2 tribal leaders ousted at Indian Township > Passamaquoddys vote in referendum

INDIAN TOWNSHIP — Opponents of Gov. Robert Newell Thursday night yelled, honked horns and hugged each other when they learned Newell and Lt. Gov. Basil LaCoote had lost a referendum vote to continue as Passamaquoddy tribal leaders.

Newell lost by a vote of 153-128; the vote to oust LaCoote was 181-99. A total of 284 of 319 registered voters went to the polls.

When the vote count was announced at about 6:50 p.m. a subdued but gracious Newell said that the people had spoken and he would accept their decision. LaCoote echoed Newell’s comments.

The move to change the tribe’s administration began earlier this year when a petition was circulated that called for Newell to step down as tribal administrator. The issue seemed to resolve itself when Newell agreed to turn over the tribe’s financial management to a professional administrator. Newell was to remain as interim administrator until the new manager was hired.

Last week, six protesters took control of the tribal offices for 19 hours and demanded that Newell and LaCoote resign. The protesters said that although Newell had agreed to step aside as tribal administrator, the problems that had plagued his administration could only be solved if he resigned.

Newell, who was midway through his second four-year term as governor, said he had agreed to the previous demands, and he said he considered the later move to be a desperate attempt by a few people to take control of the government and to embarrass him and LaCoote. To end the 19-hour protest, Newell agreed to hold a referendum Thursday so tribal voters could decide whether he and LaCoote should remain in office

During the week before the vote, Newell and his opponents rallied their forces and traded charges of impropriety. Each side hoped their message was heard.

Newell said he would not simply roll over but would fight for his job. He said he believed the council wanted a figurehead governor instead of one who was a leader. Several councilors countered that they wanted a governor who worked with them as equals and listened to the concerns of constituents they represented.

The governor also had promised that he would not ignore the six protesters who occupied the tribal offices last week. He reiterated allegations of misdeeds against some of the demonstrators and said that if he won the referendum vote Thursday he would see that they were prosecuted to the full extent of the law for their invasion of the tribal offices.

After the vote was announced, tribal Councilor Roger Ritter, whom Newell had targeted as one of his leading opponents, said he believed Newell had been very surprised by the vote against him.

“The governor miscalculated this whole thing. He thought this was something Roger Ritter was doing. He missed the whole point, this is the people’s wish,” he said.

Linda Meader, a member of the tribal-office-protest group said after the vote was announced she was very relieved. “What was happening here was wrong, and I knew that people, if they did what the governor said and followed their hearts, that trust, honesty and goodness would prevail,” she said. Meader also praised the tribal council for its support.

Mike Best, who along with Meader had barricaded himself in the tribal offices last week, said he felt great. “I’m glad I’m not going to jail,” he said.