The upcoming General Tribal Council meeting (April 10 at 6 p.m.) promises to be filled with questions, concerns, criticisms, emotional pleas and various responses. What is not promised is a quorum.
The desire of tribal members to attend and participate in this worthwhile and urgent process has been at a slow decline over the last few years. Consequently, much work, information and the simple process of bringing membership together have suffered. Only during controversial issues have I seen strong participation by membership. Short of that, the community appears less inclined to offer their time and opinion.
As a true democracy, each member has a say and vote on all issues of concern within the Tribe. There is no barrier between the will of the General Tribal Council and the efforts of the Executive Council. You possess a vital vote to affirm or deny the direction of the Executive Council. You are the boss! However, when you neglect to participate in this process, you are essentially giving your rubber-stamp vote to those who attend. The ever-growing numbers of the disinterested minority can cripple the government process in this community, resulting in poor decision-making and ineffective solutions to our problems.
I challenge each of you to become an informed and vocal member of this community. The Executive Council has meetings every other Monday (please contact the Tribal Office for specific dates and times), in addition to monthly, less formal, meetings at Horizons. It is at these venues where you may exercise your right to question those who represent the Tribe and/or suggest or express your concerns.
Don't be in a rush to listen and contribute to this essential process. Becoming an informed citizen takes discipline and patience. I hope many of you accept the challenge and I look forward to seeing you at our meetings.
LeBlanc is Secretary of the Bay Mills Executive Council.
