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18 | MAY 13, 2015 REBUILCDOINVGEARNATION
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Harry Barnes, chairman of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
into two factions, with both claiming control over the government, which was later shut down because neither side had the ability to issue paychecks after a treasurer was terminated. Employees of the tribe went without pay for weeks at a time until a temporary solution was found.
In June 2014, Sharp and two other incumbents were ousted in the prima- ry just two weeks before 10 candidates jockeyed for five open spots on the coun- cil. Harry Barnes, Joe McKay, Nels St. Goddard, Tyson Running Wolf and Iliff “Scott” Kipp were elected to the council, joining members Bill Old Chief, Cheryl Little Dog, Forrestina CalfBossRibs and Chief Earl Old Person. During a secret ballot at North American Indian Days,
Barnes was named chairman. Prior to running for council, Barnes ran a suc- cessful construction business and sup- plies store.
“We had to hit the ground running, literally and figuratively,” Barnes said of the early days of the new council. “We literally had a full council meeting right after the inauguration to address the tribe’s dire financial issues... None of us came into this with our eyes closed. We knew there would be big challenges.”
The biggest challenge was addressing the fact that the Blackfeet Nation essentially had two governments. When the tribal council split in October 2013, each faction began appointing its own members to various positions. When the new council arrived, there were multiple
people holding the same job.
To get the tribe’s financial house in
order, the council began to consolidate debt and make cuts. According to Run- ning Wolf, who is also the council secre- tary, in early 2014 there were about 700 employees. Today, there are about 550.
“We’ve made tough decisions be- cause past administrations did not,” Barnes said.
The tribe is also trying to catch up on its own audits. Last week, the tribe completed its 2013 audit report and began to work on the 2014 edition, which Barnes said would be tough because of the split government.
Another challenge for Barnes and the new council has been restoring re- lations internally and externally. Since taking office, Barnes said he’s become the tribe’s biggest “cheerleader” and has frequently met with local, state and fed- eral officials.
“During the dysfunction of the last few years, we pushed all of our relation- ships to the brink,” he said.
The work to mend fences is also happening on the council itself. Run- ning Wolf said that even when council members disagree with each other they try to respect each other’s opinions and
leave any grudges behind closed doors. He said that members of the public are starting to notice, too.
“I recently asked a tribal member how we were doing as a council and she told me that we were ‘boring’ to watch when compared to the last one,” Run- ning Wolf laughed. “I love being a boring council.”
“We had to hit the ground running, literally and figuratively. We literally had a full council meeting right after the inauguration to address the tribe’s dire financial issues... None of us came into this with our eyes closed. We knew there would be big challenges.” Chairman Harry Barnes
are now turning their attention to a va- riety of issues, ranging from economic development to environmental and cul- tural preservation.
Topping the list is protecting the Badger-Two Medicine, a remote area at the edge of Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. In April, trib- al members kicked off a campaign to ral- ly public support to terminate 18 oil leas- es held in the area by Sidney Longwell of Solenex, LLC.
The leases were among 47 issued by the federal government in 1982 and since then the tribe has been fighting them, arguing they violate numerous federal
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other leaders on the reservation
EN MONTHS AFTER IT TOOK office, this “boring” council and