Photo Credit: Kristin Hassel / White Earth Tribal Council Candidate Forum Apr. 18
(MAHNOMEN, MN.) -- The current candidates for White Earth Tribal Council met Sat., Apr. 18, at the Shooting Star Casino Event Center in Mahnomen for a Community Forum. The forum gave members a chance to meet each candidate and ask questions about issues facing White Earth Nation. Candidates present included Sheri Kay Snetsinger, Michael LaRoque, Alrick Acobee, Andy Auginash, and Jacob McArthur.
Some of the most pressing issues raised by tribal members at the forum were the housing crisis and who should and should have access to HUD housing, correcting issues in the existing enrollment roster, accountability and transparency within the Tribal Council, and amending outdated federal laws.
Discussions around Tribal Council accountability and transparency seemed to raise the most concern, including a question regarding if RTC should be allowed to live in HUD housing meant for those with limited income. Candidate Andy Auginaush responded:
“No, low-income housing is for single parents with kids, low-income adults. You know, Council members make a six-figure income [...] when I think of you know, they should be able to […] afford to provide their own housing. You know, and keep that HUD housing open for our low-income members….and you know, I was homeless too, and I stayed in a lot of other houses with other families. And we (should) look back at policy or legality, that (HUD housing) is supposed to be meant as an income guideline area that if you make too much income, then you're supposed to report your income to HUD…”
Photo Credit: Kristin Hassel/ Candidates Jacob McArthur (left) and Alrick ‘Son’ Acobee (right)
The conversation surrounding RTC didn’t get less in-depth from there. When asked what he would do if he found council members were violating the constitution, candidate Alrick Acobee responded:
“... I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions, there would have to be an investigation first. You know, and looking at everything, not jumping to conclusions or assuming stuff. Gather facts, get the evidence out there and you know, make decisions from there and I hope the rest of our Council or people will come onboard with it, and if they are in violation, then they would agree to what needs to be done. If there has to be removal or what needs to be done would be done, but also be open about everything, there has been a lot of stuff happening behind closed doors. You know, I want to get it out there in front of everybody, and that's real transparency. Get it out to the members, so that everybody is being involved.”
Furthering the discussion on how to address and fix the housing crisis, candidate McArthur made it clear that he intends to get back key grants and funding for the White Earth Housing Authority:
“I think for starters, I would like to see us offer White Earth Housing Authority a little more support. I think for you know, for too long. We've let our entity, our housing entity, kind of float off on its own………(try to) get back those key grants, foundational grants that we used to rely on year-in (and) year-out to strengthen our housing programs for our people. I think that's where it starts…..I would really love to see our economic development division push more home ownership program opportunities in classes.”
Candidate Sheri Kay Snetsinger sees things from more of a community perspective:
“When we look at housing shortage, what we're seeing in our communities is 2,3, or 4 families sometimes doubled up in 2-3 bedrooms (houses), if you're lucky enough 4- bedroom. We see families that are sharing a basement that's not fully furnished, that doesn't have all the sidings, that's not safe, because of the mold buildup; so there goes their health..There's so much stress when we put so many people into one home, but we're not gonna put each other outside, we're not going to say, go live in the streets, because that's our family…..So there's quite a few things that I would love to work on and I will work on when you elect me.”
Snetsinger went on to further discuss how, Waabigwan Mashkiki, has their own workforce housing and may be beneficial as an ally for the White Earth Housing Authority, “They can work with our housing,” she stated, “They can work with our tribe and our Tribal Council and our homeless to help work on what's going on in our community when it comes to the shortage.”
Photo Credit: Kristin Hassel / From Left Candidates Andy Auginash, Sheri Kay Snetsinger, and Michael ‘Mike’ LaRoque
Her community-centered approach didn’t stop there, when asked what she would do about sex offenders moving back to the community, the environment where they committed the crime, and living in a housing (HUD) house, Snetsinger continued to fight for the people:
“One of the big difficulties I have with White Earth and Mahnomen county is the fact that we are not serving our people, our survivors are fighting and fighting and they're asking for supports. They're calling the cops. They're calling the crime victim advocates, they're calling Dove. Where are these supports?.....What White Earth has is a code, and that code, that resolution, says that any offenders, any predators need to file with the White Earth Police Department (WEPD), and if they need to move they have to file with the WEPD."
"If they are within the boundaries (of White Earth) they don’t need to file with the State, because we’re (the tribe) worried about protecting their sovereignty, and not protecting our survivors…our children, our vulnerable adults…..We don't want this resolution that says “oh, go to WEPD and tell them if you move”. We want our places protected, and we want our housing protected.”
The question surrounding RTC salaries fell to McArthur, who took a diplomatic approach to answering, in part stating, “it's a tough question, is it too high? Yeah, I will say so, but not as much as we might think. You know, because again just to reiterate. You know, elected officials, a level of stress 24/365. That's a big ask. And you know, you want qualified people in these positions, you gotta pay them.”
Regarding the fairly new cannabis industry in the White Earth area and if members were going to be allowed to make a living in the industry, current Secretary/Treasurer Michael LaRoque stated he would look into the cannabis codes the Council would be passing, but made his overall answer short and sweet, “My answer to the question is yes, yes.” LaRoque’s answer regarding whether or not he would utilize the IRA to benefit tribal members was much the same, a simple yes, though he did emphasize the programs and benefits currently available within the White Earth Nation.
“We’ve always supported economic development for our tribal members. If the IRA (Indian Rights Act) is going to help that we’ll use it to benefit it, we will do that….we always encouraged members to get their own businesses to do the things that they need to do to be successful on the reservation, within our boundaries, not only here but off the reservation. The programs are here, we just need to utilize them. You know, if we could utilize the IRA in favor of the best recommendation. Yes, I would say yes, we would have to use that…”
You can learn more about each candidate for White Earth Tribal Council via their official pages, as well as on the White Earth Nation website. We will be continuing to follow the Six Minnesota Bands Elections, including performing interviews with all willing candidates from White Earth Nation, Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, and Bois Forte, from now up until the General Election on June 9.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org and leave a comment below.
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