Support for Tribal Council

My candidacy so far has been very interesting, to say the least. My eyes have been opened to many things I was not aware of and some things I wish I would have kept them closed. It's no lie when people say that "politics" are a whole different world.

One of the most interesting things I've come across thus far are the reasons for why the membership supports the candidates they do. I know that I have always voted for who I thought was ethical and who had the best interest of the tribe at heart, or at least made me feel that way. I have not always been pleased with the outcome or the performance of the people I voted for but I felt in my heart at the time, I was doing the right thing. Since I have been nominated, I have spoken to many people and discussed with them who they will support in the 2009 Tribal Council election. I am not perplexed by who people want to support but why they want to support them.

I usually try to do my homework during election time because I feel it is important for me to know why I would cast a vote in anybody's direction. How has that person earned a seat to represent the membership and how are they going to help the entire membership? Are they ethical? Are they accountable? Do they believe in me and my opinion? Do they trust me? Do I trust them? Will they support the membership and if so, how?

These are just a few of the questions I ask myself about each and every candidate, every year. Voting council members in is not just voting for your family. It's not just voting for whoever hasn't made you mad in the last year or voting for the person that made a promise in your favor. It's bigger than that. It's about your children, your culture and your tribe. It's about everybody and securing a success for those who will live beyond our time. Voting someone in for Tribal Council is a very important decision and should be taken seriously. It should not be taken lightly and I would hope that everybody does their homework in between the months of July and August every year.

Let's not forget who Tribal Council represents and who they are supposedly working for.