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White Earth Complaint
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White Earth Complaint
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The original documents are located in Box 6, folder "White Earth Complaint" of the
Bradley H. Patterson Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 6 of the Bradley H. Patterson Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 22, 1976
NOTE TO SUPERINTENDENT DEMERY
Per our conversation.
Please send me back a draft
response if you think the White House should
reply. We are clearly not interested in
intervening in any internal tribal political
qquabble, nor in giving any aid or comfort
to any AIM faction, but just as emphatically
it is important that local government
business and decision-making be "in the
sunshine" with fiscal and budgetary and
audit information available to all voting
members of the electorate.
Bred Pattwon
Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.
FORD
Indians for a Democratic Government
*/76
sthite Earth Indian Reservation. Boy 265
White Earth, Minnesota 56591
hernard L. Martin. Chairman,
Calloway. Minnesota 56521
September 16, 1976
mrs. Rosalie Belleaurt. Secretary
White Earth. Minnesota 56591
President Gerald R. Ford
President of the United States
White House
Washington. L. C.
FORD & 9ERALD LIBRARY
Dear mr. President
Our committee is an informal group of enrolle
embere of The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, we are also residents
the White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota. Our committee
as been active intermittently during the past six years
as the purpose of bringing about a truly representative
servations Business Committee which would abide by and
phold our constitution and By-laws. It is the failure
d unevillingness of our elected officials to fairly and
partially carry and their duties under our Constitution,
ich is seeking re dress of our grievances, that is.
king The assistance and counsel of the most powerful
ested official in the United States and President.
resident Gerald R. Ford
Pase two
pt. 16, 1976
as a group. citizens and tax payers of the United States
d enrolled members of the Chippisva we
e not a group of cranbs, we are not a group of political
poilers or political sore losers. Our groups is compased of
representative crass section of The entire reservation
ammunity, aur members are self-emplayed business people
retired persons. laborers and the eenemployed. and we are
all Chippews Indians.
During the past six years our group has supported
and campaigned for the election of Inv. John Latby of
aytahwaush. Minnesota, to the Reservation Business
mmittee. Desring that period of time we have supported
Nr. La Vay in five riservation elections. During each of these
elections, our candidate has campaigned one platform
alling for open and public mettings of the Reservation
Business Committee, fiscal integrity and public accounting;
in addition to public involvement in the expenditure of
see reservations monies, fair and equal a apportunity and the
lart at all reservation residents is to be part in and
demefit from reservation resources and common property.
On the basis of This platform, our candidate has drawn
least 50% of both resident and non resident write in
ch of these elections, However, because of the political
disident Gerald R. Ford
Page three
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
Sept 16, 1976
hanewerings and autright fraudulent election practices
of the incumbent Reservation Business Committee and
ferutive committee of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, our
andidate was deprived of the office to which he was
fairly elected at least twice.
Mr. LaVay was ultimately seated as a precintt
committeeman an the Business Committee as as result
of the reservation election held in James of this year.
Having finally been seated on the committee, mu. Lavay 's
attempts to gather information regarding financial
accounting, pressing for open and public meetings of
the committee, public involvement in the decisions
of the committee, in a word, all of the principals upon
which he campaigned and in which the majority
of the reservation residents support him, have been
completely and utterly frustrated. Cerr candidated, has
being only one voting member among four, MD
more information to-day regarding the reservation he
Linances and activities of the committee than was
able to obtain in the siy years of his candidacy. Our
Indiciati's attempts to obtain this information have
styment as (1) result of the refusal of a small click
President Genald R. Ford
Page four
upt 16, 1976
/ the committees members who have pression of all
likes, records and accounts of the committee, to turn them
over to the newly elected Business Committee Chairman central
and to locate these records and files in a
iscation and to make the same available for inspec-
tion by all interested residents of the reservation.
It is this present state of affairs which has
aused in each of us a sense of enter freestration
ind hopelessness and which prompts us to seek
the assistance of you. our president.
Our attengsts to obtain as favorable resolution of
our grievances and to obtain answers to our many
questions regarding reservation affairs during the
pash six years have not been unimagenative nor
have aur efforts lacked a great deal of hard work and
personal expense on the part of our members.
n 1973 members of our committee sponsored and
Circulated pelitions for the removal of two members
line Reservation Business Committee on The Lasis of
alfasance of authority and mishandling of reservation
onive, in addition to other specified charges. On June
3, 1973 these petitions were duly served expon thether
airmani of the White Earsh Recervation Business Committee,
President Gerald R. Ford
Page five
Sept 16, 1976
this procedure being provided for under the Revised
onstitution and By-Laws of the minnesota Chipperoa Tribe
The Business Committee failed to take any action on
these petitions. The committee having failed to act, the
petitions were then forwarded to The Secretary of the
Interior on July 11, 1973. The Secretary of the Interior
ilso failed to act and sent the petitions back down
to the area Superintendant of the minnesotal agency of the
Bureau of Indian affairs at Bemidji, Minnesota
neither the Department of the Interior nor the local
ureaw of Indian affairs Superintendant. made any
ivestigation into the allegations and charges made
n these petitions. an a meeting on october 15. 1973
ith the Superintendant of the Minnesota agency members
our committee were told that nothing could be done
nd that aur group would have to bring about the
hanges we sought through the political process
provided for under our constitution, This we attemp-
ed to do by conducting a strong and vigorous campaign
benalf our candidate me. La Vay during the elections
1974. It was this same incumbant member of the
Geraid R. Ford
age six
pit 16, 1976
underss Committee against whom we circu lated the
tition for removal in 1973. Our efforts to seek redress
our grievances concerning The elections of 1974 are
sell documented in United States District court, District
minnesota, Third Division, civil 6- 74-223. The resseit
our two year battle to obtain relief from our complaints
esuited in the total denial of our allegations and
he dismissal of our action.
ske have also attempted to press the Reservation
usiness Committee for public information concerning
ederal grants and allocations to our reservation
ind for public accounting of the expenditure of these
various funds and allocations. To our total chagrin
us recently learned from the Bureau of Indian
yairs agency in Bemedji that our Reservation
usiness Committee had withdrawn and spent
pprolismatly #83,000.00 of reservation program funds
wring the years 1972 and 1973 for the purpose
instituting a reservation administration program.
of that total, it appears that appropimatly $30,000.00
evas expended for salaries of the Committee members.
The committerdmenburs campaigned for and were
President Gerald R. Ford
Page seven
Sept 16, 1976
BERALD FORD VIBRARY
ected to none- salary positions on the committee.
et the fact that they paid themselves salaries out of
eservation monies was neither made public nor
are the local residents given an opportunity to express
ier opinions as to whether their elected officials should
w should not be salaried.
members of our committee have complained bitterly
oth publicly and privately concerning the expenditure
if the Business Committee of Revenue Sharing funds.
is a result of our complaints and requests for an
counting, the Office of Revenue Sharing finally conduct-
l an audit of the Business Committee's Revenue Sharing
count for the period February 9,1973 to February 28, 1975
Turing that period of time, the Business Committee
pended approximately $100,000,00, audit Report no 76-5,
ited December 3. 1975, concluded that the entire
penditure was in violation of the provisions of the
vised constitution and by-laws of the tribe in addition
being in violation of Revenue Sharing regulations.
