Control of Tribes disputed 

November 24, 2009

     CHILOQUIN — Klamath County sheriff’s deputies were at the Klamath Tribes’ administrative offices in Chiloquin Monday to keep the peace between two political factions fighting for control of the Tribes.

   About 15 people attempted to have tribal council members removed from their offices, claiming the elected tribal officials were recalled and new members were voted into office.

   The tribal government said the group’s election was invalid, and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs sent a letter to the tribal government and the sheriff’s office stating the group’s actions were illegal.

   “We’re going to go along with business as usual,” said Taylor David, spokeswoman for the Tribes.

   Deputies present

   Sheriff Tim Evinger said deputies were not present to enforce tribal law, but to be on hand in case there was some kind of altercation between the two groups.

   “We’re there as a proactive measure to keep the peace,” he said.

   David said problems first arose Saturday during the Tribes’ general council meeting. Soon after it started, several people in the audience began calling for a recall of the elected tribal council and for a new election.  Chairman Joe Kirk ended the meeting because of the disturbance, David said.

   Those upset with the council members remained afterward and voted to recall the council  and elected those among them to replace them. Those newly elected officials then showed up Monday at the tribal offices.

   One known member of the opposition group is Janice Miller, a current tribal council member, but attempts by the Herald and News to reach her for comment Monday at her tribal office headquarters were unsuccessful. No other phone number was listed for Miller, and David could not provide a contact number.  

   No arrests

   No arrests were made Monday, and Evinger said both factions were civil and respectful. He sent a few deputies, a patrol commander and a detective to Chiloquin to monitor the situation.

   David said the group thought because it had more than 50 people present during its recall election — the quorum required for the tribal general council to make decisions — it could make decisions, but it couldn’t because it was not an official meeting and the vote violated tribal election procedures and timetables.

   Tribal council members are elected to three year terms. Tribal elections were last in 2007 and are scheduled to take place again in 2010.

   “It’s honestly comical in a sense that they think they can supersede our constitution and our tribal laws,” David said.  

   There are a number of reasons why people are upset with the tribal council, David said, including how the Tribes issues its per capita payments to members. Those payments are made annually and derived from tribal revenues.