Kansas tribal impasse continues

Marcus Clem, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
Updated ·3 min read

Jun. 16—KICKAPOO RESERVATION, Kansas — The government of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas remains all but shut down after a week of bickering between the seven-member executive panel and its critics.

The tribal Government Center has been closed to the public since Sunday, in what critics of Tribal Council Chairman Lester Randall call a violation of a judge's order to keep in place "all tribal operations that are inherent to the maintaining of a functional tribal government." Since nobody can freely go in and out, Kickapoo tribe member Vince Ross said on Friday, to do things like file paperwork, pay bills or present petitions, the government is not in operation.

kAm#@DD 42==65 @? E96 %C:32= r@F?4:= >6>36CD E@ C6DA@?5 E@ 4C:E:4D' 4@?46C?D 2?5 ?@E ;FDE ECJ E@ 5:D>:DD 2?5 :8?@C6 E96>]k^Am

kAm"x D66 D@>6 D42C65[ 56DA6C2E6 :?5:G:5F2=D E@ 24E @FE =:2D6=G6D[ ;FDE 8C2DA:?8 2E D@>6E9:?8 E96J 42?'E 86E 29@=5 @7] %96J'C6 =@D:?8 :E[ 2?5 :E D9@HD]"k^Am

kAm#2?52== 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2 C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E @? uC:52J] w:D 4C:E:4D D2J E92E E96C6 92G6 366? G2C:@FD 25G6CD6 C624E:@?D 36EH66? %C:32= r@F?4:= >6>36CD 2?5 E96:C 4C:E:4D[ 3FE E96 @?=J AF3=:4 DE2E6>6?E #2?52== 92D >256 :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?6HDAC6DD?@H]4@>^?6HD^=@42=0?6HD^8C@FA\AFD96D\7@C\=Q E2C86ElQ03=2? =2DE H666?E] %96 ?6IE 6=64E:@? :D D4965F=65 7@C $6AE] h] %C:32= r@F?4:= >6>36CD D6CG6 7@C 7@FC J62CD]k^Am

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmrC:E:4D @7 E96 4@F?4:= 4=2:> E92E E96J C6>@G65 2== D6G6? %C:32= r@F?4:= >6>36CD 7C@> @77:46 :? 2 G@E6 @7 E96 v6?6C2= r@F?4:=[ 2? 2DD6>3=J @7 2== 6?C@==65 EC:32= >6>36CD[ H9:49 >6E @? $2EFC52J] pE E92E >66E:?8[ H9:49 fh A6@A=6 2EE6?565[ ea G@E65 :? 72G@C @7 E96 C6>@G2= 24E:@?[ H:E9 ?@ @AA@D:E:@? G@E6D C64@C565] %96C6 2C6 >@C6 E92? '[d__ 6?C@==65 z:46>36CDj E@ 364@>6 6?C@==65[ 2 A6CD@? >FDE AC@G6 E96J 92G6 2E =62DE adT z:4Qmx? =:89E @7 E96 $2EFC52J 2EE6>AE E@ G@E6 #2?52== 2?5 9:D D:I A66CD @FE @7 @77:46[ E96C6 :D 2 7@==@H\FA >66E:?8 D4965F=65 7@C '_ 2]>] E@ d A]>] 2E f'e u:CDE pG6?F6 (6DE :? w@CE@?[ z2?D2D[ H:E9:? H92E :D [ H9@ D6=7\:56?E:7:6D 2D E96 C:89E7F= %C:32= r@F?4:= 492:CH@>2?[ 2?5 y6DD: q=24:E9[ H9@ D6=7\:56?E:7:6D 2D E96 C:89E7F= G:46\492:CH@>2?] %96J[ 2=@?8 H:E9 7:G6 @E96CD[ 2DD6CE E96J H6C6 6=64E65 :? $2EFC52J'D G@E6[ 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 E96J 6G:4E65 #2?52=='D 4@F?4:=]k^DA2?mk^Am

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm"%96 z:4>F?:EJ 82E96C:?8[" E96 8C@FA D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] "}2E:G6 2?5 ?@?\}2E:G6 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD 2C6 :?G:E65 E@ D92C6 :?7@C>2E:@? C682C5:?8 A@DD:3=6 :==682= 24E:G:EJ 4@?5F4E65 3J 7@C>6C EC:32= @77:4:2=D] %9:D :D 36:?8 96=5 :? 2? 677@CE E@ 4@>32E 4@CCFAE:@? H:E9:? @FC EC:32= 8@G6C?>6?E] q67@C6 H6 42? 7:I E96 AC@3=6>D[ H6 ?665 E@ 92G6 4@>>F?:EJ :?AFE @? H92E ?665D E@ 36 255C6DD65]"k^DA2?mk^Am

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