Court Orders Seneca-Cayuga Tribe to Re-do Election
MIAMI, Okla. — A judge with the Court of Indian Offenses has reinstated one of two governments claiming to run the Seneca-Cayuga Nation.
After hearing more than five hours of testimony at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Miami Agency Tuesday, Judge Tom Walker announced to a full courtroom that all votes conducted after a unilateral attempt to end the Seneca-Cayuga Nation’s June 4 General Council meeting are not binding.
Among the actions invalidated Tuesday were elections for all Business Committee and Grievance Committee seats, plus votes to disenroll Chief William Fisher and several other elected officials.
With Walker’s ruling, Chief Fisher will temporarily remain in office, as will Second Chief Jerry Crow, Secretary/Treasurer Sarah “Sue” Channing, First Council member Sallie White, Second Council member Lisa Spano, Third Council member Calvin Cassidy and Fourth Council member Geneva Fletcher.
Seats on the tribe’s Grievance Committee that were vacant prior to the June 4 meeting are once again open.
A slate of officers voted in at the General Council meeting had claimed to be the Seneca-Cayugas’ legitimate government. Both sides filed similar petitions for an injunction and restraining order with the Court of Indian Offenses in an effort to be recognized by the federal government.
The tribe has been ordered to reconvene its General Council on July 23 “or as soon as possible thereafter” and conduct another election with a court-appointed independent monitor. Judge Walker specifically requested that three pothangers, or elders well-versed in the tribe’s traditions and culture, be selected to come together and decide upon an election monitor.
Only candidates who filed paperwork earlier this year to compete in the tribe’s originally scheduled June 4 election will be allowed to remain on the ballot. Citing a General Council resolution adopted in 2008, no ballots will be mailed out to tribal citizens unable to attend.
Headquartered in Grove, the Seneca-Cayuga Nation has about 5,100 enrolled tribal citizens.