The Importance of a Multi Party System

Good evening Sisters and Brothers,

I want to talk a bit about the benefits of a multi party system.  It seems that once we get a group elected to the position of Chief they never leave.  They become complacent and forget who they serve.  They instruct employees to “voluntarily” meet on the methodists church’s lawn across from the complex to work on their campaigns.  Oh the meetings are always called “voluntary” but if that’s voluntary then I must not understand the meaning of the term.  In other council elections dead voters rise from their places of rest to cast a vote.  This has got to stop.

In a multi party system a candidate must be more responsive to the needs of the people because they are more likely to be voted out if they don’t abide by their parties beliefs.  In the current system the incumbent rarely has an opponent, is this because the people are so pleased?  The Chahta voices I am hearing are not happy and ready to make changes especially with the looming term of future chief Gary Batton who seems to be out of touch with the people he is and will be charged with serving.

It is up to us to make the change.  If we want a CNO Government “ole boy system” free then we must vote out the “ole boys”.  If we want our traditions, language and sense of family community in tact then we have to vote to make it so.  If we want the Chahta government operated by Chahta people then we must make it so.

MW

Nepotism and Phantom Employees

More than one anonymus source has provided information on widespread nepotism within the Choctaw Nation offices.  To be nepotism free in our indian community would be difficult because even though our community has over 200,000 members our village still feels, at times, small.  The nepotism I am referring to are employees who are non-Choctaw hiring their family members and then supervising those employees who are also their kin.  The working environment  this usually creates is fraught with tension and at times can become hostile.  If a spouse who is a Director hires his wife then the other employees in the department now have two directors whether the wife holds the title or not.  There are other problems as well.  Who decided on the wife’s pay rate?  Who approves pay increases?  What if a wife is jealous?  What if the husband is jealous?

What if the wife decides the attractive young Chahta woman must go?  Even if the young Chahta woman is doing a wonderful job and has begun new initiatives because she is excited to be working for her people?  That young woman is fired but the Director did give her 30 days to find another position.  After the 30 days – tough.  The wife is enjoying her job and their household is enjoying two incomes thanks to the protection granted to THEM by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.  Oh and don’t forget the young Chahta woman could not step out of the chain of command and was therefore at the mercy of the couple.

A phantom can be described as something fairly invisible.  You know of its presence but you don’t really know why it’s there or in this case why the phantom employee receives a pay check.  Not only does the CNO have phantom employees but these invisible employees are related to some of our leaders.  Sister of the King and Brother of a Queen.  Not only will these ghostly employees receive a pay check but rest assured if they are listed on the books as employees then they will also receive a pension and probably a Thanksgiving ham.  This bit of information was also provided by several different sources at different times -independent of each other.

MW

Death

I didn’t know Terry Regan so forgive me if I misspelled his name.  He was once Director of the Language program at the nation.  There was a separation between Mr. Regan and the CNO.  This writer doesn’t know the details but I do know Terry was devestated and took his own life.  I wonder if those who accused him thought of him when they heard of his tragic passing?  I remember hearing about his separation and I believed what they were saying.  Not because there was any spoken proof but because my nation surely wouldn’t tell an untruth?  Little did I know until I started this blog and began to hear from Choctaw’s all across our tribal lands.

There are the stories of powerful administrators with mini mansions who have yet to feel the shame of termination by this administration.  Why?  I wish I knew.  I would suspect it has something to do with the “good ole boy” system perpetrated and indoctrined by our leaders.  There are tyrants who steal ideas and work as their own with no heart felt connection to our people who are allowed and even supported and praised for their efforts.  There is no support system for our own Chahta people.

Does this administration have blood on its hands?  In way more ways than just the death of Terry Regan.

MW

300 Days

Brothers and sisters if you have been harassed, oppressed, demoted or fired while working for YOUR Choctaw Nation you have alternatives – but most of those alternatives don’t really work.  You can file for unemployment but unlike the past expect to be denied and expect the leaders of your nation to use untruths and made up evidence.  Expect them to not give you due process as stated in the policies and procedures.  Once you file for unemployment and you have been denied you can send in your response and request for them to look at the case again.  To them they believe the employer is honest and truthful they don’t know that they are dealing with the CNO.

