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Unofficial Secretarial Election Notice

The secretarial election process to determine if the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians adopts an amended constitution creating a three separate co-equal branch government is under way. Here are a set of dates to keep an eye on starting next week with election packet mailings and going through tabulation night on Nov. 19.

Beginning Sept. 23, secretarial election notice packets will be sent via U.S. Mail to the mailing addresses of Sault Tribe citizens who are 18 years of age or older on or before Nov. 19, 2026. These packets include copies of the proposed amended constitution, the Constiution, and voter registration forms. Voter registration forms must be returned to the Secretarial Election Board no later than 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 19.

The only way to participate in this secretarial election is by returning your registration form on time by U.S. Mail. If you are eligible to vote and do not receive your packet, you should contact the Secretarial Election Board chairman or a board member.

Following the deadline to receive voter registration forms on Oct. 19, the initial Registered Voters List will be posted at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Michigan Agency in Sault Ste. Marie. The lists are expected to be posted by 4:30 p.m. EDT or shortly thereafter on Oct. 19.

Sault Tribe citizens may challenge the inclusion, exclusion or omission of a name on the Registered Voters List. These written challenges must be submitted to the Secretarial Election Board Chairman no later than 4:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 22 and must include the name of the affected individual or individuals, the reason why the name in question should be added or removed from the Registered Voters List, and supporting documentation. If an individual failed to submit their registration form on time, that person is precluded from challenging their own omission from the list. The Final Registered Voters List will be posted on or about 4:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23 at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and the BIA, Michigan Agency.

Shortly after the Registered Voters List is finalized, a Mailout Ballot Packet will be sent by U.S. Mail to each registered voter on Oct. 26. These packets will include instructions on how to submit your ballot. They must be returned by U.S. Mail by Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. EDT or for one day only they may be hand delivered to the DreamMakers Theater at Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Remember, you will be voting “yes” or “no” on if the Constitution will be amended to create three separate and equal branches of government. This will be the only question on the ballot.

Ballots will be opened and countered beginning at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the DreamMakers Theater. Following the counting, election results will be posted on or about Nov. 19 at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and BIA, Michigan Agency.
Registered voters may challenge the results of the election with a written challenge that includes substantiating evidence. These challenges must be received by the Chairman of the Secretarial Election Board by Nov. 24 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Challenges received after this deadline will not be considered.

If Sault Tribe citizens vote “yes” to adopt an amended constitution, the results of the secretarial election go to the U.S. Department of the Interior for certification. If certified, the amended constitution takes effect establishing a three-branch government for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Tribal Council would then have up to 18 months to update Tribal laws as required by the newly amended constitution.

The Sault Tribe Governmental Office is located at 523 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The BIA, Michigan Agency building is located at 2845 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The BIA’s Nicholas VanAlstine chairs the Secretarial Election Board. The Secretarial Election Board is composed of the following Sault Tribe citizens: Carolyn Dale, Jackie Minton, Colleen Utter, T.J. Derwin, Taylor Spade, Clarence Hudak, and Emily Smith.

For more on the secretarial election and to view the proposed amended constitution visit here.

Proposed 3-Branch Amended Sault Tribe Constitution

Details: Category: Elder Services; Published: 08 July 2015

Scams Targeting Seniors at Alarming Rates, says Better Business Bureau

You’ve just won a million dollars! Not really. But that’s what scam artists try to convey when they call or send out sweepstakes mail and emails en masse. Typically, they’ll claim you’ve won money or a prize of some sort, but the only way you can claim it is if you send in a processing fee or “taxes,” which can sometimes be thousands of dollars. Victims send in this fee by cashier's check, prepaid debit card, Western Union or some other form, never to hear from the sweepstakes again.

According to the Better Business Bureau, older Americans are the fastest growing segment of the population to be victimized by identity fraud and Internet schemes such as this. If it sounds too good to be true, generally it is too good to be true.

The sweepstakes scam is just one of many different types of scams the Better Business Bureau has identified. Unfortunately the people who fall victim to these scams the most are the people who need the money the most. There are scammers out there that just absolutely prey on seniors non-stop.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, about 27 percent of consumer fraud complaints filled in 2013 were by those above the age of 60. However, instances of fraud often go unreported by senior citizens because they don't know where to report it or they are too embarrassed.

A similar scam to the sweepstakes scam is the grant scam that claims the victim has been awarded a government grant of some kind, but in order to receive it the person must prepay the taxes up front. Most of the time, the people that get these are really people that are on a limited income that have no money and they'll try to think that they can scrape together that money if they can get an update and have their house fixed or have it more energy efficient.

Another frequent scam that targets seniors is the medical alert scam, which involves scammers claiming a “concerned family member” ordered the service for them and they'll need to make payment. The scam artist will request credit card of banking information, never to be heard from again.

Two of the scariest out there are scams that use fear and intimidation as motivation to send money. The emergency scam and arrest scam try to catch seniors off guard so they can get victims to send money immediately to waiting scam artists.

The emergency scam involves the scam artist waking the grandparent in the middle of the night claiming their relative, most often a grandchild, has been injured, arrested or robbed overseas and they need money sent immediately to help.

The arrest scam works in a similar fashion with the scam artist using fear and intimidation as they pose as a government official and threaten arrest because of overdue taxes or skipping out on jury duty, which can only be avoided through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The Internal Revenue Service has also warned about his scam, saying an IRS agent will never call your home demanding banking information, pre-paid debit cards or transfers.

Education is really the best and only way to combat the scams. Unfortunately, because there is no way to track the money once it's gone, the scammers often get away unpunished.

For family members or friends caring for senior citizens, it’s important to check on them frequently and discuss their activities. If you have access to do so, review bank statements for unusual withdrawals or charges, look for signs that senior may be succumbing to scam artists such as excessive knick-knacks and prizes around the house, regular use of couriers rather then the postal service and frequent calls from a “nice” man or lady.

—Submitted by the Unit I Elder Committee