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 LAME
DEER -- Traditional chiefs and warrior society leaders of the Northern
Cheyenne Tribe came to the rescue of their tribe Thursday night.
A
lingering dispute between the tribe's elected council and president escalated
Thursday morning. Tribal President Geri Small, who was suspended without
pay two weeks ago, obtained a court order to resume power.
That
prompted a walkout by members of the tribe's 11-person legislature. Within
hours, supporters of the legislature were threatening protests and takeover
of tribal headquarters.
For
the first time in more than a decade, the tribe's hereditary leaders intervened
to cool the dispute.
"As
chiefs and society headsmen, our job is to provide a peaceful resolution.
We wanted a peaceful resolution from both sides," said Leonard Elkshoulder,
a member of the Council of 44 traditional chiefs.
 Before
the reservation system, the Council of 44 chiefs called the shots, Elkshoulder
said. Their orders were enforced by members of the tribe's military societies,
including the Kit Fox, Elkhorn Scrapers and Crazy Dog Soldiers. Membership
was by blood and deed only. Today, the groups stay out of the day-to-day
operations of the tribe. But their leadership is called on in times of
crisis, Elkshoulder said.
The
societies came together in 1995 after the theft of the tribe's most revered
item, the sacred hat. They also worked to end a tribal takeover in the
late 1980s, Elkshoulder said.
"People
asked us to help today," Elkshoulder said. "That's what we did."
The
crisis began Feb. 4 when the tribe's elected legislature voted 5-4 to
suspend President Small on allegations of mismanaging tribal programs
and finances. Small claimed that her constitutional rights were violated.
Tribal Judge John Robinson agreed and signed a temporary restraining order
against the suspension Thursday morning.
Minutes
later, Small walked into the tribal council chambers holding copies of
the restraining order. The five members of the council who voted against
her were served with the order.
"We
adjourned and left. It's been chaos ever since," said Councilman
Eugene Little Coyote, who led the charge to suspend Small. "There's
a lot of public outrage."
Small
took up office again in the executive branch wing of the tribe's headquarters
building in Lame Deer. Members of the council stayed in their offices
in the other end of the building.
Small
called in Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers to keep watch. "The
employees were uneasy," Small said.
"We're
just here to keep the peace," Police Chief Darrell Azure said, standing
outside Small's office.
Members
of the council accused Small of disregarding the tribe's constitution.
They said she was trying to resume control to stop investigations into
her alleged mismanagement.
"We're
broke," Little Coyote said. "We have a $1.3 million deficit.
That may not seem like much, but when you're a small tribe, it's a lot.
We're hanging on by threads."
Small
said the council members were only out to get her job. Three of the five
who voted against her are previous tribal presidents. Small was elected
three years ago with 72 percent of the vote.
"This
is just a personal vendetta," she said.
By
late afternoon, word had spread through Lame Deer of the standoff. Local
residents began trickling into the building. The tribe's hereditary leaders
met and discussed the situation at Dull Knife Memorial College.
The
chiefs and society leaders met with Small and the legislature Thursday
night. They asked Small to stay home Friday. A tribal court hearing on
her suspension is scheduled for March 6. The hereditary leaders asked
Small to let the matter be resolved in court.
The
traditional leaders also asked the police officers to leave the building.
"It
only escalates the situation and puts fear into the people," Elkshoulder
said.
Small
seemed surprised by the entire situation. She stood in the hall of the
tribal headquarters as the traditional leaders met with legislators in
a nearby room.
"I
respect the societies and the chiefs. They came here in a humble way to
help the executive branch and legislative branch come to some common ground,"
Small said.
Elkshoulder
played the role of an elder statesman during the crisis. He made frequent
trips between Small's office and the office of the legislators. With each
trip, he dispelled rumors and dispensed bits of advice, telling both sides
to calm down and think rationally. By 9 p.m., the tension had largely
subsided.
"People
just needed to hear each other out," Elkshoulder said.
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