Some tough times ahead

“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with; and, the laws you choose to obey.” - Charles Millhuff


Face it, this is not an easy time for the people of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. (See the Messenger website for details.)

My editor always says, "There are always two sides to every story and the truth is usually somewhere in between." I believe that to be true.

Some pretty serious accusations have been made of late. The rest of the great big world is worrying about certain issues of great importance. The word "economy" has become a dirty word. The stock market is crashing. The Petters investigation has become national news and the upcoming presidential election is complicated with mud-slinging by each candidate.

There is a bit of mud-slinging going on in our little corner of the world regarding one of the most important issues to hit this region, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in at least 25 to 30 years. That is just my opinion. I haven't been here for that many years. But this is serious.

The removal of a tribal elected official, specifically the Chief Executive, is comparable to the impeachment of a United States President. The matter should be looked at and scrutinized very carefully. Challenges should be made and argued.

The removal of Melanie Benjamin as Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band is being challenged. I would expect nothing less.

It might be hard for some people to understand traditions and culture that differ from our own. But I am almost certain that within every culture there is embedded into the souls of the people an intricate balance of knowing right from wrong.

We teach our children from a very young age the difference between right and wrong. When they grow up, we hope they use that knowledge from our teachings and what they have learned at school and in life, to make the right choice when forced to decide what is right and what is wrong.

We hope they make decisions that come from the heart.

I applaud those who stand up for what they believe and don't back down when times are tough. These are tough times for the people of the Mille Lacs Band.

I don't know who is right and who is wrong in this particular instance. It is certainly a test of adherence to moral and ethical principles all the way around. But I applaud both sides for standing firm to their beliefs.

There is a hearing on Monday in Tribal Court. Challenges have been made. Arguments need to be heard. And decisions must now be made.

Peace.


"Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."
~ Peter Marshall, US Senate Chaplain 1947