1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE 8 COMANCHE BUSINESS COMMITTEE 9 MONTHLY MEETING 10 TAKEN APRIL 4, 2009, 10:14 A.M. 11 COMANCHE NATION COMPLEX 12 LAWTON, OKLAHOMA 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 __________________________________________________ REPORTED BY: KELLY STOABS, CSR 23 DODSON REPORTING & ASSOCIATES 435 NORTH WALKER, SUITE 102 24 OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73102 (405) 235-1828 ~ (405) 235-1266 (FAX) 25 dcri@coxinet.net 2 1 A P P E A R A N C E S 2 3 COMANCHE NATION BUSINESS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 4 Wallace Coffey, Chairman 5 Ronald RedElk, Vice-Chairman 6 Robert Tippeconnie, Secretary-Treasurer 7 Edmond Mahseet, Committeeman #1 8 Lanny Asepermy, Committeeman #2 9 Darrell Kosechequetah, Committeeman #3 10 Clyde R. Narcomey, Committeeman #4 11 LEGAL COUNSEL: 12 Kirke Kickingbird, James Burson 13 Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker 14 15 16 * * * * * * 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 INDEX OF PROCEEDINGS 2 PAGE 3 Meeting called to order at 10:14 a.m. 6 4 Roll call. 6 5 Invocation. 9 6 Motion passed to approve the minutes of 10 March 7th, 2009, including two corrections. 7 Mr. Asepermy requests to add agenda items to 12 8 April 16th, 2009 agenda: 45th Street project update, Obama stimulus package update, Higher 9 Education funding reduction. 10 Mayor of Grandfield wants to meet with Housing 12 on April 7th, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. CBC invited 11 to attend. 12 Resolution Numbers 56-09 and 57-09 tabled 13 until the April 16th, 2009 meeting. 13 Motion passed to approve Resolution Number 16 14 48-09/Enrollment/List No. 777 Eligible. 15 Motion passed to approve Resolution Numbers 37 49-09, 50-09, and 51-09/Enrollment/Ineligible. 16 Motion passed to approve Resolution Number 38 17 52-09/Enrollment/List No. 781 Eligible. 18 Resolution Number 53-09/Modahwah Land 40 Acquisition, tabled. 19 Motion passed to approve Resolution Number 43 20 54-09/Approving and Supporting KCA Nominating Saddle Mountain and Longhorn 21 Mountain Listed in National Register of Historical Sites. 22 Motion passed to approve Resolution Number 57 23 27-09/Lewis Clark Southard Land Acquisition Correcting Name, Township, and Range, 24 including "Be it further resolved that the Comanche Business Committee is authorized to 25 act on behalf of the Comanche Nation." 4 1 INDEX OF PROCEEDINGS (continued) 2 PAGE 3 Kristen Thompson/Junior National Youth 59 Leaders Conference. 4 Motion passed to go in executive session. 107 5 Executive session held from 12:12 p.m. 107 6 to 3:31 p.m. 7 Motion passed to come out of executive 107 session. 8 Motion passed to approve travel to 114 9 Washington, D.C., for May 12th Code Talkers Reception at the Smithsonian Nation Museum 10 of American Indian for Chairman Wallace Coffey, LaNora Parker, Comanche Nation 11 Princess Miss Blackstar, and George RedElk. 12 Motion passed to approve donations from 115 Charitable Fund to various individuals, 13 groups and organizations. 14 Motion passed to accept the criteria for 120 Charitable Funds. 15 Motion passed approving Chairman to travel 121 16 to National Indian Gaming Association. 17 Motion passed to approve Resolution 126 Number 59-09. 18 Meeting recessed at 3:54 p.m. 128 19 Reporter's Certificate. 129 20 Secretary/Treasurer's Certificate. 130 21 22 23 24 * * * * * * 25 5 1 (Meeting called to order at 2 10:14 a.m.) 3 MR. COFFEY: There's an Easter Egg 4 hunt this afternoon and other activities going on. 5 We have other activities going on within the 6 community. East Apache is this evening. If you 7 haven't seen the Easter Pageant, it's something I 8 encourage you to go take an opportunity to visit. 9 I don't know what time it starts tonight. 10 Apparently when the sun goes down. But that said, 11 it would probably end around 10:45. So if you get 12 a chance to go, by all means do so. 13 Mr. Secretary, will you call the 14 roll? 15 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Wallace Coffey, 16 Chairman? 17 MR. COFFEY: Here. 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Ronald RedElk, 19 Vice-Chairman? 20 MR. REDELK: Here. 21 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Robert Tippeconnie, 22 Secretary/Treasurer? Here. 23 Edmond Mahseet, Committeeman 24 Number 1? 25 MR. MAHSEET: Here. 6 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Lanny Asepermy, 2 Committeeman Number 2? 3 MR. ASEPERMY: Here. 4 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Darrell 5 Kosechequetah, Committeeman Number 3? 6 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Here. 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Clyde Narcomey, 8 Committeeman Number 4? 9 MR. NARCOMEY: Here. 10 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We have a quorum, 11 Mr. Chairman. 12 MR. COFFEY: I want to say that over 13 the past few days, we had a meeting with the bank 14 that's doing our trust accounts with regard to our 15 minors, and also we have a working relationship 16 with the bank. But I did, I asked our enrollment 17 office if they would give us a list of the people, 18 the population and the categories which they come. 19 Anyway, 0 to 10, we have 2,531 Tribal 20 members in that category. And these are the ones 21 whose trust accounts will be in for a period of 22 maybe 10 to 15 years before they get their per 23 capita. By the time they get their per capita, 24 they're going to have a pretty good chunk of 25 change. 7 1 In the age of 11 to 20 category, we 2 have 2,626 Tribal members. That's the largest age 3 reported, between 11 and 20 years of age. 4 Twenty-one to 30 years of age, we 5 have 2,403 Tribal members, and those are the 6 voting age of our Tribal membership, right there. 7 Many of them do not participate. Many of these 8 young people have active lives, they're probably 9 very active in sports activities, sometimes 10 athletic programs that they all participate in, 11 but very seldom do we see them active in Tribal 12 government. 13 Then you look at the 41 to 50 years 14 of age, and there's 1,971 Tribal members in that 15 category. And 51 to 60 age category, we have 16 1,426 Tribal members. 17 And then in my category, 61 to 70, we 18 have 740 Tribal members, so we're on the decline. 19 But we thought that the baby boomers, so to speak, 20 would be the highest population amongst our Tribe, 21 but it's not. It's these younger 0 to 20 years of 22 age, which is a high concentration of our Tribal 23 membership. 24 Then in the 71 to 80 category, we 25 have 350. Then the 81 to 90 category, we have 8 1 140. Isn't that great? 140 Tribal members in the 2 age of 81 to 90. And then the category of 91 to 3 100, we have 25 Tribal members in that category. 4 That speaks well of our Tribal membership. 5 And I have information here. If 6 anybody wants one of these, you're welcome to come 7 and get it. But I'm constantly looking at the 8 statistics of our Tribe. I look at the male/ 9 female population, which is larger, and the 10 density of our Tribe. 11 I was visiting with Committeeman 12 Kosechequetah with regard to the constitution that 13 we have at this time versus the constitution 14 that's being proposed. These age categories that 15 are in the 0 to 20 years of age will be affected 16 most by the new constitution than the one that we 17 have currently. So I think that we're into a 18 situation to realize that the highest 19 concentration of our children and our youth come 20 under the 20 age category. 21 So I'm very excited about our 22 population. That means the parents are doing 23 their job, for one thing, and we're doing our job, 24 for another thing, by putting moneys into trust. 25 So by the time they get 18 years of age, they can 9 1 either pay for their college education. 2 But I have to tell you, this 3 committee is very committed to education. We have 4 increased the amount of dollars to go to our 5 students per semester, and we have students that 6 are really excelling. And there's going to be a 7 banquet sometime in May, I think it's the last 8 Friday in May, where we honor our graduating 9 students, seniors and college students, and also 10 even we acknowledge those who graduated with a 11 GED. So that says a lot of our students. 12 So probably by June you'll see 13 something in our newsletter that will show and 14 reflect the Comanche students, where they stand 15 and how they're fairing within our Tribe. So I 16 just wanted to bring that to your attention. 17 Mr. Tippeconnie, I'll call upon you 18 to give us an invocation, if you don't mind, 19 please. 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: (Invocation.) 21 MR. COFFEY: I thank you, Robert. I 22 think, as always, you're most willing to invest 23 time to be of service with regard to prayer. 24 Committee, your 25 Minutes, if you turn to your page one 10 1 of your minutes taken March the 7th, I entertain a 2 motion to approve. 3 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Mr. Chairman, I'd 4 like to make a correction before we go into this, 5 these minutes. As you recall in the last meeting, 6 I said I had some corrections on some of the 7 previous February amendments. 8 We had one which we numbered 27-09. 9 It was tabled. It was the Hevah Land Acquisition, 10 and it was carried forward. I want to keep the 11 original number, which is 173-08. And then also 12 in February we had a Resolution 31-09, and it 13 states that it was a motion, but it was a 14 resolution, and that's the Economic Enterprise 15 resolution. Those are the corrections, 16 Mr. Chairman. 17 MR. COFFEY: Kelly, did you get 18 those? Do we have a motion to approve, including 19 these corrections? 20 MR. REDELK: Mr. Chairman, I make 21 that motion. 22 MR. COFFEY: We have a motion to 23 approve the minutes of March 7th, 2009, including 24 these two corrections: February Resolution 27-09, 25 and it became Resolution 173-08. Also in 11 1 February, Resolution Number 31-09, which was a 2 resolution involving Economic Development. Do we 3 have a second? 4 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Second. 5 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 6 by Vice-Chairman Ron RedElk to approve the minutes 7 of March 7th, including these changes and 8 corrections. A second has been made by 9 Committeeman Darrell Kosechequetah. Do we have 10 any discussion, Committee? Hearing none, all 11 those in favor signify by saying "aye." 12 (Aye.) 13 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 14 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 15 carried. 16 I'd like to move to Resolution Number 17 48-09. 18 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I would 19 like to amend the agenda. 20 MR. COFFEY: Have you got any 21 additions? 22 MR. ASEPERMY: Yes, but I want to 23 move to add these on April the 16th, not today. 24 One is the Comanche Nation Housing Authority. 25 MR. COFFEY: And do what with that? 12 1 MR. ASEPERMY: The 45th Street 2 Project update and the Obama stimulus package, 3 where they will update us. And I also have these 4 handouts from Housing. For your information, this 5 is on the city block in Grandfield for your 6 review. If y'all get a chance, take a look at it. 7 MR. COFFEY: I think we all have our 8 own, don't we? 9 MR. ASEPERMY: You don't have this. 10 I just got it from Housing. That's on the 11 Grandfield. And the Mayor of Grandfield wants to 12 meet, will meet with Housing on April the 7th, 13 Sallie? 14 MRS. TONIPS: Yes. 15 MR. ASEPERMY: April the 7th at what 16 time? 17 MS. TONIPS: 6:30. 18 MR. ASEPERMY: 6:30 on April 7th, and 19 we're all welcome to attend. And what they want 20 to do is give us a -- basically sell us a city 21 block down there that is vacant for $1. And 22 here's the information on that. 23 I would also like to add on the 16th 24 of April agenda Higher Education, because of the 25 funding project, the funding project reductions. 13 1 There's a possibility that our students that are 2 going to summer school will not be able to attend 3 because they won't be funded. Those are two items 4 for the 16th. 5 MR. COFFEY: And what was that again, 6 Lanny? 7 MR. ASEPERMY: Higher Education. 8 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Mr. Chairman, I'd 9 like to amend, too, to the executive session. 10 MR. COFFEY: Okay. 11 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I'd like to add the 12 discussion on Revolving Loan appointment, the OST 13 Special Trust accounts, and Gary Mattison land. 14 MR. ASEPERMY: What were the other 15 two besides Revolving Loan? 16 MR. TIPPECONNIE: The OST Special 17 Trust account, and then Gary Mattison land. 18 MR. ASEPERMY: Can you spell 19 Mattison? 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: M-A-T-T-I-S-O-N. 21 MR. COFFEY: We'll get all of these 22 today, if we move along. 23 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. All right. 24 MR. COFFEY: Also, Committee, 25 Resolution Numbers 9 and 10, 56-09, 57-09, I want 14 1 to table those until the 16th meeting. We don't 2 have the gaming ordinance as proposed, nor do we 3 have the election ordinance amendment as proposed, 4 so they'll get them to us. Is that correct, Jim? 5 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. I did receive 6 the election ordinance draft, Jim. I would like 7 to request on the 16th a clean copy, plus a draft 8 for all the CBC members; a draft and a clean 9 copy. And I would like it to be sent to the 10 headquarters where the CBC members will have 11 possession of those documents at least a week in 12 advance so we can review and maybe make a decision 13 on this. 14 This has been -- this is already 30 15 days old. Actually, it's 18 months old. 16 Actually, it's 20 months old, and we haven't taken 17 any action on it. So can you provide that to the 18 CBC a week prior so we can all review those, the 19 draft and a clean copy? 20 MR. BURSON: Yes, sir. 21 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. Thank you, 22 Jim. 23 MR. COFFEY: I'd like to ask if -- 24 MR. NARCOMEY: Wallace, we're tabling 25 Number 8 and Number 9? 15 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: 9 and 10. 2 MR. NARCOMEY: 8, 9 and 10? 3 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No, 9 and 10. 4 MR. COFFEY: How many can attend that 5 meeting in Grandfield on Tuesday? 6 MR. ASEPERMY: It's going to be -- if 7 you look in your packets here, Wallace, it's going 8 to be -- where is it going to be at, Sallie? 9 MR. COFFEY: The Katherine Purcell 10 Community Center, 123 East 1st Street. 11 MR. TIPPECONNIE: 6:30 p.m.? 12 MR. COFFEY: At 6:30. 13 You know, I'd like to encourage our 14 CBC to consider attending that meeting, because 15 it's no doubt that Grandfield is going to increase 16 its population before long because of the 17 employment opportunities at the Red River Casino. 18 And it's going to eventually happen 19 where that part of the territory will be a small 20 Las Vegas, if things work for the betterment for 21 our future in the years to come. I know land is 22 being bought up. There's a River Springs 23 Corporation, a township that's going to be 24 organized. So, I mean, I'd say let's see what 25 Grandfield has to offer, because it has a long- 16 1 term potential for our Tribe. So Tuesday at 6:30 2 in Grandfield. 3 Okay. Committee, Resolution Number 4 48-09, "Whereas, the list includes the names of 5 applicants who have been verified as eligible 6 pursuant to Article III, Section 1(c) Membership, 7 of the Constitution of the Comanche Nation, which 8 states, 'All descendants of allottees eligible for 9 membership under the provision of Section 1(a) of 10 this Article, having one-eighth (1/8) or more 11 degree of Comanche Indian Blood.' 12 "Therefore be it resolved, that the 13 Comanche Business Committee accept the 14 verification of eligibility for the applicants as 15 shown on List Number 777 by the Comanche Nation 16 Enrollment Office. 17 "Be it further resolved, that the 18 Comanche Nation Enrollment Office notify the 19 eligible applicants by letter of their approved 20 membership and further that the enrolled member be 21 provided information concerning their enrollment, 22 including name, birth date, roll number, Social 23 Security number, and degree of Comanche blood." 24 Do we have a motion to approve? 25 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I make 17 1 that motion. 2 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 3 Committeeman Lanny Asepermy to approve Resolution 4 Number 48-09. Do we have a second? We have a 5 motion to approve, do we have a second? 6 MR. REDELK: Mr. Chairman, I'll 7 second that motion. 8 MR. COFFEY: Committee, motion has 9 been made by Committeeman Lanny Asepermy to 10 approve Resolution 48-09. A second has been made 11 by Vice-Chairman Ron RedElk. Do we have any 12 discussion? 13 MR. ASEPERMY: I just need to pass on 14 some information. There's 71 on this list. Just 15 for your information, 37 are 1/8, 8 are 3/16, 18 16 are 1/4, 3 are 5/16, 1 is 5/32, 1 is 3/8, 1 is 17 9/32, and one is 7/8. That's the highest degree 18 of Comanche blood I've seen in 20 months, 19 Wallace. And our total enrollment is 14,330. 