We say that because you clearly don’t want to know what’s happening so ….we won’t force you out of your “ignorance zone.”

Anyway, more bad news, and we have no defense.  We do have a so called leadership team that never comes to work, sketchy on duties but diligent on getting that weekly check. Didn’t take long did it? And cash flow? Countdown to meltdown.

Winnie’s in charge and the government center resembles a funeral parlor.

March 17, 2025 Trump order targets CDFI Fund, threatening Native American access to capital President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to drastically scale back the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, potentially eliminating a critical source of capital for Native-owned businesses and economic development in tribal communities. Read more. Tribal clean energy projects halted as EPA cuts $1.5B in grants for Indian Country The Environmental Protection Agency announced it terminated $20 billion in clean energy funding agreements, including $1.5 billion earmarked for Indian Country, amid lawsuits from grant recipients and escalating political tension. Read more. ____________________________

You didn’t have to be a genius to see what was happening in the General Body Meeting Sunday. The Treasurer was the designated target.  He was the focus of all the incoming shrapnel and rightfully so.  Well, on the surface it looked like he had some sense of the problem by repeatedly talking about the Tribe’s “dire” financial situation. He said there was only $307K available. That was the same amount reported a week before the election (February 3) even less according to some sources and it certainly is not accurate now.

Apparently, meeting attendees did not know that Canal Street’s finance hand outs were the preliminary findings reported on February 3. That

Canal Street is aging before our very eyes. Soon, very soon, he’ll be walking with a cane and barking at the moon.

report made by the TA, the Interim Comptroller and the Tribal consultant was a bombshell that revealed that “fraudulent entries were made for those large expenditures.” The final phase of the investigation, (initiated by Carlton Hendricks Jr) was supposed to reveal what “fraudulent entries” were made in that tranche of $4.3M. That never happened.

We just don’t know do we?  The women investigating the wrongdoing were fired soon after CK’s crew took over.

It brings to mind the contentious discussion at the General Body

Maddas holds a sign on a pitch folk asking  “Where’s the Pow Wow money?” Ask TAT, he’s an expert on missing Pow Wow money. Brian made him Exec Director of the Gaming Authority. The height of absurdity.

Meeting about the missing $113K Pow Wow money raised and deposited into the general fund. It disappeared. The committee had receipts, and the Tribal members voted to force the Council to return the money. That is a rare action taken in this kind of meeting.  It may need to happen more often because CK’s Council sycophants are either department heads or holed up in finance.  They are loyal only to the chairman. And when you have a Council like this one, dominated by Cliff Walkers, bad stuff happens. As it stands, it’s unclear if the Council voted to restore the money to the committee at last nights Council meeting.

You have a Treasurer who depends on a consulting firm (without a contract) and Mark Harding to direct him. Another rarity was Harding’s presence at the General Boby Meeting. He was there to make sure the treasurer followed the script. And he did. When asked about finance, he explained that the Tribe pays one of the consulting firms $120K a year vs the comptroller’s $140K. So, since they fired the comptroller, he saves $140K because he relies on the firm (that charged us hundreds of thousands for audits 1 year out of 3. He forgot to calculate the 4 (out of 5) women in finance who make a total of $360k a year. They have no degrees, or accounting expertise, just related to the chairman or the Fryes. As a matter of fact, 90% of the professionals hired to clean things up gets harassed and fired. Check the record. We could CONTRACT with an accounting firm for about $100K a year (to do the job of the 4), pay the Comptroller $140K and save $120K. We could also reduce the salary of the Treasurer by $30K.. SAVING $150K — Take the money and expand the (sorely lacking) college and vocational school scholarships and hire a credentialed professional to run the homeless shelter.  You know, do something that helps our kids and members in “dire” need.

CS’s plan to get tough on slackers sounded good.  Department heads would have to pay their salaries out of their own grants, if not they are fired in 30-days. But then you realize he’s saying what you want to hear and what we have endlessly pounded on REEL WAMPS. He will never follow through.  Here’s why. Magpie hasn’t upped his grant in many years.  Natana has not either. Both are controversial figures who struggle to adhere to the most basic job responsibilities.  Weeden has never received certification as a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer because he has no Bachelors or Masters degrees. But he still gets paid from other grants Indirect Costs. Natana relies on the same source, CK and the general fund to keeps her controversial school open. Moreover, you’re not going to fire the chairman’s uncle and cousin. That’s not in the Paula/Markie script.

