December 3, 2009
Tribal council election: Sorrell, Lankford vie for Ronan seat
Valley Journal
RONAN — Candidates from all over the Flathead Reservation are contending for a spot on the Salish and Kootenai Confederated Tribal Council. The tribes will welcome one of two candidates from Ronan onto the council after the election on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Gene Sorrell is running against incumbent Carole Lankford for a chance to sit on the council. Both candidates have extensive plans to improve life on the reservation for tribal members.
 Gene Sorrell
Carole Lankford
Sorrell is currently the executive director of the Tribal Gaming Commission. He has been a resident of Ronan for 23 years. He is married to Anna, who is the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services. He has three children: Eugene, Gena and Katy.
Sorrell attended Mission High School and completed a two-year course in bookkeeping and computer science at Sawyer’s Business College in Los Angeles, Calif. Sorrell also attended three years at the University of Montana, majoring in accounting, and continued taking courses at Salish Kootenai College.
In 1966 he was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam at the Long Bhin Junction. He was attached to the 90 replacement company and is a survivor of the February 1968 TET offensive.
Sorrell worked at CSKT for over 30 years in various positions, including finance specialist, director of finance, accounts payable/accounts receivable manager, and he currently serves as the executive director gaming commission. Other positions include, Head Start director, management information specialist, and alcohol counselor. Sorrell served as the assistant business manager at Kicking Horse Job Corps as well.
Sorrrell has also served as chairman of Salish Kootenai Housing Authority and was a founding board member of Salish Kootenai College. He worked as the accounts transfer manager for the Federal Reserve Branch Bank in Salt Lake City, Utah, served as Chairman of Montana-Idaho-Wyoming Head Start and was an executive board member of the National Indian Gaming Association.
Sorrell is a member of the Mission Valley Honor Guard, the American Legion Post 106 in St. Ignatius, the VFW post in Ronan, and a supporter of the Boys and Girls Club.
He competes on Monday nights in the Merchants Bowling League and is a member of the Eagle Bank golf team sponsored by Mission Mountain Country Club.
Sorrell feels that financial accountability, employment and jobs and protection of tribal sovereignty are the three main issues that should be addressed by tribal government.
“First we have to balance the tribal budgets,” Sorrell said. “The tribes only have so much revenue to work with. What revenue we generate is what we can spend. I would look at all the tribal spending and if it is being efficiently used for the entire tribe. I will look at other sources of revenue and how can we as tribes increase our revenue base. We must explore and seek new revenue sources for the tribes to find and sustain funding for programs that benefit the tribal members. We must begin to look at the tribal takeover of Kerr Dam and the fiscal impact it will have on other tribes.”
Sorrell also believes that employment is an issue of concern that should be addressed by the council.
“Our unemployment rate is high with many tribal members unemployed,” Sorrell continues. “I will use economic development to create new jobs and small business. My goal will be to create a job for everyone that wants a job. The most important way to support employment and jobs is ensuring all tribal members have access to a quality education.”
Sorrell believes that his experience with Head Start has taught him how important it is for education to begin with the youngest tribal members and their parents.
“As founding board members of Salish Kootenai College, I support higher and vocational education for our tribal members. I believe as tribal government, we should make every effort to hire tribal members and this is possible through a good education. For our children to get a good education, they must be healthy.”
Health is also a priority for Sorrell, who believes health and education go hand in hand.
“I will fight for health care in each of our communities, while making sure our kids and elders receive only the best care possible,” Sorrell said. “I have been sober for 25 years. It has made a difference in my life and my family. I will be a positive role model for tribal members who seek the same for themselves, their families and their communities.”
While stating that health and education are a top priority, Sorrell also believes that it is important for the overall good of the tribe to protect tribal culture and government.
“There are always threats to our tribal government and our way of life,” Sorrell said. “I will work hard everyday to protect our land, language, natural resources and culture through the development of a stronger tribal government that will defend and fight for what is right for the tribes.”
Sorrell stated that the tribes must work hard to ensure a healthy working relationship with the state and federal government.
