We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
After years and two different sitting councils, the secretarial election was finally held after many trials and temporary roadblocks. Both tribes and the Assiniboine and Gros-Ventre voted and the vote passed by a count of 154 for and 99 opposed. Also, a secretarial election calls for 30% of the registered voters to participate. The actual percentage voting was at approximately 38%, satisfying the 30% needed.
The election pertained to Fort Belknap encompassing the federally recognized Assiniboine blood of the Fort Peck tribes. This process is not setting any sort of precedent for the federally recognized tribes of America. The Fort Peck tribes are already using/encompassing the ferally recognized Assiniboine blood from Fort Belknap into their tribal blood quantum. This process has been accepted at the regional level in Billings and also at the national level in Washington, D.C.
This election will not really be beneficial to our present population, but will be beneficial to our future generations. As of this date at Fort Belknap a very high percentage of our new enrolled members are 1/8 combined Assiniboine and Gros-Ventre. Many of our new and present enrolled members of both tribes have Fort Peck Assiniboine in their blood quantum but presently, we at Fort Belknap do not apply it to our blood percentage, as it is done at Fort Peck.
So hopefully this election will benefit and be accepted by our people here at Fort Belknap.
Finally, although it passed on the vote of our people 154 to 99, the election can and probably will be appealed. As it can be by any member on the registered voter list.
