The Tribal Council approved the beginning steps to start and plan for a felony re-entry program on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

By of vote of 10 for and none opposed, the Tribal Executive Board approved a resolution for the program. No further details were available as of press time.

The Department of Justice states there are 4,346 American Indian inmates in federal custody, including some from the Fort Peck Reservation. This does not include inmates incarcerated in state prisons.

During the May 13, 2024 full board meeting, Tribal Councilman Bryce Kirk said this is a needed to help tribal members who made mistakes in their lives but want a second chance. He mentioned a woman who served time and has tried to get a job but was denied because she was a felon.

Councilwoman Marva Chapman said this a community need. Felons are not supposed to live in Tribal Housing homes. Tribal members who are also felons often times have nowhere to go, she said,

Councilwoman Roxanne Gourneau said even if they are felons they are also tribal members.

Felons released from prison have difficult times securing steady jobs, housing, and acquiring necessary skills and education.

Depending on certain stipulations in federal funding contracts, felons are often excluded from even the most basic of tribal jobs. Without any income to support themselves, felons might turn back to illegal means for income.

The following are highlights from the Monday, May 13, 2024 full board meeting.

Rescinded

A resolution approving a gaming license for a new Poplar casino was rescinded by official TEB action.

Committee minutes state Tribal Gaming Director Marla White Bear informed the council the department didn’t do the inspection or have insurance done yet for the new casino. There was some confusion, because the gaming commission brought them in and that;s why they thought everything was done.

The motion passed 10-0 (Councilman Jestin Dupree and Lawrence Hamilton absent).

Tribal Security

Tribal leaders said motions need to be worded clearly because this is a confusing wording.

The motion states the council authorized a request by the Tribal Security Program to change the work hours to 10 hour shifts, four days a week, starting May 3, 2024.

When the motion was read at the full board, Councilwoman Gourneau said the original intention of Tribal Security was to provide evening support for law enforcement .Does this motion mean they only work Monday through Thursday and take the weekend off, she asked.

Councilwoman Chapman said this doesn’t mean any time will be cut off, the security will work for 10 hour shifts, four days a week, but they are not all working at the same time. Some will be on working the weekend and Sunday.

This is opposed to eight hour shifts, five days a week.

Councilman Kirk said this needs to be made clear with better wording on these motions.

Tribal Credit

The Tribal Credit Programs request to update the policy and remain open the last week of every month was approved 10-0.

Also, the council approved of Tribal Credit’s request to move the application deadline from Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., to Wednesday at 12 p.m..

Minutes state Ashley Porras of Tribal Credit presented the request to update the policy book to extend the deadline to Wednesday at noon, and the other is they will be open full time now so that they could still process long term and short term at the end of the week. She checked with the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration before she came in to report.

They were also told they are still behind on credit work.

Tribal Credit has been held up because of a federal back log of processing trust fund payments for Indian land owners. Their delay in depositing has made it difficult to secure necessary funds that are usually available for the Tribal Credit Program to process trust income loans.

Head Start

The Fort Peck Tribal Head Start Program was approved to submit their budget of $2,090,080.00 for the fiscal year 2024/25.

Head Start was also authorized to use Phase Construction Method for both the Wolf Point and Poplar Head Start facilities.

Liability Insurance

The council approved paying the $13,200 liability insurance for the remainder of the contract with Western Native Voice.

Fort Kipp streets

Contractor company Badger Oil Field Construction was approved to work on the Fort Peck Streets project for the Indian Reservation Roads/Tribal Transportation Program.

WPCO

The elected officers of the Wolf Point Community Organization were formally recognized by the Tribal Council.

There was a recent election of officers for WPCO, and the community voted for Holly Hamilton as Chair, Thomas Bauer as Vice Chair, Jason Hamilton as Secretary/Treasurer, and Kris Fourstar as Sgt. At Arms.

OEP

The Tribal Office of Environmental Protection brought in four resolutions for approval. Tribal OEP helps maintain the natural environment of the reservation.

All resolutions were approved without discussion.

The first is to authorize OEP to submit an application budget and work plan to the Environemtnal Protection Agency in the amount of $30,589. This is to install 30 PurpleAir sensors across the reservation to read the air quality.

Another budget and work plan to the EPA is for $210,000 for Brownsfield’s cleanup. Brownsfields are areas of land where waste is dumped. These are usually rural and random garbage site can be found in the trees and underbrush.

The third resolution is to let OEP submit a budget and work plan to the EPA for a UST grant for underground storage tanks. This is for $40,000

The final is for the LUST grant. LUST stands for Leaking Underground Storage Tanks. This is for $60,000.

The Tribal Chairman has to sign the application and all related grant forms on behalf of the Tribes for these resolutions.

Fail

A resolution to declare no interest in Paul Sansaver’s land in Wolf Point failed to pass.

The council voted to reject the request because this came before the council multiple times already.

Tribal Councilman Terry Rattling Thunder said the Tribes have that first right of refusal.

Councilman Kirk said the resolution will bind the TEB, and it’s the sixth time this was before the full board.

Councilwoman Chapman said this is only five acres and Sansaver wants a loan to make a house.

The final vote was three (Councilman BJ Johnson, Wayne Martell, and Chapman) for, seven (Council member Rita Weeks, Dana Buckles, Carolyn Brugh, Stacey Summers, Gourneau, Rattling Thunder, and Kirk) opposed and two (Dupree and Hamiltion) absent.

Land

The council voted to declare interest and request an appraisal for Kevin Devereaux. There are numerous allotments in his name the council voted to approve.

The council voted to declare interest and request an appraisal for Stormy Summers for three allotments around Poplar.

A lease agreement was approved for Ty Handy for 50 acres of dry farm land.

TSHIP

The Tribal Sponsorship Health Insurance Program (TSHIP) amended their statement of work to pay the Medicare Part A premium until other resources are located by TSHIP.

Minutes state TSHIP Director RaeJean Belgarde reported the Medicare Part D reimbursement is at 415 clients. She is going to have to go to some homes because some haven’t come in and she believes those individuals can’t get out of the home. There is 18 pending and 240 ineligible, total screened are 673.