We’ll see better days again
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Editor,
It’s time for some plain talk.
As Tribal People we come from a diverse set of cultures, different types of backgrounds and experiences, so it is understandable that we have a broad range of opinions, needs and expectations about what Tribal Government should and should not do. However, one thing that nearly all of us have in common is a sense of frustration with Tribal politics in general, and in more recent years our frustrations have been growing to the point where anger is taking center stage.
So here we are again — Tribal Council elections, time to decide what we’re going to do next. We have all heard the old saying, “keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”
I am running for Tribal Council because we are much more than frustration and anger. We have seen better days, and we will see them again, but first we need to recognize where we are and that it is within us to get to a better place.
I have a bachelor’s in social work from UM, honorary degree from SKC in Native American studies and worked for many years as a cultural specialist, intensive outpatient addictions counselor, fire lookout/firefighter and certified wilderness packer.
What will I do differently? I call it people based self-governance, and by that I mean that I will work hard to include you, ask for your input, hear you, get you the information you want, represent you. It wasn’t that long ago when Tribal community meetings were commonplace, and they played a big part in making us one of the most progressive Tribes in the country.
That was some 30 years ago and we have been drifting further and further away from people based self-governance with each passing year, each passing election. We all need to be heard again.
Change happens when we set goals and priorities and that happens when we work together and value each other’s input. Or, we can keep doing what we’re doing — and it’s politics as usual.
No more politics as usual.
Myrna Adams DuMontier
Arlee