“If we want to keep our sovereignty we have to let others know it’s our inherent right to govern ourselves. Today I see our council is looking toward changes in the Indian Preference Act to eliminate CSKT members as a priority. This cannot happen. Our goals should be to employ tribal members. In our programs, I see top positions being held by non-tribal members. These have to be filled by tribal members.”
Carole J. DePoe Lankford is the incumbent candidate for the tribal council representative from Ronan. Lankford and her husband, Thomas have seven children between them: Robert, Brad, Chris, Craig McCrea, Gwen Spencer, Amy Coffman and Shoni.
Lankford graduated from Hot Springs High School and attended SKC for a year. Since then she has worked as wildland firefighter for Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Fire Management and a switchboard operator at CSKT. She continued her career by working as a secretary and permit agent for Tribal Fish and Game and then worked in Tribal Enrollment/Administration. She worked as the clerk and recording secretary for the CSKT Tribal Council until just prior to being elected to the tribal council for her first term in January 1994.
Lankford is involved with the Delegate National Congress of American Indians and she is a board member of the Self Governance Advisory Group for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Services.
“As a Tribal Council representative, I believe it’s very important to be accessible to the tribal membership,” Lankford said. “I spend much of my non-Tribal Council time visiting tribal members who are in hospitals. I have made home visits to tribal elders and others. I help as needed, figuring out logistics and procedures that will help them get through a hardship. I try to help families who have had relatives pass on and getting family members home for their relatives’ funerals. I make every effort to help out in the kitchens during wakes when families need help and moral support. I attend powwows and celebrations, which is a beautiful, fun time to visit with friends and relatives. I think it’s important to be visible to the tribal public so they know they have access to their leadership.
Plus, annually, I do travel to the Medicine Tree and participate in the Bitterroot Dig and attend jump dances. It is during these times you learn much from the elders.”
Lankford believes that the top three issues that should be addressed by tribal government are the preservation and enhancement of tribal language, culture and tradition, the continued preparation for maintenance of the Kerr Dam and emphasis on health and education.
“We need to continue to preserve, protect and enhance the language, culture and traditions of the Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’ Oreille peoples,” Lankford said. “Along with that emphasis, we also need to protect all our resources, both human and natural. We are caretakers and we need to continue to do our jobs with due diligence. We must account for all our economic resources and plan wisely and act wisely.”
Lankford also believes that every tribal employee is held accountable and individual tribal member’s needs are being met.
“We can’t compromise with mediocrity in our efforts to provide for our tribes in the best manner that we as the council can,” Lankford said.
Lankford believes that the Tribal Council must find a balance that satisfies agricultural interests and cultural interests of tribal members.
“Resources are limited and we must find the ways to allocate those resources, which prove to be the most beneficial and satisfactory,” Lankford said. “This is always open to discussion and all sides must be heard.”
Lankford also feels passionately about Kerr Dam.
“We must continue to prepare for the maintenance and full operation of the Kerr Dam,” Lankford said. “In 2015 we must stand firm on the language FERC License (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) that the tribes will have the opportunity to operate and maintain the operation of Kerr Hydroelectric facility. We need to be knowledgeable in every aspect to the license in case (PP&L) Pacific Power and Light decides to put up a fight. For years the tribes have put funds into the ‘Kerr Recapture’ account to buy back the improvements from PP&L Montana and the amount is negotiable, and we need to do ‘due diligence’ on every aspect of Kerr for whatever obstacle is put in front of us as a tribe.”
Lankford’s third main concern is with health and education.
“We need to continue the emphasis on education and health,” Lankford continued. “If we are to succeed with the two concepts (or objectives) listed above, it is absolutely necessary to make sure we have the human resources to carry out our objectives. Whenever the tribal council has been called upon, it has always adamantly promoted our tribal members to strive to make full use of their God-given individual talents so they may better themselves and their families. In essence: improve our tribes and keep them healthy.”
Tribal elections for the Ronan district will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Ronan Indian Senior Citizen Center. |
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