20 MR. COFFEY: You know, that group 91 21 to 100, they're going take their full-blood status 22 with them. And that age group from 80 to 90, 23 there are probably 90 percent of them who are full 24 blood. 25 MR. ASEPERMY: You have 962 full 18 1 bloods. 2 MR. COFFEY: So those are at the 3 older ages than the younger ages. So our 4 population is going to shift within 10 years 5 whereas we're going to have blond hair and blue 6 eyes. 7 Any further -- Committee, any further 8 comments? Motion to approve Resolution 48-09 made 9 by Committeeman Lanny Asepermy, a second by Ron 10 RedElk, Vice-Chairman. Committee, all those in 11 favor signify by saying "aye." 12 (Aye.) 13 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 14 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 15 carried. 16 But I know I'll keep my Mexican blood 17 forever. 18 Elijah Adolph, Tatiana Adolph, Robert 19 Allen, Jaylee Barr, Matthew Bisbee, Timothy 20 Bisbee, Allan Bray, II, Bailey Braziell, Jayce 21 Bree-Mendenhall, Jace Brown, Sebastion Burgess, 22 Aniyah Caddo, Garrett Carney, Caison Chapman, 23 Aiden Cochran, Jacob Crane, Chloe Dorcas, Hope 24 Dorcas, Juliette Dorcas, Kaiya Dorcas, Regina 25 Eckiwaudah, Taylor Floyd, Juan Franco, Jeffrey 19 1 Franklin, Tony Franklin, Jakob Gilbert, Brandon 2 Grant, Lauren Grant, Arreonna Guerrero, Jordyn 3 Haley, Christian Han, Evan Hanks, Ethan Herrera, 4 Hailey Hettich, Corkey Hine, Hunter Holsted, 5 Marcus Hornsby, James Jacobs, III, Kelly Kivela, 6 Kayleigh Mahsetky, Krystani Murrow, Cameron Onco, 7 Madison Ototivo, Billie Palacious, Jessica Palmer, 8 Lauren Patten, Allison Petty, Aubrey Plumley, 9 Kenzie Pocowatchit, Gregory Quetone, Treyten 10 Ramirez, Simone Runningwater, Alicia Sanders, 11 Matthew Sanders, Elias Saupitty, Miranda Sears, 12 Lainee Sheffield, Grace Sovo-Cook, Sophia Spear, 13 Gregory Stipkovich, Leanna Summers, Emanual 14 Tahhahwah, Bryhton Tawkoyty, Hallie Thaemert, 15 Henry Thaemert, Nicole Tuando, Valerie Vardell, 16 Kellen Vargas, Jr., Brent Wauqua, Andrew Wahnee, 17 Parker Wiegand. How about a round of applause? 18 MR. NARCOMEY: Mr. Chairman, before 19 we go any further, I didn't realize we approved 20 the minutes, because I thought we voted on the 21 amendments. I didn't know we approved the 22 minutes. But just for the record, I just want to 23 say, in these minutes that we voted on last month, 24 this Resolution 41-09, that IRS payment, you 25 know? 20 1 MR. ASEPERMY: What page is that on? 2 MR. NARCOMEY: Does anybody know how 3 much money that was? Was it $1 million, $800,000, 4 $900,000? 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: 775,000. 6 MR. NARCOMEY: 775,000? Well, you 7 know, that's the people's money that we put out to 8 the IRS, that's the fine. Now, we're supposed to 9 be responsible for these people's money. And we 10 went ahead -- and I'll vote yes to go ahead and 11 pass the thing because I already did, because you 12 don't play with the IRS. They'll, you know, 13 sentence you to a jail term, whatever, you know. 14 But who was in charge of this place? 15 How come we got fined and who was in charge in 16 2004, 2005 and 2006? How did this fine get in 17 place? Someone had to be in charge. Did we have 18 a chief financial officer at that time, or did we 19 have a financial officer? 20 It seems to me like we're paying it. 21 You know, 700-something thousand is a lot of 22 money, you know. And, you know, we're not even 23 doing nothing about it. 24 MR. ASEPERMY: You want to know who's 25 responsible? 21 1 MR. NARCOMEY: Wouldn't everybody? 2 MR. ASEPERMY: Yeah. 3 MR. NARCOMEY: We're responsible for 4 the people's money. We've got to give them some 5 sort of answer. Just for the record, that's all I 6 wanted to say, you know. 7 MR. ASEPERMY: Robert, when did 8 these, and Kirke -- in 2002? 9 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Those occurred 10 during the period I was talking about. And 11 they're relative to the times that moneys were 12 given for different reasons, but they -- the 13 individuals did not submit W-9s. When money goes 14 to an individual, you have to have a W-9. IRS is 15 then notified that that person has an earning. 16 When they file their income tax, that individual, 17 that's part of their income, and they pay a tax on 18 that. 19 What happened is that there were 20 payments made to individuals, basically, and some 21 others, but those were not accounted for as W-9s. 22 MR. COFFEY: Like the Election Board. 23 MR. TIPPECONNIE: So then these 24 things were picked up by IRS, and so we were asked 25 to track that down. Well, when there were no 22 1 really good accounting records of who those 2 persons were, we couldn't track it down, so we 3 were penalized in the amount that was paid. The 4 penalty was greater than that, so the penalty was 5 reduced. But we did have a big penalty, but it's 6 because of those things. 7 Well, since then, now, we don't have 8 that. If you're around, you're going to see 9 nothing goes out. We're encouraging everyone, you 10 know, all our boards, our counsels, all to do 11 those kind of things, to be on top of that. 12 But basically we couldn't account for 13 it, or the Nation could not account to whom the 14 payment was made, so then we had a big bill. 15 MR. COFFEY: Well, the big problem 16 was, in 2003, we had an $8 million budget, in 17 2004, we had an $18 million budget, 2005 it was a 18 $29 million budget, but yet we still had four 19 people in our finance office when we needed, like, 20 12, when we needed 15. Our finance office just 21 couldn't keep up with it. And many times, those 22 records were lost. 23 And there was no money put into 24 finance so they could get the job done. A 25 tremendous amount of training was needed. It was 23 1 just bogged down into -- they just couldn't do it, 2 and they still can't do it. That's why we had to 3 farm out our accounting office. 4 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I think we're on 5 top of things now. You know, we're going to see 6 little glitches once in a while because people 7 will send in something. The way we work with our 8 accounting firm, there is no payment made if there 9 is no W-9, things like that. We just don't act on 10 it. They're partnered with us, so those are just 11 stopped. 12 So from this point on, and -- well, 13 I'd like to think in the last few years now, since 14 we've had Finley & Cook especially, that we're 15 really on top of accounting and those kind of 16 records. But it's something that did occur; and 17 perhaps as the Chairman is saying, because we grew 18 very fast. If you look at our budgets, you know, 19 a few years ago, and how we've grown and how fast 20 we've moved, we didn't equip ourselves smartly. 21 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: You said 22 $775,000? That's enough for an accounting 23 department. And, you know, these 1099s are 24 required every $600 a person receives. Like the 25 Election Board, or say one of those economic 24 1 commissioners, or a gaming commissioner, they're 2 supposed to get a 1099 every time they pass 600. 3 And, also, was there any W-2Gs for 4 the gaming that wasn't given out for gaming 5 winnings? Was there any included in the 6 penalties? And what was the total amount of 7 penalties that we owed before we settled for right 8 close to $1 million? That's just like money going 9 into the trash. 10 MR. TIPPECONNIE: It was 3.2 million, 11 so you can see we did come down in negotiation 12 with IRS. 13 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: That's more money 14 than some people make in a lifetime. I mean -- I 15 don't know, was there any gaming requirements 16 along with that, too, the W-2Gs, gaming winnings? 17 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Gaming is something 18 else, you know. What I'm talking about, that's in 19 the Tribal government area. This is Tribal 20 government. 21 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: This is separate? 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes. 23 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: Because we've been 24 doing W-2Gs since 1983 with Bingo. 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yeah, I'm sure, you 25 1 know, those are in place. It's just that these, 2 when they were issued -- 3 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: I sure hope so. 4 We don't want to lose another million dollars or 5 close to a million. 6 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I would say close 7 to all the way around we're getting in order. 8 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: But somebody 9 should be penalized on that. I don't know what to 10 do, you know. Money's down in the trash, you 11 know, incompetence, whatever you want to call it, 12 negligence, stupidity, whatever you want to call 13 it. The money is, you know, lost. 14 MR. TIPPECONNIE: It's a big bill. 15 MR. NELSON: Mr. Secretary/Treasurer, 16 where did the buck stop during those years? 17 Wasn't that the Tribal Administrator's job? Where 18 does the buck stop? I mean, we're asking a 19 legitimate answer, you know -- well, we need a 20 legitimate answer. I asked a question back in 21 January. Attorney Kickingbird said -- 22 I said, "Is this Tribal government or 23 is this casino revenue?" 24 And he said, "Well, it's the Tribal 25 government." 26 1 So I guess the question is two-fold. 2 Is there findings for gaming for these years, 3 too? And if that answer is privy to the public, 4 can it be addressed today? 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: What's -- 6 MR. COFFEY: What's his question? 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Is there also a 8 liability or tax due in gaming? 9 MR. KICKINGBIRD: Yes. 10 MR. NELSON: Can we be made aware of 11 what that penalty might be? 12 MR. TIPPECONNIE: That's still 13 within -- 14 MR. KICKINGBIRD: We're still 15 negotiating with the IRS on that. 16 MR. TIPPECONNIE: And that's a 17 separate bill, yes. 18 MR. NELSON: Where does the buck stop 19 there, gentlemen? 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, you know, the 21 Nation as a whole has the -- you know, it stops at 22 the top, so to speak. And within the -- there's 23 different functions within the Nation. Like the 24 Secretary/Treasurer has a fiduciary role. You 25 know, that's a responsibility to look out for all 27 1 these kinds of things, but then the whole, it's 2 always the whole. 3 You know, don't act -- the Chairman 4 doesn't act singly. He acts in the conduction of 5 a meeting, but we act as a whole. You know, and 6 then, yes, there's individuals below us that have 7 responsibilities to perform certain things. Like 8 over the Tribal government, Tribal Administrator, 9 as an example, is over the Tribal government to 10 see that those things are in order. So the CBC is 11 not sitting here, you know, managing all those 12 things. We provide an opportunity for different 13 programs to have their directors, and then those 14 directors work under the Tribal government side 15 under the Tribal Administrator. And then, of 16 course, the Tribal Administrator reports to the 17 CBC. 18 MR. NELSON: Well, I can see your 19 current efforts are applaudable, sir, but I'm 20 looking at, you know, we do have this one fine. 21 Is it paid out? Has it been paid out? 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, it's been 23 paid. We had to pay it or we would have 24 additional penalties. 25 MR. NELSON: What does the Nation 28 1 have to look forward to for these penalties from 2 gaming? Which one's the greatest? I mean, what's 3 the figure? 4 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We're still in that 5 negotiation, but I don't believe it's going to 6 break us. 7 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: So we do owe money 8 on gaming for those W-2Gs? 9 MR. TIPPECONNIE: For something. 10 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: Well, whoever was 11 on the Gaming Commission, they should be removed 12 or penalized. Well, if they're already gone, I 13 don't know what to do about it then, but certainly 14 not give them bonuses or pass -- I mean, these are 15 gaming -- past gaming directors, you know. I 16 heard they got $100,000 apiece. You know, that's 17 a bonus, that's not a penalty. 18 And then what about the people that's 19 supposed to get 1099s? Have they been given their 20 1099s so they can file their taxes or amend their 21 taxes? I mean, we've been talking about 2004, 22 2005, 2006. So IRS is going to get on those 23 people who got all them W-2 -- you know, who are 24 going to get all those W-2 forms. 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, in the past 29 1 year -- where we had this predicament, those are 2 past years. That 700,000, those are all covered 3 now. Because the individuals could not be 4 identified. But now when it comes to current 5 years, you know, 1099s are going out. As an 6 example, when you get your per cap payment, 7 everybody gets their per cap payment, you should 8 be getting a 1099. And you get that from the City 9 Bank. 10 So you're getting 1099s. If you're 11 an employee of the Nation, you're getting that, as 12 well. And, of course, you know, you should be 13 getting them by the end of January. In some 14 cases, some are a little late this year. 15 MR. COFFEY: Let me tell you 16 something else, too. Because we have an Election 17 Board, and every time the Election Board comes in, 18 they get a stipend. Well, that wasn't reported to 19 the IRS, because the Election Board has always 20 been getting a stipend. Now the IRS is saying 21 they're technically workers for the Tribe, so 22 they're getting stipends. And they're getting 23 their W-9s. 24 Then the same thing with the 25 students -- the grants. They're having to pay for 30 1 it. Where if it was the student assistance 2 before, now they're being charged by IRS for 3 getting these moneys. So everything was looked 4 at. So these things never happened before. 5 Yeah, Bob? 6 MR. NAUNI: Wallace, all that boils 7 down to is common sense. You know if you get 8 money like that, you're going to have to pay 9 something. I pay quarterly taxes. I worked for 10 about 10 years after I retired from Civil Service, 11 and you've got to pay those quarterly taxes every 12 quarter. If you don't, you're penalized. So it's 13 just common sense. 14 You just don't get that money and 15 say, "Hey, all right." It doesn't work that way, 16 not with the Federal government. They want that 17 money. That's got to be published, maybe. I 18 don't know. Because a lot of the Elders probably 19 don't understand that. 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I really do believe 21 we need more education amongst all ourselves in 22 finances. One thing we did last month, we brought 23 a nonprofit group in, and they provided, free of 24 charge to the Nation, financial training. So we 25 had that course provide trainers. So we have a 31 1 number of people now that are trained to conduct 2 financial, you know, sessions with people. And I 3 hope we get going on that, because I agree with 4 you. There's a lot of education we need. Not 5 just up here, but everywhere 6 MR. NAUNI: When the new Election 7 Board got together, I told everybody, "You've got 8 to pay taxes on it now." A couple said -- 9 MS. ISAAC: Excuse me, I'm sorry. So 10 the budgets that each department gets, they're 11 going to have to be responsible for their taxes, 12 or does that -- is that included with the whole -- 13 MR. TIPPECONNIE: The taxes go out 14 when individuals are paid. We're talking about 15 when people are paid, like salaries. That's 16 handled, through, you know, Finley & Cook, and 17 then those 1099s are issued to the individuals, 18 and the income is reported to the IRS. So in the 19 salary sense now, it's working. 20 MS. ISAAC: So all of these clubs, 21 like the golf clubs, and the CIVA, and the 22 Election Board -- 23 MR. COFFEY: Those things, too. 24 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Those things, too, 25 yes. 32 1 MS. ISAAC: Right. Because there's a 2 lot of mismanagement among all of that, and nobody 3 seems to be saying anything to certain people, 4 just certain people. And then, also, you know, it 5 seems to be going on forever. And then the lady 6 that came in that the Tribe brought in to manage 7 the departments and get everybody in order, they 8 didn't even keep her because she was -- you know, 9 she had good ideas. Why are we getting people 10 when y'all don't want to listen to them? 11 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, I would say 12 this, Beverly: One thing that's smart for all of 13 us, even those who are given some money in a sense 14 for a powwow or something, if they issue money to 15 the individual, they have to have that W-9. 16 MS. ISAAC: That's what I'm talking 17 about. You know, there's just a lot of money 18 going out there. 19 And all these programs, like the 20 Shoshone Reunion, we thought, well, maybe we 21 shouldn't have fund-raisers. Because if we have 22 fund-raisers -- they're already picking on the 23 Shoshone Reunion. If we had fund-raisers and we 24 make a few dollars, they're going to pick on us 25 for those few dollars. But other organizations, 33 1 they all have fund-raisers all throughout the 2 year, they used to. I mean, some of them still 3 do. 4 It's just really getting -- it's been 5 complicated, but how are you going to straighten 6 it out, stop the fund raising? I don't know. 