tribal election

Huron Nottawaseppi Gaming News — Profile of Laura Spurr

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Western Michigan Business Review:

The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi is planning to open its FireKeepers Casino east of Battle Creek next summer.

The process of getting the land into federal trust took years, and Laura Spurr was the calm public voice of the tribe throughout. She represented the tribe with a killer sense of humor and an encyclopedic command of data.

And she can’t be bullied.

What does a tribal chairman do?

“It’s kind of similar to city or township government. We have a five-member council, all elected by the tribe, then the council selects the chairman.

“Not all tribes do it that way. Some elect the chairman directly.”

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More GTB Election Drama

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Holy cow! It just won’t stop. 😦

From the Record-Eagle:

TRAVERSE CITY — Yet another challenge has arisen in the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ quest to install a chairman.

On Sept. 24, Derek Bailey defeated two-term incumbent chairman Bob Kewaygoshkum 256 to 186 for the four-year chairman position. That election was scheduled after a tribal court threw out the regularly scheduled May chairman election, in which Kewaygoshkum beat Bailey 233 to 210.

Bailey said it’s his understanding eight people filed nine separate challenges to the recent election, but he couldn’t provide details.

“I do recognize and honor the election challenge process,” he said. “(But) all of these challenges are personal character attacks and, or, are an … attack on the tribal judiciary’s ruling that was reached in August.”

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New GTB Chairman Derek Bailey

Matthew L.M. Fletcher3 Comments

From Indianz:
Voters of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan elected Derek Bailey as chairman on Wednesday.

Bailey defeated incumbent chairman Robert Kewaygoshkum in a second matchup that was ordered by the tribal court. He won by 70 votes, after losing by 23 votes in a disputed election in May. At 35, Bailey will be the youngest person to serve as chair. The term lasts four years.

Get the Story:
Challenger elected tribal chairperson (The Traverse City Record-Eagle 9/26)

Tribal Court Decision:
Bailey v. GTB Election Board (August 8, 2008)

GTB Election Today

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Ugghhh. I wish we just had one election, instead of two or more every time….

From the Record-Eagle (H/T Indianz):

PESHAWBESTOWN — Members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will have another shot at selecting a tribal chairman today.

A tribal court in August ruled the band’s election board improperly censured candidate Derek Bailey shortly before the initial vote in May. A new election was ordered, and polls will be open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Peshawbestown, East Jordan, Traverse City and Benzonia.

Bailey lost by 23 votes to two-term incumbent chairman Robert Kewaygoshkum in the regularly scheduled May 21 election. But Bailey challenged the results because the band’s election board issued an e-mail censuring him for using a tribal computer to visit his campaign Web site.

The mass e-mail was sent less than 24 hours before the election to all tribal gambling and government employees. A tribal appeals court eventually ruled the action was “far outside the scope of the authority granted to the election board under the Constitution.”

Bailey, who served as a tribal councilman before running for chairman, is pleased to see the new election.

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GTB Chairman Election Re-Run

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the court order referenced in the Record-Eagle article — Bailey v. GTB Election Board

PESHAWBESTOWN — A new election will be held for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ chairman’s post after a tribal court ruled the band’s election board improperly censured candidate Derek Bailey just before the initial vote.

A 23-page order issued by the band’s appellate court last week threw out the results of the May 21 tribal chairman’s election and ordered a new vote for the four-year post.

Bailey lost by 23 votes to two-term incumbent Robert Kewaygoshkum. But he challenged the results because the band’s Election Board held an emergency meeting two days before the election and subsequently issued an e-mail censuring him for allegedly using his tribal computer to visit his campaign Web site.

No date for the new election has been scheduled, tribal officials said.

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News Coverage of GTB Election Dispute

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

From the Leelanau News:

An attorney representing the Grand Traverse Band Election Board said the tribe is moving forward to resolve challenges filed by several tribal members including a candidate for the Tribal Chairman’s seat following the tribe’s Regular Election on May 21.

Tribal attorney William Brooks of Manistee said the Election Board met Monday evening in Peshawbestown to set procedures and a timeline for reviewing election challenges filed by Tribal Chairman candidate and sitting Tribal Councilor Derek J. Bailey, as well as three other tribal members, Katrina Smith, Rosemary Fay Antoine and Johnna L. Milks.

Brooks said he believed challenges filed with the Election Board over problems allegedly encountered by some voters at a polling place should be resolved by the board “within the next few weeks.” However, allegations of impropriety against the Election Board and its chairman, tribal elder Sam Evans, will take longer to resolve, he said.

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GTB Election Challenge News Coverage

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Leelanau Enterprise:

The Tribal Election process appears to have gone sideways – again.

Officials of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians were slated to certify results of the May 21 Regular Election today and administer oaths to newly elected or re-elected members of the Tribal Council tomorrow.

Both of those events have been postponed, however, while the tribal Election Board sorts through a series of challenges filed by four tribal members, including Tribal Councilor Derek Bailey, who ran for the Tribal Chairman’s seat against incumbent Robert Kewaygoshkum.

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GTB News Coverage on Indianz

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Indianz:

An attorney for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians says a lawsuit challenging the Michigan tribe’s land-into-trust lawsuit is “fruitless.”

The tribe wants about 22 acres placed in trust. A group of property owners, however, claims the land belongs to them. Tribal attorney William Rastetter said the plaintiffs who filed the case are wasting their time. He said the state and federal courts have already ruled the land doesn’t belong to them. The land is part of the Leelanau Trail, which the tribe supports. The land used to be a former railroad right-of-way. In related Grand Traverse news, the tribe has certified the results of its April 9 primary. Incumbent chairman Robert Kewaygoshkum will face Derek Bailey in the May 21 general election. Six candidates are seeking three open council seats.

Get the Story:
Tribe downplays suit over former rail corridor status (The Leelanau News 5/8 )
Tribe certifies Primary results (The Leelanau News 5/8 )

Related Stories:
Lawsuit challenges Grand Traverse land-into-trust (5/2)
Grand Traverse Band vote in primary on Wednesday (4/8 )

Birdnecklace v. Steele — Federal Court Challenge to Oglala Sioux Election

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Sr. District Judge Bogue dismissed this claim, brought under 42 U.S.C. sec. 1985. Here are the materials:

oglala-sioux-election-coa-order

oglala-sioux-sct-order

birdnecklace-amended-complaint

birdnecklace-motion-for-default-judgment

steele-motion-dismiss

steele-motion-to-dismiss-exhibit-1

steele-motion-to-dismiss-exhibit-3

birdnecklace-dct-opinion

GTB Primary Election Results

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Traverse City Record-Eagle:

PESHAWBESTOWN — Voters selected eight finalists for leadership positions in the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ primary election.

Two-term incumbent Chairman Robert Kewaygoshkum and council member Derek Bailey were the top two finishers in the tribal chairman’s race, according to preliminary election results, said Sam Evans, who heads the tribe’s election committee.

Those two candidates will square off in the May 21 regular election.

Former council member Thurlow “Sam” McClellan finished third in the chairman’s race, but unofficial vote totals for each candidate were not made available.

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