09/11/2000 SELECT BOARD Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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9/11/00 Comments on Tribal Recognition and Facilitator Process I would like to read a brief statement which will hopefully allow me to clearly express my thoughts on Tribal Counsel recognition. None of these statements are intended to criticize,or in any way be mean-spirited,but to summarize where I personally, not the BOS, see us in this complicated and emotional issue. This is surely the most complex,important and contentious debate that I,this board and this community will encounter. Over the past weeks and months I found myself immersed in the desire to help alleviate old feelings and to try to bring peace and harmony to our community while helping a specific group who believe themselves to be aggrieved. I have found myself growing in knowledge and constantly re-evaluating our circumstances. I have found myself thinking more of ALL of the people in our community. Eventually reality replaces empathy often brought to light by unpleasant actions. I feel I have been placed in a position to create something. Not gust harmony but something more tangible. The Congress of the United States and the Dept. of the Interior have created processes whereby peoples can be formally recognized as"Tribes of Indians". I have no desire to interfere with these Federal processes,especially considering that the Federal Government has previously denied this claim through the court system. During the course of discussions with the Tribal Counsel this board needed to address specific problems presented to the town. Somehow,this exercise has evolved into a demand to vote for resolutions effectively indemnifying that the Tribal Counsel's wishes will come true. This demand was accompanied by selected results of the Tribal Counsel's "scientific survey"provided without sample information, statistical data,lead in statements and all questions. This survey in my opinion was ill conceived and nothing more than a deplorable political tool intending to intimidate this board and gain legislative advantage. This board embarked on the professional facilitator process with an open nand and are honest heart. However the myriad of problems associated with potentially having a sovereign nation within our community is awesome.Land acquisitions,monetary payments,the absence of zoning regulations,gambling,fire,police,educational services,tax issues etc. We have been politically pressured to limit our legal and lobbyist activities,we must,as is proper, conduct all discussions in public thereby discussing our strategy and our plans with our potential legal adversaries. We have been pressured by a seemingly biased press,severely limited in finances and finally manipulated by an experienced group of lawyers, strategists and political professionals working with the tribal counsel.Worse, information in distorted,given out in pieces as seen fit and sometimes less than truthful. It is indeed unfortunate that the leadership of the tribal Counsel has chosen to follow such a highly aggressive strategy_ Unfortunate yes,and saddening as old wounds are beyond the festering stage but are now open and driving friends apart, causing fear, and carrying an illness capable of setting this community back over twenty years. This fine community,including ALL of its citizens is at a very profound and critical precipice. It can continue on its path to being one of the finest towns in this nation or it can revert to the financially ruined state of the seventies with neighbor pitted against neighbor. All of this was caused by the Federal governments infinite wisdom of establishing two processes to recognize and create sovereign nations within the boundaries of our community. Why should the people of Mashpee literally pay for that folly. The professional facilitator and legal expenses associated with this process could easily be hundreds of thousands of dollars. I say if the Feds want to create,then let them pay the bills,although I am not necessarily in favor of the Federal government meeting what is reported to be,but is still unconfirmed,extravagant goals of the tribal counsel. These unconfirmed goals include; 1500 acres of undeveloped land in town,20million dollars,unlimited federal benefits, reimbursement for schools, fire and police,etc.. and gambling privileges. Unfortunately,the Counsel has yet to present their recognition objectives,which must have been documented by this time.