Caddo Nation News Archives - June 2005


Information to the people from Chairperson LaRue Martin Parker (1 June 2005)

The Council Five have fired the Tag Agent, Glenda Edmonds, and also her back-up person, the Enrollment Clerk, Shirley Gouge. No else is trained to do the job of Tag Agent. Therefore, these offices are closed until further notice. This will create a great hardship on the Caddo people. Some people need stickers and license plates to stay in compliance with state laws. Glenda and Shirley have been coming to work anyway just to help the people, but it costs them money for gas, and they are not currently being paid. People, I am so sorry that all of this has happened to us. All these actions are aimed at me in order to say that I caused all of this. I can do nothing at this point. Contact one of these five (5) Council people who are causing these problems.

A Letter from LaRue Parker regarding Caddo Nation finances (27 June 2005)

This letter and the attachments contain highly sensitive material relating to the finances of the Caddo Nation.

The activities of  two council members, Marilyn Threlkeld and Ann Donaghey, are causing the Caddo Nation a financial accountability hardship. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Caddo Nation, I am charged with the responsibility of answering for all things that impact the running of this tribe, including the finances. To that end, no single person has ever been allowed to withdraw money from a bank doing business with the Caddo Nation.

Our financial process involves a program director submitting payment vouchers and purchase requisitions for payment; then approval by the Chairperson (and/or Business Manager) and the Finance Officer before a check can be cut. Two signatures are needed on the processed check before distribution. Receipts are required on some of these payments and original billing is needed for others. We still follow this procedure to ensure accountability. Mrs. Threlkeld and Mrs. Donaghey have both withdrawn funds from our principal bank on their signature alone. Both of these women know the financial process that the tribe follows and have deliberately by-passed it. At NO TIME has it ever been the financial policy of the Caddo Nation to go to the bank and withdraw a large amount of money to pay for anything. No documentation, either by tribal council minutes or resolution, has been given to the Chairperson of the tribe to change this financial process.

The actions taken by these two women should be investigated and this questioning should include the three other council members who make up a majority of the tribal council -- Christine Noah, LaCreda Daugomah, and Mary Pat Clark. I do not believe that either Mrs. Threlkeld or Mrs. Donaghey did this without the knowledge and approval of these other three persons.

These five members of the Caddo Nation tribal council passed a resolution to remove Joyce Hinse, the Vice-Chairperson, and myself from being able to sign checks, and placed their names on the checking accounts instead. Since that time, the financial accountability of this tribe has gone downhill. Some creditors and even some banks in the area will no longer do business involving the Caddo Nation because of the upheaval caused by these five people. I do know that their aim has always been to discredit my office but this action sets a dangerous precedence and it must be stopped.

As of today, June 27, 2005, our finance office has not received any explanation or documentation from these five council members showing how the money was spent. A written request for information was set to Marilyn Threlkeld, Secretary, and LaCreda Daugomah, Treasurer (see below).

Your prompt action concerning this request is crucial.

Sincerely,

[signed] LaRue Martin Parker
Caddo Tribal Chairperson

Caddo Nation of Oklahoma
Post Office Box 487
Binger, Oklahoma 73009
(405) 656-2344    405-656-2345
FAX # 405/656-2892

 June 17, 2005

Ms. Marilyn Threlkeld
P.O. Box ###
Lookeba, OK 73053

Dear Ms. Threlkeld,

The Caddo Nation Finance Office was received the May 26, 2005 bank statement from Legacy Bank. When asked about the May 24, 2005 withdrawal of $796.00, you said that you had no recollection of withdrawing that money and did not know what it was for. LaCreda Daugomah had said that she thought you had withdrawn that money for bison feed. That is not an allowable expense for Motor Fuel money.

You are being held personally responsible for expenditure of Caddo Nation funds that are being expended outside the scope of our Finance system. As the Chief Executive Officer for the Caddo Nation I am responsible for safeguarding these funds. Unless you provide documentation that you were authorized to withdraw money from our tribal account showing what the money was to be used for and proof that it was used for an allowable Motor Fuel expense, you will be required to reimburse the Caddo Nation for the amount of disallowed expenditures.

Please submit all required documentation to my office by close of business on Friday, June 24, 2005. If we do not receive an acceptable response from you by that time, further action will be necessary.

