ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS
Notes by S. Deragon:
Notes by S. Deragon:
- Year after year, month after month, Membership has requested a financial meeting to inform
Members of the Tribe’s finances. We hear bottom line figures that don’t add up and questions
that remain unanswered. Monthly financial reports have been tabled because of noted mistakes
in the financial reports. Tribal revenues have been deliberately misstated by the
Administration's Accounting Department. Late or non-submission of required financial
reports, audits and the Indirect Cost Proposals have jeopardized grants and contracts and
resulted in the loss of many grant opportunities. The first and only Beloit Casino
informational meeting was held in January of this year. At this meeting, we were shown a
financial sheet prepared by the Accounting Department. We are now told that these figures are
incorrect. This multimillion dollar Off Reservation Gaming Account had been a hidden
account, not included in the audits. A review of the audits for FY2005 to FY2007, indicate
serious problems in the Accounting Department. Although the FY2008 audit is complete,
Members will not have access to this until after the Tribal Council meets with the Auditor.
Meanwhile, serious issues and irregular accounting practices have recently been
confirmed by the new Chairman/Executive Director. The major revelation is that the
Tribal Accounting Department has been deliberately misappropriating funds to cover
their wages.
They have been taking funds in other accounts and holding back on sending out the processed
checks & vouchers because they knew the funds were unavailable because they already spent
it. We questioned the new Chairman and Treasurer as to the authorization of this wrongful
practice. Neither had directed nor given any authority for the Accounting Department to do this.
They acted without direction/authority by the Tribal Administration and the Tribal
Council. This practice has been going on for a long time, probably years. This means
financial statements were deliberately misstated or falsified causing the audits to be
inaccurate. At this point in time, nobody knows where the Tribe stands financially. We
have no financial accountability. We have an Accounting Department that has been
holding the purse strings and making detrimental decisions that are well beyond their
scope of authority. Their accounting practices have placed a huge financial burden
that ultimately has cost the Tribe millions of dollars that has not been accounted for.
Members present at Tribal Council meetings are witness to the new Treasurer’s
frustrations in her efforts to accurately report our finances. Her efforts have been
certainly hindered by the Accounting staff. As our Tribe struggles with transparency
issues and sorting out the financial nightmare created by unethical accounting
practices and the lack of the fiduciary responsibilities of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
we must look to the Tribal Administration and Tribal Council/Corporate Board to take
corrective action immediately & act in the best interest of the Tribe, rather than for a
handful of employees that have deliberately misappropriated our funds. Because the
magnitude of problems created by these unauthorized & unethical accounting practices, we felt it
necessitated taking initiative to correct this immediately. The following is a letter that was sent to
the Bureau of Indian Affairs. We hold the B.I.A. responsible for allowing this situation to persist.