Understand that years of paying these two out of grant Indirect Costs is one of the reasons that fund is in the red $700k. That kind of misappropriation gets the attention of you know who. Thus no budget. No budget for the Gaming Authority. No TA, HR Director, Housing Director or Comptroller. No reports on meetings or events on travel. The management structure in non-existent. 

WINNIE’S REVENGE TOUR

It was a busy week for the old girl. Her penchant for getting in everyone’s business was on blast. Ladylike she is not and for that she was summarily cussed out.

Poor Winnie.  She’s so busy reminding us that she’s the vice chairman, she actually confirms her ineptitude. While Fenton was making his presentation at the meeting, she was running up and down the gym risers hugging people like she had just been released from an institution. Instead of reporting on what she’s doing to improve government services, she rattled on about her fabricated list

THE TRUTH IS NON-NEGOTIABLE

A master of setting bonfires under shady regimes, Pocknett watches for the white flags.

When David Pocknett shows up to a meeting, Council members brace

for impact. Pocknett’s candor is unbridled, as he is guaranteed to ask the questions Tribal members are afraid to ask. After hearing a lot of excuses, Winnie’s nonsense, Fenton’s dog and pony script he asked the obvious. Why are the officer’s taking a salary when we don’t have money. No answer…To Roxane Mills he said, “I’m ashamed of you. Sitting up there agreeing with them on all these things.” Roxanne’s adoration of the chairman and his team is baffling to most. It’s a huge turnaround from her distain for the youngster after the Plymouth Plantation robbery.  To the chairman he said, “Say something Brian. Why don’t you say something?” Course Brian told Pocknett to “call me.” To that he said, ” Why should I call you when you’re right here?”

TOTAL RECALL

If you close your eyes and someone reads you the following paragraph, you will swear Cedric Cromwell is still chairman.

Thursday March 13: After crying broke, the treasurer, the chairman and the executive director of the gaming authority headed to the Logan airport by limousine to catch a flight to New York. They ghosted Genting a few weeks ago when they came to town.  Now they are desperate to meet with the gaming moguls to beg for money to pay their salaries. Maybe they will do the right thing.

We doubt it. Because we don’t know what they did with the $13 million last year.  Why would they course correct now?

You can open your eyes.  We’re reliving the nightmare.

We warned about this.  Do you really think that

Sometimes winners are actually losers. In this case, Brian could care less as long as he keeps getting paid. The thought of going back to his old job makes him break out in hives.

 CK, Winnie, Fenton and Talia can launch a proper strategy to defend our nation? Even if we hire professionals, they would take advantage of the inexperienced officers who are unable to understand the most rudimentary elements of the crisis. Proof of this is what happened in finance with consultants who punked us, charging $500k for the 2022 audit that the Interim Comptroller could have done for $40k. All under CK’s watch.  He’s too busy partying and overrunning tribal police to even pretend to do his job. Keep going down this rabbit hole folks.

 As DOGE lease terminations hit Indian Country, concerns mount about vital services

A USDA Farm Service Agency office. These mostly rural facilities face potential closure under the DOGE initiative, threatening access to essential services for Native American and rural communities.(Photo: USDA)

By Chez Oxendine

February 28, 2025

 A sweeping plan to cancel more than 7,500 leases under the General Services Administration (GSA) has begun to claim Native-serving government offices in six states. The lease directive comes as part of major changes to federal operations under President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech mogul Elon Musk. The organization’s website points to cancelled leases for six Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices across Oklahoma, Utah, and Arizona, as well as four Indian Health Services offices in New Mexico, Minnesota, California and Oklahoma.

The same website lists closures for Farm Service Agency offices in North and South Dakota — where the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) serves numerous Native American producers.