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No. I think, 8 again, you would have to give further education to 9 everyone. Those affiliated with the Nation, I 10 think we're going to have to say these are the 11 kind of rules when it comes to taxes, or when you 12 have monies, how you handle it. 13 MS. ISAAC: For instance, the Fair 14 Board. I mean, for years we've been asking for 15 them to have a -- you know, to report on what we 16 -- we give them a big budget. They don't -- they 17 have never had to report on anything. 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, they do. 19 Every dollar that goes out has to be accounted 20 for -- down to the penny has to be accounted for. 21 What's happening right now, working with Finley & 22 Cook, we're pretty sharp. 23 There's some things that we say -- 24 someone will do something and they'll say the 25 invoices are coming in. Well, we have a tracking 34 1 system now, that if they don't come in, we're on 2 them. "Where is this invoice?" So the system is 3 working pretty good now, but when any money is 4 given out, it has to be accounted now, every 5 penny. 6 MR. COFFEY: Even our per cap. 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yeah, everything, 8 everything. Money has to be accountable, 9 everything. 10 MS. ISAAC: But it's a shame 11 everybody else has to be punished for what has 12 been going on in the past. 13 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I don't know if 14 it's punished, you know, it's just smart. You 15 know, it's common sense. We should all know that 16 we have money. You better handle it smartly. 17 And it may be taxable. And if you get it from the 18 Nation, you better have a receipt and turn those 19 receipts back in. 20 MS. CRAIG: We have been talking a 21 long time about a lot of these things, Bob, way 22 before you ever moved home, and it just seems like 23 we talk and talk and talk and nothing ever gets 24 resolved. 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, it's getting 35 1 resolved now. 2 MS. CRAIG: I used to think, oh, why 3 go to those meetings? They're not going to pay 4 attention to what we say. They're going to go to 5 their meeting and do what they want anyway, so why 6 get up there and talk? And then people out 7 there -- because we speak up. Well, I'm going to 8 speak up until the day I die, even if you don't do 9 what I say or what I think. I'm just one person. 10 But when things get bad in our Tribe, 11 not with just one particular organization, one 12 particular department, when it goes bad, instead 13 of saying, well, let's straighten this up, let's 14 hire someone that can do their job, you go inhouse 15 and replace them, and the person inhouse doesn't 16 know anything about what's going on. They don't 17 know the job. 18 And that's not fair to the children 19 of ours that graduate and have educations behind 20 them, have business degrees, maybe, that can go in 21 and do something. And some of the people inhouse 22 don't even have degrees, but they're appointed to 23 do something that's really important. And then 24 they goof up and you turn around and blame it on 25 somebody else, so it just goes down the line. 36 1 It just snowballs. And after a 2 while, the problem gets bigger and bigger and 3 nothing is ever solved. All we do is complain 4 about it. 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, Aurilla, I'd 6 like to think that we're on the road -- all this 7 body here certainly, on a road to solutions. 8 Because we see things like this, and we see 9 qualification in jobs, et cetera. We just have to 10 move out on all these things. 11 And the way I look at it anymore, 12 it's not the criticism of it. I like to hear 13 that. But I say, "What's the solution?" And 14 that's what we're working on, I feel, more and 15 more, is what's the solution. Because as you 16 said, if it's been going on for years and years, 17 that's -- let's stop that. Let's act on it. 18 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: Okay. Since 19 everybody need to be educated on this 1099, we 20 ought to put it in the Tribal newsletter and say, 21 okay, we've lost 775,000 we've got to pay, we 22 don't want to lose anymore. And then if you get 23 over $600, you get a 1099. So we need to put it 24 in the newspaper, and we also need to educate our 25 gaming commissioners. If they don't know, they 37 1 need to be educated, get somebody else, remove 2 them. We need to educate our gaming directors. 3 Okay. There's a 1099 or a W-G2, you know, you 4 fill it out when somebody gets a winning. I mean, 5 you know, hell, we need somebody that's competent 6 in there. 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Well, I spend time 8 now, and I'm spending time fairly regularly with 9 the gaming. Because you have to, seeing where 10 monies are. But the thing I would say about them, 11 they're working on that. They're working -- they 12 have a new controller at the Red River Casino, as 13 an example. And they're really getting it all 14 centralized now on their accounting system. 15 They're really sizing up and they're getting very 16 sharp. You'll see some sharp actions occurring 17 right now in gaming. I think we need to applaud 18 them. They have moved, just as we're attempting 19 to do, to be on top of all these things. So 20 there's been great strides, and I have to say, 21 they're doing good things. 22 Mr. Chairman? 23 MR. COFFEY: Are we ready? 24 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes. 25 MR. COFFEY: All right. Committee, 38 1 Resolution Numbers 49-09, 50-09, and 51-09, I'd 2 like to have one motion to approve all of them, 3 they're all ineligible. 4 MR. NARCOMEY: I make that motion to 5 approve, Mr. Chairman. 6 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 7 Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve Resolution 8 Numbers 49-09, 50-09, and 51-09. Do we have a 9 second? 10 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I second 11 that. 12 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 13 Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve Resolutions 14 49-09, 50-09, 51-09. A second has been made by 15 Committeeman Lanny Asepermy. Do we have any 16 discussion, Committee? Hearing none, all those in 17 favor signify by saying "aye." 18 (Aye.) 19 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 20 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion 21 carried. 22 Resolution Number 52-09, "Whereas, 23 the list includes the names of applicants who have 24 been verified as eligible pursuant to Article III, 25 Section 1(c) Membership, of the Constitution of 39 1 the Comanche Nation, which states, 'All 2 descendants of allottees eligible for membership 3 under the provision of Section 1(a) of this 4 Article, having one-eighth (1/8) or more degree of 5 Comanche Indian Blood.' 6 "Therefore be it resolved, that the 7 Comanche Business Committee accept the 8 verification of eligibility for the applicants as 9 shown on List Number 781 by the Comanche Nation 10 Enrollment Office. 11 "Be it further resolved, that the 12 Comanche Nation Enrollment Office notify the 13 eligible applicants by letter of their approved 14 membership and further that the enrolled member be 15 provided information concerning their enrollment, 16 including name, birth date, roll number, social 17 security number, and degree of Comanche blood." 18 So you'll see that list on the 19 attachment there. Do we have a motion to 20 approve? 21 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: So moved, 22 Mr. Chairman. 23 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 24 Committeeman Darrell Kosechequetah to approve 25 Resolution 52-09. Do we have a second? 40 1 MR. ASEPERMY: Chairman, I second 2 that. 3 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 4 by Darrell Kosechequetah to approve Resolution 5 Number 52-09, a second has been made by 6 Committeeman Lanny Asepermy. Committee, any 7 discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor 8 signify by saying "aye." 9 (Aye.) 10 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 11 sign. 12 MR. NARCOMEY: No 13 MR. COFFEY: One no. All those 14 abstain? Motion's carried. 15 Resolution Number 53-09, "Whereas, 16 the Comanche Business Committee realizes the great 17 responsibility to continuously and actively pursue 18 opportunities to increase the land base of the 19 Comanche Nation, and also knows the importance of 20 purchasing individually owned trust lands in order 21 to ensure that Tribal land can maintain its trust 22 status; and 23 "Whereas, the Comanche Business 24 Committee authorizes the purchase for 25 consideration in the amount of BIA appraisal value 41 1 or above from Etta Rose Waysepappy Marin the 2 property described as follows: 3 "Allottee: Modahwah - Comanche 4 Allotment No. 2325-H. All interest in and to the 5 W/2 W/2 SE/4 of Section 33, Township 04 North, 6 Range 12 West, Indian Meridian, Comanche County, 7 Oklahoma. (Containing 40.00 acres more or less.) 8 "Be it further resolved that the 9 Comanche Business Committee, as a whole, is 10 authorized to act on behalf of the Comanche Nation 11 to direct and oversee the purchase of the property 12 described above in coordination with the Bureau of 13 Indian Affairs, and Etta Rose Waysepappy Marin on 14 the behalf of the Comanche Nation." 15 Committee, do we have a motion to 16 approve? 17 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I make 18 that motion. 19 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made to 20 approve Resolution Number 53-09 by Committeeman 21 Lanny Asepermy. Do we have a second? 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: This lies to the 23 east of Lake Lawtonka. I forget the distance, but 24 it's, I think, a couple of miles. 25 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Have we discussed 42 1 this one? 2 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No. 3 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: It didn't look 4 familiar. 5 MR. COFFEY: This will begin those 6 proceedings. 7 MR. NARCOMEY: I think we ought to 8 table it and have a look at it first. 9 MR. ASEPERMY: This starts the 10 process, Clyde. We'll get an appraisal with it. 11 We'll also get a land description, we'll also 12 probably get aerial photos of where it's at. This 13 doesn't mean we're going to buy this land. 14 MR. NARCOMEY: I know. I'd just like 15 to see it first. 16 MR. ASEPERMY: Do you want to look at 17 the land? 18 MR. NARCOMEY: I'd like to see where 19 it's at, yeah. There might not be no water to it, 20 might not be no electric. Might be a dirt road, I 21 don't know. 22 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I 23 rescind my motion until we look at the land. 24 MR. COFFEY: Okay. A motion has been 25 made but rescinded. And so without a motion, it's 43 1 tabled. 2 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. Robert, can you 3 set up something for us to look at that? 4 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, yes, I'll do 5 it. 6 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. 7 MR. COFFEY: Committee, also, 8 whenever we go and look at this property, can we 9 take time to look at the Dodd property? Have you 10 seen that before? 11 MR. ASEPERMY: The Dodd? Yes. 12 MR. COFFEY: West of the refuge 13 headquarters? 14 MR. ASEPERMY: Yeah, we've all went 15 out there. 16 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We've all seen it. 17 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: I missed that 18 trip. 19 MR. ASEPERMY: We all went out except 20 for Darrell and -- 21 MR. COFFEY: And me, but I've been 22 there before. 23 Resolution Number 54-09, "Whereas, 24 the Comanche Business Committee designates members 25 of the Comanche Business Committee to represent 44 1 the Tribe on the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache 2 Intertribal Land Use Committee (KCA) to transact 3 business regarding the property owned jointly by 4 the three tribes pursuant to Article XIV of the 5 Comanche Constitution; and, 6 "Whereas, the sites of Rainy 7 Mountain, Saddle Mountain, and Longhorn Mountain 8 have cultural and religious significance to the 9 KCA and all agree that no economic development 10 should occur on or near such sites; and, 11 "Whereas, the KCA and the Kiowa Tribe 12 desire to have Rainy Mountain, Saddle Mountain, 13 and Longhorn Mountain listed on the National 14 Register of Historical Sites; and, 15 "Now therefore be it resolved that 16 the Comanche Business Committee hereby approves 17 and supports the KCA and the Kiowa Tribe's efforts 18 to have Rainy Mountain, Saddle Mountain, and 19 Longhorn Mountain listed on the National Register 20 of Historic Sites." 21 Do we have a motion to approve? 22 MR. NARCOMEY: I make that motion, 23 Chairman, to approve. 24 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: And second. 25 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 45 1 by Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve 2 Resolution Number 54-09. A second has been made 3 by Darrell Kosechequetah. Committee, do you have 4 any discussion? 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, I'd like to 6 make this comment. When these are nominated, 7 given that it's not all trust lands, that in the 8 nomination process; you know, that's a process, 9 they will go ask different parties how they feel 10 about it. I just wanted to bring that out. So it 11 just doesn't become automatic when the nation 12 proposes it, because it has multiple ownership in 13 those lands and they have to respond to it. It's 14 just -- so it goes into that process where they 15 have to have open kind of hearing and contact all 16 those parties. And hopefully they'll all give 17 support. 18 MR. COFFEY: How this came about was 19 there's an individual that wanted to purchase 20 Longhorn Mountain for the purpose of extracting 21 granite, like Dolese does up here, and the Kiowa 22 Tribe felt like this was very culturally and 23 religious and significant, and they didn't want 24 anything to disturb that mountain, and they didn't 25 want anybody to come and destroy that Longhorn 46 1 Mountain. 2 So they also noticed that when the 3 Comanches filed a lawsuit against Fort Sill with 4 regard to Medicine Bluff. They said, "How do we 5 put our sacred sites into federal registers so 6 they can be protected?" So this begins a 7 process. 8 And I think that, Committee, we have 9 to support the Kiowa Tribe, because we, ourselves, 10 know about Rainy Mountain, we know about Saddle 11 Mountain, we know about Longhorn Mountain and how 12 much it means to them. So by resolution, the 13 Kiowa Tribe will make an application to put these 14 in the federal register, and this resolution 15 supports their application. Is there any -- 16 MS. ISAAC: Is it near any of those 17 windmills that are starting to go that way? 18 MR. COFFEY: No, Rainy Mountain is 19 west of there. But I think that they wanted to 20 buy some land or put windmills by Saddle 21 Mountain. I don't think they can stop it, because 22 you've got a lot of Indians that will sell their 23 land for that reason. But to chip the mountain 24 up, no, that's not what they want. 25 (Mr. Mahseet exits at 11:02 a.m.) 47 1 MR. COFFEY: Committee, a motion has 2 been made to approve Resolution 54-09 by Clyde 3 Narcomey. A second has been made by 4 Mr. Kosechequetah. All those in favor signify by 5 saying "aye." 6 (Aye.) 7 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 8 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion 9 carried. 10 Resolution Number 55. Let me see, 11 are we right? 55-09, "Whereas, Comanche Business 12 Committee is the duly elected official body 13 designated to promulgate and enforce ordinances 14 and codes governing law and order to protect the 15 peace, health, safety, and general welfare on land 16 determined to be within Comanche Tribal 17 jurisdiction pursuant to Comanche Constitution, 18 Article VI § 7(j); and 19 "Whereas, the Comanche Business 20 Committee adopted the Revolving Loan Fund Act in 21 April 2008 (the 'Act') and desires to improve the 22 operation of the Revolving Loan Fund by amending 23 the Act on the recommendation of the Loan 24 Committee. 25 "Now therefore be it resolved, that 48 1 the Comanche Business Committee ordains the 2 enactment of the attached Revolving Loan Fund Act 3 as amended which shall be effective immediately. 4 "Be it further resolved, that the 5 Comanche Business Committee appoints David Orme 6 and Carol Kahrahrah as current members of the Loan 7 Committee to retain their respective staggered 8 terms on the newly created Revolving Loan Fund 9 Board ('Board') and appoints Jo Vickers to a 10 three-year term on said Board, effective this 11 date." 12 Do we have a motion to approve? 13 MR. NARCOMEY: I make that motion to 14 approve, Mr. Chairman. 15 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 16 Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve Resolution 17 Number 55-09. 18 MR. ASEPERMY: Can we have discussion 19 before the second? 