n February 19. 1976, the office of Revenue Sharing served a
ther of non- compliance on the then Chairman of the
esident Gerald R. Ford
Page eight
pt 16,1976
eservation Business Committee in which the committee
was given 60 days to comply. To our knowledge the business
mmittee has not responded to the requirements of this
mpliance letter and continues to receive and expend
evenue Sharing monies,
The above is an example or the substantiation
and documentation that we have been able to obtain
regarding aur complaints against the Business Committee
our constitution and By-Laws requires an annual audit
of all reservation accounts, but we have no information
s to whether any audits have been performed during
he past six years. Our Constitution and By-laws requires
he business Committee's Secretary Treasurer to maintain a
inimum Fedelity Bond, Our Secretary Treasurer is the chief
nancial officer of aur committee and yet all evidence points
3 the fact that he is not bonded and continues to extend
ibal monies without committee approval and without the
nowledge and consent of people he is elected to serve
Our constitution and ByLaws requires public notice of all
ammittee meetings and that the public he provided an
sportunity to attend meetings of the committee and
ake part in committee decisions. For six year a this has
of been the case. decisions regarding our affairs and
he expenditure of our monies have been in secret and
usident Derald R. Ford
life nine
cph. 16, 1976
is too often made by a minority of the committee and
r their own personal and political and the gains of
ier political supporters.
During the past six years the takpayers of this
untry have showed up their good faith and benevolence
an effort to assist us in improving the economy
air reservation, our lives and that of our children
of granting us tens of thousands of tax dollars in ever
increasing amounts, These monies, regardless of whether
I source be Revenue Sharing, anti- Poverty Programsmonies
use Improvement monies, etc., we feel, have been given us
) trust to be spent for aur colletive benefit and not to be
ext at the whim and caprice of a small group of indiv
ls who have for too long given or denied those benefits
the majority of the reservation population by way of
roonal and political favoritism.
all too after, the present business committee has threat-
ed cajoled individual persons and stifled their right
free speech and free political activity by the threatened
is of Business Committee sponsored employment to self
d family. all toooften the present Business Committee Indian has
wn lip-service to the federally legislated doctrine of
if Determination an one hand and yet on the other denied
cal Indians their rightful benefit of the principal of
ndian preference. all too often the present Business Committee
ge ten
ept 16, 1976
FORD + LIBRARY GENALD
as expounded upon their various and innovative
ccomplishments on behalf of the reservation population for
he news media and bureaucrats and yet we see no
risible improvement. in our lives or in that of the
the reservation economy.
If and when the Congress concludes that enough
ax monies have been funneled to the reservation which
would have been sufficient to create and sustain
2 permanent healthy economy, and cuts off the flow
P tax monies, nothing will be left because nothing
as been created. It is this which we fear the most.
We remember all too well the poverty and hopelessness
if our reservation economy prior to the Economic
appertunity act of 1964. We realize that the saemingly
ottomless horn-of-plenty does have its limits and that the
alse economy which our Business Committee likes to take
redit for having created will vanish as quickly as have
ur personal constitution rights have in the hands of our
fair and dictatorial Reservation Business Committee.
In conclusion mr. President, we request, as Indian
zens and tax payers that the Reservation Business
nmittee be made to account to us and the american
x payer. We ask that our petition for the removal
the present Secretary- Treasure of the white Earth
sibsent Gerald R. Ford
age 11. eleven.
it 16,1976
cservalion Business Committee, presently being circulated
d to be presented to the Business committee shortly, be
ewed by yourself as a mandate to pur ge our reservation
onomic and tribal rights which we have suffired
the cancerous growth of the deprivation of are personal
unudiatly audit accounts and records of Heask all reservation
ar so long. We ask that the General accounting Office
conies received during the past six years. that
her Feds Bureau of Investigation investigate and evaluate monies
pended by the Reservation Business Committee Interior during that
assible illegal expenditures of Federal Tax
2 removal from the committee of those individuals elective dutics found
riad of time. We ask that the Secretary of require to be
citty of malfeasance and dereliction of their reservation
and to conduct and supervise free and open
ections to fill any vacancies on the committee.
We make this request to you, mr. President, with a deep sense
responsibility and the knowledge that if this our final and
at in opposition to an isolated case of tyranny Indian
spression is unsucessful then the american not
sill truly have last its final battle, ironically
the white man, but to his own.
With deepest regard,
Sincerely,
Rosalic Belleaurt
White Earth, minnesota. 56591
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
See folder
"Reamue
"
Sharma"
FORD is LIBRARY 07V839 - -
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
B V. Belleou &
rou r god heat
AIM bering tald
to po off the Chippenna
havel
FORD LIBRARY & 07V239 me
/
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
we
non - complexing
& 100,000 is, R.S.
10/1 2 payment
Family fer May to Justice
0/1 crimal pactics later
Wrote TC in Feb
umag funds for illegal uses.
1160 cerpouse. New litter 9/14
Special request arrycrap
THE WHITE HOUSE
washington
No funk going in Oct.
B/A -
No dealing w BIA
by copy
T.C. gaya copy of the
1.e. audity Rendin Rack
Clus. W.E. B.C.
Public documents.
Law ciguies Budget documents
And be made pablic
specifu consuder
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
TC mustibed this law
Rob In w bed
18tall law.
Wult under Feel.
James as Tully
info from the loal
Have they been afused level?
adm Hearing probable
that will be jobbe
Femaus runny way be forfest
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Wosh Hearing
LIBRARY I
Edwin Demery
Superintendent
P.O. Box 1127
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
CC: BIA: Commissioner Thompson
Justice: CivilRights
GERALD
4.
Division
Office of Revenue Sharing
(Treasury)
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 13, 1976
NOTE TO JEANNA TULLY
Thank you for your phone call
of the other day and for sending me the
materials about Revenue Sharing.
May I suggest, please, that
you send a follow-up note on behalf of both
of us to Mrs. Bellcourt (and send me a copy)
since I hesitate to draft a letter here which
deals so directly with your own regulations
and which bears so closely on an active
disciplinary case which your office is
handling.
Please advise Mrs. Bellcourt on
what her rights are to get access to the audit
reports, tell her what you can about the
disciplinary proceedings re the Tribal Council.
Sad Pathan
FORD is LIBRAR 079838
STATEMENT OF THE
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
MINNESOTA AGENCY
March
$
THIRD FLOOR, FEDERAL BUILDING
BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA 56601
IN REPLY REFER TO:
Administration
October 8, 1976
Mr. Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.
Assistant Director
Presidential Personnel Office
The White House
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Patterson:
This pertains to the request for Presidential assistance and counsel
advanced by a small number of Minnesota Chippewa tribal members from
the White Earth Reservation formed under the name, Indians for A
Democratic Government, and your response of September 13, 1976, to
its Secretary, Mrs. Rosalie Bellcourt.
This informal group is not affiliated with or a part of the American
Indian Movement; in fact, they are said to be more anti than pro AIM.
This group has raised objections to certain actions of their governing
officials and have expressed dissatisfaction with the performances of
some elected officers. They have encountered some adversities in
their efforts to make changes in the reservation leadership and in
some administrative procedures, as Mrs. Bellecourt describes them,
but they should not expect that changes will occur with their first
effort. Petitioning for the removal of any elected official is
provided for in their governing documents and they are correct in
pursuing this method of forcing changes in leadership, if it is the
only way to change an unpopular direction or conduct.
Tribal governments are encouraged to adhere to their documented rules
of authority and responsibility and we do encourage their dealing openly
and with regard for all persons' rights. If and when this organization's
petition is filed with this office, it will be given all due process
and respect, for both the petitioners and those being petitioned against.
We expect to deal farily with any requests for audits or investigations
where we are permitted to function and will work to remedy any problem
area where our involvement in tribal affairs is not restricted.
FORD LIBRARY & GERALD
-2-
We are returning the original letter Mrs. Bellecourt wrote.
Sincerely yours,
Superintendent inf.
Enclosure
THE WHITE HOUSE
RECEIVED SEP27
WASHINGTON
Minnesota Agency
Bemidji, Minn.
September 22, 1976
NOTE TO SUPERINTENDENT DEMERY
Per our conversation.
Please send me back a draft
response if you think the White House should
reply. We are clearly not interested in
intervening in any internal tribal political
qquabble, nor in giving any aid or comfort
to any AIM faction, but just as emphatically
it is important that local government
business and decision-making be "in the
sunshine" with fiscal and budgetary and
audit information available to all voting
members of the electorate.
