February 27, 2010

     The Klamath Tribes rank among the larger employers in the Klamath Basin.

   They also are key players in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, a document that seeks to resolve disputes over water in the Basin and stabilize the region’s communities.

   But three times in the past several months, Klamath County sheriff ’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers have defused encounters between the tribal government’s elected leaders and an opposition group that says it legally recalled them.  

   The Tribes have roughly 3,600 enrolled members living in and outside the Basin. The government headquarters is in Chiloquin. The Herald and News sought to answer some questions about the situation facing the Tribes and how tribal government works. The paper requested the current tribal government, those opposed to it and others involved in the issue to comment.

   What’s next

   A hearing on a civil lawsuit filed by the opposition group is set for Monday at the tribal court in Chiloquin.

   Tribal government     

   General council:  Made up of the entire enrolled adult tribal membership. It is the Tribes’ legislative body and governing authority.

   Tribal council:  10 members elected every three years and act at the direction of the general council.