20 MR. COFFEY: If you don't have a 21 second, it dies. 22 MR. REDELK: Mr. Chairman, I'll 23 second it. 24 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Mr. Chairman, this 25 is one of the things I wanted to discuss in 49 1 executive. 2 MR. COFFEY: Is that something, 3 Mr. Orme, that you wish to discuss with us in 4 executive session? 5 MR. ORME: I'll be happy to discuss 6 it in executive session, yes. 7 MR. ASEPERMY: And I would also like, 8 if we have -- we have the draft. I want to see a 9 clean copy. That's my -- I know you can read the 10 draft, but, you know, a lot of this is struck out 11 and changed. If you have a clean copy, you see 12 what it actually looks like. I don't have a 13 problem with David Orme, Carol Kahrahrah or Jo 14 Vickers as far as appointments to the Revolving 15 Loan, but I also have some comments about the 16 Revolving Loan that I've talked to Mr. Orme about 17 that I think we need to discuss privately. 18 MR. COFFEY: Okay. For that matter, 19 Mr. Narcomey, do you withdraw your motion? 20 MR. NARCOMEY: Sure, yes, 21 Mr. Chairman. 22 MR. COFFEY: Mr. RedElk, do you 23 withdraw your motion? 24 MR. REDELK: Yes. 25 MR. COFFEY: Item Numbers 8, 9 and 10 50 1 will be tabled. We'll talk about this in 2 executive session. Mr. Orme, if you would, please 3 hold on and we'll visit with you just around the 4 corner. 5 MR. ORME: Yes, sir. 6 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: What's that 7 Revolving Loan Fund have to do with Rainy Day 8 Fund? Have we ever found our $3 million that's 9 lost, that Rainy Day Fund, and how they're 10 related, or are they? I don't know, or how much 11 money is in the Rainy Day -- I know if we ever can 12 find it. But what is the -- to get it paid back. 13 And what about the Revolving Loan 14 Fund? How much is in -- how much money do we have 15 in that fund? And shouldn't we have some kind of 16 a Rainy Day Fund Act or something where you can't 17 touch it? It's gone now. 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: The Rainy Day Fund 19 was one that I entered -- I don't want to speak 20 personally, but I introduced to the General 21 Council and they approved it. That was to be set 22 aside as an asset, you know, and keep it in the 23 bank so say we can say we have money in the bank 24 if we ever need to have some collateral or have 25 some asset that we could count on, if we wanted a 51 1 loan or something of that order. 2 So it was supposed to be set aside 3 and not spent. But where it went, I don't know. 4 Those were previous years. I don't know where it 5 went. But what I would think where it went is 6 that it covered expenditures. The Tribe must have 7 run over in some account, so it covered those 8 expenditures. That's what I would say. And in 9 some cases, some people may say that's justified, 10 because it's available for those kind of reasons, 11 but it was really to be set aside for the -- to 12 stay in the bank, so to speak. 13 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: Oh, you mean like 14 our 638? Did we ever find out how much we owe 15 638, or how much we're at risk or whatever? 16 MR. TIPPECONNIE: 638 we're moving 17 with, I think, very quickly to get on top of that. 18 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: So how does that 19 go? We do our reports and they give us money for 20 638? 21 MR. TIPPECONNIE: What we're doing on 22 638, we have to spend money that we have that 23 comes from gaming first. Then we make the 24 reports, we show them we're living to the 25 contracts, then they reimburse us. The federal 52 1 government reimburses us, so we get the money 2 back. And we are getting money back, so it's 3 working. So hopefully -- 4 We have one other big project -- 5 well, two big ones we have to finish in addition 6 to that reporting, and that is get a new personnel 7 policy, which we have completed. So we're going 8 to put that in final form and have some legal 9 review of it. And then the other is to get a 10 handle on all the assets, all the buildings we 11 own, what their values are. We're working on that 12 right now, too. So these two big ones, we're 13 working on, and I hope we can get them done 14 sometime this year. 15 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: Personnel policy, 16 well, I hope there's a personnel board on there, 17 you know, somebody -- 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We're trying to do 19 everything smartly. 20 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: That we have an 21 appeal process or termination and hiring process; 22 everybody reviews employees or, you know, when an 23 employee exits or is fired. 24 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We'll follow 25 personnel policy and procedure, even though it's 53 1 mandated federally, because we have to on some 2 situations. Yes, we're going to have a good 3 policy. 4 MR. NELSON: Mr. Chairman, on this 5 revolving loan, last year's annual report is kind 6 of vague. Are we going to see in this year's 7 annual report the success stories or the failures 8 of this program? 9 MR. COFFEY: Mr. Orme, can you answer 10 that question? 11 MR. ORME: Sure. We will make a 12 report. 13 MR. NELSON: Will this report tell us 14 the failures and the success you have had in this 15 program, sir? 16 MR. ORME: Yes. We have to do that. 17 MR. NELSON: I know it's a have-to, 18 but it's a good gesture. 19 MR. ORME: Last year there were no 20 loans out, so -- the first loans were out in the 21 middle of December, so at the May time frame we 22 should know that status. So there wouldn't have 23 been a report in terms of yearly. 24 MR. NELSON: Did we have election 25 money in there for Revolving Loan last year, 54 1 didn't we? 2 MR. ORME: It was in the budget. 3 MR. NELSON: Okay. So the drawdown 4 for this loan -- 5 MR. ORME: In the fourth fiscal 6 quarter of last year. It was enacted at General 7 Council. 8 MR. NELSON: So you guys did not act 9 on any loans from the previous budget? 10 MR. ORME: In 2008, there were loans 11 -- there was $480,000 in loans made in 2008 in the 12 fourth quarter. 13 MR. NELSON: So your record is going 14 to show two years or just the one? 15 MR. ORME: Yeah, it will show two 16 years. It will show what the programs do. 17 Everybody has a right to know. If they're bad, 18 we're going to show it. 19 MR. TOM NARCOMEY: I say print it in 20 the newspaper. 21 MR. ORME: We have to be careful. 22 Some of the information is confidential. We're 23 not going to talk about individuals, but we will 24 talk about the program itself. 25 MR. COFFEY: Also, Mr. Orme, we have 55 1 two resolutions. One is approving the use of 2 Comanche Nation in a company name by Comanche 3 Nation Enterprises, and we'll talk about that in 4 executive session. 5 And, also, these two resolutions deal 6 with that very issue. Committee, on the back of 7 your resolutions, we have to amend Resolution 8 Number 27-09, Lewis Clark Southard Land 9 Acquisition Correcting Name, Township, and Range. 10 MR. TIPPECONNIE: There's some 11 corrections. I have to say that when we submit 12 these, there's a number of things that we have to 13 be sure we're putting in. For example, you can't 14 transpose township and range. We had it -- it 15 should go in order. And the second thing was we 16 always needs to have the acreage, so we're going 17 to have some amendments to be sure that they have 18 the acreage. 19 MR. COFFEY: Well, this one has to 20 deal with lands that are adjacent. Like here, 21 "Comanche Business Committee understands the 22 importance of acquiring lands with trust status, 23 especially when they are adjacent to existing 24 Comanche Nation trust lands and may afford 25 economic returns to the Nation." And that's the 56 1 purpose, correct? 2 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes. 3 MR. COFFEY: And, "Whereas, the 4 Comanche Business Committee understands the 5 owners of the following described trust land 6 owners may be willing to sell to Comanche Nation 7 in the amount of a BIA appraisal value or higher 8 as negotiated by the CBC: 9 "Allottee: Lewis Clark Southard- 10 Comanche Allotment Number 802-S-3243, containing 11 80 acres more or less. 12 "Be it further resolved, the Chairman 13 is authorized to act on behalf of the Comanche 14 Nation to direct and oversee the acquisition of 15 the above described property in coordination with 16 the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the land owner/s 17 on behalf of Comanche Nation." 18 That's it, correct? 19 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, and what was 20 -- the amendment, if you look at the heading, see, 21 it was just moving, like, Section 35, Township 4 22 South. It's just moving those to make the 23 correction in order. That's what this is. 24 MR. COFFEY: Do we have a motion to 25 approve? 57 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: And we're keeping 2 the same number of the resolution, we're just 3 amending the same. 4 MR. COFFEY: Okay. 5 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Approving the 6 amendment? 7 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yeah, approving the 8 amendment to get this township and range in the 9 correct order on the original. I make the motion 10 to approve it. 11 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. 12 MR. NARCOMEY: I second, 13 Mr. Chairman. 14 MR. COFFEY: We all know this tract 15 of land, how important it is to us. A motion has 16 been made. We'll have to put a number to this if 17 we don't have one, but it's still 27-09. 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yeah, I'm going to 19 leave it as 27-09. 20 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 21 Secretary/Treasurer Robert Tippeconnie to approve 22 Resolution Number 27-09 and the amendments, and a 23 second has been made by Committeeman Clyde 24 Narcomey. Do we have any discussion? 25 MR. ASEPERMY: Yes. I think that "Be 58 1 it further resolved" should not give the Chairman 2 the authorization to act on behalf of the Nation. 3 I think it should read that the Comanche Business 4 Committee as a whole is authorized to act on 5 behalf of the Comanche Nation Business Committee, 6 as stated in 52-09. I thought that we were going 7 to do all these land acquisitions where the 8 Comanche Business Committee as a whole. 9 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, yes. 10 MR. ASEPERMY: So can we change the 11 wording -- 12 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes. 13 MR. ASEPERMY: -- on "Be it further 14 resolved?" 15 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 16 to approve Resolution Number 27-09 with the 17 corrections, including "Be it further resolved 18 that the Comanche Business Committee is authorized 19 to act on behalf of the Comanche Nation." A 20 second has been made by Committeeman Clyde 21 Narcomey. Any further discussion? Hearing none, 22 all those in favor signify by saying "aye." 23 (Aye.) 24 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 25 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 59 1 carried. 2 Now we move over to new and old 3 business. 4 Kristen Thompson. Are you Kristen? 5 How old are you? 6 MISS THOMPSON: Twelve. 7 MR. COFFEY: You're 12? And you go 8 to school in Apache? 9 MISS THOMPSON: Yes. 10 MR. COFFEY: Junior National Youth 11 Leaders Conference, tell me about that. Are you a 12 Comanche girl? Do you run? Are you smart? 13 MISS THOMPSON: I am Kristen 14 Thompson. I'm a sixth grader at Apache, and I'm 15 an enrolled Comanche member. Thank you for 16 letting me speak here today about my National 17 Youth Leadership Conference. 18 I have been nominated and accepted by 19 a teacher at my school, Kerri Holly, along with 20 five other children, and I've been nominated based 21 on my scholarship, leadership and citizenship 22 qualities. 23 We will be in a classroom very long 24 hours being taught by some of the nation's top 25 ranking people. And we will be hearing from the 60 1 White House Press Secretary, the Director of the 2 FBI, former presidential ambassadors, and former 3 Attorney General Jeanette Reno. We will be going 4 to see the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War 5 Memorial, and the lighthouse, among others. 6 We've been working very hard to raise 7 the money to go. We have had a bake sale, a 50/50 8 raffle, a garage sale, a bake sale, and we've sold 9 candy. We've had several cash and merchandise 10 donations from local businesses and community 11 groups in Apache. Our tuition is close to $2000, 12 and it's not included -- it's not including 13 airfare. So we hope to raise up to $2500 for all 14 expenses each, for each of us. 15 MR. COFFEY: My uncle Lee Motah used 16 to say, "If somebody did something for me when I 17 was young, I might have grown up to become 18 somebody." I feel like, you know, we've already 19 got a little adult person right here. And my 20 mother used to always say don't turn your back on 21 those that look up to you, especially children. 22 They can be your heroes just as much as you look 23 up to somebody that's up in age as well. 24 Committee, what's y'all's thoughts? 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I want to ask a 61 1 question. You need $2500 total, that's with 2 airfare? How much have you earned in all of these 3 things? You've earned some? 4 MISS THOMPSON: Yes, we've earned -- 5 MRS. THOMPSON: I'm not sure of the 6 total, because we've got five other kids from 7 Apache and we've all been working together. We've 8 already paid the, what is it, 350 each for the 9 deposit. And we are struggling to pay for the 10 rest of their tuition, so we've got lots of fund 11 raisers going on right now. 12 MR. TIPPECONNIE: But I'd ask if the 13 2500, would the 300 be -- is it minus the 300? 14 MRS. THOMPSON: Yes. 15 MR. TIPPECONNIE: So there's some. 16 You don't need the total 25, you need something 17 less? 18 MRS. THOMPSON: Yes, yes. 19 MR. TIPPECONNIE: So it would be 20 something like 300 less, like 22 or something? 21 MRS. THOMPSON: Yes. 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I think we need to 23 talk about it here when we go in executive 24 session. 25 MR. COFFEY: We've got your phone 62 1 number here, don't we? If we make a donation, can 2 it be to her or the school? 3 MRS. THOMPSON: It can be to Kristen 4 or it can be to the organization called the D.C. 5 Kids. 6 MR. COFFEY: This is another thing I 7 think our people need to realize. If we make 8 donations to somebody and those W-9 forms are not 9 taken out, that's what happens. That's what we're 10 faced with. We never had to be worried about that 11 before, and all of a sudden the IRS went to these 12 churches that we helped donate and said, "Well, 13 who is responsible?" If you're not a 501(c)(3) 14 organization, you're going to be penalized. 15 So a lot of these groups have been 16 penalized by the IRS, not just us. But we tried 17 to make this where we can do things appropriate so 18 you won't be penalized and you parents won't be 19 penalized. 20 And check this out, Vern. She wants 21 to be a CSI investigator, so you might have a new 22 recruit just around the corner. Well, we 23 encourage you. 24 If you could see all of her 25 accomplishments, that's really awesome for a young 63 1 person. Blue ribbon, place second, she's all 2 around in various things, awards for many of the 3 activities. Thank you. 4 Committee, anything else you want to 5 say? 6 MR. ASEPERMY: When is this trip 7 scheduled? What's the dates of this trip? 8 MRS. THOMPSON: It's July the 11th 9 through 16th. 10 MR. ASEPERMY: When? 11 MISS THOMPSON: July 11th through the 12 16th. 13 MR. ASEPERMY: You know what I would 14 like to know is, I know you're doing all these 15 other things to raise money. Can you get with 16 Mr. Tippeconnie? And I know your request says 17 2500 for all expenses. Can you -- and I know you 18 split all your funding with the other four girls, 19 apparently. Can you get with Mr. Tippeconnie, 20 say, Monday, or as soon as possible, before the 21 16th, and tell him what you anticipate expenses 22 will be after all the fund raisers? Do you 23 understand what I'm saying? And do you have 24 Mr. Tippeconnie's number? 25 MR. COFFEY: You've got to include a 64 1 little money so she can buy some souvenirs. 2 MR. ASEPERMY: And pop. 3 MR. COFFEY: She might want to buy a 4 T-shirt, Obama shirt or something. You never 5 know. 6 Well, we will do something, Kristen, 7 and thank you. And do you have something that you 8 might want to share with us? 9 MRS. THOMPSON: She's got it taken 10 care of. She's handled it. 11 MR. COFFEY: You got to represent. 12 You're a Comanche girl. 13 MR. TIPPECONNIE: She's a straight-A 14 student, too. That's nice. 15 MR. COFFEY: If you're ever to ask 16 and look at our young people today, you ask 17 yourself were you that capable when you were that 18 age. I remember when I was in the first grade, 19 they asked me to say my ABCs and I couldn't even 20 say my ABCs in first grade. I could barely count 21 to 10. I could count to 10 in Comanche, but I 22 couldn't count to 10 in first grade. 