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SPEAKER 1: Well, some weeks ago, a tribal member by the name of Sue Belfi came forward and revealed that in the past election in 1990 for the post of secretary treasurer, that she was approached by the chairwoman of the election committee and urged to forge upwards to 135 ballots, reversing the results of the 1990 election where the people expressed their vote-- expressed their concerns through their vote to remove an incumbent secretary treasurer.

They rigged the election. Perhaps as many as 675 votes were forged for the incumbent. And essentially what they've done is they trampled on our right to have our vote count. And I think that's a very precious right that everybody that's listening can support.

SPEAKER 2: Can you characterize, or describe, I should say, the dissident's demands?

SPEAKER 1: Well, first of all, I think the word dissident is inaccurate. We're concerned tribal members who on Friday walked in and seized the administration offices of the tribal council and are making the following demands. Can I share those with your listeners?

SPEAKER 2: Please do.

SPEAKER 1: Well, number one, and these incidentally, are all non-negotiable demands and I think that you and your listeners will find that they're very reasonable, rational, and realistic demands. Number one, we hereby demand the immediate suspension of Jerry Rawley, who is the incumbent, who is benefiting by this fraudulent election, without pay, from his position as secretary treasurer pending a full investigation of this election.

We hereby demand that the White Earth Reservation Business Committee, which is for all purposes, a tribal council, to join us in calling for a US Justice Department to investigate and prosecute all persons who conspired, defrauded, and covered up the September 1990 secretary treasurer election and, of course, all previous elections dating back to 1982, where there's a common belief on among the people here that these elections have been rigged by the tribal chairperson or chairman by the name of Darrell Wadena. And of course, we're demanding that the election records be placed under seal in some safe place until such time as the Justice Department comes in and investigate.

Let me share with you a brief paragraph of a letter we received from Senator Daniel Inouye of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. He says, "I share your view that democracy is a precious asset and we must protect it and the rights it affords to all Americans. And democracy cannot tolerate electoral fraud or judicial misconduct. Consequently, I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your letter to the inspector general's office and have asked that he reply to your concerns."

This letter comes from Senator Inouye to one of our prominent tribal members here in the community, a community leader by the name of Mr Lowell Bellinger. Lowell Bellinger, whose home that I'm in at the present time.

SPEAKER 2: Well, have you received a reply from the Inspector General?

SPEAKER 1: From who?

SPEAKER 2: From whoever the letter was referred to.

SPEAKER 1: This letter went to-- no, we have not received a reply yet, but I can tell you that we've been in conversation with the US Attorney's office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And they're telling us they're taking it under advisement whether or not they have jurisdiction to come in here and investigate. Obviously, we've exhausted all remedies here on the reservation, which has forced our people to actually seize the administrative offices to see that these demands are met.

And, of course, there are other issues, such as the fact that we are governed under a tribal Constitution that allows this kind of fraud and corruption to run rampant. We see a tribal council taking monies, business development monies, and instead of publicizing this in the community and allowing our people to upgrade their standard of living through getting these loans, they give the loans to themselves.

On one hand, the tribal chairman is getting state and federal funds for alcohol and chemical abuse among our children. And at the same time, he takes tribal monies and opens up a liquor store on the reservation. It is that kind of corruption, and including all aspects of the monies that are going into the casino that's under construction. So the people are demanding a full accounting and full accountability of the handling of tribal both state and federal funds.

SPEAKER 2: Well, Mr. Bellecourt--

SPEAKER 1: The main issue, of course, is this election fraud, and that is what we're focusing on in our demands.

SPEAKER 2: Well, Chairman Wadena is just calling this building occupation election year propaganda and he has denied these accusations of mob influence and election fraud.

SPEAKER 1: You say again that one of our prominent tribal members has come forward and has revealed that she was urged by the. election chairwoman of the election committee to participate in this fraud by rigging and forging votes, votes that were actually notarized by a notary public who will also testify that this individual brought these ballots in.

So Mr. Wadena may try to dismiss this as election year campaigning, but I can tell you, when the rights of our people are trampled on to have their vote count, and that's not only a basic threat to the democratic Indian form of government that we demand accountability, but I believe that everyone will support. When Ferdinand Marcos stole the election from Cory Aquino, the Filipino people were in the streets, the United States supported their right to overthrow this corrupt government, and they should give us the same kind of support here.

SPEAKER 2: What's the next move in all of this?

SPEAKER 1: Well, we've demanded a meeting today of the full tribal council for noon. The information is that they intend to meet with us. Should they not, we're going to continue to hold the building. And in fact, if necessary, we're willing to up the cost of-- and take further and firmer actions to see that our democratic right to have our ballot counted and that ballot, an expression of our will of the people, the democratic will of the people be upheld.