The TA makes a cool $110 a year, to do nothing and you get a ham and little else.
So the new Tribal Administrator David Thundereagle fired Quan Tobey yesterday. There are several versions of what went down.
Version 1:
Quan did not attend a mandatory meeting was called in…and was fired.
Version 2
Quan wouldn’t write a job description…..and was fired.
He was in the middle of finishing a $200 K grant. As the Director of Natural Resources, Quan made significant headway with our aqua farming programs and had quite a good reputation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency . Though not a traditionalist, Quan did a superior job of maintaining our fishing culture that we have depended on forever.
He is clearly the only department head who was legitimately doing business on our behalf. No lying, no exaggeration of education or credentials, because he has a college education and knows his business. The majority of the people in charge of tribal government have nothing more than a high school education and most don’t have that. The ones who have a college diploma are holding high paying jobs, are very young, raised White and have absolutely no idea what they are doing in a very sensitive position….you who we are talking about.
And the person who is supposed to take over this spot is in no way qualified to do the job. The man has been coveting job for a long time. After blowing through the money, the new man will have to answer to feds for fraud. Something to think about but these people think they’re invisible. Example, ever wonder why the very important 184 housing program is still shut down for almost 18 months. Can’t even get a storm door fixed but you have all these people over there collecting checks to turn you away. Yah. That 184 theft is still hoovering over housing.
Quan was a good example to our kids, and the adults.
It’s another “DAMNED SHAME” moment because this TA Thundereagle is not accountable to us….or anyone actually. He has no contract and made it clear he doesn’t want one…He apparently has a habit of walking away whenever he pleases. At least that is his reputation. And like all the others has a career path that leaves a huge mess behind. He makes # 6 (or 7 if you count Leon’s deuce terms) in our cachet of less than competent TA’s.
In a government without rules,or Elder guidance, gouging lawyers, scam artists, and a cadre of scallywags, you have to wonder how the so called leaders can look themselves in the face. Course it’s not like they’re people any of the true Mashpee associate with. Pretenders. Lonely pretenders.
