Tribal NewsFeaturedInyo CountyNews

Bureau of Indian Affairs Sides with Chairperson Stone Leadership

big pine paiute tribe bureau of indian affairs

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE 

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bureau of Indian Affairs Sides with Chairperson Stone Leadership 

BIG PINE, Calif. – On March 21, 2024, Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent Harley Long issued a decision  that recognized the Tribal Council of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley headed by Chairperson Cheyenne Stone and Vice Chairperson Deanne Cheshire as the Tribe’s duly elected leadership after a faction led  by Genevieve Jones claimed to be the Tribe’s leadership. Superintendent Long said that the Jones’ faction could  not have been elected to the Tribe’s Tribal Council by virtue of a recall election because they failed to notify all  eligible voters of a recall vote held at a Special General Council meeting on November 21, 2023. Consequently,  he said, he could not recognize a valid recall election occurred because the defective notice violated the due  process rights of eligible voters under the Indian Civil Rights Act.

Superintendent Long’s decision resolves a delay in federal funding after a contentious challenge to the Tribe’s  leadership led first by Genevieve Jones and now by Cheryl Levine, and resulted in a violent attempt to take  possession of the Tribe’s administrative building on January 7, 2024.

Superintendent Long’s decision noted that some tribal members requested that their names be removed from  recall petitions because they did not understand what they were signing. He further noted that some eligible  voters appealed the results of the November 21, 2023, Special General Council meeting because they were not  notified of the meeting. Their appeals were never heard by the General Council, as required by the Tribe’s  Constitution.

“We are confident that BIA’s approval of our federal contract for operating funds is correct,” said Chairperson  Stone. “Our Tribal Council planned for funding to serve the many needs of our people and community, and this  decision prevents further delays.”

Cheyenne M. Stone, Big Pine Paiute Tribe Chairperson
[email protected]

Deanne Cheshire, Big Pine Paiute Tribe Vice Chairperson
[email protected]

Ashlee Dondero, Big Pine Paiute Tribe Treasurer
[email protected]

Tawny Williams, Big Pine Paiute Tribe Member-at-Large
[email protected]

Alan Bacock, Big Pine Paiute Tribe Secretary
[email protected]

5 3 votes
News Article Rating

Discover more from Eastern Sierra Now | Local News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Katrina Connolly
Katrina Connolly
Guest
6 months ago

Good riddance to the shadow council!

Big Pine Tribal Elder
Big Pine Tribal Elder
Guest
Reply to  Katrina Connolly
6 months ago

We hear you! Thank God.

Related Articles

Back to top button
Close

Adblock Detected

We make money by selling ads to out platform. Please show the advertisements so we can keep the website free to you. Support local news.