Now once you are denied again there is the EEOC or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  This agency is federal and you must go through your state system first (in our case Oklahoma unemployment).  To file with the EEOC you need to have been discriminated against in the following ways:  1) Age  2) Disability 3)Equal Compensation 4)Genetic Information 5) National Origin 6)Pregnancy 7)Race/Color 8) Religion 9) Retaliation 10) Sex and 11) Sexual Harassment.

I have spoken with the EEOC office in Oklahoma City.  Tribes must give permission to allow an EEOC investigation.  NOW – if you believe you have experienced the above (and I know many many of you have) then we need to file with the EEOC within 300 days of your termination (I verified this with the EEOC office).  You don’t have to have been fired you can be experiencing this on the job now and you can file also.  Just know though that if you do file and you are still working there you will lose your job.  So why even do it?

Let me tell you what will happen we will file and the tribe will not grant the EEOC permission to investigate.  The Choctaw Nation will use their sovereign rights granted to us as a tribe AGAINST tribal members.  Here is the purpose:  Our people need to see the CNO using sovereignty against their own.  We will need to write articles and send to every media outlet in the state of Oklahoma and the major outlets in the Texas area.  We will also need to send articles to all of the major American Indian newspapers and magazines across the United States.  This is the backbone of peaceful protest – marketing.

If you’ve seen the latest news stories concerning the “Occupy Wall Street” movement then I want you to imagine our Chahta people protesting the treatment and oppression of its Choctaw citizens by this administration.  We may not have many alternatives when we act alone but acting together we are strong and our numbers grow stronger every day.

I have the paperwork needed for the EEOC filing.  If you are as tired as I am of this treatment send me your email address and I will send you what you need.  Remember, 300 days from the date of your separation.  I am with you.

 

MW

 

Trophy Deer

Late night phone calls and texts are coming in at a rapid pace.  Mostly the question is “how can we help” or “what can we do” but sometimes a call comes in that brings light to some dark corners.  I don’t know this person personally.  But what he had to say sounded so familiar in HOW things are being, have been and continue to be done.

A certain non-CDIB owned company was brought up from central Texas with the promise from certain people in our administration that they would “never be without work”.  Not only would our tribe (oh wait I shouldn’t say OUR tribe –  I should say our tribe’s elected administration) keep them working (I thought bidding was the uh…proper protocol) they also keep them, their family and friends in diesel from, you guessed it, Choctaw Travel Plaza’s.  I don’t know about you but last time this Chahta bought diesel I paid out of my pocket for it.

Brothers and Sisters these aren’t just little jobs.  This company has become wealthy according to the source.  Sometimes netting money like you and I will NEVER see. You and I will also never see some of the equipment taken away when the CNO arena was dismantled unless we go to this companies property.

Now, the prize trophy deer was proudly displayed in a picture by one of the company heads.  In the caption below the picture it read:

“Courtesy of the Choctaw Nation” – if you know how much one of these deer hunts cost be sure and let everyone know.  We all must know who we have ELECTED.

You may ask yourself why this source would contact me.  Let’s just say his Chahta loved one has a degree and is making 7 dollars per/hour and pays for his/her own diesel.

 

MW

The Problem with Chain of Command

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is notoriously chain of command.  I can understand why (I really can) if assistant and chief had not implemented the chain of command system unhappy employees, especially Chahta employees, would be in their offices airing their grievances.  What this administration fails to consider is that the chain of command system needs a balancing factor.  Why?

When you don’t have a strong human resources office, one that is ethical  and confidential in its treatment of employees then the employees are at the mercy of an oppressive or abusive supervisor.  They have nowhere to go and the choice is either to suffer the abuse, resign or eventually get fired.  The proverbial rock and a hard place.  When you have leaders who are elected then there is no choice but to get rid of them when they don’t fulfill their end of the bargain.  When they accept lies as the truth without calling for a 360 degree investigation then they have failed those who elected them.

