National Council Regular Session Yields Another Virtually Unanimous Vote

Staff Writer

On February 25, 2012, the Muscogee (Creek) National Council held its regular session meeting in the auditorium of the Mound Building at the Creek Capital Complex. The regular meeting showed a virtually unified National Council with almost all votes being unanimous. Reverend Jay Downing of Montesoma Baptist Church was on hand to give the invocation.

Twenty-four pieces of legislation were on the agenda for the National council\’s consideration with topics ranging from the confirmation of executive nominations and land purchases to supplemental appropriations for various departments and authorization for a special appropriation to protect a cultural and historical site.

Four persons were confirmed, almost unanimously, by the National Council for various positions within the Nation. Former National Council representative for Tulsa District Paula Willits was confirmed to serve on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation\’s Gaming Operations Authority Board (GOAB). Brant Beaver was also confirmed by the National Council to continue serving on the GOAB. Darlene (Frank) Taryole was confirmed to serve on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Citizenship Board. And Richard Lerblance was confirmed by the National Council to serve as a Supreme Court Justice of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation\’s Supreme Court.

The National Council authorized the Principal Chief to buy land located in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The National Council appropriated $107,500 for the purchase of real property also in the same county. And a third bill was passed authorizing the Principal Chief to begin negotiations for the purchase of other real property in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma.
 

Four items on the agenda were supplemental appropriation requests from departments in the Creek government. All four of these requests would fund the departments respective 2012 fiscal year budgets. The Social Services Department had three separate requests totaling approximately $303,000. The Social Services department would use the funds to supplement budgets of the Tribal Energy Program, Air Conditioning Program and the School Clothing Program. The Tourism and Recreation Department requested $123,613. The Food Distribution Program and the Children and Family Services Administration also made requests to supplement their 2012 FY budgets. The appropriations all received approval from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation\’s governing body.

One piece of legislation that gained council approval was an amendment to NCA 06-185. This particular law deals with clarifying the Muscogee (Creek) governments official position on the \”cultural and historical\” site of Hickory Ground located in the original Creek homelands near Wetumpka, Alabama. Interestingly, the law also authorizes a special appropriation for \”…the cost of of necessary measures required to secure and protect the site and/or cause commercial and gaming activity to cease\”.

The law is purported to be aimed at the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The only legal gaming facilities in the vicinity of Wetumpka, Alabama are owned and under the jurisdiction of the Poarch Creek Band\’s sovereign government. The Poarch Creek\’s reportedly operate Creek Casino Wetumpka on or in close proximity to the original sacred ceremonial ground known as Hickory Ground or Oce Opofv.

The Poarch Creek Band of Indians are the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama.