The Council of Elders recently sent out a letter requesting imput on the picking of the next Chief of the Mohegan Tribe. Although the Mohegan Constitution gives the Council of Elders the ability to appoint the next Chief, it seems the Council of Elders would like tribal members imput.
The Mohegan Constitution states in Section x -- Powers and Duties of the Council of Elders Section 2 (d) "To appoint and define all religious and ceremonial positions, including but not limited to the Medicine Person, Chief or Sachem, Pipe Carrier, Tribal Historian, Sagamores, Nonners, Fire Keepers, etc., the person so appointed to said positions shall act under the supervision of, and subject to the removal by, the Council of Elders, and shall fulfill their respective duties in accordance with traditional Mohegan customs and traditions."
We asked around the tribe to get an idea of what tribal members thought on the picking of the next chief. Here are some of their observations.
Many members believe that like the sagamores, nonners, fire keepers, and even the Medicine Person are not and should not be receiving compensation for their positions. These are positions of Honor. The concensus was that the majority felt the next chief should not be paid.
Chief Sturges, who helped get Federal Recognition and had been the Tribal Council Chairman deserved a salary. He supposedly earned $170,000.00 per year. His replacement will have large shoes to fill. The Chief was greatly loved and respected. He is missed.
When Chief Sturges, was alive I asked him several times who he thought his successor should be, and he said that the people he thought would make a good chief had disappointed him.
Members of the existing government, in my opinion,and the opinions of the tribal members we interviewed, don't fit the criteria that the Council of Elders have included in the letter. No one in the government has Outstanding character, a history of diplomacy, a good record of leadership in the Tribe, and greatly venerated.
Another idea, that came to the forefront was the Mohegan Tribe went 132 years without a Chief, why do we need to do this now?
One thing that was mentioned, over and over again, was that why couldn't the tribe vote on who the new chief would be like we had done for Chief Sturges and "Little Hatchet"?
Members of the Mohegan Tribe, that we talked to, stated that the only way the next chief should be picked by the Council of Elders is that it should be a unanimous vote. In other words all seven members should agree on the candidate. What do you think?
There were several names that came up. Only one came up continually. He was a former member of Council of Elders. If you want to know who it was, next time you see me ask.
The Council of Elders have a grave responsibility of their shoulders. We wish them well in the endeavor. May Mundu bless them and guide them. It should be interesting to watch the process. What do you think?
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6 comments:
While the position of Chief is an honorary one, it is different from other positions of honor by multiple duties to the Tribe. If the Chief is expected to work scheduled hours each week, there should be compensation for this obligation. And, it doesn't end there when the Chief clocks out. It is a 24/7 job. The Chief is expected to attend certain meetings and events, and must be available to represent the Tribe at any given time. Perhaps it is the compensation amount for Chief's duties, that need to be given further thought.
When you say "members of the existing government"... is that excluding the sitting Council of Elders? I believe there are people within that body that fit the criteria for Chief. Lets' be careful not to throw the Chief out with the bath water, and give our Elders their due respect.
Madam X
what's impute? try using spell check
All members of the council of elders have to agree on the new chief.
you use the word "impute" various times. I think you mean "input"
Thanks for the article.
Just curious - why do people say the council's vote for Chief needs to be unanimous?
Curious George
Don't be so childish about the spelling, you know what he means. Is that all you can think of to type with all the issues that are going on. Maybe you should do some reading.
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