Walk a mile in our moccasins

Robert Godfrey (“Open tribal meetings,” BDN op-ed, June 22) is dead wrong in his interpretation of the law as it applies to the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe and his characterization of tribal affairs. As a non-tribal member living in Eastport, he has little if any direct or personal experience with tribal governmental affairs.

Without investigation, he accuses tribal government of violating the Indian Civil Rights Act and of making illegal decisions. I am a tribal member and a long-time resident of Pleasant Point and I have been intimately involved in tribal affairs for most of my adult life. I also have been involved in the technical and programming operations of the tribal TV station for about 10 years. Godfrey’s statement that the “tribal television station and newsletter are tightly controlled by tribal government and there is no code of ethics relative to those two methods of communication” is completely false.

The tribal TV station is 100 percent independent, and volunteers run it. Tribal TV has often been used in the past to criticize tribal government and, more recently, was used by the anti-LNG group. I have personally played many anti-LNG videos as well as produced live shows so the anti-LNG people could get their message out to the community.

Contrary to what Godfrey would have you believe, there is a tribal council resolution that has declared the tribal TV station to be an open and free forum for all tribal members wishing to express themselves. The resolution says it is to be independent and free from political interference. As for the tribal newsletter, I am not directly involved with that, but I know it has printed both sides of the LNG issue over the past year.

Godfrey also writes, “At times, voices of opposition have been prevented from speaking at tribal council meetings.” This is another false statement. I have attended some of these council meetings and have witnessed the opposition dominating the deliberations and filibustering at the council meetings. Godfrey knows nothing of these events.

There is no tribal law or ordinance that excludes tribal members from attending, speaking or from participating in tribal council meetings. As a matter of fact, tribal members are afforded every opportunity to speak. Numerous times during meetings if an individual tribal member requests to be recognized he or she is very often given the floor to speak for as long as desired. Tribal members can also record meetings or can obtain minutes or copies of audiotapes. One tribal member has been regularly videotaping the council meetings relating to LNG.

Godfrey writes that it is not about “internal tribal matters.” His argument is in contradiction to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. With a little research he could have found the court decision dated May 1, 2001, that makes it absolutely clear that tribal council meetings are a process of self-government and are considered internal tribal matters.

Does Godfrey advocate a double standard? Actually he is advocating something even more sinister, an invasion. As for his statement, “if this were happening in another country, U.S. politicians might even invade” – is he serious? Does he really think the tribe’s dealings, of which he knows nothing, justify having Gov. Baldacci call out the Maine National Guard to invade Pleasant Point? Has Godfrey taken leave of his senses?

In Godfrey’s worldview there would be no such thing as self-governance or sovereignty for tribes. If he were in charge, tribes would most likely be extinct or totally assimilated. When faced with this kind of hateful rhetoric, I ask myself what is on his agenda. I believe he and his cohorts (tribal members included) are doing everything they can to stop liquefied natural gas. It is their mission to do so. They don’t really care about Indian civil rights or anything else they argue about. Their mission is plain and simple. They want to defeat LNG and they will do anything and everything to accomplish their mission.

Preaching about democracy and tyranny, Godfrey would be well served if he were to get some real education. Maybe he should learn before he speaks. A little historical research would reveal that the U.S. Constitution was based (in part) on Native American ethics and principles that have been practiced for thousands of years. Freedom of assembly, free speech, representative democratic government and many other constitutional ideals are in fact ancient Native concepts that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and others obtained from their experiences and travels within Native American tribal societies.

The old saying, “The ends justify the means,” has a ring of truth with Godfrey. Maybe he should walk a mile in our moccasins before he speaks about us.

Edward Bassett is a member of the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe.