’s business interests beyond cigarettes, gasoline and casinos.

“My family never had a lot of money when I was growing up. We got some of our food from government programs,” Porter said. “What opened the door for me, and changed my life, was education.”

Porter grew up in Salamanca, where he was raised by his mother, Lana Redeye, a teacher who is now the Seneca Nation education director. He graduated from Salamanca High School and later earned degrees from Syracuse University and Harvard Law School.

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News Coverage of Shomin v. GTB Election Board

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Indianz:

The tribal court of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan disqualified a winning candidate from holding public office.

The court said Alvin Pedwaydon violated election law because he sits on a committee that determines the salaries of tribal council members. “I am simply shocked,” told The Leelanau Enterprise in response to the decision.

Pedwaydon was the top vote-getter in the last three elections. He indicated he might pursue an appeal.

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LVD Sorta Back to Normal

Matthew L.M. Fletcher4 Comments

From TV via Pechanga:

WATERSMEET — After nearly a week of courtrooms, protests, and imprisonment the Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Council plans to return to their reservation in Watersmeet.

According to their attorney, the nine-member council plans to return home and conduct business as usual until the tribal appellate court hears the case.

Monday dozens of council and tribal members protested outside of the Marquette Federal Courthouse saying they are political prisoners upholding the tribe’s constitution.

All nine members of the tribal council were jailed last week after refusing to swear in the new executive council due to alleged election problems.

GTB Election Challenge

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here: Mary Shomin v Election Board_Sep 2010.

Supplemental Pleading in LVD Case

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Sounds like the federal habeas case is dead for now, as the LVD council is out of jail.

LVD Council Supplemental Brief

LVD Appellate Decision(s) Ordering Release of LVD Council

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Note the dates of the orders (Sept. 9 and Sept. 11), and the actual release of the council (Sept. 11): Order Granting Habeas Corpus.

LVD Council Released from Jail

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From tv:

WATERSMEET — The Lac Vieux Desert tribal council is back in Watersmeet after an appellate court ruled they should be released from jail.

According to the tribal council’s attorney, Zeke Fletcher, the appellate court made the ruling two days ago but Judge Bradley Dakota did not recognize the ruling.

The nine member council has been in the Iron County jail since Wednesday because they refuse to swear in two new tribal council members despite the court order.

They were held in contempt of court and jailed.

LVD Tribal Council Press Release

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here: Statement by LVD Tribal Council.

News Coverage of LVD Council Jailing

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From TV, via Pechanga:

WATERSMEET — It has been a politically charged few weeks for the Lac Vieux Desert Tribe but things turned criminal on Wednesday.

All nine members of the tribal council were held in contempt of court after refusing to swear in the new chairman and treasurer and are now sitting in jail.

Judge Bradley Dakota’s ruling said the council must remain in jail until a majority agrees to swear in the new members.

Ruth Antone is an elder within the tribe and has lived on Lac Vieux Desert land all of her life.

She supports swearing in the new council but given the fact that two of her grandchildren are on the current council and are now in jail it’s been a difficult situation.

“I was at the hospital last night because my blood pressure was high and that’s because all that’s been going on,” she said. “I want it over with, I’m glad it’s over with soon I hope.”

The jailed council members released a statement through their attorney saying:

“We are being criminally punished for upholding the Constitution.”

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LVD Council Habeas Petition — UPDATED with Exhibits

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here: LVD Council Habeas Petition.

Update (9/10/10): LVD Habeas Exhibits.

Update (9/11/10): LVD Habeas Exhibits Part 2

Amazing materials. Has this ever happened before? Wonder if one of these (a habeas petition on behalf of an entire tribal council) has ever been filed.