23 And those times when I went to first 24 grade, I was classified as a Mongolian, because 25 there was only two classes of race, black and 65 1 white. And then when I became in the 6th grade, I 2 was classified as a Caucasian, because it was 3 evident my characteristics weren't Mongolian. And 4 I always say this, you know, when I became 5 Caucasian, I was a little white boy there for a 6 little while. Then in junior high I became an 7 American Indian; then in high school, Native 8 American; my undergraduate work I became an 9 Indigenous Group; got my masters in Sovereign 10 Nations; today I'm Other. 11 MR. NAUNI: I was going to say, you 12 were a lot better than I was. Because Mongolian, 13 I was Other when I went in the service. Boy, I 14 got hot about it. It's a wonder I didn't... the 15 first nine years I was in there, but I didn't. So 16 they changed it eventually to Native American or 17 whatever. 18 MR. COFFEY: You know, the census is 19 coming up, and we need to be very cognizant that 20 what we do for the census is going to determine 21 the amount of moneys that comes to Indian tribes. 22 In the year 2000 census, the American 23 Indian population increased probably by four 24 million people because everybody wanted to claim 25 their Indian ancestry. They may not know who they 66 1 are, what tribe they are, but they know that 2 they're Indian, and so the American Indian 3 population increased substantially during the 2000 4 census. So the 2010 census is coming up, and we 5 need to be included. 6 All right, Clara Acevedo. Is Clara 7 here? Have you received a letter about this? 8 MR. TIPPECONNIE: There are some 9 things in here. I don't know if it's -- we'll 10 talk about it when we go in executive. 11 MR. COFFEY: Sia/Reaffirm Official 12 Status as Tribal Eagle Program. You know, we're 13 very concerned about that, Bill, because I've been 14 getting e-mails all across USA about the FBI 15 cracking down on people selling eagle -- I know 16 that you will not find that here. I know that our 17 people will not buy or sell eagle fathers because 18 we have a tremendous amount of respect for that 19 majestic bird. But we're concerned, too. That's 20 just what I want to share with you. But you have 21 the floor. 22 MR. VOELKER: Thanks for bringing 23 that up, Chairman, and it is something we all need 24 to be cognizant about. I'd like to think that, 25 too, that our own people wouldn't be involved. 67 1 However, we've been dealing since early fall -- 2 which I indicated we've been on top of this. 3 We've been dealing daily with Fish and Wildlife 4 Service. And at this point, their undercover work 5 involves every state other than Hawaii. So we've 6 got people all over the country. Unfortunately 7 we've got a case just right down the road where 8 there's been the illegal killing of birds 9 explicitly for sale of money. 10 And the most important thing to get 11 across, before I get into what I've got time for, 12 is that it's commerce. No one is being busted for 13 possession. Originally, the Chairman got calls, 14 we got lots of call, people were concerned: 15 Native American Church people, Elders that had 16 historic items. Word was out, you know, our 17 Indian folks are being busted for feathers. 18 Again, it's not about possession 19 One thing Clinton did when he was in 20 the White House is he issued an Executive Order 21 directed toward the Law Enforcement Division of 22 Fish and Wildlife Service where native people, in 23 regard to possession of feathers, were basically 24 untouchable. However, what the agents are 25 currently going after is those people -- and 68 1 there's quite a sophisticated undercover black 2 market in the United States in Indian Country. 3 What they're going after are those individuals who 4 are deliberately killing eagles, hawks, falcons, 5 owls, water birds, for the sale of the feathers. 6 These are not our traditional 7 people. These aren't people that have, you know, 8 a traditional heart. It's people that are in it 9 just for the money. And, unfortunately, there are 10 people that have the money to spend, so -- and 11 it's not only Native American people that are 12 being busted. There are non-Indian as well. 13 But it's a lot of our Indian folks 14 that have been apprehended, and it comes as close 15 as Anadarko as far as the federal work that's 16 going on. 17 So, in speaking with Sia, this is one 18 of the things that we feel we're charged to stay 19 on top of. We have a great relationship with the 20 United States Fish and Wildlife Service in order 21 to deal with our native species that we care for. 22 You can't do that, even as native people, without 23 very specific federal and state level permits. 24 What I've done is I've provided a 25 text here. We're not asking for anything in 69 1 addition to what we already have. I think part of 2 the problem is we've operated at the Tribal level 3 for so many years now that some folks tend to 4 forget how we got started. 5 In 1999, I came before the CBC at 6 that time and asked initially for a period for an 7 assessment study to see if we could incorporate my 8 life's work under the Tribal umbrella, if there 9 was a need amongst our people. It was very 10 evident at the time there was. 11 The primary focus was feathers, of 12 course, but my work for the last four or plus 13 decades has been involved not only with plumage, 14 feather production, captive breeding, various 15 other behavioral research, as well as the historic 16 side of what our medicine birds mean to us. So 17 the division of Sia was formulated. Sia, of 18 course, is our Comanche word for feather. 19 And we didn't want to restrict 20 ourselves just to the eagle, although the eagle is 21 our key bird in our religious perspective. There 22 are many other species of birds that we need to 23 look at, and particularly from the law enforcement 24 side of things. We use flicker feathers, we use 25 water birds, and kingdom feathers. 70 1 Right now there's no legal means for 2 us to have those feathers, even if we're sitting 3 in the peyote. There's not a legal means to 4 acquire those feathers today. That's one of the 5 things Sia has been working on for the last eight 6 years. 7 And I am thrilled to announce -- the 8 Chairman is aware of this. CBC members, this 9 gives me an opportunity to tell you. After many 10 months of trying to get an appointment with our 11 Regional Director of Fish and Wildlife Service in 12 Albuquerque -- they were hemhawing around and they 13 weren't getting back to us. We were getting a 14 little paranoid about it. 15 Well, the reason for the delay is the 16 Regional Director was checking everyone's calendar 17 to make sure he could decide on a date to come to 18 our Sia headquarters. So the Regional Director of 19 the Fish and Wildlife Service is honoring our work 20 by coming to Sia. He's bringing the heads of law 21 enforcement, the heads of Migratory Bird Office, 22 and we're going to have an important meeting 23 there. So it's major happening to us, and I just 24 wanted to share that with everybody. But it 25 speaks to how we're really the cutting edge. 71 1 MR. COFFEY: Let me know when that 2 time is. 3 MR. VOELKER: June 2nd. And we just 4 got word not long ago. 5 Basically, Sia has just addressed all 6 aspects of the eagle and other birds in our 7 lives. We still don't get the visitation at our 8 center that we thought we would have at this 9 point, but we are open for appointment, 10 visitation. We're in the phone book. All you 11 have to do is call, and we're happy to give tours 12 if you're just by yourself or if you've got a 13 group. We entertain many school groups, rotary, 14 lots of big groups. 15 At any rate, in addition to that, and 16 something that my helper with the project that 17 actually sold his house in Minnesota to move back 18 to Comanche Country just so he could help support 19 the effort, wanted me to make sure that everyone 20 is aware, is it took getting our facilities 21 completed before we had Comanche birds that we 22 could call our own that will be with us for their 23 entire life to molt fathers for Tribal members. 24 But in 1999 when I first came before 25 the CBC, it was important that -- you know, here 72 1 I'm presenting this idea of a Tribal eagle and 2 feather program, but it was essential, and I know 3 our people. I couldn't be talking about this 4 without being able to satisfy the need our folks 5 had. So from day one we have been giving out 6 feathers, legally molted feathers that are 7 certified and inventoried in our collection. But 8 all of those feathers come from my previous 30 9 plus years of work keeping eagles under permit. 10 But we finally have our own birds, as 11 the Chairman has seen, at our facility. We're at 12 the point of having to enlarge our facility. So 13 once again, as I've done several times in public 14 forum here, I invite everybody to come see us, 15 come visit with us. See not only our living 16 birds, but we have a specific area designed so 17 Tribal members can come sit. We had one of our 18 Elders come and I bet she was out there three 19 hours just sitting, spending time with nature. 20 And that's what we're all about from 21 the library side, is our folks have lost that 22 connection with the living bird, so we're trying 23 to bring that back, and we're seeing it happen, in 24 addition to the feather disbursal that we're 25 doing. 73 1 And we have an archival library, not 2 only for studying our specific history with the 3 eagle and other birds, but with other aspects of 4 our culture. We have an archival facility. Those 5 of you that have been see that it in deed rivals 6 the environment security that institutes like the 7 Smithsonian may offer our historic artifacts. And 8 we focus on those items that speak to our eagle 9 history. 10 So it's many things. We're even a 11 conservatory. We're trying to influence some 12 Comanche students to go the route of botany. We 13 desperately need an ethnobotanist. You can't talk 14 about the eagle without looking at all the rest of 15 the environment, so we're trying to encourage 16 that. Sometimes it looks like we're trying to do 17 everything, but we've identified some key areas 18 that we really need support with. 19 So, I can go on and on about what 20 we're doing, but y'all come visit us. 21 MR. COFFEY: Kristen, have you ever 22 seen an eagle up close? 23 MISS THOMPSON: Yes. 24 MR. COFFEY: He's got them over at 25 his place. And we also, in the Comanche way, we 74 1 have an eagle song, eagle dance song, and we have 2 a horse song, we have a buffalo song. We have a 3 wide range of songs that are related to the 4 animals, especially the eagle. And if you ever 5 get a chance, maybe you might take some of your 6 students, your class, to go and see his project 7 and be their guide, because it's really something 8 to see. 9 MR. VOELKER: Kristen, were you in 10 any of the groups in Apache that we brought 11 Doris? 12 MISS THOMPSON: Yes, yes. 13 MR. VOELKER: We've been to their 14 school with programs. Each year, in addition to 15 what Troy and I can do as far as giving programs 16 in schools, we bring our good friend Doris. She 17 had a golden eagle that reproduced years ago. And 18 I believe we left a copy of the book about that 19 bird at your school. So you've seen some of our 20 educational programs. So she's already benefited 21 from what we do. 22 We've got a large family of Sia 23 people that can also be experts in not only this 24 country, but abroad. We're involved with the 25 Spanish government in an ongoing research program 75 1 with the Spanish Imperial Eagle. We've elevated 2 our science with regard to feathers to the highest 3 level. We've partnered with Guelph, University of 4 Guelph in Ontario, for DNA analysis of feather 5 components and historic artifacts. 6 I mean, we are leading, the Comanches 7 are leading in everything to do with feathers and 8 Native American people. It's always been a 9 problem area for the Fish and Wildlife Service. 10 Sometimes they just don't know what to do. Any of 11 you that have applied for a bird through the feds 12 know that you can wait seven years sometimes in 13 order to get a bird, and then it's not what you've 14 asked for. 15 So we're producing our own feathers 16 for our Tribal members here. We're proposing 17 sweeper changes within Fish and Wildlife Service. 18 That has a lot to do with the fact that the 19 Regional Director is coming to Sia. 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Bill, would you 21 again site those birds, native birds and the 22 feathers people can collect? 23 MR. VOELKER: Actually, it's easier 24 if I tell the ones you can't. Only birds whose 25 feathers -- except from captive birds, chickens 76 1 and turkeys and things. But the only wild birds 2 that you can legally take feathers from are the 3 pigeon, the Starling, and the House Sparrow. 4 Everything else is federally and state protected 5 under the guise of the Migratory Bird Act. But 6 I'm glad you asked that. 7 You know, even if you're walking 8 along and you find, say, a flicker feather. You 9 know the importance in our culture of that 10 feather. You know, it's illegal because you can't 11 prove you didn't go out and shoot that bird. 12 But we're working, and just bear with 13 us a little longer. We're really working hard to 14 change these so that we can distribute at a Tribal 15 level, and we'll be the very first onces. And we 16 see ourselves making -- as being the template so 17 all the other tribes can follow. 18 We've been involved with every tribe 19 involved with the captive maintenance of eagles 20 and other birds. Actually, we're training with 21 Potawatomie Nation right now. They have two 22 people that have committed to establishing their 23 own aviary. So we're really out there showing 24 other tribes how to do this, what to do, and 25 coming from a historic perspective. So we feel 77 1 very good about our position. 2 My main reason for being here 3 today -- like I said, I'm not asking for anything 4 different from what we got back in '99 and 2000, 5 but we've had some challenges to who we are as a 6 program. We are unique in that in our almost 10 7 years of existence, we've only had funding, line 8 item funding for one year. We are responsible for 9 raising our funds, as I've done for decades. And 10 we are unique in the Tribe in that we have secured 11 our own 501(c)(3) status, which is a nonprofit 12 status, so we have the ability to raise funds. 13 We're actually shooting for an 14 endowment so that we never have to worry about 15 eking through these difficult financial times like 16 we have today. I have to admit, we've been hit 17 hard. But this is the only way we'll survive. So 18 we're unique, we have that status to raise our own 19 funds, which we've had to do. 20 But when I first came to the CBC that 21 was sitting back in '99, it was with the idea we 22 can do this. You know, let's use outside funding 23 rather than use our own funding. Because it's 24 silly to use our own money if there's other money 25 out there. 78 1 And earlier, before we had this in 2 501(c)(3) status, fortunately we had other 3 501(c)(3)s that we worked the program under so we 4 could funnel money through them. So it's been a 5 real effort, but we've succeeded. And, like I 6 say, just come see. You'd almost have to be there 7 to see what we're doing to understand it. 8 So basically what this resolution is 9 requesting is you reaffirm our official status. 10 And I very clearly -- I very carefully chose the 11 word, and you'll see that it says "without 12 guarantee of funding" in that first "Therefore be 13 it resolved." 14 And then I addressed the -- last 15 August I brought a piece of land that we had 16 acquired for use of space for the Sia facility. 17 We've outgrown where we are in town. We actually 18 secured 50 acres. I only asked the Tribe to 19 purchase 25 of that, and that is the home for 20 Phase 2 for Sia. 21 There's been some question as to how 22 that land best be used. But originally when I 23 brought it to you, it was for our usage. And I'm 24 very specific. That's why we spell it out. The 25 only thing that we propose having on that 25 acres 79 1 are those facilities that would directly benefit 2 Tribal members. Basically the bulk of eagles that 3 we'll be housing that will molt feathers for 4 Tribal members will be there. 5 The benefit, it's only three minutes 6 out to Cyril. We can -- it's close enough we can 7 have cameras at the facility that we can monitor 8 back in the office in town. 9 But only live bird holding 10 facilities. We will have a residence on the 11 adjacent 25 acres so that someone can be a 12 resident. But we're not even going so far as to 13 utilize it for, you know, someone's residence, 14 even though the caretaker of birds will be there. 15 This 25 acres will be used explicitly for the 16 purpose as I originally brought it to you last 17 August. 18 So it's two items being presented 19 here in the text of this resolution. 20 MR. NARCOMEY: So y'all own 25 acres 21 already? 22 MR. VOELKER: We bought it. It 23 became available three years ago. I was able to 24 go to patrons and secure funding to buy it, then I 25 sold it back to you all. 80 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: In the name of the 2 Tribe. 