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May 14, 2012
I read the article in the May 13, 2012 of the Lawton Sunday Constitution. The Comanche Nation Tribal attorneys publicly misinterpreted the Comanche Tribal Constitution without any permission from the Tribal Council the supreme governing body of the Comanche Nation. Under ARTICLE V, Section 7, Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior or his authorized representative, the authority of the Comanche Tribal Council shall be exclusive with respect to hiring an attorney. William Norman and associates Hobbs , Straus, Dean and Walker have gone against the Supreme Authority that hired them. Why? Many Comanche People perceive it to be very suspicious.
The tribal council did not order the tribal lawyers to produce the memos that were disseminated throughout the Comanche Nation. The tribal council voted to re-hire William Norman and associates (HSDW) at the general council meeting on April 21, 2012. Since that date, there has not been an official quorum to conduct any type of business. The news article claimed that the six disputed officers achieved a quorum of 165. There might have been 165 people at that meeting, but where was the election board to sign-in tribal members at this meeting. To be an official meeting of the nation the election board delegates are required to certify the names on the official tribal member enrollment rolls. There was no verifiable proof of attendance at that meeting. Again the first question here is why did HSDW issue an opinion on tribal matters with out being officially asked to do so.
The memo of opinion by HSDW regarding holding multiple recall meetings in one day is WRONG. Nothing in the Comanche Tribal Constitution prohibits holding more than one recall meeting per day. HSDW admit on page two of their “Multiple Recalls” memo dated May 4, 2012, “that the process of holding several meetings in one day does not appear to violate the “letter” of the Constitution.
Their reading of the history behind the constitutional amendments is not supported by facts. Under the original constitution, business council members could be recalled without notice by a majority vote at the annual meeting. HSDW was not around in 1979 and there is no way that the spirit of the constitution meant what they are claiming. It is clear to me and many other Comanches that the intent at that time was to give each member a separate hearing, with adequate notice to defend him or herself. There is nothing to say what proper intervals between meetings should be. HSDW also argues that the tribe is crippling itself by holding more than one meeting per day. Requiring one meeting a day would have only delayed the inevitable recall of Ed Eschiti, Robert Tippeconnie, Ron RedElk, Darrell Koschequetah, Robert Komahcheet and Yonevea Terry. William Norman and associates (HSDW) need to get it through their head that the Comanche Nation can hold multiple recall meetings in a day.
Last year the Chairman and one business committee member were recalled on the same day. I find it disturbing that HSDW did not make any statements at that time, and this year they provide an opinion without being requested to do so. There seems to be a hidden agenda this year and something very suspicious going on.
As for the issue of Wauqua being the Chairman or T/A is simple; Wauqua is the Chairman and that position shall not be vacated until after the election process is completed. Article VII, Section 3. Wauqua is the Chairman …..end of story. Again HSDW interpretation of the constitution is incorrect. In addition, HSDW was not directed to provide their opinion of the Comanche Constitution in this matter by any authorized source. Again! Why did HSDW provide any opinion with out proper authorization?
There is nothing in the Constitution that requires a run-off for Tribal Administrator (T/A). Only twice in over 30 years has there been a run-off for T/A. In both cases there was a personal issue with the Chairman and one of the candidates running for T/A. All other times the person who received the majority of the votes won the position.
Although tribes are experiencing inter-tribal disputes the Comanche Nation has nothing to do with the Cheyenne Arapaho dispute, and they are two completely different situations. The tribal attorneys HSDW seem to be getting involved with tribal disputes and rendering opinions when they were never formally requested to do so, and to make things worse, the opinions are incorrect. William Norman and associates (HSDW) are in derelict of duty and have brought disrepute on the Comanche Nation and its members.
Eleanor McDaniel
