1975-08-01 Char-Koosta News

              SWANEY FACES CHARGES
DIXON: Following an audit of the Post and Pole Plant accounting proceed ures, andan investigation of it's management by the Administration Committee, the Tribal Council approved a letter charging Councilman Thomas 'Bear-head' Swaney with improper conduct and gross neglect of duty.
The audit and subsequent Investigation into Swaney's management, stemmed from recent audits of the Community Action Program, Which the Post and Pole Plant was a branch of.
The letter sent to Swaney reads as follows: Dear Mr. Swaney, Pursuant to Article V of the Constitution and bylaws of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, you are hereby charged with improper conduct and gross neglect of duty. Article VI, section 1(a) of the Constitution provides that the duty of the Tribal Council is to, " regulate the uses and disposition of Tribal property, wildlife and natural resource of the Confederated Salish
and Kootettal Tribes......"
As an employee of the Community Action Program Post and Pole Plant and a Council man you failed to keep records of transactions that would properly account for $40,000 of Tribal funds, and after over a year of operation, knowing that the accounts were not in order you failed to set up a proper accounting system. \our Inaction reflects discredit on yourself as an employee and a Councilman in that the suspicion that illegal transaction
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PER-CAPiTA PAYMENT
Dixon: A $600 Per-Capita payment will be mailed by Tribal Operations, August 15. All Tribal members on the enrollment books hy the cutoff date of July 1, 1975, will be eligible for the payment.
The Per-Capita payments are made once a year from Tribal Revenue. The one per year policy enables thé Tribe to make dividends on the basf* of the actual Income from the prior fiscal year, rather than calculating shares on projected Income. The Council had b<>en fol-
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Volume 5 - Number 7      FULL MOON OF THE WILD ONION   August 1,1975
COUNCIL BLOWS LID OFF CAP
DIXON*: The Tribal Council took action July 18, to terminate the Community Action Program Director John 'Bud* Barnaby and his staff Joan Cook and Clarence Woodcock.
It was upon recommendation of the Tribal Council Administration Committee, that action to reolace the CAP director and his staff be taken immediately.
Council men McCrea and Stinger explained to the Council that the recommendations made by the committee were based upon an audit made by the Tribe of the Federally funded program in 1974 and a review of the records this year which showed no improvements in accounting procedures from last year.
Councilman McCrea said that action must take place as soon as possible so that
the CAP program and the other Federally funded programs were not jeopardized by the actions of this one Director and his staff. I The initial audit and subsequent review of the GJAP program were instigated by Manpower Director Al Sloan, who had reported irregularities were taking place in the accounting pro-ceedures to the Administration Committee. Upon completion of the review by the auditors, Barnaby ;»nd his staff were requested to appear before the Council when the auditor would give the report of the findings.
The auditors reported that there were still irreg ularities in the accounting proceed ures,and that the
guidelines set up by the Office of Econ omic Opportunity for the purpose of account records were not being followed.
It appeared to the auditors that travel vouchers were prepared and signed by the same person, accounts receivable showed personal loans to staff and others had been made but some had not been paid back, supplies purchased could not be found in the inventory nor could receipts for such supplies, the budget controls showed in excess of $9,958.50, some obligations had not been paid for the fiscal year. Airfair for various persons not employed by the CAP program had been paid for and not put
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BARLOWAND ADAMS APPOINTED TO STAFF
Washington D.C.: Montana Indians Earl Barlow, Black-feet, and Hank Adams, Asrin-iboine-Souix, have been appointed to the investigating staff of the American Indian Policy Review Commission in the nation's capitol.
The commission was established this spring to conduct a two and one half year study to propose new congressional policies and legis lative action on behalf on Indian tribes. The recom mendalions would be aimed at correcting federal policies which impede tribal self-determination, The commission'^, investigating force will have independent authority and will form the basis for the final recommendations.
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