3 MR. VOELKER: It's in Tribal 4 ownership, and this is Comanche Allotment land 5 that can be put back into trust. And the most 6 important reason for selling it to the Tribe last 7 August was the fact that it opens up our ability 8 to apply for federal grants, grants that are not 9 available to us unless the portion of our project 10 that we're applying for those grants for is on 11 tribally owned land. It doesn't have to be trust 12 land, but it has to be tribally owned. So that is 13 a major consideration and why the Tribe needed to 14 own that 25 acres. 15 MR. ASEPERMY: I have a question. 16 Robert, in order to make this resolution work, are 17 we going to be required to do a lease? He's 18 asking -- 19 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We should have some 20 documentation to describe what he's undertaking 21 with the Nation on the site, you know, other than 22 saying, you know, you can -- 23 MR. ASEPERMY: His resolution says, 24 "be provided Sia for specifically and exclusively 25 for activities that directly benefit." Should we 81 1 have a lease? If that's going to have to be part 2 of the -- so you don't have to come up here every 3 year, you know, stuff like that, can we do like a 4 long-term lease, 10, 15? 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We have to have 6 some kind of agreements lease, as you're using, to 7 say you can occupy or use the land, because it's 8 in the name of the Nation. And it may be because 9 you're non-profit, you know, not have a fee, so to 10 speak, but -- and I can't answer that fully, but 11 I'd say it may not because of that, but we need to 12 put that in a different document. 13 MR. ASEPERMY: And you are going to 14 provide -- and I wrote this question down. Can 15 you provide birds of prey feathers and plumes 16 legally to our Tribal members? 17 MR. COFFEY: Not yet. 18 MR. VOELKER: Oh, no, we have been 19 for the past 10 years. 20 MR. ASEPERMY: Eagle feathers, eagle 21 plumes legally? Okay. So you are providing that 22 service right now? 23 MR. VOELKER: We have since 1999. 24 Every one of our Comanche princesses, and most of 25 the princesses of the other clubs, Little Ponies 82 1 and the others, they wear a Sia feather. It's so 2 gratifying when you look out across that dance 3 ring and we see all those first year golden eagle 4 feathers. 5 MR. ASEPERMY: The lease? 6 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, we'll work 7 that out under this if we agree to this. But it 8 needs to be maybe some language under this. 9 MR. VOELKER: This is just a draft. 10 MR. COFFEY: So he won't have to come 11 year after year after year. If we do, let's make 12 it Resolution Number 58-09. But we'll talk 13 amongst ourselves. 14 MR. VOELKER: The purpose of getting 15 that done right now, when the Regional Director is 16 here, if you could, I would like to do a ground 17 breaking on Phase 2. He's not aware of that, but 18 we might as well utilize his time here. 19 MR. NARCOMEY: So what is this going 20 to cost the Tribe, anything? 21 MR. VOELKER: No, that's why I say 22 "without guarantee of funding." Now there have 23 been times, some specific instances over the last 24 nine years where a Tribal Administrator has found 25 a little money here and there to help a specific 83 1 project, but we have only had funding for one 2 year. 3 Actually, some of you may remember I 4 went before the General Council. We got a 5 two-year vote of the people, two years of funding; 6 however, the then-sitting CBC decided to cut that 7 in half, and so we only got one year of funding. 8 Which hurt, because we had dollar for dollar 9 match. 186,000 we were supposed to get one year 10 was matched, so it really cost us twice that. 11 But, you know -- and I just hope -- 12 and it's not sour grapes. I just hope that those 13 of you who are here listening realize our 14 commitment. 15 And something else, which many are 16 unaware of. Fortunately, with speaking 17 engagements and consultation work we do, we can 18 eke out our own livelihood other ways. There 19 hasn't been a penny of salary come to either Troy 20 or myself in these nearly 10 years. And it's all 21 been because, you know, we're committed, and we 22 appreciate the Tribe's commitment to making this 23 work. 24 MS. ISAAC: Now we know. What do 25 eagle's eat? 84 1 MR. VOELKER: They eat better than we 2 do. We feed nothing but whole animal food. Even 3 some of the zoos will feed prepared mixes. But in 4 the wild, birds stay in prime health because they 5 eat whole animal food. So we have suppliers who 6 raise rats, quail, rabbit, but it's all whole 7 animal food that's essential. 8 MS. ISAAC: What about yellowhammer? 9 Are they -- 10 MR. VOELKER: Legally, acquiring them 11 is the legal problem. You know, once again, the 12 most important thing is no sale. There can't be 13 any -- you can't even trade. Like if you have 14 some fans that you want this fellow to weave for 15 you, that's fine, but you can't trade him feathers 16 to do that. 17 MS. ISAAC: And if we find them, is 18 there a process to go to so we can feel safe at 19 home with them? 20 MR. VOELKER: If you find them, 21 technically, as far as the letter of the law, 22 we're not even allowed. Although there are some 23 case that are actually pending right now where a 24 refuge is allowed, if the refuge people pick them 25 up and then hand them off. It's a different part 85 1 of the law. 2 MS. ISAAC: We found a yellowhammer 3 beak or bird at the cemetery. And then we found a 4 red-tailed hawk on the road, and my son just threw 5 it in the back of the truck. So that was illegal? 6 MR. VOELKER: You know, we're not 7 going to waste. You know, our old folks taught 8 us, if you find a dead bird or feathers, it's a 9 gift. So officially I can't tell you to pick up a 10 hawk that's killed on the road; however, we have a 11 salvage permit that we've just cleared the last 12 hurdle. It will be issued. So Sia will be able 13 to legally pick up dead birds and process the 14 feathers so that those feathers are available to 15 Tribal members. 16 But once again, every feather that 17 leaves us is either microchipped or RS IDed, in 18 addition to the digital photography images we're 19 taking. I know it sounds crazy, and if I -- but 20 the deal is, bottom line, the stand we take is: 21 Okay, if we're saying these commodities, these 22 protected feathers are that important for us 23 spiritually, by golly, we need to be able to rise 24 to the highest level of science and assure their 25 identity. 86 1 Matter of fact, we have a case. 2 Somebody had a fan stolen here a couple of months 3 ago after a member of the family died and received 4 feathers from us. They're all freaking out. They 5 know who got it. Well, that set of feathers has a 6 microchip in it. Those feathers were returned. 7 We didn't even have to scan it. 8 So there's benefits as far as 9 ownership, there are benefits of -- but the main 10 things is, we've raised the bar so high, so much 11 higher than the Fish and Wildlife Service has ever 12 thought of, but we're doing it ourselves. It's a 13 Comanche effort and we're leading the pack, so -- 14 MS. CRAIG: Bill, if I brought a 15 red-tailed hawk to you that I found on the side of 16 the road in my backyard, will you prepare it? 17 MR. VOELKER: If you brought it in, 18 there's what they call a short-term, it's a matter 19 of hours, Good Samaritan Clause with us being able 20 to accept those birds. And once the salvage 21 permit is in place, then we can turn around, once 22 it's registered and we log it in, and we can give 23 it to you. 24 MS. CRAIG: Well, I found one, and I 25 picked it up, but I didn't know how to prepare it. 87 1 MR. VOELKER: This is another 2 important service. We still have people -- and we 3 don't deter our folks from applying to the Eagle 4 Feather Repository to get feathers. Usually it's 5 a whole bird. 6 In the old days, there were certain 7 people in the Tribe that had that knowledge and 8 responsibility of processing the carcass of the 9 eagle. There's a very sensitive issue. And 10 there's certain ways that we have about doing 11 this. There's certain ways that you dispose of 12 that body. You never bury it. That's taboo. You 13 place an emblem. We have that knowledge, we help 14 many of our Tribal members process their carcasses 15 that they're getting, so they can get the benefit 16 of all the feathers there, and then know that the 17 carcass has been -- 18 Actually, we have ranch owners in the 19 tip of the Oklahoma Pan Handle, not far from a 20 golden eagle nest that bears our historic Comanche 21 mark. We have a few nests west and northwest of 22 here that our folks have been going to for 23 hundreds of years and some of them still bear our 24 mark, very specific Comanche marks, in these 25 nesting places where golden eagles nest to this 88 1 very day. So by our going back and taking records 2 from these nesting sites, we're keeping that 3 unbroken chain of our ancestors going to these 4 sites. That's very important. 5 But right there, one of these 6 ranchers has given us a canyon. There's a 7 wonderful wall rock canyon. And we're rock burial 8 people. And we have places where we bundle these 9 eagle carcasses after all the feathers are taken 10 and put them away that way. So we do lots of 11 things. And like I said, come visit and you'll 12 see what we're all about. 13 MR. COFFEY: Before rock burial, what 14 were we? 15 MR. VOELKER: Well, we've talked 16 about this. There's evidence of scaffold burials, 17 too. 18 MR. COFFEY: That's right. That's 19 why I think the Dodd property will be ideal for us 20 MR. VOELKER: You mentioned the Dodd 21 property. One more thing. Every time we leave 22 our place, we're doing field work. We have 23 records on 110 resident nesting pairs of 24 red-tailed hawks in Caddo, Comanche and Grady 25 County. But on that property and across the road, 89 1 a very rare white-tailed kite. You know our 2 Mississippi kites, little gray birds we have in 3 the summer that come up from Argentina and spend 4 the summer with us. Well, a bird identical size, 5 but a bird that used to be here but's been gone, 6 they now occur on the coast of Texas and then 7 California. But an adult male has shown up and it 8 frequents that property back and forth. So we 9 were just getting records not long ago -- 10 MR. COFFEY: I saw scissor-tails, 11 too, the past few days. They're coming back. 12 Usually it's April and October. And they're 13 beautiful, I tell you. 14 Okay. Committee, anything? Ron, you 15 had something you want to share with us? 16 MR. REDELK: Yesterday I was visiting 17 with our Secretary/Treasurer, Robert Tippeconnie. 18 From that visit, it left me a little perplexed, I 19 guess, because I was feeling a variety of 20 emotions. First it was anger, and then confusion, 21 and then -- I just need to know how to accept it. 22 You've heard spoke today that this 23 CBC is -- has a good chemistry, that we work well 24 together. We don't always agree, but we work well 25 together. But this conversation was that on the 90 1 26th of March, we passed some motions and some 2 resolutions, and the topic of the conversation was 3 that Chairman Coffey did not sign off on this one 4 motion, and it was unanimously agreed upon by the 5 CBC. 6 So in that, that's my confusion and 7 my question. Is this motion dead? Does it carry 8 on? Can anybody on the CBC answer that? 9 MR. COFFEY: No, you have to sign it, 10 because you chaired that portion of the meeting. 11 I didn't chair that portion of the meeting, you 12 did. So, Mr. Secretary, can I ask that you put his 13 name on the signature list for those two motions 14 that were made, because I left. 15 And these two items were not on any 16 agenda. These two items were not on any agenda. 17 So whatever y'all committeemen came up with, there 18 was no agenda that said that this was going to be 19 discussed. This came out of your own personal 20 interest. That's why I'm saying I'm not going to 21 sign it, because it was not on the agenda. You 22 chaired that meeting so you sign that motion. 23 MR. REDELK: It was mentioned for the 24 record a month ago that that issue would be 25 brought forward. We approved the minutes. It may 91 1 have not been on the 26th agenda, but it was -- it 2 was going to be brought forward, and I made that 3 perfectly clear to the entire CBC. 4 MR. COFFEY: And that's the reason 5 why I'm saying this. So, Kelly, for the record, I 6 was not privileged to be here for this meeting, 7 and I feel like why should I sign when I wasn't 8 chair of this meeting? So that's what I'm going 9 to say for the record. 10 Anybody else before we go into 11 executive session? 12 MR. NELSON: Yes, just for the 13 record. For the record, I called for a question 14 to have a motion be put on the floor, you elected 15 body. I'm an enrolled Comanche Nation member. I 16 tried to be put on this agenda, Mr. Chairman. Of 17 course, they say there's a week guideline for 18 this. Is there a resolution mandating a week 19 guideline to be put on the agenda? I've never 20 seen one. I feel, as an enrolled Comanche, 21 whenever you have a question to be put towards you 22 people that we elect, that the question should be 23 put on the floor, put at the table, and voted on. 24 It comes to the Code of Ethics, 25 Mr. Secretary/Treasurer. It comes to Election 92 1 Board Ordinances. What we have is a current 2 Tribal Administrator already advocating his 3 candidacy for chairman. You can see it on the 4 electronic signs in Lawton, Oklahoma, you can see 5 it with the staff here in the Comanche complex 6 getting T-shirts effecting this effort. 7 So I ask you, Mr. Chairman, is this 8 ethical? Is this part of our guidelines of the 9 Election Ordinance? The constitution bears to say 10 other, but then again our constitution is always 11 up for grabs. So I call that question. 12 MR. COFFEY: I can't answer that. 13 But I have been told, and it was said in this 14 meeting at one time, that this person was in 15 Dallas, Texas handing out $50 bills. So whoever 16 is going to run for chairman, get your $50 bills 17 ready. 18 MS. ISAAC: Or give them the big 19 coins that the CIVA buys for votes. 20 MR. COFFEY: Yes, Robert? 21 MR. NAUNI: When I was on the 22 Committee, I guess back in '98 and '99, we had 23 adopted an ordinance that no employees are to 24 campaign during working hours or not have any kind 25 of political activities during working hours. And 93 1 I, too, have received calls that Mr. Wauqua was 2 handing out T-shirts and hats, which, you know, 3 it's unfortunate. 4 He's the Tribal Administrator that's 5 supposed to uphold the ordinances of this 6 organization, but he's the one violating it. But 7 I would hope that you gentlemen there would take 8 issue of this today. And I think it's only fair 9 that he, you know, remove himself, or you remove 10 him as Tribal Administrator, because he has all 11 the advantages. 12 If he's to going run for chairman, 13 that's fine. Anyone has that opportunity. But 14 when you're in the Tribal Administration position, 15 you have the opportunity to make promises to 16 individuals for employment opportunity. So I 17 would like the Business Committee today, in their 18 executive session, consider this situation here, 19 because it is most important to the fairness and 20 the integrity of our Nation in the future. Thank 21 you. 22 MR. COFFEY: Well, just around the 23 corner, we'll be looking forward to the 24 nominations. Sometimes it was anticipated when 25 somebody's nominated, then the campaigning begins, 94 1 but there are some individuals that don't believe 2 that that's necessary. And whether it's ethical 3 or not, that's up to that individual, and some 4 people do not abide by those ethical standards. 5 MS. ISAAC: But he's the Tribal 6 Administrator. He needs to just quit. 7 MR. COFFEY: But his position was 8 hired by the General Council. 9 MS. ISAAC: So was the Election Board 10 and everybody's picking on them. They were 11 elected by our communities and they need to be let 12 go. 13 MR. COFFEY: They've got one more 14 term on their term of election, and then next year 15 they can either be reelected be replaced. 16 MS. ISAAC: Right. So I would like 17 this committee to make sure that whoever is always 18 picking on that board, to leave them alone. 19 They've got their job to do and they need to do 20 it. 21 MR. COFFEY: Well, we're talking 22 about five different things here -- 23 MS. CRAIG: But it all goes to the 24 same thing. When you're talking about one thing, 25 it also leads to another. And this is what I was 95 1 talking about a while ago. The problems are there 2 and we just keep talking and nothing gets 3 resolved. 