Wee said the lawyers

The gentle rolling hills and the lush tree lined roads rivaled New England’s own. Look to your left and you can see the modest homes nestled near the woods and the small neat gardens. To the right- no, look past the mange dog. There do you see it? A weeping willow tree sways from the children swinging on its vines. The police liked to complain that it was too quiet and wondered why the savages do not cause more mischief. Out-of-towners were quick to exclaim, “This is pretty. I thought Iowa was just flat like Nebraska.” The Meskwakis smile and assure them that it is a common misconception. The swarm of mosquitoes that greeted you once you opened the door in the summer did not spoil the magnificence of the land. Look a little closer and you will see the anguish and stifled lives of a conquered and divided people. The evil maharajah captured the Meskwakis when they were at their most vulnerable and they were forced to live under his rule. Oh, no! A time when the Meskwakis’ conversation was peppered with a lot of, “No sir, I don’t want no problems. “ “No sir, I know my place. “ No sir, I don’t want no trouble. ““No sir, I don’t want to get involved. “ The evil maharajah snarled, “If you defy me; heads will roll!” The evil maharajah’s minions squeaked, “Heads will roll. “ The Meskwakis lowered their gaze to the ground. The apple tree by the fields produced apples the color and sheen of candy apples but they were full of worms. The lavender planted in the window box gave off a scent of vinegar. One day the iced tea was warm and the plump tomatoes did not taste the same even sprinkled with sugar! Sensing the Meskwakis distress, the heroic tribal council swooped in and together they defeated the evil maharajah. The Meskwakis were freed and allowed to return to their lives. They also saw the evil maharajah for what he truly was a tyrant in a cheesy cowboy getup with goofy hair like the guy with the coin who says, “Call it.” from the movie,” No Country for Old Men.” (He does not really but I gave him the hairstyle) The evil maharajah hobbled away from Meskwaki land only pausing to look back occasionally and let out a rueful cry, “Ahoo.” The clacking sound of the evil maharajah’s cowboy boots grew fainter and fainter. In the future, Meskwakis were fiercely protective of and never let anything interfere with the lives they had made for themselves.

Now, Indians, you play nice and prove you can get along

How can the Tribe mend the rift from the takeover when there are tribal members who are still being penalized for the past? Is the Tribe expected to unite despite this? Will the Meskwaki Tribe be able to leave the past behind and move ahead for better times? It sounds nice, but many changes have to be made first.

This doesn’t unite the Tribe in case you have forgotten. 2004- 2010

-Tribal members were summoned to attend hearings about the $778,000- $779,000 missing from the school. These tribal members had their percap taken away until they appeared at the hearings and proved their innocence. Ten tribal members aren’t receiving their percap. (still in effect today)
*2005- a tribal council member admitted that the charges were bogus and that there was no missing money.

-Tribal members are banned from the casino. (still in effect today)

-Tribal members are given the run around, or flat out being refused financial assistance at Higher Ed because of past political affiliations, family, etc. (still in effect todayTribal members are unable to get jobs on the settlement. (still in effect today)

This has been going on for the past seven years. As for the people who say that these tribal members got what they deserve and call this justice. That’s bad. This worries me because it sets a precedent for future tribal councils to treat tribal members in the same manner or worse. Are future tribal councils being led to believe that it is acceptable behavior to abuse their power and try to bully people into submission. Unfortunately, yes. That’s why it is important for the new tribal council to give an ending to the 2003 takeover

Humph. The gall, the nerve, the hypocrisy?

Larry has filed a petition in the tribal court to get his job as executive director back.

* Fighting and going against the will of the people...

The Tribe has been burgled?

November 2003: The amount in the Tribe's frozen account at Wells Fargo Bank- $400,000,000. Four-hundred million dollars. $400 million.

May 2008: The tribal council informs the Meskwaki people that the Tribe is broke and cuts the percap.

October? 2009- The tribal council informs the Meskwaki people that the Tribe has $37 million with $7 million in reserve.

There are several theories floating around about what happened to the Tribe's money.
1. The tribal council hid the money.
2. The tribal council spent all the money.
3. The money was laundered by the tribal council.

Tribal members need to put the pressure on the new tribal council to find out what happened to the Tribe's money and if possible to recover the money.

I think it would be wise to set up a yearly spending limit for the tribal council. How about an allowance of $500,000- $1,000,000 a year. It's not fair for the whole Tribe to be left in a bind because of seven tribal members.

*I'll scan and post the Wells Fargo Bank statement that shows the Tribe's balance of $400,000,000.

Enough

I see this referendum as not only as an opportunity to right a wrong, but to provide closure. For whom? The Meskwaki Tribe.

Reject- leaves the door open for future acts of retaliation or what others may consider justice.

Ratify- Would it be silly to hope for a truce to be called? The Tribe can put all this behind us.

Will the ten tribal people also receive their money being held in escrow?

Referendum- To reject or ratify the Tribal Council's action that restored per-capita payments to the following members effective March 12, 2010

Alex Walker Jr.
Lyle Walker
Aaron Walker
Frank Wanatee Jr.
LeoDean Peters
Donald Wanatee Sr.
Priscilla Wanatee
Roberta Hale
Delores Troxell
Elizabeth Roberts

* Rescheduled to February 15, 2010