ROSEBUD – One of the first actions taken by the newly seated Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council was to schedule a special election after a candidate declined the position.
Travis Wooden Knife was the highest vote getter in the election for a tribal council representative from Butte Creek. Wooden Knife received 1,191 votes and Brandi Bettelyoun garnered 734 votes. There was no reason shared with the public as to why Wooden Knife, who is a tribal employee, declined the position.
According to a Motion Excerpt issued by the Tribal Secretary, the action was approved after a lengthy executive session at the September 13 regular tribal council meeting. The action reads “Motion by Lisa White Pipe to declare Butte Creek council representative seat vacant, order special election with a two (2) week affidavit filing period and one (1) week challenge, seconded by Shere Wright Plank, question by Wayne Frederick. The vote was sixteen (16) in favor, zero (0) opposed and (1) not voting. MOTION CARRIED.”
A date for the special election has not been set. The Election Code states “if the office of any community representative becomes vacant before the expiration of the term and a year or more of the term remains, the tribal council, within thirty (30) days after the vacancy, shall order a special election to allow all registered voters to vote for the vacant position.”
According to a Facebook post on the RST Communications page, affidavits for eligible residents of Butte Creek community will be available from the Election Office at 8am on Monday, September 18, 2023. The closing date for affidavits is 5pm on Friday, September 29, 2023. The filing fee for tribal council positions is $150.00 paid by money order to the RST Finance office. Prospective candidates must show a valid ID and be able to pass a background investigation.
The period to file a challenge against any candidate will be from 8am on Monday, October 2 through 1pm on Friday, October, 6, 2023. Tribal citizens who wish to challenge a candidate must file their affidavit with the $50.00 filing fee, paid by money order to the RST Finance Office.
Tribal citizens can call the Election Office at 605-747-2381 for more information on how to file an affidavit or registering to vote in the special election for Butte Creek. The tribal council representative is elected at large for three (3) year term.
An estimated 26,000 tribal citizens reside in twenty communities on the Rosebud Reservation. There are an estimated 7,000 tribal citizens registered to vote. Election tallies show less than 2,000 registered voters went to the polls on August 24 to cast a ballot.
Sicangu News 
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