Group pushes for Kickapoo power

Marcus Clem, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·4 min read

Jun. 12—KICKAPOO RESERVATION, Kansas — A group of activists tried to take over the government of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas and staged a protest Monday after the incumbent leader refused to step down.

Organized under the name Justice for Willie Blacksmith, the group is pressing its claims to be the true tribal government after a series of events Saturday. Amid the protesters' efforts, Judge Robert D. Gifford II of the Tribal District Court issued on Sunday a temporary injunction keeping Tribal Chairman Lester Randall and his six colleagues in office, pending an evidentiary hearing. His order is pasted to the Kickapoo Government Center front door.

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Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem