Quechan elders call for probe of election

A group of elders says the Quechan Indian Tribe may have to throw out the election results for its tribal council - one more time. The elders are calling for an investigation into the June 12 election, which itself was a repeat election. This recent event was supposed to make up for a December vote that was tossed out after charges that are being heard all over again.

"Someone needs to come in and do an investigation, but no one is listening to us," said tribal elder Milton Jefferson Sr. "I don't like fighting like this, but I know something needs to be done and not very many people have been standing up to them (council members)."

Jefferson and three other Quechan elders took their concerns to The Sun on Thursday, accusing the tribal council and recent election board of inappropriate handling of yet another election.

One of those elders, Vernon Smith, also confirmed that the tribe has fired him from the post of tribal administration, a post he held for eight years. Smith said he was fired Tuesday, the same day as a confrontation with the council over the election.

"This is all politics," the former administrator said. "It's because I won't keep my mouth shut."

The tribe had announced Tuesday that the new Quechan Tribal Council would be sworn in on Wednesday, but that event was canceled

without a public explanation. The election board judge who oversaw the election had no comment on Thursday.

Calls to Tribal President Mike Jackson were not returned Thursday, nor were calls to the two council members for whom The Sun has contact information: Cryselle Montague Uribe and Emilio Escalanti.

Jefferson, Smith and fellow elders Preston Arrow-Weed and Lucinda Polk told The Sun that the June 12 election should be disqualified mostly because of numerous conflicts of interest.

They said one man serving on the election board, for example, is the brother of an incumbent on the ballot. The elders also said that another incumbent's nephew served as the election's marshal, who traditionally guards the ballot box.

Smith said the ballot box issue became even more complicated when that marshal decided to store the box overnight at the tribal headquarters.

"The president and council all have access to that building," Smith said. "What happened there that night?"

Several tribal members have also accused the election board of accepting ballots that should have been disqualified. Valerie Jose O'Brien witnessed the counting of the votes for several hours and claims to have seen this ballot issue happen several times.

"We wanted to do things right this time," O'Brien said, "but it's December all over again. The whole election should be thrown out. It is the conduct of the election board that we have to trust in order to accept the results."

O'Brien stressed how the controversy over the election is hurting the morale of her people.

"It's very low morale. You can feel it and sense it," she said. "It's up to the people now. This is where people are taking the power back and have decided that a wrong needs to be corrected."

Smith ran against incumbent Jackson for tribal president in the recent election and lost 314 to 119. Smith alleges that a clear disparity between tribal people's faith in current leadership and the actual numbers proves that the election is faulty.

"They are so intent on electing people they like, it doesn't matter," Smith said.

He added that he and several other candidates have been refused the right to an appeal hearing, however.

"I am sure there are sore losers, but I am not one of them," Smith said. "I told the council, 'If it's done right and I've been given due process to concerning my questions, then fine - I'll accept that.' But until that happens I don't feel like we should go forward."

Jefferson, Smith and Arrow-Weed told The Sun that they also stand against the tribe's plans to build a casino on land some tribal members consider sacred. They all spoke out against the tribe's recent arrest of a family praying and protesting near the construction site.

"That land is sacred to us and is part of our ancestral lands," Smith said. "We don't oppose the casino, we just believe that it should not go there."

The elders also stressed their growing frustration over feeling like that are being ignored by tribal government. Smith said they have been forced to form their own council for elders, which has met several times in recent weeks.

"We've been getting 15-25 elders at the meetings," Smith said.

Arrow-Weed said he's defended the tribe from outside forces for years, but battling this election marks the first time the opponent has been some of his own people.

"I'm used to fighting the outside," Arrow-Weed said. "I'm not used to fighting my own people. It doesn't feel good."

He added, though, that he sees that good can come from this election, which he says is inspiring tribal members to speak their minds about tribal leadership.

"People are waking up to see what's happening. People are finally speaking up," he said.

Smith added that he also sees a good, final resolution to this current struggle.

"The people will rise up at one point, and the people will take the council down. I guarantee it."

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Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.