In Oklahoma alone, five Native-serving offices are affected by the lease terminations, though the impact varies.  A spokesperson for the Kiowa Tribe told CBS affiliate KWTV that the BIA office in Carnegie had been empty for multiple years, making the lease cancellation largely a formality.  In Seminole, however, seven employees reportedly lost their jobs when that office was shuttered earlier this month, with phone lines now disconnected.

The lease cancellations appear to be part of a systematic effort outlined in a Feb. 26 Office of Management and Budget memorandum. The document, which provides guidance on agency workforce reduction and reorganization plans, calls for “a reduced real property footprint” as agencies implement the DOGE initiative. The memo instructs federal departments to “close and/or consolidate regional field offices to the extent consistent with efficient service delivery” while working to achieve “reduced budget topline targets.”

Former USDA and BIA staff who served during the Biden administration expressed concern that regional offices from both agencies would be shuttered as part of the DOGE effort, a move that would have significant impact on Native communities that rely on localized, in-person support for essential services related to economic development and Native agriculture.

When contacted by Tribal Business News today, the BIA provided this statement: “The Department of the Interior is committed to upholding federal responsibilities to tribal communities. Indian Affairs offices remain open and continue to provide services. The Department of the Interior is working with GSA to ensure facilities will be available for the continued delivery of BIA services.”

‘A lot of confusion’

What this means for offices serving tribes — especially BIA and USDA outposts on reservations — remains unclear. Among the GSA’s portfolio of more than 8,300 buildings nationwide are 55 federally run Bureau of Indian Education schools and 83 on-reservation Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, as well as hundreds of USDA locations that provide essential services to Native farmers, ranchers and producers.

Wizipan Garriott, former principal deputy assistant secretary of Indian Affairs, told Tribal Business News the situation has created “a lot of confusion on multiple levels” as tribes grapple with whether or not trust obligations will continue being honored.

“People are asking a lot of questions,” Garriott said. “One, what are employees working remotely supposed to do? There’s been a push to get them to return to the office, but they could be shuttering those offices. And then we have to wonder about those who are receiving essential governmental services, especially those receiving services under treaty and trust responsibilities – that’s more concerning.”

The GSA has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Tribal Business News.

Garriott said federal offices on reservations provide localized and in-person support that couldn’t be replicated through remote work, assuming the services weren’t shut down entirely by a lease termination. Functions such as leasing, land titles, and range management are central to many tribes’ economic development and agricultural operations.

“A lot of that happens in those offices, and I think if you would ask the people doing that work, I think they would tell you it’s virtually impossible to not do the work in those offices,” Garriott said.

It’s not just Indian Country at risk, according to Janie Simms Hipp, CEO and President of ag credit nonprofit Native Agriculture Financial Services. Rural communities across the country could be “royally screwed” if GSA begins shuttering crucial local support, Hipp said.

“If you’re just willy-nilly terminating leases, where is the conversation about disruption of services? It’s not just tribes … everyone around us isn’t going to have a prayer, either,” Hipp told Tribal Business News. “It’s about anybody who lives rural and remote — they will literally be cut off from the possibility of walking into an office and getting a question answered.”

‘A pretty good cause of action’

James Meggesto, partner at law firm Holland and Knight, told Tribal Business News that at least some of the leases tied to tribal services would be difficult or illegal to terminate outright. If a federally-recognized tribe owns a building, or the facility is used for services related to self-governance, the lease falls outside of standard procedure. Instead, the contract has its own statutes and rules under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975.

“If they were to breach that contract, that would not be legal, and tribes would have a pretty good case to seek reinstatement of the lease or damages or both,” Meggesto said. “I think it would be disruptive obviously, and I think tribes would have a pretty good cause of action.”

In addition to agency offices, GSA-managed buildings include federal courthouses, post offices, and data processing centers. All told, the organization manages 8,397 buildings across 2,200 communities in the United States. That includes USDA buildings in every county in the country – a crucial resource for especially remote or disconnected agriculture producers, Hipp said.

Eliminating USDA offices would severely impact rural communities across America, Hipp said.  She noted that USDA has conducted numerous studies on office usage and visitor traffic, showing these locations provide essential services to people with limited internet access.