Sincerely,

[signed] LaRue Parker
LaRue Parker
Chairperson

I concur:

[signed] Joyce Hinse
Joyce Hinse
Vice Chairperson


Caddo Nation of Oklahoma
Post Office Box 487
Binger, Oklahoma 73009
(405) 656-2344    405-656-2345
FAX # 405/656-2892

 June 17, 2005

Ms. LaCreda Daugomah
P.O. Box ##
Anadarko, OK 73005

Dear Ms. Daugomah,

The Caddo Nation Finance Office was received the May 26, 2005 bank statement from Legacy Bank. When asked about the May 24, 2005 withdrawal of $796.00, you said that you thought Marilyn Threlkeld had withdrawn that money for bison feed. That is not an allowable expense for Motor Fuel money.

You are being held personally responsible for expenditure of Caddo Nation funds that are being expended outside the scope of our Finance system. As the Chief Executive Officer for the Caddo Nation I am responsible for safeguarding these funds. Unless you provide documentation that you were authorized to withdraw money from our tribal account showing what the money was to be used for and proof that it was used for an allowable Motor Fuel expense, you will be required to reimburse the Caddo Nation for the amount of disallowed expenditures.

Please submit all required documentation to my office by close of business on Friday, June 24, 2005. If we do not receive an acceptable response from you by that time, further action will be necessary.

Sincerely,

[signed] LaRue Parker
LaRue Parker
Chairperson

I concur:

[signed] Joyce Hinse
Joyce Hinse
Vice Chairperson

Caddo Nation of Oklahoma
Post Office Box 487
Binger, Oklahoma 73009
(405) 656-2344    405-656-2345
FAX # 405/656-2892
June 17, 2005

LEGACY BANK
P.O. Box #
Binger, OK 73009

Dear Sir or Madam:

The Caddo Nation Finance Office has received the May 26, 2005 bank statement. This statement shows a withdrawal of $796.00 dated May 24, 2005.

When LaRue Parker, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Caddo Nation requested information regarding this action you refused her request stating that her name was no longer on the account.

Who authorized you to remove the names of the Caddo Nation Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from Account No. ###### of the Caddo Nation? What was the justification for taking this action? Why didn't you notify the Chairperson of the Caddo Nation that you were considering taking this action before you did it?

It is the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Caddo Nation to safeguard the funds of the tribe. You are jeopardizing the security of the funds of the Caddo Nation. There is no record of an expenditure of $796.00 in our Finance system. We believe that Legacy Bank is party to a fraudulent expenditure of Caddo Nation funds.

We are requesting that you take immediate corrective action to safeguard the funds of the Caddo Nation that have been placed in your trust. Unless you are able to provide evidence to the contrary, you will be held responsible for any loss of Caddo Nation money placed in your bank.

Enclosed are copies of letters that have been sent to LaCreda Daugomah and Marilyn Threlkeld in an attempt to recover money that is missing from the Caddo Nation account [see above].

Your prompt response to the request will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

[signed] Joyce R. Hinse
Joyce R. Hinse
Vice Chairperson

I Concur:

[signed] LaRue Parker
LaRue Parker
Chairperson

cc: Andrews Davis Law Firm
       Anadarko Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs
       Southern Plains Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs

In addition to the above referenced funds withdrawn from the Motor Fuels account, almost $17,000 has been withdrawn from the Tribe's Treasury account at BancFirst. These withdrawals did not go through the proper procedures outlined in the tribe's Financial Policy Manual and no documentation or receipts have been submitted to the Finance Department to support these withdrawals. The withdrawals are as follows:


Date of transaction
 Posted on
Amount
Signed for by
4/29/2005
 5/2/2005 $3,881.50 Marilyn Threlkeld
5/18/2005 5/19/2005 $3,297.00 Anna Donaghey
6/10/2005
 6/10/2005
 $8,180.00
 Anna Donaghey
6/10/2005
 6/10/2005
 $24.00
 Anna Donaghey
6/22/2005
 6/22/2005
 $1,516.00
 Anna L. Donaghey

A message from Chairperson Parker (9 June 2005)

The Tribal Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, and the Oklahoma City Representative have had no part in the dealings with the Merit Group or the Cordish Group, Power Plant. These actions have been through Tom Kionute and the 5 tribal council members who appointed themselves to the Gaming Commission. Neither Tom Kionute nor those members of the tribal council have the authority to sign any gaming contracts. The Chairperson of the tribe is authorized to sign contracts with the approval of the tribal council -- this has not happened. All of these actions are illegal. I spoke at length with the Power Plant people who apologized for not going through the proper channels on matters. Their representative said  he received a letter from Christine Noah giving Tom Kionute permission to represent the tribe; therefore he thought it was all legitimate. Christine does not have the authority by herself to give such power to Tom Kionute or any other individual. Again, this is all illegal. The gaming commission only regulates the casino business. You can check this out in the Caddo Nation's gaming ordinance.

