Support for Citizen's comment - KIC By James Llanos Sr November 19, 2013
On 11-18-2013, several people rose and talked to the Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) Council to make comments. Some commented on a need to provide better or more services, some about programs. Once speaker, David Jensen, rose and talked to the KIC Council about their responsibility and duties as Council people of the Tribe. He spoke about having a need for everyone to work together and that if they as individual Council persons exceed their authority, rules, regulations and Tribal laws then they are submitting themselves as being liable and subject to lawsuit as individuals. He is right, I have seen this in other Tribes across the nation. The Tribes lawyers are then unable to defend them as individuals since they go beyond their authority. It seems there are more thoughts of going in and giving orders as a council person to staff or the Tribe and to the clinic staff. There is also a possibility that individual council are discussing firing people. Council has no authority to fire anyone except the General Manager. Everyone else works for the General Manager. We can admire some council who are passionate about what they feel is their duty, but those responsibilities and duties are in the Tribes laws and ordinances. Council people are citizens of the Tribe just as others and have no business threatening staff, no matter how much they may deserve it. There are processes and regulations in place within the Tribe to handle these 'disputes' and they need to be followed. Otherwise the individuals are subject to prosecution. State Charters are legal and KIC is under a State Charter as well as the Indian Reorganization Act. I was in another community earlier this year, and the uneasy atmosphere Tribal employees are employed under is not unique to just KIC. In this community I was told 'Things are getting worse - more than Tlinget and Haida, but not as bad as KIC!' Imagine my feeling that KIC is held as one of the worse places to be employed. Not as Bad….. things could get worse. Earlier in 2013, several of us citizens of KIC asked for a recall of council. KIC twisted and acted a little subversive and declared the recall invalid. Imagine that. I sat and removed myself from the activities of KIC for awhile so that I might see if KIC Council learned anything. Clearly they did. They could get away with anything in their minds. They could ignore the wishes of their citizens and act supreme. There is a sense of council who if you are the loudest, meanest, son of a gun you will intimidate other council and get your way. Not a way to run a government. Not a way to be a citizen. Perhaps it is time to raise a shame pole on KIC, but they may not understand even that. It is time for change, perhaps it will be better, maybe worse, but change is needed. Too much loss in personnel and Tribal assets is threatening the rest of the citizens. I am not saying all the council is bad or wrong, or that every action is bad or wrong. But the atmosphere created by the factions on the council create a worry-some, fearful environments for staff and citizens. Elections are beginning in December, and help in January. Time to think about what is needed. James Llanos Sr
Received November 19, 2013 - Published November 19, 2013
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