Proposed Ordinance Imposing Restrictions On Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Travel Authorizations - Drafted by Jeff Whalen, Oglala Sioux Tribal Member

ORDINANCE NO. ___________

ORDINANCE OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL

OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE

(AN UNINCORPORATED TRIBE)

ORDINANCE OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON TRIBAL COUNCIL TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS

WHEREAS, the Oglala Sioux Tribe has adopted its Constitution and By-Laws by referendum vote on December 10^th, 1935, in accordance with Sec. 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, and under Article IV of the Constitution, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council is the governing body of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and

WHEREAS, under Article IV § 1 (u) of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Constitution, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council has authority to adopt ordinances regulating the procedure of the council itself and of other elected officials of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and

WHEREAS, there currently exists rules and ordinances through the tribes Financial Accounting and Procurement Offices that set standards for reporting travel expenses for all individuals requesting Travel Advances from the Oglala Sioux Tribe and its individual programs, and

WHEREAS, in accordance with Ordinance 92-12 which is the Tribe’s Organizational Structure the individual Districts are empowered to draft and pass rules and regulations in addendum to the existing laws that the Tribal Council members have authorized, and

WHEREAS, documented evidence exists that individual tribal council representatives and executive board members are not following established laws in terms of travel authorizations and travel reporting requirements, and

WHEREAS, there is a need to modify the existing laws to incorporate sanctions against individuals who violate travel reporting requirements to ensure travel expenditures are properly utilized, and

WHEREAS, there is currently more than $320,000.00 dollars worth of unreported travel expenses combined by four (4) tribal council representatives and (1) executive board member, and

WHEREAS, the people of the Great Oglala Sioux Tribal Nation want immediate accountability by all tribal council and executive board members;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED, that effective immediately the Financial Accounting Office is required to publish in a newspaper all the travel taken by currently elected and future elected Oglala Sioux Tribal Council and Executive Board members beginning from the period of January 2000.  This will effectively cover long standing Tribal Council members, current members and future members of the Council and Executive Board, and

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that effective immediately all Tribal Council and Executive Board members who are delinquent in submitting their travel reports are prohibited from receiving further travel advances, without exemption, and

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that any and all Tribal Council or Executive Board members who are delinquent in submitting travel reports are prohibited from harassing in any way, shape or form any of the Tribal officials required to process such documentation and will be subject to immediate suspension from office if evidence suggests such harassment, and

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that any and all delinquent travel expenses be immediately recovered from the pay checks of individual Tribal Council and Executive Board members and will remain in recovery status until all the delinquent travel expenses have been fully recovered, and

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that Tribal Council and its membership and Executive Committee members are prohibited from changing the language in this ordinance and each Tribal Council member is hereby directed by their respective districts to vote in favor of this ordinance during the next regular Tribal Council meeting or be suspended as a Tribal Council Representative.

C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N

I, as the undersigned Secretary of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, do hereby certify that this Ordinance was adopted by a vote of __ for, ___ against, and ___ abstaining, and ___ not voting, during a regular session held of the ___ day of ____ 2010.

                                                                                                                                 ________________________.

                                                                                                                                       RHONDA TWO EAGLE

                                                                                                                                       Secretary

                                                                                                                                       Oglala Sioux Tribe

A-T-T-E-S-T

________________________.

THERESA TWO BULLS

President

Oglala Sioux Tribe