Read Pattwon
Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.
cc: Justice/Civil Rights Division
Treasury/Office of Revenue-Sharing
GEEAL FORD LIBRARY
BIA: M.T.
Pb return the original letter
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 23, 1976
Dear Miss Bellcourt:
The President has asked me to thank you for your long
and thoughtful letter.
I'll try to have a further response to you when I
have more information. We in the Government must
be careful not to intervene in internal Indian
tribal political debates and processes, but with
equal certainty I can say that we believe that all
local Governments should do their business "in the
sunshine" so that the local political and decision-
making processes operate with full information to
their electorates.
Sincerely,
Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.
Assistant Director
Presidential Personnel Office
Miss Rosalie Bellcourt
Indians for a Democratic Government
Box 265
White Earth Indian Reservation
White Earth, Minnesota 56591
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
10th
Indians For a Democratic Government
9/20/7.6
White Earth Indian Reservation Boy 265
White Earth, Minnesota 56591
Bernard L. Martin. Chairman,
Calloway. Minnesota 56521
September 16, 1976
mrs. Rosalie Belleaurt. Secretary
BP White Earth. Minnesota 56591
President Gerald R. Ford
President of the United States
White House
SEALO R. FORD
Washington. D. C.
Dear mr. President
Our committee is an informal group of enrolle d
members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, we are also residents
of the White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota. Our committee
has been active intermittently during the past six years
for the purpose of bringing about a truly representative
Reservation Business Committee which would abide by and
uphold our constitution and By-laws. It is the failure
and unwillingness of our elected officials to fairly and
impartially carry out their duties under our Constitution,
which is seeking redress of our grievances, that is.
seeking the assistance and counsel of the most powerful
elected official in the United States aur President.
WHITE HOUSE
MAIL ROOM
1976 SEP 20 AM 10 56
Prisident Gerald R. Ford
Page two
R. FORD
Sept. 16, 1976
GERALO
as a group. citizens and tax payers of the United States
and enrolled members of the Chippewa Tribe f Minnesota, we
are not a group of cranks, we are not a group of political
spoilers or political sore losers. Our group is composed of
a representative cross- section of the entire reservation
community, aur members are self-employed business people
retired persons. laborers and the unemployed. and we are
all chippewa Indians.
During the past six years our group has supported
and campaigned for the election of mr. John La Vay of
Naytahwausk. Minnesota, to the Reservation Business
committee. During that period of time we have supported
mr. La Vay in five reservation elections. During each of these
elections, our candidate has campaigned on a platform
calling for open and public meetings of the Reservation
Business Committee, fiscal integrity and public accounting,
in addition to public involvement in the expensiture of
all reservation monies, fair and equal apportunity and the
part of all reservation residents to take part in and
benefit from reservation resources and common property.
On the basis of this platform, our candidate has drawn
at least 50% of both resident and non resident vote in
each of these elections, However, because of the political
tresident Gerald R. Ford
Page three
Sept 16, 1976
manuverings and autright fraudulent election practices
of the incumbent Reservation Business Committee and
Executive committee of the Minnesota Chippews Tribe, our
candidate was deprived of the office to which he was
fairly elected at least twice.
Mr. LaVay was ultimately seated as a precintt
committeeman an the Business Committee as a result
of the reservation election held in June of this year.
Having finally been seated on the committee, mr. La Vay 's
attempts to gather information regarding financial
accounting, pressing for open and public meetings of
the committee, public involvement in the decisions
of the committee, in a word, all of the principals upon
which he campaigned and in which the majority
of the reservation residents support him, have been
completely and utterly frustrated. Our candidated,
being only one voting member among four, has no
more information to-day regarding the reservation
finances and activities of the committee than he was
able to obtain in the six years of his candidacy. Our
Candidate's attempts to obtain this information have
stymied as a result of the refusal of a small click
President Gerald R. Ford
Page four
R.
GERALD
FROM
Sept 16, 1976
AMERICA
of the committee's members who have possession of all
files, records and accounts of the committee, to turn them
over to the newly elected Business Committee Chairman
and to locate these records and files in a central
location and to make the same available for inspec-
tion by all interested residents of the reservation.
