TRIBAL MEETINGS

A WHILE BACK AT A QUARTERLY MEETING, THE TRIBAL COUNCIL HAD VARIOUS DEPARTMENT HEADS OF THE MOHEGAN GOVERNMENT MAKE PRESENTATIONS TO THE TRIBE ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IT WAS QUITE INFORMATIVE. THE TRIBAL COUNCIL SAID THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE MEMBERSHIP HAD REQUESTED.

THE WAY I REMEMBER IT, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, CHAIRMAN BRUCE "TWO DOGS" BOZSUM WENT TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. TOM "THROWS HIS HATCHET" EPPS, SAID HE HAD SET THERE THE WHOLE MEETING AND HE HAD SOMETHING HE WANTED TO SAY AND ASK A QUESTION. AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TOM EPPS AND THE TRIBAL COUNCIL THE MEETING ENDED. TOM EPPS NEVER GOT TO ASK HIS QUESTION.

THE TRIBE WAS ANGERED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL. THE TRIBAL COUNCIL USING GOOD JUDGEMENT HELD A SPECIAL MEETING THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, WHICH THEY HAD BEEN DENIED TO DO ON THE PREVIOUS SUNDAY.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE SAYS, ARTICLE IX - POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL, SECTION 3 , THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CHAIR OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING: (i) to preside over the meetings of the Tribal council:

ARTICLE IV- GOVERNING BODIES SECTION 3, Meetings of the Tribal Council shall be held and conducted as follows: (a) The Tribal Council shall hold regular meetings which shall be called by the Chair or upon written request of a majority of the members of the Tribal Council then in office.

MY INTERPRETATION IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL CAN CALL FOR THE MEETINGS AND OPEN AND CLOSE THEM AT HIS WILL. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO ALLOW QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED. THEY CAN SET THEIR OWN AGENDA FOR THE MEETINGS. THEY CAN HAVE AS MANY OR AS FEW MEETINGS AS THEY WISH. IN MY OPINION, THE CONSTITUTION ONLY CALLS FOR ONE MEETING PER YEAR TO INFORM THE MEMBERSHIP ON THE FINANCES OF THE TRIBE.

THE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT USED TO HAVE A COFFEE HOUR EVERY WEEK, THEN WE WENT TO TWICE A MONTH. THEN WE WENT TO ONCE A MONTH. NOW WE DON'T HAVE THEM EVERY MONTH. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WENT FROM MORNINGS, TO AFTERNOON AND MORNING COFFEE HOURS. WE ENDED UP GETTING LOW ATTENDANCE IN THE AFTERNOON COFFEE HOURS. MAYBE GOVERNMENT WORKERS (TRIBAL MEMBERS) WANTED TO GO HOME INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE AFTERNOON COFFEE HOURS.

THE SAME SITUATION GOES WITH MONTHLY MEETINGS, WE USED TO HAVE EIGHT (8) MONTHLY MEETINGS AND FOUR (4) QUARTERLY MEETINGS. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE MONTHLY MEETINGS WERE STOPPED BECAUSE OF THE SAME THING (LOW ATTENDANCE) .

KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TRIBAL MEMBERS WHO NOT WORK FOR THE MOHEGAN TRIBE AND HAVE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR GOVERNMENT. BY NOT HAVING MONTHLY MEETINGS AT NIGHT WE ARE DENYING THESE MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. EVEN IF ONLY A FEW PEOPLE SHOW UP, SHOULD THEY BE DENIED THEIR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE?

THAT BRINGS US TO ONE FINAL THOUGHT, THERE IS NO WHERE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, THE MOHEGAN TRIBE'S CONSTITUTION OR ANY LAW, IN THE LAW AND ORDER CODE OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE, THAT GIVES ANYONE THE RIGHT TO TELL ANY MEMBER WHAT THEY CAN SAY OR PRINT. WE HAVE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANYONE TELL ANYONE TO LEAVE A MEETING BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY MAY HEAR OR PRINT.

THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL IS THAT AFTER THE MEETINGS , HOW MANY SPOUSES, CHILDREN, ADULTS, FRIENDS, TELL NON-TRIBAL MEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED OR WHAT WAS SAID AND NO ONE SEEMS TO BE UPSET BY THAT.

I BELIEVE WE NEED MORE MEETINGS. WE NEED TRIBAL COUNCILORS (WHO ARE REPORTED TO BE MAKING BETWEEN $280 TO $308 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR PLUS OTHER BENEFITS) TO SIT THERE AND ANSWER ALL OF THE TRIBAL MEMBERS QUESTIONS BEFORE ADJOURNING THE MEETINGS. SHOULD WE CARE HOW LONG IT TAKES? WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN A TRIBAL MEMBER GETTING HIS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ADDRESSED?

HOPEFULLY, SOMETHING LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT QUARTERLY MEETING AWHILE BACK WILL NOT EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.