Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 3.5.14

14 | MARCH 5, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Blackfeet Tribal Councilor Charged With Assault

Roger “Sassy” Running medical screening to see if he was it to
“HE WAS RUNNING AROUND AND BEATING ON be incarcerated. The medical screening
Crane was detained revealed that Running Crane should not
be jailed due to a heart condition and he
Feb. 26 after a DOORS. HE WAS THREATENING TO BEAT US ALL was charged with assault and released.

confrontation at tribal UP.” Willie Sharp Jr., chairman of the tribal council
Running Crane appeared in court for
his arraignment on Feb. 28 and pleaded
headquarters
not guilty. When reached by the Beacon,
Running Crane said “I’ve got no com-
ment” before hanging up.
Dog and Paul McEvers. Sharp’s faction Law Enforcement conducted an inves-
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
However, Augare said he believed also appointed two new tribal council tigation of the incident and on Feb. 26
the charges were bogus and that Sharp members last year, Allen Goss and Leon the tribal court issued a temporary re-

A Blackfeet Tribal Business Council was abusing Ordinance 67, the same law Vielle. On the other side of the council is straining order against Running Crane
member was detained Feb. 26 following that put a Native American activist be- Running Crane, Chief Earl Old Person, on behalf of Sharp, Vielle and a handful
a confrontation at Tribal Headquarters hind bars last summer after he criticized Shannon Augare and Leonard Guardi- of tribal employees. The tribal court also
in Browning. Roger “Sassy” Running the tribal council on Facebook.
pee, who don’t recognize the members issued a warrant for Running Crane’s ar-
Crane has been charged with two counts “This law is meant to protect council appointed or reappointed by Sharp’s rest.
of assault and one count of violating Or- members, not some smug thug in a coun- administration. While Sharp’s faction According to Augare, the incident
dinance 67, a law that protects council cilman’s oice,” Augare said. “Council- have remained at Tribal Council, Run- took place Feb. 26, not Feb. 20, when
members from threats and intimidation.
man Running Crane’s arrest is nothing ning Crane’s group has set up shop in a Running Crane was trying to access his

It’s still unclear what exactly hap- more than a political move. Roger has an building near the Museum of the Plains old oice and found that Vielle now oc-
pened as both sides of the splintered impeccable work record and has been a Indian in Browning, earning them the cupies it. According to Augare, the two
tribal council are ofering their own ver- great councilor. This is just another ex- nickname as the “Log Cabin Council.”
men got into a confrontation before
sion of the events.
ample of how the other faction is out of In Sharp’s telling of the events, Run- Running Crane left Tribal Headquar-
The Blackfeet government has been control.”
ning Crane stormed into Tribal Head- ters to return home to Heart Butte.
plagued with problems for more than Sharp disagrees with Augare’s as- quarters on Feb. 20 after he found out On the afternoon of Feb. 26, Black-
two years, but it took a turn for the worse sessment.
that his old oice was being cleaned out feet Tribal Law Enforcement stopped

last fall when the nine-member tribal “He may be an exemplary person but and threatened workers and councilors.
Running Crane just outside of Brown-
council split. On one side are Chairman he wasn’t on that day,” Sharp said. “He “He was running around and beating ing. According to a press release from
Willie Sharp Jr. and Forrestina Calf Boss was out of control and he’s not above the on doors,” Sharp said. “He was threaten- tribal police, Running Crane was taken
Ribs, who reappointed suspended tribal law.”
ing to beat us all up.”
into custody without incident and tak-
members Bill Old Chief, Cheryl Little
[email protected]
According to Sharp, Blackfeet Tribal
en to the hospital where he was given a

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