“There are places where you can make it more efficient, but without these offices, (a farmer) out there on his tractor with no internet is going to be cut off from USDA programs,” she said.

None of the Trump administration orders change the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to tribes, Meggesto said. However, the rapid pace of the directives could lead to unintended disruptions.

“When they do things that are rushed … you create a situation where people on the ground trying to execute these orders tend to apply them overly broadly,” Meggesto said. “I don’t think it should affect tribes, but I certainly can’t say that it won’t, in one way or other, have a very disruptive effect.”

Brian Edwards provided reporting.

It was estimated that the Tribal government had 3 months to live.  Now we have learned that the crash will come in 2 weeks. For sure. So, there are quite a few problems that stem from the new leadership elected.  None of them have the ability to even assess the problems and determine the remedy.  And they’re getting rid of the people with the know how….like TRUMP. They don’t even want to hear anything of the kind because it interferes with their purpose….to get paid.

Sadly, the very people who elected them will be hurt most. There are many red flags flying that that should cause grave concern.

• Forced the TA out after an outrageous verbal assault led by Winnie— TA’s plan would keep the government working.
• Continuing untenable spending instead- implementing worthless hiring freeze and travel ban.
• Officers didn’t even consider giving up their salaries– Instead talked about finding pots of money to pay themselves or get a raise by raiding grants.
• Spent most of their time complaining about Reel Wamps instead of keeping Tribal services going.

Many people hoped Fenton could save the motley crew with a plan.  He is the Wall Street Wizard after all.  But word is, “He is completely out of his depth. He has no idea about how to handle any aspect of his job.” So much for qualifications.  But we have had a chairman who did nothing for 4 years.

The biggest problem is that the officers do not have the credentials or experience to attract viable investors. Second issue no cash flow. No plan for cash flow and now A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL are either clueless, complicit or complacent. One council member is obsessed with the tone of a former officer’s voice. Absurd. Worry about grant expansion.  How about that? Stop listening to the damn fools.

Watch for Alex to return.  The sketchy little character is reportedly tight with Talia….ahem. Did he spend thousands on the billboard like yard signs and gifts to young voters?  This  gets messy. The new secretary couldn’t even put together the agendas or documents for the last two meetings. Right.  

It will be interesting to see what the interim comptroller is allowed to reveal soon. There were  huge transactions that needed to be identified and a bunch of other questionable transfers.

We have no idea of the financial status of any major grant. The coverup got us here broke.

But you still have to watch several grants and funding sources.

• Gaming Authority-– Is ripe for the taking. That’s why they dodged with the Malaysians. The investors don’t want their money going to Council salaries.
• Broadband— Absolutely no oversight, no reporting of expenditures– Little Miss Do Not Hire runs it
• The Opioid grant has been under attack several times. The former Vice Chairman blocked those attempted raids and others.  No such thing going on now.

No more Public Council meetings for finance. Everything will be done in executive. But there’s enough known out there if they don’t come clean.

They were so happy about their victory. Just giddy. For us …not so much. With only $107k in the checking account paying them for a month would cut the balance in half. And all we could say is that we have been grifted, again.

The Child King wasted little time swearing in his officers and Uncle to Council. A complete reversal of the previous election that brought candidates who opposed his do-nothing policies. He stalled for two weeks afraid that they were going to kick him off Council for the Plymouth Plantation robbery. The failure to remove Weeden would lead to a stream of shaming of the Tribe both in public and through illicit accusations. And when his ticket won this year, he was jubilant. Like a child.

