The three districts held their Tribal Council nomination meetings last week.
Tribal Council was scheduled to meet on Wednesday morning of this week to finalize the candidate list.
The official list of nominees will be available after the Tribal Council confirmation. The preliminary and unofficial list, based on the district nomination meetings, was as follows:
Agency District
There were 22 nominations, with one person declining the nomination; so there are 21 nominees. They are (alphabetically):
Mike Clements, Mona Cochran, Eugene Austin Greene Jr., Susan Guerin, Anita Jackson, John Katchia Sr., Cameron Smith Lucero, Toni Made, Dan Martinez, Demus Martinez, Carina Miller, Jeff Sanders Sr., Jason Smith, Jonathan W. Smith, Glendon Smith, Leona Ike Smith, Ryan Smith Sr., Wissie Smith, Terry Squiemphen, Val Switzler, and Gabriel Walker.
Caroline Cruz was nominated and seconded, but declined the nomination.
Seekseequa District
Shirley Allen, Reuben Henry, Wendell Jim, Vesta Johnson, Brigette McConville, Scott Moses, and Lee Tom.
Simnasho District
Frederick Duran Bobb, Charles Calica, Orvie Danzuka, Priscilla Frank, Raymond Moody, Evaline Patt, Orthelia Patt, Sylvester Sahme Sr., Emerson Squimphen, Ron Suppah, and Raymond Tsumpti Sr.
Arlita Rhoan was nominated and seconded, but she declined. Both Arlita and Caroline Cruz said their jobs—Arlita is a language teacher, and Caroline is director of Health and Human Services—would not allow them the time to dedicate to Tribal Council business.
The date of Monday, April 4, is the target date for the Tribal Council election.
Candidates forum
In the meantime, the Warm Springs Youth Council will host a candidates forum and community dinner on Monday, March 7.
The event is in partnership with the Let’s Talk Diversity Coalition, and will be at the Agency Longhouse. Community members and all Tribal Council candidates are invited to attend the event. Dinner will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by the forum at 6:30.
Constitution vote
The membership this spring will also vote on a number of proposed changes—15 proposed changes in all— to the tribal Constitution.
This will be a secretarial election conducted by the BIA. Members 18 and over will be eligible to vote.
The Tribal Council election, on the other hand, will be a tribal election with the minimum age being 21. Youth who are younger than 21, but who are married, are also eligible to vote in the Council election.
The BIA election board has been meeting regularly in recent weeks on this election. The BIA is planning to conduct the vote on the Constitutional amendments on Monday, April 11.
