WHERE DOES THE BLACKFEET MONEY GO TO?

The tribal council is a white-style political body, but it is less open than the usual city, county, or state government, and way less democratic, resembling a dictatorship in a third-world nation with a third-world economy starving the people. The tribal council has restricted tribal members participating in the process of tribal government even to going out of town to divide up the tribal budget so nobody can see what they are doing with tribal dollars. The result is that we do not know how much tribal money we have or what the tribal council does with tribal dollars. The tribal council has given themselves several raises in salaries and travel accounts in secret sessions, so that we know nothing about tribal finances until they are forced to confess the tribe is near bankrupt or has to pay back several million dollars to federal grant sources because they mismanaged federal grant money. The impasse between the chiefs faction and the chairman's faction brought unnecessary suffering to the people, even to denying the tribal poor their welfare benefits, and that is deliberate neglect of the people and community. It showed the people that the tribal council really doesn't care for the people's welfare or the children's well being. The chief and chairman didn't suffer a whit because they had the money at tribal headquarters and tribal casino to pay for their means while the people lived in their cars to avoid freezing in their homes because they could not pay electric bills. NO HARDSHIP!  signs at tribal headquarters told you what they think of your suffering, get out and stay out! The tribal commodity house was under guard from starving Indians as the council refused even to allow food to be distributed in an emergency. Food trucks from Great Falls and Missoula brought food and winter jackets for the Blackfeet children. The white people cared more for us than our chief and chairman. The tribal council failed in providing food, shelter and clothing for the Blackfeet people, who, by the way, pay their salaries and travel and luxurious lifestyles. By luxury I mean the cost of maintaining the upper class of the tribe, at least until they lose an election, and are provided a $40,000 tribal check for their service when they leave office. The four year terms of the tribal council costs the Blackfeet people $5,840,000 in salaries and travel checks, and the salary increases were voted in secret sessions in council chambers. That is what the tribal council has done with their four year terms of office, voted in a tribal referendum by the Blackfeet people, all on a promise they would do better with longer council terms. It is not a racial comparison of politicians as all races lie and cheat but our boys never go to prison, they just pay back federal grant audit exceptions with tribal dollars. That was done because tribal councilmen jumped out the windows of the tribal office when the FBI Agent showed up to question them. The agent said it was too bad it wasn't the 10th floor and save the cost of a trial, but Chairman Old Person saved the council crooks by testifying in federal court that the Blackfeet Tribe would pay back the missing federal grant money, it's the way we do business, he whined to the judge, and the judge said "I feel sorry for the people you represent." At least before we could vote out the entire tribal council every two years and roll the dice on a new council. Now we have a perpetual thieving bunch of incompetent robbers. Bob Juneau Sr.