Tribal leadership claim traveling on tribal money is actually a hardship.
During the full board meeting, Tribal Travel reports were presented by the two most recent Tribal Executive Board members to return from trips to Washington DC and Rapid City, SD.
Before giving his report, Councilman Bryce Kirk said he was happy to return home from such a long trip (it took a week) to Washington DC.
Even though it is a known fact the TEB has to travel great distances for national/state and tribal business, everyone is always assuming this is something tribal leaders do for enjoyment. This is a myth, it’s actually a hardship on the personal families of the TEB.
Kirk said he knows this is important, but it’s a hassle when the travel days are during special times like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Travel is important, but it’s not always done for preceived public perceptions of a “get away” or done for fun.
Councilwoman Marva Chapman agreed, saying she has gotten used to missing important family days. Whenever a birthday comes up, she checks her work appointments and if travel is scheduled she asks the family to save her a piece of cake.
Even during the meeting, there was another very important meeting in Denver being held about the Yellowstone buffalo that nobody from the Tribal Council was attending.
“That’s the way this business is,” she said. “We need to travel.”
But, it is very important on a national and state level to be there to represent the Fort Peck Tribes. Often, the older council members are unable to make it so they depend on younger council members to attend.
Councilwoman Patt Iron Cloud said she was proud to have Kirk being there to represent the Tribes because he can speak louder and his size make him stand out above other tribal leaders and get the matters of Fort Peck heard.
One time, Iron Cloud traveled with former councilwoman Roxanne Gourneau and she heard a heart breaking call between Gourneau and her son. He asked why she keeps traveling, not understanding the importance of the travel delegation.
With that, the council gave their travel reports.
Councilwoman Iron Cloud went to a national conference on fentanyl.
Mexican drug cartels have a contact on every reservation in the northern plains. They can order a bag of “blue” fentanyl and the more it changes hands, the more expensive it becomes.
The fentanyl has a four digit price (ie over $1,000) by the time it reaches the reservation.
It causes over doses and now everyone should be carrying Narcan, a drug that is administered after an over dose on fentanyl.
Iron Cloud produced a small packet of Narcan, and it is only .35 cents. Everyone should be carrying at least two doses of this because it could save lives, she said showing the rest of the council the small packet.
They were also warned about a human trafficking scam recently uncovered.
Supposed substance abuse treatment centers in Arizona have been taking Indian people from reservations across the country, only to find out that it was a front and many wound up stranded there unable to return.
Even after it was exposed, the Rapid City Council are still using them and sending Indian people there at $1,300 per person. Councilman Terry Rattling Thunder worked tirelessly last weekend to get two tribal members home from the southwest.
