Page 9 - Flathead Beacon // 1.22.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS
JANUARY 29, 2014 | 9

A Community Leader Passes Away

By BEACON STAFF

Find
A tireless and devoted communi- S
A
ty leader who irst established a food

bank in her garage before spearhead-
ing the creation of today’s North Valley
Food Bank has passed away. June Mun-
YOUR
ski-Feenan died Jan. 21 in her home in
Whiteish at age 86. A rosary will be said
at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 31, at St. Charles Bor-
romeo Parish, 230 Baker Ave., followed

by a memorial service Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. at
the parish, according to Austin Funeral
Home, which is handling arrangements.
A vivacious leader, Munski-Feen-
an remained actively involved in the
day-to-day operations of the food bank
more than 35 years after founding it
in her garage. She also led the fund-

SECURITY
raising campaign for the food bank’s
new 4,800-square-foot facility, which
opened earlier this year.
June Munski-Feenan is seen at North Valley Food Bank in Whiteish. BEACON FILE PHOTO
As her obituary stated, “June em-
bodied the spirit of giving. The way she
lived her life everyday was with her A VIVACIOUS LEADER, MUNSKI-FEENAN REMAINED ACTIVELY
hands open, giving generously of herself,
INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE FOOD BANK
her time, her money, of anything she had
to help someone else in need. She would MORE THAN 35 YEARS AFTER FOUNDING IT IN HER GARAGE.
give you the shirt of her back without
giving it a second thought.”

Political Gridlock Leaves Some

Blackfeet Members in the Dark

Glacier Electric elle. On the other side of the council are at (406) 338-5400 to talk about assis-
Roger Running Crane, Chief Earl Old tance programs.
Cooperative provides
Person, Shannon Augare and Leonard Although no council members on
electricity on credit a Guardipee, none of which recognize the either side of the conlict would return
members appointed or reappointed by calls or emails from the Beacon, inter-
month after tribal gov- Sharp’s administration. Since neither nalmemosshowthetribalcouncilisno-
side has a quorum of six members to where near reconciling its diferences.
ernment fails to pay bills
vote, the tribal council can’t issue pay- In a letter dated Jan. 23 from Augare,
checks or pay vendors.
Old Person, Running Crane and Guardi-

By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
Among the vendors not being paid pee to Sharp and Calf Boss Ribs, the
is the Glacier Electric Cooperative. Ac- council members wrote that they had
The political gridlock on the Black- cording to spokesperson Virginia Har- found enough money to pay employees
feet Indian Reservation is having real man, the last time the tribe paid the and vendors. However, paychecks can-
impacts on tribal members east of the cooperative was in December. Harman not be issued without the signatures of
divide. According to multiple tribal said many of the cooperative’s members six council members.
members, some residents on the res- receive assistance from the Low Income Later on Jan. 23, Sharp sent a letter
ervation have been unable to pay for Home Energy Program that is adminis- back stating that the other faction had

electricity, food or water because the tered by the tribe. Though the tribe has “abandoned” its position when it set up
Blackfeet Tribal Business Council has not helped pay for its members’ electric- its own government oices elsewhere in
not issued payments since December. ity for weeks, Harman said the coopera- Browning. Sharp also accused the other
One tribal member, who asked not to be tive has continued to provide service to faction of using “ghost employees” to do
named, likened the situation to “a third many members in the program in hopes illegal activities.
world country.”
the tribal government will pay it back “In essence you need to return to
The Blackfeet government has been later. She said in December, the tribal work at headquarters, plain and simple,”

plagued with problems for more than members had a credit of $70,000 before Sharp wrote.
two years, but it took a turn for the worst the council inally cut a check to pay the On Jan, 24, Augare, Running Crane,
last fall when the nine-member tribal bill. Harman said a $30,000 credit has Old Person and Guardipee issued an-
council split. On one side are Chairman since accrued.
other letter to Sharp that thanked the
Willie Sharp Jr. and Forrestina Calf “We are helping our members as chairman for responding but refuted
Boss Ribs, who reappointed suspended much as we can through these hard- most of his claims.
tribal members Bill Old Chief, Cheryl ships,” she said.
“We did not abandon tribal head-
Little Dog and Paul McEvers. Sharp also Harman said about 15 households quarters; you literally threw us out!” the

www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
appointed two new tribal council mem- did not have electricity as of Jan. 27, letter read.
www.T
bers last year, Allen Goss and Leon Vi-
however they could call the cooperative
[email protected]