4 And I have a -- I have a bone to pick 5 with Mr. Asepermy, because he has always picked on 6 this Election Board. And if he is so concerned 7 about the Election Board and what they spend out 8 of their budget, why doesn't he go and spend time 9 with them and see exactly what they do, especially 10 prior to election time? 11 It is a job. I served on the 12 Election Board a little while, and I know what 13 they went through. I know I wasn't on there 14 permanently, I was an alternate. But these people 15 are doing a good job. I'm not just saying it just 16 because my daughter's on there, whether it was 17 anybody else or not. 18 They're scrutinized by him all the 19 time. And if you are going to scrutinize people, 20 Lanny, let's go down to HIP Program and scrutinize 21 them. I've said that before, too. Have a line 22 item with them. They have a budget to go by, but 23 every time someone goes down there, "We're out of 24 funds. We can't do this." 25 But the next person goes down there, 96 1 they say, "Oh, I'm getting me a cellar. They're 2 giving me a cellar." I don't want a cellar. I 3 put in for a cellar three or four years ago. I 4 never got it. You know why? Because it's me, and 5 I open my mouth too much and I talk, so basically 6 nobody likes me, but that's fine. I'm still going 7 to talk. And, again, if you're on that Election 8 Board all the time, sit with them and see what 9 they do. Maybe then your mind will be changed 10 about a few things. It needs to change. 11 MR. COFFEY: Mr. Nauni, you have 12 something else you want to say? 13 MR. NAUNI: The other point I wanted 14 to bring up to today is, when General Council 15 passed the resolution to elect Election Board 16 members from the communities here locally, and I 17 know -- you know, I'm not the only one that 18 assumed that they would handle all the election 19 processes and procedures. 20 Well, from what I understand, the 21 absentee ballots are being handled by a company 22 out of Albuquerque. Now, I've had I know three 23 relatives that have complained about that, because 24 they get their election ballots too late in order 25 for it to be mailed back in time for this 97 1 election. And, also, too, I have my own personal 2 family members that have received election ballots 3 and they're not even on the Comanche roll. So, 4 you know, evidently that process is foul. 5 And I can't understand why the 6 Election Board can't handle all the ballots 7 locally as well as the absentee ballots. It's 8 been done in the past prior to several years ago. 9 It just seems like that we can probably, you know, 10 better handle the whole election, you know, if -- 11 from the Election Board standpoint. 12 MR. COFFEY: Well, the intention was 13 to resolve that absentee issue by having elected 14 Election Board members. I don't know if that's 15 been improved or what, but that's the job that 16 they have to do. And they're aware of it. 17 Charles, did you have something you wanted to 18 share here? 19 MR. WELLS: Yeah, I'll address his 20 comments there. 21 All the absentee requests are sent 22 from Albuquerque to recipients here in Oklahoma 23 and all over the 50 states where we have 24 Comanches. Those requests come back to this 25 complex, and they are logged in daily, and those 98 1 requests are then processed. After the General 2 Council meeting and we have candidates, those 3 requests are then sent a ballot from this office. 4 So we do the elections here. The 5 company in Albuquerque facilitates the tabulation, 6 they facilitate the mail out of the absentee 7 request forms. 8 Now, the incoming election, being a 9 very big election with the chairman and vice chair 10 and the budget, will be an entire big form. Now, 11 we have voted as far as a Board to send the 12 ballots from Albuquerque this time because they'll 13 be in such a large envelope. 14 Now, this has occurred every year in 15 the past with even the old Election Board. Once 16 they get the ballots -- sometimes they don't get 17 the ballots even when they're sent from here until 18 a week before the election. Because last year we 19 sent the ballots out from here, and some people 20 didn't get their ballots until a week before the 21 election. 22 Now, it's not the Election Board's 23 problem there, it's the post office box. The post 24 office is not putting these ballots to the Tribal 25 members. We don't know how to fix this. But, you 99 1 know, we've talked to the post office and they 2 said, "Well, we send it out the first time we get 3 it." So we are continuing talks with the post 4 office to see exactly how we can improve on this. 5 There also has been mention that we 6 attach postage to those ballots so that the Tribal 7 member does not have to put money on those to send 8 them back in, because they are such a large 9 ballot. You know, that is something that we could 10 look at, but it's still -- 11 MR. WASSAPITTY: I got something to 12 say about that. My name is John Wassapitty. And 13 I think that we could just get with FedEx or UPS, 14 and just get a -- and that way, you know, I mean, 15 it's certified. You know what I mean? We 16 contract. I mean, what's that going to cost us, 17 about $7500 or something like that? 18 But what we do is go ahead and send 19 it certified to the Tribal members. You know what 20 I mean? They get their per caps, so, I mean -- 21 you know what I mean? They ain't got no problem 22 with that. So we send it to that same address 23 that we send the per caps to, but then we also 24 send a return envelope, so it ain't going to cost 25 nothing. They can fill it out and stick it right 100 1 back in the mailbox. 2 So it's paid for, and that would be a 3 surefire way instead of putting it on the U.S. 4 Government saying it takes so long. We can do it 5 certified overnight one day, and everything be 6 accounted for. You know how they got scanning 7 like that. 8 And then with a preaddressed envelope 9 back, and add that little bit of money to your 10 budget, where that way, you know what I mean, 11 there ain't no blame or nothing. Put a UPS or 12 FedEx, and then -- then with the self-addressed, 13 self-back envelope. That way -- some people ain't 14 even got money for a stamp. So just make sure, 15 you know, send it and it gets back like that. 16 That's what I think about that. 17 I'd like to speak after -- I have 18 something else to say about my little proposal 19 about something when you guys get a chance. If 20 you'd let me speak, I'd appreciate it. 21 MR. WELLS: To address his comment 22 there, we sent a FedEx to Ramona Burgess in 23 Washington, D.C. It cost us $45. 24 MR. WASSAPITTY: Not with a bulk 25 rate, it wouldn't. No, with a bulk rate like 101 1 that, they give you a set price. 2 MR. WELLS: There is no such price. 3 MR. ASEPERMY: Charles, the return 4 cost on a ballot that's mailed back last year was 5 97 cents, just to let you know. And some of our 6 people -- 7 MR. WELLS: Usually, it always occurs 8 during the election process, we have a postal 9 increase. We're getting ready to have another 10 one. 11 MR. ASEPERMY: I'm sure it's higher 12 this year. 13 MR. NAUNI: This is why I say that I 14 don't know why the Election Board is going through 15 Albuquerque. Handle it yourself. That's what the 16 people elected you for, to handle all of the 17 process yourself. That way you won't have a big 18 gap between Albuquerque and Lawton, Oklahoma. You 19 control the mailing, because it's right here. 20 But, you know, to know about problems 21 and say, well, this and that, we still know, I 22 don't accept that, and you shouldn't either. 23 You're the Election Board Chairman. If there's a 24 problem, fix it. 25 Because if we don't fix the problem, 102 1 and then this happens continuously, somebody can 2 come up to the Election Board and say, well, you 3 know, I'm going to protest this election. And 4 just because we're not taking care of the 5 problems, the election is protested, and we have 6 to do it all over again. See what the cost would 7 be involved in that, redoing the election. 8 MR. WELLS: Since the Election Board 9 has took over, we have not had a protest. 10 MR. NAUNI: I know you don't have a 11 protest, but I'm saying that there are protests 12 that can be done. The problem here is that, you 13 know, people always say, well, you've got to pay 14 $1,000 to protest. Well, peoples not going to 15 pay. 16 MR. WELLS: In some tribes it's more 17 than $1,000. It's 2,000, 4,000. 18 MR. NAUNI: But the point is, the 19 General Council had elected 12 people to take care 20 of this election process, and they should do it on 21 their own. They shouldn't be contracting this. 22 MR. WELLS: We don't have the 23 machines to do the tabulations. 24 MR. NAUNI: Get the machines. 25 MR. WASSAPITTY: Buy them. Whoever 103 1 is going to run our Tribe, it's worth that much to 2 oversee our Nation. It's a good investment. 3 MR. NAUNI: We've got a big old 4 $400,000-something bus that I don't know why we 5 ever bought out there. We can afford to pay for 6 voting. 7 MR. WASSAPITTY: Why should the 8 object become for the people, though? You know 9 what I'm saying? They've got programs -- that's 10 like a program. A program with $250,000, you 11 know, would run a program for a year, but we need 12 that so our votes can count. Use that as a 13 program. Yeah, it costs money, but so does paying 14 for the people out there that ain't got nothing to 15 do with our Tribe. 16 MR. NELSON: Mr. Chairman, back to 17 the original question. When I called for the 18 question for this elected body, is it on the 19 record? 20 MR. COFFEY: It's on the record but 21 no motion has been made by this Committee. 22 MR. NELSON: Okay, sir, the question 23 I called for, will it be handled here or in 24 executive session, either way? 25 MR. COFFEY: If a committeeman makes 104 1 a motion that this is unethical standards, we'll 2 act on it, but nobody's made the motion. 3 MR. NELSON: I call for the question. 4 MR. COFFEY: You have no need to call 5 for the question. 6 MR. NELSON: I just call for the 7 question as an enrolled Comanche Nation member, 8 sir. Any type of government process, that person, 9 as a citizen, does have that right. 10 MR. COFFEY: Very good. 11 The election issues, you know, 12 there's -- everybody is going to have their 13 thoughts and their concerns, they're going to be 14 hearing things, but it's going to go on. It's 15 going to happen. Nominations will be made in two 16 weeks. From that point on, you know, we'll just 17 see what's going to take place then. 18 And there will always be concerns. 19 And there's no perfect way to do things. Just 20 like individuals, there's no perfect persons in 21 this world. You know, there's not one individual 22 that can say they have no blemish. 23 And even this Election Board, you 24 know, they're doing the best they can with what 25 they've got. And how you hold them accountable is 105 1 by deciding whether you want them to be in that 2 election capacity next year. Vote them out or 3 vote them back in. 4 And with regard to your ethical 5 standards, you're being very unethical, too, 6 asking us to act on a decision that we didn't 7 bring before this Board. 8 MR. NELSON: No, sir, it's not an 9 ethical standard. It's just a question of what is 10 right, what is wrong. And, of course, there is a 11 Code of Ethics that should be signed by everybody 12 that was proclaimed to the Nation -- what was it, 13 Bob, two years ago, or about three years ago? You 14 know, adherence to government should have a Code 15 of Ethics. You know, that's just my own personal 16 opinion, sir. 17 MR. COFFEY: So, I mean, if the 18 Committee wants to discuss this matter in 19 executive session, and when they come out they 20 want to make a motion to effect that, say this is 21 unethical regarding the actions that are ongoing, 22 then they can make that discussion. But until 23 that time comes, it's just going to be two weeks 24 away from the General Council and nominations will 25 be taken and go from there. 106 1 MR. NELSON: Well, if we adhere to 2 our Comanche Constitution, sir, the Comanche 3 Constitution makes it very clear that if you're 4 going to run for office -- 5 MR. COFFEY: In what capacity does it 6 say? 7 MR. NELSON: If you were to look in 8 the clause of elections, you are to resign your 9 post. 10 MR. COFFEY: I think that will happen 11 on that date. 12 MR. NELSON: Okay. Well, the 13 question comes in mind. I'm asking for over 120 14 people, I'm not asking for myself, so I have no 15 gain. My na numunuu is Johnny Wauqua. So all you 16 that do know Comanche, he is my relative. 17 MS. ISAAC: You can't see that it's 18 unethical that he's campaigning right under our 19 noses? Well, I mean, he's done it before, but -- 20 MR. COFFEY: Tell him to stop. 21 MS. ISAAC: You want me to tell him? 22 MR. COFFEY: Anybody here, tell him 23 to stop. Simple as that. 24 MS. ISAAC: You know, I called him 25 the other day with an issue. He wouldn't even 107 1 talk to me. And Kathy said, "Well, I'll run it by 2 him again." So how do you talk to the man if he's 3 not here, and then when he's here, he won't talk 4 to you? 5 MR. COFFEY: Don't elect him. 6 MS. ISAAC: I didn't. 7 MR. COFFEY: Committee, I'll 8 entertain a motion to go in executive session. 9 MR. ASEPERMY: Make that motion, 10 Mr. Chairman. 11 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Second. 12 MR. COFFEY: All those in favor 13 signify by saying "aye." 14 (Aye.) 15 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 16 sign. All those abstain, same sign. 17 (Executive session held from 18 12:12 p.m. to 3:31 p.m.) 19 MR. COFFEY: Committee, I entertain a 20 motion to come out of executive session. 21 MR. ASEPERMY: I make that motion. 22 MR. COFFEY: Lanny. Do we have a 23 second? 24 MR. NARCOMEY: Second. 25 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made by 108 1 Committeeman Lanny Asepermy to come out of 2 executive session. A second has been made by 3 Committeeman Clyde Narcomey. Committee, all those 4 in favor signify by saying "aye." 5 (Aye.) 6 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 7 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion 8 carried. 9 David, we're going to -- Comanche 10 Nation Enterprises and the use of the Comanche 11 Nation, the term, we haven't seen all that 12 materials yet. But we're going to be meeting 13 again on the 16th, so we'll probably be talking to 14 you from here until then. 15 And we've just now received the 16 Revolving Loan, the changes, so we're going to 17 look at it and act on that on the 16th. 18 MR. ASEPERMY: Do we want him there 19 at 1 o'clock on the 16th? 20 MR. COFFEY: It wouldn't hurt. About 21 1:30. 22 MR. ORME: On 16th? 23 MR. COFFEY: Yeah. 24 MR. WASSAPITTY: Can I bring my 25 proposal? 109 1 MR. COFFEY: You can bring it to us 2 any time. 3 MR. ORME: The one resolution is just 4 requesting your agreement for us to use Comanche 5 Nation Construction Company, to use that term, 6 Comanche Nation Construction. 7 MR. COFFEY: Right. 8 MR. ORME: And we'd like to kind of 9 -- we need that so we can go ahead and form the 10 company through the LLC ordinance. 11 MR. COFFEY: We can already say go 12 ahead to this point and do it, because until we 13 look at the other changes we want to do in 14 there -- can y'all go ahead and begin that 15 process, Jim? 16 MR. BURSON: Yeah, the -- 17 MR. ASEPERMY: Don't we have a 18 resolution to that effect? 19 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We've got a 20 resolution on the name. 21 MR. ORME: There's a resolution just 22 for the name. 23 MR. BURSON: Just for the name for 24 use of "Comanche Nation." 25 MR. COFFEY: We didn't put that into 110 1 a -- we didn't give it a number, did we? 2 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, it will be the 3 next number. You gave one a number already. 4 MR. ORME: It's fairly straight- 5 forward. 6 MR. WASSAPITTY: And my company is 7 called Comanche Nation Construction Team. 8 MR. ASEPERMY: That was one of the 9 two resolutions you e-mailed, Jim; is that 10 correct? 11 MR. BURSON: Yes. Yes, that's 12 correct. 13 MR. ASEPERMY: I think we can go with 14 that. 15 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Approve the use of 16 the name. 17 MR. ASEPERMY: We all have copies. 18 MR. BURSON: Clyde, I don't have your 19 e-mail. 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Wallace, you gave 21 the other 58? 22 MR. COFFEY: Yeah, 59-09. Sia became 23 58-09, so this will become 59-09. Did we act on 24 this 58-09, Sia? 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No, we haven't. 111 1 MR. COFFEY: Okay. And we didn't act 2 on 59-09. These two resolutions we will act on 3 here in a moment. 4 But it has come to us, and brought to 5 our attention by many of your community members 6 the need for assistance. As an example, this 7 young lady that came forward this morning, she was 8 a very fine and classic example of our young 9 people. And we had various requests at a minimal 10 amount and some with a lot larger amounts. But 11 this young lady, without question, stood tall to 12 give us whatever reinforcement that we need in 13 order to assist her with what she's planning on 14 doing. 15 So in addition to that, the National 16 Museum of American Indian has made a request. 17 They're going to recognize our Code Talkers on the 18 12th of May. And they're inviting Congressmen and 19 people to come forward. And without question, 20 that's another high on our list with regard to 21 where that's at within the Comanche culture. 22 In addition to that, the area schools 23 have come to us, and they have made some 24 recommendations and requests. We're going to 25 acknowledge them, too. 112 1 But first, attorneys, on this bison 2 tort claim, we don't have to take any action on 3 that claim? 