We do have a very good gaming lawyer. He is on top of everything happening with gaming in Oklahoma and across the nation. Christine Noah, Anna Donaghey, Mary Pat Clark, Marilyn Threlkeld, and LaCreda Daugomah fired him, but he continues to work for us pro bono (for free). The same is true of our other lawyers from the firm of  Andrews-Davis in Oklahoma City. They are also not being paid and were fired by these 5 individuals.  They still represent us for free because they know we are doing what is right and what is constitutional. Protecting the Caddo people and our property is foremost on our agenda, regardless of what certain people may tell you.

People, we can not afford to do any business until we have a solid tribal government and can work with out restraining orders against us. I am restrained from meeting with the Caddo people, as is required by the Caddo Nation's constitution. What are the Council 5 afraid of? They won't meet with the people and they don't want the rest of the tribal council to do so either. All tribal officials, who are elected by the Caddo people, need to report to the people, to be accountable to the people, to get input from the people, and most of all, to do the bidding of the people.

I have been contacted by many gaming people, many business organizations, and many professional organizations to get us government contracts, 8A status, and other certifications that will propel us forward. They are all waiting on the sidelines, waiting for a cohesive tribal council.

All the hopes and dreams I came to the people with have been on hold for 2 years now because of a small  group of Caddo people who have a vendetta against me. This hatred of me has reduced this tribe to near nothing. By their resolutions they have slowly taken away all services to the Caddo people and given these programs back to the BIA. What a price for our people to pay! Two times I told the Caddo people I would step down if it would help. The people said "No, they will just go after the Vice-Chairperson."

I am still working on our water rights and law suit against the Corps of Engineers. Along with our Preservation Department we are still doing agreements with Federal agencies regarding the protection of out people and their grave sites throughout Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. We have gotten several cemeteries to re-bury remains and funerary objects that have been dug up. EPA continues to train more firefighters and Haz-Mat crews. The fire truck still operates when needed. The Museum is still the pride of the Caddo people and one day hopefully we will enlarge it until we acquire all of our belongings that are being housed in museums and universities all over this country.

In all this mess, we still do wonderful things here. My spirit is not broken. God has his hand on these sacred grounds. We will not go down but like the Phoenix, we will rise up out of ashes.

Sincerely, LaRue Martin Parker

A message from Chairperson Parker regarding the Education Program (22 June 2005)

For those of you who misread the letter from Joy Martin please call her and get the correct information before jumping to conclusions. In her May 27th letter [see below], Ms. Martin states: "It was not a reassuption but a retrocession." This means that she did not re-assume our program due to mismanagement but because five members of the BIA recognized tribal council passed a resolution to have the Bureau of Indian Affairs take back the program. No money is missing from the Education Program. The money left in that account, approximately $74,000, is for students still trying to get into summer school. These funds are undistributed, not missing. Find out for yourself by calling Joy Martin at 405.605.6051.


Education Program retroceded to BIA - Some clarification (2 June 2005)

The Caddo Nation is in receipt of the following letter that clarifies the circumstances by which the Education Program is under the auspices of the BIA. The Education Program was retroceded at the request of Anna Donaghey, Mary Pat Clark, Christine Noah, LaCreda Daugomah, and Marilyn Threlkeld. It was not, as previously alleged, reassumed because of mismanagement or misappropriation of funds. The following 27 May 2005 letter from Joy Martin clarifies this situation:

United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
Oklahoma Area Education Office
4149 Highline Boulevard, Suite 380
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
(405) 605-6051
Fax (405) 605-6057

Caddo Nation Chairperson &                                                            May 27 2005
Caddo Nation Council Members
P.O. Box 487
Binger, OK 73009

Dear Chairperson and Council Members:

We apologize for taking this method to correct the letter of May 23, 2005.

Inadvertently, we referred to the reason for the Bureau of Indian Affairs managing the
Higher Education program as a reassumption. It is NOT a reassumption but a
retrocession. We have a resolution which gave the program back to the Bureau.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. It was a mistake on our part
and we apologize profusely.

                Sincerely,


                (signed)
                Joy Martin, Education Line Officer
                Oklahoma Area Education Office


Information to the people from Chairperson LaRue Martin Parker (1 June 2005)

The Council Five have fired the Tag Agent, Glenda Edmonds, and also her back-up person, the Enrollment Clerk, Shirley Gouge. No else is trained to do the job of Tag Agent. Therefore, these offices are closed until further notice. This will create a great hardship on the Caddo people. Some people need stickers and license plates to stay in compliance with state laws. Glenda and Shirley have been coming to work anyway just to help the people, but it costs them money for gas, and they are not currently being paid. People, I am so sorry that all of this has happened to us. All these actions are aimed at me in order to say that I caused all of this. I can do nothing at this point. Contact one of these five (5) Council people who are causing these problems.