The Tribe’s future was in the hands of his crew, looking for a paycheck and nothing else. They are incapable of delivering the services their

The Artful Dodger is the poster child for the slogan “Elections have consequences.” Sadly, we can only send up a prayer for the Creator to have mercy.

offices dictate.  Knowing Bobby and his shady ways, expect him to keep trying to cash in on his deal for a Gaming Authority contract.  You will recall CK and Fenton made that promise in exchange for Foster’s endorsement and dropping out of the Treasurer’s race. It was a shrewd move because Bobby could not win but would only take votes from Fenton which would help Aaron. Election Committee Chair Kimmie Frye secured the scheme by removing Bobby from the ballot without a vote of the committee.  Another illegal move, along with her allowing 75 young members (not enrolled) to register and vote. So, it’s tough for Gaming Authority members to cozy up to the scandalous Bobby. But it shows you the mind set of “The Artful Dodger.” He’s responsible for the financial crisis and will not hesitate to keep milking the Tribe.  He’s been doing it for nearly 25 years.  Why change now?

Poor Fenton thought he could trick us, but he got bamboozled by Paula. Hampered by a huge learning curve, even when he asks her for the truth, she will lie. Everyone’s taking bets on how long he lasts. For now, he has been formally inducted into CK’s Tribal Council Purgatory.

Fenton, meanwhile, revealed his Canal Street instincts when he demanded a salary of upwards of $150K. He said, “He had to be made whole.” Well, that means that he had to make more than his $67K salary he receives at the Grocery Store Branch of Citizens Bank at Stop and Shop. By our calculations that’s more than double.

Ok so instead of fixing the financial mess (Bobby made), we have the outgoing and the incoming treasurers trying to enrich themselves.  With this regime it’s never about the Tribe, is it?  To be fair, Canal Street did make a run at appearing interested in getting the detail on the financial mess.   His request for documents was so off everyone thought it was a prank. You could hear the laughter all over the building.

NOT FUNNY

Since there is no “strategic plan,” CK tossed questions about the upcoming layoffs to the TA and immediately went into hiding. One thing for certain the lack of cash flow and the inability to account for $13m spent over the last year is troubling for Tribal members. But worse, the current investors will not sink another dime into the Tribal government.   Getting the loan debt (reduced by VC Hendricks) payment is their sole interest.

The Malaysians actually showed up to have a little chat. CK & his minions ghosted them.  It really didn’t matter because none of the Tribal officers know anything about the gaming needs or financial structure, least of all CK. But why would they indict themselves? CK no longer has the work horses to dump the work on.  He’s all alone with his sycophants who can produce nothing.

Gross Negligence

• Ellen Frye has been in charge of the $9.1m Broadband grant for 30 months.  She’s been getting a salary (we don’t know how much and so has Magpie). Wait for it. She never set up
  

  Ellen is an incorrigible bombast who is allowed to do what she does. We may never know why she continues to be mad at the world and attack everyone in her path. Ahem

  the infrastructure product. Alex was likely in there rooting around.  But we never got any report on that huge program.  It was designed to jumpstart internet cable service for tribal homes. Eventually it would allow us to sell that product to the town and surrounding communities. We would have a free cable, and establish a business that makes money.  She’s also getting money out of the general fund adding to her salary.  Only her relatives in finance know what she’s making. But she gets paid and does nothing.

• The Gaming Authority is governed by the chairman.  The funding is separate from grant and general fund pots of money (which are pretty much depleted). The investors fund that entity because it is for the gaming projects exclusively.   We really don’t know the balance. It could be a $1m it could be $2m.  We do know the Bobby wants to get paid outta that fund. Paula’s Smoke Signals gets paid outta there to the tune of over $350k a year to produce and publish the Mittark and maintain the website. All bad.  They could do it for half of that but they like to gouge.
  

  Cherp Cherp is always talking about “our ways” like she’s an authority. One of her uncles gave her that nickname for obvious reasons. That’s our way.

  Just a reminder. Paula is the publicist for CK and spends the money to promote him, and herself, not the Tribe.  Not very smart actually. It’s easier to praise the greatness of our ancestors that include all of our families, her father, uncles and aunts, than the likes of a Child King who continues to humiliate us on a daily basis. That defines cowardice. Seems to be her passion. But we shouldn’t have to pay for it.

ON THE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

• Ellen Frye has won 2nd place on the national “DO NOT HIRE” list falling behind President Donald Trump who said, “She was one hell of an opponent!” Robin Tobey came in 3rd for consistently undermining the goals of her many job descriptions and advocating for restraining orders on people before they could file them on her.