It is this present state of affairs which has
caused in each of us a sense of utter frestration
and hopelessness and which prompts us to seek
the assistance of you. our president.
Our attempts to obtain a favorable resolution of
our grievances and to obtain answers to our many
questions regarding reservation affairs during the
past six years have not been unimaginative mor
have our efforts lacked a great deal of hard work and
personal expense on the part of our members.
In 1973 members of our committee sponsored and
circulated petitions for the removal of two members
of the Reservation Business Committee on the basis of
malfeasance of authority and mishanding of reservation
monies, in addition to other specified charges. On June
13, 1973 these petitions were duly served upon the then
Chairman of the white Earth Reservation Business Committee,
President Gerald R. Ford
Page five
Sept 16, 1976
this procedure being provided for under the Revised
Constitution and By-Laws of the minnesota Chipperoa Tribe
The Business Committee failed to take any action on
these petitions. The committee having failed to act, the
petitions were then forwarded to the Secretary of the
Interior on July 11. 1973. The Secretary of the Interior
also failed to act and sent the petitions back down
to the area Superintendant of the minnesota agency of the
Bureau of Indian affairs at Bemidji, Minnesota
neither the Department of the Interior nor the local
Bureau of Indian affairs Superintendant made any
investigation into the allegations and charges made
in these petitions. ah a meeting on october 15. 1973
with the Superintendant of the Minnesota agency members
of our committee were told that nothing could be done
and that our group would have to bring about the
changes we sought through the political process
provided for under aur constitution, This we attemp-
ted to do by conducting a strong and vigorous campaign
on behalf our candidate, mr. La Vay during the elections
of 1974. It was this same incumbant member of the
President Gerald R. Ford
Page six
FORMS R. GREATO
Sept 16, 1976
Business Committee against whom we circulated the
petition for removal in 1973. Our efforts to seek redress
of our grievances concerning the elections of 1974 are
well documented in United States Destrict court, District
of minnesota, Third Division, civil 6-74-223. The result
of our two year battle to obtain relief from our complaints
resulted in the total denial of our allegations and
the dismissal of our action.
We have also attempted to press the Reservation
Business Committee for public information concerning
federal grants and allosations to our reservation
and for public accounting of the expenditure of these
various funds and allocations. To our total chagrin
we recently learned from the Bureau of Indian
affairs agency in Bemedji that our Reservation
Business Committee had withdrawn and spent
approximatly #83,000.00 of reservation program funds
during the years 1972 and 1973 for the purpose
of instituting a reservation administration program.
of that total, it appears that approximately $30,000.00
was expended for salaries of the Committee members.
The committeudmembers campaigned for and were
President Gerald R. Ford
Page seven
Sept 16, 1976
elected to none- salary positions on the committee.
yet the fact that they paid themselves salaries out of
reservation monies was neither made public nor
were the local residents given an opportunity to express
their opinions as to whether their elected officials should
or should not be salaried.
both publicly and privately concerning the expenditure
members of our committee have complained bitterly
by the Business Committee of Revenue Sharing funds.
as a result of our complaints and requests for an
accounting, ed the Office of Revenue Sharing finally conduct-
an audit of the Business Committee's Revenue Sharing
account for the period February 9,1973 to February 28, 1975
During that period of time, the Business Commettee
expended approximately $100,000,00, audit Report no76-5.
dated December 3. 1975, concluded that the entire
expenditure was in violation of the provisions of the
Revised Constitution and by-laws of the tribe in addition
to being in violation of Revenue Sharing regulations.
