New Tribal Council members to be sworn in Friday

By B.L. Azure

PABLO — The recent Tribal Council election was almost a clean-the-house one. There was an 80 percent turnover as four of five incumbents were voted out of office, including present Tribal Council Chair E.T. “Bud” Moran. The lone incumbent re-elected was Terry Pitts, Dixon District representative.

The two closest races were in the St. Ignatius (10 vote difference) and Dixon (33 vote difference) districts. The most decisive races were in the Hot Springs (170 vote difference) and Arlee (171 vote difference) districts. In the Pablo District the vote difference was 86.

As a result the new Tribal Council when sworn in at the winter quarterly meeting on Friday, Jan. 6, will be comprised of 40 percent new members, although two of them — Ron Trahan and Lloyd Irvine — have served on the Tribal Council before being ousted four years ago.

• Arlee: James Steele, Jr., former chair of the Tribal Council was ousted by challenger James V. “Bing” Matt. The two-term Arlee District Tribal Council representative garnered 555 votes; Matt had 726 votes, which is also the phone prefix for the Arlee area.

• Dixon: Terry Pitts, the lone incumbent councilmen to be reelected, topped challenger Anita Orr Matt by 33 votes. Pitts received 659 votes to Matt’s 626 votes. This will be Pitts’ second term as the Dixon District Tribal Council representative.

• Hot Springs: Two-term Hot Springs District Tribal Council representative Michel Kenmille lost his bid for a third term to Leonard Gray. Kenmille received 554 votes and Gray hauled in 724 votes.

• Pablo: Tribal Council Chairman E.T. “Bud” Moran was defeated by the person who’s seat he took four years ago. Lloyd Irvine garnered 679 votes and Moran had 593 votes.

• St. Ignatius: Charlie Morigeau lost the St. Ignatius District seat to Ron Trahan, the person he beat four years ago. Trahan received 640 votes while Morigeau garnered 630 votes.

The new Tribal Council members will be sworn in and the new Tribal Council will be officially seated at this Friday’s winter quarterly meeting.