According to Professor James G. Clawson there are universal signs of weakness in any business organization:

1.  Managers who leave frustrated with neglect and/or abuse.

2.  Middle management jobs are mostly “fire-fighting”.

3.  Managers who wanted to be leaders were stymied by bureaucracy.

4.  Without depth of management, people were promoted into positions they weren’t prepared for.

5.  Managers could not be moved across organizational boundaries.

6.  Managers were rarely coached or mentored (At the CNO the bright ones are too threatening).

7.  Managers had one chance only at promotion, regardless of whether that made sense.

 

When you pluck someone from your church to manage one of your most powerful divisions then you shouldn’t be upset when your IT system is twenty years behind the times and any suggestion to improve IT systems and processes is met as a potential threat to power – YOU shouldn’t be surprised.  So the argument that the Choctaw Nation is now a billion plus company and should no longer be treated as a tribal entity but a corporate giant falls on deaf ears.  If we, as Chahta’s, are truly not smart enough to hold the higher positions within the nation then why is this particular Executive Director’s division filled with strife and antiquated processes?  Wow all of that and he isn’t even Choctaw but one of those intellectually superior Non-Choctaws.

I overheard assistant once say that if you are Choctaw that alone will sometimes keep someone at the Choctaw Nation when maybe they are not so happy there (paraphrasing).  It will keep you there unless the administration decides to give power and support to the unethical, the threatened – the oppressors.

 

MW

 

Site Stats

Blog views as of today @ 10:28AM = 1,215

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Views:

Monday January 9th = 352 views

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17 days of being online. We ARE the Choctaw Indian Rights Movement and the new Choctaw Voting Block Party.

 

MW/CW

Our Next Steps – What We Can Do Today

I remember working for the CNO and being so disappointed at what I could see.  I had started my job with such enthusiasm I had always wanted to work for my people.  Was it idealistic.  Yes – very.  The lack of respect for Choctaw people just astounded me.  It sickened me brothers and sisters.  It would have made you angry.  I found myself angry as if these people were insulting my family – because they were.

I write about this now because other Chahta’s and myself would speak amongst ourselves about how wrong the picture seemed to be.  Chahta’s who had worked there all of their adult lives would say “that’s just the way it is” and they would imply that we couldn’t now or ever do anything about it.  We can.  We can stop the importing of Vegas casino workers into our casinos who then take hours away from the current employees.  We can stop our Chahta people from automatically being placed in EVS then passed up for promotions – even with a degree.  There is nothing wrong with working in the EVS department – without those hard working people our facilities would quickly look dirty and grimey.  They make our nation look sanitary. I just can’t wrap my mind around NOT taking care of the people that voted you in???  Whew…

Moving on.  What can we do NOW?  People are ready to do something NOW.  I have been asked that question three times today and my Chahta siblings I like the question.  That means you are as hungry for change as I.  Here is what you can do as soon as you wish to do it.

1.  Take ownership of contacting at least ten people and making sure they have both a CDIB card and a Choctaw membership card so they can VOTE.  Offer to drive them to membership if you need to.

2.  Those same ten people you have chosen – print off the blog posts and give it to them to read.  If you don’t have the capabilities to print from home find a library or a friend with a printer or direct them to the URL for the blog http://www.choctawvotingblock.wordpress.com

3.  Those same ten people:  Assure them their participation in the Choctaw Indian Rights Movement can be anonymous what we are asking them to do (vote a long standing chief out/or take out his designated replacement) can be a little frightening.  We are dealing with a powerful organization – no let me correct that – we are dealing with an organized group of people who have a lot of money at their disposal.  Encourage your ten to not believe the HYPE offered to us through the huge machine that is the chief’s office.

4.  Talk amongst yourselves – tell any Chahta who will listen about the movement.

5.  As Chahta’s we really are groups of families within a larger group of tribal members.  Fry some chicken for the next family reunion and take copies of the blog posts.

6.  And don’t forget we need council candidates in EVERY district.  Our message needs to be loud and clear about what happens when you don’t stand up for the people.

7.  Lastly, we are in desperate need of funds.  Let me tell you why – BILLBOARDS, printed materials and t-shirts.

I had already been looking at traffic stats from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation when one of our CVB members suggested billboards.  I totally agree.  The stats for a billboard outside of Durant on Hwy 70 was astounding 396,000 traffic in one month.  The cost: $500.  That is just one price from one company (feel free to look up all areas within the Choctaw Nation to get other stats and prices).  If we pick a few billboards in these next few months I think we would get the word out to those Chahta’s who maybe don’t have or ever want the internet (you know Grandmother and Grandfather don’t care much for the internet).

