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Ethics and Politics

In an article entitled, "Tribal Governments Inspire Sadness, Hope" , Doreen Yellowbird has this to say

"Hardly a month goes by without some kind of indictment, ousting or indication of wrongdoing by some tribal council. The introduction of casino monies in and on reservations seems to have only added to the stories about corruption."

Lack of Ethics is all around us. This is not to say that all tribal officials are corrupt, nor is it to say that the tribes have a monopoly on corruption. Certainly, we know that some federal and state government officials have dipped into that vat, too; and when you compare tribal governments to state and federal governments, you see some of the same kind of shenanigans going on in state offices and on the Hill in Washington. But just because there is corruption in other governments doesn't mean we can condone poor leadership in our tribal governments. In a discussion about tribal governments , the Montana representative noted that tribal governments actually are “political” governments. In other words, they are not like the governments that tribes once had before the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.

Traditional Indian Government
On the Great Plains and High Plains of Montana, most traditional Indian governments, before the Indian Reorganization Act, governed communities not unlike towns or cities we are familiar with, yet they had more responsibilities and governed with more authority. Before the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, leaders of most of these governments were chosen by consensus. They weren't elected; instead, they were chosen from people whom the community thought were good leaders, usually by elder groups or leaders of the tribe.

Decisions were made by these governments after long discussions and oration. From our oral history and historical documentation, we know these councils worked well. Remember, too, that these were periods of great change, so leading the tribe during that time was difficult. Death from diseases brought to Indian country was one of the major disruptions in the community and government because the diseases claimed many leaders as well.