Ute panel accepts recall petition on chairwoman

FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — An 18-month-old recall petition on Ute Tribe Acting Chairwoman Maxine Natchees has been accepted by the governing Business Committee. Whether the November 2003 document will be deemed legal remains to be seen.

Petition drive organizer Mary Carol Jenkins and about nine other members of the Uintah Band that Natchees represents asked the Business Committee to accept the recall petition "nunc pro tunc" — a legal term that means it is being accepted now, as it should have been on Nov. 5, 2003.

When the petition was initially delivered to the Business Committee in November 2003, Natchees refused to accept it and no vote was taken. Because of her denial, the recall effort stalled.

Last Wednesday, three Business Committee members voted yes, and three members — including Natchees — "abstained" from accepting the petition, which petitioners originally tried to submit to the Business Committee in November 2003.

Smiley Arrowchis, Frances Poowegup and Irene Cuch all voted to accept the petition, while Natchees, Ron Groves and Richard Jenks each voted to abstain. Jenks first raised his hand to accept the petition but then changed his mind and abstained. Groves reportedly said he abstained because he was uncertain of the legal status of the petition.

Petitioners said that by law Natchees should have declared a conflict of interest and removed herself from any vote.

The petition, which must still be ratified by the tribe's department of vital statistics to ensure the names on the recall are those of eligible tribal members of Natchees' Uintah band, may face additional inspection.

Just days before petitioners attempted to submit the recall on Natchees in 2003, the Business Committee approved a new recall ordinance mandating that a reason for a recall must be given and posted for 20 days prior to the time the recall petition may circulate.

It's unknown how that ordinance will impact the petition accepted last week.

Jenkins said she decided to revive the old recall effort because of the controversy within the tribe, stirred up recently because Natchees would not give up the chairmanship to a newly elected Business Committee member.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, Jenkins said. What it all boils down to is the way disgruntled tribal members believe the tribe's incumbent Business Committee members are "working for" the tribe's financial advisor, John Jurrius, rather than tribal members.

"Like I told them . . . it's my right. Everybody else sees it, but I am the only one speaking out," said Jenkins. "It makes me crazy! We were all getting along for years; now they just look at me with those angriest looks.

"This man has just torn our tribe apart. One day this man is going to leave, and he will take our money."

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