4 MR. KICKINGBIRD: No. 5 MR. COFFEY: Second, Committee, as 6 soon as Mr. Asepermy gets back, the National 7 Indian Gaming Association is going to meet next 8 week. I'm going to leave. I'm going to have the 9 approval for the travel to that, because I'm on 10 the resolution as the person who has the authority 11 to vote. Our dues have already been paid for. 12 And I think that's like -- 13 They're having an election time this 14 year, too, so I want to go there. Ernie Stevens, 15 Jr. is currently the chair, and he told me that 16 he's probably seeking re-election for that. 17 MR. TIPPECONNIE: What's the date of 18 that? 19 MR. COFFEY: The 10th through the 20 16th, but I'm going to come back on the 15th 21 because of our meeting. 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I usually help on 23 that. 24 MR. COFFEY: Are you going to go? 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I'll see. 113 1 MR. COFFEY: This is NIGA. 2 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Can I make the 3 motion on the one for travel of you on May 12th? 4 I'd like to read it. It's to approve the travel 5 for the Chairman to travel to Washington, D.C., 6 for May 12th Code Talkers Reception at the 7 Smithsonian Nation Museum of American Indian. In 8 addition, that Ms. LaNora Parker, and the Comanche 9 Nation Princess, Miss Blackstar, and Mr. George 10 RedElk will also accompany. 11 MR. COFFEY: But, also, can you 12 include in your motion the $10,000 request? 13 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes, and that 14 $10,000 will be given to this museum, American 15 Indian. 16 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made. 17 Do we have a second? 18 MR. ASEPERMY: Second. 19 MR. COFFEY: You know, I think some 20 of you have seen that exhibit that was put up by 21 the National Museum of American Indian at our 22 museum. That will be on display the same time as 23 this one. 24 Motion has been made by 25 Secretary/Treasurer Robert Tippeconnie to approve 114 1 and authorize travel for Chairman Coffey; LaNora 2 Parker, who is the daughter of a Code Talker; 3 Natalie Blackstar, Comanche Princess; George 4 RedElk, who is the son of Roderick RedElk, to 5 attend. And George is also a member of CIVA. 6 MR. ASEPERMY: He's a commander. 7 MR. COFFEY: A second has been made 8 by Committeeman Asepermy. Do we have any 9 discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor 10 signify by saying "aye." 11 (Aye.) 12 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 13 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion 14 carried. 15 And I want to read to you a list that 16 we have approved by our discussion: University of 17 Oklahoma Student Association, $1,500; Elgin Public 18 Schools for their trip to New York City; Cache, 19 Johnson-O'Malley, $1,000; the Junior League of 20 Southwest Oklahoma, mostly Lawton, $300; the 21 community of Cyril and their recreation sports 22 program, $1,000; a student, if they have 23 guaranteed assurances to go to Australia, $500 if 24 they're guaranteed they're going to go. If not, 25 we won't make that contribution. 115 1 But check this out. Our committee 2 felt very impressed by this young lady. She is 3 looking at trying to raise $2500, Kristen 4 Thompson, and our committee made a recommendation 5 that she receive $2000 in support of her as she 6 came here today. And I have never seen anybody at 7 that age talk like that, and I think she was very 8 impressive. 9 MRS. GOODIN: Do you know who she 10 is? Stephanie Harrison's granddaughter, from the 11 Harrison Alignment shop on Lee Boulevard. That's 12 her granddaughter -- 13 MR. COFFEY: That was Stephanie's 14 daughter? 15 MS. GOODEN: Yes. 16 MR. COFFEY: Have you seen her 17 resume? 18 MS. GOODEN: No, I haven't, but it 19 sounds impressive. 20 MR. COFFEY: Okay. So, Committee, 21 I'll enter a motion. 22 MR. TIPPECONNIE: First, add the 23 Warrior Film on that. 24 MR. COFFEY: Oh, hey, we forgot about 25 that. 116 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: And then we had 2 Putnam down. 3 MR. COFFEY: 2010 to the Warrior 4 Film. Putnam City Schools? 5 MR. TIPPECONNIE: $100. 6 MR. COFFEY: Didn't we say 100 for 7 that? 8 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yeah, it was 100. 9 MR. COFFEY: No, it was 300. 10 MR. TIPPECONNIE: It's only 100. The 11 Junior League was 300. The 1,000 to school? What 12 do you have down on that one? 13 MR. COFFEY: Which one to the one? 14 MR. TIPPECONNIE: For the 1,000, 15 you're saying? Did you put that down? 16 MR. COFFEY: 1,500 to OU and 1,000 to 17 Elgin. 18 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Okay, that's it, 19 that's it. 20 MR. COFFEY: Do we have a motion to 21 approve all these amounts? 22 MR. ASEPERMY: Mr. Chairman, I 23 approve. 24 How many were there? 25 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Ten. 117 1 MR. ASEPERMY: Can you give us a 2 bottom line figure? Oh, you can do that during 3 discussion. Never mind. 4 MR. TIPPECONNIE: It's out of the 5 Charitable Fund. 6 MR. ASEPERMY: Yeah. Mr. Chairman, I 7 make a motion that we approve. 8 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 9 by Committeeman Asepermy to approve out of our 10 Charitable Funds these 10 programs and projects 11 and individuals that will be utilized for their 12 schools or their activities. Do we have a 13 second? 14 MR. NARCOMEY: I second, 15 Mr. Chairman. 16 MR. COFFEY: That motion has been 17 made and seconded that our Charitable Funds will 18 be utilized for these specific projects. A motion 19 has been made by Committeeman Lanny Asepermy, a 20 second has been made by Clyde Narcomey. Do we 21 have any discussion? Hearing none, all those in 22 favor signify by saying "aye." 23 (Aye.) 24 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 25 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 118 1 carried. 2 MR. ASEPERMY: Before we go to the 3 next one: Robert, can you provide us on the 16th 4 all the expenditures from the Charitable Fund by 5 name and amount? 6 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Right. 7 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay, thank you. 8 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Before you go into 9 that, would you pass a motion to accept those 10 criteria? 11 MR. ASEPERMY: Oh, yeah. 12 MR. COFFEY: Yeah, that's a good one. 13 MR. ASEPERMY: Will you publish those 14 in a better -- 15 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Yes. Finley did 16 that and my printer went -- I was trying to rush 17 it this morning. I don't know what happened. 18 MR. NARCOMEY: Blame it on the 19 printer. 20 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No, it's me. 21 MR. ASEPERMY: Can you make it look 22 official? 23 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I'll make it look 24 better. I was rushing that, I'll admit, this 25 morning. I came over here early. 119 1 MR. COFFEY: That will be one of the 2 things we will also have included, Kelly, in our 3 minutes; whereas, we have adopted the criteria for 4 Charitable Funds that will be utilized by the 5 Comanche Nation. So we will publish this, if not 6 in the newsletter, we will make it available to 7 the Tribal public. And I'll entertain a motion to 8 accept the criteria for Charitable Funds. 9 MR. NARCOMEY: I make a motion to 10 approve that, Mr. Chairman. 11 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 12 by Committeeman Narcomey to approve and accept the 13 criteria for Charitable Funds to be utilized. Do 14 we have a second? 15 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I second it. 16 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 17 by Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve and 18 accept the criteria for utilization of our 19 Charitable Funds. A second has been made by our 20 Secretary/Treasurer Robert Tippeconnie. Do we 21 have any discussion? Hearing none, all those in 22 favor signify by saying "aye." 23 (Aye.) 24 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 25 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 120 1 carried. 2 Before we go to these resolutions, 3 Committee, I'd like to have the approval to travel 4 to the National Indian Gaming Association. We've 5 already approved the resolution. I think that was 6 back in November. 7 MR. ASEPERMY: In D.C.? 8 MR. COFFEY: No, it's going to be in 9 Phoenix. 10 MR. NARCOMEY: I'll make a motion to 11 approve, Mr. Chairman. 12 MR. TIPPECONNIE: What's the dates? 13 What's the dates again? 14 MR. COFFEY: 10th through 16th. I'll 15 be coming back on the 15th. 16 MR. ASEPERMY: What's the dates, 17 Wallace? 18 MR. COFFEY: The 10th through the 19 16th. 20 A motion has been made by 21 Committeeman Narcomey to authorize the approval of 22 the Chairman to travel to the National Indian 23 Gaming Association. Do we have a second? 24 MR. ASEPERMY: Second that, 25 Mr. Chairman. 121 1 MR. COFFEY: Motion has been made and 2 seconded to authorize the Chairman to travel to 3 the National Indian Gaming Association. Do we 4 have any discussion, Committee? Hearing none, all 5 those in favor signify by saying "aye." 6 (Aye.) 7 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 8 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion 9 carried. 10 MR. ASEPERMY: Can I ask if some of 11 our gaming folks are going to go? 12 MR. COFFEY: I think the Gaming 13 Commission is going, but I don't think the Gaming 14 Board is. 15 MR. ASEPERMY: How many reps from the 16 Gaming Commission? 17 MR. COFFEY: Three. And you'll 18 probably have some employees, too, but I don't 19 know. 20 Resolution Number 58-09, "Whereas, 21 the Comanche Business Committee acknowledges Sia 22 as the official eagle and raptor program for 23 Comanche Nation and the authorization of said land 24 for use of the Sia program." 25 Do we have a motion to approve? 122 1 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I'd like to add -- 2 MR. COFFEY: Yes. 3 MR. ASEPERMY: I make a motion to 4 approve, and then -- 5 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Second. 6 MR. ASEPERMY: I make a motion to 7 approve with an addition that we do a -- 8 MR. TIPPECONNIE: -- land lease. 9 MR. ASEPERMY: -- ten-year land lease 10 at no cost to the program. 11 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I would suggest we 12 say land lease or land use agreement, you know, 13 one of the two. 14 MR. ASEPERMY: At no cost, or $1 a 15 year, or something like? 16 MR. TIPPECONNIE: No cost. 17 MR. ASEPERMY: At no cost? For how 18 many years? 19 MR. TIPPECONNIE: I'd say five years 20 on this. 21 MR. ASEPERMY: All right. I amend my 22 motion to approve this by adding a five-year land 23 lease at no cost -- 24 MR. TIPPECONNIE: Land lease or land 25 use agreement? 123 1 MR. ASEPERMY: You undo all that, 2 Wallace. 3 MR. COFFEY: Okay. 4 MR. ASEPERMY: Effective 1 April. 5 MR. COFFEY: For a period of five 6 years? 7 MR. ASEPERMY: Yes. 8 MR. COFFEY: And do you still second 9 that, Darrell? 10 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Yes. 11 MR. COFFEY: I've got a motion, and 12 I'd like to make a comment. I think everybody 13 heard a lot of these royalty and princesses that 14 have these center feathers in their crowns have 15 come from the Sia project. And whenever -- my 16 wife's a buckskin dress dancer. And her teachings 17 were such that the plume does not go with the 18 buckskin, the plume goes with the cloth. The 19 center feather goes with the buckskin, and that 20 feather relationship that the buckskin and the 21 center feather has had back to our traditions. 22 And when you walk down the halls of 23 our building next door and you look at the women 24 and their crowns, you will see that that's the way 25 it has been. A majority of the feathers that have 124 1 come to these young girls have come from the Sia 2 project, so I know that he will be there at the 3 time of need any time, and us, too, if we have a 4 need, too. 5 Motion has been made and seconded to 6 approve the Sia project, and to acknowledge a 7 10-year land use agreement for a period of five 8 years at no cost. Second has been made by Darrell 9 Kosechequetah, motion has been made by Lanny 10 Asepermy. Any further discussion? 11 MR. ASEPERMY: Effective 1 April 12 2009. 13 MR. TIPPECONNIE: For five years. 14 MR. ASEPERMY: For five years. 15 MR. COFFEY: Do you include that in 16 your second, Darrell? 17 MR. KOSECHEQUETAH: Yes. 18 MR. COFFEY: Motion made and 19 seconded. All those in favor signify by saying 20 "aye." 21 (Aye.) 22 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 23 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 24 carried. 25 Resolution Number 59-09, "Whereas, 125 1 the Comanche Nation Enterprises, Inc., a federally 2 chartered corporation of the Comanche Nation 3 desires to use 'Comanche Nation' when naming 4 companies it establishes. 5 "Now therefore be it resolved that 6 the Comanche Business Committee hereby approves 7 the use Comanche Nation Enterprises, Inc., of 8 'Comanche Nation' in the naming of the companies 9 formed under its control." 10 Is that the one we're talking about, 11 Jim? 12 MR. BURSON: That's the broad 13 authority or generalizing authority, or you can 14 use the one specific to construction. There's 15 two. 16 MR. COFFEY: Do you think we should 17 use -- 18 MR. BURSON: It's your choice. If 19 they're asking for the construction company, that 20 goes beyond that. It's something you'll have to 21 discuss. 22 MR. COFFEY: Well, let's use that 23 59-09, and I'll change that one. "Whereas, the 24 Comanche Nation Enterprises, Inc., a federally 25 chartered corporation of the Comanche Nation 126 1 desires to establish a construction company which 2 shall use 'Comanche Nation' as part of its name." 3 Is that it? 4 MR. BURSON: Yes. 5 MR. COFFEY: Okay. "Now, therefore 6 be it resolved that the Comanche Business 7 Committee hereby approves the use by Comanche 8 Nation Enterprises, Inc., of 'Comanche Nation' in 9 the naming of the construction company under its 10 control." 11 Do we have a motion to approve? 12 MR. NARCOMEY: I make a motion to 13 approve, Mr. Chairman. 14 MR. COFFEY: I have a motion made by 15 Committeeman Clyde Narcomey to approve Resolution 16 Number 59-09. Do I have a second? 17 MR. ASEPERMY: I'll second that. 18 MR. COFFEY: A motion has been made 19 by Clyde Narcomey to approve Resolution Number 20 59-09. A second has been made by Committeeman 21 Lanny Asepermy. Committee, is there any 22 discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor 23 signify by saying "aye." 24 (Aye.) 25 MR. COFFEY: All those opposed, same 127 1 sign. All those abstain, same sign. Motion's 2 carried. 3 Any further items for us to discuss, 4 Committee? 5 MR. NARCOMEY: Mr. Chairman, I need 6 to recall my no vote on that 52-09. I was under 7 the impression that we voted on 53-09, which was 8 the next one. I guess I was reading it and we 9 were voting on 52-09. I just need to change may 10 note to a yes vote instead of a no. Sorry. 11 MR. COFFEY: Resolution Number 52-09, 12 instead of a no vote we have a yes note. 13 MR. REDELK: Are we going to do 14 anything on the revolving loan? 15 MR. COFFEY: We just got the 16 modification. 17 MR. TIPPECONNIE: We're going to wait 18 until the 16th. 19 MR. ASEPERMY: Your time doesn't 20 expire before then, does it? 21 MS. VICKERS: Probably about the 22 15th, I guess. 23 MR. ASEPERMY: Okay. 24 MS. VICKERS: I think April 15th is 25 the date that I was -- that the act went into 128 1 effect, so it would be probably -- 2 MR. ASEPERMY: So we're going to 3 change that resolution and include that -- 4 MR. COFFEY: Yeah. We're going to do 5 that, Committee. If we don't have any other 6 business, we'll recess until the 16th at 9:00. 7 (Meeting recessed at 3:54 p.m.) 8 9 10 11 * * * * * * 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 129 1 R E P O R T E R 'S C E R T I F I C A T E 2 3 STATE OF OKLAHOMA ) 4 ) 5 COUNTY OF OKLAHOMA ) 6 7 I, Kelly Stoabs, Certified Shorthand 8 Reporter for the State of Oklahoma, certify that 9 the above and foregoing meeting transcribed by me 10 is a true and correct transcript of the meeting; 11 that the meeting was held on April 4, 2009, in the 12 State of Oklahoma; that I am not an attorney for 13 nor a relative of any said parties, or otherwise 14 interested in the event of said action. 15 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set 16 my hand and seal of office on this the 20th day of 17 April, 2009. 18 19 20 __________________________ Kelly Stoabs 21 Certified Shorthand Reporter for the State of Oklahoma 22 23 24 25 130 1 S E C R E T A R Y ' S C E R T I F I C A T E 2 3 I, Robert Tippeconnie, Secretary- 4 Treasurer of Comanche Nation Business Committee, 5 certify that the above is a true and correct 6 transcript of a meeting of CBC Members held at 7 10:14 a.m. on April 4, 2009, and that the meeting 8 was duly called and held in all respects in 9 accordance with the charters and bylaws of the 10 Comanche Nation and that a quorum was present. 11 I further certify that the votes and 12 resolutions of the CBC Members of Comanche Nation 13 at the meeting are operative and in full force and 14 effect and have not been annulled or modified by 15 any vote or resolution passed or adopted by the 16 CBC since that meeting. 17 18 19 Signed:_________________________ Date:____________ Robert Tippeconnie 20 Secretary-Treasurer 21 22 23 24 25