If you have good fundraising ideas let me know.  I’m thinking ball tournaments.  OKC group has already been looking into basketball facilities for tournaments and you know how all indins love to play ball.  This might be a good time to put together a board of directors with a treasurer we don’t want any hint of impropriety.  As a matter of fact any funds raised should be accounted for publicly.

You have my contact information 580.579.3510 or choctawvotingblock@yahoo.com.  Please only text because I am still trying to remain anonymous but the anonymity won’t last long.  I know you got great ideas and the time to start is now.  Yakoke!

MW/CW

Mission, Vision & Values of the Choctaw Voting Block Party

Mission:

To ensure the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is revered and cared for with the empowerment of Choctaw people in mind.  Ensuring success, we will nurture and provide the tools our Choctaw people require so that our Choctaw Nation caretakers will be Choctaw tribal members.

Vision:

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in the future will be a proud people whose government put their welfare above all else.  Choctaw children will be encouraged and empowered to become future leaders of our nation, our elders will be revered and respected.  Our businesses will support the education, the employment and the entrepreneurial spirit of our Choctaw people.

Values:

1. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road and yours alone, others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

2. Respect all things that are placed on this earth whether it is a person or plant

3. Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes, and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

4. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

5. All people make mistakes. All mistakes can be forgiven.

6. Bad thoughts cause illness of mind, body, and spirit. Practice optimism.

7. Avoid hurting the heart of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

8. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

9. Respect other beliefs. Do not force your beliefs on others.

10. Keep yourself balanced. Your mental self, spiritual self, emotional self, and physical self all need to be strong, pure, and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

11.  Serve your people with a clean spirit – take nothing that doesn’t belong to you and take care of what belongs to us all

*  Yakoke Yannash for the Values

MW/CW

Gaming

“Remember that it is not by a tyrants words, but only by his deeds that we can know him” 

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

OR HER…

The stories of oppression, abuse and tyranny flowing out of every casino owned by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is shameful.  Stories of disrespect for Choctaw intelligence, false accusations, abuse of power sexually, monetarily and schedule wise.  Is it the General Managers who are to blame?

Think about this brothers and sisters.  No little tyrant is safe without a big tyrant supporting him (HER).  Most likely those General Managers are in the same boat being rowed by the same team.  From the employee fired after giving birth and ordered to stay home after complications by her doctor.  To the young Choctaw fired for smoking pot and failing to pass a drug test.

I know what some of you might be thinking.  First lets think about some of the many stupid things we did as young people.  Things that were dangerous and ignorant of the implications to those around us.  Did we grow emotionally and intellectually as we aged?  I hope so.  I like to think I have.  Many young people who have worked for the Choctaw Nation have been fired and told they could NEVER EVER work for the Choctaw Nation EVER AGAIN.  Meaning that young woman/man who was fired – if they went to rehab or if they just simply stopped using illegal substances for the next 50 years STILL could not work for the tribe.  What men living in glass houses made up that rule?  If that is a gaming commission rule just let me know.  Very good thing this rule doesn’t apply to the administration.

I have to say this, the great redeemer is Christ and through the horrific death of Jesus Christ, God forgives our sins if only we ask.  Once we ask, God forgives and gives it not another thought because he loves each of us as we love our own children.  Not so for this tribe.

Now lets say the situation above isn’t true it was just told to this young person by a vindictive supervisor.  Who can this person go to?  Kyle Birch?  I know you tribal members working at the casino are laughing and so am I.  I could go into all of the problems with chain of command systems but I want to wait for another post.  Back to Kyle Birch he is a reflection of the Casino Leadership.  He is verbally abusive and uses his position of power to make people feel like they are nothing – he is a reflection of the Casino Leadership.

Chahta’s do you believe there are those among you who have worked at the Casino for years who could be supervisors?  I do.  Do I think you have been purposefully overlooked and demoralized in this autocratic system?  I know you have been.  You don’t have to stand for it – none of us do any longer.

MW