Tribal chief recall petition moves ahead at Sipayik

A petition to recall Passamaquoddy Chief Fred Moore III from office was submitted on October 21 to the Sipayik tribal clerk, who has determined that the petition has a sufficient number of valid signatures to proceed with a recall vote, according to those who circulated the petition.
The petition states that the recall is being sought because of Moore's violations of the Sipayik Constitution, tribal laws and personnel policies, specifically for using his authority for personal gain and benefit; unauthorized expenditures and misuse of tribally controlled funds; self-enrichment; abuse of power; and manipulation of policies. Moore has previously denied similar charges. Tribal members also have expressed frustration over the dysfunction in tribal government, with a lack of tribal council meetings for the past year, since often the chief and vice chief have not been present to chair a meeting.
For over a year the Sipayik tribal government has been in turmoil, with suspensions of the vice chief, in September 2015, and then the chief, in October 2015, two separate efforts to recall the vice chief and a tribal councillor, and a petition to reduce the terms of office of the chief and vice chief from four years to two. None of the recall efforts so far have been successful, except for the recall of councillor Mary Creighton in March 2015.
In June of this year, four of the tribal councillors had acted to relieve the chief and vice chief of their administrative duties, alleging unauthorized expenditures of tribal funds. Two of those councillors, though, Madonna Soctomah and John Dana, did not seek reelection, and two new councillors, Adam Bailey and Ralph Dana, were elected in the September 6 tribal election.
Referencing the September election, Dwayne Tomah, who was among the tribal members who collected signatures on the latest recall petition, says, "We elected some new people to be able to stand up. People are coming together since the new election. We're moving forward. The election spells that out. People are saying there needs to be accountability and unity in the community."
Concerning Chief Moore's actions, Tomah says, "You can't write an ethics policy and do unethical things and expect people's stamp of approval."
A tribal council meeting was scheduled for Thursday, October 27, to consider the recall petition. According to the Sipayik Constitution, the chief and council "shall call and hold a special election to recall any member" of the chief and council upon a written petition signed by at least 50% of the number of persons voting at the last Pleasant Point gubernatorial election. The special election must be called within 10 days of the submission of the petition, and if the chief and council fail to call the election within that time, the tribal clerk "shall promptly call the election," the constitution states.
A total of 264 signatures were collected on the recall petitions. However, a legal opinion that had been obtained from tribal government attorney Craig Francis when another petition to recall the vice chief had been presented in December 2014 states that if an individual is not on the approved voters' list and did not vote in the last gubernatorial election, their signature should be declared ineligible. With the elimination of names of people who did not vote in the last gubernatorial election, the tribal clerk determined that 197 signatures were valid, with 193 needed to proceed with a recall election, according to circulators of the petitions.
Chris Sepsa Altvater, the transportation director of the tribe at Sipayik and president of the Sipayik Revitalization Team, spearheaded the petition drive and was assisted by five tribal members. He states, "As a Passamaquoddy tribal member, I believe much of the reporting concerning tribal matters is unfair and unbalanced. In Sipayik, it is often frowned upon when tribal members make statements that contribute to such reporting. Considering my own opinion, and with great care for my community, I will tread lightly by making a single observation. When the current administration of Sipayik comes to an end, whether it be 10 days or two years from now, our people will be better off."
Tribal councilor Marla Dana, who was reelected to the council in September, makes a similar statement.