PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:            Leona Kienenberger (406) 383-4459

Another Little Shell Council Member Resigns in Protest

Leona Kienenberger, of Dodson, Montana submitted her letter of resignation on February 16, 2010, from her seat on the Little Shell Chippewa Tribal Council, in protest over actions by John Sinclair, the disputed Tribal Chairman whose authority and that of his election tribal council on May 9, 2009 to govern is challenged by a new election to be conducted in March, 2010. Kienenberger’s resignation follows that of another Little Shell Council member, John LaSalle,  of Box Elder, Montana who also protested Sinclair’s actions. I

In her letter of resignation Kienenberger stated:

“Please regard this letter as my official resignation from the Little Shell Tribal Council. Your and the council’s attempt at “suspending” me for “criticizing and attempting to control, supervise or interfere in tribal affairs” proves that you believe that no other voice but yours is important. I can no longer justify my position as a council member when my voice in tribal matters is ignored. I was never allowed to ask any pertinent questions concerning important issues without you threatening to close the meeting, ‘censure’, or ‘suspend’ me. You never let our people know when a meeting is taking place, and you never follow proper parliamentary procedure in conducting a meeting, I don’t wish to have our people believe that I condone the things you have allowed to happen: disenrolling and disqualifying long-standing and honorable candidates. Because of this disenrolling and disqualifying of candidates, you were never ‘duly’ elected. I believe your fellow council members Ronald “Cree” Doney, Steve Doney, Randy Randolph, (secretary/treasurer) and Ken Erickson are just as liable of infringing on the rights of our people as you are by condoning an illegal election and not affording our tribal membership with any judicial due process. I believe your stubbornness, inadequacy, and egotism have caused our tribe to lose the $417,000.  Why has the State uncovered “sloppy bookkeeping that could lead to financial abuse”? Why has the tribe misspent past grants? Take a lesson from Montana tribal leaders who value a democratic election process and tribal justice system and are preserving the integrity of their membership. They are honest men and women who are not afraid to answer to their people. I hope through the Alliance’s integrity and perseverance the Little Shell Tribe will gain back the trust of State government and the money that was lost.”