Report on the Caddo Nation Bison Herd (23 May 2005)

May 23, 2005

Bureau of Indian Affairs
Great Plains Region
Anadarko, OK 73005

RE: Caddo Nation of Oklahoma Bison

This letter will clarify a few items that were brought to the Tribe's attention on May 20, 2005 by Palmer Mosley of the BIA police department. Mr. Mosley stated that he has received a call from the sheriff's office that reported a dead bison at the Bison Valley Ranch (BVR), which is located 6 miles east of the Caddo Nation Complex in Binger, OK.

Mr. Mosley stated that there was more than one call made. He stated that he did not know bison, but that he saw "rib cages" showing on the bison at BVR when he did his walk through. He stated that he saw a fresh carcass of a bison and three older ones. I tried to explain to him that on the weekend of May 7th one of the male bison had gotten into the watershed. The building is old and measures 10 X 10 ft. It's where we store some of the grains and licks. The door shut behind him and he could not get out. When we went out to the BVR Monday morning we found him almost dead. There was not much we could do at that point and he died later that day. We removed his body and put it along the tree line, where we put the other bison that died. The 3 older ones he mentioned died in January from Liver Flukes. We fed our bison hay during the winter months. We noticed that there were eating but not adding much weight like they should. We called Dr. Kirkpatrick at the SW Vet clinic. He came and took fecal samples and confirmed Liver Flukes. He told us to inoculate them with "Ivermectin Plus" ASAP and put the smaller ones in the coral and feed them grains, corn, and protein. We did that. The only problem we had was that no matter what we did they would NOT eat any of the grains. They just recently started to eat the protein cubes (Rancher 20N). The doctor could verify the deaths of the bison, since he came out and saw them and took samples. Dr. Kirkpatrick informed us that the BVR was too small to accommodate the number of bison that was put out to pasture (roughly only 10 could survive on the vegetation at the BVR), and that we would have to supplement their diet, which we have. The Tribe owns no other lands, and has no choice but to keep them at the BVR and keep their diet healthy.

We have receipts for the hay we purchased through the winter. The rancher who sold us the hay ran out in March and we had switched over to another rancher in Gracemont, which is where we get our hay now (Eddie Granger). Since the new spring grass has come in the BVR bison will only eat hay sporadically. We do provide hay for them, but we cannot make them eat anything they do not want to.

The Caddo Nation has two separate herds, one at BVR and one at the Tribal Complex. Bison Valley Ranch is not trust land; it was purchased from a private owner a few years ago and has yet to be put into trust. The two herds are from two different places. The BVR bison are from Bad Lands National Park in Montana. The herd by the Complex is from the Wichita Mountains. Anyone that spends anytime with them can clearly see the difference in the two herds. The Montana stock is smaller and more compact, while the complex herd is larger. The Tribe has had the Wichita bison since they were babies, actually bottle-feeding them when they first got them; they are now approximately 2 years old. the Montana herd came in a few months later, they varied in age. But most of the herd was one year old or younger. The oldest bison we have is roughly 3 - 3 1/2 years old out at BVR.

When I began working here a little over a year ago the Tribe had had the herds for one year. Milton Sovo and Douglas Broyles were the caretakers of the herds. The Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative out of South Dakota funded us.

Because of internal conflict this year's grant money was hung up, and we have been unable to draw down those funds. The environmental department has been cleaning up dump sites for other tribes. Whatever profit we make we have funneled all of it into the Bison Program. It has been enough for us to buy grains, hay, medicines and other items for the herds, which we have receipts for.

The tribe is now in the process of applying for the FSA American Indian Livestock Program, which will ensure future funding for the Bison Program. We have plenty of hay for the bison; at the very least it will get us through August. We have a female about to give birth to the first calf ever born to the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, and we are very excited.

My question to these allegations is why should I starve one herd and not another? There are two different dynamics of these two herds that needs to be understood. If you have anymore questions please feel free to contact us at 405.656.2388 or 405.656.2344.

Thank you for your time and consideration

(signed)
Sandy Ludgate
Environmental Director
Caddo Nation of Oklahoma

cc: file
    LaRue Parker

Candidates are announed for upcoming election (2 June 2005)

The Caddo Nation's Election Board announced that the following people have filed for the upcoming election:
 According to Dorothy Garrett, the Secretary of the Election Board, the candidate challenge period ends Monday, 6 June 2005.

Notice of the above information was placed in the Anadarko Daily News on 1 June 2005.


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