On February 19.1976, the office of Revenue Sharing served a
letter of non- compliance on the then Chairman of the
President Gerald R. Ford
Page eight
Sept 16,1976
Reservation Business Committee in which the committee
was given 60 days to comply. To our knowledge the business
committee has not responded to the requirements of this
compliance letter and continues to recieve and expend
Revenue Sharing monies,
The above is an example or the substantiation
and documentation that we have been able to obtain
regarding our complaints against the Business Committee
Our constitution and By-Laws requires an annual audit
of all reservation accounts, but we have no information
as to whether any audits have been performed during
the pash six years. Our constitution and By-laws requires
the business Committee's Secretary Treasurer to maintain a
minimum Fedelity Bond, Our Secretary Treasurer is the chief
financial officer of aur committee and yet all evidence points
to the fact that he is not bonded and continues to expend
tribal monies without committee approval and without the
knowledge and consent of people he is elected to serve.
Our constitution and By Laws requires public notice of all
committee meetings and that the public be provided an
apportunity to attend meetings of the committee and
take part in committee decisions. For six years this has
not been the case. decisions regarding our affairs and
the expenditure of our monies have been in secret and
Prisident Gerald R. Ford
&
FORD
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all too often made by a minority of the committee and
for their own personal and political and the gains of
their political supporters.
During the past six years the takpayers of this
country have showed up their good faith and benevolence
in an effort to assist us in improving the economy
of our reservation, our lives and that of and children
by granting us tens of thousands of tax dollars in ever
increasing amounts, These monies, regardless of whether
the source be Revenue Sharing, anti- Poverty Programsmonies
House Improvement monies, etc., we feel, have been given us
in trust to be spent for our colletive Benefit and not to be
spent at the whim and caprice of a small group of indiv
wals who have for too long given or denied those benefits
to the majority of the reservation population by way of
personal and political favoritism.
all too after, the present business committee has threat-
ened cajoled individual persons and stifled their right
of free speech and free political activity by the threatened
lass of Business committee sponsored employment to self
and family. all toooften the present Business Committee has
given lip-service to the federally legislated doctrine of Indian
Self- Determination on one hand and yet on the other denied
local Indians their rightful benefit of the principal of
Indian preference. all too often the present Business Committee
President Gerald R. Ford
Pager ten
Sept. 16, 1976
has expounded upon their various and innovative
accomplishments on behalf of the reservation population for
the news media and bureaucrats and yet we see no
visible improvement. in our lives or in that of the
of the reservation economy.
If and when the Congress concludes that enough
tax monies have been funneled to the reservation which
would have been sufficient to create and sustain
a permanent healthy economy, and cuts off the flow
of tax monies, nothing will be left because nothing
has been created. It is this which we fear the most.
We remember all too well the poverty and hopelessness
of our reservation economy prior to the Economic
Oppertunity act of 1964. We realize that the seemingly
bottomless horn-of-plenty does have its limits and that the
false economy which our Business Committee likes to take
credit for having created will vanish as quickly as have
our personal constitution rights have in the hands of our
unfair and dictatorial Reservation Business Committee.
In conclusion mr. President, we request, as Indian
citizens and tax payers that the Reservation Business
committee be made to account to us and the american
tax payer. We ask that our petition for the removal
of the present Secretary- Treasure of the white Earth
President Gerald R. Ford
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Sipt ,16,1976
Reservalion Business Committee, presently being circulated
and to be presented to the Business committee shortly, be
viewed by yourself as a mandate to purge our reservation
sconomic and tribal rights which we have suffered
of the cancerous growth of the deprivation of our personal
immediatly audit accounts and records of all reservation
for so long. We ask that the General accounting Office
monies received during the past six years. the ask that
then Feds Bureau of Investigation investigate and evaluate
possible illegal expenditures of Federal Jap monies
the removal from the committee of those individuals found
period of time. We ask that the Secretary of require to be
expended by the Reservation Business Committee Interior during that
guilty of malfeasance and dereliction of their elective duties reservation
and to conduct and supervise free and open
elections to fill any vacancies on the committee.
We make this request to you, mr. President, with a deep sense
of responsibility and the knowledge that if this our final and
act in opposition to an isolated case of tyranny
appression is unsucessful then the american Indian not
will truly have last its final battle, ironically
to the white man, but to his own.
With deepest regard,
Sincerely,
Rosalie Bellcourt
White Earth, minnesota. 56591